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Advanced breast cancer drug appears effective on multiple targets

An experimental breast cancer drug that simultaneously attacks five tumor targets has halted progression of the disease in a clinical trial for patients with advanced disease.

18 May 2005

Roche to discontinue the sale and distribution of Fortovase (saquinavir)

Roche announced today that it has decided to discontinue the sale and distribution of Fortovase (saquinavir), as clinical demand for the drug has declined significantly due to the availability of a new formulation of Invirase (saquinavir mesylate), which increasingly has become the preferred formulation of saquinavir.

18 May 2005

Prescription drug affordability woes grow for Americans

More Americans—especially those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma and depression-are going without prescription drugs because of cost concerns, according to a new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).

18 May 2005

Vaccine may prevent cigarette addiction

Clinical trials on a new vaccine against smoking has given hope to those trying to quit. The vaccine could also prevent cigarette addiction.

17 May 2005

Remicade shows promise in treating ulcerative colitis

Results from two Phase III, placebo-controlled clinical trials found that approximately two-thirds of patients with moderate to severe, active ulcerative colitis (UC) treated with Remicade (infliximab, 5mg/kg) demonstrated a significant improvement in symptoms.

16 May 2005

Distributing medications in specially designed blister packages rather than in bottles may increase the likelihood that medications will be taken properly

The study found that patients taking lisinopril – a medication used to treat chronic high blood pressure – were more likely to have their prescriptions refilled on time if the medication came in a blister package rather than as loose tablets in a bottle. In this case, the blister package clearly started the day on which to take each pill.

16 May 2005

Tarvacin equivalent plus Docetaxel inhibits breast tumor growth by 93%

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that a research article titled "A Monoclonal Antibody that Binds Anionic Phospholipids on Tumor Blood Vessels Enhances the Antitumor Effect of Docetaxel on Human Breast Tumors in Mice" was published in the May 15 issue of Cancer Research.

16 May 2005

Vaccine candidate to treat nicotine addiction shows promise

Cytos Biotechnology AG has announced that its vaccine candidate CYT002-NicQb to treat nicotine addiction has achieved proof of efficacy.

16 May 2005

New drug which quickly dissolves blood clots and returns circulation to normal

Cardiovascular patients now have a greater chance of surviving heart attacks after Chinese scientists developed a new drug which quickly dissolves blood clots and returns circulation to normal.

15 May 2005

Prostate cancer drug, Omnitarg by Genentech falls short

Research into an experimental prostate cancer drug being developed by Genentech Inc. will probably be abandoned after scientists found that the drug failed to prove effective in a mid-stage trial.

15 May 2005

Data from its 43 million Medicare patients to be used to track side effects of drugs

The Medicare program in the U.S. plans to use data from its 43 million patients in order to accelerate the detection of dangerous side effects from drugs already on the market.

11 May 2005

Fat-fighting drugs may be a far riskier business than they seem

Experts are warning that despite the fact that obesity is one of the biggest preventable causes of death, fat-fighting drugs may be a far riskier business than they seem, particularly for investors.

11 May 2005

NIAID has awarded 10 grants and 2 contracts totaling approximately $27 million to fund development of new therapeutics and vaccines against bioterrorism

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded 10 grants and 2 contracts totaling approximately $27 million to fund development of new therapeutics and vaccines against some of the most deadly agents of bioterrorism including anthrax, botulinum toxin, Ebola virus, pneumonic plague, smallpox and tularemia.

11 May 2005

Canada may ban bulk exports of drugs to the United States

In a move to forestall a potential drug shortage in Canada, Canadian Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh, is contemplating imposing a ban on bulk exports of drugs to the United States.

10 May 2005

Pharmacies in supermarkets: Where's the public benefit?

Protecting public health is more important than Woolworths' profits and should be the primary consideration in any government decision over whether to allow pharmacies in supermarkets, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Vice-President Frank Payne said yesterday.

10 May 2005

Benitec announces clinical candidate for the treatment of Hepatitis C

Benitec Ltd. announced today that it has identified a highly promising clinical candidate for its RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutic against the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

10 May 2005

Cytogen Corporation and Dowpharma collaborate to create a targeted oncology product designed to treat prostate and other cancers

Under the agreement, Dowpharma's proprietary MeO-DOTA bifunctional chelant technology will be used to radiolabel Cytogen's prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) antibody with a therapeutic radionuclide. PSMA is a protein highly expressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells and the neovasculature of many solid tumors.

10 May 2005

Fragile US vaccine system needs improvement

A comprehensive system of vaccine development in the U.S. resulted in a reduction of 87 to more than 99 percent in illness from ten vaccine-preventable diseases during the twentieth century. These dramatic successes should not be taken for granted, however, as the vaccine system now faces numerous challenges in manufacturing and development, according to a review article in the May/June issue of Health Affairs.

10 May 2005

Expert analyzes why manufacturers have gradually abandoned vaccines

Recent shortages of vaccines, most recently the flu vaccine during the past winter, are not short-term glitches--they reflect long-term problems in the vaccine industry. A variety of social, legal and economic forces have caused pharmaceutical companies to withdraw their commitment to vaccines, according to pediatrician and vaccine expert Paul A. Offit, M.D., chief of Infectious Diseases at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

10 May 2005

Parkinson's drug Mirapex accused of causing gambling addiction

A drug prescribed to millions of patients in the U.S. as a treatment for Parkinson's disease and other conditions, has allegedly turned some patients into gambling addicts.

9 May 2005