Drugs News and Research

RSS

Scientists explore the role of microRNA that influences obesity-related traits

Eating more n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, commonly known as omega-3 fatty acids, may help carriers of a genetic variant on the perilipin 4 (PLIN4) gene locus lose weight more efficiently.

21 Apr 2011

Rate of antiretroviral virological failure higher among children living with HIV/AIDS than adults, study finds

One in eight children living with HIV/AIDS "experiences triple-class virological failure - meaning the virus becomes resistant to multiple drugs - within five years of starting antiretroviral treatment," according to a study published Wednesday in the Lancet, HealthDay News/MSN reports. The "failure rate is higher than in adults and highlights the challenge of maintaining viral load suppression in young patients who begin antiretroviral therapy so early in life, the researchers said," according to the news service (Preidt, 4/19).

21 Apr 2011

Elderly persons with low income use inappropriate psychotropic drugs more often

Elderly persons often have several diseases and use many drugs; they are also more sensitive to drugs compared to younger persons. Use of more drugs than necessary tends to occur among the elderly, however, underuse of drugs and use of inappropriate types of drugs also occur. Psychotropic drugs, such as hypnotics, anxiolytics and antidepressant drugs, are common among the elderly.

21 Apr 2011

Study finds ACE inhibitors linked to increased risk of recurrence in women who have had breast cancer

ACE inhibitors, commonly used to control high blood pressure and heart failure in women, may be associated with an increased risk of recurrence in women who have had breast cancer, according to a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

21 Apr 2011

Scientists discover 'small molecule' substance that blocks cholesterol formation in the brain

A needle-in-the-haystack search through nearly 390,000 chemical compounds had led scientists to a substance that can sneak through the protective barrier surrounding the brain with effects promising for new drugs for Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. They report on the substance, which blocks formation of cholesterol in the brain, in the journal, ACS Chemical Biology.

21 Apr 2011

RTCA HT instrument from Roche employs high-throughput real-time cell analysis

The new xCELLigence RTCA HT Instrument from Roche (SWX:RO) (SWX:ROG) (Pink Sheets:RHHBY) rounds out the Diagnostics Applied Science's portfolio in real-time cell analysis with a high-throughput product.

21 Apr 2011

Opinions: Eliminating TB; HIV prevention trial; Reducing stillbirths; Foreign aid, global stability; Safe injection sites

In a U.S. News & World Report opinion piece, African Health Ministers Aaron Motsoaledi of South Africa, Mphu Ramatlapeng of Lesotho, and Benedict Xaba of Swaziland call upon the international community to join with them in the fight to rid the world of tuberculosis (TB). "That goal might seem overambitious or unrealistic. [But i]t's not," they write

21 Apr 2011

New trial in UK to test whether statins could be used to treat pre-eclampsia

Pregnant women could benefit from a pioneering trial that will test whether heart disease drugs can be used to treat pre-eclampsia.

21 Apr 2011

Report: Prescription drug spending growth slows

Americans and their insurers spent $307.4 billion on prescription drugs in 2010, up just 2.3 percent from the previous year, according to data released Tuesday by IMS Health Inc.

21 Apr 2011

Neurelis completes dosing in intranasal diazepam formulation study

Neurelis, Inc. today announced the completion of subject dosing in a randomized crossover study assessing diazepam pharmacokinetics and bioavailability after administration of two proprietary formulations of intranasal diazepam and intravenous injection.

21 Apr 2011

Feds announce comprehensive plan to combat painkiller abuse

The new strategy will put increased pressure on the state of Florida, which has a reputation as being "the nation's pill mill."

21 Apr 2011

$2.3 million of malaria medicines stolen

According to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, malaria medications valued at almost $2.3 million may have been stolen from government-run distribution centers in Africa and other locations.

20 Apr 2011

America’s best loved drugs: Report

According to the latest report from consulting firm IMS Health, Americans are consuming a lot of prescription drugs. And they seem especially fond of those to lower their cholesterol, relieve heartburn, aid in depressive disorders and lessen pain. Overall, however, their spending on such drugs is slowing.

20 Apr 2011

Stepped up measures to tack rising painkiller abuse

Prescription drug abuse is one of the largest problems in the country say experts and according to White House drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske, the Congress must require special training for doctors and other health care workers before they are allowed to prescribe powerful drugs such as OxyContin.

20 Apr 2011

Anavex: First-in-human dosing cmmenced in ANAVEX 2-73 clinical trial for Alzheimer’s

Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (“Anavex”) (OTCBB: AVXL) today announced that the first healthy human volunteers have been initially dosed in its Phase I clinical trial to evaluate ANAVEX 2-73, the company’s lead compound for Alzheimer’s disease. “We are pleased that the first volunteers have been dosed with the study drug, according to the study protocol, and no adverse events have been recorded post dosing to date," said Dr. Ozkan Yalkinoglou, Medical Director of ABX-CRO.

20 Apr 2011

ARIAD executes three exclusive out-license agreements for ARGENT cell-signaling regulation technology

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced execution of three exclusive out-license agreements for separate aspects of its ARGENT™ cell-signaling regulation technology.

20 Apr 2011

First Edition: April 20, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about new poll results showing that Americans oppose cuts to Medicare as a means to deal with the debt problem.

20 Apr 2011

Blocking abnormal movement of mutated human FUS gene also blocks ALS process

In the first animal model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), developed by Dr. Udai Pandey, Assistant Professor of Genetics at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Dr. Pandey's lab has found in fruit flies that blocking the abnormal movement of a protein made by a mutated gene called FUS also blocks the disease process.

20 Apr 2011

Researchers discover new way to force cancer cells to self-destruct

Researchers at The Wistar Institute have found a new way to force cancer cells to self-destruct. Low doses of one anti-cancer drug currently in development, called Gamitrinib, sensitize tumor cells to a second drug, called TRAIL, also currently in clinical development as part of an anticancer regimen.

20 Apr 2011

New method allows single microchip to screen tens of thousands of genes simultaneously

RNA interference technology, which is used in cell biology, has revolutionised functional research of the gene products in the last ten years. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a method which allows a single microchip to be used to screen the functions of tens of thousands of genes simultaneously by means of RNA interference.

20 Apr 2011