Related Articles Results

Wednesday Apr 21, 2010
GSK and Human Genome's Lupus Drug Fails to Meet Secondary Endpoint in Phase III Trial
Effects of the lupus drug Benlysta (belimumab) appear to wane over time...

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...

Thursday Oct 29, 2009
Benlysta May Be the First New Lupus Drug in 50 Years
Benlysta™ (belimumab, formerly LymphoStat-B^®) is poised to be the first new lupus drug in 50 years...

Tuesday Oct 20, 2009
Infliximab Plus MTX for JIA
Infliximab plus methotrexate (MTX) bests combinations of traditional disease modifying drugs and/or MTX alone for the treatment of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis...

Wednesday Oct 07, 2009
TNF Blockade in SLE? The Plot Thickens
Brief therapy with 4 infusions of infliximab plus azathioprine produces relatively safe, durable improvements in refractory lupus nephritis...

Thursday Sep 24, 2009
Rituximab Improves SSc Lung Function
A small pilot study has established proof-of-principle that rituximab improves lung function in scleroderma...

Wednesday Sep 09, 2009
RA Joints Protected by More Fat, Less Adiponectin
Adiponectin is the link between fatness and lower joint damage in RA...

Wednesday Aug 19, 2009
Echo Urged to Rule Out PAH in High-Risk Lupus
Echocardiogram screening may be useful in identifying pulmonary arterial hypertension in high risk lupus patients...

Wednesday Aug 05, 2009
Psoriasis: Not Just Skin Deep
Mark G. Lebwohl, MD says psoriasis affects the heart and other vital organs, and treatment with TNF-blockers may reduce the risk of these comorbidities...

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 23, 2009
Gene Therapy Cleared in RA Patient Death
The vector used in an RA gene therapy study did not cause the death of a patient who died during the trial...

Tuesday Jul 21, 2009
Belimumab Meets Lupus Phase 3 Endpoint
Benlysta^® (belimumab, formerly LymphoStat-B) was significantly better that standard care in the phase 3 BLISS-52 trial...

Monday Jun 22, 2009
IL-Blockade with Canakinumab Effective, Safe in JIA
Phase II data show that canakinumab (ACZ885) seems effective and safe in children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis...

Tuesday Jun 02, 2009
Imaging Overused for Low Back Pain in Elderly
X-rays or advanced imaging scans to detect the source of low back pain are overused for certain elderly patients, mainly those treated in large practices that offer patient satisfaction-based financial incentives...

Thursday May 07, 2009
Biotech Business Model Crashes As Funds Dry Up
A major accounting firm has concluded that the biotech business model is “unsustainable” in the current economic crisis...

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...

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...

Friday Apr 17, 2009
Naltrexone May Offer Low-Cost Help for Fibromyalgia
Low doses of naltrexone provided significant pain relief in a pilot study in fibromyalgia...

Thursday Apr 09, 2009
Rituximab May Help Some Severe Lupus Nephritis Cases
Rituximab treatment that achieves early B-cell depletion in cases of severe lupus nephritis can induced complete or partial remission in 60% of patients...

Monday Feb 02, 2009
Rituximab B-Cell Depletion Stops JIA
Systemic onset JIA responded dramatically to B-cell depletion with rituximab...

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...

Friday Dec 05, 2008
SSc Risk 60-Fold Higher in Raynaud's with SSc Antibodies, NCM Changes
Microvascular damage and systemic sclerosis (SSc)-specific antibodies can predict which Raynaud's phenomenon patients will progress to systemic sclerosis, and when...

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...

Tuesday Nov 18, 2008
Phosphagenics’ Transdermal Diclofenac Enters Phase I Clinical Trial
The trial will compare the bioavailability and penetration of the topically applied Voltaren^® gel (1% diclofenac sodium topical gel, Novartis), and Phosphagenics’ TPM/diclofenac (at 1% and 2% diclofenac concentrations) for the targeted delivery of the NSAID diclofenac...

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...

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 Nov 13, 2008
Il-6 Blockade Helps Move RA Patients TOWARD Remission
Interleukin-6 blockade with tocilizumab (Actemra^®), when combined with conventional DMARDs, safely and effectively reduces rheumatoid arthritis joint and systemic symptoms in  patients were not helped by DMARDs alone...

Thursday Nov 13, 2008
Parathyroid Hormone Patch May Increase BMD and Adherence
A new patch that delivers parathyroid hormone (PTH) may increase spine and hip BMD and avoid some of the compliance issues seen with subcutaneous daily injections of PTH…

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...

Wednesday Nov 05, 2008
Study Establishes Safety of Long-Term Juvenile Arthritis Treatments
Three-year data reported at ACR show that long-term etanercept, with or without MTX, is safe and effective in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis...

Thursday Oct 30, 2008
Abatacept Helps Kids With Arthritis Stay in School
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with abatacept (Orencia^®) missed fewer school days than those who received placebo...

Thursday Oct 30, 2008
Old Malaria Drug Reduces Diabetes Risk in RA, Protects Kidneys in Lupus
The inexpensive old drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) shows remarkable protective ability against diabetes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and against renal disease in patients with lupus...

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 08, 2008
Fractalkine May Be Key to Unleashed Immune Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Fractalkine (FKN) is emerging as a central player in the RA synovial inflammation, neovascularization, and joint destruction, and also might be link between joint damage and increased cardiovascular risk...

Wednesday Oct 01, 2008
Roche Says US FDA Issues Complete Response Letter for Actemra^® Biologics License Application; No New Clinical Studies Requested
Actemra^® (tocilizumab) is the first humanized interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor-inhibiting monoclonal antibody studied for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis...

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…

Monday Sep 29, 2008
Abbott Reports Continuous Treatment With Humira^® Achieves Superior Long-Term Efficacy for Psoriasis Patients in the US and Europe Versus Interrupting Treatment
The findings were from the company's pivotal 52-week REVEAL study and the period of open-label treatment that followed...

Monday Sep 22, 2008
Body Fat Increases CRP in Women With RA, May Lead to Wrong Diagnosis of Persistent Synovitis
High levels of adipose tissue, especially in the midsection, are associated with high CRP levels in women with RA. Elevated CRP levels in overweight patients might not be an indication that more aggressive RA treatment is needed...

Monday Sep 08, 2008
FDA Warns of Histoplasmosis, Invasive Fungal Infections in Patients Taking TNF Inhibitors
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a “MedWatch” warning about the risk of histoplasmosis and other invasive fungal infections in patients taking TNF blockers...

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 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...

Friday Aug 01, 2008
Roche Reports US FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Approval of Actemra^®; if Approved, Would Be First IL-6 Inhibitor for the Treatment of RA
Hoffmann-La Roche announced that the Arthritis Advisory Committee of the US FDA recommended approval of Actemra^® (tocilizumab), a novel interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor-inhibiting humanized monoclonal antibody...

Friday Jul 25, 2008
New High-Resolution Device Aids Finger MRI in Scleroderma
High-resolution magnetic resonance angiography (micro-MRA) can readily measure vascular disease of fingers in systemic sclerosis…

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…

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...

Tuesday Jul 15, 2008
Wyeth Reports European Commission Announces Marketing Authorization for 50 mg Once-Weekly Enbrel^® (etanercept) for Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis
The European Commission announced a new 50 mg Enbrel^® (etanercept) once-weekly dosage regimen as an alternative to the currently approved 25 mg Enbrel twice-weekly regimen for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis...

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
FDA Warns of Tendonitis, Tendon Rupture Risk With Certain Antibiotics
Fluoroquinolones get black box warning due to increase risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture…

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...

