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Research reveals how cancers shield themselves from immune attack

Melanoma, if not detected in its early stages, transforms into a highly deadly, treatment-resistant cancer. Although the immune system initially responds to melanoma and mounts anti-tumor attacks, these assaults are generally ineffective, allowing more advanced melanomas to win the battle and spread beyond the primary site.

13 Jan 2010

FDA, Biovista to collaborate in analysis of drug side effects

Biovista Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has licensed its technology platform to help analyze, identify, and better understand the way certain drugs can cause harmful side effects.

13 Jan 2010

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals achieves its enrollment target in second of two apaziquone Phase 3 trials

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals today announced that the second of two Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials of apaziquone has achieved its enrollment target. The two trials enrolled more than 1600 patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. As per the collaboration agreement with Allergan, a $1.5 million milestone payment will be paid to Spectrum Pharmaceuticals.

13 Jan 2010

UNAIDS chief calls for reduction in MTCT in Africa

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe on Monday during a five-day trip in Kenya, called for a drastic reduction in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, Capital News reports. "In our continent we still have 400,000 babies born every year with HIV and we know if we are capable of making sure that testing will become available universally to all our pregnant women, (and) that pregnant women also have access to treatment, we will prevent the transmission," Sidibe said (Karong'o, 1/11).

13 Jan 2010

TD2 and COTI work together to obtain approval of clinical trials for COTI-2

TGen Drug Development (TD2) and Critical Outcome Technologies Inc. (COTI) (TSXV:COT) announced today that they will work together to obtain approval of clinical trials for a promising new anti-cancer drug called COTI-2.

12 Jan 2010

Miami resident pleads guilty to conspiring in Medicare fraud program

Miami resident Ingrid Mazorra pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Miami to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Terrence I. Berg of the Eastern District of Michigan; Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office; and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).

12 Jan 2010

GAO: Some meds had 'extraordinary' price hikes over past eight years

A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued Monday finds that "[p]rices on a growing number of prescription medications have ballooned in recent years as consolidation in the drug industry leaves fewer companies manufacturing niche medications," The Associated Press reports.

12 Jan 2010

miRagen Therapeutics establishes SAB

miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on improving patients’ lives by developing innovative microRNA (miRNA)-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and muscle disease, announced today the formation of the company’s world renowned Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB was established to provide miRagen with valuable guidance in developing an extensive pipeline of microRNA-based drugs and is comprised of leaders who are internationally recognized experts in their respective fields.

12 Jan 2010

VentiRx Pharmaceuticals completes $25 million Series A Extension

VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel Toll-Like Receptor 8 (TLR8) candidates for the treatment of cancer, respiratory and inflammatory diseases, announced today the completion of a $25 million Series A Extension.

12 Jan 2010

NanoViricides outlines its technology and current drug programs at Biotech Showcase conference

NanoViricides, Inc. (the "Company"), reports that the Company has been invited to present on January 12th at the Biotech Showcase™, a conference designed to showcase promising companies and technologies for partnering and investment purposes.

12 Jan 2010

Pfizer/Medivation's AD drug Dimebon may garner peak year sales of $1.5 billion

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, if Pfizer/Medivation's Dimebon shows efficacy in two ongoing clinical trials in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease that is equivalent to the impressive clinical trial data it has already shown to date in mild to moderate patients, these positive data would promote the use of Dimebon throughout the course of the disease.

12 Jan 2010

New GAO report shows price increase for brand-name drugs doubles from 2000 to 2008

A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that finds “extraordinary price increases” for brand-name drug products from 2000 – 2008 was largely fueled by the “lack of therapeutically equivalent drugs” and “limited competition,” underscores the need for policymakers to promote policies in health reform which increase competition and lower costs, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) said today.

12 Jan 2010

HMP Communications' Managed Care – First Report journal to be rebranded as First Report – Managed Care

HMP Communications, a leader in healthcare communications and education, announced today that its highly-rated Managed Care – First Report journal will be rebranded as First Report – Managed Care, covering clinical, economic, and legislative developments affecting managed markets, beginning with its January 2010 issue.

12 Jan 2010

Reducing DA dosage causes acute withdrawal symptoms in Parkinson's patients

New research has shown that reducing the dosage of dopamine agonist (DA) drugs, a mainstay treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), sometimes causes acute withdrawal symptoms similar to those reported by cocaine addicts -- including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, sweating, nausea, generalized pain, fatigue, dizziness and drug cravings. These symptoms can be severe, and are not alleviated by other PD medications.

12 Jan 2010

Prescribing culture of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes examined

Older adults newly admitted to nursing homes with high rates of antipsychotic prescribing in the previous year are more likely to receive antipsychotic agents, according to a report in the January 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Of these treated patients, some had no identified clinical indication for this therapy.

12 Jan 2010

American Heart Association encourages more Americans to get vaccinated against H1N1

The American Heart Association supports National Influenza Vaccination Week, Jan. 10-16, an effort led by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to encourage more Americans to get vaccinated against H1N1.

12 Jan 2010

New findings would allow doctors to tailor drug cocktails for particular viral strains

Chemists at UC San Diego and statisticians at Harvard University have developed a novel way to trace mutations in HIV that lead to drug resistance. Their findings, once expanded to the full range of drugs available to treat the infection, would allow doctors to tailor drug cocktails to the particular strains of the virus found in individual patients.

12 Jan 2010

Web-based lesson voted "Educational Product of the Year"

"Principles of Rational Prescribing," a web-based lesson developed by faculty at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, was voted "Educational Product of the Year" recently among products developed by 40 academic geriatrics programs in the United States.

12 Jan 2010

Atypical antipsychotic use for treating elderly patients with dementia decreases

The use of atypical antipsychotics to treat elderly patients with dementia appears to have decreased following a 2005 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory regarding the risks of these medications in this population, according to a report in the January 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Jan 2010

CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic urge Americans to protect themselves with H1N1 vaccine

CVS/pharmacy, the nation's leading retail pharmacy and MinuteClinic, the largest retail health care provider in the U.S., is urging more Americans to protect themselves and their families with an H1N1 vaccine during National Influenza Vaccination Week (January 10-16) as designated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

12 Jan 2010

Drugs News and Research

Research reveals how cancers shield themselves from immune attack

FDA, Biovista to collaborate in analysis of drug side effects

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals achieves its enrollment target in second of two apaziquone Phase 3 trials

UNAIDS chief calls for reduction in MTCT in Africa

TD2 and COTI work together to obtain approval of clinical trials for COTI-2

Miami resident pleads guilty to conspiring in Medicare fraud program

GAO: Some meds had 'extraordinary' price hikes over past eight years

miRagen Therapeutics establishes SAB

VentiRx Pharmaceuticals completes $25 million Series A Extension

NanoViricides outlines its technology and current drug programs at Biotech Showcase conference

Pfizer/Medivation's AD drug Dimebon may garner peak year sales of $1.5 billion

New GAO report shows price increase for brand-name drugs doubles from 2000 to 2008

HMP Communications' Managed Care – First Report journal to be rebranded as First Report – Managed Care

Reducing DA dosage causes acute withdrawal symptoms in Parkinson's patients

Prescribing culture of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes examined

American Heart Association encourages more Americans to get vaccinated against H1N1

New findings would allow doctors to tailor drug cocktails for particular viral strains

Web-based lesson voted "Educational Product of the Year"

Atypical antipsychotic use for treating elderly patients with dementia decreases

CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic urge Americans to protect themselves with H1N1 vaccine

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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