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Findings from post hoc analysis examining emotional lability from Phase 3 study data with Vyvanse announced

Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced findings from a post hoc analysis examining emotional lability from Phase 3 study data with Vyvanse-. In this study, Vyvanse demonstrated significant improvement in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms as measured by the ADHD Rating Scale IV (ADHD-RS IV) and Connors' Parent Rating Scale-Revised Short (CPRS-RS) in children with ADHD aged 6 to 12 years.

16 Nov 2009

NIDA awards $17 million to University of California to establish TMARC

Igor Grant, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues have been awarded a $17 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to establish the Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center (TMARC) at UC San Diego. Grant is director of the HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC), a clinical research center designated and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

16 Nov 2009

Shire announces findings from Phase 3 study data with Vyvanse

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced findings from a post hoc analysis examining emotional lability from Phase 3 study data with Vyvanse®. In this study, Vyvanse demonstrated significant improvement in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms as measured by the ADHD Rating Scale IV (ADHD-RS IV) and Connors' Parent Rating Scale-Revised Short (CPRS-RS) in children with ADHD aged 6 to 12 years.

13 Nov 2009

Researchers identify new mechanism to create lasting memories; findings may yield potential treatment for memory impairments

Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. In experiments on genetically manipulated mice, they were able to switch on and off the animals' ability to form lasting memories by adding a substance to their drinking water. The findings, which are published in the scientific journal PNAS, are of potential significance to the future treatment of Alzheimer's and stroke.

11 Nov 2009

NIDA supports new drug detection research

Every time a person snorts cocaine, it doesn't just go to his or her head: It also provokes a response in the immune system, creating special biomolecules that may serve as a permanent record of each exposure.

11 Nov 2009

Dark side of compulsive eating

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that intermittent access to foods rich in fat and sugar induces changes in the brain which are comparable to those observed in drug dependence. The findings, reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may explain how abstinence from these foods contributes to relapse eating among dieters as well as related eating disorders.

10 Nov 2009

Yo-yo dieting and sugar-bingeing can lead to anxiety and withdrawal symptoms

In research that sheds light on the perils of yo-yo dieting and repeated bouts of sugar-bingeing, researchers from The Scripps Research Institute have shown in animal models that cycling between periods of eating sweet and regular-tasting food can activate the brain's stress system and generate overeating, anxiety, and withdrawal-like symptoms.

10 Nov 2009

Prescription drug abuse among teens: NCPIE, SAMHSA launches campaign

The National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE), along with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and representatives from 15 nationally recognized prevention, health professional and child advocacy organizations, are launching Maximizing Your Role as a Teen Influencer: What You Can Do to Help Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse.

6 Nov 2009

Comparative study reveals similar brain networks in human and monkey brains

A study published this week in PNAS provides a comprehensive comparative functional anatomy study in human and monkey brains which reveals highly similar brain networks preserved across evolution.

4 Nov 2009

Inner sense of cardiovascular state relies on two independent pathways, shows study

A new study suggests that the inner sense of our cardiovascular state, our "interoceptive awareness" of the heart pounding, relies on two independent pathways, contrary to what had been asserted by prominent researchers.

4 Nov 2009

NIH awards $4 million research grant to AllTranz

AllTranz, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing drugs to treat a variety of neurologic and inflammatory disorders, today announced that it has been awarded a $4 million research grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to advance the company’s transdermal tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) patch for the treatment of marijuana dependence and withdrawal.

3 Nov 2009

Want to quit smoking? Try a nicotine patch plus a nicotine lozenge

In a comparison of five different smoking cessation medications, a nicotine patch plus a nicotine lozenge appears most effective at helping smokers quit, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

3 Nov 2009

Stress-evoked changes can precipitate low mood and re-ignite drug-seeking behaviors

Stress-evoked changes in circuits that regulate serotonin in certain parts of the brain can precipitate a low mood and a relapse in cocaine-seeking, based on mouse studies published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

31 Oct 2009

FDA-approved drug PEG-ADA shows positive results in relieving major complication of priapism

Thousands of men are afflicted with an embarrassing and painful condition that triggers spontaneous, long-lasting erections. There are limited treatment options, but a solution could be on the way thanks to new research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

31 Oct 2009

Nevada case raises question of pharmacies' liability in drug abuse accidents

A Nevada case causes concern for pharmacies about possible liability for actions taken by customers who may abuse drugs. The Wall Street Journal reports on the case of Patricia Copening, who pleaded guilty to reckless driving after her car swerved off a highway and struck and killed a 21-year-old and injured a 33-year-old.

28 Oct 2009

Lack of optimal pain care delivery system costs more than $100 billion each year

A new Pain Medicine Position Paper published by leaders of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM), reveals businesses lose $61 billion annually due to ineffective pain care and the lack of optimal pain care delivery.

27 Oct 2009

Adult male monkeys exposed to cocaine while in the womb have poor impulse control

Adult male monkeys exposed to cocaine while in the womb have poor impulse control and may be more vulnerable to drug abuse than female monkeys, even a decade or more after the exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The findings could lead to a better understanding of human drug abuse.

23 Oct 2009

Shire announces new pharmacokinetic data of ADHD medication

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced new data about the pharmacokinetics of its Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication, Vyvanse- (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) Capsules CII, which showed that Vyvanse provided similar concentrations of its active medication in the blood when administered either intranasally or when administered orally.

23 Oct 2009

Purdue Pharma and NCPA partner to create a free tool to help prevent pharmacy crime

Purdue Pharma L.P. and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) debut the "RxPATROL® Pharmacy Safety and Security" video at NCPA's annual conference in New Orleans and on www.RxPATROL.com.

22 Oct 2009

Research in specific cells and circuitry affected by addiction may help guard against relapse

New research using animal models is enabling a deeper understanding of the neurobiology of compulsive drug addiction in humans - knowledge that may lead to more effective treatment options to weaken the powerful cravings that cause people to relapse.