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"Alternate-day fasting" reduces body weight and improves cardio health: Study

Restricting daily calorie intake is a common plan to help obese and overweight people slim down to healthier weights. But the regime requires a daily 15 to 40 percent calorie reduction, which makes sticking to the diet hard for many.

4 Nov 2009

Statins may have negative effects on some cardiac patients, says study

Although statins are widely used to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular disorders, new research shows that the class of drugs may actually have negative effects on some cardiac patients. A new study presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that statins have beneficial effects on patients with systolic heart failure (SHF), but those with diastolic heart failure (DHF) experienced the opposite effect, including increased dyspnea, fatigue, and decreased exercise tolerance.

4 Nov 2009

Possible cure for Parkinson's disease

Researchers at Iowa State University have found an essential key to possibly cure Parkinson's disease and are looking for others.

4 Nov 2009

GenVec receives FDA orphan drug designation for TNFerade

GenVec, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to TNFerade(TM) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

4 Nov 2009

Gastric cancer drug market to double to nearly $1.5 billion in 2018

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the gastric cancer drug market -- driven by the launch of several targeted agents over the next few years -- will more than double from approximately $700 million in 2008 to nearly $1.5 billion in 2018 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

4 Nov 2009

Acceleron Pharma commences Phase 1 clinical study of its novel angiogenesis inhibitor

Acceleron Pharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics that modulate the growth of cells and tissues including red blood cells, bone, muscle, fat, and the vasculature, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical study of ACE-041, a novel angiogenesis inhibitor that binds to and prevents members of the TGF-β superfamily from signaling through the activin receptor-like kinase 1 (ALK1) receptor.

4 Nov 2009

EUSA Pharma's PROSTASCINT effective in guiding targeted prostate cancer treatment

EUSA Pharma announced that PROSTASCINT® (capromab pendetide) fusion imaging was shown to effectively guide prostate cancer therapy targeting and dosing and is a significant predictor of disease free survival, according to data presented on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at the 51st American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois.

4 Nov 2009

PAH patients face life-threatening risks from medication errors

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients using infused drugs have suffered serious injury or in some cases died from medication errors in hospitals and other inpatient settings, according to a peer-reviewed study by Accredo Health Group and several university hospitals that surveyed doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

4 Nov 2009

Shionogi files New Drug Application in Japan

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its partner, Shionogi & Co., Ltd. has filed a New Drug Application (NDA) in Japan to seek regulatory approval for intravenous (i.v.) peramivir to treat patients with influenza. As a consequence of this filing, BioCryst will receive a regulatory milestone payment of $7 million under its agreement with Shionogi.

4 Nov 2009

Shire receives FDA Priority Review for velaglucerase alfa NDA

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review for the New Drug Application (NDA) for velaglucerase alfa, the company's enzyme replacement therapy in development for the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher disease.

4 Nov 2009

Exelixis to present 13 abstracts of its development candidates at the 2009 AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference

Exelixis, Inc. announced today that thirteen abstracts related to the company’s development candidates have been accepted for presentation at the 2009 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, which is being held November 15-19 in Boston. Interim data from ongoing phase 1 clinical trials of XL147 and XL765 will be reported in four poster presentations.

4 Nov 2009

Entest BioMedical files second patent application in the treatment of COPD

Entest BioMedical announced today it has filed a second patent application in the area of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This new patent application builds upon the Company’s previously filed COPD patent application and involves the use of photoceutical devices to target stem cells toward areas impacted by COPD in the lungs.

4 Nov 2009

FDA approves SPA Protocol Amendment for Lucanix Phase III clinical trial

NovaRx Corporation announced today that the Company has successfully negotiated and received FDA approval for a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) Protocol Amendment to the pivotal Lucanix® Phase III clinical trial in patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).

4 Nov 2009

GI and hepatology societies take initiative to evaluate the current medical school curriculum

Due to the increasing complexities of treating digestive diseases, allowing gastroenterological (GI) trainee physicians the opportunity to develop enhanced abilities and experiences in specific disease areas or procedures will be a great benefit to patients, according to a "Report of the Multisociety Task Force on GI Training."

4 Nov 2009

Work is causing stress for more Seattleites, reveals APA survey

Work is causing stress for more Seattleites this year according to the American Psychological Association's (APA) Stress in America survey, while the number reporting money or the economy as significant stressors has dropped since last year. More than 50 percent of city residents remain stressed by one or more of these three sources, a cause of concern for psychologists who worry about the effects of long-term stress and how it can contribute to chronic health disorders.

4 Nov 2009

Researchers use fruit fly model for diabetes research

As rates of obesity, diabetes, and related disorders have reached epidemic proportions in the US in recent years, scientists are working from many angles to pinpoint the causes and contributing factors involved in this public health crisis. While sedentary lifestyles and diets high in sugar and fat contribute significantly to the rise in diabetes rates, genetic factors may make some people more vulnerable than others to developing diabetes.

4 Nov 2009

Study on asbestos-related diseases in Libby launched

Over nearly a century, thousands of residents and workers in Libby, MT, have been exposed to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite ore, leading to markedly higher rates of lung disease and autoimmune disorders, and causing to Libby in 2002 to be added to the federal Environmental Protection Agency's "National Priorities List."

4 Nov 2009

Reduced VEGF can lead to degeneration of retina

Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have found that when the eye is missing a diffusible form of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), i.e. one that when secreted can reach other cells at a distance, the retina shows defects similar to "dry" macular degeneration, also called geographic atrophy (GA).

4 Nov 2009

Cutting back on the consumption of AGEs can reduce inflammation, report researchers

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine report that cutting back on the consumption of processed and fried foods, which are high in toxins called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs), can reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body's natural defenses regardless of age or health status. These benefits are present even without changing caloric or nutrient intake.

4 Nov 2009

Cannabinoids play an important role in stress-related disorders: Study

Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients. This is exposed in a new study carried out at the Learning and Memory Lab in the University of Haifa's Department of Psychology. The study, carried out by research student Eti Ganon-Elazar under the supervision of Dr. Irit Akirav, was published in the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience.

4 Nov 2009