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FDA grants Abraxis BioScience orphan drug designation for ABRAXANE

Abraxis BioScience, Inc., a fully integrated biotechnology company, today announced that the Office of Orphan Products Development of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to the chemotherapy agent ABRAXANE® for Injectable Suspension (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer as well as stage IIB-IV melanoma.

5 Nov 2009

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals' SUCCEED trial of oral ridaforolimus on track

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009 and provided an update on corporate developments.

5 Nov 2009

New biosensor device may help in combating cancer

A powerful new biosensor developed by European researchers will help identify cells in the immune system that actively suppress tumour growth, then put them to use. Enlisting the patient's own immune system would be like sending reinforcements for resistance fighters.

5 Nov 2009

STMicroelectronics and Mayo Clinic collaborate on a novel heart-monitoring platform

STMicroelectronics, one of the world's leading semiconductor companies, and Mayo Clinic, a premier health-care organization, are collaborating on a novel platform for remotely monitoring patients with chronic cardiovascular disease.

5 Nov 2009

New laser therapy for cataract treatment

A new laser therapy that can potentially remove cataracts from people's eyes more efficiently and with greater precision was presented on October 24, 2009 at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting.

5 Nov 2009

Limitations of prevalence estimates of TBI and PTSD among OIF/OEF veterans discussed

In a special guest editorial, Bass and colleagues discuss the limitations of current estimates of the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans. Since these estimates often determine the allocation of resources, the authors urge decision makers to understand the limitations of these prevalence estimates.

5 Nov 2009

Food advertising aimed at children contributes to obesity

Childhood obesity in the United States is reaching epidemic proportions. With more than one fourth of advertising on daytime and prime time television devoted to foods and beverages and continuing questions about the role television plays in obesity, a study in the November/December issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior examines how food advertising aimed at children might be a large contributor to the problem.

5 Nov 2009

NIST researchers to develop a certified reference material to assess C-reactive protein

Searching for a needle in a haystack may seem futile, but it's worth it if the needle is a hard-to-detect protein that may identify a person at high risk of a heart attack circulating within a haystack of human serum (liquid component of blood).

5 Nov 2009

Abraxis Health dedicates its new manufacturing facility in Phoenix

Abraxis Health, a fully-integrated personalized healthcare division of Abraxis BioScience, Inc., today announced the dedication of its new manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona. The state of the art biopharma manufacturing plant represents a $70 million investment by LA-based Abraxis, and will create up to 200 high tech jobs.

5 Nov 2009

Asthma in 9/11 responders is two times greater than general US population

Responders to the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks, who were exposed to caustic dust and toxic pollutants following the 9/11 disaster, suffer from asthma at a rate more than twice that of the general US population, according to new research presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

5 Nov 2009

Scientists identify a novel cellular source of atrial fibrillation

While studying how the heart is formed, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine serendipitously found a novel cellular source of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of abnormal heart beat.

5 Nov 2009

Evidence continues to grow about green tea's cancer prevention properties

Although scientists are reluctant to officially endorse green tea as a cancer prevention method, evidence continues to grow about its protective effects, including results of a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, which suggests some reduction in oral cancer.

5 Nov 2009

Appropriate initial antimicrobial therapy reduces mortality in patients with septic shock

Patients experiencing septic shock who receive inappropriate therapy may have a fivefold reduction in survival, shows a new study. Researchers from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, retrospectively reviewed the cases of 5,715 patients with septic shock to determine the appropriateness of initial antimicrobial therapy, clinical infection site, and relevant pathogens.

5 Nov 2009

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder can benefit from synthetic marijuana

Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients. This is exposed in a recent study carried out at the Learning and Memory Lab in the University of Haifa's Department of Psychology.

5 Nov 2009

CHANTIX/CHAMPIX raises hope for quitting smoking

New study results showed that 42.3 percent of smokers with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who took CHANTIX/CHAMPIX® (varenicline) were able to quit smoking and remain abstinent during the last four weeks of treatment (weeks 9-12) compared with 8.8 percent of those given placebo (p<0.0001). These findings were presented by investigators at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

5 Nov 2009

Short, intensive radiation therapy offers similar results as conventional therapy for early stage-breast cancers

According to a study presented November 4, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), a shortened, more intensive course of radiation given to the whole breast, along with an extra dose of radiation given to the surgical bed of the tumor (concomitant boost), has been shown to result in excellent local control at a median follow up of two years after treatment with no significant sides effects.

5 Nov 2009

Bursting common myths about psoriasis

Psoriasis is a real disability that affects approximately one million Canadians. A recent Canadian survey found that the causes and effects of this chronic, recurrent skin disorder are often misunderstood - and the result of these misperceptions can leave a lasting negative impact on those who suffer from this debilitating immune system disease.

5 Nov 2009

Commonly used pain reliever may be associated with asthma in children and adults

New research shows that the widely used pain reliever acetaminophen may be associated with an increased risk of asthma and wheezing in both children and adults exposed to the drug. Researchers from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis of 19 clinical studies (total>The analysis showed that the pooled odds ratio (odds ratio for all studies combined) for asthma among users of acetaminophen was 1.63.

5 Nov 2009

USC: Heavy traffic corridors responsible for preventable childhood asthma

Heavy traffic corridors in the cities of Long Beach and Riverside are responsible for a significant proportion of preventable childhood asthma, and the true impact of air pollution and ship emissions on the disease has likely been underestimated, according to researchers at the University of Southern California (USC).

5 Nov 2009

New therapeutic approach targets cancer cells, not normal cells

The ultimate goal in cancer research, a treatment that kills cancer cells whilst leaving healthy cells untouched, is brought nearer by the success of a new therapeutic approach. The potential therapy, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research, targets proliferation of cancer, but not normal, cells.

5 Nov 2009