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ZenBio awarded Phase I SBIR grant to establish novel human cell-based models of NAFLD

ZenBio, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant to establish novel human cell-based models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that will be useful for basic research and as a potential drug development platform. The project stems from recent efforts at ZenBio, Inc. to develop methods for differentiating adipose tissue derived progenitor cells into hepatocyte-like cells.

21 Apr 2010

Liquidia Technologies adds PPD to Series C financing

Liquidia Technologies, a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing particle-based vaccines and therapeutics, announced today that it has added an additional investor, PPD, Inc., to its Series C financing. The final addition of PPD brings the total funding for this round to $25 million.

21 Apr 2010

Scam artists hawk fake insurance policies, prey on seniors

"[S]cam artists are working overtime. They're hawking fake insurance policies by preying on the fears and confusion that surround" the new health overhaul law, according to consumer advocates.

21 Apr 2010

Stemedica receives FDA IND approval for ischemic stroke clinical trial using allogeneic stem cells

Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., a world leader in stem cell research and manufacturing, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an Investigational New Drug (IND) for a clinical trial for ischemic stroke using Stemedica's high potency proprietary allogeneic stem cells (adult human).

21 Apr 2010

Obesity related FTO gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

If you are an American of European origin and carry the FTO gene which causes obesity, you have a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A recent study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles claimed that 'A commonly carried allele of the obesity-related FTO gene is associated with reduced brain volume in healthy elderly'.

21 Apr 2010

FDA eyes home-based medical equipment for regulation

"With hospitals discharging patients after ever-shorter stays, more people are recovering and continuing post-operative care, or treating chronic conditions, with sophisticated medical equipment at home," The Wall Street Journal reports.

21 Apr 2010

NEDD9 protein plays significant role in development of HER2-driven breast cancer: Researchers

Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have identified a potentially significant molecular player in the development of aggressive breast cancer. The team's findings show that a protein called NEDD9 is critical in the formation of breast tumors induced by high levels of the cell-surface receptor HER2/neu in mice.

21 Apr 2010

Researchers: Breast cancer prevention and treatment protocols not always clear

The New York Times writes about the frequent inaccuracy of a test to detect certain proteins in breast tumors, which determines whether the patient will get Herceptin, a potent breast cancer treatment. "Drugs aimed at disabling proteins that spur cancer are, many oncologists say, the future of cancer therapies.

21 Apr 2010

Stereotypes can influence the way people behave

Research at the University of Alberta shows that when a thin person is seen laying down watching television, people assume they're resting. But when people see an overweight person relaxing, it's automatically assumed they're lazy and unmotivated

21 Apr 2010

Health experts gather in Ethiopia to discuss child, maternal health in Africa

A group of health experts gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, to kick off a continental conference on maternal and child health, VOA News reports (Heinlein, 4/19).

21 Apr 2010

Cannabis users are at risk for developing anxiety and mood disorders: CAMH study

Research has shown possible links between cannabis use and the onset of Schizophrenia, but a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health shows that people who use cannabis may also be at risk for developing anxiety and mood disorders.

21 Apr 2010

Australia heading for its own health overhaul

Reuters: "Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Tuesday he had reached agreement with all but one of Australia's states on major health reforms which he hopes will spearhead his 2010 re-election campaign. Failure to clinch the $51 billion deal, which will see the government become the nation's main health funder, would have fueled perceptions Rudd has been unable to deliver on reform promises that propelled him to power in 2007" (Taylor, 4/20).

21 Apr 2010

Researchers identify potential drug target for treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of Illinois have identified a potential drug target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a receptor that is embedded in the membrane of neurons and other cells.

21 Apr 2010

Semafore Pharmaceuticals' SF1126 PI3K-mTOR inhibitor demonstrates broad anti-tumor activity in lymphoma

Semafore Pharmaceuticals today announced the presentation of data demonstrating that SF1126, a novel small molecule inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), has broad preclinical anti-tumor activity in multiple myeloma and lymphoma. Data were presented in a poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

21 Apr 2010

A Selection of Today's Opinions: AIDS endures; Conservatives' changing views of the individual mandate; Concerns for doctors

AIDS endures right here in the U.S.A.: our outpatient clinics are bursting at the seams, and new cases show up daily. A million domestic stories are languishing untold, but they are not the operatic tragedies we have grown used to (Dr. Abigail Zuger, 4/19).

21 Apr 2010

White House touts health tax credits, some consumers question costs

"More than 4 million postcards were mailed Monday to small-business owners, touting a tax credit in the new healthcare law that many of them are eligible to receive. The mass mailing is the first step in an aggressive sales and information campaign planned by the White House in an effort to blunt criticism of the law."

21 Apr 2010

AMRI extends and expands research collaboration with CHDI Foundation

AMRI announced today the five year extension and expansion of its ongoing research collaboration with CHDI Foundation, Inc. (CHDI), focused on the discovery of new therapeutic agents for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD).

20 Apr 2010

CytRx' bafetinib receives EMEA COMP positive opinion for treatment of CML

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced that bafetinib (formerly known as INNO-406) has received official notification from the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) that a positive opinion was made regarding the application for orphan medicinal product for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

20 Apr 2010

Endosense releases TactiCath force-sensing ablation catheter

Endosense, a medical technology company focused on improving the efficacy, safety and reproducibility of catheter ablation for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, has announced the commercial release of its next generation TactiCath force-sensing ablation catheter. Recently granted CE mark and unveiled this month at the DGK 2010 - German Cardiac Society meeting in Mannheim, Germany, the second generation product includes an elegantly enhanced catheter along with a feature-rich supporting system called the TactiSys™.

20 Apr 2010

Positive results from pivotal Phase 3 trials of BENLYSTA in SLE patients

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC today announced topline secondary endpoints from BLISS-76, the second of two pivotal Phase 3 trials of BENLYSTA™ (belimumab) in seropositive patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

20 Apr 2010