A report from the American College of Rheumatology 2013 Meeting (October 26-30, 2013 - San Diego, California, USA).

The American College of Rheumatology annual meeting opened in San Diego, California, with a poster session in which prominent clinical and preclinical research into experimental and putative novel therapies for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions were discussed. The meeting continued through 2 more days of poster presentations and 4 days of very active oral sessions, in which information was discussed on therapeutics and candidate drugs for managing rheumatological diseases ranging from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus to many other conditions frequently seen in the rheumatology ward. The following report summarizes a selection of oral and poster presentations that reflect the state of the art of current rheumatology pharmacotherapy and what is arising as novel investigational therapy.

A report from the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2013 (August 31-September 4, 2013 - Amsterdam, the Netherlands).

Many are the diseases that can affect the heart and the vessels, most of which were discussed during the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2013 in Amsterdam. With an attendance of almost 30,000 delegates buzzing the halls of the RAI convention center, Amsterdam was the capital of cardiologic science this summer, and a big challenge for any attendee trying to get the most out of all the oral and poster sessions missing the minimum of new science being presented. Thomson Reuters Cortellis™ supplements the information for any scientist who missed an important session, with a particular focus on new investigational drugs, many of them still in preclinical research, which will certainly impact how cardiovascular disorders are treated in a foreseeable future. Clinical and preclinical research advance to bring novel therapeutic targets, new drugs and new insight into patient characteristics requiring particular treatment approaches. This report is a sample of the new science discussed during the 5 days of meetings.

The Liver Meeting 2013: a report from the 64th meeting of the American Association for the Study of the Liver (November 1-5, 2013 - Washington, D.C., USA).

With over 10,000 attendees from across the U.S. and beyond, the Liver Meeting 2013 was a big success, full of interesting scientific presentations and discussions, many of which directly related to therapies for hepatitis C virus infection. These included new information on drugs currently used for treating this disease, as well as preclinical findings with putative new therapeutics that are expected to improve outcomes for patients in the future. Information was also presented on other hepatic diseases, including hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as other less common liver diseases. This report briefly reviews many of the new scientific findings coming from clinical and preclinical studies aimed at improving the care of patients suffering from hepatic conditions.

A report from the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2011 (November 12-16, 2011, Orlando, Florida, USA).

Diet and lifestyle have a direct impact on cardiovascular health and may help improve the condition in many patients suffering from or at risk for cardiac diseases, and remote and in-person behavioral interventions were shown to prompt weight loss in obese individuals (Appel, L.J., Late-Breaking Clinical Trial presentation), thus helping reduce the cardiovascular risk. In that regard, and as an example, kiwifruit was noted to lower 24-hour blood pressure (Svendsen, M. et al., Abst 16175), whereas alcoholic beverages (at least red wine and vodka) were reported to improve the cardiovascular risk by increasing collateral perfusion and, in the case of red wine, to enhance antioxidant cardioprotection (Chu, L.M. et al., Abst 16380), drug therapy is required for treating a vast array of medical conditions affecting the heart and vessels, as well as many cardiovascular risk factors very common in the general population. These issues were widely discussed in the context of new findings with improved therapies tested in clinical or preclinical studies during AHA's scientific sessions in Orlando, as summarized in the following report.

A report from the 2011 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (July 16-21 - Paris, France).

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is indeed a source of sadness weighing on all those who after sharing a full life now depend on each other for the most basic functions. Nevertheless, besides the dramatic impact it imposes on the life of sufferers and their caregivers, AD, as well as other forms of dementia that affect the elderly, but also younger patients, also incurs in substantial healthcare costs for patients, their families and others, including society at large. The progressive aging of the population largely depending on improved preventive and curative healthcare is progressively worsening the situation because of the increasing number of elderly people and the consequent increase in dementia sufferers. Effective and cost-effective treatments are thus required for reversing, improving or preventing these cognitive impairments. Fortunately, research has resulted in therapeutic opportunities that were reviewed during the 2011 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Paris, and will be briefly reviewed in the following report.

Gateways to clinical trials.

