Methotrexate

This page contains recent news articles, when available, and an overview of Methotrexate but does not offer medical advice. You should contact your physician with regard to any health issues or concerns.


Overview:

Methotrexate
(when available)

Pharmacology and use:
Methotrexate is an antineoplastic anti-metabolite. Anti-metabolites masquerade as purine or pyrimidine - which become the building blocks of DNA. They prevent these substances becoming incorporated in to DNA during the "S" phase (of the cell cycle), stopping normal development and division. Methotrexate inhibits folic acid reductase which is responsible for the conversion of folic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid. At two stages in the biosynthesis of purines and at one stage in the synthesis of pyrimidines, one-carbon transfer reactions occur which require specific coenzymes synthesized in the cell from tetrahydrofolic acid. Tetrahydrofolic acid itself is synthesized in the cell from folic acid with the help of an enzyme, folic acid reductase. Methotrexate looks a lot like folic acid to the enzyme, so it binds to it quite strongly and inhibits the enzyme. Thus, DNA synthesis cannot proceed because the coenzymes needed for one-carbon transfer reactions are not produced from tetrahydrofolic acid because there is no tetrahydrofolic acid. Methotrexate selectively affects the most rapidly dividing cells (neoplastic and psoriatic cells). Methotrexate is also indicated in the management of severe, active, classical, or definite rheumatoid arthritis. For the treatment of gestational choriocarcinoma, chorioadenoma destruens and hydatidiform mole; Severe psoriasis; Severe, active, classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis;

Mechanism Of Action:
Methotrexate anti-tumor activity is a result of the inhibition of folic acid reductase, leading to inhibition of DNA synthesis and inhibition of cellular replication. The mechanism involved in its activity against rheumatoid arthritis is not known.

News Articles on Methotrexate

Living with Lupus  -  14 Nov 2009
This may include high doses of corticosteroids such as prednisolone and other drugs that suppress the immune system such as azathioprine, methotrexate, ... Sunday Times.lk

How you could tackle psoriasis with just five injections a year  -  14 Nov 2009
A third of patients fail to respond to standard creams and ointments, and often have to take daily tablets such as Methotrexate, also used in chemotherapy, ... Daily Mail

For the first time, scientists discover causative gene of a rare disorder by ...  -  14 Nov 2009
Knowing this might provide some clues to genetic susceptibility to birth defects from methotrexate. The ability of exome sequencing to identify a causative ... Insciences Organisation

Hollis-Eden to Present Interim Data From Its Phase I/II Clinical Studies of ...  -  ‎Nov 12, 2009‎
This Phase I safety and tolerance study was conducted in RA patients with stable disease that were concurrently taking methotrexate as maintenance therapy. ... CNNMoney.com (press release)

ACR: Tocilizumab Protects Joints Better than Methotrexate Alone  -  ‎Oct 23, 2009‎
..."Tocilizumab plus methotrexate continues to inhibit radiographic progression and improve physical function with a clinical effect, as evidenced by improving ... MedPage Today

Study: No Benefit to Costly Arthritis Meds  -  ‎Oct 23, 2009‎
The findings also suggest that a step-up approach in which patients are started on methotrexate alone, with additional drugs added only if needed, ... CBS News

www.standoutstocks.com: Stocks That Stand Out For Nov. 13th, 2009 Are HRRN ...  -  ‎Nov 13, 2009‎
A secondary objective of the study was to learn whether Triolex interfered with the action of methotrexate, which is required for concomitant dosing trials ... Trading Markets (press release)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Releases Study Results that Support Orencia  -  ‎Oct 22, 2009‎
The data from the Agree study, which compared patients treated with Orencia plus methotrexate versus patients treated with methotrexate alone, ... Trading Markets (press release)

The revolution in battling child arthritis  -  ‎Oct 21, 2009‎
Some patients do well with older - and less expensive - drugs such as the decades-old cancer drug methotrexate. That was true for Christopher Nemitz of ... Philadelphia Inquirer

Bristol-Myers Squibb's Orencia Shows Sustained Clinical Response In Two-year ...  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
The Abatacept study, Gauge Remission and Joint Damage Progression in Methotrexate-Naïve Patients with Early Erosive Rheumatoid Arthritis or AGREE trial, ... RTT News

New SIMPONI(TM) Data Show Inhibition of Joint Damage in Patients With ...  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
..."These findings show that treatment with golimumab and methotrexate inhibited the progression of joint damage in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis ... Reuters

REG-Pfizer Inc CP-690550, Pfizer's Oral JAK Inhibitor, Demonstrates Response ...  -  ‎Oct 18, 2009‎
Efficacy in Combination with Methotrexate at 24 weeks Data from a second six-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b study (Study A3921025) ... Reuters

