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Found 230 result(s) FROM 1963 pages containing the term 'cancer'.
Wednesday Apr 07, 2010
Pfizer Predicts "Golden Age of Drug Discovery"
Pfizer is working on drugs to treat pain, inflammation, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease, some of which they predict will be mega sellers...
Wednesday Mar 10, 2010
Anti-Nausea Drug Eases Bone Marrow Transplants
Aprepitant, taken in combination with other anti-nausea drugs, can significantly ease the experience of a bone marrow transplant, which generally causes severe nausea and vomiting...
Wednesday Feb 10, 2010
FDA Wants to Reduce Radiation Exposure from Medical Scans
Widespread use of CT scans and fluoroscopy is exposing some patients to unnecessary amounts of radiation, and raising their risk of cancer...
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 Nov 12, 2009
TNF Inhibitors Do Not Raise Cancer Risk
No increased cancer risk was seen during the first 6 years of anti-TNF therapy for rheumatoid arthritis...
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...
Monday Oct 19, 2009
Denosumab Approval Faces Delay
FDA-watchers predict that the agency will miss the October 19th target set for denosumab approval by as much as 3 months...
Wednesday Oct 14, 2009
Research Breakthrough: Common Retrovirus May Cause CFS
Two-thirds of chronic fatigue syndrome patients carry xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in their blood...
Wednesday Sep 30, 2009
FDA Finally OKs Stelara for Psoriasis
The FDA has approved Centocor's Stelara (ustekinumab) for moderate to severe psoriasis...
Tuesday Sep 08, 2009
RA Drug Array ARRY-162 Fails in Phase 2
A new rheumatoid drug from Array BioPharma that modulates the MEK pathway did not meet Phase 2 efficacy goals...
Thursday Aug 27, 2009
Study: Hip Fracture Rates On the Decline in Canada
Hip fracture rates in Canada have been declining since 1985, with a more rapid drop between 1996 and 2005...
Thursday Aug 13, 2009
Docs Miss Details in Psoriasis Visits
In-office communication between psoriasis patients and clinicians needs improvement...
Wednesday Aug 05, 2009
Black Box Added to TNF Inhibitors for Kids, Teens
The FDA has expanded TNF blocker “black box” warnings to include lymphoma and other cancers in children and teens, leukemia in all patients, and new-onset psoriasis...
Wednesday Aug 05, 2009
Lupus with Leucopenia, Anemia Signals Risk of Leukemia
Lupus patients with persistent leucopenia or anemia may be at risk for myeloid leukemia...
Thursday Jul 16, 2009
Array BioPharma Stops Work on ARRY-797 Pan-Cytokine Inhibitor for RA Despite Good Early Data
The pan-cytokine inhibitor ARRY-797 was safe at doses of up to 1,200 mg/day in a phase 1 dose-escalation study in RA patients, but will not be developed further for use in RA...
Thursday Jul 09, 2009
Amgen's Denosumab Bests Zometa in Breast Cancer Patients
The first of three pivotal oncology trials comparing denosumab to Zometa in the advanced cancer setting meets primary and secondary endpoints...
Wednesday Jul 01, 2009
Masitinib Pilot Study Shows Promise in DMARD-resistant RA
The first drug to target mast cells in RA shows promising early results in an uncontrolled phase 2a trial...
Tuesday Jun 16, 2009
Golimumab for Psoriatic Arthritis Still Effective at 2 Years
2-Year GO-REVEAL data show durable PsA response to golimumab...
Monday Jun 15, 2009
Waxman Wants to Let FDA OK Biosimilars Without Legal Authority
Rep. Henry Waxman asks White House to let FDA approve generic biologics...
Wednesday Jun 03, 2009
DHEA Intensifies Calcium, Vitamin D Effect on BMD
Adding DHEA to calcium and vitamin D significantly increases spine BMD in older women (but not in men) and might be a good thing, provided the women don't have family cancer risk and don't need to pass any sports doping tests...
Tuesday Apr 21, 2009
Lupus Damage at 10 Years Predicts Mortality
More than half of all lupus patients accrue damage within 10 years of their diagnosis, and these patients are at greater risk for death as a result...
Wednesday Apr 08, 2009
FDA Warns Pharma on "Sponsored Links"
FDA has warned 14 pharmaceutical companies about the brief ads that accompany internet search results...
Wednesday Apr 01, 2009
Analgesic Overdose Causes 21% of Deaths After Lumbar Fusions
Patients who had lumbar fusions for back pain were at greater risk of death in later years than those treated nonsurgically. The risk was particularly high in those who received instrumentation or intervertebral cage devices, and more than 1 in 5 deaths were due to analgesic overdose...
Tuesday Mar 31, 2009
As CT Radiation Accumulates, Cancer Risk May Rise
Cumulative radiation exposure from CT scans can raise cancer risk by up to 12%...
Thursday Mar 19, 2009
A Little Drink May Be Good for Your Bones
A recent study suggests moderate amounts of beer and wine may have a positive affect on bone health...
