Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Latest Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

4SC commences treatment in its resminostat Phase II trial for HL

4SC AG, a drug discovery and development company focused on autoimmune and cancer indications, today announced the treatment of the first patient in a Phase II study evaluating resminostat (4SC-201), an oral pan-histone-deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor in relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL) patients.

12 Jan 2010

GSK exercises option to obtain exclusive license to develop and commercialize Traficet-EN

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and ChemoCentryx, Inc. today announced that GSK has exercised its option to obtain an exclusive license for further development and worldwide commercialization of Traficet-EN(TM) (CCX282-B), a specific CCR9 antagonist with the potential to offer a new approach for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease.

12 Jan 2010

Pfizer commences SBI-087 Phase 2 clinical trial for RA

Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its collaboration partner, Pfizer, has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial of SBI-087 (PF-05230895) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). SBI-087 is a next-generation, humanized Small Modular ImmunoPharmaceutical (SMIP(TM)) protein therapeutic directed against the CD20 antigen. SBI-087 is also being evaluated in Phase 1 clinical trials for RA and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

12 Jan 2010

Vertex Pharmaceuticals plans proof-of-concept clinical trials in RA and epilepsy

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today provided an update on key 2010 business priorities in conjunction with the 28th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. The company also discussed recent progress in its lead development programs in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and cystic fibrosis (CF) and outlined proof-of-concept clinical trials planned in other serious diseases for 2010.

11 Jan 2010

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals to utilise additional funding in multiple myeloma drug development

Acetylon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has closed on a $2 million investment from a new undisclosed private investor to bring its total financing to $9.25 million. This new investment will convert to stock in the next substantial round of preferred equity financing.

9 Jan 2010

Plexxikon commences dosing in PLX4032 Phase 3 trial for metastatic melanoma

Plexxikon Inc. announces that enrollment has been initiated and the first patient has been dosed in a pivotal Phase 3 trial of PLX4032 (RG7204) in patients with metastatic melanoma. PLX4032 is a novel, oral and highly targeted drug that is designed to inhibit the BRAF cancer-causing mutation that occurs in about 50 percent of melanomas and about eight percent of all solid tumors. The randomized, controlled, Phase 3 “BRAF Inhibitor in Melanoma” (BRIM3) trial in previously untreated patients is part of the planned registration program for PLX4032.

9 Jan 2010

Genentech's ACTEMRA approved to treat RA

Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ACTEMRA® (tocilizumab) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist therapies.

8 Jan 2010

Scientists and clinicians address diagnosis and treatment for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases

Autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases are a major health issue. The National Institutes of Health reports that up to 23.5 million Americans are afflicted. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association reports the number is closer to 50 million. Scientists and clinicians at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston can address the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, as well as the latest advances in research.

8 Jan 2010

Ligand Pharmaceuticals receives $1 million as payment from N. V. Organon

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that it has received a $1 million milestone payment from N. V. Organon, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., stemming from its research collaboration that expired on December 31, 2009.

8 Jan 2010

Rituximab treatment reduces patients' response to pneumonia vaccine

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University determined that immune responses to the tetanus vaccine were not changed when rituximab in combination with methotrexate (MTX) was compared with MTX alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

7 Jan 2010

Positive top-line results from Phase III study of aclidinium bromide announced

orest Laboratories, Inc. and Almirall, S.A. (ALM.MC) today announced positive top-line results from ACCORD COPD I, a three-month Phase III study comparing aclidinium 200µg and 400µg BID versus placebo.

7 Jan 2010

Flu vaccine safe but ineffective for RA patients treated with rituximab

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are partially protected by the influenza vaccine 6-10 months after treatment with rituximab. Researchers determined that while the flu vaccine is safe, it is ineffective for RA patients in the first 6 months following rituximab treatment.

7 Jan 2010

Bio-Rad Laboratories acquires Biotest AG's diagnostics businesses

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research and clinical diagnostics products, announced today that it has completed the purchase of certain diagnostics businesses of Biotest AG, including its diagnostics products in the areas of blood transfusion testing, transplantation, and infectious diseases for 45 million euros.

6 Jan 2010

Link Resources announces completion of share exchange transaction and private placement

Link Resources, Inc. announced today the completion of a share exchange transaction and concurrent US$12 million private placement pursuant to which it acquired the parent company of Yantai Bohai Pharmaceuticals Group Co., Ltd. (“Bohai”).

6 Jan 2010

Phase 2 study evaluating VBL Therapeutics' lead compound VB-201 initiated

VBL Therapeutics today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 efficacy and safety study evaluating lead compound VB-201 for the treatment of patients with psoriasis. VB-201 is poised to be a first-in-class, orally-administered immune response modifier expected to reduce inflammation in a broad range of conditions such as psoriasis.

5 Jan 2010

BioPlex 2200 Anti-CCP test for early detection of RA launched

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research and clinical diagnostics products, and Axis-Shield plc, an international in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) company, today announced the launch of Bio-Rad's BioPlex® 2200 Anti-CCP test for the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis.

5 Jan 2010

CPF reports success in advocacy, research support and awareness of PF

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) calls 2009 a year of success in advocacy, research support and awareness, even in a year plagued by the economic recession. PF is a fatal disease that has no known cause, no FDA-approved treatment, and no cure.

30 Dec 2009

UCB's Cimzia gains market share of Centocor's Simponi

BioTrends Research Group, Inc. announces the release of the final wave of LaunchTrends®: Simponi and Cimzia report. The survey was completed by U.S. Rheumatologists.

24 Dec 2009

Study reveals genomic switches separate autoimmune disorders in different clusters

Genomic switches can predispose an individual to one set of autoimmune disorders but protect the same person against another set of them, scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have found.

24 Dec 2009

Ligand Pharmaceuticals acquires Neurogen

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Neurogen Corporation, following approval of the transaction by Neurogen stockholders earlier today. As a result, Ligand gains a fully funded partnership with Merck & Co., additional pipeline assets, drug discovery resources and additional cash balances.

23 Dec 2009