Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Latest Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Caucasian women may suffer from RLS up to four times more than African-American women

New research shows that Caucasian women may suffer from restless legs syndrome (RLS), a sleep disorder characterized by the strong urge to move the legs, up to four times more than African-American women. The study, presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that, overall, non-African-American (NAA) patients experienced RLS four times more often than African-Americans (AA).

3 Nov 2009

Interim data from Schering-Plough's narlaprevir Phase IIa study

Schering-Plough Corporation reported that interim results from an ongoing Phase IIa study of narlaprevir (SCH 900518), its investigational, once-daily protease inhibitor, demonstrated potent antiviral activity in treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1.

3 Nov 2009

Ligand Pharmaceuticals amends license agreement with Exelixis

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has amended its license agreement with Exelixis, Inc. as a result of which Ligand is now entitled to receive royalties on net sales of future products from a mineralocorticoid receptor program and a one-time $75,000 payment for providing access to certain patent rights.

2 Nov 2009

SQI Diagnostics' SQiDworks automated platform and IgXPLEX RA assay receive FDA marketing clearance

SQI Diagnostics Inc., a medical systems automation company focused on evolving laboratory-based biomarker testing, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company's automated SQiDworks(TM) Diagnostics Platform and its multiplexed IgXPLEX(TM) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) assay for marketing in the United States.

2 Nov 2009

Amgen publishes Phase 3 study results of Aranesp

Amgen today announced the publication of results from TREAT (the Trial to Reduce Cardiovascular Events with Aranesp® Therapy), a large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 pivotal study of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) not on dialysis, moderate anemia and type-2 diabetes.

31 Oct 2009

Schering-Plough receives FDA complete response letter regarding PEGINTRON

Schering-Plough Corp. announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a complete response letter to the company's supplemental Biologics License Application regarding PEGINTRON® (pegylated interferon alfa-2b) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with stage III malignant melanoma after complete lymphadenectomy.

31 Oct 2009

Patients on immunosuppressant medication can receive H1N1 vaccine in the form of shots

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have classified all children, 6-months to 24-years, one of the high risk groups for contracting the H1N1 (swine) flu, and recommend this population receive the H1N1 vaccine for immunity against the disease.

30 Oct 2009

New state-of-the-art biotechnology center opened on the West Coast

As part of its strategy to discover and develop more biotechnology medicines, Eli Lilly and Company today officially opened a new state-of-the-art biotechnology center on the West Coast.

30 Oct 2009

La Jolla Institute dedicates new Elam Discovery Wall and Type 1 Diabetes Center

The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, an international leader in immunology research and San Diego's only research institute focused solely on immune-mediated diseases, today will dedicate its new Elam Discovery Wall and Type 1 Diabetes Center, which will focus on research into novel immunological-focused approaches to type 1 diabetes.

30 Oct 2009

Online resource to illustrate genetic networks in common autoimmune diseases published

Currently, 5-8% of the U.S. population is afflicted with an autoimmune disease (www.niaid.nih.gov). Many of these are chronic and require life-long care. Moreover, different autoimmune diseases aggregate within a single family, suggesting they are caused by disruptions in common biological pathways.

30 Oct 2009

CCS updates the Canadian guidelines for the management and treatment of dyslipidemia

The management of dyslipidemia continues to evolve and despite improvements in recurrent cardiovascular events and a decrease in cardiac mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) still represents the major burden of disease in this country.

29 Oct 2009

AMT inks agreement with Progenika Biopharma for development of LPLchip

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT) and Progenika Biopharma announced today that the companies have entered into a development and commercialization agreement for LPLchip(TM), a diagnostic tool to rapidly diagnose patients with complete and partial lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD). AMT has developed Glybera(R) as a gene therapy for patients with this disease.

29 Oct 2009

Steroid-induced osteoporosis can now be treated with Teriparatide

A recent study determined glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (OP) is now treatable with Teriparatide, a synthetic form of the human parathyroid hormone. Researchers found patients with glucocorticoid-induced OP who were treated with teriparatide for 36 months had a greater increase in bone mineral density (BMD) and fewer new vertebral fractures than those treated with alendronate.

29 Oct 2009

TNF therapy does not raise cancer risk in RA patients; overall cancer risk comparable to those not taking immunosuppressive drugs

A recent study by Swedish researchers found that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients did not experience an elevated cancer risk in the first 6 years after starting anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy.

29 Oct 2009

New data from CIMZIA WELCOME trial to be presented at the ACG meeting

According to new results from the WELCOME trial, exploratory data analyzing the impact of treatment with CIMZIA(®) (certolizumab pegol) - the only PEGylated anti-TNF (alpha) (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) - administered either every two weeks or every four weeks, showed that the majority of Crohn's disease patients in both dosing groups experienced no hospitalizations and surgical procedures during the course of the 26-week study.

28 Oct 2009

Third-quarter fiscal 2009 results announced by POZEN

POZEN Inc., today announced results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

28 Oct 2009

Enrollment for Phase 2 clinical study of NKTR-102 completed ahead of schedule

Nektar Therapeutics today announced that it has completed enrollment ahead of schedule in its Phase 2 clinical study of NKTR-102 in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. NKTR-102 is Nektar's investigational proprietary compound currently being evaluated in Phase 2 clinical development in ovarian, breast and colorectal cancers.

28 Oct 2009

Treatment with TYSABRI reduces the rate of hospitalization in Crohn’s patients

Elan Corporation, plc and Biogen Idec today announced data showing that treatment with TYSABRI® (natalizumab) significantly reduced the rate of hospitalization compared with placebo in patients with moderate–to–severe Crohn’s disease during both induction and maintenance treatment.

28 Oct 2009

POZEN announces Phase I study results of PA65020

POZEN Inc. announced today the results of a Phase I study that showed a novel, investigational combination of enteric-coated aspirin (EC-ASA) and immediate-release omeprazole known as PA65020, is associated with a significantly decreased risk of GI mucosal damage compared to analgesic doses (650 mg twice daily) of over-the-counter enteric-coated aspirin (EC-ASA) in healthy adults treated for one month.

28 Oct 2009

Isotechnika Pharma reports voclosporin Phase 2/3 clinical trial results at the AAO meeting

Isotechnika Pharma Inc. today announced that results of the international Phase 2/3 clinical trials studying voclosporin, conducted by its partner Lux Biosciences, were the subject of two podium presentations at the American Association of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting and of a presentation at the satellite meeting of the American Uveitis Society (AUS) in San Francisco, October 24-27.

27 Oct 2009