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.

Interleukin Genetics announces clinical study data on osteoarthritis progression

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. and the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced today findings from a large clinical study to evaluate the role of genetic factors in osteoarthritis progression which showed patients with radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis who inherited a specific pattern of genetic variations in the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) gene were almost twice as likely to progress to severe disease as other patients.

23 Sep 2010

Phase II study: Fostamatinib improves outcomes in RA patients

AstraZeneca's new oral syk inhibitor, fostamatinib (R788), recently in-licensed from Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., significantly improved outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who responded inadequately to ongoing treatment with methotrexate, according to phase II study data published in The New England Journal of Medicine today.

23 Sep 2010

Study links progressive osteoarthritis to IL-1Ra gene variations

Scientists from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Interleukin Genetics, Inc. announced today findings from a large clinical study to evaluate the role played by genetic factors in the worsening of osteoarthritis.

22 Sep 2010

Richmond Hill Children's Clinic patients to have real-time access to PHRs at mypatientaccess.ca

Canadian Patient Access Inc. and Nightingale Informatix Corporation, an application service provider (ASP) of electronic medical records (EMR) software and related services today announce that mypatientaccess.ca, Canada's first secure, interactive patient portal will soon be made available to parents of more than 10,000 pediatric patients treated at the Richmond Hill Children's Clinic (Richmond Hill, ON).

21 Sep 2010

New genes associated with osteoarthritis progression

21 Sep 2010

Immunotherapy accepted for coverage in MEDLINE®

Future Medicine Ltd announced today that its journal Immunotherapy (ISSN 1750-743X) has been selected for coverage in MEDLINE®. Maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE® (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online) is a premier bibliographic database containing approximately 13 million references to journal articles in life sciences.

19 Sep 2010

Conference to discuss frontline of immunological research, its clinical application

The immune system is evolved to protect our body against a variety of infectious agents which can cause serious and often fatal diseases. We now appreciate that the immune system is also involved in surveillance of malignant transformation of normal cells that constitute our body, as well as rejection of transplanted organs.

17 Sep 2010

Researchers to conduct gene analysis for ankylosing spondylitis

A new study designed to test suspected links between genes and two immune disorders could open the door to better ways to diagnose and treat the conditions that affect a combined total of approximately 2.5 million people in the United States, report scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

16 Sep 2010

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