Monday Mar 09, 2009
Bone Cement Eases Pain of Late-Stage Cancers
While it won’t cure them, injecting bone cement into lesions in patients whose cancer has spread to their bones can alleviate pain and allow for greater patient mobility and quality of life...
Friday Feb 20, 2009
Pain Doctors Aim to Cut Opioid Abuse, Side Effects
A new guideline issued by the American Pain Society (APS) and the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) aims to reduce opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion, and to minimize side effects among patients taking opioids for with chronic non-cancer pain...
Wednesday Jan 21, 2009
FDA Grounds Pfizer's Fablyn Osteoporosis Drug
Pfizer's Fablyn (lasofoxifene) is still on hold as FDA seeks more safety data...
Tuesday Dec 16, 2008
Osteoporosis Drug Seems to Shrink Breast Tumors
Zoledronic acid (Zometa), used to treat osteoporosis patients, also appears to shrink tumors in breast cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy…
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 13, 2008
H. pylori Suspected in Oral Bisphosphonate Intolerance, SSc Stomach Problems
Helicobacter pylori infects nearly half of patients who cannot tolerate oral bisphosphonates and over 80% of systemic sclerosis patients. Treating H. pylori might reduce GI problems and increase treatment options in these and other rheumatoid conditions...
Thursday Oct 23, 2008
Tamoxifen Cuts Fracture Risk
The breast cancer drug tamoxifen has been found to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures, but the protection against fractures diminshes after treatment with the drug ends…
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...
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...
Wednesday Oct 15, 2008
Regular NSAID Use Also May Stave Off Breast Cancer
Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may reduce the risk of breast cancer…
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...
Wednesday Sep 17, 2008
NSAIDs May Block Prostate Cancer Detection
Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs might reduce serum levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and interfere with prostate cancer detection...
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...
Tuesday Sep 09, 2008
Can-Fite Reports that Seikagaku Corp, Exclusive Licensee of CF101 in Japan, is to Initiate Phase I Trial in Japan to Treat RA; Can-Fite to Receive $1 Million USD
CF101, Can-Fite’s lead compound, is an oral drug that has been successfully used in animal models and human phase IIa RA trials to test the concept of targeting A(3)AR for the treatment of inflammatory diseases...
Tuesday Sep 09, 2008
FDA Posts List of Potential Problem Drugs
The FDA has posted a list of prescription drugs that are under investigation for potential safety problems…
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...
Wednesday Aug 27, 2008
Researchers Home in On Role of TNF in RA Bone Destruction
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) decreases osteoblast numbers via an enzyme called Smad Ubiquitin Regulatory Factor 1 (SMURF1), which shuts down two proteins that would otherwise drive bone formation…
Tuesday Aug 26, 2008
After Fits and Starts, New Hope for Psoriasis Patients
Psoriasis patients are finally finding some relief with a new wave of drug treatments known as biologics…
Wednesday Aug 20, 2008
Zoledronic Acid Prevents Chemo-Induced Bone Loss in Premenopausal Women With Breast Cancer
As the population of breast cancer survivors grows, the risks of life after cancer treatment are becoming a major concern. One risk is bone loss caused by chemotherapy, and phase III data show that a dose of zoledronic acid every 3 months during chemotherapy can prevent this problem in premenopausal women with breast cancer...
Thursday Aug 14, 2008
Postmenopausal Women With Breast Cancer Face Joint Issues
Breast cancer patients who are postmenopausal and are receiving endocrine treatment may be at increased risk of joint issues such as arthritis…
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)…
Monday Jul 28, 2008
Chelsea Therapeutics Granted UK MHRA Approval to Begin Phase II Trial of Droxidopa, a Prodrug of Norepinephrine, in Fibromyalgia
Droxidopa, an orally active synthetic amino acid precursor of norepinephrine (NE), is converted by the body into norepinephrine and as a prodrug of NE, provides replacement therapy for NE deficiency...
Thursday Jul 24, 2008
Lupus No Longer Seen As Complete Contraindication to Oral Contraceptive Use
Oral contraceptives, long considered a risk for women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), are now often considered for women with inactive or stable SLE…
Wednesday Jul 23, 2008
Sunscreen Safety Is Called Into Question
After an environmental group questioned the safety of many popular sunscreen brands, consumers are left questioning which, if any, type of sunscreen they should use…
Tuesday Jul 22, 2008
Ardea Biosciences Advances RDEA806 Into Phase IIa Proof-of-Concept Study for Gout
Ardea Biosciences has received regulatory approval to begin a phase IIa proof-of-concept clinical trial evaluating RDEA806 in gout patients with hyperuricemia...
Wednesday Jul 16, 2008
Amgen Reports Positive Top-Line Results for Denosumab Treatment of Bone Loss in Men With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer Undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy; Study Met Primary, Secondary Endpoints
The improvements in BMD were consistent with those seen in other denosumab studies evaluating BMD in women with breast cancer receiving aromatase inhibitor therapy and in postmenopausal women with low bone mass...
