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.

Hospira announces EC approval of Inflectra, Europe's first biosimilar mAb therapy

Hospira, the world's leading provider of injectable drugs and infusion technologies, today announced the European Commission (EC) approval of Inflectra™ (infliximab), Europe's first biosimilar monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy. Inflectra has been approved for the treatment of inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and psoriasis.

10 Sep 2013

Baxter, Coherus Ink Biosimilar Collaboration Worth Up To $246M

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3 Sep 2013

Compatibility gene may influence finding life partner as well as our health, individuality

A University of Manchester professor and his wife have had their own DNA analysed for compatibility as part of the research for a new book out on 1 October in the US and next week in the UK.

From The University of Manchester 26 Aug 2013

Novel antibody biomarkers could significantly improve diagnosis in RA, study shows

Data presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, show that novel antibody biomarkers could significantly improve diagnosis in rheumatoid arthritis.

14 Jun 2013

Using Swiss ball improves walking performance and muscle strength in AS patients

A new study presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, demonstrates that progressive muscle strengthening using a Swiss ball is effective in improving muscle strength and walking performance in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS).

13 Jun 2013

University of Oxford researchers receive grant to study genes that contribute to ankylosing spondylitis

A team at the University of Oxford has received a grant of £160,000 from Arthritis Research UK to study the function of the genes which contribute to people developing a painful inflammatory back condition called ankylosing spondylitis.

13 Jun 2013

Simponi injection gets FDA approval to treat adults with ulcerative colitis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new use for Simponi (golimumab) injection to treat adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.

16 May 2013

POZEN announces revenue of $1.4 million for first quarter 2013

POZEN Inc., a pharmaceutical company committed to transforming medicine that transforms lives, today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013.

8 May 2013

Study: Use of anti-TNF therapies in RA patients does not increase risk of herpes zoster

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who initiated use of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies were not at a higher risk of developing herpes zoster (shingles), compared with patients who initiated nonbiologic treatment regimens, according to research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the Oregon Health and Science University. The findings appeared in the March 6, 2013, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

22 Apr 2013

Researchers unravel dual role of tumor necrosis factor in TB

Tumor necrosis factor - normally an infection-fighting substance produced by the body- can actually heighten susceptibility to tuberculosis if its levels are too high.

12 Apr 2013

RA patients who initiate anti-TNF therapies do not have higher risk of shingles: Study

Although patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a disproportionately higher incidence of herpes zoster (shingles), an analysis that included nearly 60,000 patients with RA and other inflammatory diseases found that those who initiated anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies were not at higher risk of herpes zoster compared with patients who initiated nonbiologic treatment regimens, according to a study appearing in the March 6 issue of JAMA.

7 Mar 2013

Insight into how Th17 cell growth influences development of immune responses

New work from the Broad Institute's Klarman Cell Observatory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, MIT, and Yale University expands the understanding of how one type of immune cell - known as a T helper 17 or Th17 cell - develops, and how its growth influences the development of immune responses.

7 Mar 2013

UCB seeks FDA and EMA marketing authorization for Cimzia to treat active psoriatic arthritis

UCB announced today two new regulatory filings with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to extend the marketing authorization for Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and for adult patients with active axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

20 Feb 2013

Researchers identify four new genetic regions associated with Behcet's disease

Researchers have identified four new regions on the human genome associated with Behcet's disease, a painful and potentially dangerous condition found predominantly in people with ancestors along the Silk Road.

7 Jan 2013

FDA approves Abbott’s HUMIRA to treat ulcerative colitis

Abbott today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved HUMIRA (adalimumab) for inducing and sustaining clinical remission in adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) when certain other medicines have not worked well enough.

29 Sep 2012

Abbott receives FDA approval for Humira to treat ulcerative colitis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today expanded the approved use of Humira (adalimumab) to include treatment of moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis in adults.

29 Sep 2012

FDA approves Horizon Pharma's RAYOS to treat key IL-6 mediated diseases

Horizon Pharma, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved RAYOS (prednisone) delayed-release tablets (1 mg, 2 mg and 5 mg) to treat a broad range of diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

26 Jul 2012

Questcor second quarter net sales increase to $112.5 million

Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2012.

24 Jul 2012

Herpes zoster vaccine recommendations questioned in patients on biologics

Administration of the live attenuated herpes zoster vaccine is not associated with an increased risk for shingles shortly after vaccination in patients receiving biologic treatments for immune-mediated diseases, researchers report in JAMA.

10 Jul 2012

Live zoster vaccine associated with reduced risk of HZ in patients with immune-mediated diseases

Although some have suggested that patients receiving medication for immune-mediated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis may be at increased risk of herpes zoster (HZ; shingles) shortly after receipt of the vaccine, an analysis that included nearly 20,000 vaccinated Medicare beneficiaries finds that the live zoster vaccine is not associated with an increased risk of HZ shortly after vaccination in patients currently treated with biologics, and that it is associated with a significantly reduced longer-term risk of HZ in patients with an immune-mediated disease, according to a study in the July 4 issue of JAMA.

4 Jul 2012