Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

CPF applauds new guidelines for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) applauds the joint statement issued by the American Thoracic Society for the first evidence-based clinical guidelines for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The guidelines represent progress in understanding of the disease and a milestone for patients. The devastating and deadly disease also called simply "Pulmonary Fibrosis" or "PF" has no FDA approved treatment and no cure.

18 Mar 2011

APS ACTION brings experts together to improve patient outcomes

Motivated by the lack of treatment options for patients with antiphospholipid syndrome, rheumatology researchers convened an international committee to address the problem directly.

17 Mar 2011

Astellas to acquire all Maxygen's equity interests in Perseid for $76.0 million

Maxygen, Inc. today announced that Astellas Pharma Inc. has exercised its option to purchase all of Maxygen's equity interests in Perseid Therapeutics LLC at the current exercise price of $76.0 million.

17 Mar 2011

PsiOxus commences MT-102 Phase II study for treatment of cancer- and age-related wasting

PsiOxus Therapeutics, Ltd. announced initiation of a Phase II study of MT-102, a small molecule therapeutic for the treatment of cancer- and age-related wasting. MT-102 is being developed to reverse the effects of cachexia, a wasting disease that accompanies cancer, heart failure, COPD, renal failure, cirrhosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

17 Mar 2011

New study: Positive outcomes from gene therapy trial in patients with Parkinson's

A multi-center gene therapy trial for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease demonstrated reduced symptoms of the progressive movement disorder, according to a new study published in Lancet Neurology.

17 Mar 2011

Clinical depression can exacerbate Knee osteoarthritis symptoms in elder patients

Clinical depression can exacerbate the symptoms of knee arthritis beyond what is evident on X-rays, according to a new study from the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

17 Mar 2011

Older adults in public housing suffer fatigue and chronic related conditions

Location really does matter to older adults' health, according to a new study that found those living in public housing fare poorly and suffer more from fatigue and chronic, related conditions than those in other community dwellings.

16 Mar 2011

Researchers discover 3-D structure of key biological receptor

Researchers have solved the three-dimensional structure of a key biological receptor. The finding has the potential to speed drug discovery in many areas, from arthritis to respiratory disorders to wound healing, because it enables chemists to better examine and design molecules for use in experimental drugs.

16 Mar 2011

Malaria drug shrinks, slows resistant pancreatic tumors

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists report they have shrunk or slowed the growth of notoriously resistant pancreatic tumors in mice, using a drug routinely prescribed for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis.

16 Mar 2011

Plexxikon selects Clinipace to manage 4 clinical trials for RA treatment

Clinipace Worldwide, a global digital clinical research organization, announced today that Plexxikon Inc., a leader in the structure-guided discovery and development of novel small molecule pharmaceuticals to treat human disease, has selected Clinipace to manage all aspects of four clinical trials comprising a Phase 1 healthy volunteer study, a Phase 1b rheumatoid arthritis study, and two phase 2 oncology studies.

16 Mar 2011

Innovative orthopedic operation using 'telescoping rods' performed at HSS

An innovative operation using "telescoping rods" performed at Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan enabled a young Long Island boy to walk for the first time, and the child and his mother are going to Washington, D.C., to tell their story.

15 Mar 2011

New study identifies 15 genetic regions underlying primary biliary cirrhosis

Researchers have provided new clues into the genetics underlying a chronic form of liver disease, called primary biliary cirrhosis, which can lead to transplant surgery for patients.

14 Mar 2011

New drug for Lupus approved

A new drug for lupus has won U.S. approval. The drug, Benlysta from Human Genome Sciences Inc., is administered once a month intravenously.

12 Mar 2011

Study to identify drug targets for rheumatoid arthritis patients not responding to anti-TNF therapies

GNS Healthcare, Inc., (GNS) the leading healthcare analytics company focused on enabling personalized medicine to improve human health, today announced the publication of results from a study focused on identifying novel drug targets for the one-third of rheumatoid arthritis patients who do not respond to leading anti-TNF therapies.

11 Mar 2011

Scientific advances at Scripps Research lay foundation for new lupus drug Benlysta

Scientific advances at The Scripps Research Institute were key to laying the foundation for the new drug Benlysta® (belimumab), approved today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Benlysta®, which treats the most common type of lupus, is the first in a new class of pharmaceuticals that prevents the body from attacking its own critical tissues.

11 Mar 2011

Surgical robot acquisition increases rate of surgery to treat prostate cancer

A new study conducted by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and Yale School of Medicine shows that when hospitals acquire surgical robotic technology, men in that region are more likely to have prostate cancer surgery. The study, "The Association between Diffusion of the Surgical Robot and Radical Prostatectomy Rates", was published this week in the online edition of the journal Medical Care.

11 Mar 2011

Sanofi-aventis, Regeneron announce results of VEGF Trap Phase III trial in second-line NSCLC

Sanofi-aventis and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced results from the Phase III VITAL trial evaluating the investigational agent aflibercept (VEGF Trap) for the second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

11 Mar 2011

Dietitian offers nutrition tips to obtain maximum health benefits

March is National Nutrition Month, a campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association to promote nutrition education. This year's theme is Eat Right with Color.

11 Mar 2011

Researchers create protein molecule for new anti-inflammatory therapies

Researchers from across multiple disciplines at NYU Langone Medical Center created a new protein molecule derived from the growth factor progranulin may provide the basis for new therapies in inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study published in the March 10, 2011 issue of Science.

11 Mar 2011