Arthritis News and Research

Latest Arthritis News and Research

Researchers report progress on two eye disease challenges at AAO-MEACO 2010 Joint Meeting

At the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting today, researchers report progress on two top eye disease challenges treating advanced "dry" age-related macular degeneration, and preventing blindness in people with diabetes.

18 Oct 2010

Nektar presents NKTR-181 preclinical data at ASA 2010 Annual Meeting

Nektar Therapeutics today presented new preclinical data demonstrating that NKTR-181, a mu-opioid analgesic with a novel molecular structure, dramatically reduces abuse liability while providing analgesia comparable to oxycodone and morphine.

18 Oct 2010

FDA approves BOTOX as prophylactic treatment for Chronic Migraine

Allergan, Inc. today announced the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BOTOX(onabotulinumtoxinA) for the prophylactic (preventive) treatment of headaches in adults with Chronic Migraine.

18 Oct 2010

Questcor's H.P. Acthar Gel sNDA for infantile spasms receives FDA approval

Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Questcor's supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for H.P. Acthar® Gel (repository corticotropin injection) in the treatment of infantile spasms (IS), an ultra-rare orphan disorder affecting approximately 2,000 American children annually. IS is a devastating and potentially life-threatening form of epilepsy seen in infancy and early childhood.

15 Oct 2010

Genentech and Biogen Idec announce positive results from ocrelizumab phase II RRMS study

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, and Biogen Idec today announced 24-week results from a phase II study of ocrelizumab in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the most common form of the disease. Ocrelizumab demonstrated a significant reduction in disease activity as measured by brain lesions and relapse rate.

15 Oct 2010

$Spinal fractures remain undiagnosed and untreated$

Spinal fractures remain undiagnosed and untreated

A new report issued by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) for World Osteoporosis Day puts the spotlight on the severe impact of spinal fractures and calls on health professionals to recognize the signs of these fractures in their patients.

15 Oct 2010

Study suggests treating RLS may improve sleep and quality of life in people with fibromyalgia

A study in the Oct. 15, 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that adults with fibromyalgia had a much higher prevalence and risk of restless legs syndrome than healthy controls. The study suggests that treating RLS may improve sleep and quality of life in people with fibromyalgia.

15 Oct 2010

UCB announces winners of 2010 UCB Crohn's and Me Scholarship Program

UCB, Inc., a global leader in the research and development of medications to treat immunology disorders, today announced the winners of its 2010 UCB Crohn's and Me Scholarship Program for outstanding individuals affected by this condition. UCB has selected 31 winners to receive a scholarship worth up to $10,000 to help them seek personal growth through higher education.

15 Oct 2010

U.S. Bone and Joint Decade observes National Action Week

An annual global event, Bone and Joint National Action Week is held October 12-20 with activities focused on disorders including arthritis, back pain, osteoporosis, and the effects of childhood obesity on the musculoskeletal system. Events and projects organized worldwide are designed to raise awareness of prevention, disease management and treatments. In the United States, the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade represents the global initiative.

14 Oct 2010

Ligand launches Viviant in Japan and Spain for postmenopausal osteoporosis

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that its partner Pfizer, Inc. launched Viviant® (Bazedoxifene) in Japan for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Under the brand name Conbriza®, the drug is also marketed in Spain through a co-promotion with Almirall, an international pharmaceutical company based in Spain.

14 Oct 2010

Four British Columbia students awarded 2010 UCBeyond Scholarship

For four students from British Columbia, their stories of perseverance in pursuing their hopes and dreams despite their illnesses is why they have been awarded $5,000 CAN each as the 2010 recipients of the UCBeyond Scholarship.

13 Oct 2010

CEL-SCI receives Taiwanese IRB approval for Multikine Phase III trial in head and neck cancer

CEL-SCI Corporation announced today it has received approval from the first Taiwanese Institutional Review Board ("IRB") to begin enrollment of subjects for a Phase III clinical trial of Multikine®, the Company's flagship immunotherapy developed as a first-line standard of care in treating head and neck cancer. An IRB is a group formally designated by an institution to review and monitor research involving human subjects and to ensure protection of their rights and welfare.

13 Oct 2010

Australian women stressed and overweight: Survey

In a poll known as “Australia's Biggest Health Check” 26,000 responders showed that Australia's women feel stressed out and unfit and overworked. It also shows that they have barely half an hour of leisure time per day and the mismatch between how much sex women want versus what they get. The survey was promoted via two magazines - Women's Health and Prevention - and also had the backing of Priceline and the Seven Network’s Sunrise program. There were 24,500 women and 1,500 men in on the poll.

12 Oct 2010

$Photographic exhibition reveals devastating impact of spinal osteoporotic fractures$

Photographic exhibition reveals devastating impact of spinal osteoporotic fractures

At a press conference held in Brussels today, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), the Belgian Bone Club and the European Parliament Osteoporosis Interest Group called on health care professionals and health policy officials in Europe to take action to prevent spinal fractures. The call to action was made at the launch of a unique photographic essay, 'snap! the breaking spine', leading up to World Osteoporosis Day on October 20, 2010.

12 Oct 2010

MorphoSys and Proteros Biostructures receive research grant to develop new technology platform for structure-based engineering of antibodies

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) and Proteros Biostructures announced today that they have been awarded a grant by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF. The funding of approximately EUR 850,000 supports both companies in establishing a new technology platform for efficient structural characterization of antibody-antigen-complexes.

12 Oct 2010

NIH awards La Jolla Institute $12.6M to develop San Diego's first Center for RNAi screening

The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology will develop San Diego's first Center for RNAi screening -- a breakthrough genomics technology that will further enhance San Diego's reputation as a national research leader and provide the local biomedical community ready access to the Nobel-Prize winning technology.

11 Oct 2010

Obesity can accelerate progression of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Study

The first study to demonstrate that obesity can directly accelerate the progression of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been conducted at The Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and was published in Cancer Prevention Research, on October 5, 2010.

11 Oct 2010

Scientists identify molecular mechanism of muscle stem cell differentiation

Under normal circumstances, adult stem cells reside in muscle tissue, where they can differentiate into a number of different cell types. After an injury (or even a tough workout), muscles are inflamed as cells and molecules flood the area to control damage and begin repairs. When called upon to replace muscle tissue damaged by injury or genetic disease, some muscle stem cells differentiate, becoming new muscle cells, while others make more stem cells. At Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), a team of scientists led by Pier Lorenzo Puri, M.D., Ph.D., recently uncovered the molecular messengers that translate inflammatory signals into the genetic changes that tell muscle stem cells to differentiate.

11 Oct 2010

Pfizer announces tasocitinib Phase 2 data for plaque psoriasis

Pfizer Inc. today announced that data from a Phase 2 efficacy and safety study of tasocitinib the company's investigational oral JAK inhibitor, met its primary endpoint of a statistically significant greater proportion of patients achieving at least a 75 percent reduction from baseline in PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) at week 12 in individuals with chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

8 Oct 2010

Arthritis Foundation launches new initiatives on World Arthritis Day

The already staggering social and economic impact of arthritis in the United States is set to explode during the coming decades, says the Arthritis Foundation in response to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report published in the Oct. 8 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which coincides with World Arthritis Day on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

8 Oct 2010