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Findings may point toward potential therapies for type 2 diabetes

In people who put on a lot of weight, or whose bodies start developing the inability to use insulin effectively that leads toward type 2 diabetes, the pancreas typically ramps up its supply of insulin-generating "beta" cells, at least partly by replication of the existing cells.

27 Jan 2010

People with higher levels of vitamin D less likely to develop bowel cancer

People with higher levels of vitamin D appear to be significantly less likely to develop bowel cancer, a new European study has found.

27 Jan 2010

AAN guideline finds diazepam drug is effective for treating children with cerebral palsy

A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society finds botulinum toxin type A to be an effective treatment for spasticity, muscle tightness that interferes with movement, in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy, but poses some risk.

27 Jan 2010

Merck to appeal against U.S. court's ruling in TEMODAR patent infringement lawsuit

Merck & Co., Inc. announced today that the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware ruled against the company in a patent infringement suit against Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.

27 Jan 2010

Obese children face increased risk of stroke and heart disease

By as early as 7 years of age, being obese may raise a child's risk of future heart disease and stroke, even in the absence of other cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

27 Jan 2010

FDA approves Victoza to treat type 2 diabetes in some adults

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Victoza (liraglutide), a once-daily injection to treat type 2 diabetes in some adults.

27 Jan 2010

Veterans with PTSD could receive more benefits

The Associated Press/New York Times: "The military has agreed to expedite a review [of] the records of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans discharged with post-traumatic stress disorder to determine whether they were improperly denied benefits.

27 Jan 2010

ERYtech Pharma receives ODD for its GRASPA from FDA

ERYtech Pharma announces that FDA has granted an Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for GRASPA®, the company’s lead product in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

27 Jan 2010

Universite de Montreal researchers are developing leptin-based pill to control hunger

A Universit- de Montr-al research team is developing a pill composed of leptin, the protein that tells our brain to stop eating. "Mice deprived of leptin will not stop eating. They become so big they have trouble moving around," says Mo-se Bendayan, a pathology professor at the Universit- de Montr-al Faculty of Medicine who has studied the leptin protein extensively.

27 Jan 2010

Testing DBS for treating severe long-term depression

Bewernick and colleagues administered DBS treatment in ten patients with severe long-term depression who had not responded to multiple other antidepressant treatments, including psychotherapy, drug treatments and electroconvulsive treatment. After one year of DBS, all patients showed some improvement, and half of them experienced significant improvement in their symptoms of depression, astonishing considering they had not responded to any prior antidepressant treatment. In addition, the patients showed reduced ratings of anxiety and had only minor side effects. Importantly, none of their overall brain functioning was impaired by the DBS treatment.

27 Jan 2010

Phadia's ImmunoCAP Rapid System receives FDA marketing clearance

Phadia, the world leader in allergy blood testing diagnostics, today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the ImmunoCAP® Rapid Reader II, a part of the ImmunoCAP Rapid System, used to aid in the diagnosis of allergy in the physician’s office.

27 Jan 2010

Radiation therapy safe and effective for cancer treatment

In response to the issues raised by the Jan. 24 New York Times article, "Radiation Offers New Cures and Ways to Do Harm," US Oncology, Inc. wants to ensure that cancer patients and the general public understand that the benefits received from radiation therapy in cancer care far outweigh the risks, and that cancer patients fighting their disease with help from the US Oncology physician network, and their loved ones, can rest assured that extensive quality control measures are put in place to minimize risks.

27 Jan 2010

FDA approves Novo Nordisk's Victoza for type 2 diabetes

Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company, announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new drug application for Victoza® (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection), the first once-daily human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Victoza is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

27 Jan 2010

Aurora physician receives Hind Rattan Award for MS research

Today the NRI Welfare Society of India recognized Bhupendra Khatri, M.D., of Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center with its prestigious Hind Rattan Award.

27 Jan 2010

Texas to invest $4.5 mn in cancer research at UT Health Science Center

Texas plans to invest $3 billion in cancer research over the next 10 years and six scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are among the first to receive grants.The researchers, whose grants total $4.5 million, are working to protect girls from cervical cancer, to interrupt tumor growth at the molecular level and to develop a new approach for the treatment of colon cancer, among other cutting-edge projects.

27 Jan 2010

Promising results in mice could prevent fatal iron buildup in humans

A new study shows that a protein found in blood alleviates anemia, a condition in which the body's tissues don't get enough oxygen from the blood. In this animal study, injections of the protein, known as transferrin, also protected against potentially fatal iron overload in mice with thalassemia, a type of inherited anemia that affects millions of people worldwide.

27 Jan 2010

YM BioSciences' nimotuzumab Phase II trials: FDA advises patient enrollment

YM BioSciences Inc., announced that the FDA has advised the Company that it may now enroll patients at US clinical sites into two ongoing randomized, double-blind Phase II trials of its lead product, nimotuzumab. One of the two trials is in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who are ineligible for curative treatment and being treated palliatively and the other in patients with brain metastases from NSCLC. Current NSCLC palliative treatment and treatment for brain metastases is radiation alone.

27 Jan 2010

Doctors delay talking about end-of-life care

A study published this month finds doctors delay talking about end-of-life care, which often proves very costly. The Los Angeles Times reports: "Most doctors don't talk about end-of-life issues with their cancer patients when those patients are feeling well, a new survey has found." Physicians also tended to delay these conversations "until treatments have been exhausted. Those delays mean patients might not be able to make truly informed choices early in their treatment.

27 Jan 2010

Findings may yield novel therapeutic strategies for late-stage breast cancer

Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have determined how the TGFβ-Smad signaling pathway, which is over activated in late-stage cancers, is responsible for the "epigenetic memory" that maintains unique patterns of regulatory DNA hypermethylation causing silencing of critical genes that facilitate breast cancer progression.

25 Jan 2010

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals to submit additional data for FUSILEV sNDA

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a commercial-stage biotechnology company with a primary focus in oncology, today announced that it has met with the FDA regarding it’s supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for FUSILEV® (levoleucovorin) for injection for the treatment of patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer. In October 2009, the FDA issued a Complete Response letter regarding its sNDA for FUSILEV.

25 Jan 2010