Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Latest Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

TSRI receives $2 million donation from Esther B. O'Keeffe Charitable Foundation

The Esther B. O'Keeffe Charitable Foundation has made a $2 million donation to The Scripps Research Institute to fund biomedical research and education on the Florida campus. In recognition of the gift, the Founders Room and the adjoining board room at Scripps Florida have been named the Esther B. O'Keeffe Founders Suite.

31 May 2012

Pharmspective releases ‘Molecular Diagnostics Insights in Oncology’

Pharmspective, LLC today announced the release of its second syndicated report – Molecular Diagnostics Insights in Oncology. This new extensive survey of over 400 oncologists characterizes the emerging molecular diagnostics landscape and the role and influence of specific assays in clinical management and therapy selection.

31 May 2012

Corrected interim data from Vertex VX-809, KALYDECO combination Phase 2 study for CF

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today a correction to the previously reported responder analysis, as well as additional data from, the recent interim analysis of an ongoing Phase 2 study of VX-809 and KALYDECO that showed significant improvements in lung function among adults with cystic fibrosis who have two copies of the most common mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene, F508del.

30 May 2012

Researchers identify mechanism key in drug allergy

Adverse drug reactions are a major issue that cause harm, are costly and restrict treatment options for patients and the development of new drugs. A groundbreaking finding by researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology could lead to a new way to dramatically improve drug safety by identifying drugs at risk to cause potentially fatal genetic-linked hypersensitivity reactions before their use in man.

30 May 2012

Insurers make patients pay hundreds more for cancer, arthritis drugs

Thousands of patients taking costly drugs for ailments such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis are being asked to shoulder a greater share of the expense. In other news, consumers are demanding access to their medical device data. Others are harnessing the internet to jumpstart medical research and share important experiences, including serious illnesses, with family and friends.

30 May 2012

Abbott to highlight latest investigational research findings on HUMIRA at EULAR 2012

Abbott scientists and independent researchers will highlight the latest investigational research findings on HUMIRA (adalimumab) at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Congress in Berlin, Germany, from 6-9 June, 2012.

29 May 2012

EMA CHMP issues positive opinion to Eisai’s Fycompa for treatment of partial-onset seizures

Eisai announced today that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion for the use of Fycompa (perampanel) as an adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures, with or without secondarily generalised seizures, in patients with epilepsy aged 12 years and older.

29 May 2012

European CHMP issues positive opinion to Vertex's KALYDECO for treatment of CF

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion by consensus recommending the approval of KALYDECO (ivacaftor) for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 6 and older who have at least one copy of the G551D mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.

25 May 2012

Panel of HuCAL Anti-Drug Antibodies to be launched by AbD Serotec

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) announced today that its division for research and diagnostic antibodies, AbD Serotec, will launch a series of novel anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) to strengthen its position as a leading provider of diagnostic reagents.

23 May 2012

Scientists identify key mechanism in development of Alzheimer's

New research by scientists at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM) demonstrates how dying or damaged brain cells release debris into the bloodstream and give rise to specific autoantibodies that appear to be reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

23 May 2012

Heart disease risk assessment tools often underestimate CVD danger faced by RA patients

Heart disease risk assessment tools commonly used by physicians often underestimate the cardiovascular disease danger faced by rheumatoid arthritis patients, a Mayo Clinic study has found. Inflammation plays a key role in putting those with rheumatoid arthritis in greater jeopardy for heart disease, yet many cardiovascular disease risk assessment methods do not factor it in, the researchers note.

22 May 2012

Enrollment complete in Xencor, MorphoSys’ MOR208 phase 1 trial for CLL

MorphoSys AG and US-based Xencor, Inc. today announced the successful completion of patient enrollment in the phase 1 clinical trial evaluating MOR208.

22 May 2012

New strategy can reactivate genes that cause cancer tumors to shrink and die

A team of scientists has developed a promising new strategy for "reactivating" genes that cause cancer tumors to shrink and die. The researchers hope that their discovery will aid in the development of an innovative anti-cancer drug that effectively targets unhealthy, cancerous tissue without damaging healthy, non-cancerous tissue and vital organs.

22 May 2012

Ipsen, Active Biotech complete half of planned recruitment in tasquinimod phase III study for CRPC

Active Biotech and Ipsen today announced that recruitment to the global, pivotal, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III study of tasquinimod in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) has reached an inclusion of 600 patients, half of the planned accrual.

21 May 2012

RA drug effective against Entamoeba histolytica

Research by a collaborative group of scientists from UC San Diego School of Medicine, UC San Francisco and Wake Forest School of Medicine has led to identification of an existing drug that is effective against Entamoeba histolytica. This parasite causes amebic dysentery and liver abscesses and results in the death of more than 70,000 people worldwide each year.

21 May 2012

Auranofin effective against amoebas in lab and animal studies

A team of researchers from UCSF and UC San Diego has identified an approved arthritis drug that is effective against amoebas in lab and animal studies, suggesting it could offer a low-dose, low cost treatment for the amoebic infections that cause human dysentery throughout the world.

21 May 2012

Study uncovers mechanism by which Notch pathway could contribute to RA

A new study led by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery identifies the mechanism by which a cell signaling pathway contributes to the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition, the study provides evidence that drugs under development for diseases such as cancer could potentially be used to treat RA.

21 May 2012

Ipsen, Active Biotech to present data from tasquinimod phase II trial on CRPC at ASCO 2012

Active Biotech and Ipsen will present tasquinimod (TASQ), their prostate cancer drug candidate, at the scientific conference "2012 ASCO Annual Meeting" to be held in Chicago (USA) on 1-5 June 2012.

18 May 2012

Pharmos completes levotofisopam phase 2a trial on hyperuricemia, gout

Pharmos Corporation announced that it has successfully completed a proof-of-concept clinical trial using its compound levotofisopam (S-tofisopam) to treat patients with hyperuricemia and gout.

18 May 2012

Updated results from Amgen’s blinatumomab Phase 2 study on ALL

Amgen today announced updated results from a Phase 2 study that showed treatment with blinatumomab (AMG 103) helped achieve a high-rate of complete response (CR) in 72 percent of adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated in the study.

17 May 2012