ORENCIA® (abatacept) Demonstrated Sustained Clinical Response in a Study of ...  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
The data from the AGREE study, which compared patients treated with ORENCIA plus methotrexate versus patients treated with methotrexate alone, ... Reuters

New SIMPONI(TM) Data Show Long-Term Efficacy in Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
Results from the GOlimumab FOR subjects With Active RA Despite Methotrexate (GO-FORWARD) study showed the efficacy of SIMPONI in patients with active RA ... Reuters

Oral Syk Kinase Inhibitor Improves Response Rates in RA Patients on ...  -  ‎Oct 21, 2009‎
PHILADELPHIA -- October 21, 2009 -- When added to methotrexate, R788, an investigational agent, produces significant clinical benefits and ... DG News

ACR: Abatacept Efficacy in RA Lasts for Two Years  -  ‎Oct 23, 2009‎
Of these, 459 completed the placebo-controlled phase and entered the extension, in which all patients received abatacept along with methotrexate. ... MedPage Today

Genentech reports results of ACTEMRA Phase III study for rheumatoid arthritis  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
The LITHE study also showed that people who received either dose of ACTEMRA plus methotrexate showed significant improvement in physical function, ... News-Medical.net

FDA Does Not Approve Earlier Use of Rituxan for Rheumatoid Arthritis  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
Rituxan is approved by the FDA to treat moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis in patients who have had an inadequate response to methotrexate and one or ... About - News & Issues (blog)

Broken arm blamed on transit bus  -  ‎Nov 8, 2009‎
Safeway in Grande Prairie on Aug, 27, 2008, after getting a prescription for methotrexate from his physician. Schuett claims he was given express ... Edmonton Sun

New Data Describe Safety of Subcutaneous Administration of ORENCIA® (abatacept ...  -  ‎Oct 20, 2009‎
The immunogenicity was similar whether ORENCIA was administered in combination with methotrexate, a common treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, ... Reuters

Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd. Q3 2009 Earnings Call Transcript  -  ‎Nov 2, 2009‎
We are still weighing the pros and cons of conducting the study in methotrexate naive patients versus methotrexate partial responders. But, as I have said, ... Seeking Alpha (blog)

Green tea reduces risk of blood cancers by 42 percent  -  ‎Nov 8, 2009‎
Upon closer scrutiny of green tea ECGC, they determined that its molecular structure closely resembles that of the cancer drug methotrexate used in ... Natural News.com (registration)

HIV Drug, Maraviroc, Does Not Improve Signs, Symptoms of RA: Presented at ACR/ARHP  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
In this 12-week study, maraviroc was used to assess whether CCR-5 antagonism was safe and effective in treating RA patients taking background methotrexate. ... DG News

ACR: No Special Benefit Seen with Biologic RA Drugs  -  ‎Oct 20, 2009‎
In his report, Moreland analyzed combination treatments and step-up therapy, in which additional drugs were added to methotrexate when the clinical response ... MedPage Today

Study: No Benefit to Costly Arthritis Drugs  -  ‎Oct 21, 2009‎
The findings also suggest that a step-up approach in which patients are started on methotrexate alone, with additional drugs added only if needed, ... WebMD

Pharmacist not to blame for death, says coroner  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
After Mrs Sixtus was put on prednisone, blood tests were carried out and it was suggested the level of this medication be reduced, and methotrexate be ... Stuff.co.nz

Oral JAK Inhibitor CP-690550 Improves Function, Quality of Life in Patients ...  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
All patients had had an inadequate response to stable background methotrexate therapy (study 1) or to at least 1 conventional DMARD (study 2). ... DG News

Local Doctor Studies Cheaper Alternative for Arthritis Patients  -  ‎Oct 18, 2009‎
In the study, one of the treatments used a "triple therapy" combination of the synthetic drugs methotrexate, sulfasalazine, and hydroxychloroquine. ... KPTM-TV

Second doctor fined in fraud case  -  ‎Oct 22, 2009‎
The prescription included a drug known as Methotrexate, which is prescribed for arthritis. After Harmison went to Moore's Pharmacy, located in the Old ... Martinsburg Journal

Triple DMARD Therapy Effective for Aggressive Treatment of Early Rheumatoid ...  -  ‎Oct 21, 2009‎
PHILADELPHIA -- October 21, 2009 -- Initial use of methotrexate monotherapy with the addition of sulfasalazine/hydroxychloroquine or ... DG News

ACR: Markers Identify RA Patients Who Need Early Med Switch  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
PHILADELPHIA -- Two standard markers can identify early-stage rheumatoid arthritis patients whose disease is unlikely to respond to methotrexate alone, ... MedPage Today

Report Highlights Cancer Advances  -  ‎Nov 9, 2009‎
Another targeted agent, gefitinib (Iressa), did not improve survival compared with methotrexate in patients with recurrent squamous-cell carcinoma of the ... MedPage Today

