Related Articles Results

Friday Apr 09, 2010
Vaccine Successfully Reverse Type 1 Diabetes in Mice
Researchers believe the vaccine may be applicable to other autoimmune disease, such as RA and MS...

Friday Apr 02, 2010
Spotlight on Sjögren's Syndrome
As many as 4 million Americans are affected by the autoimmune disorder, but most suffer from symptoms for 3 or more years before receiving an accurate diagnosis...

Thursday Apr 01, 2010
ACR Partners with HHS for Lupus Initiative
The American College of Rheumatology will work in conjunction with the US Dept. of Health and Human Services' Offices of Minority Health, Women's Health, and the Surgeon General to launch an educational initiative on lupus diagnosis and treatment...

Thursday Nov 12, 2009
Bristol Set to Challenge Roche for RA IL-6 Blockers
Bristol-Myers Squibb has licensed RA indications for Alder's ALD518 anti-IL-6 monoclonal...

Thursday Oct 29, 2009
Uncertain Future for Schering RA Nose Spray
Intranasal immunotherapy with HC gp-39 was safe but produced no clinical benefits in a randomized, placebo-controlled phase II study in RA patients...

Thursday Oct 29, 2009
Bug Spray Linked to RA, Lupus
Startling new data from ACR suggest that household insecticide use increases women's risk of two autoimmune diseases...

Wednesday Oct 21, 2009
Phase 2 Data Support Pfizer's JAK Inhibitor for RA
Two Phase 2 trials reported at ACR show efficacy of JAK inhibitor now in Phase 3...

Wednesday Oct 07, 2009
Can Surgical Masks Protect You From Flu? Maybe
Surgical masks are nearly as effective as N95 respirators in preventing influenza in health care workers...

Thursday Sep 03, 2009
Depression, CRP Linked to Pain in RA
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are twice as likely to be depressed as people without this autoimmune disease, and now new research links RA pain to both depression severity and levels of C-reactive protein...

Thursday Jul 02, 2009
Lung Study Questions Leflunomide Safety in RA
Rheumatologists who routinely use leflunomide in rheumatoid arthritis patients should be on the look-out for early signs of lung disease...

Friday Jun 26, 2009
Gum Disease Prominent in RA, but TNF-Blockade Can Help
Three new studies shed light on the connection between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontitis, and new data help define a role for TNF-blockade in improving periodontal status as well as RA signs and symptoms...

Friday May 29, 2009
NIH Pops $24M into Orphan Diseases Research
NIH will put $24 million into a new program for developing drugs for rare and neglected diseases...

Thursday May 14, 2009
Taligen Nabs $26M for Inflammatory Disease Research
Taligen is focusing on developing anti-inflammatory drugs that affect the alternative complement pathway, which helps initiate inflammation...

Tuesday Apr 28, 2009
RA Patients Could Be Hard Hit By Swine Flu
Rheumatologists must be vigilant in looking for signs and symptoms of the swine flu in their immunocompromised patients—including those on TNF-inhibitors...

Monday Apr 27, 2009
Two Big Steps for Lupus Nephritis Research
Genes that encode CXCR4/CXCL12 and kallikrein help determine whether lupus patients will develop kidney damage...

Thursday Apr 23, 2009
Merck Inks Deal with Galapagos in Inflammatory Diseases
Merck and Galapagos have signed a multi-year agreement for discovery and development of new drugs for inflammatory disease...

Monday Apr 06, 2009
Gene May Explain Women's Heightened Lupus Risk
A gene on the X chromosome may be linked to lupus, explaining why women are much more likely to develop the disease than men...

Thursday Mar 26, 2009
Firefly Protein Lights Up Lupus Imaging
Bioluminescent imaging of NF-kB pinpoints inflamed sites long before symptoms appear in a mouse model of lupus and is likely to speed development of treatments for early disease...

Monday Mar 23, 2009
JIA Gene Profile Study Shows “Remission” Is Not “Normal”
Gene profile data show that juvenile idiopathic arthritis remission is not a return to normal, but a  balance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory activity...

Tuesday Mar 17, 2009
New Laser for Psoriasis Aims to Cut Treatment
The excimer laser, best known for its use in eye surgery, is providing some patients with relief from their psoriasis...

Monday Mar 16, 2009
Chondrolysis Seen With Local Anesthetic After Shoulder Surgery
Local anesthetic infused into the shoulder joint after arthroscopy can destroy shoulder cartilage...

Wednesday Mar 04, 2009
Drop of Collagenase Provides Non-Surgical Fix for Dupuytren's Disease
A nonsurgical approach using a drop of collagenase to weaken the tissue cord that causes hand contractures in Dupuytren's disease is headed for FDA review...

Friday Jan 30, 2009
Psoriasis Gene Studies Fill In More Pieces of the Puzzle
New genetics data suggest novel approaches to psoriasis treatment...

Monday Jan 26, 2009
4 Factors in Lupus Noncompliance
Lupus patients cite specific reasons for taking (or not taking) their meds. Changes in physician-patient communications might fix some of these problems...

Thursday Jan 15, 2009
Parkinson's Disease Puts Bones, Joints at Risk
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease—tremors, rigidity in the joints, and balance problems—can lead to reduced bone mass and a greater risk of falls, resulting in heightened numbers of bone fractures and joint injuries…

Monday Nov 24, 2008
Scleroderma Stem Cell Transplants Advance, Phase III Studies Recruiting Patients
Pilot data on systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients treated with autologous stem cell transplants suggest durable improvements in skin thickening and lung function. Phase III randomized trials are still open to enrollment...

Friday Nov 21, 2008
EntreMed Reports Antiangiogenic Role of 2ME2 Demonstrated in RA Models
Preclinical results for 2ME2 (Panzem^® or 2-methoxyestradiol) in rheumatoid arthritis demonstrated that 2ME2 involutes rat collagen-induced arthritis and suppresses synovial VEGF and bFGF gene expression...

Thursday Nov 20, 2008
New Therapy Could Transform Arthritis Treatment
Researchers have genetically engineered a modified form of the molecule Foxp3 which helps regulate the body’s immune system and may have important implications for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis…

Monday Nov 17, 2008
Vitamin D Levels Linked to OA Cartilage Loss, OA Pain, and SSc Disease Activity by ACR Researchers
Low vitamin D levels are associated with faster progression of joint damage, bone loss, and pain in OA and with higher levels of inflammatory markers and vascular complications in systemic sclerosis, suggesting that more attention to vitamin D supplements might be in order...

Wednesday Nov 12, 2008
Novartis’ ACZ885 Phase III Data Show Rapid, Sustained Clinical Remission in Children and Adults with CAPS, a Group of Rare, Potentially Life-Threatening Autoinflammatory Diseases
Novartis also announced that preliminary results of a phase I/II study in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis showed that most patients treated with ACZ885 achieved substantial clinical improvement within 15 days...

Tuesday Oct 28, 2008
Rheumatology Experts Say Stopping Smoking May Cut RA Pain, Disease Activity
Researchers at two major medical meetings are highlighting the role smoking plays in chronic pain and disease activity in RA...

Wednesday Oct 22, 2008
Biogen Idec Reports Top-Line Results From Phase II Clinical Trial of Baminercept in RA; Will Discontinue Development in RA
The phase II trial of baminercept in RA patients who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy with a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug did not meet its primary endpoint...

Tuesday Oct 21, 2008
Centocor Reports Efficacy of Remicade^® vs Azathioprine in Treatment of Crohn’s Disease
Azathioprine is not approved in the US for the treatment of CD but is approved in some countries outside the US and is widely used by gastroenterologists and other physicians in the US to treat CD patients...

Monday Oct 20, 2008
Gleevec/CYC Combo Emerging as Novel Approach for Scleroderma Lung Disease
Adding the oncology drug imatinib (Gleevec^®) to cyclophosphamide offers a 2-pronged strategy that might be effective in scleroderma-associated pulmonary complications...

Wednesday Oct 15, 2008
Genentech Issues Dear Healthcare Provider Letter Regarding Case of PML in a Psoriasis Patient Under Long-Term Treatment With Raptiva^®
The 70-year old patient had received Raptiva^® (efalizumab) for >4 years to treat chronic plaque psoriasis before being diagnosed with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy...

Friday Oct 10, 2008
Understanding RA Relapse After Pregnancy
New research sheds light on why rheumatoid arthritis (RA) tends to become reactivated in the postpartum period...

Tuesday Sep 30, 2008
Microparticles May Be Big Players in Systemic Scleroderma Disease Activity
Microparticles—small, membrane, coated vesicles—found in the blood of systemic scleroderma patients might not be inert debris…

Thursday Sep 25, 2008
Disease Factors, Corticosteroids Nearly Double Heart Attack Risk in RA Patients
RA-specific factors and corticosteroid use significantly increase the risk of myocardial infarction in RA patients…

Thursday Sep 18, 2008
GSK, Cellzome Announce Strategic Alliance to Identify Kinase-Targeted Drugs for Inflammatory Diseases
The alliance gives GSK access to Cellzome’s expertise in identifying and developing selective kinase inhibitors and its proprietary Kinobeads™ technology which, by screening compounds in a physiological setting, is designed to improve the predictability of these drug candidates’ performance in clinical testing...

Friday Sep 12, 2008
BioCryst Reports Results From Phase IIa Trial of PNP Inhibitor in Psoriasis; No Evidence of Clinical Efficacy
BCX-4208 is a potent, rationally-designed, inhibitor of PNP—a purine salvage pathway enzyme that is essential for the proliferation of activated T-cells...

Friday Sep 12, 2008
Breaking News: FDA Warns About Fatal PML in RA Patient Taking Rituxan^®
FDA issued a MedWatch warning reporting the first fatal PML case in a patient taking Rituxan for RA...

Monday Sep 08, 2008
ACR Research and Education Foundation Grants Point to New Arthritis Research
New REF grants target RA immunotherapy, inflammation, bone erosions, PAD inhibition...

Thursday Sep 04, 2008
“Good Bugs” Offer New Way to Turn Down Inflammatory Response
“Probiotic” helpful bacteria might be able to turn down the body's inflammatory response...

Thursday Sep 04, 2008
Omeros Enters Into Agreement With Affitech for Anti-inflammatory Therapeutics, Awaits Phase III Clinical Trial Results for Agent
Omeros Corp and Affitech AS have entered into an agreement for the discovery and development of fully human antibodies for Omeros’ MASP-2, which mediates activation of the complement system via the lectin pathway...

Monday Aug 18, 2008
MedImmune, Medarex Report Initiation of Phase IIa Clinical Trial of Fully Human Anti-Interferonα Monoclonal Antibody in Lupus Patients
MedImmune has initiated enrollment in a phase IIa trial with a human monoclonal antibody (MEDI-545) targeting interferonα in adult patients with moderate-to-severe active lupus...

Wednesday Aug 13, 2008
Tolerx Reports Collaboration Partner, Genentech, has Advanced a Modified Humanized Nondepleting Anti-CD4 Monoclonal Antibody Into Phase I Clinical Trial in RA Patients
The Tolerx and Genentech collaboration has moved a modified version of TRX1 (MTRX1011A), an anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody, into a phase I clinical trial that has begun enrolling RA patients...

Wednesday Aug 06, 2008
Statins May Help Bone Healing
Statins may improve bone healing, according to new research in an animal model of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)…

Tuesday Jul 29, 2008
CEL-SCI Announces Positive Preclinical Results Using CEL-2000, a Chimeric Peptide with Bi-Functional Properties, as RA Vaccine
CEL-SCI Corp announced the discovery of CEL-2000, a novel peptide vaccine for the treatment of RA. Tests showed that CEL-2000 is equivalent or possibly superior to Enbrel^® in slowing disease progression and lessening symptoms in mice...

Tuesday Jul 22, 2008
Compugen Reports Positive Preclinical Results for Therapeutic Peptide Candidate for Immune Related Diseases
The gp96 protein triggers both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system and is thought to play a key role in inflammatory responses, making it an important target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of immune-related disorders...

Monday Jul 14, 2008
Welichem's Phase I Clinical Trial of Topical WBI-1001 Meets Primary, Secondary Objectives in Psoriasis
Welichem Biotech, a biotechnology company developing therapeutic drugs in the fields of autoimmune, inflammatory diseases, and cancer, announced positive results from a phase I clinical trialevaluating topically applied WBI-1001 in psoriasis patients...

Friday Jul 11, 2008
MediGene Puts Phase I Trial Hold on Due to Patient Death in Study of RhuDex^® in a New Formulation; Reports Positive Results With RhuDex in Phase IIa Pilot Trial in RA
One study participant suffered a heart problem some days after a scheduled treatment of RhuDex^®, an orally administered candidate for the treatment of RA; it is currently unclear whether there is any correlation between the death and the drug administration...

Monday Jul 07, 2008
UCB’s Cimzia^® Filed With EMEA for Treatment of RA: if Approved, Would be First and Only PEGylated, Fc-Free Anti-TNFα Biologic
UCB has submitted an MMA for approval of Cimzia^® (certolizumab pegol) as a subcutaneous treatment for adults with moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis...

Wednesday Jul 02, 2008
Biotie Reports Positive Phase 1a Data for Anti-VAP-1 Monoclonal Antibody BTT-1023; Dosing Regimens to be Established in RA and Psoriasis Patients
Biotie's first-in-human study of BTT-1023 investigated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic characteristics of single intravenous doses of the antibody in healthy volunteer subjects...

Thursday Jun 26, 2008
Otsuka, UCB to Codevelop and Copromote Cimzia^® in Japan for Crohn's Disease
UCB and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals have agreed to copromote UCB's anti-TNFα drug Cimzia^® for the treatment of Crohn's Disease in Japan, the second largest pharmaceutical market in the world...

Wednesday Jun 18, 2008
Rigel Launches Two Global Phase IIb Clinical Trials of Syk Inhibitor, R788 (fostamatinib disodium), in RA
Rigel currently has small-molecule product development programs in inflammatory/autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, thrombocytopenia, and asthma...

Wednesday Jun 18, 2008
ChemoCentryx Completes Enrollment of Phase II/III Clinical Trial of CCR9 Antagonist CCX282-B (Traficet-EN™) in Crohn's; Reports Advancing Second-Generation CCR9 Drug
The trial comprises three discrete phases to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Traficet-EN in inducing a clinical response or remission, as well as maintaining response/remission in Crohn's disease over 12 months...

Monday Jun 16, 2008
Belimumab is Back: New Criteria Show Activity in SLE
The humanized monoclonal antibody belimumab showed significant activity in the extension of a phase II clinical trial for SLE as measured by new, FDA-approved assessment criteria...

Monday Jun 16, 2008
Phase III Data Show Golimumab Efficacy in MTX-Resistant, TNF-Pretreated, Untreated RA
Data from the phase III GO-FORWARD and GO-BEFORE studies show that subcutaneous golimumab improves symptoms, function in RA patients after MTX, anti-TNF failure...

