New Gout Medication, gives new hope

he Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat the joint condition, gout, in more than 40 years.

The drug lowers uric acid in the blood of patients with gout. Gout is a common and painful form of arthritis that causes swollen, red and hot joints. It occurs when uric acid builds up in the blood because the body can't get rid of it fast enough, or because some people's bodies produce too much of it.

The condition is common in men over the age of 40 years old.

The new drug, Uloric, is made and marketed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America.

It will be available in 40- and 80-milligram tablets to be taken once a day, according to a company press release.