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Biotech / Medical : Indications -- Psoriasis/Chronic Inflammation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Icebrg who wrote (280)	10/4/2002 11:13:37 AM
From: scaram(o)uche	Respond to of 631

>> Note: According to Swedish news media the research was previously supported by GSK, who however choose to discontinue the support. << Genomics 2002 Mar;79(3):305-14 Identification of a psoriasis susceptibility candidate gene by linkage disequilibrium mapping with a localized single nucleotide polymorphism map. Hewett D, Samuelsson L, Polding J, Enlund F, Smart D, Cantone K, See CG, Chadha S, Inerot A, Enerback C, Montgomery D, Christodolou C, Robinson P, Matthews P, Plumpton M, Wahlstrom J, Swanbeck G, Martinsson T, Roses A, Riley J, Purvis I. UK Discovery Genetics, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Medicines Research Centre, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2NY, UK. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin with both genetic and environmental risk factors. Here we describe the creation of a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) map spanning 900-1200 kb of chromosome 3q21, which had been previously recognized as containing a psoriasis susceptibility locus, PSORS5. We genotyped 644 individuals, from 195 Swedish psoriatic families, for 19 polymorphisms. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) between marker and disease was assessed using the transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT). In the TDT analysis, alleles of three of these SNPs showed significant association with disease (P<0.05). A 160-kb interval encompassing these three SNPs was sequenced, and a coding sequence consisting of 13 exons was identified. The predicted protein shares 30-40% homology with the family of cation/chloride cotransporters. A five-marker haplotype spanning the 3' half of this gene is associated with psoriasis to a P value of 3.8<10(-5). We have called this gene SLC12A8, coding for a member of the solute carrier family 12 proteins. It belongs to a class of genes that were previously unrecognized as playing a role in psoriasis pathogenesis.

To: Icebrg who wrote (280)	10/17/2002 8:10:09 AM
From: Icebrg	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 631

Centocor Expands Research and Development to Focus on Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Disorders Poised For New Era of Multidisciplinary Patient Care Thursday October 17, 8:00 am ET MALVERN, Pa., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Centocor, Inc. today announced a newly expanded research and development platform that will center on the discovery and application of innovative therapies to treat Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Disorders (I.M.I.D.). Approximately 50 million Americans -- 75 percent of whom are women -- suffer from one of a variety of diseases related to the immune system. "The impact of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders on the national healthcare system is immense, especially when you consider as many as one in four patients admitted to hospitals in the U.S. suffers from an I.M.I.D.," says Ted Torphy, PhD, Senior Vice President, Discovery and Preclinical Development. "Centocor is committed to identifying the molecular targets that trigger these disorders and to developing new biopharmaceutical therapies, particularly monoclonal antibodies, that improve the lives of patients with these devastating diseases." Moving forward, research and development efforts will include the exploration of common immune pathways shared by seemingly unrelated diseases with the goal of developing new therapies that may be effective across a number of disorders. This platform builds upon the knowledge and success achieved by the company with REMICADE® (infliximab), the worldwide market share leader among tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) therapies and the only biologic drug approved to treat both rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Since its introduction in 1998, tens of thousands of patients worldwide have been treated with REMICADE. New data from studies of REMICADE in a variety of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders including psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and early rheumatoid arthritis will be presented at the upcoming American College of Rheumatology meeting, October 24-28 in New Orleans. "Given the recent advancements in understanding how dysregulation of the immune system contributes to the pathophysiology of a broad spectrum of diseases, we believe that new therapeutics will cut across the traditional specialties of clinical practice," says Torphy. "One of the long-term goals of our research and development efforts is to foster opportunities for cross-specialty collaboration that may ultimately change how patients are treated and by whom." Among its 2,500 worldwide employees, Centocor has hundreds of scientists in locations in the United States, the Netherlands and Japan, dedicated to bringing new product innovations to market. In addition to ongoing studies with REMICADE, Centocor is engaged in studying more than 20 new indications for its products including psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, and spondyloarthropathies, such as ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis; eight new molecular entities (NMEs) in development; and more than 20 research programs that are directed at novel targets. Centocor's goal is to aggressively move NMEs into clinical development in the upcoming years. About I.M.I.D. I.M.I.D. are a group of disorders that share common inflammatory pathways and are characterized by immune dysregulation that results in acute or chronic inflammation, causing injury to the body. Injury can include organ damage, increased morbidity, or mortality. One underlying manifestation of this immune dysregulation is the inappropriate activation of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL 12, IL 6 or TNF-alpha, whose actions lead to pathological consequences. Disorders that are referred to as I.M.I.D. include, but are not limited to, arthritis, inflammatory skin conditions, transplant-related diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, cancer, allergies, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and endocrine diseases. About REMICADE REMICADE is indicated, in combination with methotrexate, for reducing signs and symptoms, inhibiting progression of joint damage, and improving physical function in patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis that have had an inadequate response to methotrexate alone. REMICADE is also the first and only biologic approved to reduce signs and symptoms and induce and maintain clinical remission in patients with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. It can also be used as a short-term treatment for reducing the number of draining enterocutaneous fistulas in patients with fistulizing Crohn's disease.