Wednesday Jun 11, 2008
Merck Announces Initiation of Second Phase II/III Pivotal Clinical Study of Atacicept in SLE
Merck and development partner ZymoGenetics have initiated a phase II/III trial of atacicept (formerly TACI-Ig) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Atacicept inhibits the two growth factors BLyS and APRIL that are known to impact disease progression...

Monday Jun 09, 2008
Genta Announces Phase I Clinical Trial Results for G4544, an Oral Formulation of Gallium Nitrate, a Novel Potent Drug for Bone Disease
Results from the phase I clinical trial of G4544 showed that the drug was well-tolerated and that blood levels were achieved in a range known to be clinically bioactive...

Thursday May 29, 2008
Medarex Initiates Phase II Proof-of-Concept Trials for MDX-1100, a Fully Human Anti-CXCL10 Monoclonal Antibody, in UC and RA
Medarex announced that it has initiated two phase II clinical development programs of MDX-1100, a fully human monoclonal antibody that targets CXCL10 (also known as IP-10), in ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis...

Monday May 19, 2008
ChemoCentryx Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial of CCR1 Inhibitor CCX354 for Inflammatory Disease; Milestone Triggers $10 Million Payment From Partner GSK
ChemoCentryx announced the initiation of a phase I clinical trial of CCX354, an orally-available, novel small molecule compound designed to specifically target the CCR1 chemokine receptor associated with inflammatory diseases...

Monday May 12, 2008
Nuon Raises $27 Million to Advance Tranilast Through Phase II Clinical Trials for Autoimmune Diseases
Nuon completed a $27 million series B financing to advance tranilast, its orally available, small-molecule lead compound...

Thursday May 08, 2008
Trubion Initiates Phase IIb Study of TRU-015, a CD20-directed Drug Candidate, Plus MTX for the Treatment of RA
Trubion's partner Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has commenced patient dosing in a multicenter, phase IIb clinical trial of TRU-015; previously reported data demonstrated TRU-015's ability to significantly improve RA signs and symptoms...

Tuesday May 06, 2008
Lexicon's RA Drug Candidate LX2931, Targeting S1P Lyase, Shows Positive Results in Phase 1a Clinical Trial; Dose-Dependent, Rapid-Onset Decrease in Circulating Lymphocytes Observed
Positive results were obtained from Lexicon's phase 1a clinical trial of LX2931, an orally-delivered, small molecule targeting sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) lyase for the treatment of RA and other autoimmune conditions...

Tuesday May 06, 2008
Rigel's R788 (fostamatinib disodium) Slows Progression, Prolongs Survival in Murine Lupus Model; Phase II Lupus Clinical Trial Planned Later in 2008
Rigel's lead agent, R788 (fostamatinib disodium), an orally bioavailable spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has successfully treated lupus-prone mice and significantly improved their survival...

Wednesday Apr 30, 2008
UCB Launches CIMplicity™ Program to Provide Comprehensive Treatment Support to Crohn’s Disease Patients Receiving Cimzia^® (certolizumab pegol)
UCB's new CIMplicity™ program provides Cimzia^® patients and their caregivers with comprehensive financial, administrative, compliance, and treatment support...

Tuesday Apr 29, 2008
Recent Advances in the Management of Crohn's Disease
Biological agents offer advances in the treatment of Crohn’s disease, while surgery and autologous stem cell transplantation may be viable options for patients with severe refractory Crohn’s…

Thursday Apr 24, 2008
UCB’s Cimzia^® Approved in the US for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Crohn's Disease; Dosed Subcutaneously Every 4 Weeks 
The US FDA has approved Cimzia^® (certolizumab pegol), indicated for reducing signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease and maintaining clinical response in adult patients with moderate-to-severe active disease who have an inadequate response to conventional therapy... 

Wednesday Apr 23, 2008
GSK, Regulus Form Alliance to Develop microRNA-Targeted Therapeutics to Treat RA and IBD; Deal Potentially Valued at Over $600 Million  
GlaxoSmithKline and Regulus Therapeutics LLC announced a worldwide strategic alliance to discover, develop, and market novel microRNA(miRNA)-targeted therapeutics to treat inflammatory diseases such as RA and inflammatory bowel disease...

Thursday Apr 17, 2008
PAH Differs in Connective Tissue Diseases
Patients with PAH due to connective tissue disease have more dysfunctional pulmonary capillary endothelium than those with PAH from other causes... 

Thursday Apr 10, 2008
Omega-3 Free Fatty Acids for the Maintenance of Remission in Crohn’s Disease
Researchers found that omega-3 free fatty acids were not effective in preventing relapse in patients with Crohn’s disease…

Friday Apr 04, 2008
Seven New Psoriasis Risk Genes Identified
A genome-wide study has identified 7 new genes that appear to increase a person's risk for psoriasis…

Wednesday Apr 02, 2008
New, Easy-to-Use Resting Energy Expenditure Equations for RA
Easy-to-implement new resting energy expenditure (REE) equations that take rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-induced hypermetabolism into account may help better monitor resting metabolism in RA patients without relying on sophisticated, time-consuming, and expensive indirect calorimetry…

Tuesday Apr 01, 2008
Trubion Announces SBI-087, a Fully Humanized CD20-directed Compound, as Next-Generation Product Candidate for RA and SLE; TRU-015 to Enter Phase IIb RA Clinical Trial
Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced that its collaboration partner Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has filed an investigational new drug (IND) application for SBI-087 for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and clinical trial sites are preparing to enroll patients in a phase I study...

Tuesday Mar 25, 2008
UCB Reports That CHMP Upholds Negative Opinion on Cimzia^® (certolizumab pegol) for Crohn’s Disease
The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has rejected UCB's appeal to have Cimzia^® (certolizumab pegol) approved for the treatment of Crohn’s disease patients...

Thursday Mar 20, 2008
Two-Pronged Strategy for Treating PAH in Lupus or Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
Lupus or MCTD patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) should be treated with cyclophosphamide and glucocorticoids, with added pulmonary vasodilators in more severe cases...

Thursday Mar 20, 2008
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Completes Enrollment in a Phase II Study of MM-093, Recombinant AFP, in Patients With RA
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc's phase II trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MM-093, a nonglycosylated, recombinant version of human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has completed enrollment...

Thursday Mar 20, 2008
Sickle Cell Bone Disease: Response to Vitamin D and Calcium
Patients with sickle cell disease should be screened for vitamin D deficiency and low bone mineral density…

Tuesday Mar 11, 2008
Will Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Cure Human Autoimmune Diseases?
Researchers analyzed hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as an acceptable therapy for autoimmune diseases…

Tuesday Mar 04, 2008
Karo Bio AB, Zydus Cadila to Develop Selective Glucocorticoid Receptor Modulators to Treat Inflammatory Diseases; Karo Reacquires Rights to SARMs From Radius 
Karo Bio AB and Zydus Cadila announced a 3-year research collaboration to discover and develop novel, selective glucocorticoid receptor (GR) modulators for the treatment of inflammatory diseases...

Thursday Feb 28, 2008
Adult Stem Cells Nearing Clinical Use for RA, SLE, Other Autoimmune Diseases
Adult stem cells offer a safer, less controversial approach than embryonic stem cells to treat various rheumatoid and autoimmune diseases, and are now entering randomized clinical trials...

Thursday Feb 21, 2008
Pharmacopeia Advances Chemokine Receptor Antagonist Into Preclinical Development for Inflammatory and Autoimmune Disease Indications
Pharmacopeia Inc announced the advancement of PS031291, a potent and highly selective oral antagonist at the chemokine receptor CCR1, as a preclinical development compound from its internal CCR1 discovery program...

Wednesday Feb 13, 2008
Hollis-Eden Initiates Phase I/II Clinical Trial With Oral Anti-Inflammatory Drug Candidate Triolexâ„¢ in UC; RA Study Planned in 2Q/08
Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced that it has begun a phase I/II clinical trial with Triolexâ„¢ (HE3286), an insulin sensitizer for ulcerative colitis...

Friday Feb 08, 2008
Phase III Data Look Good for Ustekinumab (CNTO 1275) in Plaque Psoraisis
Ustekinumab (CNTO 1275), a new monoclonal antibody that blocks interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23, may hold advantages over existing systemic therapies for chronic plaque psoriasis in terms of its convenience and potentially its safety...

Tuesday Jan 29, 2008
Newer Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs Lower Production of B Cells
New findings suggest that drugs such as Enbrel®, Humira®, and Remicade® reduce activity of abnormal B-cells, benefiting the patient's immune system...

Monday Jan 28, 2008
Tolerx Achieves Milestone With Completion of Phase Ib Study of TRX1, a Humanized Nondepleting Anti-CD4 Monoclonal Antibody, in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
Tolerx, Inc announced the successful completion of a phase Ib clinical study of TRX1, a humanized anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody, in subjects with refractory cutaneous lupus erythematosus...

Monday Jan 28, 2008
Genentech, Biogen Idec, Roche Report Rituxan® (rituximab, MabThera®) Phase III Trial Meets Study Endpoints in RA; Use as First-Line Biologic Therapy Improves Symptoms 
Genentech, Inc, Biogen Idec, and Roche Pharmaceuticals announced that a pivotal phase III study of rituximab (Rituxan®) met its primary endpoint of greater proportion of biologic-naïve RA patients achieving ACR20 response at week 24, compared with placebo...

Wednesday Jan 23, 2008
Abbott's Humira® Approved in US for Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Chronic Plaque Psoriasis
Abbott Laboratories announced it has received US FDA approval to market Humira® (adalimumab) for adults with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis...

Wednesday Jan 23, 2008
ZymoGenetics, Merck Serono Gain Special Protocol Assessment from US FDA for Atacicept (TACI-Ig) in General SLE
ZymoGenetics, Inc and its partner Merck Serono Intl has received agreement from the US FDA for studies that are intended to support an application for marketing authorization of atacicept in the US for the treatment of SLE...

Thursday Jan 17, 2008
Elan, Biogen Idec Gain US FDA Approval of Tysabri® for Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Crohn's Disease
Elan Corp, plc and Biogen Idec announced the approval of a supplemental Biologics License Application for Tysabri® (natalizumab) for inducing and maintaining clinical response and remission in adult patients with active moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease...

Wednesday Jan 16, 2008
Incyte Reports INCB18424, a Selective JAK2 Inhibitor, Shows Initial Positive Clinical Activity With Rapid Onset of Action in RA and Psoriasis
Incyte Corp announced positive clinical proof-of-concept results with its wholly-owned, internally developed, lead JAK2 (Janus-associated kinase 2) inhibitor, INCB18424, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriasis...

Monday Jan 14, 2008
Drug Approved. Is Disease Real?
As Pfizer markets Lyrica® (pregabalin), the first approved medicine to treat fibromyalgia, doctors debate the legitimacy of the pain syndrome...

Friday Jan 11, 2008
aRigel Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial of JAK3 Inhibitor R348 for RA, Psoriasis, and Other Immune Disorders 
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced that it has initiated the enrollment of patients in a phase I clinical study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of R348, an orally bioavailable, potent (<100 nM) and selective inhibitor of Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) as a potential treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and other immune disorders...

Wednesday Jan 02, 2008
Experts Question Use of TNF Blockers for Sciatica Caused by Disc Herniation
The jury is still out on whether TNF-blockers have a role in treating sciatica induced by disc herniation...

Tuesday Dec 18, 2007
Rigel's Oral Syk Kinase Inhibitor, R788 (tamatinib fosdium), Achieves Statistically Significant ACR-20, -50, -70 in Phase II RA Clinical Study; Achieves Effect As Early As 1 Week
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced that its oral syk kinase inhibitor, R788 (tamatinib fosdium), has demonstrated statistically significant results in treating rheumatoid arthritis patients in a recently completed phase II clinical trial...

Wednesday Dec 12, 2007
Ferring's Euflexxaâ„¢ (1% sodium hyaluronate) is Effective in Treating Knee OA and Reduces Pain that Interferes with ADLs; Shows Equal Effectiveness in Disease Stages Two and Three
Ferring Pharmaceuticals announced the results of two clinical studies on the efficacy of Euflexxaâ„¢, an intra-articular hyaluronic acid (IA-HA) for the relief of pain in knee osteoarthritis (OA)...

Tuesday Dec 11, 2007
Identification of Two New Ankylosing Spondylitis Genes Suggest Novel Therapeutic Targets
Genome scans have identified two of the suspected handful of non-MHC genes that appear to collaborate with HLA-B27 in "turning on" disease processes that result in ankylosing spondylitis and other seronegative arthropathies...

Thursday Dec 06, 2007
 Drug Update: Rituximab
Repeat rituximab was notably effective in patients with DMARD-resistant RA, and the B-cell depleting agent is being tested in pediatric SLE and in Sjögren's syndrome...

Monday Nov 26, 2007
Abatacept Wins Plaudits in Refractory JIA
The costimulation blocker abatacept may be a safe and effective option for juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients who have exhausted all other therapies...

Monday Nov 19, 2007
UCB Reports that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has Denied Market Authorization in the EU for Cimzia® to Treat Crohn's Disease; UCB to Appeal
UCB Pharma SA announced that it has been informed by the European Medicines Agency that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has rejected a marketing authorization in the EU for Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol) for reducing signs and symptoms and maintaining clinical response in patients with severe, active Crohn's disease...

Wednesday Nov 14, 2007
Trubion Reports Data From Phase IIb and Re-Treatment Studies With TRU-015 in RA Patients 
Trubion Pharmaceuticals Inc, a biopharmaceutical company creating a pipeline of product candidates to treat autoimmune disease and cancer, announced that TRU-015, its lead Small Modular ImmunoPharmaceutical drug candidate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), provided statistically significant efficacy after a single infusion of 800 mg or 1600 mg compared with placebo for a 24-week period...

Wednesday Nov 14, 2007
Fish Oil May Improve Symptoms and Endothelial Function in SLE
Omega-3 fish oil may reduce lupus disease activity and improve endothelial function...

Monday Nov 12, 2007
Biogen Idec's Baminercept, the First Lymphotoxin-β Pathway Inhibitor in Development, Shows Promise in Phase IIa Trial in RA Patients; Phase IIb Underway 
Biogen Idec announced results from its phase IIa trial of baminercept, the first dual-mechanism, lymphotoxin-β (LT-β) and LIGHT pathway inhibitor in development for the treatment of autoimmune diseases...

Thursday Nov 08, 2007
Serum Uric Acid May Be Independent Risk Factor in RA Cardiovascular Disease
Elevated serum uric acid, a potentially modifiable problem, may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in patients with RA...

Thursday Nov 08, 2007
Biomarkers May Identify Risk for Preeclampsia in Lupus Pregnancies
Measuring levels of circulating antiangiogenic factors sFlt-1 and sEng may help identify which patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and/or antiphospholipid antibodies will develop preeclampsia...

