Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Research shows no link between CCSVI and development of multiple sclerosis

Two important new studies challenge the controversial hypothesis that venous congestion—chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI)—contributes to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). This theory has resulted in many MS patients receiving experimental endovascular angioplasty, a treatment for MS unproven by clinical trials.

2 Aug 2010

Football, cheerleading-related head and neck injury prevention tips from AANS

With kids going back to school soon and football practice already underway in many communities, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is issuing an injury prevention message about football and cheerleading. "We decided to focus on this topic for Neurosurgery Outreach Month because there needs to be greater awareness about the potentially devastating consequences of head and spinal cord injuries associated with these sports," said Gail L. Rosseau, a Chicago-area neurosurgeon and AANS spokesperson.

31 Jul 2010

Measuring GAPDH inhibiting antibodies can result in long-term treatment for MS

UCI immunologists have found that testing for increased levels of antibodies that inhibit energy production in neurons can detect axon and neuron degeneration in multiple sclerosis earlier than existing diagnostic tools.

31 Jul 2010

FDA lifts hold, allows Geron to proceed with Phase I clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in spinal cord injury

Geron Corporation announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the company that the clinical hold placed on Geron's Investigational New Drug (IND) application has been lifted and the company's Phase I clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in patients with acute spinal cord injury may proceed.

30 Jul 2010

Partners in ENIAC project announce details of multinational/multidisciplinary program

The partners in a new publicly-funded European research project today announced details of the multinational/multidisciplinary program: 'CSI: Central Nervous System Imaging.' This three-year ENIAC project aims to achieve substantial advances in state-of-the-art medical 3D-imaging platforms by focusing on the diagnosis and therapy of serious diseases of the central nervous system and brain.

30 Jul 2010

Medtronic launches Defeat-HF clinical trial to evaluate SCS for heart failure

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the global launch of the Defeat-HF (Determining the Feasibility of Spinal Cord Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure) clinical trial. It is the industry's first prospective, randomized study evaluating the clinical feasibility of spinal cord stimulation, or neurostimulation, to improve clinical signs and symptoms of heart failure.

30 Jul 2010

Orexigen's Contrave COR-I trial results published online in journal Lancet

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. announced that results from its COR-I trial of Contrave® were published online today in the journal Lancet. COR-I was the largest of the four, 56-week, Phase 3 trials supporting the New Drug Application for Contrave, currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Results show that patients taking Contrave were two to three times more likely to lose at least 5% or 10% of their body weight compared to those taking placebo, on both an intent-to-treat (ITT) and completers basis.

30 Jul 2010

Intra-Cellular Therapies ITI-007 Phase Ib/II clinical trial for schizophrenia meets primary endpoint

Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. today announced the results from a Phase Ib/II clinical trial in patients with schizophrenia with ITI-007, the Company's unique, investigational new drug for the treatment of schizophrenia. The trial met its primary endpoint demonstrating that ITI-007 was safe and well-tolerated in patients with stabilized schizophrenia.

30 Jul 2010

ACADIA initiates new pimavanserin Phase III trial for Parkinson's disease psychosis

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company utilizing innovative technology to fuel drug discovery and clinical development of novel treatments for central nervous system disorders, today announced that it has initiated a new Phase III trial designed to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and safety of pimavanserin as a treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP).

30 Jul 2010

Omeros secures committed equity financing facility

Omeros Corporation today announced that it has secured a committed equity financing facility under which it may sell up to $40 million of its shares of common stock to Azimuth Opportunity, Ltd. over a 24-month period. Omeros is not obligated to use the facility and remains free to enter into and consummate other equity, debt and non-dilutive financing transactions. Omeros intends to use the proceeds from future sales of securities under the facility, if any, for general corporate purposes.

29 Jul 2010

Michelangelo appears to have hidden image of brainstem, spinal cord in Sistine Chapel's ceiling: Study

Michelangelo, the 16th century master painter and accomplished anatomist, appears to have hidden an image of the brainstem and spinal cord in a depiction of God in the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers reports. These findings by a neurosurgeon and a medical illustrator, published in the May Neurosurgery, may explain long controversial and unusual features of one of the frescoes' figures.

29 Jul 2010

Safeguard Scientifics second-quarter aggregate revenue of partner companies increase 47% to $91.6 million

Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., a holding company that builds value in growth-stage life sciences and technology companies, today announced that aggregate revenue of its partner companies for the three months ended June 30, 2010 was $91.6 million, up 47% from $62.3 million for the same partner companies in the same period of 2009. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, the aggregate partner company revenue was $176.9 million, up 45% from $121.8 million for the same partner companies for the same period of 2009.