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…

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
Anti-TNF Gene Therapy Appears Safe, May Reduce Pain, Swelling in RA Joints
Researchers report that transferring a TNF-antagonist gene into the joint is safe, may reduce pain and swelling in patients with inflammatory arthritis...

Monday Jun 16, 2008
Promising Epratuzumab Corticosteroid-Sparing Data Leads to Re-Start of Phase III Studies in Lupus
Phase III studies of epratuzumab in systemic lupus erythematosus have resumed after analysis of early data showed steroid-sparing effects...

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...

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...

Wednesday Jun 04, 2008
Case Series Adds Support for Routine PET in Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Routine PET might be a useful option in patients with steroid-resistant polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)...

Monday Jun 02, 2008
Targeted Genetics Reports Positive Interim Findings From Inflammatory Arthritis Phase I/II Trial of tgAAC94; Demonstrates Safety and Preliminary Efficacy, Supports Further Clinical Development
Targeted Genetics Corp's study is designed to assess the safety and potential effect of multiple doses of tgAAC94 administered directly to affected joints of inflammatory arthritis subjects with or without concurrent use of systemic TNF antagonist therapies...

Friday May 23, 2008
Iatrogenic Problems Reported in Low Back Pain, Osteoporosis Patients at AACE Meeting
Cases of iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome (CS) from intra-articular triamcinolone and iatrogenic hypercalcemia from combined teriparatide-hydrochlorothiazide were reported at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2008 meeting...

Wednesday May 14, 2008
Roche’s Fifth Phase III Study for Actemra^® Inhibits Joint Damage and Improves Physical Function of Patients With RA
Roche's Actemra^® (tocilizumab), a humanized interleukin-6 receptor-inhibiting monoclonal antibody, can significantly inhibit structural damage to joints in patients with RA...

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...

Thursday May 01, 2008
Genentech, Biogen Idec Report Phase II/III Trial of Rituxan^® Fails to Meet Primary or Secondary Endpoints in Lupus
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter phase II/III study of Rituxan^® (rituximab) for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) did not meet its primary endpoint or any of the six secondary endpoints...

Thursday May 01, 2008
La Jolla Pharmaceutical Reports Positive 12-Month Interim Antibody Data From Phase III Study of Riquent^® for SLE; Significant, Sustained Reductions Observed in Antibodies to dsDNA
Analyses of data in the first 125 randomized patients indicate that for all patients treated with Riquent^® compared with placebo, there were significantly greater reductions in antibodies to double-stranded (ds) DNA...

Wednesday Apr 30, 2008
Grim Picture Painted for Lupus 5-Year Mortality Risk
Despite some advances in treatment, recently diagnosed lupus patients still face elevated risks of death within 5 years of their diagnosis when compared with lupus-free controls…

Friday Apr 18, 2008
Roche’s Actemra^® (tocilizumab) Approved in Japan to Treat Patients With RA; Represents First Approval for Actemra in RA Worldwide
Roche partner company Chugai Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd has received approval in Japan for Actemra^® (tocilizumab) 200 mg for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, making Japan the first market to gain access to Actemra for the treatment of RA...

Wednesday Apr 16, 2008
Lilly’s Forsteo^® Receives Approval From European Commission for the Treatment of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis
Eli Lilly and Co announced that the European Commission has approved a new indication for Forsteo^® (teriparatide [rDNA origin] injection) for the treatment of sustained, systemic glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) in adults at increased risk for fracture...

Friday Apr 11, 2008
FDA Warns of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy With CellCept
FDA informed healthcare professionals that it is investigating a potential association between the use of mycophenolate mofetil and development of PML...

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 Apr 01, 2008
Targeted Genetics Announces Completion of Dosing for Phase I/II Clinical Trial of tgAAC94 for Inflammatory Arthritis
Dosing has been completed for Targeted Genetic's phase I/II clinical trial of tgAAC94 administered directly to affected joints of subjects with inflammatory arthritis to reduce inflammation and to avoid the potential for systemic side effects...

Thursday Mar 27, 2008
Anacor’s Phase IIa Psoriasis Trial of AN2728 Achieves Primary, Secondary Endpoints 
Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced positive results from a phase IIa clinical trial of AN2728, a boron-containing inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4), in patients with psoriasis...

Thursday Mar 27, 2008
High Dose IVIg May Prevent Miscarriage in Lupus Pregnancies
High dose intravenous immunoglubulin (IVIg) therapy may help pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who have a history of recurrent miscarriage improve their disease and pregnancy outcomes…

Tuesday Mar 25, 2008
New Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Works for Adults, Children
Two new studies have found tocilizumab to be effective in relieving the symptoms of RA in adults and children…

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...

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…

Monday Mar 10, 2008
Avoidable Hospitalizations Common Among Older, Poorer SLE Patients
Rheumatologists have a key role in preventing avoidable hospitalizations among older, poorer patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)…

Wednesday Mar 05, 2008
AAOS Researchers Provide New Look at Steroid-Induced Osteonecrosis
Steroid-induced osteonecrosis tends to resolve in SLE patients when the underlying disease is under control but tends to advance after SLE recurs. In patients with steroid-induced hip osteonecrosis, shoulder damage is likely to result in joint collapse within 15 years if not treated...

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...

Friday Feb 22, 2008
EUSA Out-Licenses Preclinical Stage Human Anti-IL-6 Antibody to GSK for up to $44 Million Plus Royalties
EUSA Pharma Inc announced that it has out-licensed the exclusive worldwide rights to its preclinical-stage human anti-interleukin (IL)-6 antibody (OP-R003) to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)...

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...

Friday Feb 08, 2008
TNF Inhibitors, Efalizumab, Alefacept Herald New Era in Psoriasis Treatment
New treatment strategies that include TNF-α inhibitors, efalizumab, and alefacept offer better psoriasis control with less toxicity, but still need to be compared with traditional agents in clinical trials...

Thursday Feb 07, 2008
Lupus Myocarditis More Common in African Americans, Linked to Shorter Survival
African-American lupus patients and those with more active lupus at diagnosis are at greater risk for lupus-related myocarditis, which is associated with shorter survival...

Monday Feb 04, 2008
Amgen, Wyeth Report Enbrel® (etanercept) Significantly Reduced Levels of CRP, a Marker of Inflammation, in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis
Amgen Inc and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals announced findings from a retrospective analysis demonstrating that Enbrel® (etanercept), a fully human soluble TNF receptor, reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis...

Tuesday Jan 29, 2008
Association Between Psoriasis and the Metabolic Syndrome
Researchers have found a possible association between psoriasis and the metabolic syndrome, and have suggested possible new treatment options for the management of psoriasis...

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
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...

Tuesday Jan 22, 2008
Four Research Groups Report New Lupus Genes
A major international collaborative that includes European and North American lupus researchers, government agencies, research foundations, and industry has discovered four new lupus-related genes and may increase interest in the B-cell-receptor signaling pathway and in inflammatory cell adhesion as potential therapeutic targets...

Tuesday Jan 22, 2008
Dermal Mucin in Alopecia Areata - Tell Tale Sign or Incidental Finding?
Dermal deposition of mucin may serve as a clue for diagnosing lupus in alopecia patients… 

Wednesday Jan 16, 2008
Etanercept Clears Plaque Psoriasis in Children and Adolescents
Etanercept (Enbrel®) safely reduces disease severity in children and adolescents with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and improvements are evident as early as the second week of therapy...

Monday Jan 07, 2008
Abbott's Humira® Approved in the EU for Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis
Abbott announced it has received marketing authorization from the European Commission for the use of the TNF antagonist Humira® (adalimumab) as a treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Humira is the first fully human, self-injectable biologic for the treatment of psoriasis...

