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European Rare Diseases Therapeutic Initiative could provide an important new mechanism for developing new drugs

Because of the very high costs in developing drugs for rare genetic diseases, and the low return on investment, the pharmaceutical industry has rarely developed specific treatments for many of these diseases.

23 Aug 2005

Drug company disputes claim of new study on antidepressant Paxil

Drug company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is disputing claims that its antidepressant Paxil was linked to an increased suicide risk in adults.

23 Aug 2005

New FDA and USDA approved compound for Salmonella reduction in poultry processing

Solution BioSciences, Inc., has announced a new antimicrobial system, called Bromitize, to reduce salmonella and other carcass bacteria during poultry processing.

22 Aug 2005

Poorer countries to benefit from reinstatement of 7 generic AIDS drugs to WHO's list

India's Ranbaxy Laboratories, seven anti- AIDS drugs, have been added to World Health Organisation's (WHO) prequalification list for use in poor countries.

21 Aug 2005

HHS orders 20 million doses of smallpox vaccine from Bavarian Nordic

Bavarian Nordic has announced that it has received the requirements from the U.S. government's Department of Health and Services (HHS), for the purchase of 20 million doses of an MVA-based smallpox vaccine.

16 Aug 2005

Pfizer acquires antibody discovery company Bioren

Pfizer and Bioren today announced the completion of a transaction in which Pfizer purchased all outstanding stock of Bioren for an undisclosed amount.

15 Aug 2005

Abbott receives European approval to market Humira

Abbott has announced that it has received approval from the European Commission to market Humira (adalimumab) as a treatment for psoriatic arthritis and early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Europe.

15 Aug 2005

FDA places very tight restrictions on acne drug Accutane

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said late last week, that in future, patients and doctors will have to register with manufacturers and promise to comply with tight restrictions, before using the acne drug Accutane and it's generic versions.

14 Aug 2005

Roflumilast could become a new therapeutic strategy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

An anti-inflammatory drug called roflumilast could become a new therapeutic strategy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), conclude the results of a randomised trial in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

11 Aug 2005

Governments should consider stockpiling zanamivir (Relenza) for flu pandemics

Governments should consider stockpiling zanamivir as an anti-influenza agent in their pandemic plans, states a Comment in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

11 Aug 2005

Alternative to Cox II inhibitors

After the failure of cox II inhibitors such as Vioxx, osteoarthritis patients and their doctors are faced with a lack of alternative therapies. The Orthokine-therapy means knee-injections of IL-1Ra protein, obtained from the patient's blood.

11 Aug 2005

FDA approval sought for Pfizer's new cancer drug

Drug company Pfizer has announced it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) for its cancer drug Sutent, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

11 Aug 2005

Seniors in U.S. can relax as official says Medicare drug benefit scheme will cost less

Federal officials have said that Medicare's controversial new drug benefit for seniors, may in fact cost less than first projected, because of the very competitive bids from insurers and other providers.

10 Aug 2005

Morning after pill - FDA must decide by September

Apparently federal health officials will soon decide whether to allow the sale of emergency contraception without a prescription.

10 Aug 2005

U.S. drug makers up in arms over info on FDA "Drug Watch" web page

Pharmaceutical companies in the United States are up in arms over plans by U.S. regulators to release preliminary information, about the potential side effects of drugs.

9 Aug 2005

One jab could in future protect against all flu strains

Scientists are apparently working on producing a vaccine that could give lifelong protection against all types of flu in one single injection.

7 Aug 2005

Flu medication VIRA 38 inhibits SARS virus

PRB Pharmaceuticals and Lee's Pharmaceuticals have announced that a recent study by Taiwan researchers from the National Health Research Institutes demonstrates TF2b and TF3, two components of v38 AMF-1, inhibit the 3C-like protease encoded by SARS-CoV. v38 AMF-1, a fraction of the flu medication VIRA 38, is best known for its ability to inhibit bird flu virus (H5N1) infections.

4 Aug 2005

FDA approval for Diovan (Valsartan)

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Diovan (valsartan), the most prescribed ARB (angiotensin receptor blocker) in the US and worldwide, for a new indication to reduce cardiovascular death in patients at high risk (with left ventricular failure or left ventricular dysfunction) following a heart attack.

4 Aug 2005

Genelabs drug discovery team advances compounds against the hepatitis C virus

Genelabs Technologies today announced that a non-nucleoside compound from its internal Hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug discovery program has advanced into preclinical development.

4 Aug 2005