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...
Thursday Jul 10, 2008
Merck Serono Reports EMEA Confirms Positive Benefit-Risk Balance With Raptiva® for the Treatment of Psoriasis; European Commission Approved Product Information Update to Include Data on Up to 3 Years of Treatment
The European Commission has approved an update of the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for Raptiva® (efalizumab) in the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis...
Thursday Jul 10, 2008
Cancer Drug Velcade® Looks Promising for Lupus Nephritis
Bortezomib, which prolonged survival and prevented nephritis in mice with lupus, looks set to move to human clinical trials...
Wednesday Jul 09, 2008
Lasting Leukemia Risk for AS Patients Treated With Now Banned 224Radium (SpondylAT®)
AS patients who were treated with repeated intravenous injections of 224Radium (SpondylAT®) are at increased risk for developing leukemia…
Tuesday Jul 01, 2008
Dermatologists Say Lupus Patients Need More Devotion to Sunscreen
Physicians need to step up their efforts to convince lupus patients to protect themselves from the sun…
Thursday Jun 26, 2008
New ACR Guidelines Help Clinicians Incorporate Biologics Into RA Treatment Plans
The new American College of Rheumatology guidelines help rheumatologists to choose the right drugs and to monitor RA patients for untoward effects, but the guidelines should not replace sound clinical judgment…
Tuesday Jun 24, 2008
Treatment Adherence in Patients with RA and SLE
Many RA and SLE patients report problems with treatment adherence; race, education, and treatment side effects are the most influential factors on adherence…
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...
Thursday Jun 12, 2008
Increased Melanoma Risk Seen in RA Patients Taking MTX
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking methotrexate (MTX) may be at a 3-fold increased risk for developing potentially fatal melanoma…
Monday Jun 09, 2008
FDA Launches Major Investigation of Cancer Risk in Children Taking TNF Blockers
The FDA is investigating a possible link between TNF blockers and cancer in children and young adults...
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...
Thursday May 29, 2008
Bone Drug Might Prevent Breast Cancer Spread
Zoledronic acid (Zometa®) may help prevent the spread of locally advanced breast cancer into the bone marrow…
Wednesday May 28, 2008
Smokers With RA Use More DMARDs, Biologics, but Don't Have Worse Joint Damage
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who smoke are likely to use more DMARDs or biologics than nonsmokers and are less likely to achieve ACR response, but they do not have worse joint damage...
Tuesday May 27, 2008
Factors Associated With Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Among Bisphosphonate Users
Researchers found a multitude of factors associated with the development of osteonecrosis of the jaw among patients taking bisphosphonates for an indication other than cancer...
Thursday May 22, 2008
Bone Pain Can Be a Sign of Myeloma
Patients who report bone pain should be checked for myeloma, a treatable form of bone marrow cancer
Wednesday May 21, 2008
Amgen’s 2nd Phase III Denosumab Osteoporosis Study Meets Primary, Secondary BMD Endpoints in Alendronate Transition Study; Transition Patients Achieved Superior Gains in BMD
Amgen's trial comparing the effects of denosumab vs continued alendronate therapy on bone mineral density demonstrated superior results for primary and all secondary endpoints...
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...
Thursday May 15, 2008
Outside Workers Least Likely to Get Skin Exams
Workers who are overexposed to the sun are not getting regular exams to detect early warning signs of skin cancer…
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
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...
Friday May 02, 2008
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act Passes Congress, Heads for White House
Both houses of Congress have passed legislation that bans discrimination in employment, insurance, and other areas based on an individual’s genetic makeup, and the bill is expected to be quickly signed into law by President George W. Bush...
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...
Tuesday Apr 08, 2008
Testosterone Therapy May Reduce Bone Loss in Older Men
Testosterone injections may improve bone density and prevent osteoporosis in older men with low testosterone levels…
Thursday Apr 03, 2008
Report Claims Clinical Trials Miss Many Populations
Women, minorities, and the elderly are underrepresented in clinical trials...
Wednesday Apr 02, 2008
DEXA Scans, Serum Testosterone, Vitamin D Tests Urged for Men Over 70
Osteoporosis in men is a common problem and requires more aggressive diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of response...
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...
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...
Tuesday Mar 18, 2008
Risks of Cancer Among Men and Women With Osteoporosis
Early onset osteoporosis may be associated with an increased risk of cancer, whereas later onset osteoporosis may lead to a decreased risk of cancer…
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 28, 2008
Acceleron, Celgene to Collaborate on Anabolic Bone Agent ACE-011, a Decoy Activin Receptor, for Cancer-Related Bone Loss
Acceleron Pharma and Celgene Corp announced a worldwide strategic collaboration for the development and commercialization of ACE-011, a novel bone-forming compound for the treatment of cancer-related bone loss...
Thursday Feb 28, 2008
Antitumor Necrosis Factor-α Therapy and Potential Cancer Inhibition
Anti-TNFα therapy may reduce the risk of neoplasia in patients being treated for chronic inflammation...