Thursday Dec 20, 2007
New EULAR Recommendations on Systemic Glucocorticoids Stress Monitoring for Adverse Events
EULAR has issued new evidence-based recommendations on the management of systemic glucocorticoid therapy in rheumatic diseases...

Thursday Dec 06, 2007
Medarex Announces Acceptance by US FDA of IND Application for Wholly-Owned Fully Human Anti-CD19 Antibody, MDX-1342, for Phase I Clinical Study for RA
Medarex, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of fully human antibody-based therapeutics, announced the allowance of an investigational new drug application filed with the US FDA for MDX-1342 for rheumatoid arthritis...

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 Dec 03, 2007
Targeted Genetics Announces That US FDA Removed Hold on Phase I/II Clinical Trial of tgAAC94 for Inflammatory Arthritis; Phase II Clinical Trial Protocol Design Underway

Targeted Genetics Corp announced that the US FDA removed the hold on the company's phase I/II clinical trial of tgACC94 for inflammatory arthritis, following the agency's review of the safety data thus far on all 127 subjects and all data from a fatal serious adverse event, which led to the death of a patient...

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...

Monday Nov 19, 2007
TNF-Blocker Plus MTX Slashes Heart Risk in RA
Combination therapy with a TNF-inhibitor plus MTX slashes heart attack risk by 80% in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients...

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
New Topical Nitroglycerin for Raynaud's Phenomenon Reported at ACR
A new topical formulation of nitroglycerine that is not absorbed systemically significantly reduced symptoms in over 40% of patients with Raynaud's phenomenon...

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...

Tuesday Nov 13, 2007
Targeted Genetics Reports Positive Interim Phase I/II Results for tgAAC94 in Inflammatory Arthritis; Tests Indicate tgAAC94 Did Not Contribute to Immunosuppression Leading to Fatal SAE
Targeted Genetics Corp, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced that interim data from its phase I/II trial of tgAAC94 for inflammatory arthritis suggest that the investigational therapy showed improvement in patient-reported outcome measures...

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...

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
BREAKING NEWS: FDA Heightens Warning About Miscarriage, Birth Defects With Drug Used Off-Label for Lupus Nephritis

FDA has raised the warning level for mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) from Category C to Category D (positive evidence of fetal risk)...

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)...

Tuesday Oct 30, 2007
Novartis' Voltaren® (diclofenac) Gel Receives FDA Approval as First Topical NSAID Prescription Treatment for OA Pain of the Knees and Hands 
Novartis Pharmaceuticals AG announced that Voltaren® Gel (diclofenac sodium topical gel) 1% has received US FDA regulatory approval as the first topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) prescription treatment for use in treating pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in joints amenable to topical treatment...

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...

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...

Tuesday Oct 16, 2007
Combination Therapy is Better for RA Patients Who Partially Responded to Long-term Monotherapy
Many RA patients who have partial responses to long-term etanercept or methotrexate monotherapy can be put into remission by combining these drugs...

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...

Wednesday Oct 03, 2007
First Case Reported of Lupus Erythematosus Tumidus Induced by Sex Reassignment Surgery
Environmental triggers contribute to lupus pathogenesis, and the hormone regimens used in male-to-female sex reassignment can induce lupus-like symptoms...

Thursday Sep 20, 2007
Targeted Genetics Provides Update on its Inflammatory Arthritis Phase I/II Trial on Clinical Hold Following Patient Death; Data To Date Does Not Implicate Study Agent
Targeted Genetics Corp, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, reported on the public hearing conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recombinant DNA advisory committee (RAC), which reviewed the serious adverse event (SAE) reported by Targeted surrounding the death of a patient participating in the company's phase I/II trial of tgAAC94 for inflammatory arthritis...

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...

Wednesday Sep 19, 2007
Anticytokine Shots May Aid Healing Following Knee Injuries
Shooting TNF inhibitors or IL-1 blockers directly into the joint may help promote healing following meniscal tears…McNulty AL, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:doi:10.1002/art [Epub ahead of print].

Monday Sep 17, 2007
Anesiva Initiates New Phase II Trial of Adleaâ„¢ for Pain Relief Following Total Knee Arthroplasty
Anesiva, Inc, a publicly-held, late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic treatments for pain management, announced that it has initiated a new phase II study of Adleaâ„¢, a long-acting, nonopiate TRPV1 agonist, for the relief of postoperative pain in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA)...

Friday Sep 14, 2007
Autoantibodies Associated With Lupus Can Be Removed by Plasmapheresis
Antibodies against the VRT101 laminin epitope correlate with SLE disease activity and can be removed by extracorporeal immunoadsorption...Amital H, et al. Rheumatology. 2007; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kem181 [Epub ahead of print].

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...

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)...

Wednesday Sep 05, 2007
Rheumatologists Asked to Take Lead in Reducing Cardiovascular Risk in RA Patients
The chronic inflammation that characterizes many rheumatoid diseases is thought to be one cause of the higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) that afflicts these patients. Experts say not enough is being done to educate patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) about the importance of early CV protection, and that early education is critical—before clinically apparent CVD is detectable...van Leuven SI, et al. Rheumatology. 2007; rheumatology/kem202 [Epub ahead of print]; John H, et al. Rheumatology. 2007; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kem176 [Epub ahead of print].

Tuesday Sep 04, 2007
Study Offers New Theory on How Vioxx May Cause Heart Attacks, Strokes
Murine model suggests that COX-2 suppresses tissue factor (TF) expression via endocannabinoid-directed PPAR δ activation, but blocking TF may prevent cardiovascular events…Ghosh M, et al. J Exp Med. 2007; doi:10.1084/jem.20070828 [Epub ahead of print].

Friday Aug 31, 2007
Pulse IVMP Treatment May Decline With the Advent of New Lupus Therapies
Intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) still plays an important role in treating acute flares among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but its role in acute flares and long-term treatment of lupus nephritis and of nonrenal lupus manifestations may require reevaluation as new treatments become available…Parker BJ, et al. Lupus. 2007;16(6):387-393.

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...

Monday Aug 20, 2007
Oral Glucosamine Sulphate Reaches Blood, Joints in Levels That Might Be Bioactive
Oral glucosamine sulphate is bioavailable in the blood and the joints…Persiani S, et al. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2007;15;764-772.

Thursday Aug 16, 2007
Even Moderate Exercise Improves Outcomes in JIA
Two new studies document diminished aerobic and anaerobic exercise capacity in children and teens with JIA and show that even moderate exercise can markedly improve outcomes...

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.

Monday Aug 13, 2007
Hydroxychloroquine May Stave Off Lupus Onset
A provocative study suggests that giving hydroxychloroquine to lupus patients at the first symptom may delay or even prevent the development of full-blown SLE…James J, et al. Lupus. 2007;16:401-409.

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...

Thursday Aug 02, 2007
Stem Cell Transplants Offer Hope for Children With Severe, Refractory JIA
Intensive immunosuppression followed by T-cell-depleted autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation offers refractory JIA patients a chance for remission, but is it worth the risks?…Brinkman DMC, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;56:2410-2421.

Thursday Aug 02, 2007
FDA Stops Arthritis Gene Therapy Trial After Patient Dies
CIAOMed takes an in-depth look into what went wrong in the inflammatory arthritis gene therapy trial that resulted in a patient's death and what this incident may mean for the future of gene trials, particularly in arthritis...

Thursday Aug 02, 2007
TNF Inhibitors May Restore Adrenal Function in RA
TNF inhibitors appear to improve adrenal function in some RA patients, resulting in restoration of stable hormonal homeostasis...

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.

Thursday Jul 26, 2007
Vitamin C After Wrist Fracture Prevents Chronic Pain Syndrome
Vitamin C (500 mg/day) taken for 50 days after wrist fracture significantly reduces the risk of developing complex regional pain syndrome...

