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First study to use a cannabis-based medicine for treating rheumatoid arthritis

The first study to use a cannabis-based medicine (CBM) for treating rheumatoid arthritis has found that it has a significant effect on easing pain and on suppressing the disease.

9 Nov 2005

Waiting for Plan B - don't hold your breath!

According to a Food and Drug Administration official, regulators may take months to review public comments on Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s application to sell the Plan B "morning-after" contraceptive without a prescription.

9 Nov 2005

Chlamydia pneumoniae may cause vision problems

Researchers at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) have found that Chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium linked to heart disease and capable of causing chronic inflammation, was present in the diseased eye tissue of five out of nine people with neovascular, or "wet," age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

7 Nov 2005

New Flu Chip can determine the genetic make-up of types of flu virus in 11 hours

A novel "Flu Chip" developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder that can determine the genetic signatures of specific influenza strains from patient samples within hours may help world health officials combat coming epidemics and pandemics.

7 Nov 2005

New VariDose device will reduce pharmaceutical R&D costs

A new optical instrument that could vastly reduce the amount of time the pharmaceutical industry spends in R&D, by speeding up the measurement of drug inhaler performance, is being launched by Loughborough University spin out VariDose Limited.

7 Nov 2005

Anti-aging hormone called Klotho actions explained

Scientists recently discovered an anti-aging hormone called Klotho. Now, a new study shows that this protein acts by increasing the cell's ability to detoxify harmful reactive oxygen species.

7 Nov 2005

Waist-to-hip ratio, not body mass index, is the best measure of heart attack risk

Waist-to-hip ratio, not body mass index (BMI), is the best obesity measure for assessing a person's risk of heart attack, concludes a global study published in this week's issue of The Lancet.

7 Nov 2005

Tryptophan metabolites play an important role in the immune system

Tryptophan is the source of Thanksgiving legend and grist for a "Seinfeld" episode, but it's not the chemical that you'd expect to find in Lawrence Steinman's lab.

7 Nov 2005

Ospemifine may also help to prevent breast cancer

A tamoxifen-like drug developed by UC Davis and Finnish researchers, now in clinical testing as a treatment for vaginal atrophy, may also help to prevent breast cancer, two preliminary studies suggest.

3 Nov 2005

Issues faced by cancer patients - assessement - impact - implications

New study findings showcased at the 13th European Cancer Conference (ECCO) have shed further light on the manifold factors which must be considered when managing patients with cancer. Studies from around Europe looked at a number of the issues faced by cancer patients and assessed their impact and associated implications.

3 Nov 2005

Fundamental insight about protein evolution

While searching for new targets for malaria drugs and vaccines, a team including a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) medical student fellow reached a fundamental insight about evolution: different species make use of similar sets of proteins in different ways.

3 Nov 2005

New method to find deadly malaria parasite

Researchers at UCSD have discovered that the single-cell parasite responsible for an estimated 1 million deaths per year worldwide from malaria has protein "wiring" that differs markedly from the cellular circuitry of other higher organisms

3 Nov 2005

Important breakthrough in developing the drugs of the future

Their work on targeting individual genes for more effective and cheaper drug testing opens the way to treatments for a huge range of diseases including diabetes and atherosclerosis, which leads to strokes and heart attacks.

3 Nov 2005

FDA wants digital labels on all drugs - might solve the problem of very small print

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requesting drug manufacturers submit electronic versions of their drug labels in order that a database can be established for doctors and patients to search for recent warnings or any other changes.

3 Nov 2005

Lung cancer drug approved for treating pancreatic cancer

Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals have announced that U.S. regulators have approved their lung cancer drug Tarceva for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

3 Nov 2005

Drug company proposes FDA check all drug advertising prior to marketing

Drug company AstraZeneca has proposed that it should be a mandatory requirement for pharmaceutical companies to submit all direct-to-consumer advertising to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review prior to its use.

2 Nov 2005

'Morning-After Pill' still no decision by FDA

At the end of the two-month comment period on the "morning-after pill" Plan B, there is no indication when or how the Food and Drug Administration will proceed with the controversial application.

2 Nov 2005

Vaginal gel shown to protect female monkeys against an HIV-like virus

Research with female monkeys at the Tulane National Primate Research Center has for the first time shown that three different anti-viral agents in a vaginal gel protect the animals against an HIV-like virus.

1 Nov 2005

Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome with constipation may have a significant impact on absenteeism

"IBS symptoms of abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating and constipation are associated with impaired quality of life and are the second most common cause of work-related absenteeism," according to Dr. Nigel Flook of the University of Alberta.

1 Nov 2005

Potential new targets for antibiotics

A new study of genetic changes in bacteria may ultimately help drug makers stay a step ahead of disease-causing bacteria that can become resistant to antibiotics.

1 Nov 2005