Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Stress-induced tolerance can prevent glaucoma

Working in mice, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have devised a treatment that prevents the optic nerve injury that occurs in glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease that is a leading cause of blindness.

4 Apr 2012

Amgen, UCB commence CDP7851/AMG 785 Phase 3 trial in postmenopausal osteoporosis

UCB and Amgen announced today the start of their sclerostin antibody (CDP7851/AMG 785) Phase 3 clinical trial program for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

4 Apr 2012

TLR4/MD-2 protein complex triggers morphine-induced inflammation

A University of Colorado Boulder-led research team has discovered that two protein receptors in the central nervous system team up to respond to morphine and cause unwanted neuroinflammation, a finding with implications for improving the efficacy of the widely used painkiller while decreasing its abuse potential.

3 Apr 2012

UCB receives FDA approval for Neupro to treat idiopathic Parkinson's, RLS

UCB announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Neupro (Rotigotine Transdermal System) for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of advanced stage idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and as a treatment for moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome.

3 Apr 2012

Nektar commences dosing in NKTR-192 Phase 1 clinical study for treatment of acute pain

Nektar Therapeutics announced today that the first subjects were dosed last week in a Phase 1 clinical study to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and safety of NKTR-192, the company's novel short-acting mu-opioid analgesic candidate.

2 Apr 2012

Study provides new information on why A-T disease attacks the brain

Rutgers scientists think they have found a way to prevent and possibly reverse the most debilitating symptoms of a rare, progressive childhood degenerative disease that leaves children with slurred speech, unable to walk, and in a wheelchair before they reach adolescence.

2 Apr 2012

Cyberplasm could pinpoint diseases within the human body

A tiny prototype robot that functions like a living creature is being developed which one day could be safely used to pinpoint diseases within the human body.

30 Mar 2012

FDA extends review period for Almirall and Forest Labs' aclidinium bromide NDA

Forest Laboratories, Inc. and Almirall, S.A. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require a three-month extension to complete its review of the data supporting the New Drug Application (NDA) for aclidinium bromide, a new long-acting antimuscarinic for the maintenance treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

29 Mar 2012

Regulatory agencies approve plans for e-Therapeutics' ETS2101 phase I trials in cancer

e-Therapeutics plc announces that regulatory agencies in the UK and the US have approved plans for phase I trials of the Company's anti-cancer drug ETS2101 and that enrolment of patients into trials in these two countries will begin shortly.

29 Mar 2012

Stem Cells reports results of Neuralstem ALS Phase I trial

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that safety results from the first 12 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) to receive its stem cells were reported online in the peer-reviewed publication, Stem Cells, on March 13th.

29 Mar 2012

Luna to extend development and supply agreement with Intuitive Surgical

Luna Innovations Incorporated announced today that it will be extending its development work through 2012 under its development and supply agreement with Intuitive Surgical, Inc., as they work towards the integration of Luna's shape and position sensing technology into Intuitive's medical robotic products.

29 Mar 2012

Top-line results from two Targacept TC-6987 Phase 2 studies on asthma, type 2 diabetes

Targacept, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel NNR Therapeutics, today announced top-line results from two separate exploratory Phase 2 studies of its product candidate TC-6987 conducted in the United States, one in asthma and one in type 2 diabetes.

28 Mar 2012

Intravenous immune globulin effective treatment for GBS, CIDP

Intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) is an effective treatment for certain disorders of the nerve and muscles, including Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and a form of neuropathy called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), according to a guideline issued by the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Mar 2012

EMA accepts Arena's lorcaserin MAA for weight control

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the filing of a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for lorcaserin, an investigational drug candidate intended for weight control, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, in patients who are obese (BMI >30) or patients who are overweight (BMI >27) and have at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.

26 Mar 2012

Medtronic announces results from two Symplicity system trials on treatment-resistant hypertension

Medtronic, Inc., announced that the Symplicity renal denervation system provides safe, significant and sustained blood pressure reduction up to three years in patients with treatment-resistant hypertension, according to data from two clinical trials presented at the 2012 American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting.

From Medtronic 26 Mar 2012

Uppsala University researchers identify promising biomarkers for ASD

An important step towards developing a rapid, inexpensive diagnostic method for autism has been take by Uppsala University, among other universities. Through advanced mass spectrometry the researchers managed to capture promising biomarkers from a tiny blood sample.

23 Mar 2012

Scientists artificially derive brain stem cells from connective tissue of mice

These stem cells can reproduce and be converted into various types of brain cells. To date, only reprogramming in brain cells that were already fully developed or which had only a limited ability to divide was possible. The new reprogramming method presented by the Bonn scientists and submitted for publication in July 2011 now enables derivation of brain stem cells that are still immature and able to undergo practically unlimited division to be extracted from conventional body cells.

23 Mar 2012

AADR honors University of Maryland scientist for pain research

Ronald Dubner, PhD, DDS, of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry was honored today with the 2012 Distinguished Scientist Award by the American Association for Dental Research.

22 Mar 2012

Hospitalized older people may have increased risk of memory problems

A new study suggests that older people may have an increased risk of problems with memory and thinking abilities after being in the hospital, according to research published in the March 21, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Mar 2012

Researchers identify mechanism involved in positioning nuclei in muscle fibres

In order to move, living beings need muscles, and, more specifically, skeletal muscles that are controlled by the nervous system. Skeletal muscles are composed of cylindrical muscle fibres with a multitude of peripheral nuclei. Until now, little was known about the mechanism used to position nuclei on the edge of muscle fibres. A team of French-American researchers has tried to better understand the reasons behind nuclei layout.

21 Mar 2012