Immunotherapy Weekly articles from January 2003

Immunotherapy Weekly archives from January 2003

Interleukin gene therapy alleviates several effects of colitis.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - A European study indicates interleukin (IL)-10 gene therapy might alleviate a significant number of effects associated with colitis and Crohn disease. ...

OHSU researchers make key immune system discover.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A key discovery about the immune system's skill in fighting off harmful disease-causing germs may lead to the ability to boost the immune systems of the elderly and otherwise susceptible, and offer more...

Immunogenicity of a plasmid DNA vaccine encoding chimeric idiotype studied.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from the United States, "B-cell lymphomas express tumor-specific immunoglobulin, the variable regions of which idiotype (Id) can serve as a target for active immunotherapy....

Combined antiangiogenic and immune therapy may hold promise.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- University of Pittsburgh researchers say a strategy that combines antiangiogenic and immune therapies may have potential to fight breast cancer. "The therapeutic efficacy of combined antiangiogenic...

Antitumor reactivity of peptide-induced CTLs important for epitope selection.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "The development of immunotherapy for cancer, such as synthetic peptide-based vaccines, relies heavily on the identification of appropriate epitopes capable of eliciting antitumor T-cell responses,"...

Natural killer cell activity can prevent clinical disease after infection.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Agents that activate natural killer T (NKT) cells may prevent disease development after Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, researchers in the United States...

Encasing mattress reduces mite sensitization in young children.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A recent study evaluated "the effectiveness of prevention measures against dust mite sensitization." The preventive measure assessed was mattress encasement. Study subjects were "toddlers and...

Chest physician raises concerns over asthma drug for children.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A consultant chest physician who has worked on a scientific paper published in the journal Archives of Childhood Disease, said that the study has revealed an "unexpected and alarming frequency of a...

Nasal administration of CTB-insulin induces active tolerance in murine model.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Nasal administration of beta cell-derived auto-antigens has been reported to suppress the development of autoimmune diabetes. We investigated the tolerogenic effects of insulin conjugated to the B...

Antibody deficiency isn't common causal factor after 40.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from Scotland, "Bronchiectasis is a common complication of primary antibody deficiency but the incidence of antibody deficiency as an underlying cause of bronchiectasis is largely...

New approach helps identify peptide-based immunotherapeutics.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Germany are trying "to identify as many candidates as possible for tumor-associated T-cell epitopes in individual patients." According to T. Weinschenk and colleagues, University of...

Pharmaceutical company shifts focus to dry eye, allergic rhinitis programs.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ISPH) announced that it will discontinue the development of INS365 Respiratory for chronic bronchitis, based on a recent portfolio review and a continued focus on higher...

Bone morphogenic protein technology licensed to Ortho Biotech.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Curis, Inc., (CRIS) announced it has licensed its broad bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) technology portfolio to Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies. ...

Study demonstrates Leukine potential in treatment of Crohn disease.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of a pilot study report that daily subcutaneous injection of Leukine (sargramostim/GM-CSF) was well tolerated, significantly reduced Crohn disease symptoms, and might provide a novel approach to...

Caught sleeping: Study captures virus dormant in human cells.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Princeton scientists have taken an important step toward understanding a virus that infects and lies dormant in most people, but emerges as a serious illness in transplant patients, some newborns and...

Agreement reached with FDA for KRX-101 subpart-H plan.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., (KERX; KRX) announced that it has designed a Subpart H (accelerated approval) development plan in collaboration with the FDA for KRX-101, Keryx's Fast-Track...

Crohn disease patients exhibit gut-specific sensitization to food antigens.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of a small study demonstrate that Crohn's disease patients exhibit gut-specific sensitization to food antigens. "Food antigens may contribute to gut inflammation in Crohn's disease," noted...

Tumor-sensitized lymphocytes are immunotherapeutic in rat model.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of a study in glioma-bearing rats indicate that tumor-sensitized lymphocytes may be an immunotherapeutic approach to glioma. "For adoptively transferred lymphocytes to exert anti-tumor...

Short-term induction treatment with IFN doesn't improve long-term outcome.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from Sweden, "the early decline of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels during therapy may predict the outcome and can be utilized to improve treatment regimens." T. Carlsson and...

Chronic T cell activation induces immunodeficiency.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- One of the hallmarks of infection with HIV is a reduction in the number of CD4 T cells to dangerously low levels. How this depletion occurs, whether by direct killing of the CD4 T cells or chronic...

High-intensity regimen for chronic HCV genotype lb infection not well tolerated.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- High-intensity interferon-alpha therapy was not well tolerated by many patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1b participating in a recent study. Researchers in Japan "administered...

