UCB announced results from several Phase III clinical trials evaluating CIMZIA(R) (certolizumab pegol) - the only PEGylated anti-TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) - presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting.

UCB announced today the online publication of pivotal study results showing CIMZIA® (certolizumab pegol), the only PEGylated anti-TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) together with methotrexate (MTX) rapidly reduced symptoms of disease and inhibited progression of joint damage in adult patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with sustained results for up to one year.

Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) and Biogen Idec, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) announced that Rituxan®: (rituximab) data including results from Phase II and III studies of Rituxan in patients with moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) will be featured in two podium presentations and eight poster presentations at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco this week.

Contrary to popular belief, aches and pains are not a typical part of aging. Age alone does not mean a person automatically experiences aches and pains. Pain can be a red flag that points to a disease, illness or injury. Any pain that interferes with the activities of daily life is worthy of attention. MayoClinic.com highlights a number of conditions that can cause major aches and pains as a person ages, and offers information on diagnosis, treatment, self-care and coping.

The use of an antimalarial medication may prevent the onset of diabetes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, new Geisinger research shows. Researchers examined the records of 2,093 Geisinger patients who received treatment for rheumatoid arthritis from 2000 to 2008. The study looked at, among other things, use of the medication hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and the development of new cases of diabetes in these patients.

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGEN) today presented preclinical data on SGN-70 at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, California. SGN-70 is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD70 that is in development as a novel therapy for autoimmune diseases. Seattle Genetics is currently conducting a phase I trial to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of SGN-70 in healthy volunteers.

Swedish researchers report in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases that there is an increase in the risk of developing arthritis in early adulthood if a child has a serious infection during the first year of his or her life. Cecilia Carlens (Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital and Institute, Stockholm, Sweden) and colleagues studied data from national registers on over 3,500 people born between 1973 and 2002.

One-year data from a two-year Phase III study demonstrated that ACTEMRA(R) (tocilizumab) significantly inhibited the progression of structural joint damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Late-breaking results from the LITHE study will be featured as an oral presentation during the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting (October 24-28) in San Francisco.

UCB announced today findings from large-scale rheumatoid arthritis (RA) surveys collectively called the DESIGN study that showed patients rating themselves as having substantially less knowledge of RA therapies than their physicians and nurses believed. The survey also showed disagreement between physicians and nurses over who should be charged with patient education, as well a high level of patient dissatisfaction with the level of pain they suffer from RA.

The University of Kentucky Pharmacy and Medicine Continuing Education Office (UKPMCE) announced today the launch of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Challenge (RAEC), which will address deficits in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis (RA).