Abstract: A new era in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be dawning. Twelve years after the first approval of biologic therapy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the positive results of two large trials of a novel biologic therapy for SLE have raised hopes that a new approach to treatment may be at hand. This encouraging news follows several disappointments in trials of other biologic therapies and provides a timely moment to reflect on where we stand, what we have learned, and what may lie ahead. ... Read more

Abstract: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignancy mainly affecting elderly people and is still considered an incurable disease. Despite recent advances in CLL treatment, relapse rates are high and often accompanied by the development of resistance towards conventional chemotherapy. Thus, new agents are needed for the treatment of these patients. In recent years, our understanding of the biological mechanisms driving CLL pathogenesis has considerably improved, and novel treatment strategies are arising. This review summarizes recent insights in CLL biology and describes several new agents and treatment strategies that are currently explored in pre-clinical studies and early-phase clinical trials. ... Read more

Abstract: Lupus is believed to be an autoimmune disease, affecting many more women than men. Patients develop immune responses to self DNA, omnipresent in the body. Estrogen and androgen are involved in the disease. Immunosuppression and sex hormone therapeutics are two major classes of drugs in clinical trials. ... Read more

Abstract: Magic bullets armed with nuclear war head? Monoclonal antibodies labeled with radioactive isotope, when taken orally, seek and attach to tumor cells and bring radiation close to a range of destruction. ... Read more

Biogen and IDEC to Merge, Confronting Slower Growth. Biogen IDEC is Third Largest Biotech Company

On June 23, 2003 Biogen, Inc. of Cambridge, MA and IDEC Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, CA announced plans to merge with a combined capitalization of $12 billion. IDEC shareholders will hold 50.5% and Biogen shareholders 49.5% of the combined companies. The combined company named Biogen IDEC will be headquartered in Cambridge, MA with current IDEC chairman and CEO William H. Rastetter, Ph.D. as Executive Chairman and current Biogen Chairman and CEO James C. Mullen as the CEO. Biogen IDEC will be the third largest biopharmaceutical company after Amgen ... Read more

U.S. financial markets accelerated on their downward trajectory in the period from mid-September to mid-October (2002). Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 reached their 5-year lows and the Nasdaq Composite Index touched a 6-year low. Investors fled from stocks like from the plague. Toward mid-October, U.S. shares rebounded strongly after mega-corporations like Citigroup, IBM, and Microsoft reported better than expected earnings and an affirmed outlook.

Biopharmaceutical companies “piggy-backed” the v-shaped ride along with the markets, with Amgen and Idec Pharmaceuticals leading the pack. Idec reported better than expected operational results on Oct. 16th owing to strong sales of its Rituxan, ... Read more

On February 19th, 2002, the first radioimmunotherapy drug, Zevalin, was approved by the United States FDA to treat B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Developed by IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp. based in San Diego, California, Zevalin works like a guided bomb targeted towards cancer cells, using CD20 antibodies as the carrier to target the yttrium-90 radioisotopes to the B cells, including the malignant B cells in patients with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Nearly 55,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year in the United States, with 65% of the cases falling into a low-grade or follicular subgroup that frequently relapses and is ultimately untreatable. IDEC has ... Read more

Zevalin is the nuclear-armed version of Rituxan. Specifically, Zevalin is the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody drug Rituxan (”guiding missile”) labeled with the radioactive isotope Yttrium-90 (nuclear “warhead”).

Zevalin is indicated for relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, including patients with Rituxan-refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

When Zevalin binds to cancer cells and normal mature B cells that express the biomarker protein CD20, it brings radiation to these cells in a harm’s way. Zevalin kills its target cells via both cold (means by which Rituxan does its job) and hot (pin-point radiation) approaches.

Zevalin is given to a patient by intravenous infusion. Isotope Yttrium-90 emits beta ... Read more

Rituxan (rituximab) is a genetically engineered chimeric murine-human monoclonal antibody drug that recognizes and binds specifically to the CD20 molecule. CD20 is a protein biomarker displayed on B lymphocytes (B cells for short) — a type of immune cells.

Rituxan was approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of B cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (of particular stages and types) and rheumatoid arthritis. About 63,000 new cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma were diagnosed in the U.S. in 2007. There are presently about 2.4 million patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the U.S.

Rituxan targets CD20-expressing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma B cells and normal mature B cells. It ... Read more