Tuesday Nov 06, 2007
Cytokine PharmaSciences Develops Orally Active Form of Semapimod, a Raf Kinase Inhibitor, for Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases; Seeks Partner
Cytokine PharmaSciences Inc, a privately-held, global biopharmaceutical company, announced development of an orally active form of semapimod, its anti-inflammatory cytokine compound...

Tuesday Nov 06, 2007
Flu Shots Work for Patients on TNF-Inhibitors
TNF inhibitors reduce response to influenza vaccination, but about 80% of RA patients still develop protective titers after a single vaccine dose...

Monday Nov 05, 2007
Lab-on-a-Chip Promises Fast Profile of RA Patients' Autoantibodies
A new technique promises fast, inexpensive serum antibody profiling in RA patients without the need for fluorescent labeling or preprocessing...

Wednesday Oct 31, 2007
Coley Initiates Phase I Study of First-in-Class TLR Antagonist, CPG 52364, for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 
Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Inc, an international biopharmaceutical company having a pipeline of Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) therapeutic product candidates, announced that it has dosed its first subject in a phase I study of its novel, orally-available TLR Therapeutic drug candidate for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)...

Friday Oct 26, 2007
Rituximab May "Reboot" Immune System in Some Lupus Patients

A subgroup of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients treated with rituximab to deplete B-cells have delayed recovery of memory B-cells in addition to a prolonged response, suggesting that treatment helps "reboot" the immune system...

Thursday Oct 25, 2007
Galápagos, Janssen Form Global Alliance to Develop Oral Small Molecule Therapeutics for Multiple Targets in RA 
Galápagos NV, a drug discovery company with clinical and preclinical programs in bone and joint diseases, announced that it has entered into a worldwide multitarget alliance with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV to discover and develop small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

Wednesday Oct 24, 2007
GSK and Tolerx Form Worldwide Collaboration for Development and Commercialization of Otelixizumab (TRX4) for T-Cell Mediated Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases
GlaxoSmithKline and Tolerx, Inc announced a worldwide alliance to develop and commercialize otelixizumab (TRX4), a novel humanized anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody that has potential across a broad range of T-cell mediated autoimmune and inflammatory diseases including psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis...

Monday Oct 22, 2007
Hollis-Eden Reports Positive Data Demonstrating That Anti-Inflammatory Agent HE3286 (Triolex^TM) Provides Benefit in Animal Models of Ulcerative Colitis and RA; Will Initiate Phase I/II Clinical Study in RA
Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a company focused on the development of a proprietary new class of small molecules that are metabolites or synthetic analogs of endogenous adrenal steroid hormones, announced additional data on drug candidate HE3286 (Triolex^TM), an orally active, second generation, synthetic 17-ethynyl derivative of the steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), currently in preclinical and clinical study for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders...

Friday Oct 19, 2007
Lilly Acquires Exclusive Rights to MacroGenics' Humanized Anti-CD3 Monoclonal Antibody and Will Collaborate to Develop Autoimmune Disease Treatments
Eli Lilly and Co and MacroGenics, Inc have entered into a global strategic alliance to develop and commercialize teplizumab (MGA031 or hOKT3γ1(Ala-Ala)), a humanized, non-Fc receptor binding, anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, as well as other potential next generation anti-CD3 molecules, for use in the treatment of multiple T–cell-mediated autoimmune diseases...

Tuesday Oct 16, 2007
Ocera Completes Enrollment in Phase III Clinical Trial of AST-120 in Fistulizing Crohn's Disease 
Ocera Therapeutics, Inc, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary compounds to treat gastrointestinal (GI) and liver diseases, announced that it has completed patient enrollment of its double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III study in fistulizing Crohn's disease...

Thursday Oct 11, 2007
Review Rejects "Chronic Lyme Disease" Diagnosis, Extended IV Antibiotics
A major review challenges "chronic Lyme disease" as a valid diagnosis and warns against extended use of IV antibiotics...

Tuesday Oct 09, 2007
Sitaxsentan May Offer Alternative to Bosentan for PAH in Connective Tissue Disease Patients

Sitaxsentan improved 6-minute walk distance and quality of life in connective tissue disease patients who also have PAH...

Friday Oct 05, 2007
Abbott's Anti-IL-12/23 Antibody, ABT-874, Shows Positive Results for Maintenance of Response in Phase II Psoriasis Study
Abbott Laboratories announced positive study data from an extension to a phase II study demonstrating that a majority of moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients who responded to anti-IL-12/23 (ABT-874) after 12 weeks of treatment maintained a high level of response at 24 weeks, following discontinuation of therapy...

Wednesday Sep 26, 2007
 Wanted: Lupus Patients for Clinical Trials
The lupus therapeutic landscape is changing slowly but dramatically, and more patients are needed to help speed the development of new drugs…

Thursday Sep 20, 2007
Researchers Identify Additional RA, SLE Genes
Genetics researchers report a new variant on chromosome 9 associated with anti-CCP-positive RA and a mutation of STAT4 on chromosome 2q associated with both RA and lupus...

Thursday Sep 13, 2007
Hormone Therapy Does Not Worsen Lupus But May Increase Thrombosis Risk
Menopause hormonal therapy does not worsen lupus disease activity or trigger disease flares but may add to an already high risk of thrombosis in women with SLE...

Thursday Sep 13, 2007
Aspreva, Roche Terminate Lupus Nephritis Development Program; Previously Reported Phase III Data Does Not Adequately Support Regulatory Submission
Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corp announced that Aspreva and Roche have decided not to proceed with a regulatory submission at this time for CellCept (oral mycophenolate mofetil, MMF) as an induction therapy for lupus nephritis...

Wednesday Sep 12, 2007
Trubion's Preliminary Analysis of Phase IIb Results With Immunotherapeutic TRU-015 Show Improvements in RA Signs and Symptoms Compared With Placebo
Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company creating product candidates to treat autoimmune disease and cancer, announced preliminary analysis of results from a phase IIb randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial of its TRU-015 immunotherapeutic product candidate for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

Tuesday Sep 11, 2007
Synovio-Entheseal Complex Seen As Key to Psoriatic Arthritis, Spondylarthropathies
The synovio-entheseal complex (SEC), where the enthesis and synovium come together in a synovial joint, links joint damage and innate immune activation leading to joint inflammation...McGonagle D, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2482-2491.

Tuesday Aug 28, 2007
Diseased Blood Vessels in the Bone May Cause or Aggravate OA
Vascular pathology may play a role in the pathogenesis or progression of osteoarthritis…Findlay DM. Rheumatology. 2007; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kem191 [Epub ahead of print].

Tuesday Aug 21, 2007
Immunomedics' Epratuzumab Targets Blood B-Cells and Modulates Activation and Proliferation of B-Cells in Lupus Patients
Immunomedics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing monoclonal antibodies to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer, reported results from a study showing epratuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the CD22 antigen found on peripheral blood B-cells, inhibits the increased activation and proliferation of B-cells in patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) versus normal subjects...

Thursday Aug 16, 2007
Welichem Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial of Topical Cream in Patients With Mild-to-Moderate Psoriasis
Welichem Biotech Inc, a publicly-traded biotechnology company developing therapeutic drugs in the fields of autoimmune diseases and cancer, announced the initiation of a phase I clinical trial of its antipsoriasis candidate WBI-1001, a small synthetic molecule compound originally isolated from bacterial metabolites, and formulated as a topical treatment...

Tuesday Aug 14, 2007
Xencor's XProâ„¢1595, a Dominant-Negative Inhibitor of Soluble TNFα, Demonstrates Target Selectivity and Attenuates Experimental Arthritis Without Suppressing Innate Immunity to Infection 
Xencor, Inc, a company developing protein and antibody therapeutics, announced positive preclinical data for XProâ„¢1595 DN-TNFâ„¢, a highly selective, dominant-negative (DN) inhibitor of soluble TNFα and a first-in-class protein therapeutic drug candidate for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

Monday Aug 13, 2007
Can B-Cell Depletion With Rituximab Trigger Psoriasis?
New case studies linking rituximab therapy for RA and SLE with new-onset psoriasis may call for caution on the ever-expanding use of the B-cell depleting drug...Dass S, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2715-2718.

Tuesday Aug 07, 2007
Medarex Announces Initiation by Licensing Partner Novartis of Phase III Clinical Trial for Muckle-Wells Syndrome, a Rare Inherited Autoinflammatory Disease
Medarex, Inc announced that Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG has advanced ACZ885, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β (IL-1 β), to a phase III clinical trial for Muckle-Wells syndrome (MWS), an inherited systemic autoinflammatory disease...

Wednesday Aug 01, 2007
MedImmune Initiates Phase Ib Multidose Trial of Anti-Interferon-α Monoclonal Antibody in Lupus Patients
MedImmune, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company focused on fully human antibody-based therapeutics, announced it has begun a phase Ib multidose clinical trial with MEDI-545, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting interferon-α, in lupus patients.

Monday Jul 23, 2007
BioCryst, Roche Initiate Phase II Study of PNP Inhibitor for Psoriasis
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a leader in the use of crystallography and structure-based drug design for the development of novel therapeutics, announced the initiation of the first phase II study to evaluate BCX-4208/R3421, an orally available, small molecule, second generation transition-state analog inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP).

Friday Jul 20, 2007
OA Experts Discuss Inflammation, Joint Protection, Need for Disease-Modifying OA Drugs
CIAOMed's roundtable of osteoarthritis experts discuss the role of inflammation in OA, the possibility that OA joint damage might be preventable, and the future role of disease-modifying drugs in OA....

Thursday Jul 19, 2007
Aspreva, Roche Report Preliminary Results for Phase III Study of CellCept in Lupus Nephritis; Fail to Achieve Primary Objective of Superiority to Intravenous Cyclophosphamide

Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corp and Roche released preliminary results from a phase III clinical trial comparing CellCept (oral mycophenolate mofetil, MMF) with intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVC), the current standard of care in patients suffering from lupus nephritis.

Thursday Jul 12, 2007
Parvovirus Linked to Many Types of Juvenile Arthritis
Persistent parvovirus infection may trigger juvenile idiopathic arthritis...

Friday Jul 06, 2007
Chi-Med Announces Positive Phase II Data for Botanical Compound, HMPL-004, in Ulcerative Colitis

Chi-Med, the Hutchison Whampoa-backed pharmaceutical and healthcare group, announced positive results for its phase II proof-of-concept study for HMPL-004 in mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis (UC).

Thursday Jun 28, 2007
RA Disease Activity Decreases During Pregnancy, but Less Than Was Assumed
A prospective study of RA outcomes during pregnancy shows that improvement and remission rates are not as high as previously reported…

Monday Jun 18, 2007
GSK and Genmab Report Positive Phase II Results With Ofatumumab (HuMax-CD20) in Patients With RA
GlaxoSmithKline (PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvannia) and Genmab A/S (COPENHAGEN, Denmark) announced positive efficacy data from a phase II study of ofatumumab (HuMax-CD20®), a fully human monoclonal IgG1antibody targeting the CD20 antigen on the surface of B-cells, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

Friday Jun 15, 2007
Has the Increasing Use of Anti-TNF Drugs Led to a Rise in Cases of Drug-Induced Lupus? Study Says Yes
The increasing use of TNFα inhibitors to treat rheumatic, digestive, and cutaneous diseases has led to a corresponding rise in  the number of cases of drug-induced lupus...

Friday Jun 15, 2007
First Phase III Tocilizumab Data Show Rapid Improvement in RA Disease Activity, Confirming Critical Role of IL-6
Results of the first phase III trial of tocilizumab show that the anti-IL-6 monoclonal combined with methotrexate produces fast, sustained improvements in RA signs and symptoms, including a notable number of DAS28 remissions...

Thursday Jun 14, 2007
More Patients Needed to Validate Biomarkers and Genotyping in Rheumatoid Diseases
Biomarkers and genotyping technology have outpaced the number of patient cohorts available for validation studies in rheumatoid diseases, but the new approaches are expected to change how clinicians assess disease susceptibility and predict response to therapy...

Monday Jun 11, 2007
Centocor's Remicade® (Infliximab) Receives EU Approval as First and Only Biologic for the Treatment of Pediatric Patients With Severe, Active Crohn's Disease
Centocor, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough Corp, announced that the European Commission has approved a new indication for Remicade (infliximab) allowing for the treatment of severe, active Crohn's disease (CD) in pediatric patients ages 6 to 17 years, who have not responded to conventional therapy including a corticosteroid, an immunomodulator, and primary nutrition therapy, or who are intolerant to, or have contraindications for such therapies...

Monday Jun 11, 2007
Abbott's HUMIRA® (Adalimumab) Approved in the European Union for the Treatment of Crohn's Disease
Abbott Laboratories announced that it has received marketing authorization from the European Commission for the use of Humira® (adalimumab) as a treatment for severe Crohn's disease (CD)...

Friday Jun 01, 2007
HGS and GSK Initiate Second Phase III Clinical Trial of LymphoStat-B^R (Belimumab) in Lupus
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. announced that dosing has begun in BLISS-52, the second of two pivotal phase III clinical trials of LymphoStat-B® (belimumab), a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS®), in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Thursday May 24, 2007
SLE Experts Highlight Need for Targeted Therapies
SLE treatment has improved, but not enough, and more targeted therapies may be the answer...

Friday May 18, 2007
Xanthus Acquires Exclusive License to FLT3 Tyrosine Kinase Pathway Patent Estate as a Target for Treating Autoimmune Diseases
Xanthus Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, acquisition, and commercialization of small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer, announced that it has acquired an exclusive worldwide license to a patent estate from The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) for treating immune-related disorders by inhibiting the FLT3 receptor tyrosine kinase...

Friday May 18, 2007
PDL BioPharma Advances Nuvion® Into Second Pivotal Study in Intravenous Steroid-Refractory Ulcerative Colitis
PDL BioPharma, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercializing humanized monoclonal antibodies for autoimmune diseases and cancer, announced it will advance Nuvion^R (visilizumab), a humanized antibody, into a phase III clinical program in patients with intravenous steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (IVSR-UC)...

Wednesday May 16, 2007
AlphaRx and Proprius Report Nonachievement of Primary Endpoints in Their Topical NSAID (Indaflexâ„¢) Phase II Study in Osteoarthritis
AlphaRx Inc (MARKHAM, an emerging drug delivery company, and Proprius Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic services company that focuses on the area of rheumatology and autoimmune diseases, announced that results from the Indaflexâ„¢ 2.5% Topical Indomethacin Cream exploratory phase II clinical trial for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee (INDF-200) did not achieve its primary endpoints....

Wednesday May 09, 2007
Synovial Inflammation in Lyme Arthritis Can Persist Even After Infection Is Cleared
Even when antibiotic treatment completely clears the infection in patients with Lyme arthritis, synovial inflammation may persist...