Wednesday Jul 25, 2007
Targeted Genetics' Inflammatory Arthritis Phase I/II Trial Placed on Clinical Hold
Targeted Genetics Corp, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced that after recent discussions with the US FDA, the phase I/II clinical study of tgAAC94, an investigational therapy for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis, has been placed on clinical hold.

Tuesday Jul 17, 2007
Prospective Study Validates ESR and CRP as Screening Tests for Infection Before Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty

ESR and CRP can be used to differentiate infected from noninfected knees prior to revision total knee arthroplasty…

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

Thursday Jul 12, 2007
Roche's Actemraâ„¢ (tocilizumab) Third Phase III Study Achieves Primary Endpoint in RA Patients Who Failed to Respond to Anti-TNFs; Confirms Findings From Previous Multinational Trials
Hoffmann-La Roche Inc announced that the Actemraâ„¢ RADIATE (RheumAtoiD ArthritIs Study in Anti-TNF FailurEs) trial successfully met its primary endpoint in patients with moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who failed to respond to at least one anti-TNF therapy...

Thursday Jul 05, 2007
Anesiva Announces Phase II Data Showing Substantial, Long-Term Pain Reduction With Adleaâ„¢ (Formerly 4975) in OA of the Knee
Anesiva, Inc, a publicly-held, late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic treatments for pain management, announced preliminary, long-term, follow-up results from a phase II study showing that treatment with Adleaâ„¢ (formerly 4975) in patients with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee produced substantial pain reduction that lasted for up to 12 weeks...

Tuesday Jun 26, 2007
Cytos Reports Results From Phase I/IIa Study With Vaccine Candidate CYT007-TNFQb for Treatment of Psoriasis; Demonstrated Safety and Tolerability but Transient Efficacy
Cytos Biotechnology AG, a public biotechnology company that specializes in the discovery, development, and commercialization of a new class of biopharmaceutical products called Immunodrugsâ„¢ reported results from a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind combined phase I/IIa study with CYT007-TNFQb, a novel therapeutic vaccine candidate for the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

Friday Jun 22, 2007
Belimumab Improves Symptoms in Nearly Half of Lupus Patients at 52 Weeks, Advances to Phase III Studies
Belimumab produces sustained improvement in SLE symptoms…

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 08, 2007
CCL18 Might Help Monitor Pulmonary Fibrosis in Systemic Sclerosis
Changes in BAL fluid levels of the chemokine CCL18 reflect changes in pulmonary fibrotic activity and might be useful for monitoring disease activity in systemic sclerosis and idiopathic interstitial pneumonias...

Thursday Jun 07, 2007
ChemoCentryx Reports Positive Phase II Clinical Data for the CCR9 antagonist Traficet-EN® in Crohn's
ChemoCentryx, Inc, a privately-held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercializing orally-administered therapeutics that target the chemokine system, reported data from its phase II clinical trial of Traficet-EN in moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease. Traficet-EN is an oral anti-inflammatory agent that targets the chemokine receptor CCR9...

Monday Jun 04, 2007
Switching to Rituximab May Be Best Call If TNF-Blockers Fail in RA
Switching RA patients to rituximab after inadequate response to TNF inhibitors may be better than trying yet another anti-TNF agent...

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...

Wednesday May 23, 2007
New SLE Treatments Hit B-Cells From Several Directions
Various new treatments directed at B-cells offer mounting interest in SLE arsenal...

Tuesday May 22, 2007
Environment Interaction Seen As Next Step in Lupus Genetics
New gene analysis techniques have led to the discovery and characterization of several genes associated with SLE...

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....

Friday May 11, 2007
Lupus Gene Protects Against Malaria, But Does Malaria Also Prevent Lupus?
A mutation that renders the FcγRIIb receptor nonfunctional vastly improves monocytes' ability to clear malaria parasites, protects lupus-prone mice against malarial disease, and may explain the high prevalence of lupus in some population groups. Interestingly, there is also some evidence suggesting that the body's response to malarial infection might reduce lupus severity in some situations...Clatworthy MR, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007;104:7169-7174.

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...

Tuesday May 01, 2007
Rituximab Plus Cyclophosphamide May Be an Option for Patients With Refractory Lupus Nephritis
A new 6-month pilot study suggests that rituximab (RituxanR) plus cyclophosphamide leads to clinical and histopathologic improvements in patients with therapy-resistant proliferative lupus nephritis...

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
Local Gene Therapy for RA Intra-articular Anti-TNF Gene Transduction Reduces Joint Inflammation in RA Animal Model
An anti-TNF gene therapy vector carried by an adeno-associated retrovirus vector and injected into inflamed joints successfully reduced joint inflammation and levels of inflammatory markers in an animal model of RA...

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...

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...

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.

Thursday Mar 22, 2007
6000-Patient Open-Label ReAct Study Shows Adalimumab Safe, Effective Alone or With DMARDs in Hard-to-Treat RA
The largest prospective study to date of the use of a TNF-inhibitor in RA shows that adalimumab (Humira®) is safe and effective alone or in combination with standard disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)...

Thursday Mar 22, 2007
New Studies Urge Closer Monitoring for JIA-Related Uveitis, TNF-Inhibitors Effective For Difficult Cases

New studies report that uveitis occurs in up to 20% of JIA patients, that TNF-inhibitors may be effective in hard-to-treat cases, and that close monitoring for uveitis should continue even during arthritis remissions...

Tuesday Mar 20, 2007
CYC Better Than AZA for Lupus Nephritis; Repeat Renal Biopsy Adds Little Useful Data
Azathioprine/methylprednisolone is inferior to pulse cyclophosphamide (CYC) for proliferative lupus nephritis...

Tuesday Mar 20, 2007
POZEN Reports Positive Outcome for "Safer Aspirin" PA 325 Proof-of-Concept Study
POZEN Inc, a pharmaceutical company developing products for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, announced positive results of its "Safer Aspirin" PA 325 proof-of-concept study conducted during the fourth quarter of 2006...

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).

Thursday Mar 08, 2007
Stroke Specialists Urge More Attention to Hyperlipidemia, Hypertension, Baseline Lupus Activity as Predictors for Stroke
An 8-year longitudinal study of 238 lupus patients targets baseline SLE activity, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension as predictors of severe ischemic strokes and recommends aggressive intervention...

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...

Monday Feb 26, 2007
Lupus Patients Clear UV-Damaged "Sunburn Cells" but May Have Unusual Inflammatory Reaction to Them
Sunlight can trigger new skin lesions and worsen disease activity in lupus; this might reflect an abnormal inflammatory response to UV-damaged cells, despite the ability to clear them normally from the epidermis...

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).

Tuesday Feb 20, 2007
Suspect CVID if Lupus Patients Have Recurrent Sinus Infections
Rheumatologists should suspect CVID in lupus patients with recurrent sinopulmonary infections in the absence of lupus activity and/or immunosuppressive treatment. Treatment with gammaglobulins may be highly effective for this rare but potentially deadly disease...

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...

Thursday Feb 08, 2007
More Patient Input on Design Needed If RA Patients Are Actually to Wear Therapeutic Shoes
More attention to shape and design of shoes for feet of RA patients...

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...

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...

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
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.

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.

Friday Dec 22, 2006
New Studies Suggest That Autoantibodies Damage Brain, Cause Cognitive Impairment in SLE Patients
The cognition and mood disturbances common in lupus patients might be due in part to autoantibodies that target the NMDA receptor and cause progressive damage of the amygdala and hippocampus...

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.

