Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

People with arthritis can benefit from exercise

An estimated 50 million adults in the United States suffer from arthritis. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one of the best ways to combat the onset of arthritis as well as to control pain and improve function is through exercise.

29 Mar 2011

Cancer drug Gleevec may hold promise against scleroderma: Study

A drug approved to treat certain types of cancer has shown promising results in the treatment of patients with scleroderma, according to results from an open-label Phase II trial. While the drug's efficacy must be demonstrated in a Phase III trial, the gold standard for testing a drug, researchers are optimistic that Gleevec- (imatinib) could potentially be a weapon against the chronic connective tissue disease for which a treatment has remained elusive.

28 Mar 2011

NMSS grants Adeona's ongoing Trimesta trial with $409,426 to treat MS

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of innovative medicines for serious central nervous system diseases, announced today that the ongoing clinical trial of its Trimesta drug candidate has received an additional $409,426 in grant funding from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

28 Mar 2011

Lupus nephritis ESRD study finds increase in incidence rates among children, African Americans

New research documenting changes in the incidence and outcomes of end-stage renal disease in the U.S. between 1995 and 2006, found a significant increase in incidence rates among patients 5 to 39 years of age and in African Americans.

28 Mar 2011

BMY receives FDA approval for YERVOY to treat metastatic melanoma

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved YERVOY 3 mg/kg for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

28 Mar 2011

Study finds increased risk of VTE during first year of combination oral contraceptive usage

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that interim results from a large, prospective, observational cohort safety study offer insights into the increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots, which is a well-established risk in women who use combination oral contraceptives (COCs), also known as "the Pill".

25 Mar 2011

Study develops new approaches for sorting out complexities of cancer cells

New drugs that specifically target the mutated genes responsible for cancer growth have shown great success in extending the lives of patients, with far fewer side effects than conventional anti-cancer therapies. Unfortunately, many patients become resistant to these drugs due to secondary mutations.

25 Mar 2011

Osteoporosis study: Protelos have significant bone-forming activity than bisphosphonates

Protelos has significantly greater bone-forming activity than the commonly prescribed bisphosphonate, alendronate, according to results of the largest-ever biopsy study in post-menopausal women presented today at the European Congress on Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis in Valencia.

25 Mar 2011

$Falls history improves accuracy of fracture prediction models$

Falls history improves accuracy of fracture prediction models

Researchers from the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit in Southampton, UK, have presented a new study that shows how the inclusion of falls history, in addition to clinical risk factors (CRFs) and bone mineral density (BMD) values, would greatly improve the accuracy of fracture prediction models. The research findings were presented today at the European Congress on Osteoporosis & Osteoarthritis in Valencia, Spain.

25 Mar 2011

HCG hormone therapy may benefit patients with intractable pain

Results from a small study of intractable pain patients being treated with the human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone reported that they had experienced pain free hours in the past month. These results were presented at a poster session at the American Academy of Pain Medicine's 27th Annual Meeting.

25 Mar 2011

USPTO issues Notice of Allowance to AlphaRx ARX8203 pain product candidate

AlphaRx Inc. has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its lead pain product candidate code named ARX8203, a potentially safer drug intended for pain treatment.

25 Mar 2011

Immune system misinterprets threats and attacks body's own cells and tissue

Many chronic diseases are the result of the body's immune system mistakenly perceiving that the body is under attack from foreign bodies. A counterattack is then launched - an inflammatory response meant to vanquish the intruder. In reality, the immune system has misinterpreted the threat and is actually attacking the body's own cells and tissue.

24 Mar 2011

Prolia associated with greater adherence than alendronate in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

Amgen today announced new data that showed postmenopausal women with osteoporosis had significantly greater adherence, compliance, and persistence during Prolia® (denosumab) treatment than during alendronate treatment, an oral bisphosphonate commonly used to treat osteoporosis.

24 Mar 2011

Affymax, Takeda's peginesatide Phase 3 data in dialysis patient to be presented at NKF meeting

Affymax, Inc. and Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc., U.S., today announced multiple posters on peginesatide have been accepted for presentation at the National Kidney Foundation 2011 Spring Clinical Meeting taking place April 26-30, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

24 Mar 2011

DISCUSS survey findings highlight need to prioritize GERD dialogue

According to findings from the new nationwide DISCUSS Survey, many people surveyed report that their gastroesophageal reflux disease and/or persistent heartburn symptoms significantly disrupt their lives.

24 Mar 2011

Tenascin-C protein can help promote wound healing

We all know the adage: A little bit of a good thing can go a long way. Now researchers in London are reporting that might also be true for a large protein associated with wound healing.

24 Mar 2011

Fudan, UTHealth introduce international network to fight against scleroderma

Scleroderma clinicians and researchers in the United States and China have launched an international network to fight this debilitating disease that affects more than one million people worldwide.

24 Mar 2011

New research can lead to better OA treatment

Arthritis researchers from North America and Europe will convene in Chicago this week to present new osteoarthritis research that could lead to better ways to detect, treat, prevent and cure osteoarthritis, which affects 27 million Americans.

24 Mar 2011

KaloBios commences KB004 Phase 1 trial in patients with leukemia

KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, today announced treatment of the first patient in a Phase 1 clinical trial of KB004, its first-in-class Humaneered™ monoclonal antibody, in EphA3-expressing hematologic malignancies.

24 Mar 2011

AHA to honor BIDMC investigator for groundbreaking Vascular Biology research

Alterations in blood vessel dilation lie at the heart of coronary artery health: When vessels dilate, blood and oxygen supplies successfully reach the heart. When vessels contract, blood and oxygen are diminished, leading to coronary artery disease.

23 Mar 2011