Being that this is my first blog post with y’all, I’ll start out by introducing myself with a warm hello and a virtual hug. I know at some point we all end up adding labels to people because it can be the easiest way to get a feel for someone’s personality and their…
Kiva Confections, a Californian medical cannabis company, has just introduced its new chocolate bars high in cannabidiol (CBD) and made from 100 percent whole plant cannabis. Recent anecdotal research has shown CBD to be an effective agent against systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and many other diseases. CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)…
Reactions following Rituxan (rituximab) infusions often limit its repeat use in patients with severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and the alternative B-cell-depleting agent Arzerra (ofatumumab) may be a good option for these people, according to researchers at the Karolinska Institute. Their study, “Ofatumumab treatment in lupus nephritis patients“, published in…
New research into a microRNA that helps to produce antibodies offering long-term protection against disease takes science a step close to finding a way to boost vaccine responses, and possibly to understanding how the molecule might be used to counter the development of autoimmune diseases like lupus. The study, “A miR-155–Peli1–c-Rel pathway controls the generation…
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals will host a lupus nephritis expert breakfast on Thursday, Aug. 4, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in New York City, to discuss the results of its latest clinical trial in treating lupus nephritis. Other topics at the breakfast, intended for investors, sales analysts, and business development professionals, include current lupus treatments, disease…
Sengenics announced five new applications for its patented Immunome Protein Array platform, which has been used in recent studies to discover autoantibody biomarkers for many diseases including lupus. The news came during the Immunomics & Proteomics Symposium held July 25-29, in Brunei and Singapore. Important presenters include world leaders in proteomics including Sengenics’ Chief Scientific Advisor…
Kadmon announced the publication of data from preclinical studies supporting its oral drug candidate, KD025, a small molecule ROCK2 inhibitor, as a potential treatment for autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The data indicated that KD025 worked to inhibit the rho-associated coiled-coil kinase 2 signaling pathway (ROCK2), reducing the development and function…
The Office of Minority Health has awarded the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) The Lupus Initiative (TLI) a one-year $335,000 grant to continue to expand its national education program by developing an expert-informed model specifically focused on improving health outcomes in lupus patients. “This model is the first of its kind to…
Novato-based Mount Tam Biotechnologies announced the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a key patent for the company’s lead systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) drug candidate, TAM-01, an innovative small-molecule modulator of the mTOR pathway that plays an important role in regulating the cell cycle. The patent, owned by The Buck Institute…
The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR), the Lupus Research Institute (LRI) and the S.L.E. Lupus Foundation have merged to form the largest private sector organization dedicated to advance lupus research – The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA). With a new board of directors in place, the Lupus Research Alliance is geared…