Medical World News

[tsurge]

FYI

Information about Biogen IDEC drug:

http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2007/11/05/daily45.html



Friday, November 9, 2007
Biogen Idec drug shows promise as rheumatoid arthritis treatment
Triangle Business Journal

Biogen Idec's new treatment for autoimmune diseases is showing promise in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the company said Friday.

The drug, known as baminercept, generated clinically meaningful improvements in patents who took part in the phase II trial.

Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB), a biotech firm headquartered in Massachusetts with 750 employees in the Triangle, said the results were promising enough to advance to two more mid-stage human clinical trials, which will test the drug in combination with another treatment in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis for whom other treatments haven't worked.

Biogen presented the trial results at the American College of Rheumatology's 73rd annual meeting in Boston.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes immune cells to malfunction and attack the joints. Patients suffer intense pain, chronic inflammation, and destruction of cartilage, tendons and bones.

The announcement highlights Biogen's drug pipeline at a time when, according to a Financial Times report, possible buyers for the company are being asked to submit bids by next week. Biogen, whose flagship products are the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treatment Rituxan and the multiple sclerosis drug Avonex, formally put itself up for sale in October after months of speculation.