Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Latest Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Researchers find important gene for lupus

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified, for the first time, a gene variation associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a potentially fatal disease which causes the body's defence system to attack itself.

18 Aug 2004

Two more drugs added to Medicare demonstration program

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced it is adding two more drugs to the list of drugs covered under a Medicare demonstration program providing substantial savings to beneficiaries with serious diseases, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

17 Aug 2004

Never mind the gills here's the oyster gonads

The researchers studied 8 Sydney rock oysters, concentrating on the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the gills, muscles and gonads.

11 Aug 2004

Bionomics BNO69 angiogenesis gene discovery published

Bionomics has announced that research conducted by Bionomics and its collaborators at the Hanson Centre of the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science ("IMVS") in Adelaide, Australia, relating to Bionomics' proprietary angiogenesis drug target BNO69, has been published in the high ranking scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS).

10 Aug 2004

Study to determine how people with rheumatoid arthritis evaluate improvements in disease symptoms

The study will examine how much of an improvement in pain, stiffness, function and other symptoms is needed before patients consider the change important.

7 Aug 2004

Rheumatoid arthritis and early indicators of disease

A chronic autoimmune disease marked by severe inflammation and joint, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a major cause of pain and disability.

5 Aug 2004

New clinical study to determine how people with rheumatoid arthritis evaluate improvements in disease symptoms

A new clinical study to determine how people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) evaluate improvements in disease symptoms will be carried out by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health.

5 Aug 2004

Joint inflammation

Members of the baby boomer generation are beginning to reach their 50s and 60s and seniors are living longer than ever, causing a large influx of older men and women in our society.

2 Aug 2004

Molecular pathway in the brain may explain why some patients suffering from inflammatory diseases develop depression

Feeling sick can be "all in the head" for people with inflammatory disorders or for those receiving immunotherapy, say Robert Dantzer and Keith Kelley, professors in the department of animal sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

29 Jul 2004

Millions of American osteoporosis sufferers remain undiagnosed and untreated

Osteoporosis is a serious health condition that affects over 44 million Americans. The human and economic costs for this condition may account for some $17 billion in direct expenditures in hospitals and nursing homes and that annual expense is expected to triple by 2040.

26 Jul 2004

Y's Therapeutics files for clinical trials in Europe for rheumatoid arthritis and asthma

Y's Therapeutics, a privately held biopharmaceutical company, said today it has submitted applications to the Ethics Committee and Ministry of Health (BfArM) in Germany to begin Phase II clinical trials for its two most advanced projects, YSIL6 for rheumatoid arthritis and YSTH2 for asthma.

26 Jul 2004

Tai Chi helps keep arthritis sufferers on their feet

The traditional Chinese martial art of Tai Chi has been said to produce a variety of health benefits for older adults.

21 Jul 2004

Results of study have considerable implications for the management of people with rheumatoid arthritis

Results of a UK study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest that intensive monthly outpatient treatment with antirheumatic drugs and steroid injections can substantially improve patients’ symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis compared with standard three-month outpatient treatment.

15 Jul 2004

A new protocol for bone marrow transplants

A new protocol for bone marrow transplants, which does not require the destruction of the recipient’s immune system before transfer of the new bone marrow, is described by a group of Oxford scientists

5 Jul 2004

50,000 people in the U.S. with cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or hepatitis C will be eligible for a Medicare drug lottery

50,000 people or 10% of the 500,000 people in the U.S with cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or hepatitis C will be eligible for a Medicare drug lottery for coverage of life saving drugs.

26 Jun 2004

Tommy G. Thompson has announced a new Medicare program that will save seniors and the disabled substantial money

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced a new Medicare demonstration program that will save seniors and persons with disabilities substantial money

24 Jun 2004

Genetic variation that doubles the risk for rheumatoid arthritis

A team of researchers has discovered a genetic variation that doubles the risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

24 Jun 2004

Statins could be effective in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

Results of a UK study in this week's issue of THE LANCET suggest that the anti-inflammatory effect of statins (a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs) could be effective in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

17 Jun 2004

Results from study of Rituxan in rheumatoid arthritis show promise

Genentech, Inc., Biogen Idec and Roche have announced that the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a Phase IIa study showing that two doses of Rituxan® (Rituximab), administered two weeks apart, improved symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for up to 48 weeks when combined with methotrexate (MTX), compared to MTX alone.

16 Jun 2004

Cannabis extract drug may help patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The multi centre double blind, randomised, parallel group study in 58 patients assessed the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Sativex®, a whole plant medicinal cannabis extract, compared with placebo for the treatment of pain caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis. Study medication was administered by means of a spray into the mouth as an evening dose only and measures were assessed the following day.

11 Jun 2004