Drugs News and Research

RSS

Pharmaceutical industry withdraws from the antibiotic space

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that at least 2 million Americans are sickened by antibiotic resistant infections each year and survive.

13 Oct 2014

Research roundup: Older consumers' spending on health care; hospital leaders' views of reporting quality

In 2011, households with at least one member between ages 50 and 64 spent 8 percent of their total budget on health items, compared with 19 percent for those age 85 or over.

13 Oct 2014

Study shows diphenhydramine suppresses cough reflex sensitivity with Dr. Cocoa formulation

Cough is among the most common complaints for which patients seek medical attention. Leading cough researcher Peter V. Dicpinigaitis, M.D., Professor of Clinical Medicine at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine, recently conducted a new cough challenge study among adults, whose results were first presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in September 2014.

13 Oct 2014

New study on global burden of venous thromboembolism

A study on the global burden of venous thromboembolism—when a dangerous clot forms in a blood vessel—found that annual incidences range from 0.75 to 2.69 per 1,000 individuals in the population.

13 Oct 2014

Drugmakers sue to stop expansion of drug discount program

The trade group for pharmaceutical companies, PhRMA, has filed another lawsuit to try to block a government rule meant to widen the number of products included in a federal drug discount program for so-called safety net hospitals and clinics.

13 Oct 2014

Intensive parenting and education provided in homes reduces drug use in pregnant teens

Intensive parenting and health education provided in homes of pregnant American Indian teens reduced the mothers' illegal drug use, depression and behavior problems, and set their young children on track to meet behavioral and emotional milestones they may have otherwise missed.

13 Oct 2014

Blocking STAT3 in immune system cells increases anti-tumour immunity

The STAT transcription factors are involved in the development of many forms of cancer. STAT3 is frequently activated in tumour cells, so drugs targeting STAT3 could be used in cancer therapy. However, STAT3 is also important in the development of the immune system. Dagmar Gotthardt and colleagues at the Vetmeduni Vienna now show that blocking STAT3 in cells of the immune system actually leads to increased anti-tumour immunity. Anti-STAT3 therapy may thus be highly promising.

13 Oct 2014

Isis Pharmaceuticals provides update on Phase 2 clinical studies of ISIS-SMN Rx in children with SMA

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today provided an update on its ongoing open-label Phase 2 clinical studies of ISIS-SMN Rx in infants and children with spinal muscular atrophy at the 19th International World Muscle Society (WMS) Congress in Berlin, Germany.

10 Oct 2014

BIDMC scientists uncover new class of molecules that protects against diabetes

Scientists at the Salk Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston have discovered a new class of molecules—produced in human and mouse fat—that protects against diabetes.

10 Oct 2014

Slug flow microextraction method for drug testing yields results in one minute

A new technique makes it possible to quickly detect the presence of drugs or to monitor certain medical conditions using only a single drop of blood or urine, representing a potential tool for clinicians and law enforcement.

10 Oct 2014

Vancomycin drug still effective in treating Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections

A University of Nebraska Medical Center research team has determined that a longtime antibiotic, vancomycin, is still effective in treating Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections and that physicians should continue to use the drug even though several newer antibiotics are now available in the marketplace.

10 Oct 2014

Longer looks: Limits on doctor training; a woman's campaign for end-of-life choices

Dr. Dino Terzic got lucky the other day. In his seventh and final year as a neurosurgery resident at the University of Minnesota, the 32-year-old Bosnian got to operate on a rare type of brain aneurysm that required a special approach through the patient's forehead. As Terzic prepared to slice into the patient's scalp, he was asked if he'd ever seen this type of flaw in an artery, which occurs in just 2 to 3 percent of aneurysm cases. "On a video," Terzic replied with a chuckle. Terzic's hands-on experience shows why the nation's medical schools are beset by a nagging controversy over rules that limit the number of hours residents can work (Dan Browning, 10/8).

