RoACTEMRA: New hope for children with systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced that new data being presented at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) congress demonstrates that RoACTEMRA (known as ACTEMRA outside Europe) is highly effective in improving the signs and symptoms of systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA), a severe childhood arthritis, where there are no currently licensed treatments. RoACTEMRA is also well tolerated in children with sJIA having a safety profile similar to adults with RA. 
An overwhelming majority of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are not completely satisfied with their current subcutaneous treatment devices, according to recent survey results presented at the European League Against Rheumatism's (EULAR) 2010 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology. Findings showed that between 78 and 90 percent of surveyed RA patients reported that they disliked at least one aspect of administering their subcutaneous injection. 
Telmisartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, is one of the best researched drugs worldwide. It has been studied in clinical trials in more than 50,000 patients. Its positive safety profile has been confirmed also in a market exposure of 34.5 million patient years. Convincing safety data for patients with a high cardiovascular risk were collected in the three long-term outcome trials ONTARGET, PRoFESS and TRANSCEND which followed some of the patients for up to five years. 
AstraZeneca has submitted a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) in the European Union via the Decentralised Procedure (DCP) for a product combining low-dose ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) and the active ingredient of Nexium (esomeprazole) for the prevention of cardio- and cerebrovascular (CV) events in patients requiring continuous low-dose ASA treatment who are at risk of developing ASA-associated gastric and/or duodenal ulcers. Pending approval, the proposed trade name for the product is Axanum. 
Results from a Phase 3 study demonstrate MACUGEN® (pegaptanib sodium) significantly improved vision in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), a complication of diabetes that is a leading cause of blindness in people of working age.(1) In the study, 37 percent of patients treated with MACUGEN gained two lines, or 10 letters, of vision on the ETDRS eye chart at 54 weeks, compared to 20 percent of patients who received a sham (placebo-like) procedure which consists of anesthesia and a simulated injection in the eye (p=0.0047). 
Amgen Inc. (Nasdaq: AMGN) announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for Prolia(R) (denosumab) for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women at increased risk of fractures, and for the treatment of bone loss associated with hormone ablation in men with prostate cancer at increased risk of fractures. Prolia has been approved in all 27 European Union member states plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. 