Pharmacogenomics News and Research

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The terms pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics are often used interchangeably to describe a field of research focused on how genes affect individual responses to medicines. Whether a medicine works well for you—or whether it causes serious side effects—depends, to a certain extent, on your genes.

New $13.75M data-mining project to better understand factors behind mental disorders

Chicago will be home to a new $13.75 million project that will apply data mining methods to better understand the genetic and environmental factors behind neuropsychiatric disorders.

7 Oct 2011

First international conference on developmental, translational and clinical pharmacogenomics

The first international conference hosted by the University of South Florida College of Pharmacy will focus on ways to improve health care by customizing drug prescribing and treatment based on an individual's genetic makeup.

24 Aug 2011

Scientists turn drug-disease match makers

In a new medical breakthrough American researchers have devised a drug-disease matchmaking program that mines databases for potentially useful new treatment combinations and have actually turned up two so far, said a study on Wednesday.

18 Aug 2011

Viewpoints: Geithner, Bowles, Simpson, Ryan, Vladeck, Wilensky on health spending and the deficit

The agreement sets up a powerful mechanism for agreement on tax reforms to strengthen growth, and entitlement reforms to strengthen programs such as Medicare. A congressional committee with fast-track authority will have a Nov. 23 deadline to recommend a balanced package of long-term reforms to produce $1.5 trillion in additional deficit reduction.

4 Aug 2011

New preclinical data suggests microRNA-15 inhibits cardiomyogenesis

miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on improving patients' lives by developing innovative microRNA (miRNA)-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease, announced today that new preclinical data published in the online edition of Circulation Research suggests that microRNA-15 (miR-15) inhibits cardiomyogenesis, the process whereby new heart muscle cells are formed.

27 Jul 2011

Medco announces new offerings within Advanced Oncology Solutions

Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today announced new offerings within its Advanced Oncology Solutions, that include treatment pathways decision support with embedded pharmacogenomic testing and nutrition recommendations for cancer patients.

20 Jul 2011

Sanofi, Medco and UBC to use real-world evidence for quality patient care

Sanofi, Medco Health Solutions, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, United BioSource Corporation (UBC), announced they have entered into a global, multi-year agreement to support the real-world evidence assessments during Sanofi product development and pre-/post-approval processes that support improvements in the overall quality of patient care.

22 Jun 2011

Merck's VICTRELIS receives European CHMP positive opinion for treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 infection

Merck, today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion under accelerated assessment recommending approval of the investigational medicine VICTRELIS (boceprevir) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection, in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, in adult patients with compensated liver disease who are previously untreated or who have failed previous therapy.

20 May 2011

Affymetrix launches new Axiom myDesign TG Arrays for targeted genotyping market

Affymetrix, Inc. today launched new Axiom myDesign Targeted Genotyping (TG) Arrays for the targeted genotyping market, enabling researchers to study mutations in disease pathways and characterize gene-gene interactions.

19 May 2011

Transgenomic to present study results of high-sensitivity cancer mutation assays at AACR

Transgenomic, Inc. announced today that its scientists have completed studies employing the company's high-sensitivity cancer mutation assays using two proprietary technologies, Ice COLD-PCR and BLOCker-Sequencing. Results from these studies will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Orlando, Florida, April 2-6, 2011.

2 Apr 2011

Foundation for nationwide consensus on access to genetic information

Health privacy is a serious concern, but as genetic testing becomes more common, access to your genetic information raises questions the healthcare industry has never faced before. It is particularly important that we begin to address these questions now that genomic information is being collected to improve the diagnosis and treatment of children.

31 Mar 2011

Transgenomic discovers novel BLOCker-Sequencing technology

Transgenomic, Inc. today announced that it has discovered a novel sequencing technology, which the company has termed BLOCker-Sequencing, which enhances the limit of detection of standard Sanger Sequencing, enriches for direct sequencing of mutated DNA over wild-type and can be run on standard Sanger Sequencing equipment.

30 Mar 2011

HealthCore, AstraZeneca collaborate to conduct real-world studies on disease states, treatment

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and HealthCore, the health outcomes research subsidiary of WellPoint, today announced a collaborative agreement to conduct real-world studies designed to determine how to most effectively and economically treat disease.

3 Feb 2011

Scientists create particles that resemble RBC, pave way for development of synthetic blood

A team of scientists has created particles that closely mirror some of the key properties of red blood cells, potentially helping pave the way for the development of synthetic blood.

11 Jan 2011

14th World Conference on Lung Cancer: Online registration opens

Online registration opens today for the 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer, which will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from July 3-7, 2011.

4 Jan 2011

Whites with mutations more likely to be susceptible to cocaine abuse

Nearly one in five whites could carry a genetic variant that substantially increases their odds of being susceptible to severe cocaine abuse, according to new research.

21 Dec 2010

23andMe project aims at validating highly scalable pharmacogenomics research

23andMe has launched a project funded by the National Institutes of Health which is aimed at validating 23andMe's highly-scalable platform for pharmacogenomics research. The company received $190,000 in stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for "Web-based Phenotyping for Genome-Wide Association Studies of Drug Response" from NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute.

17 Dec 2010

Breast cancer patients taking tamoxifen anxious to have CYP2D6 genetic test

While the medical community continues to debate the benefits of CYP2D6 genetic testing for women on the breast cancer treatment tamoxifen, patients using the medication are anxious to have the tests. According to a new survey of more than 700 women with breast cancer currently taking tamoxifen, almost 80 percent of respondents would choose to have a genetic test that determines CYP2D6 genotype, yet only 14 percent of these women have been tested. CYP2D6 is an enzyme that influences how well the body processes tamoxifen into its more active form.

7 Dec 2010

USC Norris designated Phase I Clinical Trial Center of Excellence

The USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USC Norris) has been designated a Phase I Clinical Trial Center of Excellence by global pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. The collaboration will bring a number of new phase I clinical trials to USC Norris, and will enable the cancer center's clinical and basic scientists to provide guidance in early phase drug development and trial design.

20 Nov 2010

Transgenomic awarded $1,070,453 grant under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Transgenomic, Inc. today announced that it has been awarded a research and development grant totaling $1,070,453.32 from the U.S. government under HR: 3590 – Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the "Act") in immediately available funds. This is among the largest awards for any one company under the Act.

12 Nov 2010