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Results from the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in aortic stenosis study

The SEAS (Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis) study has investigated the effects of intensive cholesterol lowering with the combination of simvastatin (40 mg daily) and ezetimibe (10 mg daily) in patients with aortic stenosis.

2 Sep 2008

New guidelines on heart failure

Heart failure is a leading cause of death and hospitalisation and represents a major burden on health services. It is estimated that over 15 million people in Europe suffer from heart failure and the syndrome accounts for over 2% of national expenditure on health. The new guidelines on heart failure from the European Society of Cardiology are eagerly awaited.

2 Sep 2008

Uganda's Health Ministry orders $1.8 million worth of antiretrovirals to address drug shortage

Uganda's Ministry of Health is expecting a batch of antiretroviral drugs to "arrive any time," Sam Zaramba, director-general of health services, announced on Tuesday following a drug shortage confirmed by health officials in the country last week, the New Vision/AllAfrica.com reports.

1 Sep 2008

Discovery of new genes for inflammatory bowel disease in children

Researchers have discovered two new genes that increase the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in childhood.

31 Aug 2008

Anti-itching drug clemizole shows promise against hepatitis C

The fight against the liver disease hepatitis C has been at something of an impasse for years, with more than 150 million people currently infected, and traditional antiviral treatments causing nasty side effects and often falling short of a cure. Using a novel technique, medical and engineering researchers at Stanford University have discovered a vulnerable step in the virus' reproduction process that in lab testing could be effectively targeted with an obsolete antihistamine.

31 Aug 2008

Mylan's Alphapharm victorious in Razadyne patent challenge

Mylan Inc. has announced that its subsidiary Alphapharm Pty Limited won a favorable decision in patent litigation against it and Barr Laboratories Inc. relating to Galantamine Tablets, USP, the generic version of Ortho-McNeil's Razadyne Tablets, 4 mg, 8 mg and 12 mg.

31 Aug 2008

Ortho-McNeil to appeal patent ruling on Razadyne

Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it will appeal yesterday's decision by the U.S. District Court of Delaware, which ruled the patent for Razadyne (galantamine hydrobromide) is invalid.

28 Aug 2008

Barr receives U.S. approval for generic Razadyne tablets

Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its subsidiary, Barr Laboratories, Inc., received final approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to manufacture and market a generic version of Ortho McNeil Janssen's Razadyne (galantamine hydrobromide), 4 mg, 8 mg and 12 mg tablets. Barr intends to launch its generic Razadyne tablets product immediately.

28 Aug 2008

FDA grants IND for Davanat to treat breast cancer patient

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for use of Davanat in combination with 5-FU to treat a breast cancer patient at the Brown Cancer Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Davanat also is being administered in Phase II clinical trials for first-line treatment of colorectal and biliary cancer patients.

28 Aug 2008

Takeda and Affymax provide update for Hematide in chemotherapy-induced anemia

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Affymax, Inc. today announced their agreement to suspend co-development of Hematide to treat chemotherapy-induced anemia and to focus all development efforts for Hematide on the treatment of chronic kidney disease related anemia.

28 Aug 2008

UT Southwestern discovery may lead to new drug-abuse treatments

Increased connections among brain cells caused by excessive drug use may represent the body's defense mechanism to combat addiction and related behaviors, scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

27 Aug 2008

Potential new targets for antidepressants

The news about antidepressant medications over the past several years has been mixed. The bad news from large multicenter studies such as STAR*D is that current antidepressant medications are effective, but not as effective as one might hope. Thus, there is a significant need for new treatment mechanisms for depression. On that front, there has been mixed news as well.

27 Aug 2008

Drug Lucentis to save eyesight of thousands in the UK

The eyesight of thousands of people in the UK will be saved with a new drug available under the National Health Service.

27 Aug 2008

Democratic National Committee approves platform with health care language; Obama campaigns in Iowa

The Democratic National Committee on Monday during the Democratic National Convention voted to adopt a non-binding party platform that includes language about health care, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports. According to the AP/Newsday, the platform in large part follows recommendations from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) but moves "beyond his proposals in calling for guaranteed health care for all" (Woodward, AP/Long Island Newsday, 8/26).

26 Aug 2008

Stanford University to limit pharmaceutical industry financing of CME

Stanford University officials on Tuesday plan to announce a new policy under which pharmaceutical and medical device companies no longer will have the ability to select continuing medical education courses that they seek to finance for physicians at the university's School of Medicine, the New York Times reports.

26 Aug 2008

Genzyme, Medicines for Malaria Venture, Advinus collaborate on malaria initiative

The Cambridge, Mass.-based biotechnology firm Genzyme on Monday announced it will collaborate with the not-for-profit group Medicines for Malaria Venture and the Indian pharmaceutical company Advinus Therapeutics to develop new malaria treatments, the Boston Business Journal reports.

26 Aug 2008

VioQuest Pharmaceuticals issued new U.S. patent for Lenocta

VioQuest Pharmaceuticals today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued the first patent for the company's investigational product candidate Lenocta (sodium stibogluconate). U.S. Patent No. 7,416,723 entitled "Therapeutic compositions and methods useful in modulating protein tyrosine phosphatases," encompasses novel compositions including Lenocta for the treatment of cancer and a broad range of other diseases.

26 Aug 2008

Stanford Medical School severely restricts industry funding of continuing education for physicians

The Stanford University School of Medicine will no longer accept support from pharmaceutical or device companies for specific programs in continuing medical education, as industry-directed funding may compromise the integrity of these education programs for practicing physicians, officials said.

26 Aug 2008

FDA issues new rules on product warning label updates for pharmaceuticals, medical devices

FDA last week issued new rules that aim to ensure medication warning labels provide clear and concise information to consumers, the AP/Denver Post reports.

26 Aug 2008

Galapagos acquires structure-based drug discovery from Sareum

Galapagos NV and Sareum Holdings plc has announced today that Galapagos has acquired Sareum's assets in drug discovery services, for a total cash consideration of EUR 695,000 (£553,000). These assets will position Galapagos' service division BioFocus DPI strongly in the growing field of structure-based drug discovery.

26 Aug 2008