Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Catheter-directed therapy: First-line treatment option for massive pulmonary embolism

Catheter-directed therapy or catheter-directed thrombolysis-an interventional radiology treatment that uses targeted image-guided drug delivery with specially designed catheters to dissolve dangerous blood clots in the lungs-saves lives and should be considered a first-line treatment option for massive pulmonary embolism, note researchers in the November Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

12 Nov 2009

LecTec settles patent litigation dispute with Endo Pharmaceuticals

LecTec Corporation (OTCBB: LECT) announced today that it has reached a settlement with Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. on outstanding patent litigation related to LecTec’s U.S. Patent Nos. 5,536,263 and 5,741,510. Endo Pharmaceuticals has agreed to make a one–time, $23 million payment for the exclusive license to these two patents for use in the field of prescription pain medicines and treatment.

12 Nov 2009

Endo Pharmaceuticals reaches patent litigation settlement with LecTec

Endo Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has reached a settlement with LecTec Corporation on outstanding patent litigation related to LecTec's U.S. Patent Nos. 5,536,263 and 5,741,510.

11 Nov 2009

New robotic surgical systems from El Camino Hospital

El Camino Hospital, the hospital of Silicon Valley, expands its minimally invasive surgical program to three da Vinci® Si HD Surgical Systems. Physicians performed more than 500 robotic surgeries over the past year and expect the number to increase in 2010 as more physicians undergo training with the enhanced equipment that allows for more minimally invasive procedures.

11 Nov 2009

Positive results from Puricore's Vashe Wound Therapy efficacy trial

PuriCore, the life sciences company focused on developing and commercializing proprietary solutions that safely, effectively, and naturally kill infectious pathogens, today announced results of a randomized clinical trial showing the potential effectiveness of its Vashe Wound Therapy in the post-operative care of split-thickness skin grafts for burn injuries.

11 Nov 2009

Osteotech highlights Magnifuse bone grafting products at NASS Annual Meeting

Osteotech, Inc., a leader in the emerging field of biologic products for regenerative healing, today announced it is highlighting three procedure-specific MagniFuse(TM) bone grafting products for different spine therapy areas at the North American Spine Society (NASS) 2009 Annual Meeting, taking place November 10th through 14th in San Francisco, California. To date MagniFuse has been used in 40 spinal surgeries in the United States

11 Nov 2009

Cholesterol-lowering drugs associated with reduced risk of gallstone disease

Use of the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins for more than a year is associated with a reduced risk of having gallstones requiring surgery, according to a study in the November 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Nov 2009

UIC receives federal grant to develop new antibiotics against anthrax, tularemia and plague

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have received a $4 million federal grant to develop new antibiotics to treat anthrax, tularemia and plague.

11 Nov 2009

New incisionless GERD treatment under trial

Every day, more than 20 percent of the U.S. population experiences the painful burning symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). For these 20 million Americans, the first line of defense is medication. To find a long-term, permanent solution for this nagging condition, the Center for the Future of Surgery at UC San Diego Medical Center is leading a multicenter clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of a new incisionless GERD treatment.

11 Nov 2009

Sanofi-aventis, Regeneron sign agreement to expand development collaboration

Sanofi-aventis and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: REGN) announced today that they have entered into agreements to expand and extend their existing global collaboration to discover, develop, and commercialize fully-human therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.

11 Nov 2009

Laser Spine Institute opens new medical center in Philadelphia

After helping thousands of patients get their lives back through minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery at their facilities in Tampa and Scottsdale, the Laser Spine Institute announces the opening of a new medical center in Philadelphia.

11 Nov 2009

Minimally invasive surgical techniques as effective as traditional open surgery in treating rectal cancers

Laparoscopic surgery has been used in the treatment of intestinal disorders for close to 20 years, but its benefits have only recently begun to be extended to people with rectal cancer. In a prospective study of 103 patients who underwent straightforward or "hand-assisted" laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer, a team of colon and rectal surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center has shown that the minimally invasive approach can be as effective as traditional open surgery in treating rectal cancers.

11 Nov 2009

Pfizer and BMP Sunstone team up to promote Depo-Provera, a product for treating endometriosis

Pfizer China and BMP Sunstone Corporation today announced a strategic partnership to exclusively import, distribute and promote Depo-Provera (Medroxy-progesterone Acetate), a Pfizer product used to treat endometriosis, in China. Endometriosis is a medical condition in women of childbearing age that can cause significant pain.

11 Nov 2009

Chronic kidney disease on the rise; preventive testing is critical for diabetic patients

New data confirms the rate of chronic kidney disease is inching upward, keeping pace with the rising rates of diabetes. In late September, the U.S. Renal Data System published its 2009 Annual Data report, which shows the incidence of chronic kidney disease in the U.S. Medicare population is now 9.8%, up from 8.7% reported in last year’s data analysis.

11 Nov 2009

Negative and positive emotions have a direct impact on pain, says new study

Getting a flu shot this fall? Canadians scientists have found that focusing on a pretty image could alleviate the sting of that vaccine. According to a new Universit- de Montr-al study, published in the latest edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), negative and positive emotions have a direct impact on pain.

11 Nov 2009

Cerimon Pharmaceuticals acquires rights to develop and commercialize diclofenac sodium patch in Europe

Cerimon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that it has acquired exclusive rights to develop and commercialize its once-daily topical diclofenac sodium patch in Europe, including most countries in the European Union, Turkey, Switzerland, Norway, the Balkan countries and Iceland. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Cerimon initially acquired the U.S. rights to develop and commercialize the patch formulation of diclofenac in 2005.

10 Nov 2009

U.S. DOD grant to study vigabatrin in combination with opiates to manage pain

Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. today reported that a team of neuroscientists at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System (LIJ) has received a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct an animal study of the use of vigabatrin in combination with opiates to effectively manage pain while reducing the potential for opiate addiction.

10 Nov 2009

Texting linked to pain in neck and shoulders among college students

The world record for fastest text message typing is held by a 21-year old college student from Utah, but his dexterous digits could mean serious injury later on. Most adults aged 18-21 prefer texting over e-mail or phone calls, and ergonomics researchers are starting to wonder whether it's putting the younger generation at risk for some overuse injuries - once reserved for older adults who have spent years in front of a computer.

10 Nov 2009

Javelin Pharmaceuticals announces financial results for the third quarter of 2009

Javelin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading developer of novel acute care pain products, today reported its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

10 Nov 2009

National Pain Summit calls for better pain care in America

Pain medicine physicians from the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) continued to advance the call for better pain care as they joined with physician leaders from across the country in a closed-door National Pain Summit that took place adjacent to an AMA meeting last week in Houston, Texas.

10 Nov 2009