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Pharmacuetical companies eye orphan drugs as new revenue source

Drug companies are fond of saying that every patient counts, but in the world of orphan diseases, entire business plans are built around the idea. ... Development of these drugs is increasingly attractive to pharmaceutical companies, which are searching for new sources of revenue as sales of more traditional, mass-market drugs have been lost to generic competition.

1 Feb 2013

Scientists identify specific p53 pocket that can be targeted by cancer-fighting drugs

UC Irvine biologists, chemists and computer scientists have identified an elusive pocket on the surface of the p53 protein that can be targeted by cancer-fighting drugs. The finding heralds a new treatment approach, as mutant forms of this protein are implicated in nearly 40 percent of diagnosed cases of cancer, which kills more than half a million Americans each year.

1 Feb 2013

Health law drawing concern from unexpected source

Labor unions enthusiastically backed the Obama administration's health-care overhaul when it was up for debate. Now that the law is rolling out, some are turning sour. Union leaders say many of the law's requirements will drive up the costs for their health-care plans and make unionized workers less competitive.

1 Feb 2013

Obesity becoming serious problem, comparable to cigarette smoking

Dr. Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., Dr.P.H., the first Sir Richard Doll Professor and senior academic advisor to the dean in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University has published a report in the current issue of the American Journal of Medicine that obesity is becoming as big a hazard worldwide, comparable to cigarette smoking.

1 Feb 2013

Endothelial cells can trigger changes in cancer cells without direct contact

Blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to tumors can also deliver something else - a signal that strengthens nearby cancer cells, making them more resistant to chemotherapy, more likely to spread to other organs and more lethal, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report online in Cancer Cell.

1 Feb 2013

SINEUP allows scientists to target individual genes in cells to increase protein production

One of the most innovative biotechnologies of the last decade has recently been developed. SINEUP allows scientists, for the first time, to target individual genes in cells to knockup, or increase, the amount of protein they make. The technique will improve Protein manufacture, analyse the function of genes and engineer improved cell function.

From Cell Guidance Systems 31 Jan 2013

Resonance Health receives FDA marketing authorization for FerriScan R2-MRI device

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced the authorization of FerriScan R2-MRI to be marketed as an imaging companion diagnostic device for the safe and effective use of Exjade in patients with non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia.

31 Jan 2013

First Edition: January 31, 2013

Today's headlines include reports on a new health law final rule issued by the Internal Revenue Service eligibility and affordability standards for insurance subsidies.

31 Jan 2013

Gene variant boosts ulcer susceptibility in NSAID users

A single nucleotide polymorphism in the cytochrome P450 2C gene cluster influences the risk for peptic ulcer disease in people taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a study reveals.

31 Jan 2013

Strong placebo response key to adolescent migraine trial failures

A strong response to placebo is the main reason drug trials in the treatment of adolescent migraine have so far failed, say researchers.

31 Jan 2013

Interferon retreatment of chronic hepatitis C may be harmful

People with hepatitis C and chronic liver disease who relapsed or failed to respond to initial treatment are unlikely to improve on interferon retreatment. In fact, they may face an increased risk of dying sooner, and are likely to experience a variety of adverse effects, according to an updated systematic review published in The Cochrane Library.

31 Jan 2013

TB test offers rapid detection of TB and drug-resistant strains according to new study

A diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) can accurately and quickly detect both TB and drug-resistant strains, according to a new study. The authors of a new systematic review assessing the diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert® MTB/RIF test published in The Cochrane Library say their study can provide timely advice for clinicians and policymakers in countries where TB is a major public health problem.

31 Jan 2013

Congenital sight impairment cure grows closer

A cure for congenital sight impairment caused by lens damage is closer following research by scientists at Monash University.

31 Jan 2013

No added benefit from linagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes

Linagliptin has been approved since August 2011 to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes. The assessment of the new dossier according to the German Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG) again showed that no added benefit of the drug over the appropriate comparator therapy (ACT) can be determined, because the pharmaceutical company has not submitted any relevant studies.

31 Jan 2013

Researchers identify mechanism by which vancomycin resistance spreads between bacteria

Worldwide, many strains of the bacterium Staphyloccocus aureus, commonly known as staph infections, are already resistant to all antibiotics except vancomycin. But as bacteria are becoming resistant to this once powerful antidote, S. aureus has moved one step closer to becoming an unstoppable killer.

31 Jan 2013

Interrupting key interaction between p68 and calcium-calmodulin inhibits cancer metastasis

Disrupting a key interaction between two types of proteins in cells inhibits the spread of cancerous cells, providing researchers with a new pathway toward developing cancer-fighting drugs, according to new findings by Georgia State University scientists.

31 Jan 2013

RBC Life Sciences receives U.S. patent for Neurobright supplement

RBC Life Sciences, Inc., has been granted US Patent 8357422, which protects its unique dietary supplement formulation that nutritionally supports cognitive function, learning and remembering. The Company markets this supplement under the name "Neurobright."

31 Jan 2013

Klotho protein plays important role in the health of myelin

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) led by Carmela Abraham, PhD, professor of biochemistry, along with Cidi Chen, PhD, and other collaborators, report that the protein Klotho plays an important role in the health of myelin, the insulating material allowing for the rapid communication between nerve cells.

31 Jan 2013

Mount Sinai to initiate immunological therapy trial against chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis

Patients are currently being enrolled in the first clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of immunological therapy for chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis. The trial is being conducted by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

31 Jan 2013

IL-13 protein could be the key to development of fibrosis in Crohn's disease

New research has shown that a protein, known as IL-13, could be the key to the development of fibrosis in Crohn's disease. This breakthrough could help to advance new medicines to treat people suffering with the disease.

30 Jan 2013