Etanercept (Enbrel) is a drug that treats autoimmune diseases by interfering with the TNF receptor (a part of the immune system) by acting as a TNF inhibitor.
Pfizer Inc. announced today top-line results from two pivotal Phase 3 trials from the Oral treatment Psoriasis Trials (OPT) Program, OPT Pivotal #1 (A3921078) and OPT Pivotal #2 (A3921079), evaluating the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib, an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, the first in a new class of medicines being investigated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
Starting with a combination of three traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (called DMARDs) for treating early rheumatoid arthritis is more cost-effective long term, with comparable benefits, than using either an immediate or step-up approach with anti-tumor necrosis factor (called Anti-TNFs) drugs and methotrexate, according to new research findings presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis who receive early, aggressive therapy with a combination of medications achieve clinical inactive disease status faster than they would with less aggressive therapy, according to new research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.
A new study published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) suggests that the biologic agent adalimumab may be a viable treatment option for patients with steroid-resistant refractory pediatric uveitis.
Pfizer Inc. announced today top-line results from two Phase 3 clinical trials of tofacitinib, a novel, oral Janus kinase inhibitor that is being investigated for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis: OPT Compare (A3921080) and OPT Retreatment (A3921111).
The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined 9 biotechnologically produced drugs for the treatment of adults with rheumatoid arthritis in whom prior pharmacological treatment had failed.
More children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are experiencing remission of their symptoms, thanks to new biological therapies, but the remission is not well-understood. A new study published today in Arthritis Research & Therapy provides the first genomic characterization of remission in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Pfizer Inc. announced today that tofacitinib has been approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in patients who had an inadequate response to existing therapies in several additional countries around the world, including Switzerland, which is the first European country to receive approval.
A new study presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, demonstrates the efficacy of the ARASHI method at evaluating radiographic (X-ray) joint damage in RA.
Two new studies by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have shed light on joint replacement outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. One study overturns the common belief that RA patients have worse outcomes after a total knee replacement than patients who undergo the operation for osteoarthritis. The other study demonstrates that RA patients who undergo a total hip replacement were as likely to have significant improvements in function and pain as patients with osteoarthritis, even though they did not do as well.
A new study conducted in an ethnically diverse and predominantly low income population found that only one-fifth of rheumatoid arthritis patients had an overall adherence rate to prescribed oral medications at 80% or greater.
Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the COMPARE and ASCERTAIN trials of sarilumab, the first fully human monoclonal antibody directed against the IL-6 receptor, which is delivered by subcutaneous injection every other week, have enrolled their first patients.
Novartis announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Ilaris (canakinumab) for the treatment of active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis in patients aged 2 years and older.
A commonly used class of biologic response modifying drugs can cause acute liver injury with elevated liver enzymes, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.
The same factor in our immune system that is instrumental in enabling us to fight off severe and dangerous inflammatory ailments is also a player in doing the opposite at a later stage, causing the suppression of our immune response.
Pfizer Inc. announced today that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has approved XELJANZ (tofacitinib citrate) for the treatment of adults with rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response to existing therapies.
US scientists have identified a safety signal between bisphosphonate use and nonhealing femoral fractures, possibly due to the rare side effect, atypical femur fracture.
Results from a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial suggest that the tumor necrosis factor α antagonist etanercept is no more effective than standard therapy with prednisone for the treatment of acute exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Patients with active rheumatoid arthritis are as likely to persist with adalimumab treatment as they are with etanercept, show the results of a 2-year randomized efficacy and discontinuation study of the two tumor necrosis factor inhibitors.