Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Completes Enrollment In A Phase 2 Study Of MM-093 In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that enrollment has been completed in a Phase 2 trial of 100 patients that evaluates the safety and efficacy of its lead product, MM-093, in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MM-093 is a recombinant version of human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 study is being conducted at 20 centers throughout the United States.

Rheumatoid Arthritis And Misdiagnoses
In an article recommended by Annelies Boonen of Faculty of 1000 Medicine, researchers look at the way rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed by analysing the administrative databases used by physicians in Quebec.The authors of the paper, published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, report that general practitioners diagnosed 79% of the 10,001 rheumatoid arthritis cases but only 27% of patients then saw a rheumatologist.

Precursors To Bone-Eating Cells Likely Target Of Next-Generation Arthritis Treatments
Researchers have learned more about how a leading drug prevents certain types of arthritis from eating away at bone, according to a study published in the March edition of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The findings may soon enable physicians to tell patients quickly whether or not they will respond to current therapies. In addition, the findings may help with the design of new drugs that prevent arthritis-related bone loss, but with fewer side effects.