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PBS NewsHour blog discusses curable, preventable neglected tropical diseases with CDC experts

In this video report, PBS NewsHour's "The Rundown" examines curable and preventable diseases such as measles and river blindness that countries are focusing more effort on fighting. Mark Eberhardt, a neglected tropical diseases expert at the CDC, and Stephen Cochi, a measles and polio expert from the CDC, "describe the diseases and why they still need attention."

22 Feb 2012

Mobius selects The Apothecary Shops as distribution partner for Mitosol Kit for Ophthalmic Use

Apothecary Shop Wholesale, Inc., an affiliate of The Apothecary Shops Specialty Pharmacies, has received exclusive distribution rights from Mobius Therapeutics, LLC for its new drug Mitosol (mitomycin for solution) 0.2 mg/vial Kit for Ophthalmic Use.

18 Feb 2012

WSU's novel gene-therapy for blindness receives $250,000 FFB grant

Technology to restore vision through the use of a component of green algae - developed by a Wayne State University professor and scientific director of the Ligon Research Center of Vision at the Kresge Eye Institute - has attracted additional funding for therapy development.

16 Feb 2012

Aganirsen demonstrates significant activity in two models of wet AMD, ischemic retinopathy

Gene Signal, a company focused on developing innovative drugs to manage angiogenesis based conditions, today announced the publication of data demonstrating the significant activity of aganirsen (GS-101, eye drops) in two important models of retinal neovascular disease, wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and ischemic retinopathy.

15 Feb 2012

New WSU model system focuses on causes of everyday MS symptoms

Annoying, frustrating symptoms like difficulty hearing or remembering things can complicate everyday living for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, but most research to date has focused on the disease's less frequent but more debilitating consequences.

15 Feb 2012

Third patient dosed in Phase 1/2 SMD trial using RPE cells derived from hESCs

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today the dosing of third patient in its Phase 1/2 trial for Stargardt's macular dystrophy (SMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

13 Feb 2012

Regeneron reports total revenues of $123.0M for fourth quarter 2011

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year 2011 and provided an update on development programs.

13 Feb 2012

Grand Challenges Canada announces 15 grants to support rising stars in global health

Grand Challenges Canada today announced 15 grants valued in total at more than $1.5 million awarded to some of Canada's most creative innovators from across the country in support of their work to improve global health conditions.

10 Feb 2012

Gene therapy succeeds in the second blind eye for three patients

Three people have now have reported a dramatic improvement in vision after having gene therapy in both eyes after having lost their eyesight as children.

9 Feb 2012

Readministration of gene therapy improves vision in three patients with LCA

Gene therapy for congenital blindness has taken another step forward, as researchers further improved vision in three adult patients previously treated in one eye.

9 Feb 2012

Eye clinics in India use tiered pricing to provide affordable service to poorest patients

"An expanding network of eye clinics has found an innovative way of providing quality, affordable treatment to millions of blind and visually impaired poor people in India," the Guardian's "Poverty Matters" blog reports.

9 Feb 2012

Komen vice president resigns

Karen Handel says she is leaving immediately so the organization can "refocus" on its mission, after becoming a lightning rod for controversy over its decision to cut funds to Planned Parenthood.

9 Feb 2012

FDA approves ivermectin lotion for treatment of head lice

Sanofi announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Sklice® (ivermectin) lotion, 0.5% for the topical treatment of head lice, in patients 6 months of age and older. Effective and well-tolerated, Sklice Lotion treats lice in most patients with a single 10-minute application of the lotion, without nit combing.

7 Feb 2012

AFER congratulates the first Genentech AMD Fellowship recipients

ARVO Foundation for Eye Research (AFER) congratulates the first AFER/Genentech Age-related macular Degeneration Fellowship recipients - Balamurali K. Ambati, MD, PhD, and Stephen H. Tsang, MD, PhD. Each received $40,000 to support their age-related macular degeneration (AMD) research and will be honored at the 2012 ARVO Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 6, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

4 Feb 2012

'Humanosphere' blog examines roles of former President Carter, researcher Foege in fighting NTDs

This post in KPLU 88.5's "Humanosphere" blog examines how former President Jimmy Carter gave the fight against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) "a good first shove nearly 30 years ago," writing, "Neglected diseases like river blindness, Guinea worm, parasitic (lymphatic) elephantiasis and schistosomiasis have been in Carter's cross hairs since the mid-1980s."

4 Feb 2012

Skin cells converted to brain cells without intermediate stem cell stage

Researchers from California have successfully converted mouse skin cells into cells which develop into the main components of the brain. The experiment, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is notable because it skipped the middle “stem cell” stage in the process.

2 Feb 2012

Major effort to tackle neglected tropical diseases

Thirteen drug companies, the governments of the United States, Britain and the United Arab Emirates, the World Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lions Club and other smaller charitable organizations on Monday announced a joint effort to tackle 10 neglected tropical diseases in a coordinated fashion.

31 Jan 2012

Abbott, DNDi partner to research on new treatments for NTDs

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and Abbott have signed a four-year joint research and non-exclusive licensing agreement to undertake research on new treatments for several of the world's most neglected tropical diseases, including Chagas disease, helminth infections, leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness.

31 Jan 2012

KineMed, Pfizer enter research collaboration on metabolic diseases

KineMed, Inc. today announced a non-exclusive research collaboration with Pfizer Inc. for the advancement of novel approaches towards metabolic disease, in particular Type II Diabetes.

30 Jan 2012

Circadian's VGX-100 human antibody improves corneal graft survival

Circadian Technologies Limited announced today the publication of data in the scientific journal, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS), showing that VEGF-C expression is markedly up-regulated in corneal graft rejection.

30 Jan 2012