Pharmacology News and Research

Latest Pharmacology News and Research

$225,000 funding for promising epilepsy research

The Epilepsy Research Foundation (ERF), a unique joint venture of non-profit epilepsy organizations, and the Milken Family Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation, today announced two new grants recognizing promising epilepsy research in clinical development, totaling $225,000 in funding. The grant awards were announced by the Epilepsy Therapy Project and the Epilepsy Foundation, as well as the Milken Family Foundation, during the 7th Judith Hoyer Lecture in Epilepsy at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society in Boston, MA.

7 Dec 2009

ICON, CMFT collaborate to develop translational medicine facilities on the MRI campus

ICON plc, a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced details of its new translational medicine unit in Manchester, UK. The unit is the first deliverable from a collaborative agreement between ICON and the Central Manchester University Hospitals Foundation (CMFT) to develop purpose-built translational medicine facilities on the newly-developed Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) campus.

7 Dec 2009

New analyses of data from Allos Therapeutics’ pivotal PROPEL trial of FOLOTYN reported

Allos Therapeutics, Inc. today reported new analyses of data from the Company’s pivotal PROPEL trial of FOLOTYN™ (pralatrexate injection) in patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).

7 Dec 2009

Critical enzyme activity provides new insight into heart disease mechanisms

Using a new mathematical model of heart cells, University of Iowa investigators have shown how activation of a critical enzyme, calmodulin kinase II (CaM kinase), disrupts the electrical activity of heart cells.

5 Dec 2009

American Pain Society supports FDA drug disposal guidelines

Calling it "an important first step in attempting to reverse an escalating public health menace caused by diversion of prescription opioid pain medications," the American Pain Society today announced its support for a new FDA initiative to encourage consumers to remove unused pain drugs from home medicine cabinets.

3 Dec 2009

iCo Therapeutics to present an overview of its iCo-007 VEGF "+" agent at the ISOPT conference

iCo Therapeutics Inc. is pleased to announce that an overview of iCo-007, entitled "iCo-007 a VEGF "+" Agent for the Potential Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema and Diabetic Retinopathy" will be presented at the 8th International Symposium on Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics ("ISOPT"), a major international ocular conference.

3 Dec 2009

Waterpipe tobacco smoking as deadly as cigarette smoking

Smoking tobacco through a waterpipe exposes the user to the same toxicants - carbon monoxide and nicotine - as puffing on a cigarette, which could lead to nicotine addiction and heart disease, according to a study led by a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

3 Dec 2009

People who smoke immediately after waking up face high risk of lung cancer

People who smoke their first cigarette within minutes after waking up have much higher levels of cotinine, a by-product of nicotine when processed by the body, than those who wait to smoke, regardless of the number of cigarettes smoked.

3 Dec 2009

Researchers discover ability of stem cells in brain cancer glioma to resist radiation therapy

Duke University Medical Center researchers have figured out how stem cells in the malignant brain cancer glioma may be better able to resist radiation therapy. And using a drug to block a particular signaling pathway in these cancer stem cells, they were able to kill many more glioma cells with radiation in a laboratory experiment.

2 Dec 2009

A leader in the fight against brain diseases and in drug discovery joins UF

A leader in the fight against brain diseases and in drug discovery to help Alzheimer's patients has joined the University of Florida College of Medicine, interim dean Michael Good, M.D., announced.

2 Dec 2009

Pycnogenol can improve microcirculation, retinal edema and visual acuity, reveals study

According to the National Institute of Health, 40 percent to 45 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes already have some stage of diabetic retinopathy.

2 Dec 2009

New study indicates pine bark may reduce progressing advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy

According to the National Institute of Health, 40 percent to 45 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes already have some stage of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy, damage to the retina caused by leaky blood vessels, is a major cause of blindness in people with diabetes and is one of the most feared diabetic complications. In

2 Dec 2009

TGF--1 suppresses the growth of cancer cells, find researchers

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found that a naturally occurring protein -- transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF--1) -- which normally suppresses the growth of cancer cells, causes a rebound effect after a prolonged exposure.

2 Dec 2009

Study identifies genetic link between vitamin D and heart disease

Previous studies have shown a link between low vitamin D status and heart disease. Now a new study shows that patients with high blood pressure who possess a gene variant that affects an enzyme critical to normal vitamin D activation are twice as likely as those without the variant to have congestive heart failure.

2 Dec 2009

UC3M researchers developing a prototype for extracting drug interactions

A pharmacological interaction occurs when the effects of a one drug are modified by the presence of another. The consequences can be harmful if the interaction causes an increase in the toxicity of the drug or if it diminishes its effect, possibly even causing the patient's death, in the worst case scenario. At present, there are databases for checking possible interactions between drugs administered to patients, but the main problem is that many of the databases are not updated for three years.

1 Dec 2009

NRR to be available exclusively on OvidSP online search and discovery platform to all Ovid customers

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen its presence in China's healthcare information market, Ovid, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health and a global leader in electronic scientific, medical, and academic information research solutions, is pleased to announce an agreement with Neural Regeneration Research (NRR), an English-language monthly journal dedicated to presenting peer-reviewed, evidence-based scholarly research in stem cells and regeneration.

1 Dec 2009

QRxPharma commences Phase 3 pivotal trial of MoxDuo IR

QRxPharma Limited announced today, as part of its Phase 3 program, the initiation of a registration (also called pivotal) trial (Study 008) comparing efficacy and safety profiles of MoxDuo(TM)IR against component doses of morphine and oxycodone alone for the management of moderate to severe post-operative pain following bunionectomy surgery. The Company expects to complete dosing by close of Q2 2010.

30 Nov 2009

MICARDIS receives Health Canada approval to reduce the risk of non-fatal stroke

MICARDIS(R) (telmisartan) has received Health Canada approval to reduce the risk of non-fatal stroke or non-fatal myocardial infarction in patients 55 years or older at high risk of developing major cardiovascular events who cannot tolerate an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.

26 Nov 2009

GIS scientists publish the first genetic historical map of Han Chinese

The first genetic historical map of the Han Chinese, the largest ethnic population in the world, as they migrated from south to north over evolutionary time was published online today by the American Journal of Human Genetics by scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS).

26 Nov 2009

Low-temperature plasma prototype devices as bactericidal cocktails

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and other drug-resistant bacteria could face annihilation as low-temperature plasma prototype devices have been developed to offer safe, quick, easy and unfailing bactericidal cocktails.

26 Nov 2009