News and information about the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases (NDB) and arthritis and rheumatology research. Written for NDB participants and anyone with a rheumatic disease.
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Friday, September 30, 2005
Family may offer insight to bone-cartilage interaction
"U.S. researchers have found evidence of a new hereditary joint disorder that causes cartilage to 'bubble' and peel away from the bone." - from HealthDay
"U.S. researchers have found evidence of a new hereditary joint disorder that causes cartilage to 'bubble' and peel away from the bone." - from HealthDay
Monday, September 26, 2005
More dollars for research, but fewer new drugs
"Total U.S. investment in biomedical research has more than doubled in a decade, rising from $37 billion annually in 1994 to more than $94 billion by 2003, a new report shows. The statistic should please most Americans: According to a second report, almost 80 percent of people consistently support medical research as one of the nation's top spending priorities.... And yet the study did uncover one sobering statistic: Despite the doubling in research investment, the number of new drugs receiving Food and Drug Administration approval actually dropped during the past decade, from an average of 35.5 a year between 1994-1997 to only 23.3 annually by 2001-2004." - from MedlinePlus
"Total U.S. investment in biomedical research has more than doubled in a decade, rising from $37 billion annually in 1994 to more than $94 billion by 2003, a new report shows. The statistic should please most Americans: According to a second report, almost 80 percent of people consistently support medical research as one of the nation's top spending priorities.... And yet the study did uncover one sobering statistic: Despite the doubling in research investment, the number of new drugs receiving Food and Drug Administration approval actually dropped during the past decade, from an average of 35.5 a year between 1994-1997 to only 23.3 annually by 2001-2004." - from MedlinePlus
Friday, September 23, 2005
FDA rejects injectable cox-2, parecoxib
"U.S. regulators have rejected Pfizer Inc.'s application to market an injectable drug very similar to its withdrawn Bextra arthritis pill, the company said on Tuesday....The injectable drug is sold overseas, including in the European Union, mostly under the brand name Dynastat. European regulators have said benefits of that form of the drug, used to control pain after surgery, outweigh its potential risks." - from Yahoo! Health News
"U.S. regulators have rejected Pfizer Inc.'s application to market an injectable drug very similar to its withdrawn Bextra arthritis pill, the company said on Tuesday....The injectable drug is sold overseas, including in the European Union, mostly under the brand name Dynastat. European regulators have said benefits of that form of the drug, used to control pain after surgery, outweigh its potential risks." - from Yahoo! Health News
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Study: Oil exposure increases RA risk
"Scientists said Wednesday the results of a new study indicate occupational exposure to motor oil significantly increases the chances a person will develop rheumatoid arthritis. 'According to the results of our study, mineral oils (in particular, hydraulic oil and motor oil) appear to be associated with a particular high risk of' two different forms of rheumatoid arthritis, a team of Swedish researchers led by Lars Klareskog of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm wrote in the Sept. 23 issue of Arthritis Research and Therapy." - from MedlinePlus
"Scientists said Wednesday the results of a new study indicate occupational exposure to motor oil significantly increases the chances a person will develop rheumatoid arthritis. 'According to the results of our study, mineral oils (in particular, hydraulic oil and motor oil) appear to be associated with a particular high risk of' two different forms of rheumatoid arthritis, a team of Swedish researchers led by Lars Klareskog of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm wrote in the Sept. 23 issue of Arthritis Research and Therapy." - from MedlinePlus
Monday, September 19, 2005
Abatacept may be newest drug in anti-RA arsenal
"People with rheumatoid arthritis that doesn't respond to any of the currently available treatments may soon have a new therapeutic option. A new medication called abatacept (brand name, Orencia), more than doubled the odds that someone with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis had at least a 20 percent improvement in symptoms, according to a new study.....Abatacept works by blocking a signal that fully activates the immune system's T-cells. Because the drug modifies the response of the immune system, the risk of infection is potentially increased." - from HealthDay
"People with rheumatoid arthritis that doesn't respond to any of the currently available treatments may soon have a new therapeutic option. A new medication called abatacept (brand name, Orencia), more than doubled the odds that someone with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis had at least a 20 percent improvement in symptoms, according to a new study.....Abatacept works by blocking a signal that fully activates the immune system's T-cells. Because the drug modifies the response of the immune system, the risk of infection is potentially increased." - from HealthDay
Tell your doctor about your alternative meds
"The popularity of complementary and alternative medicine is on the rise, with more than one-third of U.S. adults using at least one these treatments, according to a recent report by the Institute of Medicine. And if you're like most proponents of these treatments, you probably don't mention them to your primary-care physician. You may think it's not important or you might just forget. Or, you might think your doctor won't approve." - from HealthDay
"The popularity of complementary and alternative medicine is on the rise, with more than one-third of U.S. adults using at least one these treatments, according to a recent report by the Institute of Medicine. And if you're like most proponents of these treatments, you probably don't mention them to your primary-care physician. You may think it's not important or you might just forget. Or, you might think your doctor won't approve." - from HealthDay
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
RA becoming less severe, study says
"Scientists have some good news for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers: The disease is becoming milder, with less severe symptoms and less functional disability compared to that experienced by arthritis patients in the past. The exact reasons for the decline in rheumatoid arthritis severity remains unclear, Dutch researchers say, but may stem from the more aggressive drug therapies that are now available to patients." - from HealthDay
"Scientists have some good news for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers: The disease is becoming milder, with less severe symptoms and less functional disability compared to that experienced by arthritis patients in the past. The exact reasons for the decline in rheumatoid arthritis severity remains unclear, Dutch researchers say, but may stem from the more aggressive drug therapies that are now available to patients." - from HealthDay
Now available for your support group or arthritis meetings....Our new pamphlets explain what we do and how you and can help. Each one has a postage-paid postcard to request more information or join the project. The pamphlets and a small table-top stand are available free from the NDB. Just send us an email!