Human serum albumin-interferon-alpha fusion protein studied.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human Genome Science Inc. recently presented pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data on its human serum albumin-interferon-alpha fusion protein, Albuferon. Study authors B.L. Osborn and colleagues...

Anti-endothelial cell antibodies may play pathogenic role in vascular disease.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis with cardiac and noncardiac complications. Anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) are found among many patients with KD," note researchers in Israel....

Irbesartan is a cost-effective treatment of diabetic kidney disease.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Up to $2.3 billion in total healthcare cost savings could be achieved in just three years if Americans with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease received treatment with irbesartan, according to an...

Interleukin-10 receptor blockade is immunotherapeutic in murine model.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from the United States, "Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is thought to promote intracellular infection, including human visceral leishmaniasis, by disabling Th1 cell-type responses...

Adjuvant immunotherapy using vaccinia viral lysates found ineffective.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Phase III study results show immunotherapy with vaccinia viral lysates doesn't benefit patients with high-risk melanoma. The "prospective, randomized, multicenter trial [aimed] to determine whether...

Thalidomide-like compound shows early promise.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A drug similar to thalidomide has been found to be promising with fewer side effects for treating patients with recurrent multiple myeloma, an incurable form of bone marrow cancer, according to early...

Immunologic 'bait and switch' may be key to treating autoimmune diseases.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have demonstrated that it may be possible to improve treatment of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, and prevent rejection of transplanted...

Genitope initiates clinical trial to evaluate GTOP-99 following use of Rituxan.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genitope Corp. announced the initiation of a clinical trial to evaluate the use of GTOP-99, a personalized vaccine-like immunotherapy, following treatment with Rituxan (rituximab) for patients...

Adenovirus-mediated transfer of viral IL-10 gene has potential to treat uveitis.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gene therapy to promote systemic and local expression of viral interleukin 10 could have potential against uveitis, researchers say. "Pathological ocular manifestations result from a dysregulation...

T-cell targeting immunotherapy "still a hypothesis".
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Internists at Haukeland University Hospital in Norway recently commented on T-cell targeting immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer. "Until recently," they said, "this therapeutic strategy has been...

Immune deficiency in Nijmegen breakage syndrome is variable, progressive.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers characterized and monitored, over 8 years, "defects of immune responses... in 40 of 50 Polish children with Nijmegen breakage syndrome [NBS] referred to the Children's Memorial Health...

Viral IL-10 gene therapy reduces tissue inflammation in P. carinii infection.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "The relationship between tissue inflammation and clearance of the opportunistic pathogen Pneumocystis carinii is poorly understood," noted Louisiana State University researchers in a recent study. ...

CDP 870 phase III milestone payment received from Pharmacia.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Celltech Group plc (CLL) announced that it has received a $10 million milestone payment from Pharmacia Corporation (PHA), relating to the initiation of phase III clinical development with CDP 870 in...

Dexamethasone shows promise as coadjuvant agent.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Brazil say dexamethasone has potential as a "convenient and promising coadjuvant agent" for treatment of schistosomiasis. A.D. Pyrrho and colleagues "evaluated the effects of...

Researchers study link between asthma, allergic rhinitis.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aventis (AVE) released new information on the most comprehensive research program to date to study prescription seasonal allergy antihistamine Allegra (fexofenadine HCl). Aventis is working to...

Support for the "hygiene hypothesis": More siblings mean less hay fever.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Are you an only child? Got seasonal allergies? Maybe you should blame your parents. "The prevalence of allergic rhinitis is increasing. Many authors have noted the prevalence of hay fever is less...

Coriell Institute ships first unit for transplantation.
January 1, 2003... 2003 JAN 1 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Coriell Institute for Medical Research's New Jersey Cord Blood Bank (NJCBB) has been approved as a National Marrow Donor Program member and it has recently shipped its first umbilical cord blood...

Systemic gene therapy shows anti-inflammatory potential.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - The pain and debilitating effects of arthritis may some day be relieved with gene therapy. Research performed at Long Island Jewish Medical Center indicates...

Leptin levels linked to antiretroviral-induced immune recovery.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Leptin levels may be linked to immune recovery after antiretroviral therapy in pediatric HIV patients, researchers in Italy report. "Because leptin, the...

Effective tumor targeting visualized by redirected CD8+ natural killer T cells.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "HER2 is an attractive immunotherapeutic target for neoplastic disease because this cell surface molecule is overexpressed on a large fraction of malignant tumor cells," write Stanford University,...

Combined effects of immunosuppressive drugs with anti-CD40L mAb studied.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Recent study data suggest "immunosuppressive pharmacologic agents enhance anti-CD40L [monoclonal antibody]-facilitated alloengraftment and tolerance induction under nonmyeloalblative conditioning," say...

