Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Erectile dysfunction linked to RLS in older men

A study in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that erectile dysfunction was more common in older men with restless leg syndrome (RLS) than in those without RLS, and the magnitude of this association increased with a higher frequency of RLS symptoms.

3 Jan 2010

CPF reports success in advocacy, research support and awareness of PF

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) calls 2009 a year of success in advocacy, research support and awareness, even in a year plagued by the economic recession. PF is a fatal disease that has no known cause, no FDA-approved treatment, and no cure.

30 Dec 2009

Regular, modest exercise beneficial for people with arthritis

Regular, modest exercise improves joint stability and strengthens muscles, according to the December issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. Exercise also improves mood, sleep, energy levels and day-to-day functioning. Best of all, people with arthritis who exercise regularly report less pain.

30 Dec 2009

Overview of Psoriasis

Psoriasis, a chronic disease that causes red, raised patches of skin, is increasingly seen as a systemic disease with links to arthritis and cardiovascular disease. The December issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource provides an overview of this sometimes embarrassing condition, what's known about it and how it's treated.

30 Dec 2009

Luna Innovations acquires intellectual property assets of Tego Biosciences

Luna Innovations Incorporated has acquired certain intellectual property assets of Tego Biosciences, its main competitor in developing medicines based on carbon nanomaterials.

29 Dec 2009

Medicare reimbursement for DXA tests restored

Passage of health care reform legislation today in the U.S. Senate will help provide older Americans with easier access to quality osteoporosis diagnosis, prevention and treatment services. Included in the Senate health reform bill is a provision restoring Medicare reimbursement for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), the leading diagnostic tool for the early detection and management of osteoporosis.

27 Dec 2009

UCB's Cimzia gains market share of Centocor's Simponi

BioTrends Research Group, Inc. announces the release of the final wave of LaunchTrends®: Simponi and Cimzia report. The survey was completed by U.S. Rheumatologists.

24 Dec 2009

Study reveals genomic switches separate autoimmune disorders in different clusters

Genomic switches can predispose an individual to one set of autoimmune disorders but protect the same person against another set of them, scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have found.

24 Dec 2009

Anti-inflammatory coxib medications inhibit aspirin's protective qualities

A new study conducted at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) reveals that Celebrex and other anti-inflammatory coxib medications may counter the positive effects of aspirin in preventing blood clots.

24 Dec 2009

Ligand Pharmaceuticals acquires Neurogen

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Neurogen Corporation, following approval of the transaction by Neurogen stockholders earlier today. As a result, Ligand gains a fully funded partnership with Merck & Co., additional pipeline assets, drug discovery resources and additional cash balances.

23 Dec 2009

Achievements in lupus research, education and advocacy cause for celebration and hope

The year 2009 will be remembered as a year of many firsts for lupus, including the first successful phase III clinical trial of a potential new treatment for lupus, the launch of the first-ever Ad Council public awareness campaign for lupus, and the first comprehensive report on the barriers to lupus drug development. And it appears there are no signs of any slowing of momentum as we enter the New Year.

23 Dec 2009

Rigel Pharmaceuticals announces milestone payment from Daiichi Sankyo

Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has received a milestone payment from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. as part of their collaboration to research and develop cancer treatments aimed at selectively inhibiting ligases, which are intrinsic to cancer cell growth and proliferation. The compound, as yet unnamed, targets cell division.

23 Dec 2009

Findings may lead to new methods for diagnosing osteoporosis

Using a technique that provides detailed images of nanoscale structures, researchers at the University of Michigan and Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital have discovered changes in the collagen component of bone that directly relate to bone health.

23 Dec 2009

Researchers mix active drug and placebo to maximize drug benefits for efficient treatment

Researchers used the placebo effect to successfully treat psoriasis patients with one quarter to one half of their usual dose of a widely used steroid medication, according to an early study published online today in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

23 Dec 2009

Amgen and Roche end EPO patent infringement dispute

Amgen announced today that the United States (U.S.) District Court in Boston has entered final judgment and a permanent injunction against Roche prohibiting Roche from infringing Amgen's patents on recombinant erythropoietin (EPO), thus bringing the five-year patent infringement dispute to an end.

23 Dec 2009

Viron Therapeutics' three drug candidates granted U.S. patents

Viron Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering the development of virally-derived protein therapeutics, today announced that it has been granted U.S. patents related to three of its drug candidates, VT-111, VT-346 and VT-384.

23 Dec 2009

Back pain problems continue to rise in U.S.

The Bonati Spine Institute, the leader in minimally invasive laser spine surgery, reports the results of studies that Americans are increasingly reporting back pain and spending more on back pain, but cautions consumers to carefully research the experience and the surgical outcome results when choosing their spine team.

23 Dec 2009

Emisphere's oral salmon calcitonin product addresses persistent musculoskeletal pain

Emisphere Technologies, Inc. today announced a meta-analysis published in the December 2009 edition of Rheumatology Reports examining independent evidence of the analgesic action of the hormone calcitonin. This publication restates the potential of calcitonin in filling a significant unmet need for alternative treatments for persistent musculoskeletal pain.

22 Dec 2009

CD20 deficiency in humans results in impaired T cell-independent antibody responses

Antibodies directed against the protein CD20, which is expressed by immune cells known as B cells, are used to treat B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis.

22 Dec 2009

Eli Lilly, Incyte announce collaboration for development and commercialization of INCB28050 oral inhibitor

Eli Lilly and Company and Incyte Corporation announced today that they have entered into an exclusive worldwide license and collaboration agreement for the development and commercialization of Incyte's oral JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, INCB28050, and certain follow on compounds, for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The lead compound, INCB28050, is currently being studied in a six-month dose-ranging Phase II trial for rheumatoid arthritis.

21 Dec 2009