Content about Autoimmune diseases

ROCKVILLE, Md. A decision by a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee could pave the way for the first new drug to treat lupus in decades.

The FDA’s Arthritis Advisory Committee voted 13-2 Tuesday to recommend approval for Benlysta (belimumab), a drug for systemic lupus erythematosus made by British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline and U.S.-based Human Genome Sciences, the two companies announced. Lupus is an inflammatory disorder that affects internal organs, joints and skin and, in its severest forms, can be fatal.

CHATSWORTH, Calif. — Hugo Naturals, a maker of natural personal care products, has received the gluten-free seal from the Celiac Sprue Association, designating the company's full range of products as gluten-free and appropriate for the growing population with celiac disease.

BOCA RATON, Fla. Weight-management products company Smart for Life has developed a diet cookie for those with gluten sensitivity.

The gluten-free banana chocolate chip granola square has no preservatives and is made with many organic ingredients and a balanced protein formula with healthy fats and carbohydrate ratios. As with all Smart for Life products, this gluten-free line also effectively suppresses the appetite, the company said.

BURLINGTON, Mass. The drug market for ulcerative colitis treatments will see modest growth through 2019, according to a new report by Decision Resources.

The research and advisory firm said that the UC drug market will see growth of $800 million, driven by the uptake of Abbott and Eisai's Humira, Centocor Ortho Biotech/Merck/Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma/Janssen's Simponi and Millennium's vedolizumab in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Japan.

BURLINGTON, Mass. The drug market for Crohn's disease treatments will see moderate growth over the next decade, Decision Resources reported Wednesday.

The research firm projected that the market will increase a little more than 31%, from $3.2 billion in 2009 to $4.2 billion in 2019, in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan. Decision Resources said the the modest growth rate masks such market changes as new and emerging biologics, as well as generic competition.

At the ECRM Health Care EPPS conference, OcuSoft presented a pair of new offerings. Drug Store News caught up with OcuSoft president and CEO Cynthia Barratt for a rundown on eye care today.

Drug Store News: What is the opportunity within eyelid cleansers?