Pharmaceutical News

RSS

Drug Tarceva improves survival chance for patients with advanced lung cancer

Roche OSI Pharmaceuticals and Genentech today announced that their investigational drug Tarceva(TM) (erlotinib) achieved a significant 42.5% improvement in median survival compared to placebo in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

5 Jun 2004

Five major prescription drug manufacturers make drugs available to Medicare discount cardholders

The Pharmacy Care Alliance (PCA) today announced that AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Merck and Novartis will make many prescription drugs available to qualifying PCA Medicare discount cardholders free of charges from the manufacturer plus a nominal amount to cover dispensing, processing and other costs.

5 Jun 2004

New generation drug therapy targets the individual

The days of ‘one size fits all’ medicines may soon be a thing of the past for people undergoing radical drug therapies for chronic or serious illnesses.

5 Jun 2004

Drug helps children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who take 36- or 54-mg doses of once-daily CONCERTA® (methylphenidate HCl) CII are more likely to achieve significantly greater symptom response and symptom reduction than children with ADHD who take CONCERTA 18 mg once daily or near-equivalent doses of methylphenidate three-times-a-day, a study shows.

3 Jun 2004

Antipsychotic compound bifeprunox worth USD 1 billion per year to Solvay and Wyeth

Solvay has re-evaluated the commercial potential of bifeprunox, a Solvay compound in clinical development for the treatment of schizophrenia . Bifeprunox additionally has the potential to be developed in other disorders, i.e. bipolar disorder.

3 Jun 2004

Drug helps patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

A drug designed to cut off a tumor’s blood supply, when paired with a chemotherapy combination, resulted in significant improvement in survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, the first time in decades that survival times have been extended in patients with this devastating form of advanced cancer.

3 Jun 2004

Avastin study shows significant improvement in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Genentech, Inc. and Roche have announced that the New England Journal of Medicine published the first Phase III study of an anti-angiogenesis cancer therapy, showing that the addition of Avastin™ (bevacizumab) to the IFL chemotherapy regimen (5-FU/Leucovorin/ CPT-11) significantly extended survival in patients with first-line (previously untreated) metastatic colorectal cancer.

2 Jun 2004

Pharmacy Care Alliance gives out first prescription discounts

Early yesterday morning, two Medicare beneficiaries visited Kroger pharmacies in the Cincinnati area and received the first prescription discounts delivered by the Pharmacy Care Alliance under the Medicare prescription discount card program.

2 Jun 2004

HHS urges people to sign up for Medicare-approved drug discount cards

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today urged people with Medicare to take advantage of real savings on their prescription medicines by signing up for Medicare-approved drug discount cards.

2 Jun 2004

BioSante publishes oral insulin study

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced the publication of positive results of a preclinical study of its proprietary calcium phosphate nanoparticle (CAP) delivery system for the oral delivery of insulin in the June 11 issue of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Pharmaceutics.

2 Jun 2004

Bird flu vaccine

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded two contracts to support the production and clinical testing of an investigational vaccine based on a strain of avian influenza, H5N1, which might have the potential to cause pandemic influenza.

27 May 2004

Weight loss medication Xenical® more effective than lifestyle changes alone in managing weight

The weight loss medication Xenical® (orlistat) has been shown to be significantly more effective than lifestyle changes alone in managing weight in overweight adolescents, according to new study results presented today at ECO2004, Prague, Czech Republic.

27 May 2004

Human Genome Sciences has begun dosing patients with chronic hep C drug

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. announced today that it has begun dosing patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial of Albuferon™ (albumin-interferon alpha) in patients with chronic hepatitis C who are naïve to interferon-alpha treatments.

27 May 2004

ACE inhibitors for diabetics cut in half the risk of death

ACE inhibitors, a type of medication often used to treat high blood pressure or heart disease, can lower mortality rates for people who have diabetes -- whether they have cardiovascular disease or not, according to a study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care.

26 May 2004

Change of policy concerning generic product approvals

Following a recent judgment of the European Court of Justice in the 'Novartis' case (Case 106/01), the MHRA has decided to change its policy concerning the assessment of generic equivalents of line extension products.

26 May 2004

New company is developing advanced therapeutics for stroke victims

Arizona Engineered Therapeutics Inc., a new company based on the research of three Arizona State University professors, is moving its first drug candidate closer to clinical trials.

26 May 2004

New website helps older Texans and disabled get information that may help them obtain their prescription drugs

The Texas Department on Aging has officially launching a "Texas Cares" website -- http://www.txcares.org -- to help older Texans and people with disabilities get information that may help them obtain their prescription drugs.

25 May 2004

Zengen announces positive results of treatment for vaginal yeast infection

Zengen Inc. announced today positive phase I/II results for its proprietary molecule CZEN-002 for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), commonly known as vaginal yeast infection.

25 May 2004

Anti-inflammatory medicine Roflumilast improved lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

ALTANA AG’s investigational anti-inflammatory medicine roflumilast improved lung function in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) according to a placebo controlled study presented at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society (ATS).

25 May 2004

Collusion seen after release of flawed vaccine-autism report

America's leading scientific organization investigating the risks that mercury-containing medical products pose to our children-has posted the results of an investigative analysis of several authors relied upon for the flawed Institute of Medicine (IOM) report issued last week attempting to purport a lack of evidence to the mercury-vaccine-autism link.

25 May 2004