Rheumatology News and Research

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Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatologists mainly deal with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues and allied conditions of connective tissues.

FDA approves Krystexxa drug to treat gout

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Krystexxa (pegloticase) to treat the painful condition known as gout in adults who do not respond to or who cannot tolerate conventional therapy.

15 Sep 2010

Arthritis Foundation, Takeda launch Gout Living educational campaign

The Arthritis Foundation and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., announced the launch of a new educational campaign, Gout Living, to help increase understanding and encourage better management of gout.

14 Sep 2010

Santarus expands development pipeline, adds two novel biologic drug candidates

Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, has expanded its development pipeline with the addition of two novel biologic drug candidates focused on specialty markets.

13 Sep 2010

Scientists discover molecular gatekeeper for arthritis

Elimination of a molecular gatekeeper leads to the development of arthritis in mice, scientists report in a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The newly discovered gatekeeper is a protein that determines the fate survival or death of damaging cells that mistakenly attack the body's own tissues and lead to autoimmune disorders such as arthritis.

9 Sep 2010

Hospital for Special Surgery achieves lower than state average rate for infections

For the second year in a row, Hospital for Special Surgery is the only hospital in New York State with an infection rate that is significantly lower than the state average for hip replacement or revision surgeries, according to the 2009 report on hospital infection rates released today by the State Department of Health.

3 Sep 2010

Orexigen and Takeda partner to develop, commercialize Contrave in US, Canada and Mexico

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, today announced that they have entered into an exclusive partnership to develop and commercialize Contrave® (naltrexone SR/bupropion SR), Orexigen's investigational drug for the treatment of obesity, in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

2 Sep 2010

Immunomedics 2010 fourth quarter revenue decreases to $0.7 million

Immunomedics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of monoclonal, antibody-based products for the targeted treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other serious diseases, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2010.

27 Aug 2010

FDA approves Chelsea Therapeutics' Phase II protocol for CH-4051 antifolate in rheumatoid arthritis

Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. announced confirmation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that its proposed Phase II protocol for CH-4051 in rheumatoid arthritis has been approved by the agency.

26 Aug 2010

Research finds variation in sex chromosome may cause lupus in men

Genes reside along long chains of DNA called chromosomes. UCLA researchers have found that a variation in a gene on the sex chromosome X may enhance an immune response that leads to lupus in men.

24 Aug 2010

Immunosuppressive therapy benefits necrotizing myopathy patients with novel autoantibody specificity

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have identified a subgroup of patients with necrotizing myopathy who have a novel autoantibody specificity that makes them potential candidates for immunosuppressive therapy. The complete study is published in the September issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

20 Aug 2010

Study finds black women with SLE develop cardiovascular disease at early age

A recent study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found significant racial disparities in the age of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients at the time of hospital admission for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and CVD-related death. Black women were youngest to both be admitted with CVD and to have an in-hospital death due to CVD.

20 Aug 2010

Playing percussion leads to unusual injury: Report

You've heard of tennis elbow and runner's knee, but how about "percussionist's wrist". A case of overuse injury of the wrist occurring in a professional percussionist is presented in a report in the August issue of JCR: Journal of Clinical Rheumatology.

19 Aug 2010

Elephant Capital and ClinTec International announce partnership deal

ClinTec International, a global Clinical Research Organisation ("CRO") announces financial and strategic partnership with Elephant Capital plc., a London AIM market listed private equity firm. With an investment of £8 Million GBP, Elephant has acquired a significant minority stake in ClinTec.

19 Aug 2010

Treatment with DMARDs reduces rheumatoid arthritis disability: Study

For people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the level of disease activity measured using the standard DAS 28 score is the factor most strongly affecting the level of RA-related disability, according to a study in Journal of Clinical Rheumatology.

19 Aug 2010

$Study finds link between osteoporosis, fracture$

Study finds link between osteoporosis, fracture

An international study of more than 60,000 women has drawn new light on the relationship between osteoporosis and fractures.Scientists call for more to be done to identify and treat patients at the highest risk of fractures.Osteoporosis is more common in women who have fractured bones when they were younger and they experience a similar loss in health-related quality of life as those with arthritis, lung disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

18 Aug 2010

Acupuncture not superior to sham acupuncture in knee osteoarthritis

17 Aug 2010

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

Study finds sham acupuncture superior to traditional Chinese acupuncture in osteoarthritis treatment

Researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center determined patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee who are treated with traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA) do not experience any more benefit than those receiving sham acupuncture (placebo). The team did find that the communication style of the acupuncturist could have a significant effect on pain reduction and satisfaction in patients. Full findings are now online and will publish in the September print issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

17 Aug 2010

Exercise can ease arthritis pain

People with arthritis who exercise have less pain, more energy, improved sleep, and better day-to-day function, according to the American College of Rheumatology.

16 Aug 2010

New criteria by ACR for early diagnosis, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

New criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, could prevent thousands of people from developing disabling late stage disease, by redefining how RA should be classified.Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive autoimmune inflammatory disease, primarily of the joints. If untreated, it leads to damage of bone and cartilage, joint deformities and disability. Around 350,000 people in the UK are living with RA, which affects around three times as many women as men.

13 Aug 2010