Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Roundup: Texas considers relaxing rules for stem cell treatments; States weigh bills to protect consumers against high drug costs

A Texas agency will vote Friday on whether to enact new rules that would make it easier for doctors to offer experimental treatments using adult stem cells without federal approval. The Texas Medical Board, which licenses and disciplines doctors in the state, recently drafted stem-cell rules at the behest of Dr. Stanley Jones of Houston, who in July injected Gov. Rick Perry with the governor's own stem cells to try to aid his recovery from a back injury.

16 Apr 2012

Takeda enters definitive agreement to acquire URL Pharma

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and URL Pharma Inc. jointly announced that Takeda's wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda America Holdings, Inc. and URL Pharma have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire URL Pharma – a privately-held pharmaceutical company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for an upfront payment of $800 million and future performance-based contingent earn out payments.

12 Apr 2012

Vilex announces commercial launch of FUZE TTC Arthrodesis Compression Nail

Vilex Inc., a leader in innovative orthopaedic medical devices announced the commercial launch of the FUZE TTC Arthrodesis Compression Nail, the most recent addition to the Vilex line.

11 Apr 2012

Amgen enters agreement to acquire KAI Pharmaceuticals

Amgen and KAI Pharmaceuticals today announced an agreement under which Amgen will acquire KAI, a privately held pharmaceutical company based in South San Francisco.

11 Apr 2012

NYU Langone announces opening of Center for Musculoskeletal Care

NYU Langone Medical Center ushered in the next generation of orthopaedic, rheumatologic and rehabilitative care with the opening of the Center for Musculoskeletal Care (CMC) at 333 East 38th Street in Manhattan last week.

11 Apr 2012

Study examines potential impact of policies to reduce inappropriate imaging for prostate cancer

In the current hyper-charged United States healthcare debate, the focus on lowering cost without compromising quality of care remains a priority. But according to a new study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center and colleagues, one common approach may have serious unintended consequences.

10 Apr 2012

OphthaliX completes CF101 preclinical studies on Anterior Uveitis

OphthaliX announced today the completion of preclinical studies, showing that its CF101 drug candidate is efficacious in treating Anterior Uveitis

10 Apr 2012

Fatty acids fight cancer spread

Tiny agents found in omega-3 could potentially be used to block the path of primary cancer tumors, preventing the advance to secondary stage cancers according to pharmacy researchers at the University of Sydney.

9 Apr 2012

NIH awards Winston SBIR grant to develop Civamide for postherpetic neuralgia of TN

Winston Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,, announced that the National Institutes of Health has awarded Winston a grant under the Small Business Innovation Research program supporting the development of Civamide, a proprietary TRPV-1 receptor modulator, for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve.

9 Apr 2012

CPF proclaims September as 'Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month'

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) announced today the month of September 2012 will be proclaimed "Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month." In previous years, the CPF has celebrated "National Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Week" for one week each September, but expanding the time frame to a month will help achieve greater national awareness and fundraising in the race to find treatment and a cure.

7 Apr 2012

HSS to receive 2012 Gallup Great Workplace Award

Hospital for Special Surgery has received, for the first time, the 2012 "Gallup Great Workplace Award" and is the only hospital in the Northeast to achieve this recognition.

7 Apr 2012

Alternative therapy for knee surgery from The Pain Whisperer

Jeremy Lin is scheduled to undergo surgery for his knee within the week and will be down for six weeks, ending his season. Tom Chi, also known as The Pain Whisperer and star of the upcoming reality TV series of the same name, offers a remarkable alternative therapy to this type of surgery.

7 Apr 2012

TV star stars as "Autoimmune Walk" ambassador

Beloved actress and star of ER, Life Goes On, Christy and the Mystery Woman series will begin a guest starring stint on the Lifetime hit Army Wives this Sunday, April 8.

6 Apr 2012

Hot topics in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery

Airport security screening has increased substantially during the past decade, while joint replacement procedures also continue to rise. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), in 2009, nearly 300,000 total hip replacements (THR) were performed in the United States.

6 Apr 2012

Tonix completes TNX-102 pharmacokinetic study on fibromyalgia syndrome

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing therapies for challenging disorders of the central nervous system completed a pharmacokinetic (PK) study of the first formulation of its lead drug, TNX-102, for the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome.

6 Apr 2012

Fogarty receives NIH grant to help foster next generation of global health scientists

To help foster the next generation of global health scientists, Fogarty International Center and its partners at the National Institutes of Health are building a network of U.S. academic institutions to provide early-career physicians, veterinarians, dentists and scientists with a significant mentored research experience in a developing country.

5 Apr 2012

Feinstein scientists to present three GBM abstracts at AACR annual meeting

Scientists from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research will present three abstracts about Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and deadly adult brain cancer, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting to be held from Saturday through Wednesday (March 31- April 4) in Chicago, IL.

5 Apr 2012

Nuvilex realizes important role for Cell-in-a-Box technology

Nuvilex, Inc., an emerging biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions through acquisition of SG Austria assets, realizes the important role for Cell-in-a-Box technology and aims to bring to light its use in the production of therapeutic antibodies for clinically important diseases.

4 Apr 2012

Loyola’s hand surgeons see more patients with thumb arthritis

As baby boomers age, orthopedic surgeons are seeing more and more patients, especially women, who suffer from debilitating arthritis of the thumb.

4 Apr 2012

Nine physician organizations identify specific tests or procedures that may be unnecessary

Nine leading physician specialty societies have identified specific tests or procedures that they say are commonly used but not always necessary in their respective fields. Patient advocates are calling the move a significant step toward improving the quality and safety of health care.

4 Apr 2012