Asthma News and Research

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Asthma is a common inflammatory disease affecting the airways that leads to shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Symptoms range from mild to severe but are generally manageable with appropriate treatment.

SkyePharma delivery technologies for respiratory drugs to feature at two international conferences

SkyePharma PLC has announced that its proprietary delivery technologies for respiratory drugs will be presented later this month at two international conferences, one in the UK and one in America.

22 Apr 2004

Fish oil reduces heart attack and blood vessel disease

Fish oil can help reduce deaths from heart disease, according to new evidence reports announced today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

22 Apr 2004

FDA approves Advair Diskus® for children with asthma

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Advair 100/50 in children four years to eleven years of age with asthma who are symptomatic on inhaled corticosteroid therapy alone.

22 Apr 2004

ALTANA gets MHRA approval for Alvesco (Ciclesonide)

ALTANA AG has announced that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom has granted ALTANA Pharma marketing approval for Alvesco (Ciclesonide)

22 Apr 2004

Cell associated with asthma linked to tobacco smoke

Diminished production of dendritic cell interleukin 10 (IL-10), an anti-inflammatory cytokine previously associated with asthma, is linked to environmental tobacco smoke during infancy in a study published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

21 Apr 2004

Desensitization Useful for Allergy to Life-Saving Drug

When patients with life-threatening bacterial infections are allergic to antibiotics, drug desensitization may be an option when no other alternative exists according to a report published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

21 Apr 2004

Can public health promotion beat disease?

Huge efforts are under way to address health problems such as SARS, HIV, diabetes and many other illnesses by developing vaccines or therapeutic drugs.

20 Apr 2004

New research findings about T-cell transport shed light on immune system

New research findings about T-cell transport shed light on how the normal immune system functions and could have implications in fighting autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, say researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

20 Apr 2004

Daycare and siblings increase likelihood of contracting respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus

Daycare attendance and siblings are associated with viral-induced wheezing in children. Pre-existing immunologic factors may influence the expression of viral infections in infancy, and in turn, recurrent infections may influence the development of immune responses.

17 Apr 2004

GlaxoSmithKline files asthma treatment drug for approval in Japan

GlaxoSmithKline plc announced today that it has filed SeretideTM DiskusTM for approval to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the treatment of asthma in adults and children.

16 Apr 2004

Unflued gas heaters linked to asthma attacks

Professor Pilotto said that while previous research has shown a link between unflued gas exposure and asthma, the results of this study were more conclusive as they were based on a randomised control trial of unflued gas heater replacement.

14 Apr 2004

Don't let the bed bugs bite

A robust new breed of blood-sucking bed bugs are on the rise in Britain, and experts fear the “super” pests cannot be killed.

14 Apr 2004

Houston blows poor air not just hot air

A study by a Texas A&M University researcher shows that Houston has wild fluctuations of air pollution – far above acceptable national standards – and these could pose a serious health risk to the city's inhabitants unless controls are quickly started.

14 Apr 2004

A new system of health and wellbeing

Hands up who goes to the doctor when they are feeling well? Hands up who goes to the doctor just to chat about how they can stay well? The fact is most of us drag ourselves off to the doctor only when there are signs of trouble, when we are feeling sick.

14 Apr 2004

More Americans allergic to seafood than any other food

A new study released today at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology annual conference shows that food allergies are a much more pervasive health challenge than once thought. About 11 million people -- roughly 1-in-25 Americans -- are now believed to be affected by one or more food allergies, a disease triggered by the ingestion or contact with certain foods that may cause life-threatening reactions, or anaphylaxis, according to The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), a co-investigator of the nationwide survey.

13 Apr 2004

Compound in ventolin inhalers could make asthma worse

A chemical used in the leading brand of asthma inhaler could actually make the allergy worse, say scientists. They fear a compound in Ventolin inhalers may react with steroids used to prevent attacks.

13 Apr 2004

Allergies cost UK £1 billion per annum

Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen and St George’s Medical School in London say one in five children and adults in Britain suffer from allergies, with annual health services treatment bill running at £1billion. They call for more allergy specialists to meet the increased demand.

13 Apr 2004

Household molds trigger allergic rhinitis

April showers can increase the amount of mold found inside and outside the home. Along with pollens from trees, grasses, and weeds, molds are an important trigger of allergic rhinitis, affecting nearly 40 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

12 Apr 2004

Research shows no association between whooping cough vaccine and asthma

Parents who may be concerned by a scare over the side effects of the whooping cough vaccine will be reassured by a new study involving thousands of children. The Department of Health advice that babies should be vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis) at the age of two, three and four months has been questioned by some scientists who have suggested a link with asthma and allergies.

1 Apr 2004

GlaxoSmithKline and Theravance to form strategic alliance

GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) and Theravance, Inc., a privately-held pharmaceutical company, announced today that they have entered into an innovative broad-based strategic alliance to develop and commercialise novel medicines across a variety of important therapeutic areas, including bacterial infection, respiratory, urinary incontinence and gastrointestinal.

31 Mar 2004