Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Latest Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Scientists discover influence of vitamin D in genes linked with autoimmune diseases

UK scientists at the University of Oxford have discovered that vitamin D can affect the activity of more than 200 genes of cells grown in the lab. Some of these genes are known from previous studies to be involved in diseases like diabetes and cancer.

24 Aug 2010

USPTO grants Taligen patent for TT30 lead product candidate

Taligen Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing therapies that regulate the complement system to treat inflammatory and immune diseases, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 7,759,304, entitled "Targeting Complement Factor H For Treatment of Diseases", covering the composition of matter for its lead product candidate, TT30, a novel fusion protein that selectively binds to complement activated cells to locally regulate the complement system.

24 Aug 2010

CPF continues partnership with American Thoracic Society to fund Pulmonary Fibrosis research

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS), the world's leading professional organization for pulmonary, critical care and sleep physicians, today announced that the CPF will again partner with the ATS to continue to fund Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) research.

24 Aug 2010

GM-CSF protein reduces AD pathology, reverses memory loss: Study

A signaling protein released during rheumatoid arthritis dramatically reduced Alzheimer's disease pathology and reversed the memory impairment of mice bred to develop symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease, a new study by the University of South Florida reports. Researchers found that the protein, GM-CSF, likely stimulates the body's natural scavenger cells to attack and remove Alzheimer's amyloid deposits in the brain.

23 Aug 2010

'Rotten eggs' gas inside knee joint protects against inflammation

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gas more commonly associated with the smell of 'rotten eggs' and blocked drains. However, it has now been shown to be present naturally in our bodies and reside in knee joint synovial fluid, the protective fluid found in the cavities of joints that reduces friction between the cartilage of joints during movement. Synovial fluid H2S may play a role in reducing inflammation in joints.

21 Aug 2010

Protalex initiates dosing in multicenter PRTX-100 Phase 1b clinical study in RA

Protalex, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing a class of biopharmaceutical drugs for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, today announced the dosing of the first patient in a multicenter Phase 1b clinical study of PRTX-100 in adult patients with active Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The study is being conducted in South Africa.

20 Aug 2010

Research marks new direction to treat Pneumocystis, inflammatory diseases

A drug to treat inflammation plays a surprising role reducing the level of infection caused by an opportunistic bug that is deadly for AIDS and cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems.

20 Aug 2010

Treatment with DMARDs reduces rheumatoid arthritis disability: Study

For people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the level of disease activity measured using the standard DAS 28 score is the factor most strongly affecting the level of RA-related disability, according to a study in Journal of Clinical Rheumatology.

19 Aug 2010

Biogen Idec, Knopp Neurosciences enter license agreement for KNS-760704 ALS drug candidate

Biogen Idec and Knopp Neurosciences today announced they have entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement under which Biogen Idec will develop and commercialize KNS-760704 (dexpramipexole) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and potentially other indications.

18 Aug 2010

XOMA sells royalty interest in CIMZIA

XOMA Ltd., a leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies, announced today that it has sold its royalty interest in CIMZIA® (certolizumab pegol) marketed by UCB S.A. for $4 million to an undisclosed buyer. The manufacture of CIMZIA is covered by a license to XOMA's Bacterial Cell Expression technology.

18 Aug 2010

Merck's SIMPONI anti-TNF therapy now reimbursed in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Alberta

Merck is pleased to announce that New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Alberta are the first provinces in Canada to reimburse SIMPONI(golimumab) for the treatment of three different rheumatic conditions. SIMPONI, a subcutaneous anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy, is now reimbursed by the drug formularies of these three provinces for people living with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, moderately to severely active psoriatic arthritis and active ankylosing spondylitis.

17 Aug 2010

Ancient discovery holds key to joint tissue regeneration

Osteoarthritis is a crippling disease worldwide, with an estimated eight million sufferers in the UK alone. It has been described as like "wearing a suit of rusty armour," with unrelenting, razor-like pain.

17 Aug 2010

CEL-SCI Corporation third quarter 2010 net loss decreases to $0.6 million

CEL-SCI reported a net loss for the three months ended June 30, 2010 of ($0.6) million versus a loss of ($6.2) million during the same three months in fiscal year 2009. Net loss per basic share was ($0.00) for the three months ended June 30, 2010 versus a loss per basic share of ($0.05) during the same three months in fiscal year 2009. The loss during the quarter ended June 30, 2010 was reduced by a gain on derivative instruments of $2.75 million.

17 Aug 2010

CPF urges people to consider clinical trials for pulmonary fibrosis

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) is urging the more than 128,000 people known to suffer from the deadly lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis (PF), to consider clinical trials, including two new ones funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Clinical trials of potential drug therapies are critical to the discovery of treatments for any disease and for a disease like PF that claims as many lives each year as breast cancer with virtually no survivors, they are the likely path to answers and saved lives.

13 Aug 2010

New criteria by ACR for early diagnosis, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

New criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, could prevent thousands of people from developing disabling late stage disease, by redefining how RA should be classified.Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive autoimmune inflammatory disease, primarily of the joints. If untreated, it leads to damage of bone and cartilage, joint deformities and disability. Around 350,000 people in the UK are living with RA, which affects around three times as many women as men.

13 Aug 2010

Chronic pain affects higher proportion of women than men: Research

Women experience chronic pain longer, more intensely and more often than men, according to a psychologist who works with both men and women dealing with diseases and conditions that leave them suffering.

13 Aug 2010

Emergent BioSolutions enters agreement to acquire Trubion Pharmaceuticals

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for upfront consideration of $96.8 million of value and up to $38.7 million of success-based milestones, resulting in a total consideration of up to $135.5 million. The acquisition will diversify Emergent's product development pipeline with the addition of Trubion's two clinical-stage product candidates focused on the targeted disease areas of oncology and autoimmunity.

13 Aug 2010

Amgen reports top-line results from Vectibix Phase 3 trial for head and neck cancer

Amgen today announced top-line results from a randomized Phase 3 trial evaluating Vectibix as a first-line treatment in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell head and neck cancer. The data showed the addition of Vectibix to platinum-based chemotherapy did not result in a statistically significant improvement in overall survival, the primary endpoint, compared to chemotherapy alone.

12 Aug 2010

Major bone-related meetings to take place in Valencia, Spain in March 2011

Two bone-related meetings, jointly organized by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis and International Osteoporosis Foundation will take place in Valencia, Spain in March 2011.

11 Aug 2010

USPTO allows Regulus Therapeutics' claims of key Tuschl III patent covering Mir-155

Regulus Therapeutics Inc. announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has allowed claims in a patent application (US Serial No. 12/550,579) derived from the "Tuschl III" patent series. The allowed claims relate to human microRNA miR-155, a microRNA that is a potential target for immuno-inflammatory indications, and a lead program of the Regulus-GSK Strategic Alliance.

11 Aug 2010