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Study examines health-care costs among heart failure patients in Canada

As the population ages, health care epidemiologist Padma Kaul and cardiologist Paul Armstrong, researchers in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, want health-care professionals to talk to their patients about their options on places to die, whether it be at home, in hospital or a palliative care facility like hospice.

13 Oct 2010

Buprenorphine implant decreases opioid usage in persons with opioid dependence

Helping to address the issue of medication adherence, persons with opioid dependence who had the medication buprenorphine implanted had less opioid use over 16 weeks, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA.

13 Oct 2010

Patients with advanced cancer undergo common non-beneficial cancer screening tests

A sizeable proportion of patients with advanced cancer and a life expectancy of only a few years continue to undergo common cancer screening tests that are unlikely to provide meaningful benefit, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA.

13 Oct 2010

PAXX100 audio device improves quality of life of people with tinnitus

Tinnitus Laboratory today announced the results of a clinical study that shows significant improvements from the use of PAXX100, a customized audio device for tinnitus management designed for long-term reduction of tinnitus perception.

13 Oct 2010

Pycnogenol effective in relieving tinnitus symptoms: Study

More than 50 million Americans will experience some degree of tinnitus in their lifetime, according to the American Tinnitus Association. Tinnitus is a hearing condition that causes the constant misperception of sound, including hissing, ringing and rushing noises. A study recently published in Panminerva Medica reveals that Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract derived from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, is effective in relieving tinnitus symptoms by improving blood flow in the inner ear.

13 Oct 2010

Study compares minimally invasive and open surgeries for lower back pain

Rush University Medical Center is assessing whether minimally invasive surgery to relieve lower back pain differs from open surgery in terms of complication rate, recovery time, outcome and cost.

13 Oct 2010

New, longer lasting LVAD implanted in Canadian heart-failure patient

In a Canadian first, the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre used a new kind of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to treat a patient with advanced heart failure. The new device is longer lasting than older generation LVADs and may eliminate the need for a second LVAD - a major drawback with the old technology.

13 Oct 2010

Study demonstrates chitosan/IL-12 is an effective anti-tumor immunotherapy

A new study by a University of Arkansas biomedical engineer and his colleagues at the National Cancer Institute demonstrates further promise for chitosan/interleukin-12 as an effective anti-tumor immunotherapy.

13 Oct 2010

Patients with memory impairment have intact ability to hold information in mind: Research

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, led by Larry R. Squire, PhD, professor of psychiatry, psychology and neurosciences at UC San Diego and a scientist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System, report that working memory of relational information where an object is located, for example remains intact even if key brain structures like the hippocampus are damaged.

13 Oct 2010

The Partnership at Drugfree.org issues statement on FDA approval of VIVITROL for opioid dependence

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of Alkermes' opioid dependence medication (VIVITROL) for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence following opioid detoxification is positive news for families of young adults and all those who are struggling to overcome opioid addiction. Addiction, a disease of the human brain, is a chronic illness while opioid dependence is frequently characterized by relapse.

13 Oct 2010

Prosensa receives £7.5M milestone payment in GSK2402968 Phase IIa trial for DMD

Prosensa, the Dutch biopharmaceutical company focusing on RNA modulating therapeutics, has announced that it received a £7.5m milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) as a result of achieving a data milestone in its Phase IIa open label extension trial of GSK2402968 (PRO051), being developed to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) under its agreement with GSK. The milestone payment was based upon achievement of a successful safety review, with no serious safety signals observed.

13 Oct 2010

Imprime PGG and cetuximab increase overall response rate in metastatic colorectal cancer

A combination of Biothera's Imprime PGG and cetuximab (Erbitux) doubled the overall response rates for second- and third-line metastatic colorectal cancer patients participating in a Phase Ib/IIa clinical trial. The completed trial results were released yesterday at the 35th European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress.

13 Oct 2010

Genmab and Lundbeck enter agreement to develop antibody therapeutics

Genmab A/S announced today an agreement to create and develop human antibody therapeutics for disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) with H. Lundbeck A/S. Genmab will create novel human antibodies to three targets identified by Lundbeck. Lundbeck will have access to Genmab's antibody creation and development capabilities, including its state of the art, fully automated pre-clinical antibody screening and characterization capabilities and its proprietary stabilized IgG4 and UniBody therapeutic antibody platforms.

13 Oct 2010

Threshold announces TH-302 Phase 1/2 clinical trial interim results

Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced interim results from an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial in various solid tumors related to its hypoxia-activated prodrug, TH-302. The results were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting being held in Milan, Italy.

13 Oct 2010

BioRx receives limited distribution rights from Baxter for AATD drug GLASSIA

BioRx, a specialty pharmacy company, has received limited distribution rights from Baxter International Inc. for a new drug, GLASSIA™ [Alpha 1-Proteinase Inhibitor (Human)], the first and only liquid, ready-to-use treatment for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) in the United States. AATD is a genetic disorder that causes low levels of alpha 1-antitrypsin, resulting in emphysema. AATD is also referred to as "genetic" or "congenital" emphysema.

From Baxter International Inc. 13 Oct 2010

Archimedes publishes results from FPNS Phase III clinical study for breakthrough cancer pain

Archimedes Pharma, an emerging specialty pharma company focused on oncology, pain, neurology and critical care sectors, today announced publication of results from a Phase III, long-term safety, tolerability and consistency of effect, clinical study of fentanyl pectin nasal spray (FPNS) in the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP).

13 Oct 2010

Kennedy Krieger Institute launches phase II clinical trial to investigate Revatio for DMD treatment

Kennedy Krieger Institute announced today the launch of a first‐of‐its‐kind, phase II clinical trial to investigate a treatment for heart disease in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

13 Oct 2010

New cancer initiative may promote rapid drug development

Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center (GHS) unveiled details of its new Institute for Translational Oncology Research, a visionary cancer initiative that will help pave the way for new breakthroughs in rapid drug development, diagnostic discovery and advanced cancer care. ITOR is part of the GHS Cancer Center, a recognized regional multi-disciplinary center.

13 Oct 2010

NCI rates Abramson Cancer Center as 'exceptional'

The University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center has been rated as "exceptional" by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) during a competitive research funding review by the government agency.

13 Oct 2010

New evidence supports possible link between XMRV and prostate cancer

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been the subject of many studies since its discovery in 2006, but conflicting reports have created an unclear picture of XMRV's role in human disease. In three recent studies published in the November 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online, the evidence supports a possible link between XMRV and prostate cancer but not other links involving chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV infection, or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

13 Oct 2010