Thursday Dec 21, 2006
Peripheral Sensory Neuropathy in Lupus—Is Vitamin B6 Toxicity to Blame? —Updated
As growing numbers of Americans turn to vitamin and mineral supplements to boost their health, a new case report showing that vitamin B6 toxicity may have caused peripheral sensory neuropathy in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is cause for concern...

Tuesday Dec 19, 2006
FDA Warns of Fatal PML Risk With Rituximab Treatment
FDA reports deaths of two lupus patients treated with rituximab, warns of PML risk...

Tuesday Dec 19, 2006
FDA Approves Celebrex for JRA
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved celecoxib (Celebrex) for treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis...

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...

Monday Dec 11, 2006
Steroids, Cytotoxics Cause More Heart Damage than Biologics in Treating RA
Biologic immunosuppressive agents used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) carry cardiovascular risks similar to that of methotrexate (MTX), but oral glucocorticoids and other cytotoxic RA drugs are more damaging to the heart...

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...

Thursday Nov 30, 2006
CIAOMed Announcement: CIAOMed Writer Receives Women's Health Journalism Award
The 2006 Excellence in Women's Health Research Journalism Award is part of an annual awards program the Society for Women's Health Research launched in 2003 to honor journalists who excel in providing the public with valuable health research information.

Thursday Nov 30, 2006
Pregnant Women with SLE Face High Risk of Death, Infection
Pregnant women with lupus need to be followed closely by both a rheumatologist and an obstetrician experienced in high-risk pregnancies, as these women are at increased risks of mortality, infection, and other serious complications during gestation...

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.

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.

Tuesday Nov 14, 2006
Non-Myeloablative Stem Cell Transplants Safe, Effective in Scleroderma
A pilot study of a non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation regimen for patients with severe scleroderma reports 90% overall survival and 70% progression-free survival at 2 years…Barr WG, et al. Presented at: ACR 2006 Meeting.

Wednesday Nov 08, 2006
CombinatoRx Syncretic Drug Candidate CRx-102 Achieves Phase II Trial Endpoints in Rheumatoid Arthritis
CombinatoRx, Incorporated announced positive preliminary results of its phase II clinical trial of CRx-102, an oral synergistic combination drug candidate containing the generic cardiovascular agent dipyridamole and an unconventionally low dose (3mg, below the effective human dose) of the generic steroid prednisolone, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Wednesday Nov 08, 2006
Steroids May Prevent Lupus Flares in Some Patients with Stable SLE
Intervening with moderate doses of steroids can prevent lupus flares in the subgroup of patients with stable disease but rising anti-dsDNA and C3 levels...

Tuesday Nov 07, 2006
Study IDs Predictors of Poor Outcome in Enthesitis-Related Arthritis
Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) patients tend to have worse outcomes than children  with other subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Predictors of poor outcome include family history of related diseases, the presence of HLA-DRB1*08, the absence of a protective HLA subtype, and persistently elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)…

Wednesday Nov 01, 2006
Regeneron's Phase III Clincial Program for Interleukin-1 (IL-1) Trap, a Long Lasting IL-1 Inhibitor, Achieves Primary Endpoints in Studies with Patients Diagnosed with CAPS, a Spectrum of Rare Chronic Autoinflammatory Syndromes
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc, announced positive data from a phase III clinical program designed to provide two separate demonstrations of efficacy for the investigational drug Interleukin-1 (IL-1) Trap within a single group of patients suffering from CAPS (CIAS1-related Autoinflammatory Periodic Syndromes).

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
Etanercept/MTX Uncouple Inflammation and Joint Destruction in RA
RA patients treated with etanercept plus methotrexate have less radiographic progression of joint damage than patients who take either drug alone, even if they continue to have inflammation or other makers of active disease....

Monday Oct 16, 2006
Potassium Citrate Supplements Increase Bone Mass
Potassium citrate supplements might help postmenopausal women with osteopenia increase their bone mineral density (BMD)... Jehle S, et al. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2006;17:3213–3222.

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...

Thursday Oct 12, 2006
CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Tufts Initiate hFGF-1 R&D for Osteoporosis

CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc. announced that it has signed a sponsored research agreement with Tufts University School of Medicine to study the potential use of human acidic fibroblast growth factor-1 (hFGF-1), the active component of the Company's Cardio Vascu-Growâ„¢, to treat patients with osteoporosis...

Wednesday Oct 11, 2006
Experts Debate Effect of Menopause on SLE
Lupus improves over time regardless of menopausal status…Urowitz, M, et al. J Rheum. 2006 Sept 15; [Epub ahead of print].

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...

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.

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
Centocor's Remicade Approved by US FDA for Treatment of Chronic Severe Plaque Psoriasis
Centocor, Inc. (HORSHAM, Pa.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, announced that the US FDA has approved Remicade^R (infliximab) for the treatment of adult patients with chronic severe (ie, extensive and/or disabling) plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy and for whom other systemic therapies are medically less appropriate.

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
New Markers Predict Lupus Kidney, Heart Risks
Cholesterol, homocysteine, and hs-CRP show promise as markers for elevated risk in lupus patients. Tisseverasinghe A, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006; 54:2211-2219; Von Feldt JM, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006; 54:2220-2227; Karadag O, et al. Clin Rheumatol. 2006; [Epub ahead of print]

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.

Monday Sep 18, 2006
Most Stomach Pain in Childhood Lupus Needs High-Dose Steroids, Not Laparotomy
Patients with childhood-onset lupus who present with abdominal pain likely are suffering flares of the underlying SLE and in most cases should receive high doses of corticosteroids—not be rushed to surgery for presumed appendicitis... Richer O, et al.  Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;3 July 2006; [Epub ahead of print]

Monday Sep 18, 2006
Novartis' Once-Yearly Reclast Investigational Infusion Osteoporosis Treatment Significantly Cuts Risk of Spine and Hip Fractures in Postmenopausal Women
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced that phase III data presented at the 28th Annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), September 15–19, 2006, in Philadelphia, Pa, demonstrated that its investigational, once-yearly bisphosphonate 15-minute infusion treatment, Reclast® (zoledronic acid) 5 mg, was highly effective at reducing the incidence of bone fracture in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis across the most common fracture sites—hip, spine, and nonspine (with the exception of face, fingers, and toes)—with sustained effect over 3 years.

Tuesday Sep 12, 2006
CNS Uses p38, TNFα  to Upregulate Joint Inflammatory Responses
The p38 MAP kinase links the central nervous system and peripheral responses via a pathway that includes TNF-α. Blocking those communications within the spinal cord by intrathecal administration of either a p38 inhibitor or etanercept dramatically reduces swelling, synovial inflammation, and joint destruction in an animal model of RA.... 

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
RF Stronger Marker Than Anti-CCP for Extra-articular RA
New data show that RF is the best biomarker for severe extra-articular RA, and the association gives further clues to the causes of extra-articular manifestations in some RA patients...

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.

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...

Tuesday Aug 22, 2006
Comarketers Procter & Gamble and sanofi-aventis Gain FDA Approval of Actonel for Broader Use in Men With Osteoporosis
Procter & Gamble and sanofi-aventis announced that the US FDA approved Actonel^R (risedronate sodium tablets) 35 mg for treatment to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis.

Tuesday Aug 22, 2006
Ethnicity, Poor Coping Styles and Lack of Social Support Predict More Active SLE
Socioeconomic, demographic, and psychological factors affect SLE disease activity levels, and some of these variables may be modifiable in ways that improve disease outcomes... Alarcón GS, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:1168-1174.

Thursday Aug 17, 2006
Superagonist Trial Hit By Cytokine Storm
The six patients who nearly died in a phase I trial of an experimental anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody being developed as a rheumatoid arthritis treatment were injured by "cytokine storms" triggered by the new drug, and the head of the intensive care unit where their lives were saved thinks this demonstrates that a new approach to testing biologic agents is needed....Suntharalingam G, et al. N Engl J Med. 2006; August 14; [Epub ahead of print].

