Ankylosing Spondylitis News and Research

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Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a painful and progressive form of spinal arthritis and symptoms of inflammatory back pain often first present in people before age 35. It typically begins in the late teens and early twenties and in severe cases may result in fusing spinal vertebrae and may cause structural damage to hips and other joints. Often misdiagnosed as "just back pain" or undifferentiated arthritis, AS is a systemic inflammatory disease that, in addition to its effect on the spine, can affect internal organs, peripheral joints and vision. The Arthritis Research Campaign, estimates that on the European continent, AS prevalence ranges from 0.2 to 1 percent of the entire population. The Spondylitis Association of America estimates that between 350,000 and one million people in the U.S. suffer from Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Merck's SIMPONI anti-TNF therapy now reimbursed in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Alberta

Merck is pleased to announce that New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Alberta are the first provinces in Canada to reimburse SIMPONI(golimumab) for the treatment of three different rheumatic conditions. SIMPONI, a subcutaneous anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy, is now reimbursed by the drug formularies of these three provinces for people living with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, moderately to severely active psoriatic arthritis and active ankylosing spondylitis.

17 Aug 2010

POZEN reports $16.2M net income for second-quarter 2010

POZEN Inc., a pharmaceutical company committed to transforming medicine that transforms lives, today announced results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

3 Aug 2010

Regeneron second-quarter total revenues increase to $115.9 million

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2010. The Company reported a net loss of $25.5 million, or $0.31 per share (basic and diluted), for the second quarter of 2010 compared with a net loss of $14.9 million, or $0.19 per share (basic and diluted), for the second quarter of 2009.

28 Jul 2010

Johnson & Johnson second-quarter sales increase 0.6% to $15.3 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $15.3 billion for the second quarter of 2010, an increase of 0.6% as compared to the second quarter of 2009. Operational results increased 0.1% and the positive impact of currency was 0.5%. Domestic sales declined 2.8%, while international sales increased 4.1%, reflecting operational growth of 3.0% and a positive currency impact of 1.1%.

20 Jul 2010

Chelsea initiates NORTHERA Phase III trial for symptomatic NOH associated with PD

Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. announced the initiation of Study 306, a pivotal Phase III trial evaluating the efficacy of NORTHERA™, an oral synthetic precursor of norepinephrine, for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH) associated with Parkinson's disease.

29 Jun 2010

Update on Phase II clinical study of CH-4051 in rheumatoid arthritis

Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. announced that during a teleconference yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requested that the company delay the initiation of its proposed Phase II clinical study of CH-4051 in rheumatoid arthritis and indicated that the agency is requesting additional detail from the preclinical studies previously submitted as part of the company's investigational new drug application.

9 Jun 2010

POZEN receives milestone payment from AstraZeneca for FDA approval of VIMOVO

POZEN Inc., announced today the receipt of a $20 million milestone payment from AstraZeneca for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of VIMOVO (naproxen and esomeprazole magnesium) delayed-release tablets on April 30th. POZEN will transfer ownership of the Investigational New Drug application and New Drug Application for VIMOVO to AstraZeneca over the next few weeks.

26 May 2010

VIMOVO delayed-release tablets receive FDA approval

AstraZeneca and POZEN Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved VIMOVO (naproxen and esomeprazole magnesium) delayed-release tablets for the relief of signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, and to decrease the risk of developing gastric ulcers in patients at risk of developing NSAID-associated gastric ulcers.

3 May 2010

REGN reports net loss of $30.5M for first-quarter 2010

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2010. The Company reported a net loss of $30.5 million, or $0.38 per share (basic and diluted), for the first quarter of 2010 compared with a net loss of $15.4 million, or $0.19 per share (basic and diluted), for the first quarter of 2009.

30 Apr 2010

Johnson & Johnson' first-quarter 2010 sales increase 4.0% to $15.6 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $15.6 billion for the first quarter of 2010, an increase of 4.0% as compared to the first quarter of 2009. Operational results declined 0.1% and the positive impact of currency was 4.1%.

21 Apr 2010

Results of study comparing REMICADE to azathioprine for Crohn's disease published

Findings published today in The New England Journal of Medicine from a first-of-its-kind comparator trial evaluating the anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha biologic treatment REMICADE (infliximab) in the treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn's disease in patients who were naive to immunomodulator and biologic therapy, showed that a significantly greater proportion of patients receiving REMICADE achieved steroid-free remission and mucosal healing compared with patients receiving azathioprine.

16 Apr 2010

Axis Surgical's EC-MOR facilitated real-time visualization of anterior spine column during surgery

Axis Surgical Technologies, Inc., reports the first evaluation of the C-MOR™ Visualization Device in a spine procedure. The C-MOR™ is a self-contained portable direct-imaging tool that functions much like a standard arthroscopic tower, yet at a fraction of both the size and cost. The handheld lightweight device offers practitioners the convenience of intraoperative visualization and complete operability in one hand. The C-MOR™ comprises a distinctive and cost-effective imaging device offering benefits to medical practitioners in a variety of applications, including lengthy surgeries requiring constant re-evaluation of the operating field over the course of the surgery.

25 Mar 2010

Data evaluating safety, efficacy of STELARA and REMICADE in patients with plaque psoriasis to be presented

Data evaluating the efficacy and safety of STELARA™ (ustekinumab) and REMICADE® (infliximab) in patients with plaque psoriasis who had an inadequate response to Enbrel® (etanercept) will be presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in Miami, Fla., from March 5-9, 2010.

5 Mar 2010

Abbott declares quarterly dividend of 40 cents per share

Abbott today announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2009.

27 Jan 2010

New breakthroughs in AS genome-wide association study

Work done in part by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has led to the discovery of two new genes that are implicated in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), an inflammatory and potentially disabling disease. In addition, the international research team pinpointed two areas along stretches of DNA that play an important role in regulating gene activity associated with the arthritic condition.

10 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

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

Schering-Plough announces 2009 third quarter financial results

Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) today reported financial results for the 2009 third quarter.

22 Oct 2009

SIMPONI treatment results in greater inhibition of structural damage in arthritis patients

Phase 3 data reported for the first time show that once every four week subcutaneous injections of SIMPONI(TM) (golimumab) resulted in significantly greater inhibition of structural damage compared with placebo plus methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

20 Oct 2009

AstraZeneca and POZEN announce the pivotal data from two POZEN clinical trials

AstraZeneca and POZEN Inc. today announced pivotal data from two POZEN clinical trials that were presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.