Monday Jan 28, 2008
Amgen Reports Denosumab Osteoporosis Study Met Primary and All Secondary BMD Endpoints in a Direct Comparison With Weekly Alendronate (Fosamax®)
Amgen Inc announced findings from a head-to-head, double-blind study comparing the effects of twice-yearly subcutaneous injections of denosumab versus weekly oral doses of alendronate in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density...
Friday Jan 25, 2008
Low Serum Testosterone Predicts Fracture Risk in Older Men
Men with serum testosterone <294 ng/dL have a significantly increased risk of nontraumatic fracture and should be referred for bone density assessment...
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
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Growing use of CT scans is causing concern about radiation exposure...
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...
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...
Tuesday Dec 18, 2007
Amgen's Pivotal Phase III Data Show Denosumab With Twice-Yearly Dosing Increased BMD Throughout Skeleton in Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer Patients on Adjuvant Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy; Study Met All Primary and Secondary Endpoints
Amgen Inc announced that pivotal phase III data show that denosumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand, a key mediator of the resorptive phase of bone remodeling, increased bone mineral density throughout the skeleton in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients on adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy...
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
IM Vitamin D Provides Little Fracture Protection in Relatively Healthy, Community-Dwelling Elderly
If fracture risk in the elderly is associated with low vitamin D levels, why doesn't an annual vitamin D injection reduce fracture rates?...
Friday Nov 30, 2007
Drug Update: Abatacept
Researchers continue to argue for the cost-effectiveness of abatacept in treatment-resistant rheumatoid arthritis, but a real-world analysis raises questions about responses in routine clinical use. Safety data show no increased risk of malignancies or infection...
Tuesday Nov 20, 2007
Abbott's Humira® Receives Positive Opinion From EMEA for Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis
Abbott Laboratories announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), granted Abbott a positive opinion recommending approval of Humira® (adalimumab) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis...
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...
Thursday Nov 08, 2007
Centocor, Schering-Plough's Anti-TNF Golimumab Significantly Improved Articular, Skin, and Nail Manifestations in Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis in Phase III Study; Met Primary and Major Secondary Endpoints
Centocor, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced that patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) receiving monthly subcutaneous injections of golimumab experienced significant and sustained improvements in the joint and skin manifestations of the disease, according to findings from the largest phase III biologic study (GO-REVEAL trial) in PsA subjects...
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)...
Thursday Oct 25, 2007
Prostate Cancer Doubles Fracture Risk
Men with prostate cancer treated with orchidectomy or androgen deprivation are at increased risk for fractures, particularly of the hip, and should have bone density evaluated regularly...
Thursday Oct 18, 2007
Coxibs, NSAIDs Have Little Effect on MI Risk
A review of data from RCTs and observational studies found low MI risk with either coxibs or NSAIDs (highest with rofecoxib), and significantly fewer serious upper GI events with coxibs...
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
Vitamin D + Calcium Decrease Risk of Falling; Vitamin K1 Effect Not Due to Improved BMD
Researchers at the ASBRM report that vitamin D and calcium decrease the risk of falling in postmenopausal women and that the protective effect of vitamin K1 is not due to improving BMD...Kärkkäinen M, et al; Cheung AM, et al. ASBMR 2007.
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
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)...
Thursday Sep 06, 2007
Knee Monoarthritis May Be a Harbinger of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Mild-to-moderate knee monoarthritis may be an early warning sign of non-small-cell lung cancer in heavy smokers...
Friday Aug 31, 2007
TNF Inhibitors Raise Risk for Skin Cancers But Not Other Malignancies
The final report from a large observational study of more than 13,000 patients clears TNF inhibitors of increasing the incidence of solid tumors or lymphomas but finds that TNF-inhibitor treatment is associated with a significant increase in melanomas and other skin cancers…Wolfe F, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2886-2895.
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...
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 Jun 28, 2007
FDA Approves New Labeling for Carticel® in Repair of Articular Knee Cartilage
Genzyme Corporation announced that the US FDA has approved new labeling for Carticel® based on the company's completing a final FDA postapproval commitment study...
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)...
Tuesday Jun 05, 2007
Peptech's Anti-TNF Domain Antibody (PN0621) Enters Phase I Clinical Trial
Peptech Limited, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and providing antibody- and peptide-based human therapeutic products for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer...
Friday May 25, 2007
Accumulating Evidence Supports Adalimumab for Severe Psoriatic Arthritis
Adalimumab (Humira®) is safe and effective for patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who showed an inadequate response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)...
Wednesday May 23, 2007
Celgene to Advance Clinical and Regulatory Development of Oral Anti-Inflammatory Agents Based on Successful Phase II Trial in Psoriasis; Expands Clinical Program to Include RA and PsA
Celgene Corp (SUMMIT, New Jersey), an integrated global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer, announced plans to advance its leading oral anti-inflammatory candidates to address a broad range of inflammatory diseases...
