Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Blue Belt's Navio PFS System receives CE Mark approval

Blue Belt Technologies, Inc., a medical device company focused on developing the next generation of "smart" surgical instruments providing precise robotic control for use initially in orthopedic procedures and then for other surgical specialties including neurosurgery, spinal and otolaryngology, announced today that it has received CE Mark for the Navio™ PFS System.

24 Feb 2012

NYU Langone HJD first in the Metro NY area to launch J-tip needle-free anesthetic system

NYU Langone Hospital for Joint Diseases' Center for Children, part of the new Hassenfeld Pediatric Center, is the first pediatric hospital in the Metropolitan New York area to introduce the J-tip needle-free anesthetic system.

24 Feb 2012

Scientists identify specific mechanisms by which vitamin D inhibits inflammation

Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered specific molecular and signaling events by which vitamin D inhibits inflammation. In their experiments, they showed that low levels of Vitamin D, comparable to levels found in millions of people, failed to inhibit the inflammatory cascade, while levels considered adequate did inhibit inflammatory signaling.

24 Feb 2012

NHS approves new rheumatoid arthritis drug RoActemra

RoActemra, which is the first innovation in the field for ten years, is being recommended for patients who have failed on standard treatments. It is the first time RoActemra has been approved for NHS patients in England and Wales with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who are at an early stage in the disease. The drug has been available for early use in Scotland for two years.

23 Feb 2012

NK cells play an important role in rejection of porcine chondrocytes transplantation

Researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have studied for the first time the response of human NK cells (Natural Killer) against porcine chondrocytes (cartilage cells).

23 Feb 2012

Mount Sinai receives Le Foundation gift for psychiatric neuroimaging study

The Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine has received a $250,000 gift from The Iris & Junming Le Foundation to advance neuroimaging research conducted by young scientists in the early stages of their careers.

23 Feb 2012

Questcor fourth quarter net sales increase to $75.5 million

Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011.

22 Feb 2012

State roundup: Calif. expands uninsured access, gives adult day care reprieve

Nearly two years before the federal health reform law kicks in, 10 California counties have expanded medical coverage to more than 250,000 people who were previously uninsured, according to new state data.

22 Feb 2012

Medco fourth-quarter total net revenues increase 12.2% to record $19.0 billion

Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today reported record fourth-quarter 2011 GAAP diluted EPS of $1.08, an increase of 22.7 percent, which includes expenses associated with the pending merger with Express Scripts, Inc. of $43.6 million before provision for income taxes. When excluding these merger-related expenses, diluted EPS increased 29.5 percent over fourth-quarter 2010.

21 Feb 2012

Penn oncologist to discuss role of autophagy in fighting cancer at AAAS annual meeting

Blocking autophagy -- the process of "self-eating" within cells -- is turning out to be a viable way to enhance the effectiveness of a wide variety of cancer treatments.

19 Feb 2012

Scientists discover the off signal for inflammation

Proteins, the building block for all living organisms, are the ultimate transformers - able to splice and switch roles and functions within the human body. But when these changes go wrong, diseases such as cancers and arthritis may result, says University of British Columbia researcher Chris Overall.

18 Feb 2012

Abcodia, Volition announce collaboration agreement

VolitionRX Limited, a life sciences company focused on developing blood-based diagnostic tests, announces a collaboration agreement with Abcodia, a specialist company spun out from University College London (UCL), under which Volition will gain access to Abcodia's biobank of over 5,000,000 human serum samples to validate its suite of NuQ tests.

17 Feb 2012

Pharmos reports net loss of $0.4 million for fourth quarter 2011

Pharmos Corporation reported financial results for the fourth quarter and twelve-month period ended December 31, 2011. These results are included in the Company's Yearly Report on Form 10-K which has been filed with the SEC.

17 Feb 2012

Web-based intervention can effectively manage chronic migraine

painACTION.com is a free, non-promotional online program designed to support self-management and improve overall function in people with chronic pain. This study tested painACTION.com's ability to increase the use of self-management skills in people with chronic migraine headaches.

17 Feb 2012

AstraZeneca launches ARIMIDEX Direct to help cancer patients

AstraZeneca today announced its first-ever direct-to-patient program offering patients with a valid prescription for ARIMIDEX or anastrozole the opportunity to have the brand ARIMIDEX delivered directly to their home by Express Scripts, a specialty pharmacy services provider, for $40 per month, including shipping.

17 Feb 2012

More than half of women with SLE and RA have fewer children than desired

New research shows that more than half of women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have fewer children than desired. While patient choice has some influence on the smaller family size, findings published today in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), suggest that higher rates of infertility and miscarriage may also impact the number of offspring born to women with these chronic conditions.

16 Feb 2012

Obesity may increase symptom severity and decrease QOL in patients with fibromyalgia

People with fibromyalgia can have difficulty getting a definitive diagnosis and finding an effective treatment plan. For many patients, the condition involves a confounding array of symptoms, including chronic pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance and mood disorders. One factor associated with fibromyalgia symptoms is a patient's weight, according to a Mayo Clinic study published on February 2012 in Arthritis Care & Research.

16 Feb 2012

Juvenile arthritis affected kids are at a high risk of cancer: Study

A new study shows that kids with juvenile idiopathic arthritis develop cancer four times more often than children without the disease, but the treatments they receive - including biologic treatments like Enbrel - may not explain their increased risk. If confirmed, researchers say the findings should ease fears that biologic treatments known as TNF inhibitors cause cancer in children and young adults.

14 Feb 2012

Knee replacements double in 10 years, study says

More than 4 million Americans over 50 have artificial knees, according to a new study. ... "These data are sobering because we didn't know what an army of people we've created over the last decade," said study author Elena Losina, co-director of the Orthopedics and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital. ... Artificial knees also wear out after a period of time, so as the operations are increasingly done on younger Americans, many will live long enough to almost certainly need a second or even third knee replacement.

14 Feb 2012

Supply of childhood leukemia drug nearly exhausted

A medicine to treat children's leukemia is in such short supply that hospitals may run out within weeks; meanwhile, families of people with Alzheimer's disease are clamoring to use a skin-cancer drug after a promising study in mice.

14 Feb 2012