Recombinant E. coli vaccine promotes MHC class I-dependent antigen presentation.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cancer researchers in England "have examined the potential of recombinant Escherichia coli expressing listeriolysin 0 (LL0) to deliver tumor antigens to dendritic cells (DCs) for cancer immunotherapy."...

DNA vaccine elicits humoral and cellular immune responses in lymphoma patients.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - A vaccine containing DNA encoding tumor immunoglobulin from patients with follicular B-cell lymphoma was shown to be safe and immunogenic in phase...

Activation of antigen-presenting cells rebukes viral replication in liver.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Externally activated immune system cells can make a difference in the fight against chronic hepatitis B. Medical investigators at Scripps Clinic and...

Phase IIa clinical trials initiated for PCL-016 in mild-to-moderate acne.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Novactyl, Inc., announced that it has started enrolling patients in its first phase IIa clinical trial for PCL-016 for the treatment of mild to moderate acne. This study will further investigate the...

Pharmacia Diagnostics obtains exclusive rights for recombinant allergens.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Heska Corp. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Pharmacia Diagnostics, in which Pharmacia Diagnostics has acquired a worldwide exclusive license to develop and commercialize Heska's...

Cytokines appear to act in a positive autocrine loop in human lung mast cells.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from England, "The generation of cytokines, particularly TNF [tumor necrosis factor]-alpha, by mast cells is crucial for the initiation of the allergic response. A key...

Fungal extract causes allergic asthma-like responses in a BALB/c mouse model.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report that in a murine model, an antigen preparation of the fungus Stachybotrys chartarum causes asthma-like responses. "Environmental...

Antibiotic agent AP158 active against medically important biofilms.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antex Pharma, Inc., a whollyowned subsidiary of Antex Biologics, Inc., (ANX), announced its lead antibiotic compound, AP158, destroyed biofilms in recently completed studies. Biofilms, an...

Arthritis gene therapy program yields promising preclinical data.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Targeted Genetics Corp. (TGEN) announced the publication of data from its preclinical program in arthritis. Data show that adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector delivery of DNA encoding a tumor...

Enbrel offered to additional 40,000 arthritis patients.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen (AMGN) and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (WYE), announced that supply of the biologic, Enbrel (etanercept), has been offered to more than 40,000 patients on the Enbrel prospective...

Results announced from phase III study of Enbrel dosed once weekly.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen (AMGN) announced that a clinical study assessing 50 mg of Enbrel (etanercept) administered once weekly demonstrated similar efficacy, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics to that of 25 mg of Enbrel...

Ambient level of NO[subscript]2 augments the inflammatory response to inhaled allergen.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Recent study findings "suggest that ambient NO[subscript]2 can enhance allergic inflammatory reaction in the airways without causing symptoms or pulmonary dysfunction." "Air pollution constitutes...

Vaccine generates strong immune response in women with advanced disease.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dendreon Corp. (DNDN) has announced that results of a phase I study indicate that APC8024, the company's investigational therapeutic vaccine for breast, ovarian and colon cancer appears to be safe and...

Coactive strategy boosts IL-18 antitumor effect.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from Japan, "Interleukin-18 is a potent cytokine expressed early in the immune response following cleavage in activated composes. We have investigated the in vivo antitumor...

Phage-display selection technique for specific human scFv antibody described.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Overexpression of the cell-surface glycosphingolipid G(M3) is associated with a number of different cancers, including those of the skin, colon, breast, and lung. Antibodies against the G(M3) epitope...

Two antigens may be targets in desmoplastic small round cell tumor.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cancer researchers have identified two tumor antigens - the disialogan-glioside G(D2) and a novel antigen using antibody 8H9 - as possible immunotherapy targets against desmoplastic small round cell...

IND application filed for lung and colorectal cancer vaccine candidate.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Epimmune, Inc., (EPMN) announced that it has filed an investigational new drug application, or IND, with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for a multiepitope vaccine for the...

Tumor cell lysate-pulsed DC effective for T-cell lymphoma immunotherapy.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from the United States, "TCR Id protein conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) (TCR Id:KLH) and injected with a chemical adjuvant (QS-21) induces a protective, Id-specific...

AIF-1 expression correlates with cardiac rejection, CAV development.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from the United States, "Standard morphological features of endomyocardial biopsy specimens do not necessarily correlate with the efficacy of immunotherapy or development of cardiac...

Anthrogenesis Corp. announces license agreement.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- PharmaStem Therapeutics, Inc., and Anthrogenesis Corp. announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Anthrogenesis has obtained a license to PharmaStem's patent portfolio. ...

Prevalence of atopic disorders calculated in patients with rheumatoid disease.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Rheumatologists in Germany conducted a study "to test the hypothesis that Th2 polarized atopic disorders may be decreased in Th1 polarized rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but increased in ankylosing...