Friday Apr 27, 2007
Estrogen Exposure May Increase Lupus Risk
Lupus affects nine women for every one man. Is estrogen to blame?...

Thursday Apr 26, 2007
Cellerant's Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants Improve Survival and Disease Symptoms in Lupus Mouse Model
Cellerant Therapeutics Inc, a clinical-stage biotechnology company with a portfolio of products and services under development for the regulation of the hematopoietic system, announced data suggesting that established autoimmune disease can be reversed or stabilized by the transplantation of highly purified allogeneic, hematopoietic adult stem cells (HSC) in a mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)...

Wednesday Apr 18, 2007
Death Forces Early Termination of Study of Infliximab in Systemic Vasculitis
Adverse events, including one death among nine patients treated, forced early termination of infliximab trial in systemic vasculitis...

Monday Apr 16, 2007
Abbott Seeks US and EU Regulatory Approval for HUMIRA® (Adalimumab) in Psoriasis; Receives US FDA Approval in Crohn's Disease
Abbott Laboratories announced that it has simultaneously submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) with the US FDA and a Type II Variation to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) seeking approval to market HUMIRA® (adalimumab) as a treatment for moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis, the fifth autoimmune disease targeted for HUMIRA therapy in both the US and Europe...

Thursday Apr 12, 2007
Cerimon Initiates Global Phase IIb Study of IL-2 Receptor Antagonist, Basiliximab, in Patients With Steroid-Refractory Ulcerative Colitis
Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of therapeutics for  autoimmune diseases, inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases, and pain management, announced that it has begun enrolling patients in a phase IIb clinical study of its lead product candidate basiliximab (SimulectR, Novartis Pharma AG) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).

Wednesday Apr 11, 2007
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company to Net Approximately $38 Million in Public Offering


La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, announced the receipt of estimated aggregate net proceeds of approximately $38 million from the recently completed underwritten public offering of 5,800,000 shares of its common stock, including the expected proceeds from an exercised overallotment option to the underwriters to purchase an additional 870,000 shares...

Friday Apr 06, 2007
Shared Epitope Either Raises or Lowers Risk of RA-Related Antibodies, Depending on Neighboring Amino Acids
HLA-DRB1 shared epitope alleles can either predispose to or protect against production of autoantibodies associated with early, erosive RA, depending on which amino acids occupy neighboring positions...

Tuesday Mar 27, 2007
VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Completes $28.9 Million Series A Financing to Target Toll-Like Receptors
VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced the closing of a $26.6 million Series A financing agreement, led by Frazier Healthcare Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, and Domain Associates.

Monday Mar 19, 2007
Medivir Begins Initial Clinical Trial of Osteoporosis Drug Cathepsin K Inhibitor
Medivir AB, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, announced the start of its first osteoporosis clinical trial of MIV-701, an orally bioavailable inhibitor of cathepsin K, a thiol (cysteine) protease that is expressed by osteoclasts and degrades key bone and cartilage matrix proteins, including type 1 collagen...

Thursday Mar 15, 2007
MIC-1 May Be a Biomarker for Erosive Disease in RA
Serum levels of the transforming growth factor ß superfamily member MIC-1 may help clinicians identify rheumatoid arthritis patients who are at greatest risk for erosive disease and thus are  candidates for aggressive therapy…

Friday Mar 09, 2007
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Reports Positive Interim Antibody Results From Riquent® Lupus Phase III Trial; Results Imply Greater Probability of Clinical Benefit in the Treatment of Lupus Renal Disease as a Trial Outcome
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, announced positive interim antibody results from its ongoing double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized phase III trial of Riquent® (abetimus sodium), its drug candidate for the treatment of renal disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Wednesday Mar 07, 2007
Evotec and Interprotein Sign Collaboration Agreement to Develop Small Molecule Interleukin-6 Inhibitors to Treat Inflammatory Diseases

Evotec AG, a leader in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs, and Interprotein Corporation, a developer of orally bioavailable small molecule drugs that modulate protein-protein interactions, announced that they have signed a collaboration agreement on Interprotein's interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitors program for the development of novel, orally active drugs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases...

Tuesday Mar 06, 2007
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Completes $21 Million Series A Financing to Advance Drug Development Programs for Inflammation and Oncology Indications 
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Inc, a newly formed, privately-held drug development company focusing on developing novel therapies for inflammation and oncology, announced that it closed a Series A venture round of financing after raising $21 million...

Monday Mar 05, 2007
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company Implements Several Modifications and Updates Status of  Phase III Riquent® Study for the Treatment of Lupus Renal Disease
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (SAN DIEGO, California) announced its continued progress in enrolling patients in its phase III clinical trial of Riquent® (abetimus sodium) for the treatment of lupus renal disease.

Wednesday Feb 28, 2007
Abbott's Humira^R (Adalimumab) Receives FDA Approval for Self-Administered Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Crohn's Disease; Represents 4th FDA Approval in Immune-Mediated Diseases for Humira

Abbott announced it has received US FDA approval to market Humira® (adalimumab, a fully human anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody) as a treatment for reducing the signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission of moderately-to-severely active Crohn's disease (CD) in adults who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy...

Wednesday Feb 21, 2007
XDx Partners with the University of Minnesota and the Feinstein Institute to Develop Molecular Diagnostics to Improve the Clinical Management of Lupus
XDx Inc, a molecular diagnostics company that focuses on immune-mediated diseases, announced the signing of an agreement with the University of Minnesota to exclusively license key intellectual property assets in the field of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Thursday Feb 15, 2007
HGS and GSK Initiate Phase III Clinical Trial of LymphoStat-B® in Lupus
Human Genome Sciences, Inc and GlaxoSmithKline PLC announced the initiation of dosing in BLISS-76, one of two pivotal phase III clinical trials of LymphoStat-B® (belimumab, a human monoclonal antibody that blocks the biological activity of B-lymphocyte stimulator, or BLyS®) in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)...

Tuesday Feb 13, 2007
Rheumatologists Advised to Be Alert for Signs of Serum Sickness in Rituximab-Treated Patients
The first case of rituximab-induced serum sickness in a patient without an underlying autoimmune disorder suggests that this problem might be under-recognized in RA and SLE patients...

Tuesday Feb 13, 2007
SRI and Telik Announce Exclusive License for SRI to Develop MCP-1 Antagonist for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases
Telik, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing, and commercializing novel small molecule drug candidates, and SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, announced that they have signed an exclusive license agreement...

Thursday Feb 08, 2007
Trubion Completes Enrollment and Dosing of Patients in Phase IIb Clinical Trial of Immunotherapeutic TRU-015 for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company creating a pipeline of product candidates to treat autoimmune disease and cancer, announced it has completed enrollment and dosing of patients in its phase IIb clinical trial of TRU-015, the company's lead Small Modular ImmunoPharmaceutical drug candidate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

Tuesday Feb 06, 2007
New RA Vaccine Targets Regulatory T-Cells
A pilot clinical trial of a new RA vaccine derived from autologous synovial T-cells shows proof-of-principle that inducing CD4+ regulatory T-cells can improve clinical and laboratory parameters in RA patients...

Monday Feb 05, 2007
Kirin and Astellas Enter Into a Collaborative Agreement for Fully Human Anti-CD40 Antagonistic Monoclonal Antibody
Kirin Brewery Company, Limited (TOKYO, Japan), having immunological diseases as one of its focused targets, and Astellas Pharma Inc (TOKYO, Japan), having a strong foundation in organ transplantation, announced that they have entered into a worldwide license and collaborative research and development agreement under which Kirin and Astellas will collaborate exclusively to develop and market a fully human anti-CD40 antagonistic monoclonal antibody...

Tuesday Jan 30, 2007
Lexicon Genetics to Become Lexicon Pharmaceuticals; Plans to File IND for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Lexicon Genetics Incorporated, an emerging biopharmaceutical company employing its proprietary gene knockout technology to discover knockout-validated drug targets, announced that it is it is changing its name to Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc, to reflect the company's focus on operations on drug discovery and development.

Monday Jan 29, 2007
MediGene Initiates Phase IIa Clinical Trial of RhuDex®, an Oral Inhibitor of T-cell Activation, in RA
MediGene AG (MARTINSRIED/MUNICH, Germany), the publicly-held biotechnology company targeting autoimmune diseases and cancer announced the initiation of a phase IIa clinical trial of its drug candidate RhuDex®, a novel, orally bioavailable inhibitor of T-cell costimulation via the CD80-CD28 pathway, in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Monday Jan 29, 2007
Renovis Reduces Workforce by 40%; Will Focus on Inflammatory Diseases and Pain
Renovis, Inc (SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, California), a biopharmaceutical company that seeks to discover, develop, and commercialize therapeutics for inflammatory and neurological diseases, announced it has reduced its workforce by approximately 40% to approximately 70 employees.

Monday Jan 29, 2007
High MBL Levels Associated With Ischemic Heart Disease in RA
An altered form of IgG found in many RA patients can bind to mannose-binding lectin (MBL), and the resulting immune complexes may explain why high serum levels of MBL increase myocardial infarction risk and ischemic heart disease mortality in RA...

Friday Jan 19, 2007
Hazardous Waste Exposure Increases Early SLE Risk in Subgroup of African-American Women with GST Polymorphisms
Living near a hazardous waste site was not associated with risk of earlier lupus diagnosis for most African-American women surveyed in the Roxbury Lupus Project, but did increase risk for a subgroup of women who carry certain  glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms...

Wednesday Jan 17, 2007
Genzyme's Cerezyme Improves Bone Mineral Density in Patients With Type 1 Gaucher Disease
Genzyme Corporation (CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts) announced that long-term use of Cerezyme® (imiglucerase for injection) significantly improves bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with Type 1 Gaucher disease in a dose-dependent manner. Cerezyme, an enzyme replacement therapy, is the standard of care for patients with Type 1 Gaucher disease who are at increased risk for developing bone complications, including osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures...

Thursday Jan 11, 2007
Rigel Starts Phase II Study of Its Oral Kinase Inhibitor, R788, in Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc, announced that it has initiated enrollment and dosing of patients with refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in a phase II study evaluating the efficacy and safety of its lead product candidate, R788, an oral syk kinase inhibitor that inhibits IgG signaling and blocks the activation of mast cells, macrophages and B-cells that promote swelling and an inflammatory response.

Wednesday Jan 10, 2007
GlaxoSmithKline to Acquire Praecis Pharmaceuticals for US$54.8 Million; Acquisition Includes Inhibitor of Methionine Aminopeptidase Type-2 for RA
GlaxoSmithKline plc and Praecis Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (WALTHAM, Massachusetts) announced the execution of a definitive agreement providing for GSK to acquire all outstanding shares of Praecis' common stock for a cash purchase price of US$5.00 per share or a total of approximately $54.8 million for the entire equity interest of Praecis. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2007.

Wednesday Jan 10, 2007
Osiris Receives US FDA Fast Track Status for Prochymalâ„¢ Stem Cell Therapy and Clearance to Start Phase III Clinical Trial in Treatment-Resistant Crohn's Disease
Osiris Therapeutics, a leader in adult stem cell therapy, announced that Prochymalâ„¢, a preparation of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors and specially formulated for intravenous infusion, has received fast-track designation from the US FDA, expediting the development of the stem cell treatment for Crohn's disease that does not respond to standard therapies.

Tuesday Jan 09, 2007
Small Study Highlights Role for Etanercept in Rheumatological Manifestations of HCV
Etanercept seems to be safe and effective for the treatment of rheumatological manifestations associated with hepatitis virus C, but more studies are needed before firm  conclusions can be drawn...

Monday Jan 08, 2007
MedImmune In-Licenses from Japan Tobacco anti-ICOS Monoclonal Antibody for Inflammatory Diseases
MedImmune, Inc announced an exclusive license agreement with Japan Tobacco, Inc (JT), for a human monoclonal antibody inhibiting inducible costimulator (ICOS), a protein associated with T-cell activation that plays a key role in controlling adaptive immune responses.

Thursday Jan 04, 2007
FivePrime Signs Collaborative Research and License Deal With Centocor to Discover Therapeutics to Treat OA and Other Diseases
FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc, a privately held protein therapeutics discovery and development company, announced the signing of a worldwide collaborative research and license agreement with Centocor, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, to discover therapeutic products to treat osteoarthritis (OA) and pulmonary fibrosis.

Thursday Dec 21, 2006
ZymoGenetics and Serono Begin Phase II Clinical Trial with Atacicept (TACI-Ig) in RA
ZymoGenetics, Inc and Serono announced the start of a phase II clinical trial of their investigational therapeutic atacicept (formerly TACI-Ig) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, dose-finding study will investigate the efficacy of atacicept in patients with an inadequate disease response to prior treatment with TNF inhibitors.

Wednesday Dec 20, 2006
GlaxoSmithKline and Genmab Enter Exclusive Global Agreement for HuMax-CD20, a B-cell Depletion Agent; Deal Potentially Worth US$2.1 Billion
GlaxoSmithKline plc and Genmab A/S announced a worldwide agreement to codevelop and commercialize HuMax-CD20â„¢ (ofatumumab), a fully human monoclonal IgG1antibody targeting the CD20 antigen on the surface of B cells and currently in phase II clinical trial development for active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and in late-stage development for CD20 positive B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Wednesday Dec 20, 2006
Celera Identifies Genetic Variations in Genes Encoding IL-12 and IL-23 Predisposing Individuals to Increased Risk for Psoriasis
Celera, an Applera Corporation business, announced findings that variants in the genes encoding interleukin-12 (IL12B) and interleukin-23 (IL23R), involved in regulating the behavior of cells of the immune system, independently contribute to psoriasis risk.

Tuesday Dec 12, 2006
ChemoCentryx Releases Additional Clinical and Preclinical Data on Traficet-EN in Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Clinical Analysis Shows that Traficet-EN Reduces Inflammation
ChemoCentryx, Inc (MIAMI, Florida), a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing orally-administered therapeutics that target the chemokine and chemoattractant systems in order to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders, and cancer, announced new data from a phase II clinical trial of its lead drug candidate Traficet-ENR (CCX282-B, a first-in-class, orally active, anti-inflammatory agent that targets the chemokine receptor known as CCR9) in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD).

Monday Dec 11, 2006
GlaxoSmithKline to Acquire Domantis for US$454 Million
GlaxoSmithKline (LONDON, United Kingdom) announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Domantis Ltd (an early-stage, antibody-based therapeutics company) for US$454 million in cash.

Thursday Dec 07, 2006
High-Dose Immune Suppression With or Without Stem Cell Transplants For Systemic Sclerosis
Studies are evaluating stem cell transplantation as a potential treatment for autoimmune disease, however, researchers sharply disagree regarding myeloablative vs nonmyeloablative approaches and whether stem cells are really necessary...