Infliximab Bests DMARDs in Controlling Radiological Progression in Patients ...  -  ‎Oct 21, 2009‎
PHILADELPHIA -- October 21, 2009 -- Among patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who do not respond to methotrexate alone, ... DG News

UK trust sues for Enbrel royalties  -  ‎Oct 29, 2009‎
According to its court complaint, the trust holds a 2001 patent that relates to treating arthritis with a combination of methotrexate and TNF alpha ... FiercePharma

Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Improves Outcomes of Patients with Advanced Head ...  -  ‎Nov 2, 2009‎
Chemotherapy in this study was methotrexate alone or vincristine, bleomycin, methotrexate, and 5-FU. Seven-hundred thirteen patients in this study who had ... Cancer Consultants

Bristol-Myers Squibb: arthritis antibody bolsters pipeline but competition ...  -  ‎Nov 11, 2009‎
Alder Pharmaceuticals says that it has completed Phase IIa trials involving three intravenous doses in methotrexate-inadequate responder patients. ... Trading Markets (press release)

ACG: Data Suggest IBD Link to Skin Cancer  -  ‎Oct 27, 2009‎
For the nested case-control study, medication use included thiopurines, methotrexate, and any biologic agent. Recent thiopurine use was associated with an ... MedPage Today

I'm a virtuoso violinist but when arthritis hit me, I couldn't even squeeze ...  -  ‎Oct 24, 2009‎
The specialist I was referred to suggested I take methotrexate, a drug which in the past has been used to treat cancer but which some think is far more ... Daily Mail

Treatment of Polymyalgia Rheumatica A Systematic Review  -  ‎Nov 9, 2009‎
Initial addition of oral or intramuscular methotrexate provided efficacy at doses of 10 mg/wk or higher. Infliximab was ineffective as initial cotreatment. ... Archives of Internal Medicine

Rheumatoid arthritis drug tocilizumab backed by report  -  ‎Oct 19, 2009‎
A new report by Roche claims that its rheumatoid arthritis drug RoActemra (tocilizumab) is more effective than methotrexate (MTX) alone in achieving ... Nursing Times

Chelsea Therapeutics Presents Novel, Metabolically Inert Autoimmune Portfolio ...  -  ‎Oct 20, 2009‎
Preclinical and clinical data suggest superior safety and tolerability, as well as increased potency versus methotrexate (MTX). This press release contains ... Reuters

4SC Announces First Patient Treated in Phase IIb Rheumatoid Arthritis Study ...  -  ‎Nov 9, 2009‎
This study will primarily evaluate the efficacy of the combination of 4SC-101 and MTX in RA patients, compared to methotrexate alone. ... PipelineReview.com (press release)

Centocor reports positive data from two Phase III arthritis trials  -  ‎Oct 21, 2009‎
Results from the Go-Forward study showed the efficacy of Simponi in patients with active RA despite prior treatment with methotrexate. ... Trading Markets (press release)

Voltaren Found! - On Sale  -  ‎Oct 31, 2009‎
Methotrexate NSAIDs diclofenac. If you are encouraged to keep the analgesic compared to other NSAIDs can increase the toxicity of methotrexate. ... Newstalk ZB

Money Briefs  -  ‎Oct 20, 2009‎
The trial, which involved hundreds of patients, studied the effects of Orencia and methotrexate in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis ... Worcester Telegram

New Data Show CIMZIA(R) (certolizumab pegol) Provides Sustained and ...  -  ‎Oct 26, 2009‎
Health Canada and the European Commission have both approved CIMZIA in combination with methotrexate (MTX), for the treatment of moderate to severe active ... Reuters

DGAP-News: Biotest AG: Monoclonal antibody BT-061 shows efficacy in patients ...  -  ‎Oct 20, 2009‎
In the unblinded first part of a Phase II combination trial with methotrexate, the Biotest Group's BT-061 monoclonal antibody provided positive results in ... Ad-Hoc-News (Pressemitteilung)

UPDATE 2-UK trust sues Amgen, Wyeth over Enbrel patent  -  ‎Oct 28, 2009‎
The trust's patent relates to treating arthritis by co-administering methotrexate and drugs that block receptors to an inflammation-causing protein called ... Reuters India

RNL BIO Rescues a College Student from Autoimmune Hearing Loss  -  ‎Nov 4, 2009‎
...to take strong medication like Methotrexate and Humira, there will be high chances for further serious complications without guarantee of improvement. ... Reuters

FAQ: Psoriatic Arthritis  -  ‎Nov 9, 2009‎
Methotrexate, a medication also used as cancer chemotherapy, is commonly used to treat psoriatic arthritis. Other immunosuppressant medications include ... 24 Medica

Methotrexate Best for Juvenile Arthritis  -  Apr 21, 2005
By Salynn Boyles. Methotrexate still appears to be best for treating juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but a newer medication, Arava, is a very good second ... FOXNews

