Arthritis News and Research

Latest Arthritis News and Research

Epratuzumab reduces SLE disease activity in phase IIB EMBLEM study

UCB and U.S. based partner Immunomedics Inc. announced that results from the phase IIB study, EMBLEM, showed that certain doses of epratuzumab were associated with a meaningful and statistically significant reduction in disease activity in adult patients with moderate to severe active SLE.

10 Nov 2010

Breast cancer patients more likely to have joint pain from taking AIs: Study

Breast cancer patients are more likely to have joint pain from taking aromatase inhibitors if they have advanced stage cancer, according to a study presented at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting, held Nov. 7-11, in Atlanta. The study is one of the first to identify factors that increase the likelihood that a patient will suffer joint pain from AI therapy.

10 Nov 2010

Researchers estimate increasing trend of hyperuricemia among adults, senior citizens

Hyperuricemia rates among the nation's adults and senior citizens remain substantially high, putting them at greater risk for developing gout, according to research presented at the Nov 2010, American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

10 Nov 2010

Special Surgery investigators to present future of clinical care at ACR annual meeting

Hospital for Special Surgery physicians who focus on lupus, scleroderma and related conditions are traveling from New York City to Atlanta this week to share their recent findings at the 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

10 Nov 2010

Immunologix partners with Genscript to develop human antibody therapeutics

Immunologix, Inc, a Charleston, SC biotechnology company and a leader in fully human therapeutic antibodies for a variety of diseases and GenScript, a contract research organization (CRO) based in Piscataway, NJ and the industry leader in bio-reagent services, assay development & screening, lead optimization, and antibody drug development, announced today that the companies have formed a strategic partnership to offer a complete platform for producing human antibody therapeutics.

10 Nov 2010

Adolescent obesity associated with risk of severe obesity in adulthood

Obese adolescents are 16 times more likely to become severely obese by age 30 than their healthy weight or even overweight peers, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

10 Nov 2010

Common foot disorders more prevalent among African Americans

Common foot disorders such as flat feet, corns and bunions are more prevalent among African Americans than in whites, a new study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers has found.

10 Nov 2010

Phytomedics awarded $244,000 QTDP grant for development of RA drug

Phytomedics, Inc., a transformational healthcare company developing a novel portfolio of drugs and consumer products solely derived from plant sources, announced today that it has been awarded a grant in the amount of $244,000 under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) Program to advance the development of its lead product PMI-001 for Rheumatoid Arthritis. PMI-001 is presently in Phase 2b/3 development.

9 Nov 2010

Changes in Medicare policies may hamper supply of power wheelchairs

Will power wheelchairs continue to be available to Nevada's Medicare patients following a series of federal regulatory and policy changes?

9 Nov 2010

Study finds lack of medication adherence among people with RA and lupus

People with rheumatic diseases don't take their medication on a regular basis, and this leads to poor outcomes in their disease treatment, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010

Patients with germinal center-like structures face greater risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Biopsying the glands that produce saliva to test for germinal center-like formation when someone is diagnosed with primary Sjögren's Syndrome can predict later development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010

REF donates $24 million in innovative RA research

The American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation today announced it has raised nearly $28 million, and funded $24 million, in RA research through its Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis campaign - putting the Foundation two million from its initial $30 million goal.

9 Nov 2010

Study demonstrates preventive effect of urate lowering therapy on cardiovascular mortality

The use of urate lowering therapy might successfully prevent death from cardiovascular disease in people with gout, according to research presented at the Nov 2010, American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010

Ultrasound needle guidance improves performance and outcomes of knee injections

The use of ultrasound needle guidance improves the performance, outcomes and the cost-effectiveness of knee injections in people with osteoarthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010

Children with JIA face increase risk of developing cancer

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis have a two to threefold increased risk of developing cancer compared to similarly-aged children without JIA, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta. The same study also reported no cases of cancer in children with JIA who were exposed to anti-TNF therapy.

9 Nov 2010

Joint complaints attributed to breast cancer drugs not linked with inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune disease

A new study suggests joint complaints attributed to aromatase inhibitors (AI), popular breast cancer drugs, are not associated with inflammatory arthritis or autoimmune disease. Because of that, researchers say women who were primarily concerned about the threat of arthritis should be encouraged to continue taking the medication. The findings of the study will be presented Tuesday, Nov. 9 at the 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Atlanta, Georgia

9 Nov 2010

DHA protects brain tissue and promotes recovery in acute ischemic stroke

Research led by Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Boyd Professor, Villere Chair, and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health Sciences Center, has shown that Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a component of fish oil, is a powerful therapeutic agent that can protect brain tissue and promote recovery in an experimental model of acute ischemic stroke, even when treatment is delayed by up to five hours.

9 Nov 2010

ORAL Solo Phase 3 study shows tasocitinib reduces signs and symptoms of active RA

Pfizer Inc. today announced results of ORAL Solo (1045), a Phase 3 study that showed tasocitinib (CP-690,550), an investigational, novel, oral JAK inhibitor, administered as monotherapy met two primary endpoints, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in signs and symptoms of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and improvement in physical function as measured by ACR20 response rates and mean change in HAQ-DI, respectively, versus placebo at three months.

9 Nov 2010

Combination treatment with methotrexate and prednisone achieves remission in newly-developed RA

People with newly-developed rheumatoid arthritis or undifferentiated arthritis may be able to achieve remission, with continued drug therapy, after four months of treatment with methotrexate and prednisone, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010

Sugar-sweetened drinks can increase gout risk in women

Women who consume fructose-rich beverages, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks and orange juice, are at an increased risk for gout, according to research presented at the Nov 2010, American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010