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Making practical markets for vaccines

Two papers published on September 13 in PLoS Medicine raise concerns about whether world leaders are getting good advice on how best to fund the development and delivery of new vaccines.

19 Sep 2005

Drug AMD-3100 may help cancer patients who need stem cell transplants

A new drug may help cancer patients mobilize the cells necessary to restore their blood-forming system after high-dose chemotherapy, according to results from a clinical trial at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and at other centers across the nation.

19 Sep 2005

Helix receives approval to conduct a clinical trial of Topical Interferon Alpha-2b in Sweden

Helix BioPharma today announced that it has received approval from Sweden's drug regulatory authority, the Medical Products Agency (MPA), to conduct a Phase II clinical trial of Topical Interferon Alpha-2b in patients with ano-genital warts (condylomata acuminata), who are positive for infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV).

12 Sep 2005

Vical and NIH to evaluate enhanced-delivery HIV vaccine

Vical Incorporated today announced plans to develop and evaluate electroporation-enhanced delivery of therapeutic and preventive DNA vaccines against HIV

12 Sep 2005

Inhaled-insulin drug Exubera - monitoring programme to be launched by Pfizer

Drug company Pfizer says it is all set to launch a patient-monitoring scheme in order to assess the safety of its novel inhaled-insulin drug Exubera, if the product is approved for use.

10 Sep 2005

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain warns of internet medicines risk

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has welcomed the Centre for Reform's report, Online pharmacy: patient choice or patient peril, and warns that people are dicing with danger if they use rogue internet websites to bypass safety rules and obtain medicines without a doctor’s prescription.

7 Sep 2005

Third-year medical students receive on average one gift or attend one activity sponsored by a pharmaceutical company per week

...and most believe that sponsored educational events are likely to be biased, according to an article in the September 7 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.

7 Sep 2005

WHO urges responsible use of antimalarial medicines

In a new report published today, ''Susceptibility of Plasmodium Falciparum to Antimalarial Drugs,'' the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that as more and more people gain access to these life-saving malaria medicines, which combine a drug derived from the plant Artemisia annua with a second, synthetic drug, it is vital that countries closely monitor their effectiveness.

7 Sep 2005

Med Services Europe obtains rights to out-license portfolio of prescription pharmaceuticals

Med Services Europe GmbH, a "Virtual European Headquarters" for Pharmaceutical and Medical Manufacturers, announced that it has obtained rights to out-license a portfolio of prescription pharmaceuticals.

6 Sep 2005

Newly patented versions of old drugs are driving the rapid growth in expenditure on prescription drugs in most developed countries

The rising cost of using these "me-too" drugs at prices far exceeding those of time-tested competitors deserves careful scrutiny, say the authors, based at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where spending on drugs doubled between 1996 and 2003.

4 Sep 2005

New drug will help fight against superbugs

In the fight against the infections invading hospitals both sides of the globe, scientists have developed a drug that destroys the defences of superbugs, raising hopes it could help quell the rampant and often lethal outbreaks that continue to strike hospitals.

4 Sep 2005

GlaxoSmithKline acquires vaccine R&D and manufacturing plant in the U.S.

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that it is expanding its ability to increase vaccines supplies for Americans by acquiring a vaccine research and production facility in Marietta, Pennsylvania.

1 Sep 2005

New lotion repairs sun damaged skin

Scientists in the U.S. have developed a lotion which repairs sun damaged skin.

1 Sep 2005

New vaccine approved for U.S. just in time for flu season

A new flu vaccine has been approved by U.S. health officials in an attempt to bolster up supplies after last season's shortage.

31 Aug 2005

Bush pushing seniors to sign up for prescription drug benefit program

Senior citizens skeptical about signing up for a new Medicare prescription drug benefit program, are being urged by President George Bush to enroll in the scheme which is promising a choice of plans with monthly premiums as low as $20.

30 Aug 2005

Anthrax test receives FDA approval

A method for identifying Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, has been cleared for diagnostic use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

29 Aug 2005

FDA dragging its heels yet again over 'morning after' pill Plan B

Women in the U.S., unlike their counterparts in the UK and other countries, will still be denied easy access to the 'morning after' contraceptive pill, Plan B, after a decision by the Food and Drug Administration to yet again delay ruling on over-the-counter sales.

29 Aug 2005

Administering Aspirin at onset of heart attack is standard EMT protocol

New survey results indicate that emergency medical providers are administering aspirin to patients at the onset of a suspected heart attack. McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. and makers of the trusted St. Joseph brand, now make it more convenient and accessible for consumers to take aspirin when faced with a heart attack situation.

24 Aug 2005

Lorus identifies novel class of lead drug candidates from small molecule anticancer program

Lorus Therapeutics has announced the continued success in the development of its small molecule anticancer program with the selection of a sub-class of lead molecules from the Company's small molecule program.

24 Aug 2005

Disease modifying activity of 2ME2 demonstrated in preclinical rheumatoid arthritis studies

EntreMed a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics primarily for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases, has announced the presentation of positive preclinical results for its lead compound, 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2), in models of rheumatoid arthritis.

24 Aug 2005