Oligonucleotide-based topical immunotherapy against HSV-2 has promise.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vaccinologists at the University of Texas say immunostimulatory sequence-containing oligonucleotides may have application as treatment for genital herpes. "Synthetic oligonucleotides containing CpG...

No more medical roulette: Publisher says internet will change in 2003.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx is celebrating its twentieth year as a publisher by adding 20 new weeklies. The company's CEO is predicting major changes in the publishing industry and Internet in 2003. The Atlanta-based...

Alpha/beta interferon, gamma interferon synergy inhibits HSV-1 replication.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to Tulane University researchers, "In vivo evidence suggests that T-cell-derived gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) can directly inhibit the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)....

Phase I trial data on novel bispecific molecule H22xKi-4 reported.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the University of Cologne, Germany, have reported phase I trial data on a molecule they developed for immunotherapy of Hodgkin lymphoma. They say their results indicate further clinical...

MCP-1 modulates the differentiation of monocytes into dendritic cells.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Japan have examined the effects of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 on the cytokine-driven differentiation of monocytes into dendritic cells. According to N. Omata and colleagues,...

Butyrate has multiple effects on human monocyte-derived DCs, macrophages.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study from France suggests butyrate and its derivatives have potential as immunotherapeutic agents. A.L. Millard and colleagues "studied the in vitro effects of butyric acid on differentiation,...

Cryptococcus neoformans protein triggers murine anticandidal activity.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Italy and the United States have identified a novel method for inducing anticandidal immune activity. "We previously demonstrated that...

Orally administered RDP58 reduces severity of DSS-induced colitis.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Oral administration of the novel-inflammatory peptide RDP58 markedly reduced the severity of dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) colitis as determined by clinical and quantitative histological criteria,"...

Manufacturing technology for IVIG licensed to Japanese Red Cross.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bayer Biological Products (BP) announced that it has agreed to license its technology for the production of intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) 5% S/D to the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRC) to enhance...

Monoclonal antibodies characterized by laser backscattering.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to researchers in France, "A problem in immunohematology is to define the antibody quality which is related to its affinity expressed by the equilibrium constant. The activity of an antibody...

Hepatitis-associated cancer prevented by anti-Fas ligand antibody therapy.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Oncologists in Japan have demonstrated that improving chronic inflammation in an animal model by anti-Fas ligand antibody therapy resulted in reduced hepatocellular carcinoma development. "A...

M2BP has use as a tumor marker and target antigen in cancer immunotherapy.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers report 90K/Mac-2 binding protein (M2BP) has potential as a tumor marker and as a target antigen in immunotherapy for lung cancer. Y. Ozaki and colleagues, Shiga University of Medical...

Phase II study data reported on rituximab + fludarabine immunotherapy.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A combined immunotherapy regimen of rituximab and fludarabine was shown to be feasible and effective in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and who had not received these compounds before. ...

Farnesyl transferase inhibitors may have therapeutic potential.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cancer researchers in Germany report that treatment of human multiple myeloma cells with an interleukin-6 antagonist or "an anti-gp130 monoclonal antibody induced apoptosis if the cells were cultured in...

Trial evaluates dosing and scheduling of adjuvant administered with personalized immunotherapy.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genitope Corp. has announced promising results of a phase II clinical trial to evaluate dosage and scheduling of an adjuvant which is administered with the company's personalized vaccine-like...

HuMax-TAC program announced.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genmab, A/S, announced its HuMax-TAC antibody program against the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) target, also known as TAC, for use to treat organ transplant rejection. Genmab has identified a lead...

Centerpulse introduces minimally invasive unicompartmental knee instrumentation.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Centerpulse Orthopedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Centerpulse (CEP), announced the Natural-Knee Unicompartmental System Instrumentation for minimally invasive unicompartmental knee replacement (partial...

Infliximab is effective, safe in clinical trial.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A small clinical trial investigating the monoclonal antibody infliximab as a treatment for psoriatic arthritis found the drug was effective, safe, and well tolerated. Researchers in Germany...

Organon, predictive biosimulation company enter RA research collaboration.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Entelos, Inc., the leader in predictive biosimulation, and Organon announced that they have decided to continue their collaboration and to expand their research program in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

Chemokine mRNA expression studied in bronchoalveolar cells.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Chemotactic cytokines (chemokines) have been recently implicated in the pathogenesis of interstitial lung diseases. A novel chemokine called pulmonary and activation-regulated chemokine (PARC/CCL18),...

Cancer/immunotherapy company updates progress in commercial strategies.
January 8, 2003... 2003 JAN 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- PRIMABioMed, Ltd., a cancer and immunotherapy research and therapeutic development company, provided updates on the progress of its commercial strategies within the company's four primary therapeutic...