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New data highlighting Pfizer's approach to cancer drug development to be presented at ASCO meeting

Pfizer Oncology will present new data highlighting the company's focused approach to cancer drug development through the identification and validation of molecular targets. These results will be presented at the 46th Annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago from June 4-8.

21 May 2010

Researchers discover key gene that promotes development of common kidney cancer

Researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida have discovered a key gene that, when turned off, promotes the development of common kidney cancer. Their findings suggest that a combination of agents now being tested in other cancers may turn the gene back on, providing a much-needed therapy for the difficult-to-treat cancer.

21 May 2010

AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies to develop online nursing courses

21 May 2010

Routine cessation of clopidogrel in patients before colonoscopy polypectomy not necessary: Researchers

Researchers at the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York examined postpolypectomy bleeding in patients undergoing colonoscopy on uninterrupted clopidogrel and found that the postpolypectomy bleeding rate is significantly higher in patients undergoing polypectomy while taking clopidogrel and concomitant aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but that the risk is small and the outcome is favorable.

21 May 2010

Rice University researcher receives 2010 Glycerine Innovation Award

Escherichia coli - E. coli for short - is often identified as a bacterium that contributes to foodborne illness. But research led by a Rice University scientist has discovered ways to use a safe, non-pathogenic E. coli to convert glycerine into high value fuels and chemicals.

21 May 2010

Prescribing practices for dementia patients

Demented patients are often treated nonspecifically with psychoactive medications. Neuroleptic drugs are given even when they are not specifically indicated, as Tomislav Majic and his colleagues from the Charit- Hospital, Berlin, show in the current issue of Deutsches -rzteblatt International.

21 May 2010

Clinical Infectious Diseases journal examines new scientific advances to curb HIV, TB epidemics

As US policymakers consider scaling back on its historic initiative to fight AIDS around the world and downsizing goals to combat tuberculosis, next-generation treatment and prevention strategies to significantly reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis are now imminent. New science can dramatically change the trajectory of both deadly epidemics, according to a special new issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

21 May 2010

Americans divided over nation’s drug approval process

Nearly three-quarters of Americans are confident in our system for reviewing the effectiveness and safety of new medicines and medical devices, yet 41% say it takes too long to approve a drug and allow it to be sold to consumers.

21 May 2010

Media examines recent Oxfam report on impact of aid to developing countries

In a recent report, Oxfam "outlines how aid has contributed to economic growth in poor countries by getting 33 million more children into school, boosting access to HIV drugs tenfold, funding tens of millions of anti-malaria bed nets, and building up health services," Reuters AlertNet reports (Rowling, 5/20).

21 May 2010

Dementia patients treated with neuroleptic drugs instead of anti-dementia medication: Study

Demented patients are often treated nonspecifically with psychoactive medications. Neuroleptic drugs are given even when they are not specifically indicated, as Tomislav Majic and his colleagues from the Charité Hospital, Berlin, show in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[18]: 320-7).

21 May 2010

Studies identify new chemical compounds that could lead to development of new malaria drugs

Researchers have identified thousands of chemical compounds that could be used to develop new malaria drugs, two studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday show, the Wall Street Journal reports.

21 May 2010

Narrow-band imaging could be novel tool for in vivo assessment of mucosal angiogenesis

Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in neoplastic and non-neoplastic chronic inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Several reports have shown that blockade of angiogenesis in preclinical models of IBD is a promising new therapeutic approach. Visualize angiogenesis in vivo may represent the first step for such a therapeutic approach. Narrow-band imaging (NBI) is a new endoscopic technology that highlights mucosal surface structures and microcapillaries.

21 May 2010

Medco: Big jump in kids' prescription drug use last year

Children's prescription drug use rose "several times faster" than adult use last year, "due in part to swine flu drugs and Type 2 diabetes medications, according to Medco Health Solutions Inc," The Associated Press reports. The "pharmacy benefits manager said a 5 percent increase in prescription drug use for children contributed to a 10.8 percent spending increase last year. In contrast, overall prescription drug use rose 1.3 percent, and drug spending climbed 3.7 percent. Medco released its annual drug trend report Wednesday" (Murphy, 5/19).

21 May 2010

Ariz. tax hike only a band-aid, and other state tales of budget woes

The Wall Street Journal: States are being squeezed by "shrinking state budgets and rising health-care costs" and often vulnerable residents are paying the price. Barbara Hickey, 67 of Florence, S.C., is one of them. She is confined to a motorized wheelchair, lives alone and "relies on certified nurse's assistants to get her in and out of bed, bathed, clothed and fed."

21 May 2010

WHA addresses counterfeit medicines

Discussions about combatting counterfeit medicines continued at the 63rd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on Wednesday, Agence France-Press reports

21 May 2010

Lawmakers probe consumer genetic testing kits

After Pathway Genomics proposed selling genetics tests directly to consumers without Food and Drug Administration approval and "despite concerns" about accuracy, lawmakers have launched an investigation and requested information about the products according to letters sent to three firms by a House panel, The Washington Post reports.

20 May 2010

Ingenix TrendView solution helps companies better understand, manage employee medical costs

Ingenix is launching Ingenix TrendView, an affordable, easy-to-use desktop solution designed to help companies better understand and manage a critical expense category - employee medical costs. Ingenix TrendView provides graphical views of consolidated employee benefits usage, enables scenario modeling, and uncovers opportunities for reducing medical costs and improving employee health.

20 May 2010

AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies announce Critical Care Pharmacology online nursing course

Elsevier/MC Strategies, a pioneer in providing e-learning solutions to more than 1,300 healthcare organizations, has partnered with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) to develop a series of online nursing courses. Today, AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies announced the first course in this series: AACN Critical Care Pharmacology.

20 May 2010

First Edition: May 20, 2010

Today's news includes the lastest developments regarding the Medicare pay fix and continuing analysis regarding how health reform votes will play into the 2010 electoral landscape.

20 May 2010

New study uses NMR in drug design

A new study by a team of researchers led by Jeffrey Peng, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame, is using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, to move drug design into groundbreaking consideration of the dynamic flexibility of drugs and their targets.

20 May 2010

Drugs News and Research

New data highlighting Pfizer's approach to cancer drug development to be presented at ASCO meeting

Researchers discover key gene that promotes development of common kidney cancer

AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies to develop online nursing courses

Routine cessation of clopidogrel in patients before colonoscopy polypectomy not necessary: Researchers

Rice University researcher receives 2010 Glycerine Innovation Award

Prescribing practices for dementia patients

Clinical Infectious Diseases journal examines new scientific advances to curb HIV, TB epidemics

Americans divided over nation’s drug approval process

Media examines recent Oxfam report on impact of aid to developing countries

Dementia patients treated with neuroleptic drugs instead of anti-dementia medication: Study

Studies identify new chemical compounds that could lead to development of new malaria drugs

Narrow-band imaging could be novel tool for in vivo assessment of mucosal angiogenesis

Medco: Big jump in kids' prescription drug use last year

Ariz. tax hike only a band-aid, and other state tales of budget woes

WHA addresses counterfeit medicines

Lawmakers probe consumer genetic testing kits

Ingenix TrendView solution helps companies better understand, manage employee medical costs

AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies announce Critical Care Pharmacology online nursing course

First Edition: May 20, 2010

New study uses NMR in drug design

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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