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Prescription drug abuse reaches epidemic proportions

Poisoning is now the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in the U.S. While several recent high-profile Hollywood celebrity cases have brought the problem to public attention, the rates of unintentional poisoning deaths have been on the rise for more than 15 years.

6 Apr 2010

Illicit drug haul in Newtown: children exposed to drug fumes

In a shocking report a Newtown, Sydney couple have been arrested and charged with exposing their young children to fumes while they were allegedly cooking drugs in their unit. The police raid also found illegal drugs like amphetamines, pseudoephedrine tablets, marijuana and syringes.

5 Apr 2010

16 kg Kava seized: an Aboriginal elder arrested in connection

16 kilograms of Kava was seized by the Northern Territory Police as they arrested a well respected 56-year-old Aboriginal elder in connection. He will appear in court this May. Police from Ramingining in Arnhem Land stopped a Toyota Landcruiser at Barge Landing Road on Good Friday. The haul included 16 kg of Kava and small amounts of Cannabis. A police spokewoman revealed on Monday, "The Kava had a street value of $16,000 and was headed for Milingimbi Island before it was intercepted by police."

5 Apr 2010

Growing problem of prescription drug abuse

Prescription painkiller abuse is a rapidly growing and widespread problem, recently coming into full view due to high profile stories and tragic celebrity deaths.

3 Apr 2010

MRI study reveals worry may offset negative effects of fear and depression

A new study of brain activity in depressed and anxious people indicates that some of the ill effects of depression are modified - for better or for worse - by anxiety

2 Apr 2010

Athletes and ethicists look at fairness in sport

Just in time for baseball’s opening day, a series of articles in the Hastings Center Report asks what constitutes fairness in elite sports and what it takes to stop cheating. New issues, including the prospect of gene doping and questions about which athletes are really “female,” are explored.

1 Apr 2010

Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners reports net loss of $7.24M for fourth-quarter 2009

Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that acquires, in-licenses, develops and commercializes prescription drugs for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.

1 Apr 2010

Nation's emergency physicians warn parents about dangers of prescription drug abuse

The nation's emergency physicians are issuing a strong warning to parents about the dangers of prescription drug abuse, which are now the second most abused drugs, after marijuana. Nearly three-quarters of a million people (741,425) needed emergency care in 2006 because of prescription drug abuse.

31 Mar 2010

Titan Pharmaceuticals commences Phase 3 study of Probuphine for opioid addiction

Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the initiation of a randomized, placebo and active controlled, multi-center Phase 3 clinical study of Probuphine in the treatment of opioid addiction. This confirmatory Phase 3 study will be conducted at approximately 23 sites in the United States and randomize approximately 250 patients into three arms: Probuphine (100 patients), Suboxone® (100 patients) and placebo (50 patients).

31 Mar 2010

Call to ban Miaow-Miaow - Mephedrone

Mephedrone also known as “m-cat” or “miaow-miaow” is a synthetic stimulant drug that has effects similar to amphetamines and ecstasy. Mephedrone use has spread fast in UK since it emerged at a pop festival on the Isle of Wight in July last year.

30 Mar 2010

Unrestricted availability of food can trigger overconsumption and obesity

Some of the same brain mechanisms that fuel drug addiction in humans accompany the emergence of compulsive eating behaviors and the development of obesity in animals, according to research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health.

29 Mar 2010

New initiative to reduce prescription drug abuse

With overdoses and deaths involving the use of prescription drugs skyrocketing in the United States, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has selected the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University to host a new initiative to reduce diversion and abuse of these drugs: the PMP Center of Excellence.

26 Mar 2010

Hepatic encephalopathy drug XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets receives FDA marketing approval

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted marketing approval for XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets for reduction in risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy recurrence in patients 18 years of age or older. HE is a serious disorder caused by chronic liver failure, resulting in cognitive, psychiatric and motor impairments. This approval was supported by findings from the largest randomized trial of maintenance therapy in HE conducted to date, which assessed the efficacy and safety of XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets and demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of overt HE recurrence.

25 Mar 2010

Combining cognitive behavioral therapy with medication bupropion helps women quit smoking

For women smokers worried about their weight, combining cognitive behavioral therapy addressing weight concerns with the medication bupropion appears more effective than counseling alone to help them quit smoking, according to a report in the March 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 Mar 2010

Acurox NDA: FDA schedules Advisory Committee meeting

Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has publically announced the scheduling of an April 22, 2010 Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the New Drug Application ("NDA") for Acurox® (oxycodone HCl and niacin) Tablets and the results of studies evaluating the addition of niacin for the purpose of reducing the misuse of oxycodone.

18 Mar 2010

Methamphetamine abuse during pregnancy leads to structural abnormalities in brain of children

It has long been known that alcohol exposure is toxic to the developing fetus and can result in lifelong brain, cognitive and behavioral problems. Now, a new report out of UCLA shows that the effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure - or worse, a combination of methamphetamine and alcohol - may be even more damaging.

17 Mar 2010

Differences in brain's reward system may underlie vulnerability to psychopathy: Study

Normal individuals who scored high on a measure of impulsive/antisocial traits display a hypersensitive brain reward system, according to a brain imaging study by researchers at Vanderbilt University. The findings provide the first evidence of differences in the brain's reward system that may underlie vulnerability to what's typically referred to as psychopathy.

16 Mar 2010

Alliance members advocate passage of Alcohol-Related Services Act

A diverse, statewide network of concerned individuals, treatment and prevention service providers, cities, counties, public health departments, enforcement, labor, youth and faith-based groups determined to pass a fair and meaningful alcohol-harm mitigation fee in California.

16 Mar 2010

Forensic Laboratories introduces first oral fluid test for Tapentadol

Forensic Laboratories, a Denver-based laboratory specializing in toxicology services for drug abuse, has unveiled the first oral fluid test for Tapentadol, a new federally approved drug prescribed by doctors for pain management. Previously, laboratories could only detect the drug through urine using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) technology.

15 Mar 2010

New book on role of CBOs and NGOs in global public health

Igniting the Power of Community: The Role of CBOs and NGOs in Global Public Health is a new book edited by Paul Gaist, PhD, MPH, adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which explores the pursuits and potential of community-based organizations (CBOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to transform global public health.

4 Mar 2010