Autoimmune Disease News and Research

RSS

Autoimmune Disease is a condition in which the body recognizes its own tissues as foreign and directs an immune response against them.

Clovis, Avila select CO-1686 drug candidate for EGFR Mutant-Selective Inhibitor program

Avila Therapeutics, Inc. a biotechnology company developing targeted covalent drugs that treat diseases through protein silencing, announced that it has achieved a significant goal in its alliance with Clovis Oncology, Inc.

9 Jun 2011

Millennium, Seattle Genetics' new brentuximab vedotin trial data presented at ASCO 2011

Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, today reported updated data from a pivotal trial of brentuximab vedotin in relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and a phase II trial in relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

7 Jun 2011

Scientists use super microscope to pinpoint body’s immunity ‘switch’

Using the only microscope of its kind in Australia, medical scientists have been able for the first time to see the inner workings of T-cells, the front-line troops that alert our immune system to go on the defensive against germs and other invaders in our bloodstream.

5 Jun 2011

New approach for identifying 'self' proteins targeted in autoimmune diseases

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and MIT have developed a new approach for identifying the "self" proteins targeted in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

3 Jun 2011

Green tea consumption increases number of 'regulatory T cells', prevents autoimmune disease

One of the beneficial compounds found in green tea has a powerful ability to increase the number of "regulatory T cells" that play a key role in immune function and suppression of autoimmune disease, according to new research in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

3 Jun 2011

Appendix and tonsil surgeries before age 20 can increase risk of premature heart attack

The surgical removal of the appendix and tonsils before the age of 20 was associated with an increased risk of premature heart attack in a large population study performed in Sweden. Tonsillectomy increased the risk by 44% (hazard ratio 1.44) and appendectomy by 33% (HR 1.33).

1 Jun 2011

Scientists develop carbohydrate-based vaccine against C. difficile infection

There is now a promising vaccine candidate for combating the pathogen which causes one of the most common and dangerous hospital infections. An international team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam has developed a vaccine based on a carbohydrate against the Clostridium difficile bacterium, which is known to cause serious gastrointestinal diseases mainly in hospitals.

31 May 2011

Study finds novel site within MS4A gene cluster, confirms presence of SNP linked with Alzheimer's

Recently the number of genes known to be associated with Alzheimer's disease has increased from four to eight, including the MS4A gene cluster on chromosome 11.

31 May 2011

New positive Cimzia phase IIIb study data on rheumatoid arthritis presented at EULAR meeting

UCB today announced data which showed that the addition of Cimzia to current therapy was associated with a rapid and consistent clinical response in a diverse group of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

30 May 2011

4SC to present pre-clinical data on vidofludimus in systemic lupus erythematosus at EULAR 2011

4SC AG, a discovery and development company of targeted small molecule drugs for autoimmune and cancer diseases, will present pre-clinical data on vidofludimus - its lead small-molecule drug candidate against autoimmune diseases - in systemic lupus erythematosus at EULAR 2011, Europe's largest scientific conference on rheumatic diseases, in London, UK, from May 25-28, 2011.

27 May 2011

New findings from STELARA psoriasis clinical trial to be presented at 22nd World Congress of Dermatology

New findings to be presented from pooled analyses of the STELARA psoriasis clinical development program showed that the safety profile of STELARA and rates of adverse events remained consistent and stable over time in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis receiving up to four years of treatment.

25 May 2011

Data from Seattle Genetics' brentuximab vedotin, SGN-75 programs to be presented at ASCO 2011

Seattle Genetics, Inc. today announced that data from its brentuximab vedotin and SGN-75 programs will be reported at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology 2011 Annual Meeting being held June 3-7, 2011 in Chicago, IL.

21 May 2011

African Americans with SLE have higher antibody response to influenza vaccination: Study

New research shows that African Americans with systemic lupus erythematosus had a higher antibody response to influenza vaccination than European American patients.

21 May 2011

EMA CHMP issues positive opinion for marketing approval of BENLYSTA

GlaxoSmithKline and Human Genome Sciences, Inc. announced today that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has issued a positive opinion, recommending marketing authorisation for BENLYSTA (belimumab) as an add-on therapy in adult patients with active autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus, with a high degree of disease activity, despite standard therapy.

20 May 2011

Thermo Fisher Scientific to acquire Phadia for €2.47 billion

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Phadia, a global leader in allergy and autoimmunity diagnostics, from European private equity firm Cinven, for €2.47 billion (or approximately $3.5 billion) in cash.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 19 May 2011

USPTO grants four key patents for Alvine's proteases to detect celiac disease

Alvine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of autoimmune and gastrointestinal diseases, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued four key patents: 7,943,312; 7,928,056; 7,923,532; and 7,910,541, protecting various aspects of Alvine's core technology.

19 May 2011

Amylin, JDRF collaborate to investigate combination therapy for type 1 diabetes treatment

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that they have entered into a research collaboration agreement to provide financial support for a series of clinical studies to investigate the feasibility of mixing pramlintide, an analog of the human hormone amylin, with insulin to treat type 1 diabetes.

11 May 2011

Journal of Rheumatology publishes positive results from Cimzia Phase III trial in RA

UCB announced today results from a post hoc analysis of the RAPID 1 study published in the Journal of Rheumatology. The results suggest moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with Cimzia, the only approved PEGylated anti-TNF, together with methotrexate, achieved a rapid response associated with improved long-term outcomes one year after treatment began.

11 May 2011

Nexvax2- coeliac disease vaccine shows promising results in Phase I clinical trial

The world's first potential vaccine for coeliac disease has shown promising results for treating coeliac disease in a Phase I clinical trial and is expected to move to Phase II trials within the next year.

10 May 2011

Season-of-birth factors can cause celiac disease in Massachusetts children

Celiac disease is more common among Massachusetts children born in the spring or summer, and this higher incidence could be related to the intersection of key seasonal and environmental factors, according to researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.

9 May 2011