Wednesday May 23, 2007
4SC AG Updates Progress of Phase IIa Clinical Trial in RA
4SC AG, focusing on the discovery and development of novel drug candidates for inflammatory diseases and cancer using a cheminformatics-based technology platform, reported on the progress of a phase IIa clinical trial of its lead drug candidate SC12267, an orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...
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 NuvionR (visilizumab), a humanized antibody, into a phase III clinical program in patients with intravenous steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (IVSR-UC)...
Wednesday May 02, 2007
Novosom Acquires Exclusive License Option for CD40-Targeted Antisense Inhibitors from Isis; Deal Strengthens Inflammation Therapeutic Development Program
Novosom AG announced that it has purchased an exclusive option from Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc (CARLSBAD, California) that, if exercised within 6 months, enables the company to acquire an exclusive, worldwide license to antisense inhibitors targeting the CD40 receptor for all indications...
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)...
Tuesday Apr 10, 2007
Aromatase Inhibitors Linked to Increasing Rate of Arthralgias in Cancer Survivors
Aromatase inhibitors have revolutionized breast cancer treatment, but are also contributing to increased rates of arthralgias in cancer survivors and may uncover underlying RA in some cases...
Monday Apr 09, 2007
Callisto Announces Positive Data for Guanylate Cyclase Receptor Agonist in Animal Models of Ulcerative Colitis, and Intent to Advance Compound into Clinical Trials
Callisto Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that focuses on cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), announced data from two different standard animal models of experimental colitis confirming the efficacy of Guanilib (also known as SP304), a first-in-class orally bioavailable mimetic of uroguanylin currently in preclinical development for the treatment of IBD.
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.
Thursday Mar 15, 2007
Cytochroma Completes Enrollment in Phase II Psoriasis Clinical Trial for CTA018, a Novel Vitamin D Analog
Cytochroma Inc, a privately-held, integrated specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of proprietary products related to vitamin D deficiency and novel vitamin D therapies to treat hyperproliferative disorders such as psoriasis and cancer, announced that it has completed the enrollment of patients in a phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of CTA018, a cream base for chronic plaque psoriasis.
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
TNF-Inhibitors Cut Cancer, Cardiac, Overall Mortality in RA Patients
A comparison of two nationwide databases shows that RA patients treated with TNF-inhibitors have lower mortality from all causes than RA patients not taking these drugs...
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...
Thursday Mar 01, 2007
Larger Study Fails to Confirm Link Between Red Meat and RA
The largest study to date to examine dietary protein, iron, and meat consumption and risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not confirmed a link between red meat intake and RA suggested by earlier studies...
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...
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)...
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).
Tuesday Jan 16, 2007
Can-Fite Completes Enrollment of 250 Patients in Phase IIb RA Trial of CF101, an A3 Adenosine Receptor Agonist; Receives US$1 Million Payment from Seikagaku Corporation
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 (A(3)AR) agonists with potent activities in inflammation and cancer, announced the completion of patient enrollment in a phase IIb rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinical trial of CF101, an A(3)AR agonist...
Tuesday Jan 16, 2007
Preclinical Data Support Trial of Gleevec in SSc
The anticancer drug imatinib (Gleevec) can reduce production of extracellular matrix in SSc dermal fibroblasts, has prevented experimental dermal fibrosis in an animal model, and is seen as a "highly promising candidate" for treatment of SSc...
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.
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...
Thursday Jan 04, 2007
RA Emerges as Major Burden in Developing Countries
The average societal cost of RA cases in Thailand is estimated at over 40% of patients' average annual income...
Thursday Dec 14, 2006
Women's Health Study Data Rule Out CRP As Predictor of RA Risk in Women
Elevated CRP levels are not a good predictor of subsequent development of RA in otherwise healthy women...
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...
Friday Dec 01, 2006
Registry Study Says RA Biologics Raise Odds of Melanomas and Skin Cancers, Not Other Malignancies
The latest attempt to sort out the relationship between TNF inhibitors and cancer risk in RA patients found no increase in overall cancer risk, but substantial increases in melanoma and nonmelanomatous skin cancer rates in patients treated with these agents...Wolfe F, et al. Presented at: ACR 2006 Meeting.
Thursday Nov 30, 2006
Low Risk of Jaw Osteonecrosis Seen With Bisphosphonates for Osteoporosis
Osteonecrosis of the jaw has emerged as an unanticipated problem associated with bisphosphonate treatment in cancer patients, but is seldom a significant risk at the doses used for osteoporosis...
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).
Monday Nov 27, 2006
Rituximab in RA
Rituximab prevents joint damage, can be given repeatedly, and does not block response to influenza vaccine in RA patients... 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.
Monday Nov 20, 2006
Cytochroma Initiates Phase II Psoriasis Clinical Trial for CTA018, a Novel Vitamin D Analog
Cytochroma Inc, an integrated specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of proprietary products related to vitamin D deficiency and novel vitamin D therapies to treat hyperproliferative disorders such as psoriasis and cancer, has initiated the recruitment of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis for a phase II clinical trial with CTA018 cream.