Thursday Aug 10, 2006
HGS to Initiate Phase III Trials of LymphoStat-B in Lupus; to Receive $24 Million from GSK
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. announced its phase III clinical development plans for LymphoStat-Bâ„¢ (belimumab, a human monoclonal antibody that specifically inhibits the biological activity of B-lymphocyte stimulator [BLyS], a protein required for the development of B-lymphocyte cells into mature plasma B cells) in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Wednesday Aug 09, 2006
TransPharma Medical Raises $18 Million to Advance Clinical Development of Transdermal hPTH (1-34) for Osteoporosis
TransPharma Medical Ltd, has raised $18 million in a Series C round of financing, led by Argonaut Private Equity and including an additional new investor, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, as well as TransPharma's current investors.

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.

Tuesday Jul 25, 2006
Nuvo's Pennsaid® NDA Resubmission for the Treatment of Osteoporosis Accepted for Review by US FDA
Nuvo Research Inc announced that it has resubmitted its New Drug Application (NDA) for Pennsaid® (1.5% w/w diclofenac sodium solution), a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) used for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee to the US FDA.

Friday Jul 21, 2006
UCB's CIMZIATM Achieves PASI 75 at Week 12 of 83% in Phase II for Psoriasis
UCB announced positive results from the first phase II clinical trial of CIMZIATM (certolizumab pegol, CDP870), the first and only PEGylated Fab' fragment of a humanized anti-TNF-α antibody, in the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis.

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).

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.

Friday Jul 14, 2006
Researchers Map the Genetic Substrate of RA
Two new reports on genetics and RA show that a mutation in the PTPN22 gene not only increases RA susceptibility but hastens disease progression and that development of RA is associated with altered expression of disease-associated genes, apparently in response to environmental or other nongenetic factors. Lie B, et al. EULAR 2006; Haas CS, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:2047-2060.

Tuesday Jun 27, 2006
Bosentan Prevents Digital Ulcers, Improves Heart Function in Systemic Sclerosis
Bosentan reduces digital ulcer risk and improves heart function in systemic sclerosis patients... Allanore Y, et al. Presented at: EULAR 2006 Meeting; June 21–34, 2006; Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Abstract OP0120.

Monday Jun 26, 2006
Lupus Treatment Moving "From Serendipity to Sense"
Lupus research has had a very good year... Isenberg DA. EULAR 2006 Meeting; June 21-24, 2006; Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Abstract SP0139.

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.

Friday Jun 23, 2006
Quick Response to Steroids, Symmetrical Joint Pain Distinguish PMR From Elderly-Onset RA
Clinical and laboratory findings tend to be unhelpful in distinguishing between rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica in the elderly; instead, the symmetric involvement of peripheral joints and the rapid response to low-dose oral corticosteroid therapy should be considered key diagnostic features of PMR... Salvarani, C. 2006 EULAR meeting; June 21–24 2006; Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Thursday Jun 22, 2006
EULAR Lupus Guidelines Make the Best of Sparse Data
While EULAR experts agree on the best treatment of SLE and recommend an integrated approach to medical care, the lupus task force also warns of a worrying lack of evidence on the benefits of lifestyle modifications and the impact of primary preventive measures... Boumpas D. 2006 EULAR Meeting.

Thursday Jun 15, 2006
Intraarticular Steroids May Also Protect Bone
Intraarticular steroids modulate the nuclear factor B ligand/osteoprotegerin system toward a bone-protective effect in inflammatory arthritis... Makrygiannakis D, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54;1463-1472.

Monday Jun 12, 2006
Regeneron's IL-1 Trap Receives Fast-Track Designation From US FDA for CIAS1-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS)
Regeneron's IL-1 Trap has received fast-track designation from the US FDA for CIAS1-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), a family of rare autoinflammatory diseases...

Monday Jun 05, 2006
New Treatment for Lupus Brought to (UVA-1) Light
Sunlight can trigger exacerbations of systemic lupus erythematosus, but the long-wave ultraviolet A-1 light can normalize some immune function in lupus patients, and should be considered for therapeutic use... Pavel S. Rheumatology. 2006;45:653-655.

Wednesday May 24, 2006
ImmuPharma's IPP-201101 Lupus Drug Completes Phase I, Moves into Phase II Trial
ImmuPharma, based in London, UK, announced the successful completion of a placebo-controlled phase I clinical study of its new treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus...

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...

Wednesday May 17, 2006
Lupus Worsens Atherosclerosis, Changes Plaques
Preclinical work in atherosclerosis-prone mice shows that adding a lupus-susceptible immune system greatly accelerates and worsens atherogenesis, which might help explain the accelerated atherosclerosis seen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus... Stanic AK, et al. PNAS.

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.

Thursday Apr 20, 2006
New Research in Animal Models Helps Clarify Mechanism by Which COX-2 Inhibitors Increase Incidence of MI and Stroke
New research using murine models helps to clarify the mechanism by which cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors increase the incidence of myocardial infarction and stroke, potentially paving the way for a new generation of drugs that will avoid this effect... Cheng Y, et al. J Clin Invest. [serial online] April 13, 2006;doi:10.1172/JCI27540.

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)...

Tuesday Apr 11, 2006
Biogen Idec to Sell Worldwide Rights to Its Psoriasis Drug Amevive to Astellas for $60 Million
Astellas Pharma US, Inc, of Deerfield, Illinois, and Biogen Idec Inc, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced an agreement for Astellas to purchase the worldwide rights, in all indications, to Amevive® (alefacept)...

Monday Apr 03, 2006
TransPharma Medicalâ„¢ Ltd Gains Promising Clinical Trial Results for Its hPTH (1-34) Transdermal Delivery, Investigative Product for Osteoporosis
TransPharma Medicalâ„¢ Ltd, of Lod, Israel, announced promising results from the first human clinical trials demonstrating transdermal delivery of human parathyroid hormone 1-34 fragment (hPTH 1-34)...

Monday Apr 03, 2006
Galapagos NV and Arthrogen BV Enter Gene Therapy Target Discovery Alliance for RA
Galapagos NV, of Mechelen, Belgium, announced that its service division, BioFocus, has entered into a 3-year target discovery alliance...

Friday Mar 31, 2006
Targeted Liposomal Therapy Shows Promise in RA Animal Models
New research in rats suggests that arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) peptide liposomes that deliver dexamethasone phosphate directly to sites of inflammation show promise in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis... Koning GA, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2006;34:1198-1208.

Tuesday Mar 21, 2006
Local Bisphosphonate Administration May Improve Implant Fixation
Local treatment with the bisphosphonate alendronate combined with bone compaction may improve implant fixation... Jakobsen T, et al. Presented at: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society; March 18–22, 2006; Chicago, Ill. Abstract 89.

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...

Thursday Mar 09, 2006
RA Patients Have Increased Risk of Preclinical Atherosclerosis
Rheumatoid arthritis patients have an increased prevalence of preclinical atherosclerosis independent of traditional risk factors... Roman MJ, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:249-256.

Monday Mar 06, 2006
Phase III Data for Centocor's Remicade® Show Rapid and Marked Improvement in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis
Centocor, Inc, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, announced the results from its phase III EXPRESS II study of Remicade® (infliximab)...

Wednesday Mar 01, 2006
CombinatoRx Drops Its Phase IIa Oral Product Candidate (CRx-140) for Psoriasis; Drug Candidate CRx-102 Demonstrates Positive Phase II Study Results in Hand Osteoarthritis
CombinatoRx Inc, of Boston, Massachusetts, announced the discontinuance of its phase IIa drug candidate, CRx-140...

