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Medical device to reduce frequency of seizures in epilepsy patients gets FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a device to help reduce the frequency of seizures in epilepsy patients who have not responded well to medications.

14 Nov 2013

Sorrento Therapeutics to acquire San Diego-based Concortis Biosystems

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. announced today the entry into a definitive agreement to acquire San Diego-based Concortis Biosystems, Corp. in a deal that provides Sorrento with a comprehensive technology platform for generation of antibody drug conjugates (ADC). Under the terms of the agreement dated November 11, 2013, subject to satisfaction of certain closing conditions, upon closing, Sorrento will issue an aggregate of 1,331,978 shares of its common stock to the Concortis shareholders.

14 Nov 2013

Diagnosing influenza with rapid tests leads to more efficient care

When patients in the emergency department (ED) are diagnosed with influenza by means of a rapid test, they get fewer unnecessary antibiotics, are prescribed antiviral medications more frequently, and have fewer additional lab tests compared to patients diagnosed with influenza without testing, according to a new study. Published online in the Journal of the Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Society, the findings suggest that diagnosing influenza with a rapid diagnostic test leads to more appropriate, specific, and efficient care.

14 Nov 2013

Cells sticking molecule over-produced in rheumatoid arthritis and cancers

A molecule that helps cells stick together is significantly over-produced in two very different diseases - rheumatoid arthritis and a variety of cancers, including breast and brain tumors, concludes a new study. The scientists who made the discovery also found candidate drugs to inhibit the molecule, cadherin-11, one of which is already in a clinical trial.

14 Nov 2013

Severe sepsis mortality rates decrease over the past 20 years

A recent study from Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center shows a significant decrease in severe sepsis mortality rates over the past 20 years. Looking at data from patients with severe sepsis enrolled in clinical trials, researchers found that in-hospital mortality rates decreased from 47 percent between 1991 and 1995 to 29 percent between 2006 and 2009, a time period when no new pharmacological treatments were developed for severe sepsis.

14 Nov 2013

Acquired resistance to cancer therapies: an interview with Dr Rajendra Kumari, Chief Scientific Officer at PRECOS

Cancer can be treated by a number of different ways depending on the location, grade and stage of tumour. A patient's age, medical history and lifestyle will also be taken into consideration and a combination of treatments will also be adopted to provide maximum effect.

14 Nov 2013

Dual-wave nanotherapy method improves treatment of deadly pancreatic cancer

A new method of microscopic drug delivery that could greatly improve the treatment of deadly pancreatic cancer has been proven to work in mice at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

14 Nov 2013

TAILORED-Treatment project to increase effectiveness of antibiotics receives EU funding

The European Union has funded a 4 year project called TAILORED-Treatment with € 6.000.000,-. The main goal of TAILORED -Treatment is to establish a strategy that can be used to increase the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment, reduce any potential side-effects of therapy, and help limit the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in hospitalized children and adults. The project will be coordinated by Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

14 Nov 2013

Study reveals how cocaine permanently damages proteins in the body

A new study on cocaine, the notorious white powder illegally snorted, injected or smoked by nearly 2 million Americans, details how it may permanently damage proteins in the body. That information, gleaned from laboratory tests, could be used to potentially detect the drug in biofluids for weeks or months - instead of days - after use, say scientists. The findings, which appear in the ACS journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, could also help explain cocaine's long-term health effects.

14 Nov 2013

Cedars-Sinai Phase I-II clinical trial may help combat recurrence of small cell lung cancer

Alain C. Mita, MD, is fighting an uphill battle against small cell lung cancer. Despite the severity of the disease, the standard-of-care treatment remains the same today as it was nearly 30 years ago.

14 Nov 2013

Polymer for mending broken bones holds hope for delivering chemotherapy drugs to the brain

A polymer originally designed to help mend broken bones could be successful in delivering chemotherapy drugs directly to the brains of patients suffering from brain tumours, researchers at The University of Nottingham have discovered.

14 Nov 2013

Novel IRL-1620 compound may be useful in treating Alzheimer's disease

The novel compound IRL-1620 may be useful in treating Alzheimer's disease as it has been shown to prevent cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in animal models. This research is being presented at the 2013 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Annual Meeting and Exposition, the world's largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting, in San Antonio, Nov. 10-14.

