Drugs News and Research

RSS

State and federal efforts to monitor drug prescriptions and payments face challenges

The Center For Public Integrity reports on the challenges Medicare faces in trying to ensure that prescription drugs paid for by its contracting health plans are actually prescribed by doctors. Meanwhile, The Miami Herald chronicles the latest chapter in the ongoing story about the state's pill mills.

10 Feb 2011

Photodynamic therapy could be useful in eradicating tumor-associated lymphatic vessels

Tumor cells have several routes that enable them to move from the primary tumor to distant tissues, a process called metastasis. It is metastasis of the primary tumor that kills most cancer patients. One of the least studied routes of metastasis is the lymphatic system. Many tumors produce factors that promote the formation of new lymphatic vessels (lymphangiogenesis).

10 Feb 2011

Physicist creates technology that may enhance pharma industry's early drug discovery capabilities

A Purdue physicist has created technology to detect motion inside three-dimensional tumor spheroids, which may enhance the pharmaceutical industry's early drug discovery capabilities.

10 Feb 2011

Scientists generate beating heart cells from skin cells of young patients with severe genetic heart defect

Using skin cells from young patients who have a severe genetic heart defect, Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have generated beating heart cells that carry the same genetic mutation. The newly created human heart cells - cardiomyocytes - allowed the researchers for the first time to examine and characterize the disorder at the cellular level.

10 Feb 2011

L-methylfolate in combination with antidepressant drug helps major depressive disorder patients

Data published in the January issue of Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, www.psychiatrymmc.com, suggest when L-methylfolate, a medical food available commercially as Deplin®, and by prescription, is used for dietary management of depression in combination with an antidepressant drug at the start of depression therapy, it results in significantly more patients experiencing major improvement and more rapid improvement than antidepressant monotherapy alone.

10 Feb 2011

FDA proposes plan to speed medical device reviews

The approach, which would focus on first-of-a-kind devices with the potential to make a significant difference for patients, could cut in half the current amount of time spent reviewing most new devices.

10 Feb 2011

Study: New curcumin-hybrid compound may help protect, regenerate brain cells after stroke

Whether or not you're fond of Indian, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern food, stroke researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center think you may become a fan of one of their key spices.

10 Feb 2011

FDA grants Neuralstem orphan drug designation for treatment of ALS with spinal cord stem cells

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Orphan Products Development has granted it orphan drug designation for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) with its human spinal cord derived neural stem cells (NSI-566RSC), currently in a Phase I safety study to evaluate the safety of the product and the surgical route of administration in a wide range of ALS patients.

10 Feb 2011

Evotec signs definitive agreement to acquire all shares in Kinaxo

Evotec AG today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire all shares in Kinaxo Biotechnologies GmbH, a Munich-based drug discovery alliance company supporting the development of targeted drugs.

9 Feb 2011

NCCN praises Aetna for evidence-based approach to treat cancer

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN) has praised Aetna for its evidence-based approach to drugs used to treat cancer. The NCCN also acknowledged Aetna's commitment to providing health benefits to members enrolled in clinical trials. Aetna is the first national health plan to be recognized by the group.

9 Feb 2011

Protect Pharma completes sale of two patents and patents-applications to Grunenthal

Protect Pharmaceutical Corporation announced that it has completed the sale of two patents and patents-applications to Grunenthal GmbH, a German specialty pharmaceutical company that is a pioneer in pain drug discovery and research. The patent portfolio includes innovative pain drugs that address the large and underserved pain market.

9 Feb 2011

PolyMedix commences PMX-60056 Phase 2 clinical trial in patients undergoing PCI

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial, following conclusion of a review by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a protocol submitted by PolyMedix, to assess the safety and efficacy of its heptagonist, PMX-60056, in reversing heparin in patients undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) procedures.

9 Feb 2011

GeoVax opens second HIV clinical trial site at Alabama Vaccine Research Clinic

GeoVax Labs, Inc., a biotechnology company that creates, develops and tests innovative HIV/AIDS vaccines, announced today the opening of a second clinical trial site at the Alabama Vaccine Research Clinic (AVRC) of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to expand the company's HIV therapeutic vaccine trial.