Thursday Feb 16, 2006
Infliximab Effective Treatment for Refractory Childhood Uveitis
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibition is effective for treatment of childhood uveitis refractory to standard immunosuppressive therapy... Saurenmann RK, et al. Rheumatology Advance Access. February 3, 2006.doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ke1030.

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.

Wednesday Jan 25, 2006
Targeted Genetics Restructures to Advance Anti-TNF-Alpha Agent tgAAC94 for Inflammatory Arthritis
Targeted Genetics Corporation, of Seattle, Washington, announced the restructuring of its operations...

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
Human Genome Sciences to Advance LymphoStat-Bâ„¢ to Phase III in Lupus
Human Genome Sciences, Inc, announced plans to initiate in 2006 a phase III clinical trial of LymphoStat-Bâ„¢ (belimumab)...

Wednesday Jan 18, 2006
FDA to Require Additional Positive Pivotal Trial for Genelabs' Lupus Drug Prestaraâ„¢
Genelabs Technologies, Inc, of Redwood City, California, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration will require an additional pivotal trial...

Wednesday Jan 18, 2006
Study Examines Most Effective Way to Give Steroid Boost for Mild to Moderate Lupus Flares
Intramuscular triamcinolone and oral methylprednisolone are equally effective at managing mild to moderate flares in lupus, but triamcinolone may lead to a more rapid response... Danowski A, et al. J Rheumatol. 2006;33:57-60.

Thursday Jan 12, 2006
Three Months of Bosentan Therapy Improves Function in SSc-PAH Patients
Three Months of Bosentan Therapy Improves Function in SSc-PAH Patients

Wednesday Jan 11, 2006
Manhattan's PTH 1-34, a Topical Treatment for Psoriasis, Enters Phase IIa Trials
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of New York City, announced the initiation of a phase IIa clinical study of PTH 1-34, a parathyroid hormone-related peptide analog, for the topical treatment...

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...

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...

Monday Dec 19, 2005
Oral Contraceptives Safe in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Taken together, two new prospective studies demonstrate that oral contraceptives (OCs) are safe in women with systemic lupus erythematosus and may represent a paradigm shift in the thinking and clinical practice of rheumatologists who historically have been reluctant to prescribe OCs and other hormones for these patients…Petri M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:2450-2461; Sánchez-Guerrero J, et al. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:2539-2549.

Friday Dec 02, 2005
Study Highlights Risks, Better Outcomes for Pregnant Patients With Lupus/RA
Although pregnancy outcomes for women with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis have improved considerably as a result of careful monitoring throughout gestation, this group of patients still faces a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications, including poor intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia, and also has longer hospital stays than women in the general population... Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 991.

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
Anti-IL-6 Receptor Monoclonal Antibody Tocilizumab Biologically Active in Lupus
Tocilizumab, a humanized anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor monoclonal antibody, may play a role in treating systemic lupus erythematosus…  Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 1884.

Tuesday Nov 22, 2005
Belimumab Data Show Only Modest Clinical Effect in RA
While belimumab is biologically active, safe, and somewhat effective for RA, the magnitude of its effect may not portend a bright future for the novel anti-BlyS agent... Presented at: 69th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif. Abstract 1920.

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.

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: 69^th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; November 12–17, 2005; San Diego, Calif.

Thursday Nov 10, 2005
Vitamin D Status More Important Than High Calcium Intake for Calcium Homeostatis
New research suggests that maintaining adequate serum vitamin D levels can ensure ideal parathyroid hormone (PTH) values without the need for calcium intake above 800 mg/day; findings that provide further evidence of the importance of vitamin D to optimal bone health…Steingrimsdottir L, et al. JAMA. 2005;294:2336-2341.

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 31, 2005
Meta-Analysis Points to the Need to Customize Treatment for Subtypes of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
With the increased recognition that radiologic joint and cartilage damage occurs earlier in the course of juvenile idiopathic arthritis than originally thought, a recently released literature review underlines the importance of taking a customized approach to treatment of the disease. However, despite treatment advances, researchers argue that there is no evidence-based consensus on the optimal treatment regimen for several subtypes of JIA. Hashkes PJ, Laxer RM. JAMA. 2005;294:1671-1684.

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
Infliximab Found Highly Effective for Skin and Nail Psoriasis
Infliximab (Remicade®) monotherapy shows rapid onset of action and sustained efficacy as both induction and maintenance therapy for patients with moderate-to-severe skin and nail psoriasis, according to the results of a new multicenter Phase III study ... Reich K, et al. Lancet 2005;366:1367-1374.

Wednesday Oct 12, 2005
Centocor Obtains Approval in Europe for Remicade® for Psoriasis
Centocor, Inc, and its marketing partner, Schering-Plough Corporation, have announced that the European Commission has granted approval of Remicade^R (infliximab)...

Friday Oct 07, 2005
Marked Decrease in Pregnancy Loss Seen in Women with Lupus

Largely due to improvements in perinatal monitoring and disease management, there has been a significant decrease in pregnancy loss among women with systemic lupus erythematosus over the past 40 years . . . Clark CA, et al. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:1709-1712.

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...

Thursday Oct 06, 2005
Human Genome Sciences' LymphoStat-Bâ„¢ for Lupus Fails to Meet Primary Endpoints in Phase II Trial

Human Genome Sciences, Inc (Rockville, Md), announced that its investigational drug for lupus, LymphoStat-Bâ„¢, (belimumab) failed to meet the overall primary efficacy endpoints...

Tuesday Sep 13, 2005
Low-Dose Aspirin May Protect Against Cardiac Hypertrophy and Cardiac Fibrosis in Coxib Users
New murine studies suggest that low-dose aspirin may mitigate the cardiovascular damage known to arise from use of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors... Francois H, et al. Cell Metabolism. 2005;2:201-207.

Friday Sep 09, 2005
Preliminary Data on Genelabs' Prestaraâ„¢ Show Positive Effects on BMD in SLE Patients Taking Glucocorticoids
Genelabs Technologies, Inc, of Redwood City, California, has announced positive results from a preliminary analysis

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
Is There a Role for TNF Inhibitors in Refractory Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus?
New research demonstrating expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in refractory subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) skin lesions suggests a possible role for TNF blockade in the treatment of this disease. Zampieri S, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. August 11, 2005. [Epub ahead of print]

Tuesday Aug 23, 2005
MRI Data Show Etanercept Reduces Spinal Lesions in AS, but Questions Remain
Etanercept therapy leads to the regression of spinal lesions in active ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis... Rudwaleit M, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005;64:1305-1310

Tuesday Aug 09, 2005
Neuropsychiatric Syndromes in SLE Patients Are Complex and Underdiagnosed
Though neuropsychiatric (NP) syndromes, regardless of etiology, are common among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a new study suggests that lupus patients with a history of NP syndromes report more severe anxiety and depression as well as cognitive dysfunction, pointing to the need for earlier diagnosis of these nonspecific symptoms...J Rheumatol. 2005;32:1459-1466.

Friday Aug 05, 2005
RA Patients With High BMI Have Lower Mortality
In a finding that runs contrary to the recognized relationship between increased weight and mortality, a new study has found that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with a high body mass index had a lower risk of death than their leaner counterparts... Escalante A, Haas RW, del Rincón I. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:1624-1629.

Friday Aug 05, 2005
Targeted Genetics' Soluble TNF-α Receptor Technology for Inflammatory Arthritis Called Promising

Targeted Genetics Corporation, of Seattle, Washington, released clinical data from a small multicenter Phase I study showing that tgAAC94, a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, is well tolerated and can be administered directly into the joints of patients with inflammatory arthritis.