Remissions up with Amgen's Enbrel plus methotrexate  -  Nov 7, 2007
LOS ANGELES, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Early results from an ongoing study showed that people with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis were more likely to reach ... Reuters

Etanercept, Methotrexate Safe for Juvenile RA  -  Oct 27, 2008
MONDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The drugs etanercept and methotrexate are safe and effective for long-term, continuous treatment of juvenile rheumatoid ... Washington Post

What's the evidence for methotrexate?  -  Jul 25, 2008
The evidence that methotrexate helps people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is quite weak. We found one big summary of the research (known as a systematic ... guardian.co.uk

Methotrexate and oral ulceration  -  Jan 22, 2005
Methotrexate is increasingly being used in the management of chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. ... Nature.com

… therapy of doxycycline plus methotrexate versus methotrexate …  -  Mar 6, 2006
Doxycycline plus methotrexate versus methotrexate alone. ... Methotrexate is an effective therapeutic for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ... Nature.com

Study: Enbrel Plus Methotrexate May Increase Rheumatoid Arthritis …  -  Jul 15, 2008
By Miranda Hitti. July 15, 2008 -- In the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, taking the drugs Enbrel and methotrexate may make remission more likely than ... WebMD

… red blood cell methotrexate polyglutamate levels predict methotrexa...  -  Feb 8, 2007
Dervieux T et al. (2006) Pharmacogenomic and metabolic biomarkers in the folate pathway and their association with methotrexate effects during dosage ... Nature.com

Methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis  -  Aug 18, 2008
Methotrexate interferes with the production and maintenance of DNA, the genetic material in the cells of your body. It is not known exactly how methotrexate ... WebMD

Rheumatoid arthritis—is methotrexate re-employment an effective …  -  Feb 6, 2006
Kapral T et al. (2006) Methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis is frequently effective, even if re-employed after a previous failure. ... Nature.com

… toxicity when substituting methotrexate with mycophenolate mofetil...  -  Nov 14, 2005
The well-known adverse effects of methotrexate (MTX), especially its acute ... Cyclosporine-methotrexate versus cyclosporine-mycophenolate in the prevention ... Nature.com

Drug Combos Effective Against Rheumatoid Arthritis  -  Nov 26, 2007
Donahue's group found that combining methotrexate with a biologic DMARD worked ... They also found that methotrexate was as effective as the biologics ... Washington Post

Is adalimumab in combination with methotrexate a safe and efficacious...  -  Feb 19, 2006
Breedveld FC et al. (2006) The PREMIER study: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, clinical trial of combination therapy with adalimumab plus ... Nature.com

Is combination therapy with methotrexate and intramuscular gold an …  -  Jun 27, 2005
Lehman AJ et al. (2005) A 48-week, randomized, double-blind, double-observer, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of combination methotrexate and ... Nature.com

Rigorous administration of methotrexate and outcome of allogeneic...  -  Jan 8, 2007
It was about half a decade ago that we had emphasized the importance of rigorous administration of methotrexate after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell ... Nature.com

Methotrexate for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis  -  Jun 25, 2008
Most experts believe the potential benefits of methotrexate in children with JRA are greater than the risks of serious side effects, and methotrexate has ... WebMD

Abbott's Humira superior to methotrexate in treating psoriasis -...  -  Oct 5, 2006
RHODES, Greece - Abbott's Humira drug is 'statistically superior' to methotrexate in treating patients with psoriasis, the company said, citing positive ... Forbes

Can methotrexate replace cyclophosphamide in the treatment of a...  -  Oct 14, 2005
...de Groot K et al. (2005) Randomized trial of cyclophosphamide versus methotrexate for induction of remission in early systemic antineutrophil cytoplasmic ... Nature.com

Etanercept, Methotrexate Safe for Juvenile RA  -  Oct 25, 2008
By Robert Preidt. MONDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The drugs etanercept and methotrexate are safe and effective for long-term, continuous treatment of ... ABC News

Methotrexate-associated mantle-cell lymphoma in an elderly man with …  -  Apr 24, 2007
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine is pleased to provide the opportunity to earn one Category 1 credit toward the American Medical Association's ... Nature.com

Is combined etanercept and methotrexate more efficacious than either ...  -  Jun 30, 2006
...van der Heijde D et al. (2006) Comparison of etanercept and methotrexate, alone and combined, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: two-year clinical ... Nature.com

Methotrexate for psoriasis  -  Dec 10, 2007
Methotrexate is a drug taken orally once a week or in 3 divided doses taken at 12-hour intervals during a 24-hour period (for instance, taken at 8 am, ... WebMD

Cancer hope for green tea extract  -  Mar 15, 2005
It appears to work in the same way as the cancer drug methotrexate - but in practice would probably have fewer side effects. ... BBC News