14 Nov 2013

Over 50% of nonsurgical patients prescribed opioids during hospitalizations, analysis finds

Amid a growing climate of concern regarding the overuse of opioid pain medications, a comprehensive analysis of more than 1 million hospital admissions has found that over 50 percent of all nonsurgical patients were prescribed opioids during their hospitalizations -- often at very high doses -- and that more than half of those exposed were still receiving these medications on the day they were discharged from the hospital.

14 Nov 2013

Friendly microbes in the guts of healthy children have numerous antibiotic resistance genes

Friendly microbes in the intestinal tracts (guts) of healthy American children have numerous antibiotic resistance genes, according to results of a pilot study by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

14 Nov 2013

Groundbreaking study reveals novel approach to treat, eliminate MRSA infection

Recent work from University Distinguished Professor of Biology Kim Lewis promises to overcome one of the leading public health threats of our time. In a groundbreaking study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, Lewis' team presents a novel approach to treat and eliminate methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a potent bacterium whose resistance to antibiotics has kept it one step ahead of researchers.

14 Nov 2013

Imbruvica gets FDA approval for treatment of mantle cell lymphoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Imbruvica (ibrutinib) to treat patients with mantle cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of blood cancer.

13 Nov 2013

TopPac® 20 ml prefillable polymer syringe for infusion therapy introduced by SCHOTT

SCHOTT expanded its range of TopPac polymer syringes to include a 20 milliliter (ml) format that can be used in combination with syringe pumps for infusion therapy. SCHOTT TopPac® prefillable syringes (PFS) simplify the infusion therapy preparation process and can ultimately reduce costs for pharmaceutical companies and health care facilities.

13 Nov 2013

Stem cells from Wolfram syndrome patients used to elucidate beta-cell failure pathway in diabetes

Scientists from the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute and Columbia University Medical Center have used stem cells created from the skin of patients with a rare form of diabetes—Wolfram syndrome—to elucidate an important biochemical pathway for beta-cell failure in diabetes. The findings by Linshan Shang and colleagues were published today in Diabetes.

13 Nov 2013

Synergy Pharmaceuticals starts first phase 3 clinical trial of plecanatide in CIC patients

Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the start of the first of two planned phase 3 clinical trials to confirm the safety and efficacy of plecanatide, its lead GC-C agonist and once-daily oral treatment, in adult patients with chronic idiopathic constipation.

13 Nov 2013

'Quitting cold turkey' can lead to mental decline, shows study

Can quitting drugs without treatment trigger a decline in mental health? That appears to be the case in an animal model of morphine addiction. Georgetown University Medical Center researchers say their observations suggest that managing morphine withdrawal could promote a healthier mental state in people.

13 Nov 2013

Drugs News and Research

Medical device to reduce frequency of seizures in epilepsy patients gets FDA approval

Sorrento Therapeutics to acquire San Diego-based Concortis Biosystems

Diagnosing influenza with rapid tests leads to more efficient care

Cells sticking molecule over-produced in rheumatoid arthritis and cancers

Severe sepsis mortality rates decrease over the past 20 years

Acquired resistance to cancer therapies: an interview with Dr Rajendra Kumari, Chief Scientific Officer at PRECOS

Dual-wave nanotherapy method improves treatment of deadly pancreatic cancer

TAILORED-Treatment project to increase effectiveness of antibiotics receives EU funding

Study reveals how cocaine permanently damages proteins in the body

Cedars-Sinai Phase I-II clinical trial may help combat recurrence of small cell lung cancer

Polymer for mending broken bones holds hope for delivering chemotherapy drugs to the brain

Novel IRL-1620 compound may be useful in treating Alzheimer's disease

Over 50% of nonsurgical patients prescribed opioids during hospitalizations, analysis finds

Friendly microbes in the guts of healthy children have numerous antibiotic resistance genes

Groundbreaking study reveals novel approach to treat, eliminate MRSA infection

Imbruvica gets FDA approval for treatment of mantle cell lymphoma

TopPac® 20 ml prefillable polymer syringe for infusion therapy introduced by SCHOTT

Stem cells from Wolfram syndrome patients used to elucidate beta-cell failure pathway in diabetes

Synergy Pharmaceuticals starts first phase 3 clinical trial of plecanatide in CIC patients

'Quitting cold turkey' can lead to mental decline, shows study

Industry Focus eBook - Forensics & toxicology (2nd edition) eBook

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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