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Rutgers Cancer Institute scientist leads phase III trial of FDA-approved viral melanoma therapy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a viral melanoma therapy that was the focus of a phase III clinical trial led by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Associate Director for Clinical Science and Chief Surgical Officer Howard L. Kaufman, MD, FACS.

29 Oct 2015

WHO report reveals significant reduction in TB deaths, but detection, treatment gaps still exist

The fight against tuberculosis is paying off, with this year’s death rate nearly half of what it was in 1990. Nevertheless, 1.5 million people died from TB in 2014. Most of these deaths could have been prevented, according to the World Health Organization’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2015, which was released today in Washington, DC.

29 Oct 2015

New research reveals regional variations in use of heroin and prescription painkillers

New research shows that drug abusers are not completely abandoning prescription opioids for heroin. Instead, many use the two concurrently based on their availability, according to a survey of 15,000 patients at drug-treatment centers in 49 states.

29 Oct 2015

UAB researcher awarded NIH grant to study pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy

University of Alabama at Birmingham researcher X. Long Zheng, M.D., Ph.D., has received a five-year, $2.5 million National Institutes of Health grant to study the pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy, or TMA. In simple terms, this means looking for factors that cause or aid the onset of extensive microscopic clots in small blood vessels throughout the body. Though tiny, these spots can damage kidneys, heart and brain, and they can cause death.

29 Oct 2015

Prescription opioids overprescribed in some regions of British Columbia, UBC study finds

Strong painkillers known as prescription opioids appear to be overprescribed in some regions of British Columbia (B.C.), resulting in higher rates of overdose and death, according to a new study from UBC.

29 Oct 2015

Franziska Michor named recipient of NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize

The New York Stem Cell Foundation announced today that Franziska Michor, PhD, is the 2015 recipient of the NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize for her work pioneering new approaches to study the growth, spread, and treatment of cancer. Her laboratory fuses her passions in mathematics, molecular biology and patient care to investigate how cancers form and progress.

29 Oct 2015

New broad-spectrum antibiotic can kill bacteria by punching holes in their membranes

Bacteria have many methods of adapting to resist antibiotics, but a new class of spiral polypeptides developed at the University of Illinois targets one thing no bacterium can live without: an outer membrane.

29 Oct 2015

New research shows that using e-cigarettes related to problematic drinking

Using e-cigarettes is related to problematic drinking, according to new research published in Addictive Behaviors. In a study involving around 1400 people, researchers also found that more women than men use e-cigarettes socially, opposite to patterns seen in regular cigarette smoking.

29 Oct 2015

Yervoy approved for patients at high risk of developing recurrence of melanoma after surgery

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the approved use of Yervoy (ipilimumab) to include a new use as adjuvant therapy for patients with stage III melanoma, to lower the risk that the melanoma will return following surgery.

29 Oct 2015

Liposomal sizing and the Coulter principle: an interview with Professor Melvin E. Klegerman

For about the last 25 years, the cardiology group here have been developing a platform technology for both the diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis.

From Beckman Coulter Life Sciences - Particle Counting and Characterization 28 Oct 2015

Cancer diagnosis improvements in England: an interview with Lucy Elliss-Brookes

The ‘two week wait’ referral was brought into England in 2000. If a patient goes to see their GP and they meet specific criteria that cause the GP to think they might have cancer, then they should be referred to see a specialist within two weeks.

28 Oct 2015

Unproven OS benefits from surrogate endpoint-based cancer drug approvals

The majority of cancer drugs recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on the basis of a surrogate endpoint either have an unknown effect on overall survival or have failed to show a survival benefit, say the authors of a research letter.

28 Oct 2015

Cholinesterase inhibitor delays nursing home admission in late-stage AD

The withdrawal of donepezil from patients with Alzheimer’s disease as they reach the moderate-to-severe stages of the disease doubles their risk of being placed in a nursing home within the first 12 months, secondary analysis of the DOMINO-AD trial indicates.

28 Oct 2015

Study shows restoring testosterone production in men does not impact their fertility

Restoring testosterone production in men may be as effective as replacing it, without compromising their fertility. Two phase III clinical trials show that a drug that restores the body’s natural production of testosterone has no negative effect on a man’s sperm count while a topical testosterone gel causes a significant drop.

28 Oct 2015

FDA approves Endo’s BELBUCA (buprenorphine) buccal film for use in patients with chronic pain

Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of Endo International plc, and BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BELBUCA (buprenorphine) buccal film for use in patients with chronic pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.

28 Oct 2015

Common heartburn, acid reflux drugs may increase risk for developing kidney disease

Certain medications commonly used to treat heartburn and acid reflux may have damaging effects on the kidneys, according to two studies that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015 November 3–8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA. The drugs, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are among the top 10 class of prescribed medications in the United States.

28 Oct 2015

Researchers identify role of cGAS enzyme in autoimmune diseases

Activating an enzyme that sounds an alarm for the body's innate immune system causes two lethal autoimmune diseases in mice, while inhibiting the same enzyme rescues them, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

28 Oct 2015

Study suggests potential new way to block cancer-causing gene

A new study suggests a potential new way to block one of the most common cancer-causing genes, without causing severe side effects.

28 Oct 2015

New method to grow 3D pancreatic cancer organoid may help test drug responses and personalized treatments

The development of a new method to grow three-dimensional organoid cultures of pancreatic tumors directly from patients' surgical tissue offers a promising opportunity for testing targeted therapies and drug responses and personalizing treatments in a rapid, cost-effective manner.

28 Oct 2015

Researchers compare effectiveness of combination therapy for black patients with asthma

Among black adults with asthma treated with an inhaled corticosteroid, adding a long-acting beta-agonist did not improve the time to an asthma exacerbation compared with adding the anticholinergic tiotropium, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.

28 Oct 2015

Drugs News and Research

Rutgers Cancer Institute scientist leads phase III trial of FDA-approved viral melanoma therapy

WHO report reveals significant reduction in TB deaths, but detection, treatment gaps still exist

New research reveals regional variations in use of heroin and prescription painkillers

UAB researcher awarded NIH grant to study pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy

Prescription opioids overprescribed in some regions of British Columbia, UBC study finds

Franziska Michor named recipient of NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize

New broad-spectrum antibiotic can kill bacteria by punching holes in their membranes

New research shows that using e-cigarettes related to problematic drinking

Yervoy approved for patients at high risk of developing recurrence of melanoma after surgery

Liposomal sizing and the Coulter principle: an interview with Professor Melvin E. Klegerman

Cancer diagnosis improvements in England: an interview with Lucy Elliss-Brookes

Unproven OS benefits from surrogate endpoint-based cancer drug approvals

Cholinesterase inhibitor delays nursing home admission in late-stage AD

Study shows restoring testosterone production in men does not impact their fertility

FDA approves Endo’s BELBUCA (buprenorphine) buccal film for use in patients with chronic pain

Common heartburn, acid reflux drugs may increase risk for developing kidney disease

Researchers identify role of cGAS enzyme in autoimmune diseases

Study suggests potential new way to block cancer-causing gene

New method to grow 3D pancreatic cancer organoid may help test drug responses and personalized treatments

Researchers compare effectiveness of combination therapy for black patients with asthma

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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