Monday Dec 04, 2006
Hollis-Eden's Steroid Hormone Preclinical Drug Candidate HE3286 Gains Positive Data in Model of RA
Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc, developing a proprietary new class of small molecule compounds that are metabolites or synthetic analogs of adrenal steroid hormones, announced data on an experimental drug candidate, HE3286, an orally active, second-generation, synthetic steroid hormone currently in preclinical study for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders.

Wednesday Nov 29, 2006
KaloBios Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial of Anti-GM-CSF Antibody for Rheumatoid Arthritis
KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a privately-held clinical development company focused on the development of therapeutic antibodies, announced that it has begun treating patients in a phase I clinical trial of its investigational rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapeutic, KB002, an engineered chimeric human monoclonal antibody targeting the cytokine growth factor, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF).

Wednesday Nov 29, 2006
Source MDx Awarded SBIR Phase I Grant; Will Collaborate with Tufts-New England Medical Center to Develop Biomarkers to Predict Responders and Nonresponders to Anti-TNF Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Source MDx, a molecular diagnostics company, and Tufts-New England Medical Center (NEMC) announced a collaboration to investigate the clinical use of RNA-based molecular diagnostic tests to monitor rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease status and response to therapy.

Monday Nov 27, 2006
Synovial Cells Predict Response to TNF Inhibitors
The secret to why some RA patients respond to anti-TNF-α drugs and others do not may lie in the synovium…Tak P, et al. Presented at ACR 2006 Meeting.

Tuesday Nov 21, 2006
Bioenvision Files to Start Phase I Trials in Germany of Clofarabine Gel for Psoriasis
Bioenvision, Inc, a company focused on the development and marketing of compounds and technologies for the treatment of cancer, announced the filing of a clinical trial authorization (CTA) to begin two phase I studies in Germany of clofarabine gel for the treatment of psoriasis.

Thursday Nov 16, 2006
Immunomedic, UCB Phase III Trial of Epratuzumab in Lupus Patients No Longer on Clinical Hold
Immunomedics, Inc (MORRIS Plains, New Jersey), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, announced that their partner, UCB, SA (BRUSSELS, Belgium) has received notification from the US FDA that the clinical hold on existing trials with epratuzumab (a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody targeting the B-cell specific surface antigen CD22) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been lifted.

Thursday Nov 16, 2006
Abbott's HUMIRA (adalimumab) Approved in Canada for Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Abbott announced that it has received approval from Health Canada to market HumiraR (adalimumab) as a treatment for active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Canada.

Tuesday Nov 14, 2006
Successful Anti-TNF Treatment Restores Regulatory T-Cell Function in RA
TNF inhibitor treatment can restore some of the lost T regulatory (suppressor) cell functioning in patients with RA, which might contribute to suppression of disease flares... Valencia X, et al. Presented at: ACR 2006 Meeting.

Monday Nov 13, 2006
Biomarkers Might Be Modifiable Risk Factors for RA
Autoantibodies may lead to risk reduction strategies for preventing RA... Holers VM. Presented at ACR 2006 Meeting.

Monday Nov 13, 2006
Beyond HLA: Genetic Studies Find Markers Associated With Elevated Risk for RA

HLA DR4 is only one of the genetic factors involved in RA, and new genomics techniques are beginning to fill in the rest of the picture... Gregersen PK. Presented at ACR 2006 Meeting.

Monday Nov 06, 2006
Array BioPharma Reports Success in Two Approaches to Inflammatory Disease: MEK Inhibitor Achieves Phase I Clinical Objectives; p38 MAP Kinase Inhibitor Advances into Clinical Development
Array BioPharma Inc. (BOULDER, Colorado), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of orally active, small molecule drugs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer, announced preliminary results from a phase I clinical trial evaluating its first-in-class MEK (MAPK kinase) inhibitor for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Tuesday Oct 24, 2006
Xencor Gains $45 Million in Financing to Be Used in Part to Advance Into Phase I Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials, XProâ„¢ 1595, a Dominant-Negative Inhibitor of TNF-α
Xencor, a company developing protein and antibody therapeutics, announced that it raised $45 million in a private financing led by MedImmune Ventures, Inc, and including new investors Novo Nordisk and HealthCare Ventures, as well as existing investor Zen Investments.

Monday Oct 23, 2006
Osiris Reports Positive Initial Results from Pilot Phase II Study of its Prochymalâ„¢ Stem Cell Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Crohn's Disease
Osiris Therapeutics, a leader in adult stem cell therapy, announced positive results from a pilot 10-patient phase II study using Prochymalâ„¢, an intravenous formulation of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow of healthy volunteer donors, for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD) who had failed to respond to standard treatments, such as steroids and infliximab (RemicadeR, Centocor, Inc).

Thursday Oct 19, 2006
Lexicon Genetics Initiates Formal Preclinical Development for LX2931 for Autoimmune Disease
Lexicon Genetics Incorporated, an emerging biopharmaceutical company employing its proprietary gene knockout technology to discover knockout-validated drug targets, announced that it is initiating formal preclinical development for LX2931 in preparation for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application.

Wednesday Oct 18, 2006
Rigel Selects a Novel JAK3 Inhibitor for Advanced Preclinical Development for Immune-Mediated Diseases
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage drug development company focused on small-molecule drugs for the treatment of inflammatory/autoimmune diseases, cancer, and viral diseases, announced that it has selected R348, a potent and selective inhibitor of janus tyrosine kinase 3 (JAK3), to enter preclinical studies to support an investigational new drug application planned for 2007...

Thursday Oct 12, 2006
MRI Predicts Which Children with Monoarthritis Will Develop Aggressive Disease
MRI scans of clinically unaffected knees in children with monoarthritis can predict who will develop widespread joint disease within the next year... Gardner-Medwin JM, et al. J Rheumatol. 2006; 15 Sept; [Epub ahead of print]

Thursday Oct 12, 2006
Aspreva Achieves Targeted Patient Enrollment in Phase III Clinical Trial for CellCept In Lupus Nephritis
Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation, an emerging pharmaceutical company focused on identifying, developing, and commercializing new indications for approved drugs and late-stage drug candidates for patients living with less common diseases, announced the completion of the targeted enrollment of 358 patients in its global 117-site phase III clinical trial for CellCept® (mycophenolate mofetil, F. Hoffmann-La Roche) in the treatment of lupus nephritis...

Tuesday Oct 10, 2006
Trubion Initiates Phase IIb Clinical Trial of CD20-Targeted TRU-015 for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for autoimmune diseases and cancer, announced it has initiated a phase IIb clinical trial of TRU-015, the company's lead Small Modular ImmunoPharmaceutical (SMIPâ„¢) CD20-targeted drug candidate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) via B-cell depletion...

Tuesday Oct 10, 2006
Novogen's Isoflavonoid Investigational Drug for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Enters Phase Ib Clinical Trial
Novogen Limited announced that its investigational anti-inflammatory compound NV-52, an isoflavonoid-based drug candidate, is entering its second human clinical study following the successful completion of toxicology testing...

Friday Oct 06, 2006
Isotechnika's Calcineurin Inhibitor (ISA247) Receives Regulatory Green Light for Phase III Psoriasis Trials in Canada and Germany, Poland Is Pending
Isotechnika Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel immunosuppressive therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and for use in the prevention of organ rejection in transplantation, announced that it has received a No Objection Letter from Health Canada and similar approval from the German Competent Authority to conduct a pivotal phase III clinical trial of its lead immunosuppressive, oral calcineurin inhibitor drug candidate, ISA247 (an isomeric cyclosporine A analog mixture), for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis...

Monday Oct 02, 2006
La Jolla Pharmaceutical to Expand Number of Clinical Trial Sites for Its Phase III International Trial of Riquent for the Treatment of Lupus Renal Disease
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (SAN DIEGO, Calif.), a biotechnology company developing therapeutics for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases and inflammation, announced  progress and the expansion of its phase III trial of Riquent® (abetimus sodium, previously referred to as LJP 394) for the treatment of lupus renal disease, a leading cause of sickness and death in patients with lupus.

Monday Oct 02, 2006
Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis Seen in Leflunomide-Treated RA Patient
A case of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis associated with leflunomide treatment for rheumatoid arthritis has been reported... Wardwell NR, et al. Respirology. 2006;11:663-665.

Friday Sep 29, 2006
Amgen to Acquire Avidia Including Its Phase I Clinical Stage Interleukin-6 Inhibitor and Novel Avimer Protein Platform
Amgen announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amgen has agreed to acquire Avidia, a privately held biopharmaceutical company located in Mountain View, Calif., that discovers and develops a new class of human therapeutic known as Avimerâ„¢ (from avidity multimers) proteins.

Thursday Sep 28, 2006
RA Skin Problems Related or Due to Disease or Treatment?
Skin problems are more common in RA patients than in those with non-inflammatory diseases, but only steroid-related bruising and athlete's foot appear to be related to either RA itself or its treatment.

Wednesday Sep 27, 2006
UCB, Immunomedic Phase III of Epratuzumab in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus on Clinical Hold
UCB, SA, licensing partner of Immunomedics, Inc. (Morris Plains, NJ), announced that it has voluntarily, temporarily suspended dosing in the phase III clinical studies of epratuzumab (humanized anti-CD22 antibody) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) because of end-stage manufacturing observations by UCB during a recent routine quality assurance audit of the Immunomedics facilities.

Tuesday Sep 26, 2006
Genmab Completes Accrual in Anti-CD20 Antibody Phase II RA Study
Genmab A/S, a biotechnology company that creates and develops human antibodies for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory conditions, cancer, and infectious disease, announced it has completed enrollment in the HuMax-CD20â„¢ (ofatumumab) phase II study to treat patients with active RA who have failed treatment with one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including biologics.

Tuesday Sep 26, 2006
Can-Fite BioPharma Licenses Its A(3) Adenosine Receptor Agonist (CF101) to Seikagaku to Develop and Market in Japan for Inflammatory diseases
Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd, a clinical-stage drug development company focused on a portfolio of orally bioavailable, highly selective, small-molecule A(3) adenosine receptor (A3AR) agonists with potent activities in inflammation and cancer, announced that it has signed an exclusive license agreement with a Japanese research-based pharmaceutical company, Seikagaku Corporation, to develop and market its lead orally bioavailable A3AR agonist, CF101 (1-deoxy-1-(6-[([3-iodophenyl] methyl) amino]-9H-purin-9-yl)-N-methyl-β-d-ribofuranuronamide), in Japan for the treatment of inflammatory indications including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but not including ophthalmic indications.

Monday Sep 25, 2006
Rituximab Quickly Reduces Disease Activity in Treatment-Resistant RA
Rituximab added to methotrexate significantly reduces disease activity in patients whose RA is resistant to TNF inhibitors... Cohen SB, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2793-2806.

Thursday Sep 21, 2006
Avidia Initiates Clinical Trial of Avimerâ„¢ C326, an Inhibitor of Interleukin-6, for Crohn's Disease
vidia, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing a new class of small, assembled human therapeutic proteins called Avimersâ„¢ (from avidity multimers), announced that it has initiated dosing of the first patient for a phase I clinical trial of its Avimer drug candidate C326, an inhibitor of interleukin-6 (IL-6), for the treatment of Crohn's disease.

Tuesday Sep 19, 2006
Predix (now known as EPIX) Signs Exclusive Collaboration and License Agreement with Amgen, Potentially Worth Over $307.5 Million, for the Development of S1P1 Modulators for Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases; Predix Completes Merger with EPIX
Predix Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. announced an exclusive collaboration and licensing deal with Amgen to develop Predix's existing preclinical and new, orally available S1P1 modulators for autoimmune diseases.

Thursday Sep 14, 2006
Imatinib Blocks Development of RA in Mouse Model
Imatinib (Gleevec), a drug that has revolutionized cancer treatment, also blocks the development of RA in a mouse model by inhibiting tyrosine kinases that cause joint inflammation and damage.... Paniagua RT, et al. J Clin Invest. 2006 Oct [Epub ahead of print].

Wednesday Sep 13, 2006
Can-Fite BioPharma to Develop Its A3 Adenosine Receptor Agonist (CF101) for Psoriasis
Can-Fite BioPharma, a clinical-stage drug development company focused on a portfolio of orally bioavailable, highly selective, small-molecule A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) agonists with potent activities in inflammation and cancer, announced the intent to initiate a phase II clinical trial in psoriasis for its lead drug candidate, CF101.

Tuesday Sep 12, 2006
BioLineRx In-Licenses Novel Antisense Drug for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases
BioLineRx announced that it has signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement with B.G. Negev Technologies Ltd., the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Mor Research Applications, Ltd., the Technology Transfer Office of Clalit Health Services, for the development and commercialization of BL-3030, a novel antisense drug inhibiting the formation of the enzyme cPLA2 (cytosolic phospholipase A2)for the treatment of inflammatory diseases...

Monday Sep 11, 2006
Abbott Seeks US and EU Approvals for HUMIRA (Adalimumab) for Crohn's Disease
Abbott announced it has simultaneously submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application with the US FDA and a Type II Variation to the European Medicines Agency seeking approval to market HUMIRA^R (adalimumab) as a treatment for moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease...

Thursday Sep 07, 2006
Rigel Starts Phase II Study of its Oral Kinase Inhibitor, R788, in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc, announced that it has initiated enrollment and dosing of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a phase II study evaluating the efficacy and safety of its lead product candidate, R788, an oral syk kinase inhibitor that blocks the activation of the mast cells, macrophages, and B-cells that promote swelling and an inflammatory response. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, ascending dose, dose ranging study will evaluate up to three doses of R788...

Tuesday Sep 05, 2006
Medarex and GenPat77 to Codevelop Humanized Therapeutic Antibodies Against Immune Modulatory Targets
Medarex, Inc. and GenPat77 Pharmacogenetics AG have entered into a collaborative agreement to develop fully human therapeutic antibody products...

Friday Sep 01, 2006
NMDA Receptor Antibodies Tied to Depression in Lupus, But Not to Cognitive Changes
Anti-NR2 antibodies, which target the NMDA receptor, are associated with depression in patients with lupus but not with cognitive dysfunction... Lapteva L, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2505-2514.

Thursday Aug 31, 2006
Genizon Grants Exclusive License for Crohn's Disease GeneMap to Genentech
Genizon BioSciences, a gene and drug target discovery company, announced a license and collaboration agreement with Genentech, Inc. under which Genizon granted Genentech an exclusive license to Genizon's GeneMap of disease-associated genes generated from a whole genome association study of Crohn's disease patients from the Quebec Founder Population...

