Pharmacology News and Research

Latest Pharmacology News and Research

Five-year research initiative to cure HIV disease

A team of AIDS experts at Johns Hopkins and other institutions have embarked on a joint five-year research initiative to cure HIV disease by finding ways to completely purge the virus from the body in people already successfully suppressing the virus with antiretroviral drug therapy.

14 Jul 2011

UW scientists determine atomic architecture of sodium channel

Scientists at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle have determined the atomic architecture of a sodium channel. The achievement opens new possibilities for molecular medicine researchers around the world in designing better drugs for pain, epilepsy, and heart rhythm disturbances.

14 Jul 2011

Cornell grants ChromaDex worldwide rights to novel manufacturing process for nicotinamide riboside

ChromaDex Corp. today announced that Cornell University has granted the natural products company ChromaDex exclusive worldwide rights to a novel manufacturing process for nicotinamide riboside (NR).

14 Jul 2011

Reproductive steroids may play a role in occurrence of generalized tonic-clonic seizures in women

A recent multi-center study determined that women with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) had a greater number of seizures during anovulatory cycles-menstrual cycles where an egg is not released-than in cycles where ovulation occurs. According to the study publishing today in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), reproductive steroids may play a role in GTCS occurrence.

14 Jul 2011

WHO releases 2011 global status report on alcohol and health

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its global status report on alcohol and health for 2011. Forum members largely agree with the discussion in the report of the serious health and societal problems associated with the misuse of alcohol, which contributes to accidents, many diseases, and premature deaths.

13 Jul 2011

Johns Hopkins receives NHLBI grant to establish two programs in glycosciences

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded two groups at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine each approximately $2.3 million a year for seven years to establish two Programs of Excellence in Glycosciences.

13 Jul 2011

UNC receives $32 million federal grant to eradicate HIV infection

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been awarded a $32 million, five-year federal grant to develop ways to cure people with HIV by purging the virus hiding in the immune systems of patients taking antiretroviral therapy.

12 Jul 2011

'The Aging Myth' achieves top rank in New York Times Best Seller List

In only its first week of bookstore sales, "The Aging Myth," by Joseph Chang, Ph.D., has already reached #2 on the New York Times Best Seller List for its frank look at aging and a scientific approach to understanding how to combat aging at the genetic level.

11 Jul 2011

Scientists convert brain cells into cardiomyocytes

For the past decade, researchers have tried to reprogram the identity of all kinds of cell types. Heart cells are one of the most sought-after cells in regenerative medicine because researchers anticipate that they may help to repair injured hearts by replacing lost tissue.

11 Jul 2011

Study helps explain why fatty foods are complicit in weight gain

Recent studies have revealed potato chips and french fries to be the worst contributors to weight gain - and with good reason. Have you ever wondered why you can't eat just one chip or a single fry? It's not just the carbohydrates at fault.

5 Jul 2011

Lantheus commences flurpiridaz F 18 PET MPI Phase 3 trial for detection of coronary artery disease

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, today announced the initiation of the first of two Phase 3 clinical trials to assess myocardial perfusion using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging with flurpiridaz F 18 in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD).

1 Jul 2011

FDA grants Advaxis pre-IND meeting for Advaxis-PSA immunotherapy for prostate cancer

Advaxis, Inc.,, a leader in developing the next generation of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases, has been granted a pre-Investigational New Drug meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on August 10, 2011 to discuss the CMC, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical plans for Advaxis PSA, its construct to fight prostate cancer.

1 Jul 2011

Harvard University, UCB enter innovative research collaboration

UCB and Harvard University officially launched their innovative Research Alliance during a signing ceremony that took place in Boston last night in the presence of his Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium.

30 Jun 2011

Study provides novel information about clinical potential of anti-cancer antibiotics

Most of us have had a doctor prescribe an antibiotic for a stubborn bacterial infection, or for a cut that gets infected. However, prescribing an antibiotic to fight cancer? In fact, anti-cancer antibiotics have been used since the 1950s to successfully treat several forms of cancer, but often the side effects limit the duration they can be given to a patient.

30 Jun 2011

Anacor, DNDi and SCYNEXIS complete SCYX-7158 pre-clinical studies for combating sleeping sickness

Anacor Pharmaceuticals, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), and SCYNEXIS Inc. today announced the successful completion of pre-clinical studies for the first new oral drug candidate discovered specifically to combat human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness.

29 Jun 2011

EAS, ESC develop new European guidelines to manage dyslipidaemias

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), driven by the global pandemics of obesity and diabetes, poses a daunting challenge to clinicians in the 21st century. Despite progress, there is still much to be done to improve the control of dyslipidaemia, a key risk factor.

28 Jun 2011

Scientists discover origin of Barrett's esophagus

Dr Frank McKeon, Senior Group Leader of the Stem Cell and Developmental Biology at A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore, and Principal Investigator Dr Wa Xian at A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology, together with their counterparts from the Harvard Medical School, the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and the National University of Singapore, have made the striking finding that Barrett's esophagus work, published online in the journal Cell on 24 June 2011, is essential to developing therapeutics for esophageal cancer.

28 Jun 2011

Problems of unrecognized alcohol misuse among the elderly

The Royal College of Psychiatrists of London has published a report related primarily to problems of unrecognized alcohol misuse among the elderly. The report provides guidelines for psychiatrists and family physicians on how to find and how to treat elderly people with misuse of alcohol and drugs.

27 Jun 2011

A*STAR-CSI scientists discover how body uses single communication system to decide fate of stem cells

Scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), an institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), in collaboration with the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI), have discovered how the body uses a single communication system to decide the fate of stem cells.

24 Jun 2011

Automated screening system helps identify cases of unexpected drug diversions

Electronic data from automated drug dispensing carts can help to identify drug diversion by anesthesia care providers, according to a report in the July issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

24 Jun 2011