Does caffeine intake affect methotrexate efficacy?  -  Aug 4, 2006
Benito-Garcia E et al. (2006) Dietary caffeine intake does not affect methotrexate efficacy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 33: 1275–1281 ... Nature.com

Oral versus parenteral administration of methotrexate for the...  -  Feb 15, 2008
Braun J et al. (2008) Comparison of the clinical efficacy and safety of subcutaneous versus oral administration of methotrexate in patients with active ... Nature.com

Is methotrexate effective for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis?  -  May 14, 2007
Haibel H et al. (2007) No efficacy of subcutaneous methotrexate in active ankylosing spondylitis: a 16-week open-label trial. Ann Rheum Dis 66: 419–421 ... Nature.com

… in the adenosine pathway affect patient response to methotrexate?  -  Sep 26, 2006
Methotrexate is commonly used to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and has been shown to be most effective when therapy is initiated in early ... Nature.com

New drugs give hope to arthritis sufferers  -  Jun 13, 2007
Methotrexate, the most widely used DMARD, is a cornerstone of most ... A trial combining Orencia with normal methotrexate treatment also found a 50 per cent ... Telegraph.co.uk

… Arthritis; A study says the use of the Genentech drug and methotrex...  -  Jun 10, 2005
A greater proportion of patients treated with Rituxan and methotrexate saw relief after six months than those who took placebos and methotrexate. ... Pay-Per-View - Los Angeles Times - ProQuest Archiver

Arthritis pill cuts heart attack risk: study  -  Mar 5, 2008
Methotrexate was developed as a cancer drug and works by altering the body's ... Using methotrexate for one year cut the risk of heart attack by 18 percent ... Reuters

Alefacept plus methotrexate for psoriatic arthritis  -  Jun 10, 2006
Mease PG et al. (2006) Alefacept in combination with methotrexate for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis: results of a randomized, double-blind, ... Nature.com

Nanoparticles deliver cancer breakthrough  -  Jun 17, 2005
..."In our longest trial, which lasted 99 days, 30% - 40% of the mice given the nano-particle with methotrexate survived. All the mice receiving free ... New Scientist

Does the dose of methotrexate influence the rate of relapse in...  -  Sep 17, 2007
Metzler et al. (2007) Elevated relapse rate under oral methotrexate versus leflunomide for maintenance of remission in Wegener's granulomatosis. ... Nature.com

… Transporters Influences Outcome to Methotrexate Therapy in...  -  Feb 7, 2008
Methotrexate, an inexpensive first-line systemic therapy for ... The only previous methotrexate pharmacogenetic study performed in a cohort of psoriasis ... Nature.com

Jab hope for rheumatoid arthritis  -  Oct 27, 2008
In trials involving 1190 patients, taking tocilizumab plus methotrexate halted the condition in 47% of patients, compared to only 8% when methotrexate was ... BBC News

Cancer drug abortion trial  -  Jul 4, 2006
Marie Stopes International will use the drug methotrexate as an ... "While we are waiting for RU486 to become readily available methotrexate is a safe and ... The Age

Methotrexate Following Unsuccessful Thiopurine Therapy in Pediatric …  -  Apr 24, 2007
Correspondence: Anne Griffiths, MD, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., ... Nature.com

High-dose methotrexate in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia:...  -  Dec 29, 2005
1 Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, and Children's Hospital, ... Nature.com

Anti-TNF drug helps RA patients stay on the job  -  Oct 28, 2008
After 16 weeks, 20, or 27.4 percent, of the patients taking methotrexate alone ... By 56 weeks, 39.7 percent of the methotrexate-only patients were out of ... Reuters

Product Recalls  -  Jul 15, 2006
The bottles may contain Methotrexate tablets. If Methotrexate tablets are taken by patients prescribed Azathioprine, toxic effects could include: decreased ... FOXNews

Most problematic leukemia drugs recalled  -  Sep 16, 2007
16 (Xinhua) -- "Most" of the iffy leukemia drugs, methotrexate and cytarabin hydrochloride, produced by Shanghai Hualian Pharmaceutical Co. have been ... 新�网

Combination Treatment Works Best for Preventing Future Complications  -  Oct 28, 2005
Step-up combination therapy: methotrexate alone to start followed by adding other DMARDs ... Combination therapy with three drugs: methotrexate, Azulfidine, ... WebMD

RealMoney.com: Biotech Feuerstein's Biotech-Stock Mailbag  -  May 29, 2008
Advexin survival was 4.4 months and methotrexate survival was 6.1 months. That's right, methotrexate patients lived longer than Advexin patients! TheStreet.com - TheStreet.com (subscription)

… of serious bacterial infection: treatment with anti-TNF versus...  -  May 15, 2007
The date of each patient's first exposure to anti-TNF treatment or the date of the third prescription of methotrexate were recorded as index dates of ... Nature.com

