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FDA EMDAC votes to recommend approval of Merck's VYTORIN for pre-dialysis CKD

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unanimously voted to recommend approval of Merck's VYTORIN (ezetimibe/simvastatin) for use in patients with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease.

3 Nov 2011

Scientists discover how to starve prostate cancer cells

Each year about 3300 Australian men die of prostate cancer. It's Australia's second worst cancer killer for men, matching the impact of breast cancer on women. Current therapies for prostate cancer include surgical removal of the prostate, radiation, freezing the tumour or cutting off the supply of the hormone testosterone-but there are often side-effects including incontinence and impotence.

3 Nov 2011

Link between poverty, fast food and obesity

A new national study of eating out and income shows that fast-food dining becomes more common as earnings increase from low to middle incomes, weakening the popular notion that fast food should be blamed for higher rates of obesity among the poor.

3 Nov 2011

Nutrition expert: Each saturated fatty acid has specific functionalities

Each saturated fatty acid (SFA) has specific functionalities and should be evaluated as such, said nutrition expert Professor Philippe Legrand.

3 Nov 2011

Galectin Therapeutics forms Liver Fibrosis Clinical Trials Advisory Board

Galectin Therapeutics Inc., the leader in developing carbohydrate-based therapeutic compounds to inhibit galectin receptors, today announced the formation of its Liver Fibrosis Clinical Trials Advisory Board comprised of key opinion leaders from Emory Hospital and School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Medicine, University of Michigan Hospital and School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine, and University of Wisconsin Hospital and School of Medicine.

3 Nov 2011

Study reveals new role for the 'hormone of love'

Much of the body's chemistry is controlled by the brain - from blood pressure to appetite to food metabolism. In a study published recently in Developmental Cell, a team of scientists led by Dr. Gil Levkowitz of the Weizmann Institute has revealed the exact structure of one crucial brain area in which biochemical commands are passed from the brain cells to the bloodstream and from there to the body. In the process, they discovered a surprising new role for the 'hormone of love,' showing that it helps to direct the development of this brain structure.

3 Nov 2011

Medtronic initiates CoreValve System trial to treat severe aortic stenosis in Japan

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the first implant in a clinical trial in Japan that will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Medtronic CoreValve System.

From Medtronic 3 Nov 2011

Edwards Lifescience receives FDA approval for Sapien Transcatheter Heart Valve

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first artificial heart valve that can replace an aortic heart valve damaged by senile aortic valve stenosis without open-heart surgery.

3 Nov 2011

FDA approves Endo Pharmaceuticals' Felodipine Extended-release Tablets

Endo Pharmaceuticals today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Felodipine Extended-release Tablets USP, 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg.

3 Nov 2011

TriVascular receives FDA approval for Ovation stent graft system to treat AAA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a stent graft system that provides patients with small arteries the option of less invasive surgery to repair their potentially life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysm.

3 Nov 2011

Resveratrol holds key to reducing obesity and associated risks: Study

A new study shows that when taken regularly a natural compound known as resveratrol, found in red wine and grapes, mulberries and peanuts, can offer similar benefits to low-calorie diets and endurance training.

2 Nov 2011

ADHD drugs don’t raise risk for heart attacks or stroke: Study

Drugs known as stimulants, that are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder do not increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes or sudden death, U.S. researchers said on Monday. This study finding should reassure millions of parents whose children take the drugs.

2 Nov 2011

New, poison-free approach to malaria control

With a new, poison-free approach to malaria control, researchers in the Solarmal project have expressed not only the hope to eliminate malaria in Africa at local level, but also to provide the local population with a source of sustainable energy. Research into this combined approach was facilitated due to a donation to Wageningen University Fund by the COmON foundation.

2 Nov 2011

Prescription drug shortages: Endocrine Society calls for mandatory reporting by manufacturers

The Executive Order President Obama issued Monday directing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take action to reduce prescription drug shortages is a commendable first step, but the White House could strengthen its directive and address the full scope of the problem by ordering mandatory reporting by manufacturers, which The Endocrine Society calls for in its Position Statement on drug shortages.

2 Nov 2011

Industry becoming more involved in ensuring food security, conference attendees hear

"Food security concerns as the world's population surpasses seven billion have prompted global companies to become more actively involved in ensuring future supplies, participants at an agricultural conference said on Monday," Reuters reports.

2 Nov 2011

World population reaches 7 billion amid warnings about health, natural resources

"Countries around the world marked the world's population reaching seven billion Monday with lavish ceremonies for newborn infants symbolizing the milestone and warnings that there may be too many humans for the planet's resources," the Associated Press/MSNBC.com reports.

2 Nov 2011

Bacteria rapidly exchange genetic information related to human disease and antibiotic resistance

Much as people can exchange information instantaneously in the digital age, bacteria associated with humans and their livestock appear to freely and rapidly exchange genetic material related to human disease and antibiotic resistance through a mechanism called horizontal gene transfer (HGT).

2 Nov 2011

Leeches shift the way they locate prey in adulthood

Many meat-eating animals have unique ways of hunting down a meal using their senses. To find a tasty treat, bats use echolocation, snakes rely on infrared vision, and owls take advantage of the concave feathers on their faces, the better to help them hear possible prey.

2 Nov 2011

PSTC, FNIH Biomarkers Consortium launch clinical study to improve detection of kidney injury

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Biomarkers Consortium announced today the launch of a two-year clinical study aiming to advance the acceptance of new biomarkers designed to detect drug-induced kidney injury in clinical trials.

2 Nov 2011

Hospital architecture, design and sensory stimulation make rehabilitation more effective

How does the hospital environment affect our rehabilitation? New research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, into how the space around us affects the brain reveals that well-planned architecture, design and sensory stimulation increase patients' ability to recover both physically and mentally. Digital textiles and multisensory spaces can make rehabilitation more effective and reduce the amount of time spent in care.

2 Nov 2011