Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Children with microcephaly should be screened for neurologic and cognitive problems, says guideline

A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology, developed in full collaboration with the Child Neurology Society, finds that children with microcephaly that is, children whose head size is smaller than that of 97 percent of childrenare at risk of neurologic and cognitive problems and should be screened for these problems. The guideline is published in the September 15, 2009, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

15 Sep 2009

Common pain cream could serve as cardiac-protectant during heart attack: Study

New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) shows that a common, over-the-counter pain salve rubbed on the skin during a heart attack could serve as a cardiac-protectant, preventing or reducing damage to the heart while interventions are administered.

15 Sep 2009

Biotie Therapies commences clinical trial with its phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor ELB353

Biotie has started a clinical trial with its phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor ELB353, having received the prerequisite regulatory and ethical clearances for the clinical trial application.

14 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

New data confirm link between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis

Over the last 40 years, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been repeatedly associated with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. During the 2nd European Congress of Immunology ECI 2009 held in Berlin, Francesca Aloisi, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, will present new data that further support the link. In the brain lesions of patients with multiple sclerosis her team found abnormal accumulation of EBV infected B lymphocytes.

14 Sep 2009

Preliminary results of Phase 2b clinical trial of AZ-104 announced by Alexza Pharmaceuticals

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA) today announced preliminary results from its 366 patient Phase 2b clinical trial of AZ-104 (Staccato(R) loxapine) in patients with migraine headache.

14 Sep 2009

Final results of SAPHRIS clinical study released

Schering-Plough Corporation today reported final results of a SAPHRIS(R) (asenapine) long-term schizophrenia relapse prevention clinical study.

14 Sep 2009

Phase IIa clinical data of EHT 0202 released

Top-line Phase IIa clinical data released today demonstrate that EHT 0202, ExonHit’s lead candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, is safe and generally well tolerated in patients and that it could potentially enhance cognition in Alzheimer’s disease patients.

14 Sep 2009

Phase III STARTMRK clinical study on ISENTRESS in comparison to efavirenz

ISENTRESS , an integrase inhibitor from Merck & Co., Inc., was studied in comparison to efavirenz in maintaining viral load suppression to undetectable levels (less than 50 copies/mL) and at improving CD4 cell counts in previously untreated (treatment-naïve) HIV-1-infected patients through 96 weeks in a Phase III study called STARTMRK.

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

Laquinimod study data reveals its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech today presented data further illuminating the novel, dual mechanism of action (MOA) of investigational oral, once-daily, laquinimod for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), conferring neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties.

14 Sep 2009

New findings could yield effective therapies for multiple sclerosis

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

Mayo study raises hope for treating multiple sclerosis

A Mayo Clinic study has found that two genes in mice were associated with good central nervous system repair in multiple sclerosis (MS). These findings give researchers new hope for developing more effective therapies for patients with MS and for predicting MS patients' outcomes. This study will be presented at the Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sept. 11, 2009.

11 Sep 2009

Cymbalta maintains reduction in pain for patients with chronic low back pain

New data show patients with chronic low back pain on Cymbalta(R) (duloxetine HCl) maintained reductions in pain for 41 weeks. In patients who initially responded to duloxetine, this maintenance of pain reduction was accompanied by further reduction in pain that was statistically significant as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) average pain rating.

11 Sep 2009

Merck update on the status of telcagepant clinical development programs

Merck & Co., Inc. today updated the status of the clinical development programs for telcagepant (MK-0974) and MK-3207, the Company's investigational oral calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists for the intermittent treatment of acute migraine.

11 Sep 2009

Phase 2b clinical trial results of TC-5214 to be presented at nAChR2009

Targacept, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics, today confirmed plans to present data from its completed Phase 2b clinical trial of TC-5214 as an augmentation treatment for major depressive disorder at the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors as Therapeutic Targets Symposium (nAChR2009) in Lincolnshire, Illinois on October 15, 2009.

10 Sep 2009

CytRx granted patent for molecular chaperone amplifier drug candidate

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical research and development company engaged in the development of high-value human therapeutics, today announced that it has been granted a key patent by the European Patent Office that covers through 2024 the use of its orally available molecular chaperone amplifier drug candidate arimoclomol for the treatment or prevention of neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS).

10 Sep 2009

Human neural stem cells to treat Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease

StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM) announced today that it will soon initiate with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Children’s Hospital a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic potential of StemCells’ proprietary HuCNS-SC® product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) to treat Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a myelination disorder that primarily affects infants and young children.

10 Sep 2009

Acorda Therapeutics announces Phase 3 Fampridine-SR trial findings

Data from a long-term open-label extension study from the first Phase 3 Fampridine-SR trial, known as MS-F203, showed that 24.9% of extension study participants with multiple sclerosis (MS) met the criteria as Extension Timed Walk Responders (ETWRs) after one year of treatment and demonstrated improved walking speed over a two year period.

10 Sep 2009