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Locus Pharmaceuticals creates a new division, Ansaris

Locus Pharmaceuticals, a drug company that has developed its own internal and partnered pipeline, focusing on oncology, immunology, and inflammatory targets, today announced that in conjunction with a transformation to a drug discovery collaboration business model, it has created a new division, Ansaris, which will include most of its operations and personnel.

7 Nov 2009

Biopharma companies need to incorporate innovative elements in their business models to survive healthcare reform

Those biopharmaceutical companies that are able to incorporate innovative and flexible elements into their business models will be best positioned to survive healthcare reform and maintain attractive long-term returns, according to a white paper published today by Cowen Healthcare Royalty Partners, a global healthcare private equity firm, and Health Advances, a leading healthcare strategy firm.

7 Nov 2009

FDA extends review date of New Drug Application for GSK1838262/XP13512

GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort, Inc. (Nasdaq: XNPT) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the original Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for its review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for GSK1838262/XP13512 (gabapentin enacarbil) to February 9, 2010. The original PDUFA date for this NDA review was November 9, 2009.

7 Nov 2009

Report provides critical strategic insight for companies with a stake in the market for rheumatology therapies

MedPredict Market Research, a global provider of pharmaceutical competitive intelligence and market research, has published a new report providing critical strategic insight for companies with a stake in the market for rheumatology therapies, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus.

7 Nov 2009

Experts applaud the EU Presidency for establishing a transatlantic task force to address antibiotic resistance

Experts on both sides of the Atlantic applaud President Barack Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, representing the European Union (EU) Presidency, for establishing a transatlantic task force to address antibiotic resistance, an urgent and growing problem that threatens patient safety and public health worldwide.

7 Nov 2009

Poll examines the American public's response to H1N1 vaccine shortage

A new national poll from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that a majority of adults who tried to get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves or their children have been unable to do so. The poll, which examines the American public's response to the H1N1 vaccine shortage, is the fifth in a series of surveys of public views concerning the H1N1 flu outbreak undertaken by the Harvard Opinion Research Program at HSPH.

7 Nov 2009

Rituximab drug potentially effective for treating Graves' eye disease, shows study

A small group of patients with severe Graves' eye disease experienced rapid improvement of their symptoms - and improved vision - following treatment with the drug rituximab. Inflammation around their eyes and damage to the optic nerve were significantly reduced. The same patients had not previously responded to steroids, a common treatment for Graves' eye disease.

7 Nov 2009

Calbiotech awarded a SBIR contract to develop analyte specific reagents for the diagnosis of Dengue virus

Calbiotech, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I contract by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material command. Under terms of the agreement, Calbiotech will develop analyte specific reagents (ASRs) for the diagnosis of Dengue virus.

6 Nov 2009

Swine flu vaccine distribution to New York companies causes uproar

The distribution of swine flu vaccines to big name companies in New York has caused an uproar as people complain that children and health care workers should receive top priority. The New York Times reports: "New York City health officials have distributed small amounts of the swine flu vaccine to some major New York companies, including Wall Street banks like Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, even as shortages continue.

6 Nov 2009

Gonorrhea medication may help fight cancer

Drugs sometimes have beneficial side effects. A glaucoma treatment causes luscious eyelashes. A blood pressure drug also aids those with a rare genetic disease. The newest surprise discovered by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is a gonorrhea medication that might help battle cancer.

6 Nov 2009

CVS investigated by FTC over business practices

"CVS Caremark Corp (CVS.N) has been the subject of a U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigation over some of its business practices since August, the company said on Thursday," Reuters reports. "Various groups have asked the government to look into CVS Caremark's practices since drugstore chain CVS bought pharmacy benefits management business Caremark Rx Inc in March 2007. They claim that changes to services in the pharmacy benefits business since the acquisition have led to higher prices, compromised quality of care and pushed patients to choose CVS drugstores over other pharmacies."

6 Nov 2009

55% of adult population in Greater Washington, DC say they will not get H1N1 flu vaccine, reveals poll results

Fifty-five percent of the adult population in the Greater Washington, DC region say they will not get the H1N1 flu vaccine, according to a new poll commissioned by the Greater Washington Board of Trade.

6 Nov 2009

H1N1 is now most dominant flu strain worldwide, WHO says

The H1N1 (swine flu) virus is now the dominant flu strain worldwide, the WHO reported Thursday, with the virus accounting for up to 70 percent of the flu viruses sampled in some countries, the Associated Press reports.

6 Nov 2009

ART as part of HIV prevention strategy supported by WHO

"AIDS drugs should be given to all who need them to reduce new infections, the World Health Organization said," following a three-day meeting on the topic of using antiretroviral therapy (ART) to help prevent the spread of HIV, Bloomberg reports. "Providing more antiretroviral drugs 'will achieve a significant transmission benefit,' Teguest Guerma, interim director of the WHO's AIDS department, said … 'In the past, there has been a false dichotomy between prevention and treatment. …'That is really what has been corrected. Prevention and treatment are two faces of the same coin'" (Bennett, 11/5).

6 Nov 2009

"No Drugs Down the Drain" outreach campaign in Sacramento

California American Water has designated the week of November 9, 2009 as "No Drugs Down the Drain" week for its Sacramento service area as part of a national campaign sponsored by public and private agencies alike toward the common mission of reducing pharmaceutical pollution in our source water supplies.

6 Nov 2009

CREW urge HHS to investigate CDC's approval to distribute H1NI vaccine to Wall Street firms

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked Health and Human Service (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to investigate why the Center for Disease Control (CDC) approved the distribution of the H1NI vaccine to Wall Street firms at a time when the vaccine is unavailable to most Americans.

6 Nov 2009

Eggs sensitivity and flu shot: Doctors' dilemma

"My three year old had a skin breakout we think was due to eggs - is it safe to do a flu shot?" It's a question being asked to every doctor who takes care of kids during flu season. "On the one hand we are concerned about the devastating effects of the new strain of flu, and on the other we aren't sure if a history of eggs sensitivity is enough to hold the shot or spray," said Bobby Q. Lanier, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of North Texas HSC in Fort Worth, Texas, and executive medical director of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

6 Nov 2009

Pharmacists are necessary to the medical care model

Roger Merrill, MD, chief medical officer of Perdue Foods Inc. of Salisbury, Md., told students at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy yesterday that they should be concerned about future health care costs.

6 Nov 2009

Journal of Infectious Diseases' special edition on rotavirus

The Journal of Infectious Diseases has released a special edition, Global Rotavirus Surveillance: Preparing for the Introduction of Rotavirus Vaccines. This special edition provides a significant contribution to the understanding of rotavirus disease burden and the impact of rotavirus vaccines, which have the potential to save an estimated 228,000 lives annually.

6 Nov 2009

CPEX Pharmaceuticals to feature Nasulin at the Diabetes Technology Meeting

CPEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its intranasal insulin product candidate, NasulinTM, will be featured in an oral presentation and four abstracts at the Ninth Annual Diabetes Technology Meeting, November 5-7, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Airport in San Francisco, California.

6 Nov 2009