Pharmacology News and Research

Latest Pharmacology News and Research

Neural differences may help explain prevalence of mental disorders in boys

Many mental health disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, produce changes in social behavior or interactions. The frequency and/or severity of these disorders is substantially greater in boys than girls, but the biological basis for this difference between the two sexes is unknown.

18 Nov 2010

PAREXEL reaches milestone in early phase studies

PAREXEL International Corporation, a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, today announced that it reached a milestone of completing 200 early phase studies in patient populations during the past three years.

From Parexel 18 Nov 2010

Anti-cancer drug smuggled using a nanocarrier past protective blood-brain barrier into brain tumours

Scientists in Germany have developed a way of smuggling an anti-cancer drug past the protective blood-brain barrier and into brain tumours and metastases using a nanocarrier - a tiny capsule specially designed to pass through cell membranes and deliver its anti-cancer drug to the cancer cell.

18 Nov 2010

Merck announces FDA Advisory Committee approval of GARDASIL for anal cancer and AIN treatment

Merck announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee has advised that the data presented support an indication for GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] for the prevention of anal cancer and anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) in both males and females 9 through 26 years of age.

18 Nov 2010

5-lipoxygenase protein modulates amyloid beta formation linked to Alzheimer's disease

A protein known to exist in the brain for more than 30 years, called 5-lipoxygenase, has been found to play a regulatory role in the formation of the amyloid beta in the brain, the major component of plaques implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Medicine.

18 Nov 2010

miR765 RNA may play a role in development of heart failure: Research

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found a potential genetic target for heart disease, which could lead to therapies to prevent the development of the nation's No. 1 killer in its initial stages.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers discover new cardioprotective protein during heart attack

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have discovered a new protein that could be cardioprotective during heart attack, potentially leading to more targeted treatments for patients at risk.

17 Nov 2010

Alkermes's ALKS 33 drug candidate offers potential treatment for multiple disease indications

Alkermes, Inc. today announced the presentation of promising preclinical results for its proprietary opioid modulator, ALKS 33, showing the drug candidate's potential in multiple disease indications.

17 Nov 2010

Epizyme announces publication of EZH2 enzyme for lymphoma in PNAS

Epizyme, Inc., a company leading the discovery and development of first-in-class, targeted cancer therapeutics against epigenetic targets, today announced the publication of breakthrough new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). The discovery, centered on the epigenetic enzyme EZH2, illuminates a clear path for the translation of basic science into targeted therapies for the safe and effective treatment of specific forms of human lymphomas.

16 Nov 2010

Researchers discover circadian rhythms regulate fat metabolism

UC Irvine researchers have discovered that circadian rhythms the internal body clock regulate fat metabolism. This helps explain why people burn fat more efficiently at certain times of day and could lead to new pharmaceuticals for obesity, diabetes and energy-related illnesses.

16 Nov 2010

Review: Mercury likely plays role in development of AD

Mercury likely plays a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a review of relevant scientific literature published this month in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Joachim Mutter of Germany, Dr. Richard Deth of the United States, and other esteemed researchers collaborated on the groundbreaking article Does Inorganic Mercury Play a Role in Alzheimer's Disease? A Systematic Review and an Integrated Molecular Mechanism, which clarifies the need for continuing research to understand the cause of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's.

16 Nov 2010

New i-phone application provides instant access to HIV drug interactions

The University of Liverpool has launched an i-phone application, HIV iChart,that provides healthcare professionals and HIV patients with instant and easy access to information about drug interactions.

16 Nov 2010

PAREXEL wins 2010 Scrip Award for 'Clinical Research Team of the Year'

PAREXEL International Corporation, a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, today announced that the Company has won the 2010 Scrip Award for "Clinical Research Team of the Year." The award was presented to PAREXEL at the sixth annual Scrip Awards ceremony, hosted by Scrip Intelligence, a leading news, data, and information service for the global pharmaceutical industry, on November 4, 2010 in London, England.

From Parexel 15 Nov 2010

Acne, acne medicine and mental health: Study

Acne drug Accutane (isotretinoin) has been plagued by serious controversies with some linking it to suicidal tendencies. Now the latest research finds that severe acne itself increases the risk for suicidal thoughts and actions, raising more questions about the role of the drug, if any, in suicide.

14 Nov 2010

Amorfix second quarter net loss decreases to $25,728

Amorfix Life Sciences, a product development company focused on the development of diagnostics and therapeutics for misfolded protein diseases, today announced its operational and financial results for the three and six months ended September 30, 2010.

12 Nov 2010

New findings suggest serotonin may have anti-diabetic property

New findings by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center suggest that serotonin a brain chemical known to help regulate emotion, mood and sleep might also have anti-diabetic properties.

11 Nov 2010

MqsA and MqsR protein complex can disrupt drug-resistant biofilm formation

When a foreign object such as a catheter enters the body, bacteria may not only invade it but also organize into a slick coating - a biofilm - that is highly resistant to antibiotics. Like sophisticated organized crime rings, biofilms cannot be defeated by a basic approach of conventional means. Instead doctors and drug developers need sophisticated new intelligence that reveals the key players in the network and how they operate. New research led by biologists at Brown University provides exactly that dossier on some key proteins in the iconic bacterium E. coli.

11 Nov 2010

Evotec revenues increase 33% to € 38.8 m during first nine months of 2010

Evotec AG today reported financial results and a corporate update for the first nine months of 2010.

11 Nov 2010

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals presents ALN-VSP Phase I data for liver cancer at Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, today presented additional interim data from its ongoing Phase I trial with ALN-VSP, a systemically delivered RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of advanced solid tumors with liver involvement. The data were presented at the Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium being held in New York City.

11 Nov 2010

Childhood asthma risk linked with prenatal paracetamol exposure depends on antioxidant genes in mother

Evidence suggesting that the risk of childhood asthma associated with prenatal paracetamol exposure may depend on antioxidant genes in the mother has been found by a team of UK scientists. The results of their study - which strengthens the argument for a causal link between paracetamol exposure in early life and later childhood asthma - are published online (10 November) in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

11 Nov 2010