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Drug makers attract scrutiny over cost and ads, but may benefit from overhaul

Drug makers came under scrutiny after the AARP published research recently showing their wholesale prices had increased by an average of 9.3 percent during the past year, offsetting the value of rebates the industry promised as part of a health care overhaul to help seniors pay for drugs.

9 Dec 2009

Misuse of blood thinners in dialysis patients reported

Reuters/ABC News reports on research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that examined the misuse of two blood thinners - Lovenox and Integrilin - in "about 20 percent of kidney dialysis patients who undergo a procedure to open a blocked artery [who] are given the wrong blood clot medicine, increasing the chances of significant bleeding, researchers said Tuesday.

9 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 9, 2009

Today's coverage details last night's tentative agreement struck by Senate Democratic negotiators in an effort to clear the public option impasse, and a vote on an abortion amendment.

9 Dec 2009

AHS annual meeting focuses on myeloma, says IMF

The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF)—supporting research and providing education, advocacy and support for myeloma patients, families, researchers and physicians— says a large number of abstracts – nearly a quarter of the presentations submitted this year to the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) were for myeloma, with one being presented at the prestigious plenary session.

9 Dec 2009

Report on the community-acquired pneumonia drug market

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the patent expiries of three blockbuster antibiotics -- levofloxacin, moxifloxacin and piperacillin/tazobactam -- will be the primary factors contributing to a decline of more than 15 percent in the community-acquired pneumonia drug market though 2018.

9 Dec 2009

CSC's stem cell-derived motor neuron product for SMA receives FDA orphan drug designation

California Stem Cell, Inc. (CSC) and Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (FSMA) announced today that the FDA has granted orphan drug designation to MOTORGRAFT™, a stem cell-derived motor neuron product, for the treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

9 Dec 2009

European markets for Parkinson's disease therapeutics to reach $2.28 billion in 2015

The Parkinson's disease therapeutics market in 2008 amounted to over $1 billion in the European Union (EU), which includes total sales of carbidopa/levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, COMT inhibitors and anticholinergics used for disease symptom relief.

9 Dec 2009

Discovery of new compounds may dispel cravings of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction

Sarah Steele and Langtian "Ren" Yuan were both self-admittedly inexperienced Duke freshmen in the spring of 2006. But then they followed helpful directions of an assistant chemistry professor, added their own patience and ingenuity, and ended up identifying compounds that might allay the powerful cravings of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction.

9 Dec 2009

Smokers taking the Respiragene test try to quit smoking, reveals study

Smokers who see their own personal risk of developing lung cancer after genetic-based testing show stronger intention and take more action on quitting smoking, according to clinical trial results presented to an American Association of Cancer Research conference.

9 Dec 2009

Depression drug TC-5214 earns USF its most lucrative patent royalties to date

A depression drug created and patented by a team of University of South Florida researchers is at the center of major deal between global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca PLC and Targacept, Inc., earning the university its potentially most lucrative patent royalties to date.

9 Dec 2009

Breakthrough findings may lead to new treatments for Ebola hemorrhagic fever

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of a critical protein from the Ebola virus, which, though rare, is one of the deadliest viruses on the planet killing between 50 and 90 percent of those infected.

9 Dec 2009

New guidelines on the management of antithrombotic agents for endoscopic procedures published

According to a new guideline from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) regarding the management of antithrombotic agents for endoscopy, aspirin and/or NSAIDs may be continued for all elective endoscopic procedures.

9 Dec 2009

Successful reduction in the levels of aggregated Abeta with GSMs

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals today reported the successful reduction in the levels of aggregated Abeta or Beta-Amyloid in an aged transgenic model (Tg2576) of Alzheimer's disease with its lead gamma-secretase modulator (GSM) EVP-0962. The aggregated Abeta, containing predominately oligomeric and larger Abeta fibrillar species, is considered to be the toxic entity in Alzheimer's disease.

9 Dec 2009

Mouse model may help identify unknown mutations that make lung cancer cells resistant to therapy

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide and lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type. Many cases of lung adenocarcinoma are attributed to a mutation in a gene for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

9 Dec 2009

CDC awards Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine $19.7M for TB research

John L. Johnson, M.D., Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and pulmonologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center has been awarded a 10 year, $19.7M contract from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an international clinical trials site for the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC).

9 Dec 2009

Antithrombotic medication may increase risk of bleeding in dialysis patients undergoing PCI procedure

Approximately 20 percent of dialysis patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; procedure such as angioplasty) are given an antithrombotic medication they should not receive, which may increase their risk for in-hospital bleeding, according to a study in the December 9 issue of JAMA.

9 Dec 2009

Immune-boosting drug: A new way for improving cancer treatment

Stimulating the body's own immune system to fight cancer offers new treatment opportunities for cancer patients, and scientists have made the first step towards finding existing drugs that could help.

9 Dec 2009

FDA cleared, non-invasive prescription therapeutic device for NVP now available

PrimaBella™, the only non-invasive prescription therapeutic device cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy (NVP), is now available. Providing a non-invasive, drug-free treatment for morning sickness, PrimaBella™ has been proven to be safe for both mother and developing baby and can offer quick relief -- the majority of patients report an immediate improvement in NVP symptoms.

9 Dec 2009

Neuroscientists suggest risky therapy for aging brain may be avoidable by focusing on hormone target

Estrogen seems to act like a middleman in its positive effect on the brain, raising the possibility that future drugs may bypass the carcinogenic hormone altogether while reaping its benefits.

8 Dec 2009

CDC awards $19.7 million contract to study new drugs for tuberculosis treatment

8 Dec 2009

Drugs News and Research

Drug makers attract scrutiny over cost and ads, but may benefit from overhaul

Misuse of blood thinners in dialysis patients reported

First Edition: December 9, 2009

AHS annual meeting focuses on myeloma, says IMF

Report on the community-acquired pneumonia drug market

CSC's stem cell-derived motor neuron product for SMA receives FDA orphan drug designation

European markets for Parkinson's disease therapeutics to reach $2.28 billion in 2015

Discovery of new compounds may dispel cravings of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction

Smokers taking the Respiragene test try to quit smoking, reveals study

Depression drug TC-5214 earns USF its most lucrative patent royalties to date

Breakthrough findings may lead to new treatments for Ebola hemorrhagic fever

New guidelines on the management of antithrombotic agents for endoscopic procedures published

Successful reduction in the levels of aggregated Abeta with GSMs

Mouse model may help identify unknown mutations that make lung cancer cells resistant to therapy

CDC awards Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine $19.7M for TB research

Antithrombotic medication may increase risk of bleeding in dialysis patients undergoing PCI procedure

Immune-boosting drug: A new way for improving cancer treatment

FDA cleared, non-invasive prescription therapeutic device for NVP now available

Neuroscientists suggest risky therapy for aging brain may be avoidable by focusing on hormone target

CDC awards $19.7 million contract to study new drugs for tuberculosis treatment

Drug Discovery - Second Edition eBook

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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