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Iroko Pharmaceuticals announces acquisition of iCeutica

Iroko Pharmaceuticals, LLC today announces that it has acquired iCeutica, Inc. to further strengthen Iroko's position as the leading developer of novel, low-dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

29 Apr 2011

UIC receives federal contract to develop antibiotics against three bacterial infections

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology have been awarded a federal contract for up to $13.8 million to develop antibiotics to treat anthrax, tularemia and plague.

28 Apr 2011

Centocor Ortho Biotech receives FDA approval for Zytiga to treat prostate cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Zytiga in combination with prednisone to treat patients with late-stage castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior docetaxel.

28 Apr 2011

FDA approves orphan drug designation for Cytrx’s INNO-206 to treat pancreatic cancer

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced that its tumor-targeting pro-drug candidate INNO-206 has been approved for orphan drug designation for the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer by the Office of Orphan Products Development of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CytRx holds the exclusive worldwide development and commercialization rights to INNO-206.

28 Apr 2011

Hepatitis B virus rebound common in patients receiving nucleoside analogs for chronic hepatitis B

A rebound of the Hepatitis B virus is common in patients receiving nucleoside analogs for chronic hepatitis B, according to a study from U-M hepatologists. But nearly 40% of the rebounds or virological breakthroughs (VBTs) were not related to antiviral drug resistance.

28 Apr 2011

Justices question Vermont's effort to restrict drug data mining

During Tuesday's oral arguments, the justices suggested that the state law, which restricts pharmaceutical marketers' ability to obtain data on doctor prescribing habits, may violate free-speech rights.

28 Apr 2011

'Harm-minimization' approach can lead to high teen alcohol consumption

Allowing adolescents to drink alcohol under adult supervision does not appear to teach responsible drinking as teens get older. In fact, such a "harm-minimization" approach may actually lead to more drinking and alcohol-related consequences, according to a new study in the May 2011 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

28 Apr 2011

Panel speakers to discuss hepatitis C prevention, treatment at Mayes College event

Mayes College of Healthcare Business and Policy at University of the Sciences is hosting a panel discussion on hepatitis C prevention and treatment, on Thursday, April 28, 2011, from 5 to 7 p.m.

28 Apr 2011

Cotinine can reduce plaques linked with dementia and prevent memory loss

Cotinine, a compound derived from tobacco, reduced plaques associated with dementia and prevented memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, a study led by researchers at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System and the University of South Florida found.

28 Apr 2011

Researchers begin approved drugs screening for clinical use against rare diseases

Researchers have begun screening the first definitive collection of thousands of approved drugs for clinical use against rare and neglected diseases. They are hunting for additional uses of the drugs hoping to find off-label therapies, for some of the 6,000 rare diseases that afflict 25 million Americans.

28 Apr 2011

Molecular Partners completes MP0112 phase I/IIa trials in wet AMD, DME

Molecular Partners AG, a leader in the development of next generation therapeutics, announced today that it has completed two phase I/IIa clinical trials with MP0112, its lead molecule targeting VEGF-A.

28 Apr 2011

Scientists identify new risk gene variant for depression

Max Planck scientists uncover surprising genetic links. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich have compared the genomes of a total of 4,088 patients and 11,001 healthy control subjects from all over the world and identified a new risk gene variant for depression.

28 Apr 2011

FOIA request on Avastin filed with the FDA

Leaders in the battle with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to retain metastatic breast cancer (mbc) as an indication for the drug Avastin today filed a Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") request with the FDA.

28 Apr 2011

FDA Advisory Committee recommends approval of Merck's VICTRELIS for chronic HCV genotype 1 infection

Merck announced today that the Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted unanimously that the available data support approval of Merck's investigational medicine VICTRELIS™ (boceprevir) for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection in combination with current standard therapy.

28 Apr 2011

Kava tea may cause kidney failure and muscle breakdown

When a 34-year-old bicyclist was found collapsed on a roadside and rushed to the University of Rochester Medical Center emergency room on the verge of kidney failure and muscle breakdown, doctors were surprised to discover that a trendy tea derived from the kava plant was the cause of his ills.

28 Apr 2011

MIT develops new software to predict complex 3-D DNA structures

While the primary job of DNA in cells is to carry genetic information from one generation to the next, some scientists also see the highly stable and programmable molecule as an ideal building material for nanoscale structures that could be used to deliver drugs, act as biosensors, perform artificial photosynthesis and more.

28 Apr 2011

State roundup: Conn. Gov. says no 'public option' this year

Gov. Bobby Jindal's chief budget adviser defended the administration's plan to sell a state-run health insurance plan to a private company, rebutting a chorus of critics Tuesday who said the move would result in higher premiums and lower benefits for state workers and retirees.

28 Apr 2011

New study reveals a novel gene linked with major depression

A new study reveals a novel gene associated with major depression. The research, published by Cell Press in the April 28 issue of the journal Neuron, suggests a previously unrecognized mechanism for major depression and may guide future therapeutic strategies for this debilitating mood disorder.

28 Apr 2011

Promising pain medication may decrease ability to fight off sepsis

Pain researchers from the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children's National Medical Center have discovered that resiniferatoxin, a drug that has shown early promise as an option for chronic, severe pain sufferers, may decrease the body's ability to fight off bacterial infections, particularly sepsis.

27 Apr 2011

First Edition: April 27, 2011

In today's headlines, political push-back continues regarding the Paul Ryan budget plan and the Supreme Court seems skeptical that prescription drug data laws don't violate free speech.

27 Apr 2011