Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Want Pain-Free Shopping Days At Christmas

A survey of women in the United Kingdom (U.K.) reveals that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has a severe emotional and physical impact on people living with the disease and their families. Feelings of detachment and isolation from those closest to them due to RA are especially prevalent at Christmas, which should be one of the happiest times of the year. The survey findings of 300 women with RA living in the U.K. suggest that 33% feel the disease impacts on their enjoyment of family events like Christmas, which increases to 39% for women with moderate RA. The survey, sponsored by biopharmaceutical company UCB, highlights that more than a quarter (26%) of women with RA find it always more painful to attend parties and celebrations or have stopped attending altogether;

Genentech And Biogen Idec Announce Positive Results From First Phase III Trial Of Ocrelizumab In Rheumatoid Arthritis

Genentech, Inc. a wholly owned member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), and Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB) announced today a Phase III study (STAGE) of the investigational humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody ocrelizumab given in combination with methotrexate (MTX) met its primary endpoint of improving signs and symptoms (as measured by American College of Rheumatology or ACR20 response) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who had an inadequate response to MTX at both 24 and 48 weeks. Genentech and Biogen Idec continue to analyze the study results and plan to submit the data for presentation at an upcoming medical meeting. "These results are significant because they are the first data from a large Phase III trial to show that a humanized antibody targeted at B-cells improves the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, " said Hal Barron, M.

Too Much Physical Activity May Lead To Arthritis

Middle-aged men and women who engage in high levels of physical activity may be unknowingly causing damage to their knees and increasing their risk for osteoarthritis, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). "Our data suggest that people with higher physical activity levels may be at greater risk for developing knee abnormalities and, thus, at higher risk for developing osteoarthritis, " said Christoph Stehling, M.D., research fellow in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and radiology resident in the Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Muenster, Germany.

Independent Advisory Committee Recommends Continuation Of Phase III Oral Calcitonin Studies For Osteoporosis And Osteoarthritis

Unigene Laboratories, Inc. (OTCBB: UGNE) announced that an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) has recommended that Novartis and its partner Nordic Bioscience proceed as planned with their ongoing oral calcitonin Phase III studies for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Its recommendation is based on the committee's recently completed "futility" analysis of the data obtained from all patients enrolled for at least twelve months in these studies. That analysis included an assessment of both safety and efficacy parameters. It is the committee's opinion that there are no major or unexpected safety concerns and it unanimously recommends to proceed with the studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of oral calcitonin as planned.

Roche, Genentech And Biogen Idec Announce Positive Results From First Phase III Trial Of Ocrelizumab In Rheumatoid Arthritis

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), Genentech, Inc. a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, and Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB) announced a Phase III study (STAGE) of the investigational humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody ocrelizumab given in combination with methotrexate (MTX) met its primary endpoint of improving signs and symptoms (as measured by American College of Rheumatology or ACR20 response) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who had an inadequate response to MTX at both 24 and 48 weeks. The companies continue to analyze the study results and plan to submit the data for presentation at an upcoming medical meeting. "These results are significant because they are the first data from a large Phase III trial to show that a humanized antibody targeted at B-cells improves the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, " said Hal Barron, M.

Chicken Capsules Good For Aching Joints

Chicken collagen can provide relief from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms. A randomised, controlled trial, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy, has found that Chicken type II collagen (CCII), a protein extracted from the cartilage of chicken breast, is a safe and effective treatment for RA. Wei Wei, from Anhui Medical University, China, worked with a team of researchers to test the novel treatment by comparing it to the established antirheumatic drug methotrextate, in 503 RA patients. Patients who received a 12-week course of CCII capsules showed significantly improved joint function, with fewer and milder adverse effects than those taking methotrexate.

Biogen Idec's Oral Compound BG-12 Achieves Development Milestones In MS And RA

Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) today announced that its oral compound BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate) achieved key milestones in clinical trials for multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In recent months, the last patient was enrolled in the CONFIRM trial, the second of two Phase III trials designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BG-12 as a monotherapy in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Both the DEFINE and CONFIRM Phase III trials are now fully enrolled and will evaluate the effect of BG-12 on clinical relapse, disability progression, various MRI measures of disease activity, and safety. The last patient was also enrolled in a Phase II study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of BG-12 in combination with methotrexate in subjects with active RA who had an inadequate response to conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy.

Neovacs Initiates A Phase II Clinical Trial Of TNF-alpha Kinoid In Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Failing TNF-alpha Monoclonal Antibody Therapy

Neovacs, a biotechnology company developing proprietary immunotherapies for autoimmune and chronic diseases, today announced the initiation of a Phase IIa clinical study of its TNFО Kinoid immunotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients who have ceased to respond to an anti-TNFО monoclonal antibody and who test positive for anti-drug antibodies (ADAs). The announcement follows trial clearance by the French regulatory authority (AFFSAPS) and the central ethics committee. Neovacs has also submitted the trial protocol to the relevant authorities in two other European countries and has already received regulatory clearance in one and ethics committee approval in the other.

Osteoarthritis Increases Aggregate Health Care Expenditures By 186 Billion Annually

Osteoarthritis (OA), a highly prevalent disease, raised aggregate annual medical care expenditures in the U.S. by $185.5 billion according to researchers from Stony Brook University. Insurers footed $149.4 billion of the total medical spend and out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures were $36.1 billion (2007 dollars). Results of the cost analysis study are published in the December issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate 27 million Americans suffer from OA with more women than men affected by the disease. Forecasts indicate that by the year 2030, 25% of the adult U.

ArGentis Acquires Rights To Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapy Entering Phase I Clinical Trial

arGentis Pharmaceuticals, LLC announced that it will collaborate with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center of Memphis (VAMC) to initiate the first human clinical evaluation of an oral altered peptide ligand (APL), ARG301, in a Phase I study of Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. ARG301 is a synthetic peptide, which in animal studies appears to down regulate autoimmunity to Type II collagen (CII), a known autoantigen in RA. Investigators at the UTHSC and Memphis VAMC developed the therapy and have received a Clinical Merit Review Grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct the trial. "Due to its unique mechanism of action and compelling preclinical data, we are hopeful that ARG301 will offer a novel therapeutic approach for rheumatoid arthritis, " said Tom I.