Niacin News and Research

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Niacin (also known as vitamin B3, nicotinic acid and vitamin PP) is an organic compound with the formula C5H4NCO2H and, depending on the definition used, one of the between forty to eighty essential human nutrients.

Merck hosts R&D and Business Briefing

Merck & Co., Inc. today hosted its first R&D and Business Briefing since the completion of the Merck and Schering-Plough merger. The event included a comprehensive review of the company's late-stage pipeline, as well as the company's commercial strategy and progress made in the integration of Merck's worldwide operations.

12 May 2010

Stinging FDA review for Acurox – the implications

The US FDA’s advisory panel’s decision to recommend against approval of Acura Pharmaceuticals/King Pharmaceuticals’ Acurox (oxycodone plus niacin) was based upon the view that data were lacking that niacin-induced flushing could potentially reduce misuse of Acurox with single-ingredient oxycodone. The panel also contended that clinical studies were not conducted in populations that might be likely to benefit from the drug’s purported abuse-deterrent properties, such as those with chronic pain and adolescents who are experimenting with drug use.

27 Apr 2010

FDA rejects experimental painkiller Acurox

In a new development King Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Acura Pharmaceuticals Inc. have failed to win the approval of a US panel for marketing an experimental painkiller called Acurox.

23 Apr 2010

FDA Advisory Committees vote against approval of Acurox NDA

Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and King Pharmaceuticals®, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs and Drug Safety and Risk Management Committees voted that they do not have enough evidence to support the approval of the New Drug Application (NDA) for Acurox® (oxycodone HCl and niacin) Tablets for the treatment of moderate to severe pain, considering the deterrent effects of niacin as well as the potential deterrent effects of the other features specific to Acurox®.

23 Apr 2010

High dose of Zocor could lead to muscle injury, warns FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned patients and healthcare providers about the potential for increased risk of muscle injury from the cholesterol-lowering medication Zocor (simvastatin) 80 mg.

20 Mar 2010

Acurox NDA: FDA schedules Advisory Committee meeting

Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has publically announced the scheduling of an April 22, 2010 Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the New Drug Application ("NDA") for Acurox® (oxycodone HCl and niacin) Tablets and the results of studies evaluating the addition of niacin for the purpose of reducing the misuse of oxycodone.

18 Mar 2010

Tips for reducing LDL cholesterol

Cardiovascular disease is the No.1 killer in North America. And high cholesterol is one of the primary risk factors of coronary heart disease and stroke. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, almost 40% of Canadian adults are classified as having high blood cholesterol levels.

16 Mar 2010

Arena Pharmaceuticals reports lower net loss allocable to common stockholders in fourth-quarter 2009

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

12 Mar 2010

Eprotirome lowers bad cholesterol, triglycerides and Lp(A) without statin side effects

A new drug, eprotirome, has been shown to significantly lower bad cholesterol, triglycerides and Lp(A), without the side effects that statins cause in many people. Results of a study were published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

10 Mar 2010

Steroids and weight loss products can accelerate hair loss, says hair loss expert

In a study due to be released next month, the world's leading hair transplant and hair loss expert Dr. Larry Shapiro will show that men and women have been losing their hair from using popular weight loss and work out products that contain whey protein isolate- and it's not just their genes that are to blame.

19 Feb 2010

Barley beta-glucan soluble fiber lowers cholesterol and reduces risk for coronary heart disease

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States and is also a major cause of disability. But the good news is improving heart health can be as easy as making simple lifestyle changes like choosing foods with proven heart health-promoting attributes.

11 Feb 2010

Study shows more women die of heart disease each year than men

Cardiovascular disease (commonly referred to as heart disease) is the leading cause of death for women worldwide. Almost every minute, a woman in the U.S. dies from heart disease. Despite the prevalence of heart disease in women, a 2005 American Heart Association study showed that 92% of primary care physicians and 83% of cardiologists were not aware of the fact that more women than men die of heart disease each year.

10 Feb 2010

Abbott declares quarterly dividend of 40 cents per share

Abbott today announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2009.

27 Jan 2010

Protein supplements do not improve athletes' performance

Protein supplements don't improve performance or recovery time and, according to a recent study, such supplements are inefficient for most athletes. "They are often poorly used or unnecessary by both high-level athletes and amateurs," says Martin Fr-chette, a researcher and graduate of the Universit- de Montr-al Department of Nutrition.

20 Jan 2010

Besides LDL, Lp(a) can also increase risk for heart disease

LDL isn't the only "bad boy" when it comes to cholesterol. According to a new study, a lipoprotein in the bloodstream called Lp(a) — pronounced "LP little A" — can be labeled "bad cholesterol."

20 Jan 2010

Nutrient-rich foods for weight loss

For the majority of Americans who are unhappy with their weight at any given moment, the New Year brings mixed emotions: the renewed resolution to shed pounds and the challenge of learning how to eat right to reach those goals.

29 Dec 2009

Merck discontinues MK-1903 niacin receptor agonist development program with Arena Pharmaceuticals

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today Merck and Co., Inc.'s decision (through an affiliate) to discontinue development of MK-1903, an investigational niacin receptor agonist to treat atherosclerosis being developed under its research collaboration with Arena. Merck also informed Arena that the company will not continue the collaboration.

24 Dec 2009

High prevalence of type 2 diabetes may be linked to excess niacin intake

Facing the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes worldwide in the past few decades, one may ask what is wrong with humans. Geneticists tell us that the human genome has not changed markedly in such a short time.

23 Dec 2009

Niacin may not be beneficial for type 2 diabetic patients

High-density lipoprotein (HDL), known as "good" cholesterol, isn't as protective for people with type 2 diabetes, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

22 Dec 2009

Jubilant Organosys announces new facility for Niacinamide and 3-Cyanopyridine

Jubilant Organosys Limited, an integrated pharmaceutical industry player and the largest Custom Research and Manufacturing Services Company in India, announced today that it is setting up Niacinamide and 3-Cyanopyridine plant of 10,000 TPA each, expected to be ready by end of 2010.

18 Dec 2009