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Air purifier helps reduce H1N1 swine flu virus on contact

Only one week into the new year swine flu has already claimed several lives. Healthmap.org believes that swine flu has resulted in hospitalization and even death not only in the UK, but also in other parts of Europe and America. Reports indicate that the virus is even more virulent than last year.

10 Jan 2011

FDA warns public about extortion scam

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning the public about criminals posing as FDA special agents and other law enforcement personnel as part of a continued international extortion scam.

10 Jan 2011

FDA approves Abstral drug for treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients

Orexo AB announces today that its partner ProStrakan Group plc has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for Abstral. Abstral is licensed for the treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients, 18 years of age and older, who are already receiving, and are tolerant to, opioid analgesics for their underlying persistent cancer pain.

10 Jan 2011

FDA, EMA accept boceprevir for expedited review

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that regulatory applications for boceprevir, Merck's investigational oral hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, were submitted in 2010 and have been accepted for expedited review in both the U.S. and the European Union.

10 Jan 2011

Scientists discover new anti-cancer mechanism

Scientists attached to VIB and K.U.Leuven have succeeded in decoding a potential new anti-cancer mechanism. The researchers discovered that normalizing abnormal tumor blood vessels through HRG prevents metastasis of tumor cells and enhances chemotherapy efficiency.

10 Jan 2011

Lancet World Report examines health risks associated with inaccurate TB tests, WHO's upcoming recommendations

With "scores of commercial serology tests for tuberculosis ... being sold in high-burden countries," the "WHO is due to release a negative policy recommendation - the first of its kind for the organisation" - after several reviews have "indicated poor performance of these tests," Lancet World Report writes in a piece that documents the health risks associated with a growing number of inaccurate TB tests.

10 Jan 2011

U-M lab ranks No. 1 in protein structure and function prediction in scientific competition

The University of Michigan Health System took top honors in the Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction, a biennial scientific competition to test protein structure and function prediction methods developed by laboratories all over the world.

10 Jan 2011

USDTL launches two new tests for monitoring long-term alcohol exposure using fingernail, hair specimens

United States Drug Testing Laboratories launched two new tests for monitoring long-term alcohol exposure on Friday. Using fingernail and hair specimens, the new assay is the first and only test to report a donor's alcohol exposure for the past 90 days reliably.

10 Jan 2011

Specific silicon microdevices may provide new way to screen metastatic breast cancer cells

Research by engineers and cancer biologists at Virginia Tech indicate that using specific silicon microdevices might provide a new way to screen breast cancer cells' ability to metastasize.

9 Jan 2011

Abstral transmucosal tablets receive FDA approval, may help manage pain in cancer patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Abstral transmucosal tablets to manage breakthrough pain for adults with cancer.

9 Jan 2011

No smokers in Britain by 2050

According to a major investment bank there would be no smokers in Britain by 2050. According to Citigroup analyst Adam Spielman the decline is sharp and sure and would show up as no smokers in 30 to 50 years time. The analyses used data to reveal that the percentage of adult smokers in the UK has fallen from 53 per cent in 1960 to 21 per cent in 2008. Spielman said, “If these trends continue, then by 2050 many important tobacco markets will have gone to zero smoking.”

9 Jan 2011

Malaria drug makes cancer drug more effective

Scientists investigating the cancer-fighting properties of artesunate - a drug commonly used to treat malaria - have found early evidence that combining it with an existing cancer drug has the potential to make each drug more effective than when used alone. They also found that regular treatment breaks could improve success levels.

7 Jan 2011

Synergy's plecanatide Phase II/III trial to begin in second quarter 2011

Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of new drugs to treat gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and diseases, today announced that the next clinical trial of plecanatide to treat chronic idiopathic constipation patients, planned to begin in the second quarter of 2011, has been designed as a Phase II/III trial.

7 Jan 2011

Iroko reports positive results from Phase I clinical study of nanotechnology based unique formulation of naproxen

Iroko Pharmaceuticals, LLC today reported the results of the Phase I clinical study of its unique formulation of naproxen, a widely used pain medication, using proprietary, patent protected nanotechnology.

7 Jan 2011

Unexpected discovery holds promise for PTSD, other anxiety disorders

An unexpected discovery by UCLA life scientists holds promise for the future development of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders, and potentially for Alzheimer's disease and other memory-impairment diseases.

7 Jan 2011

Aratana closes $20 million Series A financing

Aratana Therapeutics, a newly-formed company focused on the development of innovative therapies for the animal health industry, today announced that it has closed a $20 million Series A financing led by MPM Capital and Avalon Ventures.

7 Jan 2011

MMRF awards $3 million under 2010 Biotech Investment Awards program

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) today announced that it has awarded $1 million to each of three Boston-area biotech companies through its 2010 Biotech Investment Awards program: Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Epizyme, Inc. and Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc. Since the inception of this MMRF program in 2006, $11 million has been committed to 11 biotech companies in multi-year, results-driven funding for the development of innovative treatments for patients with multiple myeloma.

7 Jan 2011

BIND Biosciences commences BIND-014 Phase 1 clinical trial in cancer

BIND Biosciences announced today that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of BIND-014 in cancer patients. BIND-014, the first product candidate to enter clinical evaluation from BIND's broad proprietary Medicinal Nanoengineering platform, is a targeted polymeric nanoparticle containing the cytotoxic agent, docetaxel.

7 Jan 2011

Lower co-payments help companies, workers save health-care costs

Companies can cut health-care costs - for themselves and for their workers - by lowering co-payments on prescription drugs while promoting disease management, according to a comprehensive, three-year study commissioned by the Florida Health Care Coalition (FHCC).

7 Jan 2011

Spirogen, Genentech enter multi-year ADC research collaboration and license agreement

Spirogen Ltd. a leading oncology-focused company developing DNA sequence targeted agents, announced a multi-year research collaboration and license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.

7 Jan 2011