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Miriam Hospital receives NIH grants to improve HIV treatment for jail inmates

The Miriam Hospital received three of the 12 newly awarded grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at improving HIV prevention and treatment of prison and jail inmates.

10 Nov 2010

Teens abuse prescription drugs more than illegal drugs

According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, teens abuse prescription medications more than all illegal drugs combined, excluding marijuana. Many teens are under the misconception that these highly addictive, easily accessible drugs are "safer" than illicit drugs.

9 Nov 2010

Cannabis “scratch & sniff” cards to stop illegal plantations

In a novel method to uncover illegal urban cannabis plantations nearly 30,000 Dutch households are to receive marijuana-scented scratch cards. According to authorities in Rotterdam and The Hague they are distributing the cards to help people recognize what cannabis smells like.

8 Nov 2010

Pisgah Labs receives QTDP grant to accelerate abuse deterrent technology

Pisgah Labs, Inc., an innovative drug development and active ingredient manufacturer located in Western North Carolina, has received a substantial federal grant.

4 Nov 2010

Omeros third quarter net loss increases to $7.6 million

Omeros Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing products focused on inflammation and disorders of the central nervous system, today announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2010.

4 Nov 2010

New wiring diagram shows how brain organizes information

University of Utah (U of U) medical researchers have uncovered a wiring diagram that shows how the brain pays attention to visual, cognitive, sensory, and motor cues. The research provides a critical foundation for the study of abnormalities in attention that can be seen in many brain disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit disorder.

2 Nov 2010

Minn. will accept federal assistance, Tenn. tackles burgeoning drug abuse problem

Politico: "Minnesota will accept federal assistance under the Democrats' health reform law after all, despite Gov. Tim Pawlenty's executive order barring voluntary participation in federal health care programs. The state's Management and Budget Office was one of 700 new organizations that signed up for the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, a $5 billion program that helps pay for the insurance costs of retirees between the ages of 55 and 64.

2 Nov 2010

Alcohol - the worst drug!

A new study shows that alcohol abuse is by far the worst habit to have when compared to other recreational drugs like crack or heroin. Neuropharmacologist David Nutt, of Imperial College London who is also a former British government drug advisor and his team rated 20 different drugs on a scale that takes into account the various harms caused by a drug. Drugs are rated on the nine harms a drug causes to an individual and seven harms a drug causes to the society. The scale was developed by a panel of experts called the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ICSD), ranges from 0 (no harm) to 100 (greatest possible harm). It is weighted so that a drug that scores 50 is half as harmful as a drug that scores 100.

1 Nov 2010

Shire announces results of Vyvanse Phase 2 signal finding study for Major Depressive Disorder

Shire plc the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced results from a Phase 2 signal finding study of Vyvanse(R) [lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (or SPD489)] in patients who have had residual symptoms of depression following treatment with LEXAPRO(escitlopram) for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).

29 Oct 2010

Female soldiers at increased rates of developing PTSD following sexual trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, continues to inflict a mental and physical toll on America's soldiers, leaving physical, emotional and spiritual scars long after these veterans have left their posts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, for female soldiers, sexual assault and rape can create similar, and many times more treatment-resistant, symptoms of PTSD, according to Dr. Kimberly Dennis.

29 Oct 2010

New version of Addiction Severity Index performs well in psychometric terms

The new version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) gives health professionals the opportunity to design an integral and personalised plan of assistance for patients suffering disorders due to substance abuse.

28 Oct 2010

Kings Cross drug injecting center gains permanent status

After much debate the parliament’s upper house voted to maintain the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross permanently this week on Wednesday. The votes stood 22 -15 for the centre to be given permanent status. This followed approval for a change from trial to permanent status by the lower house last week.

27 Oct 2010

Rising alcohol prices driving the young towards illicit drug use

A latest study that spanned over two years revealed a link between alcohol prices and consumption of illicit drugs such as ecstasy. The study says that as alcohol prices have risen young people have ‘switched’ to the party drug ecstasy as an alternative.

26 Oct 2010

Admissions for medication, drug-related conditions increase by 117% among Americans aged 45 and older

The number of hospital admissions among Americans ages 45 and older for medication and drug-related conditions doubled between 1997 and 2008, according to a new report released today by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Medication and drug-related conditions include effects of both prescription and over-the-counter medications as well as illicit drugs.

26 Oct 2010

Positive results from Alkermes combination Phase 1 study of ALKS 33 and buprenorphine for cocaine addiction

Alkermes, Inc. today announced positive topline results from a phase 1 clinical study of an investigational combination of ALKS 33, one of Alkermes' proprietary candidates, and buprenorphine, an existing medication for the treatment of opioid addiction, for the treatment of cocaine addiction.

25 Oct 2010

Quest Diagnostics reports use of prescription opiates by American workers has increased by 40%

According to the American Council for Drug Education, more than 70 percent of substance abusers hold a job, which increases their risk of work related injury to them or others. While this statistic includes abuse of both legal and illegal drugs, Quest Diagnostics, a diagnostic testing company, reported the use of prescription opiates by American workers and job applicants has increased by 40% since 2005.

From Quest Diagnostics 22 Oct 2010

UTHealth renewed as 'Center of Excellence' by NIDA

By delivering an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to drug abuse and addiction research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) has been renewed as a "Center of Excellence" by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.

22 Oct 2010

UCLA researchers receive NIH grant to study HIV-positive men from LA County jails

A team of UCLA researchers has received a $4.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study ways to get HIV-positive men who have been released from Los Angeles County jails into medical care and on sustained treatment.

22 Oct 2010

NIH awards 5-year, $3.7M grant for study of intrauterine cocaine and substance exposure

Deborah A. Frank, MD, the Director of the Grow Clinic for Children at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and a Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), has received a 5-year, $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the long-term impacts of intrauterine cocaine exposure (IUCE) and intrauterine substance exposure (IUSE).

20 Oct 2010

Researchers discover how cocaine corrupts brains' reward center

Mount Sinai researchers have discovered how cocaine corrupts the brain and becomes addictive. These findings-the first to connect activation of specific neurons to alterations in cocaine reward-were published in Science on October 15. The results may help researchers in developing new ways of treating those addicted to the drug.

19 Oct 2010