Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Enbrel to treat rheumatoid arthritis approved in Japan

Wyeth K.K. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) have announced that Enbrel (etanercept) has been approved by the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who had an inadequate response to existing therapies.

27 Jan 2005

Trial of Etanercept for Wegners's disease shows no benefit against the autoimmune condition

A Johns Hopkins-led study designed to evaluate the ability of etanercept to maintain disease remissions in a serious autoimmune disorder has failed to show any benefit. Etanercept, also called Enbrel, is a common treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other types of joint inflammation.

26 Jan 2005

Painful surgical adhesions may be preventable by taking the COX-2 inhibitor Celebrex

Adhesions – bands of scar tissue that bind together two internal body surfaces – develop in 55 percent to more than 90 percent of patients undergoing surgery, depending on the type of operation. They are part of normal healing, but when surfaces fuse together that shouldn't, serious pain and complications can result.

26 Jan 2005

Monoclonal antibody therapeutics to fill vacuum left by ineffective conventional therapies

Currently, the limited efficacy of conventional therapies, especially in the case of several oncology and autoimmune and inflammatory disorders (AIID), is creating the need for safe and effective treatment alternatives.

25 Jan 2005

Younr black people experience the most pain

Adults under the age of 50 who have chronic pain may be less able to cope with their condition and more prone to associated depression than their elders, a new study suggests.

25 Jan 2005

Vioxx could have caused 140000 excess cases of coronary heart disease in the USA since 1999

The arthritis drug Vioxx could have caused an estimated 88 000–140 000 excess cases of serious coronary heart disease in the USA since its launch in 1999, concludes a study published online by The Lancet.

24 Jan 2005

Psychiatric disorders detected using blood test

ChondroGene Limited reported today that a paper entitled "Assessing the Validity of Blood- Based Gene Expression Profiles for the Classification of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: A preliminary Report" is available online on the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics' website.

19 Jan 2005

Physicians should avoid prescribing Bextra altogether

Physicians should avoid prescribing Bextra altogether, or use it only as a drug of last resort, says a researcher from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues in an editorial published on-line Jan. 17 in Circulation, a publication of the American Heart Association.

19 Jan 2005

Animal study on vascular effects of COX-2 inhibition

In an article by Egan et al, titled, "Cyclooxygenases, Thromboxane, and Atherosclerosis," published in the Jan 17 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association researchers examined some of the molecular mechanisms of drugs affecting prostaglandin and thromboxane production.

17 Jan 2005

Further evidence for the role of cyclooxygenases (COX) in heart-disease risk

In two articles, published in Circulation, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine provide further evidence for the role of cyclooxygenases (COX) in heart-disease risk.

17 Jan 2005

Committees will weigh up COX-2 benefits and risks

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a joint public meeting of the agency's Arthritis Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to be held February 16, 17 and 18, 2005.

16 Jan 2005

Survey finds online health information poised to become important resource for seniors, but not there yet

As the Internet becomes an increasingly important resource for informing decisions about health and health care options, a new national survey of older Americans by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that less than a third (31%) of seniors (age 65 and older) have ever gone online, but that more than two-thirds (70%) of the next generation of seniors (50-64 year-olds) have done so.

12 Jan 2005

Government should plough drug savings into Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

Doctors and medicine-makers today called for an expected $280 million Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) windfall to be ploughed into bringing down the price of new cancer and HIV drugs.

9 Jan 2005

Promising new evidence for the optimal use of biologic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis

A major cause of pain and disability, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is also potentially the most treatable form of chronic arthritis. Researchers, doctors, and patients agree that a group of drugs called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can effectively reduce joint pain and stiffness.

7 Jan 2005

Strong association between high levels of hyaluronic acid and severe osteoarthritis

A chronic degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of pain and disability among older Americans. OA of the knee affects up to 6 percent of the older population, while OA of the hip affects about another 3 percent. While treatments vary, there is hope that early intervention – before joint destruction can be clearly seen and measured on an X-ray image-will improve outcomes.

7 Jan 2005

Reduced progression of atherosclerosis tied to statin drugs lowering fats, protein

Aggressive therapy with statins -- drugs that inhibit cholesterol synthesis -- works better than moderate statin therapy in reducing fats and proteins in the blood that have been linked to atherosclerosis, a new multi-center study concludes. Statins’ effects on both complex compounds appear beneficial in cutting patients’ cardiovascular risks.

6 Jan 2005

Chronic users NSAIDs have greater risk of bleeding and visible damage to their small intestine

According to a study published today in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, chronic users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have an increased risk of bleeding and visible damage to their small intestine.

4 Jan 2005

Signaling molecule involved in osteoarthritis identified

Using naturally-occurring mutant mice with a defective collagen gene, scientists at Harvard have identified a signaling molecule involved in one of the most common causes of disability among the elderly in the United States, osteoarthritis.

4 Jan 2005

Laser therapy may be considered by arthritis patients as a safe Vioxx alternative

Adverse events of long term medication with NSAIDs and particularly coxibs, has recently received much attention in the Vioxx matter. Consequently, Vioxx has been withdrawn and Prexige has been withheld from the market. The whole group of coxibs, are now under special observation by drug agencies in both Europe and the United States.

27 Dec 2004

Public health advisory for the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug products

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Public Health Advisory summarizing the agency's recent recommendations concerning the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug products (NSAIDs), including those known as COX-2 selective agents.

23 Dec 2004

Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Enbrel to treat rheumatoid arthritis approved in Japan

Trial of Etanercept for Wegners's disease shows no benefit against the autoimmune condition

Painful surgical adhesions may be preventable by taking the COX-2 inhibitor Celebrex

Monoclonal antibody therapeutics to fill vacuum left by ineffective conventional therapies

Younr black people experience the most pain

Vioxx could have caused 140000 excess cases of coronary heart disease in the USA since 1999

Psychiatric disorders detected using blood test

Physicians should avoid prescribing Bextra altogether

Animal study on vascular effects of COX-2 inhibition

Further evidence for the role of cyclooxygenases (COX) in heart-disease risk

Committees will weigh up COX-2 benefits and risks

Survey finds online health information poised to become important resource for seniors, but not there yet

Government should plough drug savings into Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

Promising new evidence for the optimal use of biologic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis

Strong association between high levels of hyaluronic acid and severe osteoarthritis

Reduced progression of atherosclerosis tied to statin drugs lowering fats, protein

Chronic users NSAIDs have greater risk of bleeding and visible damage to their small intestine

Signaling molecule involved in osteoarthritis identified

Laser therapy may be considered by arthritis patients as a safe Vioxx alternative

Public health advisory for the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug products

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Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Scalable, Smart, and Accessible: The Future of Lab Automation

Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: A Conversation with WHO’s Dr. Allotey

The evolution of OCT for retinal imaging and disease intervention

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