Dermatology News and Research

Latest Dermatology News and Research

Foamix's novel foam technology awarded US patent

Foamix Ltd., a leading developer of topical foams for dermatology and gynecology, announced today that it has been awarded US Patent #7575739 pertaining to its foam technology. The patent covers unique foam compositions, suitable for the treatment of heat and chemical burns, wounds, bacterial, fungal and viral infections.

24 Aug 2009

Clinic Service Corporation becomes the exclusive medical billing services provider to Colorado West Dermatology

Clinic Service Corporation (CSC), the leader in Colorado Practice Management Solutions, announced today the firm has secured an agreement to be the exclusive provider of medical billing services to Colorado West Dermatology.

21 Aug 2009

Health Canada approves Anika Therapeutics' MONOVISC drug

Anika Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANIK), a leader in products for tissue protection, healing and repair based on hyaluronic acid (HA) technology, today announced that it has received Health Canada approval for MONOVISC™, its single injection viscosupplement approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Anika expects to launch MONOVISC this month through its long-term ORTHOVISC® distribution partner in Canada, Rivex Pharma Inc., the specialty drug distribution division of Aurora, Ontario-based Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: HBP). MONOVISC has been broadly available in the European Union since the second quarter of 2008.

21 Aug 2009

Peplin completes four-week enrolment phase for REGION-Ib trial

Peplin, Inc. (ASX:PLI) today announced completion of enrolment in its second Phase 3 clinical trial for the use of PEP005 (ingenol mebutate) Gel to treat actinic (solar) keratoses (AK), a common pre-cancerous skin lesion, on non-head treatment areas, which include the trunk and extremities. This completes enrolment in the final of four pivotal trials planned for the submission of the New Drug Application (NDA) for AK.

20 Aug 2009

Researcher of LA BioMed elected to distinguished fellow status of SVS

Carlos E. Donayre, MD, a researcher at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed), has been elected to distinguished fellow status of the Society for Vascular Surgery- (SVS).

20 Aug 2009

Light Sciences Oncology announces Phase 2 trial of Aptocine in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Light Sciences Oncology, Inc. (LSO) today announced the treatment of the first patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial of its innovative targeted drug treatment Aptocine(TM) (talaporfin sodium) in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). The Phase 2 trial expands the Aptocine BPH development program on the basis of a Phase 1 study at escalating light doses. In the open-label Phase 2 trial, Aptocine is being tested for safety and efficacy in 40 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to BPH. Aptocine is also in two Phase 3 clinical trials for solid tumors in the liver as well as preclinical development for prostate cancer.

19 Aug 2009

New tumour theory could change cancer treatment

University of Sydney researcher Dr Guy Lyons has come up with a new theory of cancer tumours that could change the way we treat cancer and conduct research into its causes.

13 Aug 2009

Transcript: President Obama Town Hall meeting in New Hampshire

President Barack Obama continued his press for public support of health reform initiatives at what the White House called a "Health Insurance Reform Town Hall" meeting at Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

12 Aug 2009

Additional trial to be conducted for KYNAPID under FDA special protocol agreement

Cardiome Pharma Corp. (NASDAQ: CRME/TSX: COM) and its co-development partner Astellas Pharma US, Inc. ("Astellas") announced today that Astellas will undertake a single confirmatory additional Phase 3 clinical trial of KYNAPID(TM) (vernakalant hydrochloride) Injection for rapid conversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. The trial, to be called ACT 5, is expected to begin enrolling patients by the end of 2009, with completion expected in the first half of 2011.

11 Aug 2009

Psoriasis sufferers at risk for other medical conditions

Emerging research reveals that people with psoriasis are at risk for developing other serious medical conditions including heart disease, diabetes and obesity. According to a new study by the National Psoriasis Foundation, of 5,000 people with psoriasis, nearly two-thirds report having at least one other critical health problem.

6 Aug 2009

$1 million grant to Rhode Island hospital for melanoma screening training program

Rhode Island Hospital dermatologist Martin Weinstock, MD, PhD, has received a $1 million, 2-year Team Science Award grant from the Melanoma Research Alliance to serve as principal investigator to develop a training program for primary care physicians to improve melanoma screening in primary care. The goal is to develop a web-based training module that will lead to earlier detection of melanoma and ultimately reduce the number of melanoma deaths by half.

6 Aug 2009

Tips on how to stay safe in the sun

Do you intend on getting a healthy tan this summer? You may want to rethink your plans. Tan skin is the body’s reaction to sun damage, along with freckles, wrinkles and brown spots. So unless your tan comes from a bottle, it’s probably not healthy.

5 Aug 2009

Virus may play role in causing some cases of squamous cell carcinoma

A virus discovered last year in a rare form of skin cancer has also been found in people with the second most common form of skin cancer among Americans, according to researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

31 Jul 2009

Skin cancer researchers throw new light on tumour growth

Three researchers from the Dermatology Research Foundation at the University of Sydney have identified a compound produced by certain fatal skin cancer tumours, providing new hope for developing treatments.

14 Jul 2009

Simple blood test detects molecular marker of aging in humans

In 2004, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center announced a crucial discovery in the understanding of cellular aging. They found that as cells and tissues age, the expression of a key protein, called p16INK4a, dramatically increases in most mammalian organs. Because p16INK4a is a tumor suppressor protein, cancer researchers are interested in its role in cellular aging and cancer prevention.

17 Jun 2009

Topical fluorouracil may improve appearance of aging skin

Topical application of the chemotherapy medication fluorouracil appears to reduce potentially precancerous skin patches and improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Dermatology.

16 Jun 2009

Skin disease psoriasis associated with cardiovascular disease and increased mortality

The skin disease psoriasis is associated with atherosclerosis (a buildup of plaque in the arteries) characterized by an increased prevalence of ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease and an increased risk of death, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of Dermatology.

16 Jun 2009

Non-toxic radioactive patch successfully treats skin cancer

A new study shows that a radioactive skin patch can safely and successfully treat basal cell carcinoma, one of the most common types of skin cancers, according to researchers at the SNM's 56th Annual Meeting. The skin patch, which delivers the radioactive phosphorus-32, is nontoxic and could be an excellent alternative to surgery or radiotherapy in cases where carrying out these treatments is difficult.

15 Jun 2009

Promising antimicrobial agent kills viruses, stimulates immune system

A promising antimicrobial agent already known to kill bacteria can also kill viruses and stimulate the innate immune system, according to researchers at National Jewish Health.

4 Jun 2009

Sun-damaged rough patches or lesions on the skin lead to more cancer types than once believed

Actinic keratoses are sun-damaged rough patches or lesions on the skin - often pink and scaly - that doctors have long believed can turn into a form of skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma.

2 Jun 2009