Alternatives to methotrexate for infliximab combination therapy in …  -  Jun 1, 2006
Perdriger A et al. (2006) Safety of infliximab used in combination with leflunomide or azathioprine in daily clinical practice. ... Nature.com

Tea Versus the Big "C"  -  Mar 21, 2005
This may be because EGCG blocks an enzyme that is a catalyst to cancer growth; in fact, it has properties similar to those of methotrexate, a drug that has ... TIME

Tocilizumab Monotherapy Tops Methotrexate Monotherapy for Patients …  -  Jun 15, 2008
By Jill Stein. PARIS -- June 15, 2008 -- Tocilizumab monotherapy is superior to methotrexate monotherapy in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) ... DG News

Cancer drug to be used by abortion clinic  -  Jun 15, 2007
While a small number of doctors will do an abortion with methotrexate, ... Marie Stopes said last month it would offer abortions using methotrexate in ... The Age

US delay for drug that eases side-effects of chemotherapy  -  Nov 8, 2006
Voraxaze: new drug developed by Protherics that breaks down methotrexate at a highly accelerated rate, helping to reduce its toxic effects in patients. ... Times Online

Nanotech delivers cancer treatment  -  Jun 21, 2005
Some of these are loaded with the cancer treatment drug methotrexate. But others carry folic acid, which cells -- and particularly cancer cells -- need to ... CNN International

Genentech, Biogen study meets goal  -  Jan 25, 2008
The study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Rituxan plus methotrexate in these RA patients. A total of 509 patients received Rituxan, ... Boston Globe

Methotrexate for trophoblastic cancer  -  Oct 29, 2007
Methotrexate stops the growth of rapidly reproducing cells, such as cancer cells or fetal cells. Methotrexate is the drug of choice for treating ... WebMD

Mayor faces aggressive treatment for rare cancer  -  Jul 11, 2006
During the weeks between the methotrexate treatments, he'll get Temodar, ... The combination of methotrexate and Temodar is a treatment that's still in the ... Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Oral effects of low-dose methotrexate treatment  -  Oct 8, 2005
As methotrexate is increasingly used for numerous conditions, more oral adverse effects have been recognized. Methotrexate is a widely-used chemotherapeutic ... Nature.com

Strengths and limitations of a systematic review on DMARDs for …  -  Feb 14, 2008
2 Many rheumatologists regard methotrexate as the most efficacious of the ... A possible reason for not finding superiority of methotrexate compared with ... Nature.com

… of cyclosporin alone, or cyclosporin and methotrexate, on the...  -  Dec 18, 2006
Marrow transplantation for severe aplastic anemia: methotrexate alone compared ... Graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis with methotrexate/cyclosporine in ... Nature.com

… Treated With Enbrel(R) (etanercept) Plus Methotrexate Can Achieve...  -  Jul 20, 2008
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) and Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) announced the publication of data from the COMET (COmbination of Methotrexate ... Medical News Today - Medical News Today (press release)

Rigel shares double as arthritis drug impresses  -  Dec 13, 2007
All patients enrolled in the trial had continued to have symptoms despite treatment with the widely used drug methotrexate. They continued to take ... Reuters

ACTEMRA (R) (tocilizumab) Significantly Reduced Signs and Symptoms …  -  Oct 25, 2008
Treatment with ACTEMRA and methotrexate showed significant clinical benefits ... AMBITION (Actemra versus Methotrexate double-Blind Investigative Trial In ... Genetic Engineering News - Genetic Engineering News (press release)

… for patients with RA who fail to respond to monotherapy with methotr...  -  Feb 16, 2008
All patients began on monotherapy with methotrexate 7.5 mg/week, ... At 3 months, methotrexate dose was increased to 25 mg/week in patients with a DAS >2.4. ... Nature.com

Long-standing rheumatoid arthritis - Adalimumab plus methotrexate …  -  Aug 22, 2005
Adalimumab "is even more active when used combined with methotrexate," ... Methotrexate is the most widely used of "disease modifying antirheumatic drugs" ... i-newswire.com

Methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin combination...  -  Aug 23, 2007
We investigated the safety and efficacy of a methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin (M-VAC) combination regimen as second-line chemotherapy ... Nature.com

Roche phase III study shows rheumatoid arthritis drug Actemra...  -  Jun 15, 2007
Actemra in combination with methotrexate achieved rapid and significant improvement in their symptoms compared to patients receiving methotrexate alone. ... Forbes

ACTEMRA(R) (Tocilizumab) Significantly Reduces Rheumatoid Arthritis …  -  Jun 13, 2008
The main AMBITION (Actemra versus Methotrexate double-Blind Investigative ... Patients who had not received methotrexate for at least six months beforehand ... RedOrbit

Drug helps brain tumor patients live longer  -  Jan 29, 2008
People who receive high doses of the chemotherapy drug methotrexate to treat a ... “Our findings show high-dose methotrexate alone or in combination with ... The Hindu

