Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Latest Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Risk of heart attack increases soon after RA diagnosis: Research

The risk of having a heart attack is 60 per cent higher just a year after a patient has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, according to research published in the December issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

6 Dec 2010

Preclinical study results for Syk, JAK inhibitor program presented at ASH 2010

Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of preclinical study results for its novel Syk and JAK inhibitor program at the American Society of Hematology's 52nd Annual Meeting and Exposition. Portola's novel Syk and JAK inhibitors are in development to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, and certain cancers, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

6 Dec 2010

Amgen announces final study results of Nplate in adults with chronic ITP

Amgen Inc. today announced the final results from a 5-year open-label extension study investigating the long-term efficacy and safety of Nplate (romiplostim) in adult chronic immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura. Chronic ITP is a serious autoimmune disorder characterized by low platelet counts in the blood (thrombocytopenia), which can lead to serious bleeding events.

6 Dec 2010

Genentech, Biogen report Phase III study data of Rituxan in patients with advanced follicular lymphoma

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, and Biogen Idec announced today positive data from a Phase III study of Rituxan (rituximab) in patients with advanced follicular lymphoma who did not have symptoms of disease (asymptomatic disease).

6 Dec 2010

Ligand Pharmaceuticals reports preclinical study data on erythropoietin receptor agonists

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) announced data from a preclinical study on the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor agonist LG5640 at the upcoming 52nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting being held in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center, December 4 - 7, 2010.

6 Dec 2010

New drug for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma shows promise

Genentech Inc., now part of Swiss drug developer Roche, and Biogen Idec Inc. on Sunday have announced positive and encouraging results from a clinical study of cancer drug Rituxan in patients with advanced type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. An estimated 65,540 people in the US were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma this year, and follicular lymphoma accounts for about 15 to 20 percent of those cases. The disease can occur at any time during adulthood, though people are typically diagnosed during their 50s and 60s.

5 Dec 2010

HSS creates Center for Musculoskeletal Outcomes and Patient Oriented Research

Hospital for Special Surgery announced the creation of the Center for Musculoskeletal Outcomes and Patient Oriented Research to translate information collected from an extensive patient population into studies that will guide experts in preventing, diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal disorders.

4 Dec 2010

Merck to present multiple clinical studies of dinaciclib at ASH Annual Meeting

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that multiple clinical studies of dinaciclib (SCH 727965) will be presented by Merck at the upcoming 52nd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting being held in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center, December 4-7, 2010.

4 Dec 2010

Arthritis drug reduces incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers

A widely-used arthritis drug reduces the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers - the most common cancers in humans - according to a study published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (brand name Celebrex), which is currently approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and acute pain in adults led to a 62 percent reduction in non-melanoma skin cancers, which includes basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas.

3 Dec 2010

Amgen to present data on Nplate studies for chronic ITP at ASH Annual Meeting

Amgen today announced that it will present data from several key Nplate (romiplostim) studies at the 52nd Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), Dec. 4-7, 2010, in Orlando, Fla.

2 Dec 2010

HSS creates Center for Musculoskeletal Outcomes and Patient Oriented Research

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) announced the creation of the Center for Musculoskeletal Outcomes and Patient Oriented Research to translate information collected from an extensive patient population into studies that will guide experts in preventing, diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal disorders.

2 Dec 2010

Current Opinion in Lipidology journal publishes data on VB-201 for immune-mediated disorders

VBL Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to the development of novel treatments for immune-inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced the publication of a new concept in the Current Opinion in Lipidology evaluating oxidized phospholipid analogs as potential treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases.

2 Dec 2010

RCUK Academic Fellow to discuss microbial pathogens, immune system at Henry Wellcome Building

The Frank May Prize Lecture 2010 will be given by Dr Russell Wallis, speaking on microbial pathogens, and will be on Wednesday 1st December 2010, 5.30pm, in the Frank and Katherine May Lecture Theatre, Henry Wellcome Building (Lancaster Road), University of Leicester.

1 Dec 2010

Initial data from resminostat Phase II Hodgkin Lymphoma trial to be presented at 52nd ASH

4SC, a drug discovery and development company focused on autoimmune and cancer indications, today announced that initial safety and efficacy data from its ongoing Phase II Study with resminostat, a pan-Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) Inhibitor, in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) patients after high dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation will be presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in Orlando, Florida, USA.

1 Dec 2010

NSAID Celebrex may help prevent non-melanoma skin cancer development: Research

New research shows the NSAID Celebrex may help prevent some non-melanoma skin cancers from developing in patients who have pre-cancerous actinic keratoses lesions and are at high risk for having the disease.

30 Nov 2010

Golimumab with methotrexate improves markers of inflammation and structural damage in RA patients

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses from two Phase 3 clinical trials showed that once every four week subcutaneous injections of golimumab 50 mg plus methotrexate resulted in statistically significant improvements in markers of inflammation and structural damage in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with placebo plus methotrexate.

30 Nov 2010

Superantigens can disrupt immune system, can cause more illnesses

Superantigens, the toxins produced by staphylococcus bacteria, are more complex than previously believed, reveals a team of researchers from the University of Gothenburg in an article published today in the scientific journal Nature Communications. Their discovery shows that the body's immune system can cause more illnesses than realised.

29 Nov 2010

Phase 3 trial: TYSABRI improves vision in MS patients

Results recently presented from a study of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients taking TYSABRI (natalizumab) are supported by a Canadian woman's improved vision since starting the therapy.

25 Nov 2010

African American cigarette smokers at higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis

A new study determined that African Americans who smoke cigarettes have a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA risk is more pronounced among individuals positive for the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope, a genetic risk factor for RA. Findings from this study—the largest to date examining the impact of smoking on RA risk in an African American population—are available in the December issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

23 Nov 2010

Early diagnosis and treatment result in positive outcomes for RA patients

Positive outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are closely linked to early diagnosis and treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). A study by researchers in the Netherlands found that patients who are assessed by rheumatologists soon after RA symptoms appear are more likely to experience less joint destruction and improved chances of DMARD-free disease remission.

23 Nov 2010