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.
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
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
ASBMR Convenes International Task Force on Jaw Osteonecrosis, Issues Interim Guidelines for Osteoporosis Patients
Reacting to multiple reports of jaw osteonecrosis in patients treated with bisphosphonates, the ASBMR has convened an international task force to address this "emerging and urgent clinical problem" and has issued interim clinical recommendations... Shane E, et al. JBMR. 2006;21:1503-1505.
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.
Tuesday Sep 19, 2006
TNF Inhibitors Do Not Increase Cancer Risk More Than MTX in RA Patients
A study of 1152 RA patients who used biologics and 7306 treated with methotrexate concludes that the risk of cancer is about the same in both groups, once RA disease severity is considered. Setoguchi S, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2757-2764.
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.
Thursday Sep 07, 2006
Overall Lupus Mortality Drops, but SLE Cardiovascular Death Rates Increase
As death rates continue to plummet in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), physicians need to treat cardiovascular symptoms aggressively while balancing the need for immune suppressant therapy against the risk of fatal infection... Bernatsky S, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2550-2557
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...
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.
Wednesday Jul 26, 2006
Can-Fite BioPharma Initiates Multi-National Phase IIb Study of A(3) Adenosine Receptor Agonist (CF101) in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Can-Fite BioPharma announced that it has initiated a phase IIb clinical study of CF101 (1-deoxy-1-[6-[[(3-iodophenyl)methyl]amino]-9H-purine-9-yl]-N-methyl-D-ribofuranuronamide), an A3AR agonist exclusively licensed from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Can-Fite's lead drug candidate for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
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.
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
NEJM Vioxx Correction Casts Doubt on Short-Term Safety
A correction in the July 13 New England Journal of Medicine throws out the the original APPROVe study conclusion that Vioxx-related cardiovascular risk increases only after 18 months of use and casts doubt on the implied safety of briefer exposure. N Engl J Med. July 13, 2005 available at www.nejm.org.
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)....
Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
MRI Reveals Little in Low Back Pain
Routine use of MRI in early episodes of low back pain is probably a mistake... Carragee E. Presented at: American Pain Society 25th Annual Meeting; May 3–6, 2006; San Antonio, Tex.
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...
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...
Saturday May 06, 2006
tnf blockers cause cancer
tnf blocker causes cancer
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
Friday Feb 17, 2006
Calcium With Vitamin D Does Not Decrease Risk of Hip Fracture in Postmenopausal Women
Calcium with vitamin D does not decrease risk of hip fracture and only shows a modest benefit in bone density... Jackson RD, et al. New Engl J Med. 2006;354:669-683.
Wednesday Feb 08, 2006
Etanercept in Combination with Sulfasalazine, Hydroxychloroquine, or Gold Is Safe and Effective Treatment for RA
Etanercept in combination with sulphasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, or intramuscular gold is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. O'Dell JR, et al. J Rheumatol. 2006;33:213-218.
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...
Wednesday Jan 04, 2006
Rigel Initiates Phase I Methotrexate Interaction Trial for R788 in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of South San Francisco, California, announced the start of a phase I double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate R788, an oral syk kinase inhibitor...
Wednesday Dec 21, 2005
EMG May Be Better Than MRI at Diagnosing Spinal Stenosis
Because it can test nerve function and determine the presence of nerve damage, electromyogram testing may be more effective than magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosing spinal stenosis as well as detecting neuromuscular diseases that mimic stenosis... Haig AJ, et al. Spine. In press.
Thursday Nov 17, 2005
Three Novel and Distinct Agents Show Promise in RA
Three promising new rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drugs—including an oral small-molecule inhibitor that targets a novel adenosine receptor (AR) and a new anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) agent—may soon augment the rheumatologist's ever-expanding armamentarium... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.
Tuesday Nov 15, 2005
Thalidomide Shows Promise in Refractory Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Thalidomide improves systemic clinical features, lab parameters, and joint symptoms in most patients with refractory systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (So-JIA), but caution is urged due to possible neurologic side effects... Badot V, et al. Presented at: 69th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.
Sunday Nov 13, 2005
Targeted Anti-Cytokine Therapies Emerging as the Future of RA Treatment
Although tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) blockade is the new standard of care for patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), other targeted therapies—including abatacept, B-cell-depleting agents, and anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal receptor antibodies—are emerging to fill the unmet needs of RA patients ... Maini R. Presented at: 69th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.
Friday Nov 04, 2005
Study Provides Additional Clues to the Causes of Systemic Sclerosis and the Potential Efficacy of Paclitaxel
New research in a murine model points to the ability of low-dose paclitaxel (Taxol®) to modulate transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß) and lessen fibrosis in systemic sclerosis patients, findings that also provide additional clues to the pathogenesis of the disease... Liu X, et al. PloS Med. 2005;2:e354
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
Regeneron Discontinues IL-1 Trap Program in Adult RA
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (Tarrytown, NY), a biopharmaceutical company with therapeutic candidates in clinical trials for the potential treatment of cancer, age-related eye diseases, and inflammatory diseases, announced...
Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Mesoblast Limited to Start Human Orthopaedic Trial Using Adult Stem Cell Technology
Mesoblast Limited of Melbourne, Australia, a biotechnology company that develops adult mesenchymal precursor stem cell technology for the regeneration and repair of bone and cartilage, has announced...
Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Competitive Technologies Licenses Bone Biomaterial to Soteira for Spinal Applications
Competitive Technologies, Inc (CTT), a technology transfer and licensing provider, has granted Soteira, Inc, of Dedham, Massachusetts...
Tuesday Sep 27, 2005
Researchers Report Promising Findings on Biomarkers for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis and OA
New research has uncovered biomarkers that serve as both diagnostic "fingerprints" for the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis and predictors for osteoarthritis (OA) progression... Presented at: 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research; September 23-27, 2005; Nashville, Tennessee.
Tuesday Sep 20, 2005
Link Between Genetic Factors and Osteoporotic Fractures in the Elderly
The predisposition for osteoporotic fractures is stronger than has been previously estimated, especially for early occurring fractures. A search for genes and gene-environmental interactions that affect early osteoporotic fracture risk is likely to be beneficial, but fracture-prevention should be focused on lifestyle habits...Michaëlsson K, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1825-1830.
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...
Friday Sep 16, 2005
Abatacept Beneficial to Patients with RA Refractory to TNF-α Inhibitors
Abatacept has shown benefit to rheumatoid arthritis patients with inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors, according to the results of a randomized, double-blind study...Genovese MC, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:1114-1123.
Friday Sep 09, 2005
FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee Gives Preliminary Go-ahead to Abatacept
A Food and Drug Administration Arthritis Advisory Committee unanimously recommended approval of Orencia® (abatacept) Tuesday, stating that the benefits of the costimulation blocker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outweighed the risks of serious infections like pneumonia and some cancers.
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
Tuesday Sep 06, 2005
Aromatase Inhibitors Linked to Arthralgias
With increasing use of aromatase inhibitors as both a breast cancer treatment and preventive agent, rheumatologists should be aware of associated joint pain and musculoskeletal aching... Felson DT, Cummings SR. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2594-2598.
Monday Aug 29, 2005
Entremed's 2ME2 Generates More Positive Preclinical Data in Arthritis Models
EntreMed, Inc, of Rockville, Maryland, a clinical-stage company developing treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases...
Friday Aug 19, 2005
Stem-Cell Transplantation Temporarily Improves Function and Health Status in RA Patients
New research helps delineate some of the benefits and potential limitations of high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in patients with severe refractory rheumatoid arthritis. Teng YK, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:2272-2276.
Monday Aug 08, 2005
Velcura Receives $1.3 Million SBIR Grant for New Osteoporosis Drugs
Velcura Therapeutics®, Inc, a biotechnology company focused on developing drugs for bone diseases, received a $1.3 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute on Aging, of the National Institutes of Health, to use proteomics-based drug discovery in human osteoblasts to identify bone disease biomarkers and targets, and develop new drugs that stimulate bone formation.
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...
Tuesday Aug 02, 2005
Etanercept Does Not Increase Risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in RA Patients
Unlike cyclosporine, etanercept does not appear to increase risk of skin cancer in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients... Lebwohl M, et al. Arch Dermatol. 2005;141:861-864.
Monday Jul 25, 2005
Government Crackdown on Palladone and Fentanyl Continues to Fuel Fear of Prescribing Pain Medication
Withdrawal of Palladone in the US, the advisory report issued on the fentanyl patch, and the continued DEA scrutiny of doctors who prescribe opioids and other narcotic analgesics may have a chilling effect on the optimal use of these agents for the relief of acute and persistent pain.
Thursday Jun 30, 2005
Debiopharm and Neovacs to Develop Anti-TNF-Alpha Therapeutic Vaccine
Debiopharm SA, a Swiss drug development company, and Neovacs SA, a French biotechnology company specializing in anticytokine immunogens, announced the execution of a license and equity agreement for the development of Neovacs' tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) kinoidR, a nontoxic immunogenic cytokine derivative that, in the presence of a T-helper carrier protein, triggers an active human polyclonal antibody immune response against TNF-α, while avoiding the generation of anti-idiotypic antibodies (antibody resistance).
Friday Jun 10, 2005
Treatment of RA Reduces Cardiovascular Mortality
Analysis of a large RA database reveals that treatment with MTX or anti-TNF-α drugs causes a significant decrease in mortality, specifically in death due to cardiovascular and pulmonary disease... Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.
Thursday May 12, 2005
More Evidence for Cardiovascular Risk Among Selective and Nive Nonsteroidals
Several weeks after the US Food and Drug Administration called for sweeping changes to the labels of prescription and over-the-counter NSAIDs reflecting a potential cardiovascular risk, a Danish study confirms that they increase the chances of hospitalization for MI...Johnsen SP, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:978-984.
