Pharmacology News and Research

Latest Pharmacology News and Research

Increase in omega-3 fatty acid levels can prevent strokes, according to research

Research led by Hernan A. Bazan, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has found that unstable carotid artery plaques - those in danger of rupturing and leading to a stroke - contain more inflammation and significantly less omega-3 fatty acids than asymptomatic plaques.

3 Oct 2009

Phase 2 study of PH20 with regular human insulin confirms faster insulin absorption

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. today announced additional Phase 2 results that demonstrated faster insulin absorption and increased peak insulin concentrations in type 1 diabetic patients after co-administration of its recombinant hyaluronidase enzyme (rHuPH20 or PH20) with Humulin® R (regular human insulin), a mealtime insulin.

1 Oct 2009

NIH awards $10.5 million grant for OCD treatment research

A new research center exploring the science underlying a potential new treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder has been established at the University of Rochester Medical Center, thanks to a $10.5 million award from the National Institute of Mental Health.

1 Oct 2009

New drug combination releives neuropathic pain and improves sleep

People who suffer from debilitating neuropathic pain may get more relief and sleep better by combining two commonly-prescribed drugs.

1 Oct 2009

Post Baccalaureate Premedical Program to begin in January 2010

Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) has established a Post Baccalaureate Premedical Program (PBPM), scheduled to begin in January 2010, for those with an undergraduate degree in science or engineering who are interested in enhancing their skills before applying to medical school.

30 Sep 2009

New treatment for Alzheimer's disease may be in the offing

Oleocanthal, a naturally-occurring compound found in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure of neurotoxic proteins believed to contribute to the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease. This structural change impedes the proteins' ability to damage brain nerve cells.

30 Sep 2009

Halozyme Therapeutics announces Phase 1 clinical study to assess three insulin analogs

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the commencement of a Phase 1 clinical study that will assess the effects of three approved prandial (mealtime) insulin analogs administered with its proprietary rHuPH20 (PH20) hyaluronidase enzyme compared to each of the analogs alone. This randomized, three-way cross-over design, euglycemic clamp study will compare the postprandial pharmacokinetics (PK) and glucodynamics (GD) of the insulin analogs.

28 Sep 2009

Safety profiles of JANUVIA and JANUMET drugs established through clinical development program

Merck has thoroughly reviewed the safety data for sitagliptin, and sitagliptin was not associated with an increase in the incidence of pancreatitis in preclinical studies or in clinical trials of up to two years in duration with more than 6,000 patients.

28 Sep 2009

FDA grants accelerated approval for Allos Therapeutics’ FOLOTYN

Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:ALTH) today announced that last night the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for FOLOTYNTM (pralatrexate injection) for use as a single agent for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).

28 Sep 2009

European CHMP recommends Merck's JANUVIA and JANUMET as add-on to insulin

Merck & Co., Inc., which operates in many countries as Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), has received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s (EMEA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for JANUVIA® tablets and JANUMET® tablets recommending their use as add-on to insulin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

26 Sep 2009

NDA submitted to the FDA for new osteoarthritis drug

NicOx S.A. today announced that a New Drug Application (NDA) for naproxcinod has been submitted to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking approval for an indication for the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). The NDA file contains data from three large pivotal phase 3 studies, all of which met their co-primary efficacy endpoints. NicOx plans to submit a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for naproxcinod to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) in Q4 2009.

25 Sep 2009

Merck, QIAGEN to collaborate to increase access to HPV vaccination and HPV DNA testing in developing countries

Merck & Co., Inc. and QIAGEN N.V. today announced their intent to collaborate on a new program to increase access to HPV vaccination and HPV DNA testing in some of the most resource-poor areas of the world.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 24 Sep 2009

NIH awards three UNC Scientists for high risk and innovative research

Three scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have received prestigious awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at encouraging "high risk" and innovative research.

24 Sep 2009

New version of Adis R&D Insight global pipeline database launched

Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of market data and competitive intelligence to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, today introduced a powerful, new version of its popular Adis R&D Insight global pipeline database.

24 Sep 2009

ADAGIO clinical trial results demonstrating AZILECT's efficacy published

Results from the ADAGIO trial, published online today in The New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrated that Parkinson’s disease patients receiving AZILECT (rasagiline) 1mg/day at the start of the study (early-start group) experienced superior benefit over 18 months compared with those who started the exact same treatment nine months later (delayed-start group).

24 Sep 2009

Computational models form basis to design the device for recreating kidney function

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and two other academic institutions have received federal funding to systematically assemble functional human kidney tissue from tissue modeled on a computer. If successful, the research-which ties together several emerging technologies including virtual tissue modeling and nanofabrication-could lead to a more predictable way for researchers to engineer tissue outside the body and, consequently, to screen for new drugs.

24 Sep 2009

NIH Director's Pioneer Award and New Innovator Award for Duke scientists

Two Duke University Medical Center scientists have won prestigious National Institutes of Health Director's awards to pursue novel research.

24 Sep 2009

Research study links high-fructose diet to increased blood pressure in men

A high-fructose diet raises blood pressure in men, while a drug used to treat gout seems to protect against the blood pressure increase, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference.

24 Sep 2009

Second annual study of FDA drug review released

PAREXEL Consulting, a business unit of PAREXEL International (Nasdaq: PRXL) and a leading global life sciences consultancy serving the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries, today released its second annual study on the state of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug review process.

From Parexel 23 Sep 2009

Preventing nerve cell death in diabetics

Dennis Paul, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, and Harry Gould, MD, PhD, the Tom Benson Professor of Neurology at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, have been awarded one of two scientific research grants made in 2009 by The Neuropathy Association. The $80,000 grant will fund research to learn how to prevent nerve cell death in people with uncontrolled or untreated diabetes resulting in neuropathy.

23 Sep 2009