Monday Aug 28, 2006
GlaxoSmithKline and ChemoCentryx Establish Worldwide Strategic Alliance to Develop Therapies for Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases; ChemoCentryx May Pocket More Than $1.5 Billion, Raises $17.7 Million in Series C Financing
GlaxoSmithKline and ChemoCentryx, Inc., a company focused on orally-administered, small-molecule therapeutics that target the chemokine and chemoattractant receptor systems, announced a worldwide multitarget strategic alliance to discover, develop, and market novel medicines targeting four chemokine and chemoattractant receptors for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis (MS), acute macular degeneration, and asthma...

Wednesday Aug 16, 2006
Biogen Idec and University of Adelaide Find TWEAK Is a Novel Arthritogenic Mediator; Potential New Pathway in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis Disease Process
Biogen Idec announced studies published in the August 15, 2006, issue of the providing evidence that TWEAK (TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis), a TNF family member, is a novel arthritogenic mediator that contributes to joint tissue inflammation, angiogenesis, and destruction, and may inhibit endogenous repair.

Monday Aug 14, 2006
TissueGene Initiates Phase I Study of TissueGene-C in Patients With Degenerative Joint Disease of the Knee Prior to Total Knee Arthroplasty
TissueGene, Inc. announced the initiation of a phase I clinical trial of the company's cell-mediated therapy, TissueGene-C (TG-C).

Thursday Aug 10, 2006
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Reactivates Enrollment in Phase III Study of Riquent in Lupus; Patients to Receive Higher Doses Than in Previous Studies
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company announced that it has reactivated enrollment in its phase III 12-month treatment trial of RiquentR (abetimus sodium) for the treatment of lupus renal disease.

Friday Aug 04, 2006
Do Oral Contraceptives Protect Against RA Development?
Use of oral contraceptives may protect against the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while smoking may increase the risk of developing the autoimmune disorder ... Bhatia, SS, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 July 25; [Epub ahead of print].

Wednesday Aug 02, 2006
Schering AG Obtains Mixed Results From Two Clinical Trials of Sargramostim for Crohn's Disease: Phase III Fails to Achieve Primary End Points; Phase II Meets Primary and Secondary Endpoints
Schering AG, Germany announced results from two recently completed multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind clinical studies of sargramostim for the treatment of Crohn's disease.

Tuesday Aug 01, 2006
Schering-Plough's REMICADE Receives EU Approval as Monotherapy for Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis; Abbott's HUMIRA Receives FDA Approval for Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Schering-Plough Corporation announced that the European Commission approved the use of REMICADE® (infliximab) as monotherapy in the treatment of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients who show intolerance to methotrexate (MTX) or for whom MTX is contraindicated.

Monday Jul 31, 2006
Expert Scientific Group Proposes Recommendations to Improve Safety of First-In-Man Clinical Trials Following TeGenero's TGN 1412 Drug Trial
The Expert Scientific Group on phase I clinical trials, an independent committee established by the UK Secretary of State for Health to examine the safety and design of first-in-man clinical studies involving biologic molecules with novel mechanisms of action, new investigational agents with a highly species-specific action, and new drugs directed toward immune system targets, has published its interim report for public comment.

Thursday Jul 27, 2006
ZymoGenetics Report Positive Preliminary Findings from Atacicept (TACI-Ig) Phase Ib Studies in Patients with Lupus
ZymoGenetics, Inc, announced preliminary positive findings from two phase Ib clinical trials in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated with atacicept.

Thursday Jul 20, 2006
Actelion's Orally Active Selective S1P1 Receptor Agonist to be Jointly Developed/Promoted with Roche in Autoimmune Disorders and Transplantation; Deal Potentially Worth Well Over US$630 Million to Actelion
Actelion Ltd and Roche have announced that they have entered into an exclusive worldwide collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize Actelion's selective S1P1 receptor agonist, an immunomodulator with the potential for once-a-day oral dosing.  testing.

Wednesday Jul 19, 2006
TeGenero Files for Insolvency as Investors Evaporate Following Disastrous First-In-Man Phase I Trial of Superagonistic Anti-CD28 Antibody for Autoimmune Diseases and Leukemia  
TeGenero AG has filed for the commencement of insolvency proceedings at the competent local court/insolvency court because the serious adverse reactions caused by the investigational agent TGN1412 in the March 2006, first-in-man, phase I trial made it impossible to attract the investment necessary for the company to continue operations.

Wednesday Jul 19, 2006
ZymoGenetics and Serono Obtain Positive Results from TACI-Ig Phase Ib Trial in RA
ZymoGenetics, Inc, and Serono announced results from an exploratory dose-escalating, single- and repeat-dose phase Ib clinical trial with TACI-Ig (atacicept) in 73 adult patients with active, moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Wednesday Jul 19, 2006
Metabolic Syndrome Correlates With High Disease Activity in RA
Metabolic syndrome correlates with higher disease severity in RA. Karvounaris SA, et al. Ann Rheum Dis; published online June 22, 2006.

Tuesday Jul 18, 2006
Protalex Raises $15.2 Million to Advance PRTX-100 in Phase II for Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Protalex, Inc, announced that it has raised approximately $15.2 million in gross proceeds in a private placement. Investors participating in this transaction include LBI Group Inc, vSpring Capital, CIDC Inc, Emerging Technology Partners, and additional selected institutional and accredited private investors.

Monday Jul 17, 2006
LTKfarma Starts Operations With Lead Product for Autoimmune Diseases and Leukemia Already in Phase I/II, Names Advisory Board
LTKfarma, a biopharmaceutical company founded in March 2006 and focused on developing and marketing cell therapy products derived from modified T-cells to treat autoimmune diseases and leukemia announced its creation and the appointment of its advisory board....

Thursday Jul 06, 2006
Fetal DNA in Maternal Serum Linked to RA Improvement in Pregnancy
Pregnancy-related improvements in RA disease activity parallel the levels of fetal DNA in maternal serum, suggesting a possible vaccine strategy …Yan Z, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2069-2073.

Friday Jun 30, 2006
Consider Disease Duration in Comparing Functional Outcomes of RA Treatment
Measures of physical function such as the HAQ become less responsive to treatment effects with increasing duration of RA, so disease duration should be considered in comparing functional outcomes of different treatments...Aletaha D. 2006 EULAR Meeting.

Tuesday Jun 27, 2006
Entremed's 2ME2 Demonstrates Antiangiogenic Activity in Rat Model of Chronic Autoimmune Inflammatory Joint Disease
EntreMed, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer, announced the presentation of preclinical data for its lead compound, 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2), in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)....

Friday Jun 23, 2006
Tocilizumab Hot New Treatment for Rheumatoid Disorders
The interleukin-6 receptor blocker tocilizumab (Actemra®; Chugai/Roche) emerged at the 2006 EULAR meeting as one of the hottest new prospects for the treatment of rheumatoid disorders... Nishimoto N, et al. 2006 EULAR Meeting; June 21–24, 2006; Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Monday Jun 19, 2006
PDL's Nuvion® Humanized Anti-CD3 T-Cell Receptor Antibody Active in Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis
PDL BioPharma, Inc, of Fremont, California, announced that new data from studies of Nuvion® (visilizumab, a humanized low FcR-binding IgG2 anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody) in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis were presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week meeting...

Monday Jun 12, 2006
Intercept's Agonist of the Farnesoid X Bile Acid Receptor May Have Utility As IBD Treatment
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc, announced new data presented at the Digestive Disease Week annual meeting, highlighting the role of the farnesoid X bile acid receptor (FXR) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)...

Monday Jun 12, 2006
Abbott's Humira® Approved in European Union for Severe Ankylosing Spondylitis
Abbott Laboratories announced that Humira® (adalimumab) was approved by the European Commission for marketing in Europe as a treatment for severe, active ankylosing spondylitis...

Saturday Jun 10, 2006
Regeneron's IL-1 Trap Receives Fast-Track Designation from US FDA for CIAS1-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), a family of rare autoinflammatory diseases

Regeneron's IL-1 Trap Receives Fast-Track Designation from US FDA for CIAS1-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), a family of rare autoinflammatory diseases

Friday Jun 09, 2006
Cytopia Signs Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement With Novartis for JAK3 Kinase Inhibitors in Autoimmune Diseases and Transplant Rejection
Cytopia Ltd announced the execution of a worldwide license and R&D collaboration agreement with Novartis to develop orally active, small-molecule therapeutics targeting JAK3 kinase...

Friday Jun 09, 2006
Aspreva and Roche Granted Orphan Drug Designation for Mycophenolate Mofetil (Cellcept®) in Pemphigus Vulgaris
Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corp announced that the US FDA has granted Orphan Drug designation for mycophenolate mofetil...

Thursday Jun 01, 2006
Ocera's AST-120 Improves Anal Fistulas, Begins Phase III Trial in Fistulizing Crohn's Disease
Ocera Therapeutics, Inc, announced the first North American and European pivotal phase III clinical trial of AST-120 in patients with mild to moderate fistulizing Crohn's disease...

Wednesday May 24, 2006
MacroGenics Raises $45M in Series C Financing to Support Phase II/III Trial of CD3 Monoclonal Diabetes Treatment 
MacroGenics, Inc, of Rockville, Maryland, announced that it has raised $45 million in a Series C financing round...

Wednesday May 24, 2006
Centocor's Remicade^R Approved by US FDA for Pediatric Crohn's Disease
Centocor Inc announced US FDA approval of Remicade® (infliximab) for reducing signs and symptoms and inducing and maintaining clinical remission in pediatric patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease...

Wednesday May 17, 2006
Argos Licenses sCD83 Autoimmune Disorder Treatment Rights From Beckman Coulter

Argos Therapeutics, of Durham, NC, announced that Beckman Coulter, of Fullerton, California, has granted Argos an exclusive license for therapeutic use of the soluble protein CD83 (sCD83) for autoimmune disorders and transplant rejection...

Wednesday May 17, 2006
Immunomedics and UCB Announce Collaboration and License Agreement for Epratuzumab for Autoimmune Diseases
Immunomedics, Inc, and UCB announced a development collaboration and license agreement for Immunomedics' lead product, epratuzumab...

Wednesday May 17, 2006
Avidia Raises $43.8 Million in Series C Financing to Advance Its Lead Avimerâ„¢ Drugs for Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases
Avidia, Inc, announced that it has raised $43.8 million in a Series C financing round...

Tuesday May 16, 2006
TNF Inhibitors Raise Cancer, Infection Risk, but Are Still Best Bet for Many RA Patients
A new meta-analysis shows that RA patients treated with infliximab or adalimumab (in addition to methotrexate) had 3.3 times the risk of developing cancer and 2.2 times the risk of developing a serious infection compared to their counterparts taking placebo plus methotrexate, and patients should be advised to get vaccinations, be alert for symptoms of infection, and have regular cancer screenings... Bongartz T, et al. JAMA. 2006;295:2275-2285.

Thursday May 11, 2006
"Fossil Virus" Footprints Found in RA

Human endogenous K10 retroviruses, the residue of infections from generations past, are significantly more active in rheumatoid arthritis patients than in osteoarthritis patients or normal controls and might contribute to the development of autoimmune disease... Ejtehadi HD, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:612-616.

Monday May 08, 2006
Array BioPharma Initiates Phase I Clinical Trial of Its MEK Inhibitor for Inflammatory Disease
Array BioPharma Inc, of Boulder, Colorado, announced the initiation of a phase I clinical trial in the US for its proprietary small-molecule novel MEK inhibitor, ARRY-438162, for the treatment of inflammatory disease...

Monday May 08, 2006
ARIAD and Co-Plaintiffs Win NF-kB Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Eli Lilly With Respect to Lilly's Osteoporosis Drug, Evista
ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced that a jury in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts has found in favor of ARIAD and its co-plaintiffs...

Wednesday May 03, 2006
FivePrime Inks Research and License Deal With Boehringer Ingelheim to Discover New Therapeutics to Treat RA and Other Diseases
FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc, of San Francisco, California, announced a 2-year collaborative research and license agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim...

Monday May 01, 2006
Abbott's Humira^R (Adalimumab) Receives Positive Opinion From EMEA for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Abbott Laboratories, of Abbott Park, Illinois, announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), issued a positive opinion recommending approval of Humira® (adalimumab)...

Tuesday Apr 18, 2006
Reata Obtains Exclusive Worldwide Rights to Tricyclic-Bis-Enones, a New Class of Anti-Inflammatory Compounds
Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of Dallas, Texas, has been granted exclusive worldwide rights to a novel class of anti-inflammatory compounds, tricyclic-bis-enones (TBEs)...

Tuesday Apr 18, 2006
Studies Suggest Link Between Smoking and Autoantibody Production
Two new studies have established an association between smoking and the development of autoantibodies and suggest that rheumatologists should include smoking cessation efforts as part of a comprehensive care plan for patients with autoimmune diseases... Freemer MM, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:581-584.

Monday Apr 17, 2006
MedImmune Begins Phase I Clinical Trial of a Fully Human Monoclonal Antibody Targeting Interferon-Alpha in Lupus Patients
MedImmune, Inc, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Medarex, Inc, of Princeton, New Jersey, announced that patient dosing has begun in a phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of MEDI-545  (formerly MDX-1103) in patients diagnosed with mild systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)...

Friday Apr 14, 2006
Testing for Second-Generation Anti-CCP Antibodies in Patients With Early RA is Useful for Predicting Radiographic and Functional Outcomes
Anti-CCP antibodies are a useful diagnostic tool, particularly among seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The presence of anti-CCP antibodies confers prognostic utility for radiographic and functional outcomes... Quinn MA, et al. Rheumatology. 2005;45:478-480.

Friday Apr 14, 2006
Centocor's Remicade® Designated for Priority Review by FDA for Pediatric Crohn's Disease

Centocor, Inc, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, announced that the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Remicade® (infliximab)...

Tuesday Apr 11, 2006
PanGenetics Closes $15.6M in Series B Financing to Advance CD40 Antagonist in Autoimmune Disease
PanGenetics BV has closed a €13 million ($15.6 million) second round of financing to advance clinical development of its lead drug candidate PG102, a human CD40 antagonist...

Tuesday Apr 11, 2006
UK Regulatory Authority's Interim Report Concludes That the Serious AEs Caused by TeGenero's Investigational Superagonistic Anti-CD28 Antibody Were Triggered by an "Unpredicted Biological Action of the Drug in Humans"
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK regulatory authority responsible for clinical trial approval, found in its interim report that
the serious adverse events (AEs) (collectively labeled "cytokine release syndrome")...

Tuesday Apr 04, 2006
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Raises $65 Million to Support Continued Clinical Development of Human Alpha-fetoprotein in RA and Psoriasis
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced that it has raised $65 million in a Series E private equity financing to advance the company's lead product, MM-093, a recombinant version of human alpha-fetoprotein (hAFP)...

Monday Apr 03, 2006
Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation Completes Patient Enrollment in Phase III Clinical Trial for Mycophenolate Mofetil (CellCept^R) in Patients With Pemphigus Vulgaris
Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation, of Victoria, British Columbia, announced completion of patient enrollment in a global phase III clinical trial to evaluate mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept®)...

