Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

HSR Act waiting period in connection with Alkaloida's Tender Offer expires

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced that the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act waiting period in connection with the Tender Offer by Alkaloida Chemical Company Exclusive Group Ltd. (Alkaloida), a subsidiary of Sun, for all outstanding Ordinary Shares of Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Taro) expired on September 11, 2009. As of September 12, 2009, the HSR condition to the Offer is satisfied.

15 Sep 2009

Lexicon initiates Phase 2 clinical trial of LX4211 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: LXRX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering breakthrough treatments for human disease, obtained favorable results from recently completed Phase 1 studies of LX4211 and announced today that it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial of the drug candidate in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

15 Sep 2009

Innovative treatments for bowel dysfunction

Twenty percent of all Albertans are plagued by symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, bloating, and gas. More than an inconvenience for many, these problems are rarely discussed in public, leaving sufferers feeling isolated. Yet bowel symptoms can be disabling, greatly impairing quality of life.

15 Sep 2009

Phase 2b clinical trial results of Dextofisopam to treat irritable bowel syndrome announced

Pharmos Corporation (Pink Sheets: PARS) announced today the results of its Phase 2b Dextofisopam clinical trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of the compound in irritable bowel syndrome.

14 Sep 2009

Phase 3 results of TARGET 1 and TARGET 2 clinical trials released

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the successful outcome of two Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trials, TARGET 1 and TARGET 2, designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rifaximin 550 mg TID in the treatment of patients with non-constipation irritable bowel syndrome (non-C IBS).

14 Sep 2009

Natus Medical to purchase Alpine Biomed Holdings

Natus Medical Incorporated today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Alpine Biomed Holdings Corp in a transaction that is expected to close today.

14 Sep 2009

Oral NKTR-118 has low risk for mediating significant drug-drug interactions

Nektar Therapeutics presented clinical study data today demonstrating that the oral tablet formulation of NKTR-118 has favorable systemic bioavailability and a low risk for mediating significant drug-drug interactions.

14 Sep 2009

New data reveals the efficacy of Instanyl in management of breakthrough cancer pain

New data presented today further demonstrate the efficacy of Instanyl in management of breakthrough cancer pain. The data which were presented at the 6th congress of the European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain (EFIC) are from a multinational, crossover trial comparing Instanyl with oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) for the treatment of breakthrough pain in patients with cancer.

11 Sep 2009

Efficacy of Instanyl in management of breakthrough cancer pain demonstrated

11 Sep 2009

Gastroenterologists applaud President's call for screening tests coverage

Gastrointestinal specialists from the American College of Gastroenterology applaud President Obama's call to cover preventive screening tests, such as breast cancer exams and colonoscopy. In his health care speech to a joint session of Congress last night, the President argued that "there's no reason we shouldn't be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse. That makes sense."

11 Sep 2009

METOZOLV drug approved for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease

Wilmington Pharmaceuticals announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for METOZOLV ODT (metoclopramide HCl), an orally disintegrating formulation of metoclopramide for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and diabetic gastroparesis.

10 Sep 2009

Therapeutic principles of monoclonal antibodies

Professor Joachim R. Kalden, Member of the Department for Molecular Immunology, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Zentrum, University Medical School Erlangen-Nuremberg, presents therapeutic principles based on monoclonal antibodies.

10 Sep 2009

Clinical study investigates laboratory and clinical implications of proton pump inhibitor drugs

Fears about the cancer causing effects of the second most prescribed group of drugs in the Western world have been put to rest, following the largest ever study into their use.

10 Sep 2009

Merck's GARDASIL receives approval from FDA Advisory Committee

Merck & Co., Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee agreed that efficacy, immunogenicity and safety data from clinical trials in males support the use of GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] in boys and men 9 through 26 years of age for the prevention of genital warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11.

10 Sep 2009

Caldolor launched ahead of schedule in U.S. by Cumberland Pharmaceuticals

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: CPIX) announced today that it has successfully implemented the U.S. launch of Caldolor((R)), an intravenous formulation of ibuprofen, designed primarily for use in the hospital setting.

9 Sep 2009

A voluntary recall program announced by CONMED Linvatec

CONMED Corporation's (NASDAQ: CNMD) CONMED Linvatec unit announced today a voluntary recall for certain model numbers of the PRO5 & PRO6 series battery handpieces manufactured prior to May 31, 2008, and certain lots of the MC5057 Universal Cable manufactured prior to December 1, 2006 used with certain of CONMED Linvatec's electric powered handpieces.

9 Sep 2009

FDA approves Salix' METOZOLV ODT for treating diabetic gastroparesis

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for METOZOLV™ ODT (metoclopramide HCl) 5mg and 10mg orally disintegrating tablets. METOZOLV ODT is indicated for the relief of symptoms in adults associated with acute and recurrent diabetic gastroparesis and for the treatment of short-term therapy (4-12 weeks) for adults with symptomatic documented gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who fail to respond to conventional therapy1.

9 Sep 2009

First results of European survey of cancer patients' experience of breakthrough pain presented at EFIC

The first results of the first European survey of cancer patients' experience of breakthrough pain were presented today at the 6th congress of the European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain (EFIC).

9 Sep 2009

Study to test efficacy of lapatinib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Use of the molecularly targeted agent lapatinib to delay tumor growth and improve the survival of patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer, only benefited certain subgroups of patients. While results of this study were largely negative, patients that exhibited toxicity from the drug in the form of a skin rash appeared to have a greater tumor response and longer survival.

9 Sep 2009

Third human clinical trial of LigoCyte's norovirus vaccine started

LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated its third human clinical trial of its norovirus vaccine. The Phase I/II study will assess safety and immunogenicity associated with LigoCyte's investigational, nasally-delivered, dry powder vaccine in healthy adults. The study will also assess potential protection against clinical symptoms of norovirus infection by including a live virus challenge of subjects that have received either the vaccine or placebo.

8 Sep 2009