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Study finds disagreement between RA patients and doctors on assessment of disease severity

A novel study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that nearly one-third of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients differed from their physicians in assessment of their disease severity. The disagreement between patient and doctor evaluation of RA activity was most prevalent in patients with depressive symptoms, and those who had poor overall function.

26 May 2010

Riga to host 3rd Baltic Congress of Osteoporosis

Riga, Latvia will be the venue for the 3rd Baltic Congress of Osteoporosis which will take place on September 3-4, 2010. The congress, to be held in English, is jointly organized by the Latvian Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Diseases Association, Lithuanian Osteoporosis Foundation, Lithuanian Association of Metabolic Bone Diseases and the Estonian Osteoporosis Society.

19 May 2010

BioTrends reports increase in usage of Actemra for RA

BioTrends is pleased to announce the publication of the second wave of a syndicated report, LaunchTrends®: ACTEMRA. Actemra (tocilizumab), marketed by Roche-Genentech, is the first IL-6 receptor inhibitor agent approved for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This report is the second in a three-wave series derived from on-line survey responses from 80 rheumatologists and qualitative interviews with 20 rheumatologists.

14 May 2010

Roche announces Health Canada approval for ACTEMRA to treat RA

Roche today announced that Health Canada has approved ACTEMRA(TM) (tocilizumab) to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease of the joints and surrounding tissues that is associated with intense pain, irreversible joint destruction and systemic complications, such as fatigue and anemia.

4 May 2010

Rush University Medical Center's Orthopedic Building awarded Gold LEED certification

The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded the Orthopedic Building at Rush University Medical Center Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

15 Apr 2010

CME program for understanding latest treatment and research on Dupuytren's disease

The Department of Orthopaedics at Stony Brook University Medical Center and the Office of Continuing Medical Education will run a CME program for hand surgeons, hand therapists, rheumatologists, researchers and others interested in understanding the latest treatment and research on Dupuytren's disease, a debilitating hand disorder caused by progressive accumulation of collagen that deforms fingers and limits motion and affects millions worldwide.

12 Apr 2010

Physicians increase prescription of new biologics

Sermo, the world's largest online community for physicians, today announced a Sermo Event Report titled "Is there any Threat to Anti-TNFs from Newer Biologic DMARDs?" In the past year, the FDA has approved four new biologic DMARDs – Actemra (Genentech), Orencia (Bristol-Myers Squibb), Simponi (Centocor Ortho Biotech), and Cimzia (UCB). According to the report, Orencia leads the pack among physicians as the next line of treatment for patients who fail two or more TNF antagonists.

2 Apr 2010

Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Ferring Pharmaceuticals sign co-promotion agreement for Zipsor

Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an integrated specialty pharmaceutical company with both development and commercial capabilities focused on women's healthcare and pain management, today announced that it has signed a co-promotion agreement for Zipsor™ (diclofenac potassium) Liquid Filled Capsules with Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc., a global bio-pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Switzerland.

1 Apr 2010

Arthritis Foundation supports Congress’ efforts for meaningful health care reform

The Arthritis Foundation supports the efforts of Congress to enact meaningful health care reform to address the health care needs of the 46 million men, women and children with arthritis.

20 Mar 2010

BioTrends publishes new LaunchTrends report on Actemra

BioTrends is pleased to announce the publication of a new syndicated report, LaunchTrends®: ACTEMRA. Actemra (tocilizumab), marketed by Roche-Genentech, is the first IL-6 receptor inhibitor agent approved for rheumatoid arthritis. This report is the first in a three wave series and is derived from on-line survey responses from 77 rheumatologists and qualitative interviews with 20 rheumatologists.

19 Mar 2010

Study finds sizeable position for Actemra in rheumatoid arthritis treatment paradigm

Results from a study conducted by Majestic Research suggest that Bristol Myers Squibb's Orencia, Johnson & Johnson's Remicade, and Amgen's/Wyeth's Enbrel will forfeit share of the rheumatoid arthritis market to Roche's newly launched Actemra. Early switching data from Majestic’s proprietary panel of rheumatologists indicates that Orencia may be the biggest loser of all, as 54% of switches to Actemra thus far have been from Orencia.

9 Mar 2010

Actemra: 38% of rheumatologists have commenced treatment

BioTrends Research Group released topline findings from LaunchTrends®: ACTEMRA, Wave 1 today, highlighting the market uptake of the product at one month post launch. Actemra (tocilizumab), marketed by Roche-Genentech, is a new IL-6 inhibitor with monthly dosing by IV infusion. The study results are based on an on-line survey completed by 77 rheumatologists in late February.

3 Mar 2010

Report provides comprehensive insight into how physicians classify and treat patients with gout

BioTrends Research Group, Inc. is pleased to announce the availability of its TreatmentTrends®: Gout and Hyperuricemia publication. The report is based on responses to online surveys completed by 120 Rheumatologists and 57 Primary Care Physicians in the US who are managing a high number of patients with gout.

3 Mar 2010

Researchers receive grant to study how ILD appears in patients with autoimmune diseases

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati Interstitial Lung Disease Center have received a grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to study ways ILD first appears in certain patient groups with autoimmune diseases and how to more efficiently diagnose and treat it.

24 Feb 2010

ACR REF Clinician Scholar Education Award for rheumatology health professionals

At the core of the American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation's mission is to attract the best and brightest trainees into a career in rheumatology. To do this, the REF has an extensive portfolio of awards and grants that provide support during critical career stages.

22 Feb 2010

HSS supports Arthritis Foundation's educational campaign for osteoarthritis

Hospital for Special Surgery, (HSS), a world leader in orthopedics and rheumatology, today announced its support of the Arthritis Foundation and Ad Council newly launched campaign, "Moving is the Best Medicine," to raise awareness of osteoarthritis, increase public health education and support breakthrough research.

5 Feb 2010

New biomarker may predict treatment outcomes in RA patients

Investigators have identified a biomarker that could help doctors select patients with rheumatoid arthritis who will benefit from therapy with drugs such as Enbrel, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-antagonist drug.

30 Jan 2010

Abaxis' new CRP assay receives FDA marketing clearance

Abaxis, Inc., a medical products company manufacturing point-of-care blood analysis systems, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510K marketing clearance of the new C-Reactive Protein (CRP) assay when used by healthcare professionals in conjunction with the Piccolo Xpress™ point-of-care analyzer.

21 Jan 2010

Market for chronic tophaceous gout medications will be led by drug that resolves tophi in less than a year

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, in the U.S. and Europe, a drug that resolves tophi in less than one year would become the patient share leader in the chronic tophaceous gout patient subpopulation and would be used in the vast majority of patients who suffer severe tophaceous gout, according to surveyed U.S. and European rheumatologists.

12 Jan 2010

New report on launch trend of Roche's Actemra

BioTrends is pleased to announce the fielding of a new syndicated report, LaunchTrends®: ACTEMRA. Roche, Inc. announced that they received FDA approval for Actemra (generic name: tocilizumab) on January 8th. This represents the first IL-6 receptor inhibitor agent approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA); Actemra is approved for adult patients with moderately-to-severely active RA who have had an inadequate response to one or more TNF antagonist therapies. Actemra represents the fourth IV Infusion product in the RA Market and the first infusion product with monthly maintenance dosing.