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Affiris alzheimer's vaccine in clinical trial

The Alzheimer's vaccine known as Affitope AD01 from Affiris has now entered the clinical phase of its development. All relevant regulatory and statutory approvals have been secured and this innovative treatment is now being tested on humans for the first time.

19 Jul 2007

Tibotec Pharmaceuticals submits NDA for investigational HIV treatment

Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has announced the submission of a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for TMC125 (etravirine), an investigational non- nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), being studied for use with other antiretroviral (ARV) agents as a treatment for people infected with HIV- 1.

19 Jul 2007

GSK's Cervarix receives positive opinion in Europe

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that its cervical cancer candidate vaccine received a positive opinion from the European Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) for the prevention of precancerous lesions (high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia - CIN grades 2 and 3) and cervical cancer causally related to human papillomavirus types 16 and 18.

19 Jul 2007

Researchers pinpoint brain region linked to placebo effect

Researchers have pinpointed a brain region central to the machinery of the placebo effect, the often controversial phenomenon in which a person's belief in the efficacy of a treatment such as a painkilling drug influences its effect.

19 Jul 2007

Study reveals surge in male-factor infertility technique

A national study reveals that the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI -- an assisted reproductive technology used to treat male-factor infertility -- has increased dramatically in the United States since 1995, while the proportion of patients receiving treatment for male-factor infertility has remained stable.

18 Jul 2007

Vitamin C for treating the common cold

Unless you run marathons, you probably won't get much protection from common colds by taking a daily supplemental dose of vitamin C, according to an updated review of 30 studies.

18 Jul 2007

Study to evaluate lithium for the treatment of bipolar disorder

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are participating in a national study to evaluate lithium for the treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents.

18 Jul 2007

Essential to devise new control strategies against malaria vectors resistant to insecticides

The mosquitoes responsible for malaria transmission to humans belong to the Anopheles genus.

18 Jul 2007

FDA approves Extina for seborrheic dermatitis

Stiefel Laboratories, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its new drug application for Extina (ketoconazole) Foam, 2% for the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis.

18 Jul 2007

Drug-drug or drug-food interactions may offer opportunities to lower costs

Exploiting interactions between food and drugs could dramatically lower the rapidly rising costs of several anticancer drugs, and perhaps many other medications, two cancer-pharmacology specialists suggest in a commentary in the July 16, 2007, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

17 Jul 2007

COPD patients taking inhaled steroids are at greater risk for severe pneumonia

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are increasingly being prescribed inhaled corticosteroids to control exacerbations of the disease, but a new study finds that the anti-inflammatory drugs increase the chances that these patients will be hospitalized for pneumonia.

17 Jul 2007

Biota and MedImmune announce clinical trial for respiratory syncytial virus antiviral drug

Biota Holdings Limited and MedImmune Inc. today announced the start of a Phase Ia clinical trial for their respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antiviral drug, BTA9881, with the goal of providing a treatment for RSV-infected infants and adults.

17 Jul 2007

Sequential and combination chemotherapy equally effective in treating advanced colorectal cancer

Many patients with incurable advanced colorectal cancer could be offered a more gentle treatment strategy starting with a single chemotherapy drug, as an alternative to current standard initial combination chemotherapy, without compromising their survival.

16 Jul 2007

NDA for Lubiprostone to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has announced that it has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to seek market approval of a lower strength of lubiprostone (8 mcg) to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).

13 Jul 2007

Using repeated courses of steroids for preterm birth questioned

Researchers in this week's BMJ question whether giving repeated courses of steroid drugs to mothers at risk of preterm delivery is based on sound evidence.

13 Jul 2007

Scientists develop largest ever series of human breasts cancers grafted into mice

At the Institut Curie, Inserm researchers and physicians have established the largest ever panel of human breast cancer xenografts in animal models.

13 Jul 2007

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy for breast cancer

The American Cancer Society recently issued new recommendations for women with a higher risk of developing breast cancer, including those with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, and those who may carry genetic mutations (BRCA1 or BRCA2) that make them more likely to develop the disease.

11 Jul 2007

Genetically engineered herpes simplex virus keeps arteries free-flowing

A genetically engineered herpes simplex virus, primarily known for causing cold sores, may help keep arteries "free-flowing" in the weeks following angioplasty or stent placement for patients, according to research published early in the online edition of PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America).

11 Jul 2007

Potential role of milk thistle as an anticancer agent

Milk thistle extract, an herbal remedy since the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, is today one of the most popular herbal supplements, with U.S. retail sales of nearly nine million dollars.

11 Jul 2007

Incretin-based therapy offers alternative option for treating type 2 diabetes

A review of previous studies indicates that use of a class of medications known as “incretin-based therapy”, which act via certain pathways that affect glucose metabolism may provide modest effectiveness and favorable weight change outcomes for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and may represent an alternative to other hypoglycemic therapies.

11 Jul 2007