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Recent releases in Global Health

The Infectious Diseases Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog examines U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby's recent address to the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) where he reemphasized the Obama administration's commitment to "'maintaining, extending and increasing' the U.S. response to global AIDS." Goosby reflected on the lessons drawn from PEPFAR to date and presented components of the 5-year PEPFAR strategy, the blog notes.

20 Feb 2010

Express Scripts turning prescription discount business into nonprofit

Anticipating "more people will need access to discount prescriptions no matter what ultimately happens in Washington" with health reform, Express Scripts' Rx Outreach program will become a nonprofit, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

19 Feb 2010

Polyphor discovers new class of antibiotics effective against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria

Today, Polyphor Ltd published the discovery of a new class of antibiotics with a novel mode of action (Science, VOL 327, ISSUE 5968). This proprietary new class of antibiotics is effective against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria, opening up new treatment options for serious and often life-threatening infections. The most advanced drug candidate in this new class, POL7080, selectively kills the dangerous bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

19 Feb 2010

Kinesin protein motor shuttles cargo within cells and helps cells divide by rocking like a seesaw

Life's smallest motor, a protein that shuttles cargo within cells and helps cells divide, does so by rocking up and down like a seesaw, according to research conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Brandeis University.

19 Feb 2010

Scientists develop new way to make simple oil droplets smart enough to navigate through complex maze

Call them oil droplets with a brain or even "chemo-rats." Scientists in Illinois have developed a way to make simple oil droplets "smart" enough to navigate through a complex maze almost like a trained lab rat. The finding could have a wide range of practical implications, including helping cancer drugs to reach their target and controlling the movement of futuristic nano-machines, the scientists say.

19 Feb 2010

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals co-founder discovers new ribosomal structures of antibiotics

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage antibiotics company with a broad product pipeline based on its innovative discovery platform, and Yale University today announced the discovery by Thomas Steitz, Ph.D., co-founder of Rib-X and Yale University professor, of important new ribosomal structures of antibiotics, enabling the potential creation of novel treatments for drug resistant infections, including resistant tuberculosis (TB).

19 Feb 2010

University of Missouri researchers visualize "terminals" inside proline degrading enzyme

If subway terminals didn't exist and people had to exit subway stations to switch subway lines, transit time would increase. People also may encounter distractions, such as grabbing a cup of coffee, instead of getting on the other line. Molecules also use "terminals" to save transit time during enzyme-catalyzed processes. Using advanced X-radiation techniques, University of Missouri researchers were able to visualize one of these terminals inside of an enzyme that degrades proline, which is an amino acid that has a central role in metabolism.

19 Feb 2010

Cancer genomes: Distinguishing between 'driver' and 'passenger' mutations

A new study of mutations in cancer genomes shows how researchers can begin to distinguish the 'driver' mutations that push cells towards cancer from the 'passenger' mutations that are a by-product of cancer cell development. The study also shows that at least one in nine genes can be removed without killing human cells.

19 Feb 2010

Accessing out of hours care: Challenging for UK palliative care patients

Accessing out of hours care is still a challenge for UK palliative care patients, even several years after the introduction of phone help line services like NHS24 and NHS Direct. Scottish researchers have specific recommendations for a more detailed and regular communication strategy to improve patients' care, which are published by SAGE in the journal Palliative Medicine.

19 Feb 2010

Study analyzes genome and exome sequence data from hunter-gatherer participants of South Africa

In a study published online today in Nature, a team of researchers from Penn State University and the University New South Wales present the complete genome sequences of an indigenous hunter-gatherer from the Kalahari Desert and a Bantu from southern Africa, along with three additional whole exome sequences of Kalahari hunter-gatherers.

19 Feb 2010

Cancer patients frequently face barriers to accessing oral drugs: Study

A comprehensive study of oral oncolytic (anti-cancer) drug treatments revealed that while their use is increasingly common, cancer patients frequently face barriers to accessing oral drugs compared to those delivered intravenously in oncology practice settings.

19 Feb 2010

Mechanism by which Plasmodium replicates itself in human blood to spread disease identified

Malaria remains one of the most deadly infectious diseases. Yet, how Plasmodium, the malaria parasite, regulates its infectious cycle has remained an enigma despite decades of rigorous research.

19 Feb 2010

Proven strategies mastered by best-in-class biopharma companies

Companies invest hundreds of millions – and occasionally billions – of dollars overall in developing new drugs and face countless hurdles in bringing these new products to market. To make good on these vast investments, successful companies must maximize product uptake across all customer groups: not only among patients and physicians, but also among government and private payers to win formulary access and improve product placement.

19 Feb 2010

FDA approves 53 new cancer indications between July 2005 and end of 2007

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Oncology Drug Products approved more than 50 new indications for the use of oncology and hematology drugs and biologics between July 2005, when the office began reviewing marketing applications, and the end of 2007, according to a new agency study.

19 Feb 2010

Medicare coverage for prescription drugs: HHS to apply ARRA increased FMAP to clawback payments

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $4.3 billion in financial relief to states by reducing the amount they will have to pay the federal government to offset the cost of Medicare coverage for prescription drugs for state residents eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

19 Feb 2010

UBC researcher finds improved uptake of highly active antiretroviral therapy

A comprehensive population-based study, conducted by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) and presented at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in San Francisco, shows that expanded highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) coverage was associated with a 50% decrease in new yearly HIV infections among injection drug users.

19 Feb 2010

Two UCSF scientists selected for Potamkin Prize for their achievements in research on dementias

Two UCSF scientists have been selected for the American Academy of Neurology's prestigious Potamkin Prize, for their "outstanding achievements" in research on dementias.

19 Feb 2010

New report shows dramatic rise in medical technology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare costs

Management of Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (Pinksheets: EHSI) stated that they were encouraged by a new report that parallels the company’s conclusions about the new potential for business in the current healthcare marketplace.

19 Feb 2010

UCSF, Genentech partner to discover and develop drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases

The University of California, San Francisco has signed a partnership agreement with Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, to discover and develop drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases.

19 Feb 2010

Study finds nearly a quarter of prescriptions go unfilled

Many people whose doctors start them on medications for conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure may never fill those prescriptions, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among more than 75,000 Massachusetts patients given drug prescriptions over one year, 22 percent of the prescriptions were never filled.

19 Feb 2010

Drugs News and Research

Recent releases in Global Health

Express Scripts turning prescription discount business into nonprofit

Polyphor discovers new class of antibiotics effective against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria

Kinesin protein motor shuttles cargo within cells and helps cells divide by rocking like a seesaw

Scientists develop new way to make simple oil droplets smart enough to navigate through complex maze

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals co-founder discovers new ribosomal structures of antibiotics

University of Missouri researchers visualize "terminals" inside proline degrading enzyme

Cancer genomes: Distinguishing between 'driver' and 'passenger' mutations

Accessing out of hours care: Challenging for UK palliative care patients

Study analyzes genome and exome sequence data from hunter-gatherer participants of South Africa

Cancer patients frequently face barriers to accessing oral drugs: Study

Mechanism by which Plasmodium replicates itself in human blood to spread disease identified

Proven strategies mastered by best-in-class biopharma companies

FDA approves 53 new cancer indications between July 2005 and end of 2007

Medicare coverage for prescription drugs: HHS to apply ARRA increased FMAP to clawback payments

UBC researcher finds improved uptake of highly active antiretroviral therapy

Two UCSF scientists selected for Potamkin Prize for their achievements in research on dementias

New report shows dramatic rise in medical technology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare costs

UCSF, Genentech partner to discover and develop drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases

Study finds nearly a quarter of prescriptions go unfilled

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