10 Oct 2014

Researchers reveal new information about Protein Kinase A

Using X-rays and neutron beams, a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, University of Utah and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have teased out new information about Protein Kinase A (PKA), a ubiquitous master switch that helps regulate fundamental cellular functions like energy consumption and interactions with hormones, neurotransmitters and drugs.

10 Oct 2014

UC Berkeley, UCSF researchers team up to create center for neurodegenerative disease research

Researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley have teamed up to create an innovative, integrated center for research on neurodegenerative diseases. Supported by a $3 million grant from the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, the new center aims to pave the way to developing novel treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease by investigating the many ways that proteins can malfunction within cells.

10 Oct 2014

MSH mobilizes resources to strengthen Liberia’s health system, limit spread of Ebola

Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a Massachusetts-based global health nonprofit organization, today announced it is mobilizing its expertise and resources at the epicenter of the Ebola epidemic in Liberia to help the Ministry of Health develop community care centers for Ebola separate from the health facilities; restore essential health services for non-Ebola patients; and, improve the detection and containment of active Ebola cases in Liberian communities.

9 Oct 2014

RBX2660 drug candidate highly effective against recurrent Clostridium difficile infection

Rebiotix Inc. announced today that results of the Phase 2 PUNCH CD Study found that the overall efficacy of RBX2660 in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection was 87.1%. The study also found that administration of RBX2660 was well-tolerated and demonstrated satisfactory safety in the 60-day interim analysis.

9 Oct 2014

Neuroscientists solve mystery of ‘chemo brain’

It is estimated that as many as half of patients taking cancer drugs experience a decrease in mental sharpness.

9 Oct 2014

GE Healthcare-Glaxo Smith Kline deal to create force in cancer testing

A recently announced deal between GE Healthcare-subsidiary Clarient and Glaxo Smith Kline will create a force in cancer testing, according to Kalorama Information. The healthcare market research publisher tracks companion products, and says that the two entities will form a multi-purpose, data analytics- and companion diagnostics-driven network of laboratories. Kalorama Information recently released a market study, Companion Diagnostics Market, for companion diagnostics such as the drug-test combinations envisioned in this deal.

9 Oct 2014

HemoShear completes first-phase development of novel cancer drug discovery platform

HemoShear today announced that it has completed the first phase of development of a novel cancer drug discovery platform that replicates human tumor biology and responds to clinically-relevant drug concentrations.

9 Oct 2014

Isis Pharmaceuticals secures $18 million from GSK to advance ISIS-TTR Rx Phase 2/3 study

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has earned an $18 million milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline related to the advancement of the Phase 2/3 study of ISIS-TTRRx in patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP).

9 Oct 2014

Drugs News and Research

Pharmaceutical industry withdraws from the antibiotic space

Research roundup: Older consumers' spending on health care; hospital leaders' views of reporting quality

Study shows diphenhydramine suppresses cough reflex sensitivity with Dr. Cocoa formulation

New study on global burden of venous thromboembolism

Drugmakers sue to stop expansion of drug discount program

Intensive parenting and education provided in homes reduces drug use in pregnant teens

Blocking STAT3 in immune system cells increases anti-tumour immunity

Isis Pharmaceuticals provides update on Phase 2 clinical studies of ISIS-SMN Rx in children with SMA

BIDMC scientists uncover new class of molecules that protects against diabetes

Slug flow microextraction method for drug testing yields results in one minute

Vancomycin drug still effective in treating Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections

Longer looks: Limits on doctor training; a woman's campaign for end-of-life choices

Researchers reveal new information about Protein Kinase A

UC Berkeley, UCSF researchers team up to create center for neurodegenerative disease research

MSH mobilizes resources to strengthen Liberia’s health system, limit spread of Ebola

RBX2660 drug candidate highly effective against recurrent Clostridium difficile infection

Neuroscientists solve mystery of ‘chemo brain’

GE Healthcare-Glaxo Smith Kline deal to create force in cancer testing

HemoShear completes first-phase development of novel cancer drug discovery platform

Isis Pharmaceuticals secures $18 million from GSK to advance ISIS-TTR Rx Phase 2/3 study

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News