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

Monday Jul 18, 2005
GSK and HGS to Jointly Develop LymphoStat-B^{TM  for RA and Lupus}
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (HGS) announced that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has exercised its option under a 1996 agreement to co-develop and commercialize LymphoStat-B (belimumab), a human monoclonal antibody (created through a collaboration with Cambridge Antibody Technology) that neutralizes the activity of B-lymphocyte stimulator, or BlyS^TM, a protein required for the development of B-lymphocytes into mature plasma B cells.

Friday Jul 08, 2005
Genelabs' Prestara^{TM  Gains Orphan Drug Exclusivity to Prevent SLE Bone Loss}
Genelabs Technologies, Inc, reported that Prestara^TM, a synthetic form of the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), has been granted orphan drug exclusivity by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the

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).

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.

Friday Jun 17, 2005
Immunomedics' Anti-CD22 Antibody Shows Promise for Sjogren's Syndrome
Immunomedics, Inc, reported encouraging initial safety and clinical efficacy results from its open-label, non-randomized, Phase I/II trial of epratuzumab for the treatment of patients with Sjogren's syndrome (ss).

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.

Friday Jun 10, 2005
EULAR Report: TNF-α Inhibition and Mycobacterium TB Infection
Several epidemiological studies highlight the importance of prescreening for latent TB before initiation of TNF-α inhibitors... Presented at: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR; June 8-11, 2005; Vienna, Austria.

Wednesday Jun 08, 2005
Future of Vasculitis Treatments Appears Promising
Experts urge revisiting TNF-α blockade as induction therapy in vasculitis and look forward to B-cell depletion agents in the future...The Annual European Congress of Rheumatology of EULAR. Vienna, Austria, June 8-11, 2005

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
Avidex Inhibitor of T Cell Costimulation Enters Phase I Clinical Trials
Avidex Ltd announced the start of Phase I clinical testing for RhuDexR, a small molecule, orally available, immunosuppressant and anti-inflammatory agent, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

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.

Thursday May 05, 2005
Etanercept May Not Be Optimal for Treatment of Systemic Onset JRA
New results showing that more than 50% of SOJRA patients have a poor or limited response to etanercept suggest that alternative therapies are needed...Kimura Y, et al. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:935-942.

Friday Apr 22, 2005
High-Dose Methotrexate Particularly Effective for Polyarticular Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
A head-to-head trial comparing leflunomide and methotrexate monotherapy showed that both drugs demonstrated significant improvement in ACR Pediatric 30 responses through a 48-week course of therapy...Silverman E, et al. New Engl J Med. 2005;352:1655-1666.

Friday Apr 15, 2005
Small Interfering RNA Suppresses Inflammation in Mouse Model of Arthritis
Local administratipon of TNF-α-directed siRNA inhibits collagen-induced arthritis in mice, suggesting a potential treatment strategy for RA...Schiffelers, RM. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;52:1314-1318.

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).

Wednesday Apr 13, 2005
Genelabs' Prasterone (Prestara®) Fails to Increase Bone Mineral Density in Women with Lupus
Genelabs Technologies, Inc. reported recently that in a 9-month, Phase III trial, treatment with Prestara (prasterone), a synthetic form of the human hormone dehydroepiandrosterone, failed to achieve the primary endpoint of improving bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine in women with systemic lupus erythematosus receiving concomitant glucocorticoids.

Tuesday Apr 12, 2005
New Lupus Public Service Campaign Seeks to Raise Awareness and Speed Diagnosis
The Lupus Research Institute and other organizations hope the new campaign will alert patients to the often vague signs and symptoms of lupus earlier in the course of the disease...Lupus Research Institute [press release]. April 6, 2005.

Wednesday Apr 06, 2005
Study Links TNF Inhibitors to Dermatologic Problems in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Although a causative relationship has yet to be established, the new data put physicians on alert for a "less than major complication" Flendrie M, et al. Arthritis Res Ther. 2005;7:666-676.

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

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.

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.

Thursday Feb 17, 2005
Anti-CCP Antibodies Detected in Psoriatic Arthritis Patients
New research suggests that the specificity of this marker may lead to more precise diagnostic criteria for this broad spectrum disease...Vander Cruyssen B, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2005. [Epub ahead of print]

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.

Monday Jan 31, 2005
Genetic Discovery May Lead to New Lupus Treatments
Two newly discovered genes may help lupus researchers crack the interferon code, leading to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of SLE and to novel drug targets... Sigurdsson S, et al. Am J Hum Genet. 2005;18:76-79.

Friday Jan 21, 2005
The Promise and Peril of the Next Generation of COX-2 Inhibitors
CIAOMed continues its series on 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 selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. The second (CIAOMed.org; December 10, 2004) examined the impact of recent disclosures about COX-2s and CV risk on patient management. This third and final installment focuses on the clues to CV risk profiles of the second-generation COX-2 inhibitors and the role these newer drugs will play if they are approved for marketing in the US& Brune K, Hinz B. Scand J Rheumatol. 2004;33:1-6.

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
UVA-1 Light Useful as Adjuvant Therapy for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
A new study by Dutch researchers has found that UVA-1 cold light therapy significantly decreases validated disease activity indices in patients with moderately active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without causing significant adverse effects... Polderman MCA, et al. Rheumatology. 2004;43:1402-1404.

Tuesday Dec 21, 2004
SLE Patients Treated with TNF-ÃŽalpha Blockade Show Improvement
Study indicates that TNF-alpha blocker may reduce SLE disease activity in patients' joints and kidneys, without serious adverse events; need for larger clinical trials cited... Aringer M, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50: 3161-3169.

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.

Thursday Nov 18, 2004
Mexican Ancestry May Be Associated With Earlier Onset of Damage in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Hispanic patients with SLE who are living in Texas may be predisposed to a shorter time to initial damage, which is known to predispose to the accrual of further damage&Toloza SMA, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;3177-3186.

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.

Wednesday Oct 20, 2004
Awards Given to Key Investigators for Clinical Research; Community and Professional Service
The second awards session reflected the diversity of contributions rheumatologists make in scientific research and in their communities.

Wednesday Oct 20, 2004
Studies Show Potential of New Agents Targeting Beta-Cell Depletion

A Phase I trial of rituximab, and an initial clinical study of epratuzumab, showed the treatments to be well tolerated and linked to promising responses in lupus patients... Albert D et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 19, 2004; San Antonio, Texas.

Tuesday Oct 19, 2004
Oral Contraceptives Appear to Be Safe for Most Lupus Patients
Findings from 2 new studies have potential to reverse previous approaches to contraception for women with SLE …. Petri M, et al. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology; October 18, 2004; San Antonio, Tex.

Monday Oct 18, 2004
Key Contributors to Rheumatology Acknowledged in ACR 2004 Awards
The opening plenary session acknowledged the recipients of the Presidential Gold Medal, the Distinguished Investigator Award, and the Distinguished Rheumatologist Award.

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…

Monday Aug 30, 2004
SLE Researchers Encouraged to Use Biomarkers, Surrogate Markers as Study Endpoints; New Research Shows B-Cell Depletion to Have Role in SLE Therapy
(Schiffenbauer J, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50:2415-2422; Looney RJ, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50:2580-2589.)

Wednesday Aug 25, 2004
Eighth International Scleroderma Meeting Reflects Increased Interest

Research on etiology and potential therapeutic targets were highlights of the Eighth International Workshop on Scleroderma Research.

Friday Jun 11, 2004
Pain Management Remains a Key Component to Treatment of Inflammatory Conditions
Understanding the mechanisms involved in chronic pain and treating it as effectively as possible is a crucial component to the management of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disease...

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.