Friday Apr 29, 2005
Interleukin-1 Blockade Potentiates Morphine Efficacy and Prevents Tolerance
New results in mice indicate that inhibition of IL-1 signaling may also prevent side effects by allowing the use of lower doses of opiates...Shavit Y, et al. Pain 2005;115:50-59.
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 21, 2005
New Evidence Suggests That TNF Inhibitors Do Not Confer Risk of Lymphoma or Solid Tumors in RA Patients
Two studies examining large Swedish cohorts attempt to clarify the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis, tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockade, and the risk of malignancy...Askling J, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. April, 20 2005; [Epub ahead of print]
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.
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 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.
Thursday Feb 10, 2005
Anti-TNF Therapy Does Not Increase Overall Cancer Risk in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, but Is Linked to Higher Number of Lymphomas
Swedish researchers note that the types of lymphomas, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease, were in line with those recently reported in RA patients...Geborek P, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005
Tuesday Feb 08, 2005
Rofecoxib but not other NSAIDs Increases Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction Among Low-Risk Elderly Population
New research is consistent with the VIGOR and APPROVe trials, which led to drug's abrupt withdrawal, and suggests that cardiovascular side effects may not be a class effect & Levesque LE, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2005; 152:1-10.
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…
Wednesday Dec 22, 2004
National Institutes of Health Halts Alzheimer's Prevention Trial Involving Aleve and Celebrex
Federal officials noted that patients taking the OTC formulation of naproxen had a 50% greater rate of cardiovascular (CV) events compared with placebo; those in the COX-2 inhibitor arm of the trial saw no increased CV risk...National Institutes of Health, December 20, 2004.
Tuesday Dec 21, 2004
Cancer-Prevention Trial Reveals Elevated Cardiovascular Risk Associated With Celebrex
National Cancer Institute study results, which showed a heightened cardiovascular risk versus placebo among patients taking the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib at up to 4 times higher than recommended doses, runs counter to recent evidence that the agent may have cardioprotective properties in some arthritis patients... Kimmel SE, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142(3).
Wednesday Dec 15, 2004
Novel Class of Bone Resorption Inhibitors Is Identified
Newly identified biphenyl derivatives, which are shown to inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro and prevent ovariectomy-induced bone loss in vivo, may have potential therapeutic advantages over bisphosphonates in the treatment of diseases such as osteoporosis, Paget's disease, and cancer-associated bone disorders....van Hof RJ, et al. J Bone Miner Res. 2004;19:1651-1660.
Monday Dec 13, 2004
Clinical Decisions With COX-2s: Balancing GI Protection and Cardiovascular Risk
CIAOMed continues its series about the impact of the withdrawal of rofecoxib (VioxxR) from the worldwide market. The first installment (CIAOMed.org; November 9, 2004) discussed possible mechanisms of the cardiovascular (CV) risk observed with rofecoxib, and whether they apply to other cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. This second installment examines the impact of recent disclosures on changes in the selection of appropriate candidates for COX-2 inhibitors, on the reemergence of traditional antiinflammatory agents such as nonselective nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for patients at risk for gastrointestinal complications, and on therapeutic decisions for those who require aspirin to maintain cardiovascular protection& Simon LS. Advanced Studies in Medicine. 2004;4:522-523.
Thursday Nov 18, 2004
Questionnaire Helps Screen for Risk of Opioid Misuse Among Chronic Pain Patients
Self-administered screening tool may increase physicians' comfort level with identifying long-term opioid candidates at low-risk for aberrant drug behavior, as well as those at higher risk...Butler SF, et al. Pain. 2004;112:65-75.
Monday Oct 25, 2004
Leflunomide-Methotrexate Combination Equivalent in Safety to Leflunomide Alone for RA
A five-year study involving over 5000 RA patients showed no increase in mortality or long-term serious adverse events... Ta KT, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 20, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.
Monday Oct 25, 2004
Leflunomide-Methotrexate Combination Equivalent in Safety to Leflunomide Alone for RA
A five-year study involving over 5000 RA patients showed no increase in mortality or long-term serious adverse events... Ta KT, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 20, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.
Thursday Oct 21, 2004
Leflunomide-Methotrexate Combination Equivalent in Safety to Leflunomide Alone for RA
A five-year study involving over 5000 RA patients showed no increase in mortality or long-term serious adverse events... Ta KT, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 20, 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
APPROVe Study Shows Two-Fold Increased Risk of Coronary Events with VIOXX
Cardiovascular events in the placebo arm of the trial appeared to stop occurring after 18 months, while they continued among patients taking rofecoxib, according to the first detailed report of the drug's withdrawal ...
Monday Oct 18, 2004
Genomics Research Pioneer Foresees Breakthroughs, Challenges in Gene-Targeted Therapy
The Director of the Human Genome Research Institute urges rheumatology researchers to take advantage of new technology to identify genes involved in inflammatory autoimmune diseases…
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