Therapy News and Research

RSS

Study finds association between KRAS p.G13D mutations and cetuximab treatment in colorectal cancer

Even though the cancer-treatment agent cetuximab is not considered effective treatment for KRAS (a gene)-mutated metastatic colorectal tumors, new research indicates that patients with colorectal cancer not responding to chemotherapy and a certain variation of this gene who were treated with cetuximab had longer overall and progression-free survival than patients with other KRAS-mutations, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2010

Pharmaceutical industry pays billions in fraud settlements; Walgreen selling PBM Co.

Bloomberg: "Walgreen Co., the largest U.S. drug-store chain, is looking to sell its pharmacy-benefits management business and has hired an adviser to run an auction, said three people with knowledge of the matter. The sale of the PBM unit, which Walgreen started in 1995, may fetch $500 million to $1 billion. … Medco Health Solutions Inc., Express Scripts Inc. and CVS Caremark Corp., the three largest PBMs in the U.S., are among the companies that have expressed interest, the people said.

27 Oct 2010

Oncolytics presents REO 013 clinical trial data for colorectal cancer at International Symposium in Spain

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. announced today that interim data from a U.K. translational clinical trial (REO 013) investigating intravenous administration of REOLYSIN in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer prior to surgical resection of liver metastases was presented at the International Symposium on Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) and Immunostimulation being held in Pamplona, Spain.

27 Oct 2010

CYP2C19 gene variant can increase risk of cardiovascular events in patients treated with clopidogrel

An analysis of data from previously published studies indicates that use of the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel for patients who have common genetic variants of a certain gene and are undergoing a procedure such as coronary stent placement have an associated increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events, particularly development of blood clots in stents, according to a study in the October 27 issue of JAMA.

27 Oct 2010

Stress can literally show up on the face

According to an Australian stylist stress affects the health as well as appearance. Gregory Landsman, the author of Face and Fitness said that high stress level is immediately visible on a person’s face.

26 Oct 2010

Aastrom Biosciences and ATEK Medical enter new strategic partnership

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., a leading developer of expanded autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases, and ATEK Medical, a leading medical device manufacturer, today announced the formation of a new strategic partnership in which ATEK Medical will supply key components and technology for use in Aastrom's proprietary cell manufacturing process.

26 Oct 2010

Biogen 2010 third quarter revenue increase 5% to $1.2 billion

Biogen Idec Inc. a global biotechnology leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative therapies, today announced its third quarter 2010 results.

26 Oct 2010

Kinetic Concepts 2010 third quarter total revenue increases 2% to $506.7 million

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. today reported third quarter 2010 total revenue of $506.7 million compared to $504.4 million in the third quarter of 2009 and up 2% from the second quarter of 2010.

26 Oct 2010

Lumiphore signs global cooperation with Algeta to integrate Lumi4 complexes

Lumiphore Inc., a portfolio company of Nanostart AG, has signed a global cooperation with Algeta ASA a leading company specializing in innovative radiopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer patients. The agreement enables the integration of Lumiphore's Lumi4 complexes into the targeted radiotherapeutics and companion diagnostics from Algeta.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 26 Oct 2010

Potential technologies to help older people sleep better

The Somnia conference has been led by academics at the University of Surrey in conjunction with other academics including those working on new technology at the University of Bath.

26 Oct 2010

Neurologix holds license for gene therapy to treat severe depression

Neurologix, Inc. today announced that a landmark paper, published on October 20th in Science Translational Medicine demonstrating the importance of the p11 gene in modulating depression in mice, utilized a gene therapy approach to reverse depression in mice for which the Company holds exclusive development rights. Based on the findings reported in the paper, gene therapy may have potential as a new treatment option for people who suffer from severe depression.

26 Oct 2010

Researchers find new antibiotic strategies for hibernating bugs

New strategies to apply antibiotics more effectively to hibernating bugs have been developed by researchers at the University of Hertfordshire.

26 Oct 2010

Pfizer's Sutent stands as first-line setting for treating renal cell carcinoma: Survey

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the majority of surveyed European oncologists who favor Pfizer's Sutent indicate that they would switch to an emerging therapy only if it extended progression-free survival (PFS) by at least an additional two to three months, assuming the agent's safety and tolerability profile was comparable to that of Sutent.

26 Oct 2010

Colour of light influences the way brain processes emotional stimuli

Researchers at the Cyclotron Research Centre (University of Liege), Geneva Center for Neuroscience and Swiss Center for Affective Sciences (University of Geneva), and Surrey Sleep Research Centre (University of Surrey) investigated the immediate effect of light, and of its color composition, on emotion brain processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results of their study show that the colour of light influences the way the brain processes emotional stimuli.

26 Oct 2010

Study finds ABVD standard chemotherapy effective for Hodgkin's lymphoma

A lower dose of radiation used to reduce side effects is not as effective as the regular dose when given with the standard chemotherapy in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with early, intermediate-stage disease, according to a first-of-its-kind randomized study presented at the plenary session, November 1, 2010, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

26 Oct 2010

Stereotactic radiation effective for trigeminal neuralgia

Stereotactic radiation is an effective, long-term treatment for trigeminal neuralgia: a painful condition that occurs with increased frequency in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Radiation is noninvasive and has less negative side effects than other treatments, according to the longest follow-up in a study of its kind presented October 31, 2010, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

26 Oct 2010

Tengion presents data on Neo-Kidney Augment at Transplantation's Annual Scientific Exchange

Tengion, Inc. a leader in regenerative medicine, presented new data on Saturday, October 23, 2010 in a podium presentation at the American Society for Transplantation's Annual Scientific Exchange in Orlando, FL. The presentation highlighted new early data from Tengion's Neo-Kidney Augment development program demonstrating promising improvements in kidney function with an autologous cellular therapy approach to kidney regeneration in a canine model of chronic kidney disease.

26 Oct 2010

New approach to platelet replacement therapy for thrombocytopenia

Platelets are cells in the blood that have a key role in stopping bleeding. Thrombocytopenia is the medical term used to describe the presence of abnormally low numbers of platelets in the blood. Platelet transfusion is used to treat several causes of thrombocytopenia, but there is a shortage of donors. Mortimer Poncz and colleagues, at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, working with mice, have now identified a potential new approach to platelet replacement therapy that circumvents the problem of donor shortage.

26 Oct 2010

Eye-gaze technology opens world of communication for Rett Syndrome children

Special eye-gaze technology now being used in the Department of Neurology at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) is revealing the hidden, inner world of children who have Rett Syndrome, a rare and severe autism spectrum disorder that primarily affects little girls. It is a neurological disease in which mobility and autonomic functions are severely impaired, seizures and orthopedic problems are common, and the children lose functional hand use and the ability to speak.

26 Oct 2010

Routine prostate cancer screening reduces metastasis risk

Men treated for prostate cancer who were diagnosed after the start of routine screening had a significantly reduced risk of the disease spreading to other parts of the body (metastases) within 10 years of treatment, compared to men who were treated prior to the use of routine screening, according to the first study-of-its-kind presented November 1, 2010, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

26 Oct 2010