Monday Mar 20, 2006
Trial Halted of TeGenero's Study Drug TGN1412 (CD28-SuperMAB®) for Autoimmune Diseases and Leukemia; Six Hospitalized Following Serious Adverse Reactions 
TeGenero AG, of Würzburg, Germany, announced that six subjects participating in a clinical trial evaluating the safety of its study drug TGN1412...

Wednesday Mar 15, 2006
Argos Licenses Antibody Technology for SLE to Novo Nordisk
Argos Therapeutics, of Durham, North Carolina, and Novo Nordisk, of Copenhagen, Denmark, announced an agreement under which Argos has licensed antibody technology...

Monday Mar 06, 2006
Genmab Delivers HuMax-TAC Cell Line to Serono; Receives $1 Million Milestone Payment
Genmab A/S of Copenhagen, Denmark, announced that it has delivered a cell line to Serono suitable for clinical-grade production of HuMax-TAC...

Monday Mar 06, 2006
Trubion Eligible to Receive Over $800 Million in Milestone Payments From Wyeth in Strategic Alliance to Co-develop and Commercialize Trubion's SMIPâ„¢ Technology for Inflammatory Disease and Cancer
Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of Seattle, Washington, and Wyeth of Madison, New Jersey, announced that they have formed a strategic alliance for the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel SMIPâ„¢ biologics...

Friday Mar 03, 2006
Rituximab Approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Refractory to TNF-Antagonists
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the anti-CD20+ B-cell-targeted monoclonal antibody rituximab (Rituxan®) in combination with methotrexate for adult patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who experienced an adequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor antagonists...

Wednesday Mar 01, 2006
Rigel Completes R788 Plus Methotrexate Drug Interaction Study in Patients With RA; Will Initiate Further Clinical Studies This Year
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of San Francisco, California, announced preliminary data from a phase I double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the safety and pharmacokinetics of R788...

Thursday Feb 23, 2006
Roche Initiates Clinical Study for Bone-Related Disease Using Emisphere's Oral Formulation Drug Delivery (Eligen®) Technology
Emisphere Technologies, Inc, of Tarrytown, New York, announced that it has received an undisclosed payment from Roche Pharmaceuticals...

Thursday Feb 23, 2006
G2 Inflammation Pty Ltd Signs Deal With Novo Nordisk for Anti-C5a Receptor Antibody for the Treatment of RA and Other Inflammation-Mediated Diseases
G2 Inflammation Pty Ltd (G2I) announced a research, development, and licensing agreement with the Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk to advance G2's Neutrazumab...

Thursday Feb 23, 2006
EntreMed Receives New Patent for 2-Methoxyestradiol (2ME2, or Panzem®) Analogs for Inflammatory Diseases
EntreMed, Inc, of Rockville, Maryland, announced the issuance of US Patent No. 6,995,278, covering compositions and methods for treating mammalian diseases characterized by undesirable angiogenesis, by administering derivatives of 2-methoxyestradiol...

Tuesday Feb 14, 2006
Disease Activity and Severity Seen as Determinants in Starting Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha Blockers in Ankylosing Spondylitis Prior to Publication of ASAS Recommendations
Both disease activity and severity were determinants in starting tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers in ankylosing spondylitis patients prior to the publication of the 2003 Assessment in AS (ASAS) international working group recommendations... Pham T, et al. Ann Rheum Dis [serial online]. February 7, 2006; doi:10.1136/ard.2005.042630

Monday Feb 06, 2006
NovImmune Files IND Application in Netherlands for Fully Human Antibody Against CD3 for Autoimmune Disease
Medarex, Inc, of Princeton, NJ, has announced the filing of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in the Netherlands by its licensing partner, NovImmune SA of Geneva, Switzerland, for NI-0401...

Wednesday Feb 01, 2006
Stem Cell Transplantation Shows Promise in Treatment-Resistant Lupus
Autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation ameliorates disease activity, improves serologic markers, and stabilizes or reverses organ dysfunction in about half of patients with treatment-refractory systemic lupus erythematosus... Burt RK, et al. JAMA. 2006;295:527-535.

Monday Jan 30, 2006
Can-Fite BioPharma Submits Clinical Protocol to FDA for Multinational Phase IIb Study of A₃ Adenosine Receptor Agonist for RA
Can-Fite BioPharma, of Petach Tikva, Israel, announced that it has submitted a draft protocol to the US Food and Drug Administration...

Friday Jan 27, 2006
Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibition Improves Raynaud's Disease
New research adds to evidence that because of their vasodilatory properties, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors may be a useful therapeutic option for the treatment of Raynaud's disease... Caglayan E, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:231-233.

Friday Jan 20, 2006
Patients with Chronic Skin Disease Who Require Long-Term Corticosteroids Not Receiving Bisphosphonates
Most patients who receive prolonged oral corticosteroids for chronic skin diseases such as pemphigus vulgaris and cutaneous lupus erythematosus are not receiving bisphosphonates... Liu RH, et al. Arch Dermatol. 2006;142:37-41.

Wednesday Jan 18, 2006
Combination of cDNA Expression Library and Whatman Protein Microarray Technology Led to Identification of Potential Autoantigens in the Pathogenesis of Alopecia Areata
Whatman, plc (Middlesex, UK), and Protagen, AG (Dortmund, Germany), have issued a joint statement announcing that the combination of two promising technologies...

Wednesday Jan 18, 2006
Illumina, Inc, Has Announced That the NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium Will Perform a Genome-Wide Survey to Identify Genetic Variants That Increase Susceptibility to Crohn's Disease
Illumina, Inc, has announced that the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium...

Wednesday Jan 11, 2006
Repligen and University of Michigan File Infringement Complaint Against BMS Over Orencia®
Repligen Corporation of Waltham, Massachusetts, announced that Repligen and the University of Michigan (UM) have filed a joint complaint against Bristol-Myers Squibb Corporation (BMS) for infringement of a US patent...

Wednesday Jan 04, 2006
Oral Calcitonin May Delay Onset of Joint Disease and Relieve Pain of OA
Although calcitonin is an established antiresorptive agent, new research suggests that it also has a role in chondroprotection and may help relieve symptoms accompanying joint disease... Sondergaard BC, et al. Presented at: 10th World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); December 8–11, 2005; Boston, Mass. Abstract P133.

Wednesday Jan 04, 2006
Osiris Raises $19 Million in Private Equity Funding for Adult Stem-Cell Trials
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc, of Baltimore, Maryland, announced that it has closed a $19 million private equity round of financing in support of ongoing clinical trial programs employing its adult mesenchymal stem-cell technology...

Wednesday Jan 04, 2006
Synta to Advance Clinical Development of IL-12/IL-23 Inhibitor for Crohn's Disease and RA
Synta Pharmaceuticals of Lexington, Massachusetts, announced that it will focus its clinical development efforts in 2006 on STA-5326, an oral interleukin (IL)-12/IL-23 inhibitor...

Thursday Dec 22, 2005
TolerRX Initiates Phase Ib Trials of Novel Antibody Therapies for Psoriasis and Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
TolerRX, Inc, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced the initiation of a phase Ib study of the monoclonal antibody TRX4 in patients with moderate-to-severe...

Wednesday Dec 14, 2005
Modified Type II Collagen Found to Act as Autoantigen in RA
New research reveals the ability of modified type II collagen to act as an autoantigen in the inflamed joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), possibly contributing to the cycle of chronicity associated with the disease…  Nissim A, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:3685-3692.

Tuesday Dec 13, 2005
Domantis Raises $29 Million in Series B Financing to Advance Its Human Domain Antibody (dAb) Therapeutics
Domantis Ltd has announced the acquisition of $29 million in series B financing from existing investors as well as new investors Novo Nordisk and MC Life Science Ventures...

Tuesday Dec 13, 2005
Osiris to Initiate Phase II Trial of Prochymalâ„¢ for Crohn's Disease
Osiris Therapeutics, Inc, of Baltimore, Maryland, has announced the start of enrollment for its phase II clinical trial of Prochymalâ„¢...

Monday Dec 05, 2005
Roche and BioCryst Collaborate on Phase I Compound for Autoimmune Diseases and Transplant Rejection
Roche Pharmaceuticals of Nutley, New Jersey, and BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of Birmingham, Alabama, have announced...

Wednesday Nov 30, 2005
Pfizer to Pay Up to $803 Million for Incyte CCR2 Antagonists for Chronic Inflammation
Pfizer Inc and Incyte Corporation have entered into a global collaborative research and license agreement...

Tuesday Nov 29, 2005
Aspreva Reports Success for CellCept® in Active Lupus Nephritis; Completes Enrollment in Phase III for Myasthenia Gravis
Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, has announced the results of an investigator-initiated trial...

Tuesday Nov 29, 2005
Bio-Rad Granted FDA Clearance to Market Interpretive Software for Autoimmune Testing
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc, of Hercules, California, a manufacturer and distributor of life science research products and clinical diagnostics, announced...

Monday Nov 21, 2005
New Analysis Supports La Jolla Pharmaceutical's Riquent® for Lupus Renal Disease; Company Reports on Experimental Anti-inflammatory Agent
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co of San Diego, California, announced that new analyses of existing clinical trial data provide support for Riquent® (abetimus sodium)...

Thursday Nov 17, 2005
A 35-Year Look at SLE: Lower Mortality and Milder Disease at Presentation
Despite the absence of a new therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the past 30 years, mortality from SLE and disease activity at presentation are declining—findings that may be attributed in part to the greater use of immunosuppressive agents and lower steroid doses... Urowitz MB, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.

Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
Osteoporosis Drug Risedronate May Have Disease-Modifying Effects in Osteoarthritis
High doses of risedronate (Actonel®) may protect against subchondral bone loss in knee osteoarthritis patients with progressive joint space narrowing... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.

Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
Cerimon Pharmaceuticals Acquires Topical NSAID and Secures $70 Million in Series A Financing
Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of South San Francisco, California, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of therapeutics in the areas of autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and pain, announced that it has acquired the US rights to market and sell two topical formulations of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac.

Wednesday Nov 16, 2005
Chromos to Acquire Target Molecules Corporation and Its Anti-VLA-2 Product Candidate for Inflammatory Diseases; Complete a $6–10 Million Private Placement
Chromos Molecular Systems Inc of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, has announced that it will acquire Target Molecules Corporation of San Diego, California, a privately held biotechnology company with two preclinical stage antibody product candidates, including TMC-2003

Monday Nov 07, 2005
Positive Phase III Results for Remicade® in Pediatric Crohn's Disease Drives Fast Track Designation for Indication
Centocor, Inc (Horsham, Pa.), announced at the 18th Annual Meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition...

Monday Oct 24, 2005
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Secures Funding to Commence Re-enrollment of Phase III Trial of Riquent® for Lupus Renal Disease
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Corporation of San Diego, California, announced that it has entered into an agreement...

Tuesday Oct 18, 2005
Fatigue in Lupus Linked to Depression and Pain, but Often Missed by Standard Disease Assessment Tools
New research suggests that depression, pain, and perceived lack of social support are often-overlooked predictors of fatigue in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)—findings that may lead to a better understanding of psychosocial factors and a more specific therapeutic target for the treatment of this debilitating disease... Jump RL, et al. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:1699-1705.

Tuesday Oct 18, 2005
MedImmune Completes Acquisition of Cellective and Its CD19-Directed Monoclonal Antibody; Files IND with Medarex for Lupus
MedImmune, Inc, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, announced that it has completed its acquisition of Cellective Therapeutics, Inc...

Monday Oct 17, 2005
Autoimmune Disease May Contribute to Increase in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Particularly Among Women
Providing further insight into the dramatic rise in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) over the last 20 years, a new study suggests that autoimmune diseases, as well as the potent immunosuppressive drugs commonly used for their treatment, may partly account for the increase in NHL, especially among women... Cuttner J, et al. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:1884-1887.

Friday Oct 07, 2005
Novel Population of T Cells Found to Produce IL-17; In Vivo Analysis Reveals Role of Cytokine in Inflammatory Disease
New research examining the production and function of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin 17 (IL-17) may pave the way for more effective ways to prevent and treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune and inflammatory conditions . . . Nat Immunol [serial online]. October 2, 2005.

Thursday Oct 06, 2005
Abbott's HumiraR (Adalimumab) Approved in Europe for Psoriatic Arthritis and Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis
Abbott Laboratories announced that it has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to market HumiraR (adalimumab)...

Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Cellerant Therapeutics Closes Series B Financing with $25 Million
Cellerant Therapeutics, Inc, of San Carlos, California, a developer of treatments for autoimmune diseases, genetic blood disorders, and neutropenia, has announced...

Tuesday Sep 20, 2005
MedImmune to Acquire Privately Held Cellective Therapeutics
MedImmune Inc of Gaithersburg, Maryland, has announced its intent to acquire privately held Cellective Therapeutics, Inc, a 5-person early-stage biopharmaceutical company...

Tuesday Sep 13, 2005
Two New Treatments Show Promise in Paget's Disease
Zoledronic acid and osteoprotegerin found to be promising new therapies for the management of Paget's disease... Reid IR, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:898-908; Cundy MD, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:918-923.

Thursday Sep 08, 2005
Cyclophosphamide/Stem Cell Transplantation Protocol Shows Promise for Refractory Autoimmune Diseases
Japanese researchers report promising phase I-II trial results showing that high-dose cyclophosphamide supported by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is feasible and may be effective in the treatment of severe and refractory autoimmune diseases such as systemic sclerosis and SLE...Tsukamoto H, et al. Ann Rheum Dis online August 26, 2005

Monday Aug 29, 2005
Research Clarifies Mechanisms of Self-Tolerance by Natural Killer Cells
New murine research depicting how natural killer cells mature in a healthy immune system may yield clues as to what goes awry in autoimmune disorders. Kim S, et al. Nature. 2005;436:709-713

Wednesday Aug 17, 2005
Elevated CRP May Predict Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in RA Patients
New research augments the growing body of evidence suggesting that the inflammation of RA causes premature atherosclerosis... Goodson NJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2293-2299.

Sunday Aug 14, 2005
Whatman/Schleicher & Schuell and the Private Institute for Immunology and Molecular Genetics to Market Protein Chip–Based Autoimmune Assay
Whatman/Schleicher & Schuell and the Private Institute for Immunology and Molecular Genetics of Germany...

Wednesday Aug 10, 2005
Abatacept Reduces Disease Activity and Improves Function in RA Patients Who Failed MTX
Results of a 12-month study show that the first in a class of agents designed to block a costimulatory pathway required for optimum activation of T cells may play an important role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), particularly among patients unresponsive to methotrexate (MTX)... Kremer JM, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2263-2271.