9 Feb 2011

Virtues of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act a 'mixed bag' for older Americans

Although the effects of the controversial health care reform act will be somewhat muted for many older Americans, it will inevitably have enough of an impact that seniors will discover that there is plenty to like and dislike about the law, a University of Illinois expert on elder law cautions in published research.

9 Feb 2011

DiaTech, Walter Reed collaborate to determine the best chemotherapy for cancer

DiaTech Oncology announced today they have engaged in a pilot with Walter Reed Army Medical Center to determine the best Chemotherapy for Cancer patients. Medical and GYN Oncologists and from Walter Reed have been working with DiaTech Oncology (Nashville, TN) using the MiCK assay for apoptosis in order to give physicians a tool that can predict the best chemotherapy pathway in treating cancer patients.

9 Feb 2011

International AIDS Society urges donors and governments to continue funding

Following the publication of several media reports which seriously distort the extent of fraud discovered in grants financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, the International AIDS Society (IAS) urges all donors and governments to continue their funding.

9 Feb 2011

Misuse of alcohol and drugs during adolescence increases risk of health problems during middle age

Adolescents who misuse alcohol and drugs are at increased risk of continued misuse well into middle age. They are also at increased risk of experiencing mental health problems, accidents, physical health problems, premature death, financial problems, and suicide attempts. These are the results of a doctoral thesis presented by Yasmina Molero Samuelson at the Center for Psychiatric Research (CPF), Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

9 Feb 2011

Topical cream used to treat skin diseases activates two distinct neuronal signaling pathways

Scratching deep beneath the surface, a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and three South Korean institutions have identified two distinct neuronal signaling pathways activated by a topical cream used to treat a variety of skin diseases. One pathway produces the therapeutic benefit; the other induces severe itching as a side effect.

9 Feb 2011

Two new studies report GOT may improve health outcomes of stroke patients

Much of the devastation of stroke and head trauma is due to damage caused the overproduction of a substance in the brain called glutamate. Preventing this damage has been impossible, until now, as many drugs don't cross the so-called blood-brain barrier, and those that do often don't work as intended. But a method originally devised at the Weizmann Institute of Science may, in the future, offer a way to avert such glutamate-induced harm.

9 Feb 2011

Updating approach to pharmacy benefits will help Florida Medicaid save $462 million

"Governor Scott is taking important steps to reduce wasteful spending in Medicaid, which is a big problem when it comes to pharmacy benefits. Because of its old-school 'fee-for-service' approach, Florida Medicaid pays drugstores much more than either Medicare or the commercial market pays them. Over the next decade, Florida could save $462 million - without cutting benefits, eligibility or payments to doctor and hospitals - simply by updating its approach to pharmacy benefits."

9 Feb 2011

Drugs News and Research

State and federal efforts to monitor drug prescriptions and payments face challenges

Photodynamic therapy could be useful in eradicating tumor-associated lymphatic vessels

Physicist creates technology that may enhance pharma industry's early drug discovery capabilities

Scientists generate beating heart cells from skin cells of young patients with severe genetic heart defect

L-methylfolate in combination with antidepressant drug helps major depressive disorder patients

FDA proposes plan to speed medical device reviews

Study: New curcumin-hybrid compound may help protect, regenerate brain cells after stroke

FDA grants Neuralstem orphan drug designation for treatment of ALS with spinal cord stem cells

Evotec signs definitive agreement to acquire all shares in Kinaxo

NCCN praises Aetna for evidence-based approach to treat cancer

Protect Pharma completes sale of two patents and patents-applications to Grunenthal

PolyMedix commences PMX-60056 Phase 2 clinical trial in patients undergoing PCI

GeoVax opens second HIV clinical trial site at Alabama Vaccine Research Clinic

Virtues of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act a 'mixed bag' for older Americans

DiaTech, Walter Reed collaborate to determine the best chemotherapy for cancer

International AIDS Society urges donors and governments to continue funding

Misuse of alcohol and drugs during adolescence increases risk of health problems during middle age

Topical cream used to treat skin diseases activates two distinct neuronal signaling pathways

Two new studies report GOT may improve health outcomes of stroke patients

Updating approach to pharmacy benefits will help Florida Medicaid save $462 million

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th 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