Roche's rheumatoid arthritis drug Actemra meets primary endpoint in …  -  Jan 24, 2007
...in a Phase III study with patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had an inadequate response to treatment with methotrexate. ... Forbes

Tumor necrosis factor antagonists and cancer in patients with...  -  Sep 29, 2006
The objective was to assess whether treatment with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), compared with treatment with methotrexate, ... Nature.com

Methotrexate for ectopic pregnancy  -  Jun 6, 2007
Methotrexate is typically given by injection. Two injection sites are sometimes used to administer one dose—this increases absorption of all of the medicine ... MSN Health & Fitness

Spectrum bone cancer drug approved by US FDA  -  Mar 7, 2008
The company said Levoleucovorin is now approved for use after high-dose methotrexate therapy in patients with osteosarcoma, and to diminish the toxicity and ... Reuters

UCB says drug Cimzia effective in reducing symptoms of rheumatoid …  -  Jun 14, 2007
...said tests have shown that its drug Cimzia is effective in reducing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis when compared with the use of methotrexate alone. ... Forbes

CIMZIA(R) (certolizumab pegol), Significantly Reduces Structural …  -  Nov 7, 2007
Also, CIMZIA combined with methotrexate was shown to significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of active RA compared with methotrexate alone for up to one ... Genetic Engineering News - Genetic Engineering News (press release)

Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Boosts Melanoma Incidence  -  Jun 20, 2008
Methotrexate (MTX) is a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) commonly prescribed to RA patients. A link between the drug and cancer has been ... Washington Post

What Are Biologic Response Modifiers And How Are They Used To Treat …  -  Jan 3, 2008
We use them, most of the time when patients have had an inadequate response to the older DMARDs such as methotrexate or sulfasalazine. ... ABC News

'Smart drug' hope for arthritis sufferers  -  Mar 21, 2008
Previous studies have shown the drug slows the progression of the disease and works best when used with methotrexate, the standard treatment. ... Scotsman

Intraocular use of rituximab  -  Apr 20, 2007
The currently available intravitreal chemotherapy for intraocular lymphoma is intraocular methotrexate. 3 A recent study by Kim et al 4 showed that ... Nature.com

Methotrexate Treatment of RA Increases Risk for Certain Cancers  -  Jun 10, 2008
June 10, 2008 — Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with methotrexate are at an increased risk for melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, ... Medscape

Methotrexate retreatment in RA  -  Mar 3, 2006
Vienna, Austria - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had inadequate response to a first course of methotrexate but have not had major toxicity may ... Medscape

Rheumatoid arthritis drug may increase cancer risk  -  Jun 4, 2008
Methotrexate suppresses the immune system, which in rheumatoid arthritis is ... Overall, RA patients taking methotrexate were twice as likely as those ... CBC.ca

Drug Insight: abatacept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis  -  Nov 21, 2005
Most had previously been treated with methotrexate, which was discontinued at least ... The efficacy of abatacept in combination with methotrexate, however, ... Nature.com

New Study Demonstrates ACTEMRA(R) (tocilizumab) Inhibits …  -  May 9, 2008
Patients received either ACTEMRA intravenously every four weeks plus methotrexate weekly or placebo infusions every four weeks plus methotrexate weekly. ... Lifescience-online

… Suggest Certolizumab Pegol Plus Methotrexate Effective In Reducing...  -  Jun 16, 2007
59% of patients receiving certolizumab pegol 200mg plus methotrexate, and 61% of patients receiving certolizumab pegol 400mg plus methotrexate every two ... Medical News Today - Medical News Today (press release)

Are You Taking Methotrexate For Your Rheumatoid Arthritis? .Do Your …  -  Jul 17, 2007
We are seeking men and women who are taking methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis but are still experiencing symptoms of stiff, tender and swollen joints to ... St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive

Are you taking Methotrexate for your Rheumatoid Arthritis?  -  Jul 19, 2007
We are seeking men and women who are taking methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis but are still experiencing symptoms of stiff, tender and swollen joints to ... St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive

Are You Currently Taking .Methotrexate .For Your Rheumatoid Arthritis?...  -  Oct 30, 2006
Methotrexate for your rheumatoid arthritis? Midwest Research Specialists is currently conducting a clinical research study for individuals over 18 years old ... Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Google News Archive

Are You Currently Taking .Methotrexate .For Your Rheumatoid Arthritis?...  -  Sep 25, 2006
Methotrexate for your rheumatoid arthritis? Midwest Research Specialists is currently conducting a clinical research study for individuals over 18 years old ... Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Google News Archive

Are you taking Methotrexate for your Rheumatoid Arthritis?  -  Jul 18, 2007
We are seeking men and women who are taking methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis but are stil experiencing symptoms of stiff, tender and swollen joints to ... St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive

