Lodotra – a unique modified-release formulation designed to be taken before bed and release low-dose prednisone in the early hours when inflammatory cytokines peak – achieves clinically significant improvements in ACR20, morning stiffness and pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to results from clinical trials presented at the 11th Annual European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) congress.

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The FDA has approved the drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Actemra, the only product on the market that will actively prevent this inflammatory process at the source. Although there are 9 biologically designed products on the market that will treat certain forms of arthritis, Actemra is the only drug that is targeting the disease at the molecular level.

Actemra prevent the arthritis by effectively halting the processing ability of a specific molecular protein known as Interleukin 6 which is known to cause inflammation in the bones and joints of the human body.

AstraZeneca and Pozen have submitted a marketing authorization application or MAA in the EU via the decentralized procedure for Vimovo tablets, a product under investigation for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in patients who are at risk of developing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-associated ulcers. Vimovo is a fixed-dose combination of enteric coated naproxen and immediate release esomeprazole under co-development by AstraZeneca and Pozen.

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University of Pennsylvania researchers have found that the investigational biologic agent tocilizumab appeared to prevent joint erosion among rheumatoid arthritis patients better than treatment with methotrexate alone. Over a two-year period, 75% of the people taking tocilizumab 4 mg/kg showed no radiographic progression or joint damage compared with 66% of patients taking methotrexate alone (P=0.0239).

Drug maker Bristol-Myers Squibb has received the FDA approval for a broader labeling of its rheumatoid arthritis drug, Orencia. Orencia can now also be used to treat patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis of less than or equal to two years duration. Orencia was initially approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis patients who did not respond to other drugs.

Genentech, Inc. and Biogen Idec have announced that a Phase III clinical study of Rituxan® (rituximab) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have not previously been treated with methotrexate (MTX) met its primary endpoint. In this study, known as IMAGE, patients received two infusions of either 500 mg or 1000 mg of Rituxan or placebo for up to two treatment courses in combination with a stable dose of MTX. At week 52, only patients in the 1000 mg treatment group met the primary endpoint

Roche’s Actemra (tocilizumab) can significantly inhibit structural damage to joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a critical measure of effectiveness of an RA treatment. Actemra also improved the patients’ physical function after one year of therapy, leading to a better quality of life. Results from the LITHE1 trial showed that a greater proportion of patients treated with Actemra in combination with a commonly used RA drug called methotrexate (MTX) benefited from a significant inhibition of structural damage during 12 months of therapy, compared to patients treated with MTX alone. Additionally, Actemra improved the patients’ ability to perform normal daily activities.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) produce better detection of bone erosion in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than radiography, according to research published in Arthritis Research & Therapy. The early detection of bone erosion is very important in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Dr Møller Døhn of the Copenhagen University Hospital said, “The number of erosions detected on CT indicate that CT is a very sensitive method for detecting bone erosions in RA wrist bones, possibly even more sensitive than MRI.”

The latest data from Bone Medical’s rheumatoid arthritis (RA) program indicates that BN006 is capable of inhibiting secretion of IL6. The lead drug candidate has been developed to inhibit the secretion of TNF, which is a cytokine associated with the inflammatory process that perpetuates RA. BN006 is now also found to inhibit IL6 secretion by macrophage type cells in culture with a clear dose-response relationship. IL6 is one of the important targets in new therapeutics for the treatment of RA.