New trigger for chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis discovered
June 29, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
A signal molecule made by the human body that triggers the immune system into action may be important in rheumatoid arthritis, according to new research published today in Nature Medicine. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London, say that if scientists could block this signal, it may be possible to develop more effective arthritis treatments.
New treatment strategy offers hope to RA patients who failed all other therapies
June 11, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Copenhagen, Denmark, Thursday 11 June 2009: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who failed to respond to initial treatment with rituximab (RTX) (a chimeric monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20) can still be successfully re-treated with a second course of RTX after six months, according to the results of a new study presented today at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark.
FDA Approves Simponi To Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug known as Simponi to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Simponi, known generically as golimunab, has been given the green light to treat three different types of arthritis in total.
New drug shows promising results for psoriatic arthritis
April 7, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Golimumab is a new human monoclonal antibody that works against tumor necrosis factor
Psoriatic arthritis affects about 11 percent of patients with psoriasis. Anti-tumor necrosis factor á (anti-TNFá) agents, which block signaling molecules that induce inflammation, improve the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. Golimumab is a new human monoclonal antibody that works against TNFá and has been shown to be beneficial within two weeks of the first subcutaneous injection in a phase II rheumatoid arthritis trial. A new phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the largest of its kind to be completed with a biologic agent to treat psoriatic arthritis and the first placebo-controlled study evaluating the effect of a TNF inhibitor on nail psoriasis, found that golimumab significantly improved active psoriatic arthritis and associated skin and nail psoriasis. The study was published in the April issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/76509746/home).
Injectible Bone-repairing stem cell treatment on horizon
April 6, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Doctors may soon be able to patch up damaged bones and joints anywhere in the body with a simple shot in the arm.
A team at Keele University is testing injectible stem cells that they say they can control with a magnet.
Orthokine Therapy Highly Effective Against Knee Arthritis After Two Years
February 23, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
An international team of researchers has evaluated the effectiveness of Orthokine therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee, and the results have been published in the February edition of the specialist journal “Osteoarthritis and Cartilage”. The researchers followed 376 patients to determine the effectiveness of various osteoarthritis treatments. After six months as well as after two years, patients who received Orthokine therapy experienced significantly less pain and more improved joint function than those who received hyaluronic acid or a placebo. Orthokine therapy is a biotechnology-based method in which proteins that inhibit inflammation are obtained from the patient’s own blood and injected into the affected joint.
FDA Approves ULORIC(R) (febuxostat) for the Chronic Management of Hyperuricemia in Patients with Gout
February 14, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
First new treatment option in more than 40 years, marking second FDA approval for Takeda within one month
DEERFIELD, Ill., and OSAKA, Japan, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ — Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ULORIC(R) (febuxostat) 40 mg and 80 mg for the chronic management of hyperuricemia in patients with gout. This once-daily, oral medication is the first new treatment option in more than 40 years for the more than five million patients who have hyperuricemia associated with gout. ULORIC was discovered by Teijin Pharma Limited (Teijin Pharma) of Tokyo and licensed to Takeda for the U.S. market.
ESBATech’s Antibody Fragment Enters Phase I/IIa Clinical Development in Osteoarthritis with the Potential for Disease-Modifying Activity
January 9, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
ZURICH, Switzerland, Jan. 9/PRNewswire/ — ESBATech AG, a leading developer of antibody fragment therapeutics, today announced the initiation of the Phase I/IIa clinical development of its anti-TNF alpha antibody fragment ESBA105 in osteoarthritis (OA). This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I/IIa clinical study is designed to investigate the safety, tolerability and efficacy on pain with ESBA105 applied locally via intra-articular administration to patients with severely painful OA of the knee. The multicenter study is initiated at various sites across Switzerland.
Rheumatoid arthritis breakthrough
November 12, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful, inflammatory type of arthritis that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks itself. A new paper, published in this week’s issue of PLoS Biology, reports a breakthrough in the understanding of how autoimmune responses can be controlled, offering a promising new strategy for therapy development for rheumatoid arthritis.
Glucosamine and chondroitin don’t seem to slow osteoarthritis
September 30, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Two hugely popular supplements used to fight arthritis and joint pain, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, do not seem to work any better than placebo to slow the loss of knee cartilage in osteoarthritis, researchers reported on Monday.
