Immunology News and Research

Latest Immunology News and Research

ISTA Pharmaceuticals' presentations on Phase 3 clinical results of Bepreve

ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced poster presentations of results from the Company's Bepreve(TM) (bepotastine besilate ophthalmic solution) 1.5% Phase 3 clinical studies in allergic conjunctivitis. The studies demonstrated Bepreve was safe and well-tolerated when given twice daily for six weeks in a healthy pediatric population as young as three years of age.

22 Oct 2009

VeriChip collaborates with DRI for further development of the glucose-sensing RFID microchip

VeriChip Corporation announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with the Diabetes Research Institute ("DRI") to combine efforts on the further development of the glucose-sensing radio frequency identification (RFID) microchip in conjunction with VeriChip's development partner, RECEPTORS LLC.

22 Oct 2009

Lux Biosciences to present on LX211 at 2009 AAO annual conference

Lux Biosciences, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for serious ophthalmic diseases, today announced that the company’s experimental drug LX211 (LUVENIQ; oral voclosporin) will be featured in several presentations at the 2009 American Academy of Ophthalmology annual conference and American Uveitis Society meeting being held October 24-26 in San Francisco.

21 Oct 2009

Professor secures grant for further research on immunotherapy strategies

Venuprasad K. Poojary, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine, has secured a two-year federal grant for almost $1 million to further his research into creating more effective immunotherapy strategies for cancer treatment.

21 Oct 2009

Carcinoembryonic antigen co-discoverer Dr. Phil Gold to be inducted into The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

Prof. Heather Munroe-Blum, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University, and the Hon. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), welcome the news that Dr. Phil Gold is to be inducted into The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. In 1965, Dr. Gold co-discovered the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), the first clinically useful human tumour marker that revolutionized the diagnosis and management of cancer.

21 Oct 2009

Inovio Biomedical highlights its advances in SynCon DNA vaccines

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced that Dr. David B. Weiner, Chairman of Inovio’s Scientific Advisory Board, highlighted advances in electroporation-delivered SynCon™ DNA vaccines compared to other leading vaccine technologies at the AIDS Vaccine 2009 Conference being held this week in Paris, France.

21 Oct 2009

SIMPONI treatment results in greater inhibition of structural damage in arthritis patients

Phase 3 data reported for the first time show that once every four week subcutaneous injections of SIMPONI(TM) (golimumab) resulted in significantly greater inhibition of structural damage compared with placebo plus methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

20 Oct 2009

AstraZeneca and POZEN announce the pivotal data from two POZEN clinical trials

AstraZeneca and POZEN Inc. today announced pivotal data from two POZEN clinical trials that were presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.

20 Oct 2009

Celgene Corporation updates on Phase II study evaluating apremilast in psoriatic arthritis patients

Celgene Corporation announced that updated results of a phase II, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-arm study of apremilast in adult patients with psoriatic arthritis (CC-10004-PSA-001) were presented today at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2009 annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA.

20 Oct 2009

UCB reports on the outcome of Cimzia and MTX treatment for rheumatoid arthritis

UCB today announced data that showed rapid and sustained improvements in ACR20, physical function, pain and fatigue of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as early as the first week, and inhibition of progression of structural joint damage (seen at week 24) following treatment with Cimzia (certolizumab pegol), together with methotrexate (MTX), was sustained up to 100 weeks.

19 Oct 2009

Scientists find cause for lupuslike disease in mice

Macrophages, the scavenger cells of the body's immune system, are responsible for disposing of dying cells. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have identified one pathway in this important process in mice that, if disrupted, causes a lupuslike autoimmune disease.

19 Oct 2009

Encorium Group raises $1.6 million through private placement

Encorium Group, Inc., a full-service multinational contract research organization (CRO) that provides design, development, and management capabilities for clinical trials and patient registries to many of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, today announced that it has completed a private placement of 3,937,500 shares of its common stock with a private investor for an aggregate purchase price of $1,575,000, or $.40 per share.

19 Oct 2009

New data on Phase 3 SIMPONI clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis

New long-term data from two pivotal, Phase 3 clinical trials showed that patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving SIMPONI(TM) (golimumab) every four weeks achieved sustained improvements in signs and symptoms and physical function response through one year. These new data were presented today at the 2009 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting.

19 Oct 2009

SequelMed Patient Portal launched by Sequel Systems

Sequel Systems, Inc., a dynamic, service-oriented healthcare technology company, today announced the launch and general availability of SequelMed Patient Portal™, a new, Web-based tool that improves and speeds up communication between physicians and patients, giving patients instant access to their personal health information, and allowing physicians and other healthcare providers more time to focus on delivering the best possible care. SequelMed Patient Portal is the latest addition to Sequel Systems’ suite of healthcare solutions, which includes an electronic health record (EHR), practice and document management software, and e-prescribing technology. More than 12,000 physicians in all 50 states and representing all major specialties currently use the company’s solutions.

19 Oct 2009

Ardea Biosciences reports results of RDEA594 Phase 2a study for hyperuricemia and gout

Ardea Biosciences, Inc. announced additional positive results from the completed first cohort of an ongoing Phase 2a, proof-of-concept study of RDEA594, its lead product candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout.

19 Oct 2009

Talecris Biotherapeutics' PROLASTIN-C receives FDA approval

Talecris Biotherapeutics (Nasdaq: TLCR) today received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for PROLASTIN®-C (Alpha1-Proteinase Inhibitor [Human]), a more concentrated version of PROLASTIN® produced using advances in manufacturing technology.

19 Oct 2009

UNC scientists receive GO grant to study the human genome blueprint

Ever since the first genome sequence was published in 2001, scientists have been working to figure out what the sequence means. An analogy is walking across a desert and finding a large book in a language you don't know, then trying to figure out what the book is saying.

19 Oct 2009

Discovery may yield better understanding of protective gut-dwelling bacteria

Medical researchers have long suspected that obscure bacteria living within the intestinal tract may help keep the human immune system in balance. An international collaboration co-led by scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center has now identified a bizarre-looking microbial species that can single-handedly spur the production of specialized immune cells in mice.

19 Oct 2009

Rituxan's sBLA receives a Complete Response from the FDA

Genentech, Inc. a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group, and Biogen Idec announced today that the companies received a Complete Response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Rituxan (rituximab) plus methotrexate (MTX) in patients with moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who no longer respond to treatment with a disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD), including MTX.

19 Oct 2009

Novel HIV drug to be studied in cell cultures and patients

A $6 million, five-year federal grant to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute will enable researchers to investigate a novel approach in treating HIV infection---a unique class of drugs focused on developing therapies for psychological and neurological effects in AIDS.

19 Oct 2009