NICE Consults On Draft Recommendations For Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis After Treatment With A TNF Inhibitor Has Failed
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising a number of drugs as possible treatments for rheumatoid arthritis after treatment with a tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor has failed. This is a part review of NICE technology appraisal guidance 36, and a review of NICE technology appraisal guidance 126 and 141. NICE has put its initial draft guidance on the NICE website, and this is now open for public consultation. Following a thorough review of all the available evidence, an independent appraisal committee has made the following draft recommendations: - Rituximab (MabThera, Roche Products), in combination with methotrexate, is recommended as an option for the treatment of adults with rheumatoid arthritis that has responded inadequately to other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including treatment with at least one TNF inhibitor, or who are intolerant of other DMARDs.
SSRIs Offer Model For Drug Development Opportunities To Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
A new study found that fluoxetine ( Prozac ® ) and citalopram ( Celexa ® ) treatment significantly inhibited disease progression of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. Research led by Sandra Sacre, Ph.D. from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) in the UK studied the anti-arthritic potential of these drugs, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), most commonly used to treat depression. Both SSRIs exhibited anti-inflammatory effects and may provide drug development opportunities for arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Full findings of this study are published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Rheumatologists Have Plenty Of Choice Among Biologic Agents For RA - Where Will Actemra Find Its Niche?
BioTrends Research Group released topline findings from LaunchTrends® : ACTEMRA, Wave 1, highlighting the market uptake of the product at one month post launch. Actemra (tocilizumab), marketed by Roche-Genentech, is a new IL-6 inhibitor with monthly dosing by IV infusion. The study results are based on an on-line survey completed by 77 rheumatologists in late February. The surveyed rheumatologists are excited to have a new biologic agent that offers a unique mechanism of action and every one of the respondents intends to use Actemra in their practice although the timeframe for adoption does vary. Among those surveyed, 38% have started patients on Actemra and 68% have seen the representative for Actemra.
New NICE Guidance Set To Help People With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Final guidance published today (Wednesday 24 February 2010) by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) means that another drug - certolizumab pegol ( Cimzia ) - can be considered for some people in England and Wales suffering with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease in which joints in the body become inflamed, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. It often affects the small joints of the hands and the feet, and usually both sides equally and symmetrically. Around 580, 000 people in England and Wales have RA, and people of all ages can develop the disease. Over twice as many women as men suffer from the condition.
Walking Linked To Eased Osteoarthritis
"Progressive walking" combined with glucosamine sulphate supplementation has been shown to improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open-access journal Arthritis Research and Therapy found that patients who walked at least two bouts of 1500 steps each on three days of the week reported significantly less arthritis pain, and significantly improved physical function. Dr Kristiann Heesch worked with a team of researchers from The University of Queensland, Australia, to carry out the trial in 36 osteoarthritis patients (aged 42 - 73 years). All patients received the dietary supplement for six weeks, after which they continued to take the supplement during a 12-week progressive walking program.
CEL-SCI Study Shows CEL-2000 Vaccine Blocks Progression Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE CVM) and their scientific collaborators announced that the Company's CEL-2000 vaccine demonstrated that it is able to block the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a mouse model. The results were published in the scientific peer-reviewed Journal of International Immunopharmacology (online edition) in an article titled "CEL-2000: A Therapeutic Vaccine for Rheumatoid Arthritis Arrests Disease Development and Alters Serum Cytokine / Chemokine Patterns in the Bovine Collagen Type II Induced Arthritis in the DBA Mouse Model" with lead author Dr. Daniel Zimmerman. The study was co-authored by scientists from CEL-SCI, Washington Biotech, Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOMP) and Boulder BioPath.
What Is Enbrel Etanercept ? What Is Enbrel Used For?
Enbrel is the trade name for Etanercept, a medication used for treating autoimmune diseases. Enbrel is a TNF (tumor necrosis factor) inhibitor; it interferes with TNF. TNF is made by the body's immune system; it encourages an inflammatory response, causing many of the clinical problems linked to autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and refractory asthma. People with these immune disorders have too much TNF in their bodies. Etanercept is a fusion protein (chimeric protein) - it is created through the joining of two or more genes which originally coded for separate proteins, i.e. it is a protein made from a fusion gene, which is created by fusing (joining) parts of two different genes.
Award Supports Excellence In Musculoskeletal And Rheumatic Disease Education
At the core of the American College of Rheumatology Research and Education Foundation's mission is to attract the best and brightest trainees into a career in rheumatology. To do this, the REF has an extensive portfolio of awards and grants that provide support during critical career stages. One special award, the ACR REF Clinician Scholar Education Award, supports unique individuals who serve as excellent role models for future rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals. The REF is pleased to announce the newest class of Clinician Scholar Educator Award Recipients. The 2010 recipients are: Eugene Kissin, MD Boston University A Competency Based Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Curriculum As an increasing number of rheumatology training programs adopt musculoskeletal ultrasound into the course of fellowship, the development of a standardized training and competency testing procedure for musculoskeletal ultrasound becomes imperative.
New Nanoscopic Material Enables Cartilage To Do What It Doesn't Do Naturally
Northwestern University researchers are the first to design a bioactive nanomaterial that promotes the growth of new cartilage in vivo and without the use of expensive growth factors. Minimally invasive, the therapy activates the bone marrow stem cells and produces natural cartilage. No conventional therapy can do this. The results will be published online the week of Feb. 1 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "Unlike bone, cartilage does not grow back, and therefore clinical strategies to regenerate this tissue are of great interest, " said Samuel I. Stupp, senior author, Board of Trustees Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, and Medicine, and director of the Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine.
Animal Models That Help Translate Regenerative Therapies From Bench To Bedside
Clinical testing and development of novel therapies based on advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine that will one day enable the repair and replacement of diseased or damaged human muscle, bone, tendons, and ligaments depends on the availability of good animal models. The highlights of a recent workshop that explored the need for and current status of animal models for musculoskeletal regenerative medicine are presented in a special issue of Tissue Engineering, Part B: Reviews, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The issue is available free online ( http://www.liebertpub.com/ten ). The production of specially engineered tissues to restore the function and viability of cartilage or meniscus in the knee, for example, or of degenerating intervertebral discs in the spine, will likely one day be commonplace.