Prednisone News and Research

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Is the disease course of rheumatoid arthritis becoming milder?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, marked with joint pain and erosion. The course of RA can vary considerably, from mild to crippling, and is difficult to predict.

4 Sep 2005

Rev/Dex combo looks like a breakthrough treatment for multiple myeloma

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center investigators report that combination therapy with lenalidomide (Revlimid) and dexamethasone (combination is called Rev/Dex) looks like a breakthrough treatment for multiple myeloma. Results of a Phase II clinical trial were published online Aug. 23 in Blood.

1 Sep 2005

New drug that selectively blocks immune responses protects kidneys after transplant

In an international clinical trial, a new drug that selectively blocks immune responses has proved as effective in preventing acute kidney transplant rejection as cyclosporine, the standard anti-rejection treatment.

24 Aug 2005

Taxotere shows significant survival benefit in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer

Final results from the largest international study in the treatment of advanced stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, demonstrated that patients who received a Taxotere (docetaxel) Injection Concentrate-based chemotherapy regimen (Taxotere, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil) had significantly improved overall survival rates compared to patients who received a standard treatment (cisplatin and 5- fluorouracil).

16 May 2005

Alcohol relapse adversely affects liver transplant survival

A new study on how alcohol relapse affects survival rates after liver transplants found that it adversely affected survival rates only after 10 years. The decrease in survival rates may, however, be due to other alcohol-related diseases.

22 Mar 2005

Risks of obesity in children with kidney transplants

Obese children who get kidney transplants tend to be younger, shorter and on dialysis longer than their leaner peers, according to a study in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics.

7 Feb 2005

Trial of Etanercept for Wegners's disease shows no benefit against the autoimmune condition

A Johns Hopkins-led study designed to evaluate the ability of etanercept to maintain disease remissions in a serious autoimmune disorder has failed to show any benefit. Etanercept, also called Enbrel, is a common treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other types of joint inflammation.

26 Jan 2005

Corticosteroids can be beneficial in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Corticosteroids can be beneficial in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and can be offered as a treatment option, according to the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society in a new practice guideline published in the January 11 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Jan 2005

Velcade (bortezomib) phase III clinical trial initiated in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

Millennium Pharmaceuticals today announced, in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, LLC, the initiation of VISTA (Velcadeas Initial Standard Therapy in multiple myeloma: Assessment with melphalan and prednisone), a multicenter, international phase III clinical trial of Velcadein combination with melphalan and prednisone versus melphalan and prednisone in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) who are not transplant candidates.

10 Jan 2005

Method for healing spinal injuries in dogs offers hope for preventing human paralysis

Lab tests have shown that an injection of a liquid polymer known as polyethylene glycol (PEG), if administered within 72 hours of serious spinal injury, can prevent most dogs from suffering permanent spinal damage.

3 Dec 2004

European approval for Taxotere (docetaxel) in prostate cancer

Aventis, part of the sanofi-aventis Group announced today that the European Commission has approved Taxotere (docetaxel) Injection Concentrate for use in combination with prednisone as a treatment for men with androgen-independent (hormone- refractory) metastatic prostate cancer.

4 Nov 2004

Improved risk classification for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia offers hope for eliminating irradiation

Improved risk classification for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), coupled with more intensive intrathecal chemotherapy for high risk patients and the use of a drug called dexamethasone, could one day permit physicians to omit irradiation as a part of routine treatment.

1 Nov 2004

Mycophenolate mofetil is effective for managing symptoms of the most common type of lupus

Mayo Clinic investigators have found that the medication mycophenolate mofetil is effective for managing symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common type of lupus, for patients whose SLE does not affect the kidneys.

18 Oct 2004

Researchers have discovered an effective new way to treat giant cell arteritis

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered an effective new way to treat giant cell arteritis (GCA), a debilitating cause of headaches, fatigue, muscle pain and even blindness. The findings of this research will be presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting.

13 Oct 2004

Prostate cancer patients who no longer respond to hormone therapy may benefit from a combination of docetaxel and estramustine

Prostate cancer patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body and who no longer respond to hormone therapy may benefit from a combination of the cancer drugs docetaxel and estramustine, according to a new study published in the Oct. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

8 Oct 2004

Men with advanced, incurable prostate cancer can benefit from docetaxel

An international study led by a Canadian researcher shows that men with advanced, incurable prostate cancer can survive an average of three months longer and face less symptoms when offered a new treatment for prostate cancer.

7 Oct 2004

Breast cancer drug Taxotere extends life of prostate cancer patients

Men with androgen-independent (hormone-refractory) metastatic prostate cancer treated with the breast-cancer drug Taxotere (docetaxel) Injection Concentrate in combination with the drug estramustine survived 20 percent longer than similar patients receiving the standard therapy

6 Oct 2004

Study hints at antioxidants being able to prevent and restore hearing loss

In a preliminary study, researchers find that vitamin E may be effective in restoring sudden onset hearing loss of unknown origin (idiopathic sudden hearing loss). These findings suggest that further research may reveal the role of antioxidants in the prevention and restoration of hearing loss.

18 Sep 2004

MRI is becoming more recognized as useful in the etiological investigation of sudden deafness

For the patient, sudden deafness can be terrifying. For the specialist, this disorder can be most challenging for the cause of sudden deafness cannot be readily determined by use of the most advanced diagnostic tests.

17 Sep 2004

Children who take steroid drugs for nephrotic syndrome do not suffer bone loss

Childhood nephrotic syndrome, which affects 3 out of 100,000 children, is the most common chronic kidney disease in children. Although it does not impair kidney function, it weakens the body's ability to remove water and salt from the blood, and causes swelling in the belly, legs, and around the eyes.

25 Aug 2004