An enriched version of a herb known as Indian Frankincense has been found beneficial to reduce symptoms of arthritis, U.S. researchers report.

The study by researchers at the University of California, Davis tested the herb Boswellia serrata, known botanically as frankincense, on patients with arthritis in their knees. Those with severe symptoms were given a low-dose capsule, some a higher dose capsule, and the remainder were given a dummy pill with no active ingredients

Outside medical experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday recommended approval of Roche Holding AG's drug Actemra to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.

The drug is more effective at reducing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis than existing biologic agents, which are dominated by a type of drug known as anti-TNFs. The new drug will target the drug for patients who failed anti-TNFs, such as Johnson & Johnson's drug Remicade and Abbott Laboratories' Humira, DowJones reported

A combination of two drugs, Enbrel and methotrexate, when given to patients in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis has shown to halt progression of joint damage, a new study has found.

Researchers from the University of Leeds in England analysed 542 rheumatoid arthritis patients in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Australia for two years. All of the patients took methotrexate pills along with a weekly shot of the biologic drug Enbrel; others got a placebo shot, WebMD reported

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel on Wednesday recommended the psoriasis drug Enbrel to be approved for pediatric use with moderate-to-severe forms of the skin disease.

Seven panel members from the advisory committee voted in favor of recommending approval while five voted against and one abstained. The panel said the drug appears effective but expressed concerns about increased risks of malignancy and serious infections like tuberculosis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has started a safety review of several drugs known as tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, blockers for a possible association with development of lymphoma and other cancers in children and young adults.

The agency said the drugs, Enbrel, Humira and Remicade, are widely prescribed to treat autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease