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A re-analysis of the genetic landscape of ankylosing spondylitis patients led to Chinese researchers identifying two proteins that may help regulate the disease. Another finding was that an existing drug called Indocid (indomethacin) might be used to bolster the anti-inflammatory role that one of the proteins plays and to curb…

The risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis is significantly higher following past episodes of anterior uveitis, a type of eye inflammation, according to researchers. This finding emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and management of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The study, “Recurrent anterior uveitis and subsequent incidence of ankylosing…

Male sex, older age at diagnosis, and the presence of certain symptoms are all risk factors for overall disability in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a study from South Korea reported. The study, “Comorbidity, disability, and healthcare expenditure…

Russian regulators have approved the Russian company BIOCAD’s infliximab biosimilar as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The approval was based on extensive preclinical-trial studies and trial results showing that BIOCAD is similar to Janssen’s Remicade, the company said. BIOCAD experts the results to support its product’s approval…

Genetic sequencing and the speed with which it can help diagnose a child’s disease — in addition to revealing the genes that cause at least half of the 7,000 rare diseases currently known — was the focus of a discussion by three top New York geneticists. The Feb. 28 conference,…

When it comes to rare diseases, one that definitely makes the list is spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress — SMARD,  for short. Hunter Pageau, a 12-year-old boy from North Haven, Connecticut, is one of only 80 people in the world known to have SMARD, a motor neuron disease…

Treatment with Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) decreased long-term inflammation and disease progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), an analysis of Phase 3 trial data shows. The results appeared in the study, “Limited radiographic progression and sustained reductions in MRI inflammation in patients with axial…

In his 10 months on the job, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is earning praise for his efforts to make clinical trials for new therapies more flexible and responsive to the needs of rare disease patients. From cystic fibrosis to epidermolysis bullosa, the FDA…

Therapy with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) is highly effective in people with ankylosing spondylitis. But researchers suggest that patients whose treatment lost its effectiveness or resulted in adverse events can benefit from switching anti-TNF therapies. These are the conclusions of a review study, “…

At a time of unprecedented polarization in Congress, two U.S. lawmakers — one Republican, one Democrat — are stressing the urgency of working across the aisle to help the estimated 30 million Americans with rare diseases. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-New Jersey) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) spoke to more…