Notice that REMICADE is rendered in all caps in this re****t, which was put
out by Centocor, the company that makes Remicade. This is not objective
journalism--this is a press release about a study that was probably funded
by Centocor; most such studies are funded and carried out by the drug
companies themselves, reason enough to case a cold eye on the results. I
think it's a scandal that the FDA even allows the drug companies to fund
and/or conduct these studies--they should all be done by neutral,
third-party institutions. But good luck ever seeing that happen in the
land
of BIG PHARMA.
<zumone2002@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:f78e8075-a722-4506-8b59-9c768b248262@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
analysis of REMICADE for UC in patients with recent disease onset
or long-standing disease
SAN DIEGO, CA, May 20, 2008 ˇV Data from a new analysis of the Active
Ulcerative Colitis Trials (ACT 1 and ACT 2) showed that at week 8,
more than 60 percent of patients with moderately to severely active
ulcerative colitis (UC) receiving REMICADE„Ą (infliximab) achieved
clinical response regardless of disease duration (less than three
years versus at least three years). Investigators also re****ted that
at week 30, significant improvements were maintained with nearly half
of REMICADE-treated patients having a clinical response. Significant
improvements in disease remission and mucosal healing were also
re****ted at weeks 8 and 30 among patients receiving REMICADE and
meeting the disease duration criteria. These findings were presented
today at the annual Digestive Disease Week„µ (DDW) meeting.
ˇ§These data are encouraging because we see that REMICADE is an
effective treatment option for patients with active ulcerative
colitis, whether recently diagnosed or struggling with the condition
for many years,ˇ¨ said Dr. Bruce Sands, Associate Professor of Medicine
at Harvard Medical School, and study investigator. ˇ§Regardless of
disease duration, patients receiving REMICADE showed significant
improvements in clinical response, remission and mucosal healing, all
goals of therapy in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.ˇ¨
In the analysis of 728 patients from ACT 1 and ACT 2, 254 patients had
UC for less than three years and 474 patients had UC for at least
three years. Clinical response, clinical remission and mucosal healing
rates at week 8 for the combined REMICADE treatment group (5 mg/kg and
10 mg/kg) were all significantly higher than the placebo group (P <
0.01) regardless of disease duration; clinical response: 62 percent
versus 33 percent for subjects with disease duration less than three
years, and 68 percent versus 34 percent for subjects with disease
duration of at least three years; clinical remission: 28 percent
versus 8 percent and 35 percent versus 12 percent, respectively;
mucosal healing: 56 percent versus 29 percent and 63 percent versus 35
percent, respectively.
At week 30, clinical response, clinical remission and mucosal healing
rates for the combined REMICADE treatment group (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg)
were also significantly higher than the placebo group (P < 0.01)
regardless of disease duration; clinical response: 49 percent versus
19 percent for subjects with disease duration less than three years,
and 54 percent versus 34 percent for subjects with disease duration of
at least three years; clinical remission: 28 percent versus 10
percent, and 35 percent versus 15 percent, respectively; mucosal
healing: 47 percent versus 20 percent ,and 52 percent versus 32
percent, respectively. A Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test stratified by
baseline corticosteroid refractory status was used to compare REMICADE
with placebo within each disease duration subgroup.
....
--
Luke
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