Tuesday Aug 09, 2005
Aspreva Initiates Phase III for Roche's CellCept in Lupus Nephritis

Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, an emerging pharmaceutical company focused on identifying and developing new drugs and commercializing new indications for approved medications, has announced that patient dosing has begun for the transplant antirejection agent CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil; Roche Pharmaceuticals), for the treatment of lupus nephritis.

Sunday Aug 07, 2005
Biogen Idec and PDL to Collaborate on Three Phase II Antibody Products
Biogen Idec of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Protein Design Labs, Inc (PDL) of Fremont, California...

Sunday Jul 31, 2005
UCB's Cimzia Demonstrates Positive Results in Phase III Trials for Crohn's Disease
USB Pharma, Inc, of Atlanta, Georgia, the biopharmaceutical subsidiary of international pharmaceutical...

Tuesday Jul 26, 2005
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Is There a Phthalate Connection?
Murine studies suggest that exposure to phthalates may increase susceptibility to SLE and possibly other autoimmune disorders... Lim S-Y and Ghosh SK. J Autoimmun. 2005;25:33-45

Thursday Jun 30, 2005
Doxycycline Slows Osteoarthritis Disease Progression
New study results confirm preclinical data suggesting that doxycycline can slow joint space narrowing in the medial tibiofemoral compartment in knee osteoarthritis, but the common antibiotic did not affect pain...Brandt K, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2015-2025

Wednesday Jun 29, 2005
The Immune Response Corporation Identifies Reduced FOXP3 Levels in MS Patients
An ongoing clinical trial conducted by The Immune Response Corporation (IRC) of Carlsbad, California, and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland has demonstrated that the investigational T-cell receptor (TCR) peptide vaccine NeuroVax^TM  significantly increases levels of FOXP3, a transcription factor necessary for regulatory T-cell (Treg cells) development.

Tuesday Jun 28, 2005
Botox Injections Improve Symptoms in Patients With Raynaud's Phenomenon
Injections of botulinum toxin type A may accelerate the rewarming process by inhibiting vasoconstriction in patients with secondary Raynaud's phenomenon... Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Wednesday Jun 22, 2005
Early Ankylosing Spondylitis Cohort Underscores Link Between Sustained Disease Activity and Progression
German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort (GESPIC) shows that sustained high disease activity during the early stages of AS, despite treatment with NSAIDs, may be an important prognostic indicator of disease progression, and may suggest a possible earlier role for TNF-blockade... Presented at: European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Monday Jun 13, 2005
IL-6 Blocker Shows Promise in Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
More evidence emerging on the therapeutic potential of the experimental IL-6 blocker tocilizumab in the management of severe SJIA... Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Monday Jun 13, 2005
Smokers Have More Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Than Nonsmokers, but Quitting May Help Reduce Disease Severity
New research presented at EULAR increases our understanding of how smoking impacts RA, and emphasizes the symptomatic benefits for those who stop...presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Thursday Jun 09, 2005
A Conversation at EULAR: Dr. Ricard Cervera on Biologics and Pregnancy
The preeminent immunologist comments on the increasing use of TNF-α inhibitors and other biologic drugs-particularly among women, who bear the brunt of autoimmune disease-and the concern about their potential effects on pregnancy... Cervera R. Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Thursday Jun 09, 2005
Abatacept Inhibits Structural Damage in RA Patients with Inadequate Response to Methotrexate
New studies help define and clarify potential niche for costimulation blockade in autoimmunity...Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Thursday Jun 09, 2005
AVANIR/Novartis Agreement: Develop MIF Therapies for Inflammatory Diseases
AVANIR Pharmaceuticals, a drug discovery and development company, announced the signing of an agreement with Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp to develop orally active small molecule therapeutics targeting macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a proinflammatory cytokine that is thought to play a critical role in the pathology of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Friday Jun 03, 2005
Recombinant Version of Alpha-Fetoprotein May Hold Promise in RA and Other Autoimmune Diseases
As a Phase II trial begins, experts are cautiously optimistic that the experimental immunomodulating agent may be safer than existing RA treatments, and that the work may help explain why RA tends to remit during pregnancy...National Jewish Medical and Research Center [press release]; June 2, 2005.

Thursday Jun 02, 2005
Anti-TNF Blockade Modulates Androgen Production in Rheumatoid Arthritis
A new study links TNF to a deficiency in the production of the androgen DHEA in the synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis patients, and demonstrates that TNF inhibitors can reverse this effect...Weidler C, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:1721-1729.

Wednesday Jun 01, 2005
More Evidence for the 'FitzGerald Hypothesis' on the Relationship of Coxibs and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Vascular remodeling may interact with a predisposition to hypertension and atherosclerosis, contributing to the gradual increase in cardiovascular risk during extended periods of treatment with COX-2 inhibitors...Rudic RD, et al. Circ Res. Published online May 19, 2005.

Friday May 20, 2005
Study Provides Clues to the Mechanism of Remission of Inflammatory Diseases During Pregnancy
Analysis of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis may help provide a better understanding as to why certain rheumatic diseases improve during pregnancy...Ostensen M, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64:839-844

Tuesday May 17, 2005
Medarex's Fully Human Monoclonal Antibody Targeting IP-10 (CXCL10) Starts Phase I Trial
Medarex Inc, announced the initiation of a multicenter, single-dose, dose-escalation, 32-patient Phase I clinical trial for MDX-1100, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the chemokine IP-10 (CXCL10), for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Thursday May 12, 2005
Genmab and Serono Partner on HuMax-TAC for T Cell-Mediated Diseases
Genmab A/S granted Serono S.A. exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize Genmab's HuMaxR-TAC, a preclinical fully humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the TAC antigen. The TAC antigen, also known as CD25 or the interleukin-2 receptor alpha subunit (IL-2R±), is overexpressed by activated T-cells. By inhibiting T-cell proliferation, HuMax-TAC may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of T cell-mediated diseases such as autoimmune and inflammatory disorders and hyperproliferative skin conditions. Genmab will receive an upfront payment of $2 million, potential milestone payments of up to $38 million, and royalties on product sales. Serono will be responsible for all future development costs for HuMax-TAC.

Wednesday May 11, 2005
New Genetic Variant May Increase Risk of Inflammatory Disease
A recently identified polymorphism results in differential HLA molecule expression and is associated with susceptibility to common diseases with inflammatory components...Swanberg M, et al. Nat Genet. 2005;37:486-494.

Thursday Apr 21, 2005
Novel PAR-2 Antagonists Developed for Inflammatory Disease and Cancer
Preclinical studies conducted by EntreMed, Inc, indicate that its proteinase activated receptor (PAR-2) antagonists not only inhibit tumor growth and the formation of new blood vessels in animal models, but also block inflammation in preclinical rheumatoid arthritis and in models of acute inflammation. The new data were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in Anaheim, California.

Thursday Apr 14, 2005
Phase III RituxanR Study Demonstrates Clinical Improvement in Treatment-resistant RA
Following positive preliminary findings from a Phase IIb study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of the approved cancer drug Rituxan in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, Genentech Inc, Biogen Idec and Roche Pharmaceuticals announced that a recent Phase III study has met its primary endpoint based on clinical improvement (ACR 20 responses) at week 24.

Wednesday Apr 13, 2005
Human Genome Sciences' LymphoStat-B® Meets Primary Efficacy and Safety Endpoints in Phase II trial for RA
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. reported results from a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center Phase II clinical trial indicating that LymphoStat-B (belimumab) administered intravenously is safe, well tolerated, and results in a statistically significant reduction in the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Friday Apr 08, 2005
Thalidomide May Play a Role in Treatment of Refractory Radiculopathic Pain
Banned from use in the 1960s due to its teratogenic effects, thalidomide is being reexamined as a treatment for inflammatory and other types of disorders... Presented at the 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society; March 30-April 2, 2005; Boston, Massachusetts

Monday Mar 28, 2005
Case Study Suggests Humanized Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody Effective in Rituximab-Resistant Lupus
Researchers at the Centre for Rheumatology at University College, in London, England, report in the April 2005 issue of Rheumatology the first case of a patient with severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), who, having become unresponsive to the chimeric anti-CD20 antibody rituximab, exhibited a good response to a fully-human anti-CD20 antibody (hCD20) provided on a compassionate use basis by Immunomedics, Inc.¹

Friday Mar 25, 2005
Genetic Variation Helps Predict Response to Etanercept in Rheumatoid Arthritis
As the FDA takes action to speed the clinical application of pharmacogenetics, the possibility of personalized medicine for RA patients got a boost from a new study showing that a polymorphism in TNF-α affects the response to etanercept therapy...Kang CP, et al. Rheumatology. 2005;44:547-552.

Wednesday Mar 23, 2005
IL-1 Blocker Anakinra Safe and Effective in Small Study of Severe Lupus Arthritis Patients
Accumulating evidence suggests that anakinra may find a niche in IL-1-driven diseases such as juvenile arthritis, adult onset Still's disease, and severe lupus arthritis...Ostendorf B, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64:630-633.

Tuesday Mar 22, 2005
IL-6 Blocker "Promising" in Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Small study demonstrating efficacy and safety of MRA in juvenile arthritis, combined with promising results in treatment of other conditions, suggests that IL-6 inhibitors may play an important role in controlling inflammatory disease...Yokota S, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:818-825.

Monday Mar 21, 2005
KaloBios Raises $20 million to Advance Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis
KaloBios Pharmaceuticals Inc, of Palo Alto, California, a privately held company devoted to the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies and proteins, announced that it has raised $20 million in its Series B round of financing.

Friday Mar 18, 2005
Study Suggests Celiac Disease May Be More Prevalent Among Patients with Osteoporosis
New results confirm the value of treating osteoporotic patients with the disease and fuel the debate over the practicality of widespread screening... Stenson WF, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:393-399.

Monday Mar 14, 2005
Novel Estrogenic Agonist May Suppress Inflammation
Preclinical and Phase I data suggest that an estrogen receptor beta-agonist, ERB-041, may have potent anti-inflammatory properties without classic estrogenic effects...American College of Rheumatology 2005 Innovative Therapies in Autoimmune Disease Meeting, Washington, DC, March 4-6, 2005.

Sunday Mar 13, 2005
Markers of Systemic Inflammation May Be Independent Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Death in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
A new study indicates that ESR may be predictive of CV mortality and suggests that tighter control of inflammation may help improve long-term outcomes for RA patients...Maradit-Kremers H, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:722-732.

Wednesday Mar 09, 2005
Development of Antibodies Targeting Interferon-± and the Type I Interferon Receptor 1 Underway
The type I interferon system has been implicated in the development and maintenance of abnormal autoimmune responses.

Tuesday Mar 08, 2005
Phase II Study of Recombinant Human Alpha-Fetoprotein Initiated in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Alpha-fetoprotein, which is produced by the fetus during pregnancy, is associated with remission of autoimmune diseases during the third trimester, when it reaches peak levels in maternal serum.

Sunday Mar 06, 2005
Oral Formulation of a Small Molecule Kinase Inhibitor in Phase I Study for Rheumatoid Arthritis
A Phase I clinical trial has been initiated to study the safety and pharmacokinetics of a novel candidate drug for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), R406, an orally administered small molecule syk kinase inhibitor that blocks both IgG and IgE activation of mast cells, macrophages, and B cells.

Friday Feb 04, 2005
Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Face Higher Risk for Congestive Heart Failure and Unrecognized Coronary Heart Disease
Two population-based studies suggest that the heightened risk of heart disease may be attributed to the systemic inflammation that characterizes RA rather than traditional risk factors&Nicola PJ. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:412-420; Maradit-Kremers H. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:402-411.

Thursday Feb 03, 2005
Crohn's Disease Patients With Attenuated Response to Infliximab May Respond to Adalimumab
Mimicking the paradigm seen with TNF-blockade in rheumatoid arthritis, preliminary data suggest that switching infliximab nonresponders to adalimumab may improve the clinical response and reduce disease activity...Papadakis KA. Am J Gastroenterol. 2005;100:75-79.

Wednesday Jan 19, 2005
Next Generation of Antibody-Based Designer Biologics in Development
Trubion announces first Phase I study of small modular immunopharmaceutical SMIP technology in rheumatoid arthritis…

Monday Dec 13, 2004
Synovial Tissue Interleukin-18 Expression Correlates With Inflammatory Arthritis Disease Activity
New study underscores the important proinflammatory role of IL-18 in the pathophysiology of inflammatory arthritis, and suggests that treatment that inhibits or neutralizes endogenous IL-18 may become an effective tool in controlling synovial tissue inflammation&Rooney T, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2004;63:1393-1398.

Friday Dec 10, 2004
Occupational Risk Factors for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus May Include Mercury Exposure and Pesticide Mixing
Epidemiologic study indicates that occupational mercury exposure and some dental and agricultural work are significantly associated with a greater risk for developing SLE and that previously suspected occupations may not present this risk...Cooper GS, et al. J Rheumatol. 2004;31:1928-1933.

Monday Nov 15, 2004
New Approaches Show Promise in Refining Treatment and Assessment of SLE

Autologous stem cell transplant and rituximab show promise in refractory disease, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate test may be more useful than CRP in showing disease activity... Alexander T et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 19, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Thursday Oct 21, 2004
State-of-the-Art Lectures Reflect Pioneering Research in Rheumatology in the Past Year

The speakers highlighted new research in basic science, including genetic mechanisms at work in RA, and in clinical studies that further understanding of the efficacy of various therapeutic strategies…Barton A, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004.;50:1117-1121; Edwards JC, et al. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:2572-2581.

Tuesday Oct 19, 2004
Emerging Data Underscore Long-Term Efficacy of Adalimumab in Combination With Methotrexate for RA

Several clinical trials presented at the ACR annual meeting demonstrated that the combination of adalimumab and MTX achieved clinical remission and inhibition of structural damage for up to 4 years... Schiff MH et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 19, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Tuesday Oct 12, 2004
Combination Step-Down Regimen Enhances Disease Control Over Sulfasalazine Monotherapy for RA, Without Adding Cost

A combination regimen consisting of prednisolone, methotrexate, and sulfasalazine may produce more robust clinical responses at equal or lower cost than sulfasalazine alone for the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis... Korthals-de Bos I et al. J Rheumatol. 2004;31:1709–1716.

Monday Aug 30, 2004
Incidence of Gout Increasing; New Therapies Have Promise to Make Disease More Manageable
(Bieber JD, Terkeltaub RA, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50:2400-2414.)

Thursday Jun 10, 2004
Pregnancy and Autoimmune Disease: Balance Risk of Disease versus Treatment to Fetus
Physicians who treat patients with autoimmune disease need to consider the risks of the disease to pregnancy and fertility as well as the treatment.

Wednesday Jun 09, 2004
Genome-wide Approaches Shed New Light on the Genetic Control of Arthritis
This session, on the opening day of EULAR 2004, revealed insight into the genetic control of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.