Study Finds That New Laboratory Tests From Prometheus Laboratories May Enable Doctors to Individualize Rheumatoid Arthritis Ther
2003年10月28日 - 3:25AM
PRニュース・ワイアー (英語)
Study Finds That New Laboratory Tests From Prometheus Laboratories
May Enable Doctors to Individualize Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapy
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- New data presented at the 67th
Annual American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Scientific Meeting
shows that a patient's long-chain methotrexate polyglutamate level
may be a better indicator of clinical response than actual drug
dose in rheumatoid arthritis patients on methotrexate therapy.
Methotrexate polyglutamate levels were measured utilizing a new
laboratory test, TREXSCORE(SM) developed by Prometheus Laboratories
Inc. and planned for release in early 2004. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030416/PROMETHEUSLOGO ) The
data presented were collected from a study of 114 patients with
rheumatoid arthritis. In the study, patients with a long-chain
methotrexate polyglutamate level above a certain threshold were
found to be 14 times more likely to have a good clinical response
than patients with lower levels. In the study, patient drug dosage
had a limited correlation to response. These results suggest that
physicians could use the TREXSCORE test to better tailor individual
therapy in their patients. The Arthritis Foundation estimates that
rheumatoid arthritis affects one percent of the U.S. adult
population, approximately 2.1 million patients. Approximately
forty-percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients take a therapeutic
regimen that includes methotrexate, making it one of the most
frequently prescribed disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. The
current treatment approach of "start low and go slow" often results
in sub-optimal methotrexate dosing and highlights the unmet
clinical need to identify a better indicator of therapeutic
response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis on methotrexate
therapy. "Rheumatologists trust methotrexate as the standard of
care in rheumatoid arthritis," said Dr. Joel M. Kremer, Director of
Research at The Center for Rheumatology in Albany, New York.
"Rheumatologists are looking for ways to better understand
methotrexate therapy, and a therapy monitoring test could offer
some help in understanding response." ACR Scientific Presentations
Prometheus Laboratories has three abstracts relating to this
breakthrough study presented at the ACR Annual Scientific Meeting
in Orlando, Florida from October 23 to October 28, 2003. The
abstracts include the following oral and poster presentations: Oral
Presentation: * Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the
Folate/Purine Synthesis Pathway Predict Methotrexate's Effects in
Rheumatoid Arthritis. Thierry Dervieux(1), Diana Orentas Lein(1),
Grace Park(2), John Marcelletti(1), Gary Meyer(1), Katie Smith(1),
Michael Walsh(1), Daniel Furst(2), Joel Kremer(3) Poster
Presentations: * Methotrexate Polyglutamate Concentrations in Red
Blood Cells Correlates with Disease Activity and Clinical Response
to Methotrexate in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Thierry Dervieux(1), Diana
Orentas Lein(1), Grace Park(2), John Marcelletti(1), Gary Meyer(1),
Katie Smith(1), Michael Walsh(1), Joel Kremer(3), Daniel Furst(2) *
Responder Phenotype and Disease Activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis
(RA) Patients Receiving Methotrexate (MTX) Are Correlated with
Levels of Soluble CD26 and CD30. John F. Marcelletti(1), Diana
Orentas Lein(1), Lynn Simpson(1), Jason Do(1), Michael J. Walsh(1)
(1) Prometheus Laboratories Inc., San Diego, CA (2) UCLA Geffen
School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (3) The Center for
Rheumatology, Albany, NY Data Results In the observational study,
blood samples were collected from 114 patients between two and
seven days following their last dose of methotrexate. Patients
enrolled had active rheumatoid arthritis and must have been on a
steady dose of methotrexate, without any additional
disease-modifying rheumatoid arthritis drugs for at least thirty
days. Data was collected including information regarding tender and
swollen joints, DAS 28 (using a commonly used subset of 22 joints),
and several patient and physician global assessments. Results
showed higher long-chain methotrexate polyglutamate levels (>60
nmol/L) in patients who scored better in the physician's global
assessment of disease activity (R=-0.30, p=0.001), number of
swollen joints (R=-0.20, p=0.03), and physician assessment of
response to methotrexate (R=-0.034, p=0.003). There was limited
correlation between drug dose levels and response to therapy. For
more information about the TREXSCORE laboratory test, visit the new
website, http://www.methotrexatedx.com/ . About Prometheus
Laboratories Prometheus Laboratories Inc. is a specialty
pharmaceutical company committed to developing new ways to help
physicians individualize patient care. Prometheus focuses on the
treatment, diagnosis and detection of gastrointestinal, autoimmune
and inflammatory diseases and disorders. Prometheus' strategy
includes the marketing and delivery of pharmaceutical products
complemented by its proprietary, high-value diagnostic testing
services. By integrating therapeutics and diagnostic services,
Prometheus addresses the continuum of patient care, thereby
providing physicians with a comprehensive solution to treat chronic
diseases. Prometheus' corporate offices are located in San Diego,
California. Additional information about Prometheus Laboratories
can be found at http://www.prometheuslabs.com/ . Contact:
Prometheus Laboratories Inc. Beth Kriegel Senior Director,
Corporate Communications and Investor Relations 858/410-2516
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030416/PROMETHEUSLOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Prometheus Laboratories
Inc. CONTACT: Beth Kriegel, Senior Director, Corporate
Communications and Investor Relations of Prometheus Laboratories
Inc., +1-858-410-2516 Web site: http://www.methotrexatedx.com/ Web
site: http://www.prometheuslabs.com/
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