Corticosteroid News and Research

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Corticosteroids are any steroid hormones made in the adrenal cortex (the outer part of the adrenal gland). They are also made in the laboratory. Corticosteroids have many different effects in the body, and are used to treat many different conditions. They may be used as hormone replacement, to suppress the immune system, and to treat some side effects of cancer and its treatment. Corticosteroids are also used to treat certain lymphomas and lymphoid leukemias.

Enrollment stopped in one of two global necitumumab Phase III studies in NSCLC

Eli Lilly and Company and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced today that they have stopped enrollment in one of their two global Phase III studies evaluating necitumumab, an investigational anti-cancer agent, as a first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

3 Feb 2011

Soligenix and CU enter definitive license agreement for novel vaccine thermostabilization technology

Soligenix, Inc., a late-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has entered into a definitive license agreement with the University of Colorado (CU) for novel technology for use in the development of subunit vaccines with long-term stability, including stability at elevated temperatures.

28 Jan 2011

FDA grants Soligenix Orphan Drug Designation to RiVax for prevention of ricin intoxication

Soligenix, Inc., a late-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to RiVax™ for the prevention of ricin intoxication. RiVax™ is a proprietary vaccine that contains a recombinant subunit of the A chain of ricin toxin which induces ricin neutralizing antibodies in humans and animals.

20 Jan 2011

Positive preliminary results from Soligenix's SGX202 in GARS model

Soligenix, Inc., a late-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today promising preliminary results from a preclinical study of SGX202 in a canine gastrointestinal acute radiation syndrome model.

19 Jan 2011

Acceleron recieves $1.5 million MDA grant for ACE-031 clinical study in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Acceleron Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics that modulate the growth of cells and tissues including muscle, bone, fat, red blood cells and the vasculature, today announced it has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Association to support clinical studies of ACE-031 in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a disabling neuromuscular disease in which patients experience a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength.

6 Jan 2011

Carbylan completes enrollment in COR1.0 feasibility trial of Hydros and Hydros TA in knee osteoarthritis

Carbylan BioSurgery, Inc. announced today the completion of patient enrollment in their double-blinded, multi-center COR1.0 feasibility trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two products - Hydros and Hydros TA Joint Therapies - in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Hydros and Hydros TA are next generation viscosupplement and viscosupplement/steroid combination products.

5 Jan 2011

Centocor Ortho Biotech files REMICADE sBLA for ulcerative colitis in pediatric patients

Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. announced today that it has filed a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting the approval of REMICADE® (infliximab) for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in pediatric patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy.

29 Dec 2010

Researchers identify class of drugs that can promote RBC formation in anemic patients

By determining how corticosteroids act to promote red blood cell progenitor formation, Whitehead Institute researchers have identified a class of drugs that may be beneficial in anemias, including those resulting from trauma, sepsis, malaria, kidney dialysis, and chemotherapy.

22 Dec 2010

Mylan confirms lawsuit by Shionogi Pharma and CIMA LABS relating to generic Orapred ODT ANDA

Mylan Inc. today confirmed that the company and its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. have been sued by Shionogi Pharma Inc. and CIMA LABS INC. in connection with the filing of an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Prednisolone Sodium Phosphate Orally Disintegrating Tablets, 10 mg, 15 mg and 30 mg.

17 Dec 2010

Inhaled corticosteroids may cause diabetes

In a study published in the most recent issue of The American Journal of Medicine, researchers found that inhaled corticosteroids were associated with a 34% increase in the rate of diabetes onset and in the rate of diabetes progression. At the highest inhaled doses the risk increased by 64% in diabetes onset and 54% in diabetes progression.

15 Dec 2010

Clinical trail shows 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine safe and effective in asthma patients

Results from a government-sponsored clinical trial of inactivated 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in people with asthma indicate that a single dose of vaccine was safe and induced a strong immune response predictive of protection.

14 Dec 2010

Soligenix receives U.S patent for modified immunogen in RiVax vaccine

Soligenix, Inc., a late-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted patent #7,829,668, entitled Compositions and methods for modifying toxic effects of proteinaceous compounds.

22 Nov 2010

Celldex presents ACT III Phase 2 clinical trial data for glioblastoma multiforme at SNO Meeting

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc., today announced the presentation of complete data for the primary endpoint of ACT III, a multi-center, single arm, Phase 2 clinical trial of rindopepimut (CDX-110) in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

21 Nov 2010

Merck wins third FOSAMAX bellwether trial

Merck & Co., Inc. today said a federal court jury in New York found in its favor in the Graves v. Merck case, rejecting the claims of a Florida woman who blamed her dental and jaw related problems on her FOSAMAX use. With today's verdict, Merck has won three of the first four bellwether cases in the FOSAMAX litigation.

20 Nov 2010

Study finds two-thirds of asthma patients take combined ICS/LABA treatment

Despite national guidelines recommending that inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) be used alone as the preferred treatment for patients with mild persistent asthma, a new study finds that nearly two-thirds of these patients are taking more costly drugs that combine an ICS and a long-acting beta agonist (LABA) with no apparent additional clinical benefit noted based on pharmacy and medical claims.

16 Nov 2010

Teva presents QNAZE Phase III study results for SAR at ACAAI Meeting

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced results from a Phase III study of QNAZE (beclomethasone dipropionate [BDP]) HFA, a nasal aerosol corticosteroid in development for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR), that demonstrated significantly greater symptom relief compared with placebo.

15 Nov 2010

ICS/LABA combination therapy increases asthma-related pharmacy cost

Researchers find inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta agonist (ICS/LABA) combination products are commonly used by patients with mild asthma, despite the lack of evidence or guidelines for such use.

15 Nov 2010

Soligenix third quarter revenues increase to $861,000

Soligenix, Inc., a late-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today its financial results for the third quarter of 2010.

12 Nov 2010

Epratuzumab reduces SLE disease activity in phase IIB EMBLEM study

UCB and U.S. based partner Immunomedics Inc. announced that results from the phase IIB study, EMBLEM, showed that certain doses of epratuzumab were associated with a meaningful and statistically significant reduction in disease activity in adult patients with moderate to severe active SLE.

10 Nov 2010

Phytomedics awarded $244,000 QTDP grant for development of RA drug

Phytomedics, Inc., a transformational healthcare company developing a novel portfolio of drugs and consumer products solely derived from plant sources, announced today that it has been awarded a grant in the amount of $244,000 under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) Program to advance the development of its lead product PMI-001 for Rheumatoid Arthritis. PMI-001 is presently in Phase 2b/3 development.

9 Nov 2010