Adeona Announces Publication Of Results Of 160 Patient Phase 2 Clinical Trial Of Oral DnaJP1 For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX: AEN) announced the publication in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism of results of a 160-patient, six-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial using the company's oral dnaJP1 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The results of the study were originally presented at the 2008 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting. The study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ...more
15 Nov 2009
Judgement In Favour Of NICE On Judicial Review Of Abatacept For Rheumatoid Arthritis Guidance
The High Court has ruled in favour of NICE by dismissing the application from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), the manufacturer of abatacept, for a judicial review of the NICE guidance on the use of abatacept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In April 2008, NICE published final guidance which did not recommend abatacept as a treatment option for people with rheumatoid arthritis. ...more
Link Between Childhood Physical Abuse And Arthritis
Adults who had experienced physical abuse as children have 56 per cent higher odds of osteoarthritis compared to those who have not been abused, according to a new study by University of Toronto researchers. University of Toronto researchers investigated the relationship between self-reported childhood physical abuse and a diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA). ...more
03 Nov 2009
News From The Annals Of Internal Medicine, Nov. 3, 2009
Early Releases 1. Report Questions Whether Family Health History Disclosure Improves Clinical Decision Making Systematic collection of family history is a potentially important step in personalizing healthcare. Family health history can reveal important information about a patient, and may prompt specialist investigation or positive lifestyle changes. ...more
03 Nov 2009
New Tool To Accelerate Discovery Of Autoimmune Disease Mechanisms And Therapies
Currently, 5 - 8% of the U.S. population is afflicted with an autoimmune disease. 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. To help researchers investigate these common pathways, The Jackson Laboratory has published Pathways to Discovery: Autoimmune Diseases ( ...more
31 Oct 2009
Teriparatide Outperforms Alendronate In Treating Steroid-Induced Osteoporosis
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. ...more
30 Oct 2009
Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Treatment Does Not Increase Cancer Risk In RA Patients
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. The research team, led by Johan Askling, M.D., Ph.D., from Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden assessed the short-term and medium-term cancer risk for RA patients using anti-TNF therapies: infliximab, adalimumab, and etanercept. ...more
30 Oct 2009
Tai Chi Exercise Reduces Knee Osteoarthritis Pain In The Elderly
Researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine have determined that patients over 65 years of age with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who engage in regular Tai Chi exercise improve physical function and experience less pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements to induce mental relaxation and enhance balance, strength, flexibility, and self-efficacy. ...more
30 Oct 2009
Link Between Pain Thresholds, Inflammation And Sleep Problems In Arthritis Patients
Despite recent advances in anti-inflammatory therapy, many rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients continue to suffer from pain. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal, Arthritis Research & Therapy found that inflammation is associated with heightened pain sensitivity at joint sites, whereas increased sleep problems are associated with heightened pain sensitivity at both joint and non-joint sites. ...more
29 Oct 2009
The Why And The How Of The Benefits Of Fish Oils
New research from Queen Mary, University of London and Harvard Medical School has revealed precisely why taking fish oils can help with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. In a paper published in Nature*, researchers describe how the body converts an ingredient found in fish oils into another chemical called Resolvin D2 and how this chemical reduces the inflammation that leads to a variety of diseases. ...more
29 Oct 2009
Advancing Personalized Medicine In Rheumatoid Arthritis
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is spearheading an effort to create a national database and repository to enable researchers to identify predictors of effectiveness of various treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis. Many effective medications exist, but they vary greatly in cost and side effects, and there is no way to predict which drug will work best on an individual. A two-year, $3. ...more
26 Oct 2009
UAB Creates National Network To Advance Personalized Medicine In Rheumatoid Arthritis
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is spearheading an effort to create a national database and repository to enable researchers to identify predictors of effectiveness of various treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis. Many effective medications exist, but they vary greatly in cost and side effects, and there is no way to predict which drug will work best on an individual. A two-year, $3. ...more
Therapeutic Advances In Musculoskeletal Disease Launched By SAGE
SAGE has announced the launch of Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease, the latest in SAGE's highly-regarded Therapeutic Advances series. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease is for all professionals concerned with research into, and the practice of, musculoskeletal disease and is a forum for all views on related subjects. The journal offers rapid peer review and publication, with manuscripts published online within 7 weeks of acceptance. ...more
23 Oct 2009
CombinatoRx'S Synavive (CRx-102) Maintains Efficacy Throughout 12 Month Phase 2 Knee OA Extension Trial
CombinatoRx, Incorporated (NASDAQ: CRXX) announced the results of a 12 month knee osteoarthritis (OA) Phase 2 extension trial for Synavive™ (CRx-102) at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2009 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. The data demonstrated that Synavive-treated subjects maintained efficacy levels throughout the 12 month extension trial. ...more
23 Oct 2009
Tocilizumab Shows Sustained Efficacy In Rheumatoid Arthritis
PHILADELPHIA - Investigators are reporting that tolicizumab is an effective, long-term treatment option in multiple subgroups of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. These include patients who have an inadequate response to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD-IR), patients who have an inadequate response to anti-TNF inhibitors (TNF-IR), and patients who have not failed methotrexate. ...more
23 Oct 2009
Growing Cartilage From Stem Cells
Damaged knee joints might one day be repaired with cartilage grown from stem cells in a laboratory, based on research by Professor Kyriacos Athanasiou, chair of the UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering and his colleagues. Using adult stem cells from bone marrow and skin as well as human embryonic stem cells, Athanasiou and his group have already grown cartilage tissue in the lab. ...more
22 Oct 2009
Important New Rheumatology Resource Unveiled
A comprehensive account of the most important advances in rheumatology research from the past decade has been published in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research and Therapy (AR&T). ...more
22 Oct 2009
FDA Approves New Test To Aid In The Diagnosis Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
An important assay used to aid in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) will soon be available on Abbott's ARCHITECT immunoassay analyzers. The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance for an antibody cyclic-citrulinated peptide, or anti-CCP assay, to run on the world class systems. Many patients with RA develop an immune response against proteins containing citrulline long before they present symptoms of the disease. ...more