29 Jul 2010

Aptuit announces strategic partnership Siena Biotech

Aptuit, Inc., and Siena Biotech S.p.A., today announced a strategic partnership in which Siena Biotech will take a minority stake in Aptuit's Italian operations in Verona, Italy, and Aptuit will become a provider of choice for Siena Biotech's development pipeline. Under the agreement Aptuit and Siena Biotech will work collaboratively on the development of Siena Biotech's pipeline of compounds, focused in three key therapeutic areas, including Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and oncology.

29 Jul 2010

Researchers find how angiotensin influences immune system

Researchers in Heidelberg and Stanford have discovered a new signalling pathway of brain cells that explains how widely used antihypertensive drugs could keep inflammation in multiple sclerosis in check. The peptide angiotensin not only raises blood pressure but also activates the immunological messenger substance TGF beta on a previously unknown communication pathway in the brain.

29 Jul 2010

Rotigotine provides clinically relevant improvements in RLS symptoms: Study

UCB today announced the results of a 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, published in the journal Movement Disorders, showing that Neupro® (rotigotine transdermal system, 2 and 3 mg/24 hours) provided sustained, clinically relevant improvements in symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). The study also showed high rates of complete remission seen with rotigotine 2 mg or 3 mg/24 hours.

29 Jul 2010

Positive results from phase I clinical trial of MultiStem in patients with AMI announced

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and partner Athersys, Inc. announced positive results from its phase I clinical trial of MultiStem, its allogeneic cell therapy product, administered to individuals following acute myocardial infarction, more commonly referred to as a heart attack.

29 Jul 2010

Genetic signals determine neurotransmitter use for communication

Cascades of genetic signals determine which neurotransmitter a brain cell will ultimately use to communicate with other cells. Now a pair of reports from biologists at the University of California, San Diego, have shown for the first time that electrical activity in these developing neurons can alter their chemical fate-and change an animal's behavior-by tweaking this genetic program.

29 Jul 2010

REM sleep behavior disorder may later lead to neurologic disorders

A new study shows that a sleep disorder may be a sign of dementia or Parkinson's disease up to 50 years before the disorders are diagnosed. The research is published in the July 28, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Jul 2010

Athersys reports positive results from MultiStem phase I clinical trial in heart attack patients

Athersys, Inc. announced today positive results from its phase I clinical trial of MultiStem®, its allogeneic cell therapy product, administered to individuals following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), more commonly referred to as a heart attack. The study results, based on four months of post-treatment patient data, demonstrate that MultiStem was well tolerated at all dose levels and also suggest improvement in heart function in treated patients.

29 Jul 2010

The neck played major role in evolution of human brain: Study

By deciphering the genetics in humans and fish, scientists now believe that the neck - that little body part between your head and shoulders - gave humans so much freedom of movement that it played a surprising and major role in the evolution of the human brain, according to New York University and Cornell University neuroscientists in the online journal Nature Communications (July 27, 2010.)

28 Jul 2010

Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Research shows no link between CCSVI and development of multiple sclerosis

Football, cheerleading-related head and neck injury prevention tips from AANS

Measuring GAPDH inhibiting antibodies can result in long-term treatment for MS

FDA lifts hold, allows Geron to proceed with Phase I clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in spinal cord injury

Partners in ENIAC project announce details of multinational/multidisciplinary program

Medtronic launches Defeat-HF clinical trial to evaluate SCS for heart failure

Orexigen's Contrave COR-I trial results published online in journal Lancet

Intra-Cellular Therapies ITI-007 Phase Ib/II clinical trial for schizophrenia meets primary endpoint

ACADIA initiates new pimavanserin Phase III trial for Parkinson's disease psychosis

Omeros secures committed equity financing facility

Michelangelo appears to have hidden image of brainstem, spinal cord in Sistine Chapel's ceiling: Study

Safeguard Scientifics second-quarter aggregate revenue of partner companies increase 47% to $91.6 million

Aptuit announces strategic partnership Siena Biotech

Researchers find how angiotensin influences immune system

Rotigotine provides clinically relevant improvements in RLS symptoms: Study

Positive results from phase I clinical trial of MultiStem in patients with AMI announced

Genetic signals determine neurotransmitter use for communication

REM sleep behavior disorder may later lead to neurologic disorders

Athersys reports positive results from MultiStem phase I clinical trial in heart attack patients

The neck played major role in evolution of human brain: Study

Clue's CEO Rhiannon White on the Future of Femtech and PCOS

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Clue's CEO Rhiannon White on the Future of Femtech and PCOS

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

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