Gateways to Clinical Trials are a guide to the most recent clinical trials in current literature and congresses. The data the following tables have been retrieved from the Clinical Trials Knowledge Area of Prous Science Integrity, the drug discovery and development portal, http://integrity.prous.com. This issues focuses on the following selection of drugs: (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate, (-)-gossypol, 2-deoxyglucose, 3,4-DAP, 7-monohydroxyethylrutoside; Ad5CMV-p53, adalimumab, adefovir dipivoxil, ADH-1, alemtuzumab, aliskiren fumarate, alvocidib hydrochloride, aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride, aminolevulinic acid methyl ester, amrubicin hydrochloride, AN-152, anakinra, anecortave acetate, antiasthma herbal medicine intervention, AP-12009, AP-23573, apaziquone, aprinocarsen sodium, AR-C126532, AR-H065522, aripiprazole, armodafinil, arzoxifene hydrochloride, atazanavir sulfate, atilmotin, atomoxetine hydrochloride, atorvastatin, avanafil, azimilide hydrochloride; Bevacizumab, biphasic insulin aspart, BMS-214662, BN-83495, bortezomib, bosentan, botulinum toxin type B; Caspofungin acetate, cetuximab, chrysin, ciclesonide, clevudine, clofarabine, clopidogrel, CNF-1010, CNTO-328, CP-751871, CX-717, Cypher; Dapoxetine hydrochloride, darifenacin hydrobromide, dasatinib, deferasirox, dextofisopam, dextromethorphan/quinidine sulfate, diclofenac, dronedarone hydrochloride, drotrecogin alfa (activated), duloxetine hydrochloride, dutasteride; Edaravone, efaproxiral sodium, emtricitabine, entecavir, eplerenone, epratuzumab, erlotinib hydrochloride, escitalopram oxalate, etoricoxib, ezetimibe, ezetimibe/simvastatin; Finrozole, fipamezole hydrochloride, fondaparinux sodium, fulvestrant; Gabapentin enacarbil, gaboxadol, gefitinib, gestodene, ghrelin (human); Human insulin, human papillomavirus vaccine; Imatinib mesylate, immunoglobulin intravenous (human), indiplon, insulin detemir, insulin glargine, insulin glulisine, intranasal insulin, istradefylline, i.v. gamma-globulin, ivabradine hydrochloride, ixabepilone; LA-419, lacosamide, landiolol, lanthanum carbonate, lidocaine/prilocaine, liposomal cisplatin, lutropin alfa; Matuzumab, MBP(82-98), mecasermin, MGCD-0103, MMR-V, morphine hydrochloride, mycophenolic acid sodium salt; Natalizumab, NCX-4016, neridronic acid, nesiritide, nilotinib, NSC-330507; O6-benzylguanine, olanzapine/fluoxetine hydrochloride, omalizumab; Panitumumab, parathyroid hormone (human recombinant), parecoxib sodium, PEG-filgrastim, peginterferon alfa-2a, peginterferon alfa-2b, pegvisomant, pemetrexed disodium, perospirone hydrochloride, pexelizumab, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine, posaconazole, pramiconazole, prasugrel, pregabalin, prilocaine; rAAV-GAD65, raclopride, rasagiline mesilate, retapamulin, rosuvastatin calcium, rotigotine, rufinamide; SarCNU, SB-743921, SHL-749, sirolimus-eluting stent, sitaxsentan sodium, sorafenib; TachoSil, tadalafil, talampanel, Taxus, tegaserod maleate, telithromycin, telmisartan/hydrochlorothiazide, temsirolimus, tenatoprazole, teriflunomide, tetrathiomolybdate, ticilimumab, timcodar dimesilate, tipifarnib, tirapazamine, TPI, tramiprosate, trifluridine/TPI, trimethoprim; Ularitide, Urocortin 2; Valdecoxib, valganciclovir hydrochloride, valproate magnesium, valspodar, vardenafil hydrochloride hydrate, vitespen, vofopitant hydrochloride, volociximab, vorinostat; Yttrium 90 (90Y) ibritumomab tiuxetan; Ziprasidone hydrochloride, zotarolimus, zotarolimus-eluting stent.