Musculoskeletal Center Wins $2.2 Million For Drug Safety
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) has won a $2.2 million federal grant to study the risks and benefits of a newer class of medicines called biologics. These are genetically engineered therapies that target the immune system of patients who have rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders.

Crohn's Disease Surgeries Make Steady Advances
Thousands of Americans suffering from the chronic inflammatory bowel condition known as Crohn's disease are leading longer, healthier lives due to innovative new surgeries, according to experts at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Prometheus Presents New Clinical Insights Into Diagnosis Of Crohn's Disease In Children From Analysis Of PROMETHEUS(R) IBD Serology 7 Test Results
Prometheus Laboratories Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic company, announced new findings regarding the correlation between serologic markers and the diagnostic predictions of children with Crohn's disease following an analysis of PROMETHEUS(R) IBD Serology 7 test results.

Adalimumab May Reduce Health-Care Costs For Crohn's Disease Patients
Additional study shows further research needed on 5-ASA's chemopreventative role in ulcerative colitis Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term that refers to both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). IBD occurs most frequently in people in their late teens and twenties. There have been cases in children as young as two years old and in older adults in their seventies and eighties; men and women have an equal chance of getting the disease.

A Faster Test For The Food Protein That Triggers Celiac Disease - Analytical Chemistry Journal
Researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom are reporting development of a faster test for identifying the food protein that triggers celiac disease, a difficult-to-diagnose digestive disease involving the inability to digest protein called gluten that occurs in wheat, oats, rye, and barley. The finding could help millions of people avoid diarrhea, bloating, and other symptoms that occur when they unknowingly eat foods containing gluten.

Philips' Intelligent Pill Targets Drug Development And Treatment For Digestive Tract Diseases
At this week's opening of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition (Atlanta, USA, November 16-20, 2008) Philips Research will announce its new intelligent pill technology "iPill", targeted at assisting drug development and enabling new therapies for debilitating and life-threatening digestive tract disorders such as Crohn's disease, colitis and colon cancer.

Abbott's HUMIRA® (adalimumab) Data Shows Fistula Healing For Up To Three Years In Patients With Moderate To Severe Crohn's Disease
New data showed that Abbott's (NYSE: ABT) HUMIRA® (adalimumab) provided long-term treatment of fistulas, with more than half of patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease experiencing fistula healing at three years, according to clinical research presented today at the United European Gastroenterology Week (UEGW) congress in Vienna.

Newly Discovered Immune Cell May Help Those With Crohn's And Colitis
The tonsils and lymphoid tissues in the intestinal tract that help protect the body from external pathogens are the home base of a rare immune cell newly identified by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers indicate that the immune cells could have a therapeutic role in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Crohn's Disease - Neovacs Begins A Phase I/II Clinical Trial With Candidate TNFα-kinoid, First Phase I/II Human Study Of A Kinoid
Neovacs, a leading biotechnology company in the development of anti-cytokine and anti-protein viral regulation therapeutic vaccines to treat certain cancers and inflammatory diseases, announced that it had begun a phase I/II clinical study at three study centres in South Africa with the candidate TNFα-kinoid, a therapeutic vaccine for the treatment of TNFα dependent auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and psoriasis.

Remicade(R) (Infliximab) Is More Likely To Induce Steroid-Free Remission And Mucosal Healing Compared With Azathioprine
Data presented today at the United European Gastroenterology Week Congress (UEGW) show that a significantly greater proportion of patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease experienced steroid-free remission and mucosal healing when receiving Remicade(R) (infliximab), either in combination with azathioprine or as monotherapy, compared to patients receiving azathioprine alone.

HUMIRA(R) (adalimumab) Data Shows Fistula Healing For Up To 3 Years In Patients With Moderate To Severe Crohn's Disease
New data showed that Abbott's HUMIRA® (adalimumab) provided long-term treatment of fistulas, with more than half of patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease experiencing fistula healing at three years, according to clinical research presented today at the United European Gastroenterology Week (UEGW) congress in Vienna.

New Information Guides Available For Patients Diagnosed With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
To help those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) be better informed and involved in managing their disease, the European Foundation of Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis Associations (EFCCA) has launched a new series of guides titled "Life and IBD". For over one million people across Europe who have it, IBD can be an overwhelming experience with new physicians, medications and terminology.

CIMZIA(R) (Certolizumab Pegol) Provides Long-Term Benefit Without Dose Escalation In Crohn's Disease Patients
Data from two studies presented this week by UCB at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting demonstrate that CIMZIA(R) (certolizumab pegol) - the only PEGylated anti-TNF alpha (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) - provides sustained improvement in symptoms with stable dosing for adult patients suffering from moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD).

Mayo Clinic Collaborates To Advance Crohn's Treatment
A study led by Mayo Clinic has found that infliximab (Remicade®) administered alone (monotherapy) or in combination with azathioprine is a more effective treatment for patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease than azathioprine alone. These findings were presented at the 2008 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that affects an estimated 500,000 people in the United States.

CIMZIA(R) (certolizumab Pegol) Reduces Intestinal Lesions And Induces Endoscopic Improvement In Crohn's Patients
UCB presented data from a large, prospective study investigating endoscopic improvement in Crohn's disease (CD) with a biologic compound.