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Trends in head and neck cancer incidence in relation to smoking

Though the overall incidence of head and neck cancers has fallen in the United States, the rate of oropharyngeal (chiefly, tonsil and base of tongue) cancers is stagnant and appears to be rising is certain populations and these trends are likely due to oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

28 Aug 2007

IDM Pharma receives not approvable letter for Mifamurtide for treatment of osteosarcoma

IDM Pharma, Inc. ( NASDAQ:IDMI ) announced today that it received a not approvable letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after completing the review of the new drug application (NDA) for the investigational drug mifamurtide (L-MTP-PE), formerly known as Junovan, for the treatment of non-metastatic osteosarcoma, a rare and often fatal bone tumor that typically affects children and young adults.

28 Aug 2007

Oglufanide disodium in new hepatitis C trial

Physicians at Southern Health have started a phase IIa clinical trial designed to test the efficacy of a new strategy for defeating hepatitis C viral infection, one of the toughest infectious diseases in the modern world.

26 Aug 2007

Risperdal approved for psychiatric conditions in children and adolescents

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Risperdal (risperidone) for the treatment of schizophrenia in adolescents, ages 13 to 17, and for the short-term treatment of manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder in children and adolescents ages 10 to 17.

24 Aug 2007

New surgical procedure used to treat patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Physicians at Antwerp University Hospital, Belgium, have successfully treated patients with obstructive sleep apnea with a novel surgical procedure.

21 Aug 2007

AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition receives $14 million from Gates Foundation

The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) announced today at the AIDS Vaccine 2007 Conference that it has received a five-year, $14 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create a new international HIV Prevention Research Advocacy Network.

21 Aug 2007

Tumors use enzyme to recruit regulatory T-cells and suppress immune response

One way tumors fly under the radar of the immune system is by using IDO, an enzyme used by fetuses to help avoid rejection, to recruit powerful regulatory T cells that turn down the immune response, researchers say.

17 Aug 2007

Drug topotecan shows promise against Wilms tumor

St. Jude researchers have shown that the drug topotecan holds promise as a treatment for the recurrent form of a kidney cancer called Wilms tumor, a solid tumor of the kidney that arises from immature kidney cells, and the fifth most common tumor among children.

17 Aug 2007

Relapse from antidepressant medication may be lack of response to medication in the first place

A new study by Rhode Island Hospital researchers indicates that a relapse during antidepressant continuation treatment may be due to a relapse in patients who were not true drug responders.

17 Aug 2007

Breakthrough pain medication

Cancer patients frequently experience two types of pain: persistent and breakthrough.

17 Aug 2007

HPV vaccine not effective for treating pre-existing HPV infection

For women with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, use of the HPV-16/18 vaccine will not accelerate reduction of the virus and should not be used to treat the infection, according to a study in the August 15 issue of JAMA.

16 Aug 2007

Warfarin more effective than aspirin in prevention of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation

Warfarin is more effective than aspirin in prevention of stroke in people with a certain type of irregular heartbeat who are aged 75 or over, conclude authors of an Article published in this week's edition of The Lancet.

13 Aug 2007

Old drug may help reduce sebum production in acne sufferers

A previously unknown side effect of an unnamed drug currently on the marketplace could be useful for treating acne, reports Chemistry & Industry, the magazine of the SCI.

13 Aug 2007

Economic impact of regulating the use of Amalgam restorations

A study in the current issue of the journal Public Health Reports examines the potential economic impact of a ban or restriction on the use of dental amalgam, a material commonly used to fill cavities.

13 Aug 2007

New study looks at over-the-counter (OTC) anti-aging products

Findings from a study released today revealed that a limited amount of clinical research exists to prove the effectiveness of many over-the-counter (OTC) anti-aging products. The study is published in the July/August 2007 issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

13 Aug 2007

Alarm over death in clinical trial for arthritis therapy

The death of a woman taking part in a clinical trial for an arthritis therapy has set alarm bells ringing in the United States.

12 Aug 2007

Scientists prepare for future pandemic strains of H5N1

Preparing vaccines and therapeutics that target a future mutant strain of H5N1 influenza virus sounds like science fiction, but it may be possible, according to a team of scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and a collaborator at Emory University School of Medicine.

11 Aug 2007

Not all probiotics can treat diarrhea

Several probiotic products are marketed as effective treatments for acute diarrhoea in children, but a study published on bmj.com today finds that not all of these preparations are effective.

11 Aug 2007

Discussion on the explosive growth and the potential risks of drug-eluting stents

The Summer 2007 issue of The American Heart Hospital Journal explores one of the pivotal issues in cardiology, the drug-eluting stent (DES).

9 Aug 2007

India rejects Novartis' drug patent claim

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which operates free AIDS treatment clinics in India (Mysore, New Delhi and in Guwahati, Assam in collaboration with the National AIDS Control Organization) has applauded the news that an Indian court rejected a legal challenge mounted by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis to a portion of India's Patent Act that restricts certain kinds of patents, a ruling that will protect access to affordable medicines in the developing world.

7 Aug 2007