Early methotrexate may slow or prevent onset of RA.(Rheumatology)( …  -  Feb 1, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Early methotrexate treatment in patients with undifferentiated arthritis who test positive for autoantibodies against cyclic citrullinated ... Free with registration - Internal Medicine News - AccessMyLibrary.com

Methotrexate.(Drug overview)  -  Jan 22, 2007
Methotrexate is an anticancer drug used in the treatment of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) and certain forms of leukemia. ... Free with registration - PDR Family Guide to Prescription Drugs - AccessMyLibrary.com

Abbott says arthritis drug works up to 7 years  -  Jun 13, 2008
The studies involved enrolled 1469 patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis who took Humira with methotrexate every other week continuously, ... Boston Globe

Methotrexate Plus Anti-TNF Drugs Wins Plaudits in RA  -  Nov 19, 2007
By John Gever, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today. CHAPEL HILL, NC, Nov. 19 -- For rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate combined with any biologic ... MedPage Today

Window Of Opportunity: Early Doses Of Methotrexate May Stop Certain …  -  Nov 13, 2006
Can you intervene early in the progression of a disease to prevent it from becoming chronic and full-blown? Evidently yes if those patients with probable ... Medical News Today - Medical News Today (press release)

Childhood leukemia drug resistance studied  -  Apr 17, 2008
Besides its use in ALL, methotrexate is widely used to treat other cancers and some autoimmune diseases. However, until the new study there was no valid ... United Press International

For RA Cardioprotection, Biologics Found Equal to Methotrexate  -  Nov 29, 2006
By Crystal Phend, Staff Writer, MedPage Today. BOSTON, Nov. 29 -- The biologic agents used to treat rheumatoid arthritis are no better or worse for the ... MedPage Today

Rituxan OK'd for Rheumatoid Arthritis  -  Mar 1, 2006
Like other RA treatments, including methotrexate, Rituxan was first used to treat ... In a 24-week study that compared Rituxan plus methotrexate with using ... WebMD

ACTEMRA(TM) (tocilizumab) Third Phase III Study Results Show …  -  Jul 10, 2007
Patients received either ACTEMRA intravenously (4 mg/kg or 8 mg/kg) every four weeks plus methotrexate weekly or placebo infusions every four weeks plus ... Free with registration - PR Newswire - AccessMyLibrary.com

Genmab starts Phase III rheumatoid arthritis trial  -  Nov 20, 2007
One patient group has had an inadequate response to methotrexate therapy, while the other has had an inadequate response to TNF-alpha antagonist therapy. ... Reuters

UCB says postitive phase III results for CIMIZA rheumatoid arthritis ...  -  Dec 22, 2006
In each of the studies the compound, in combination with methotrexate, demonstrated superiority to placebo and a statistically significant improvement in ... Forbes

New rheumatoid arthritis drugs equally effective  -  Jan 5, 2008
Comparison subjects were given either methotrexate, a standard treatment for the ... The drugs offered little added benefit if methotrexate was already ... Stuff.co.nz

Recovery timetable varies in mayor's case .  -  Jul 25, 2006
He went through 10 weeks of methotrexate treatment at North em Hospital near ... Methotrexate and, later, whole-brain radiation, beat the tumor back to an ... Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive

No Cancer Risk From Arthritis Drugs?  -  Aug 31, 2006
In the newly published study, Setoguchi and colleagues compared the biologic drugs to the traditional rheumatoid arthritis drug, methotrexate. ... CBS News

Brand Names/Synonyms:
Methotrexate is also known by the following brand names and/or synonymsAbitrexate; Amethopterin; Amethopterine; Antifolan; Arbitrexate; Emtexate; Folex; Folex Pfs; HDMTX; L-Amethopterin; Ledertrexate; MTX; Metatrexan; Methopterin; Methotextrate; Methotrate; Methotrexat; Methotrexate; Methotrexate Lpf; Methotrexate Preservative Free; Methotrexate Sodium; Methotrexate for Injection; Methotrexate, Usp Grade; Methylaminopterin; Methylaminopterinum; Mexate; Mexate-Aq; Mexate-Aq Preserved; N-Bismethylpteroylglutamic Acid; NSC 740; R 9985; Rheumatrex; Rheumatrex Dose Pack; Trexall; X 133

Drug Category:
Methotrexate is categorized under the following by the FDA: Antirheumatic Agents; Immunosuppressive Agents; Dermatologic Agents; Antimetabolites; Abortifacient Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; ATC:L01BA01; ATC:L04AX03

Dosage Forms:
Tablets

Absorption:
Well absorbed <30 mg/m², 20%

Interactions:
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Chemical IUPAC Name:
2-[4-[(2,4-diaminopteridin-6-yl)methyl-methyl-amino]benzoyl]aminopentanedioicacid





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