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Statins may have negative effects on some cardiac patients, says study

Although statins are widely used to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular disorders, new research shows that the class of drugs may actually have negative effects on some cardiac patients. A new study presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that statins have beneficial effects on patients with systolic heart failure (SHF), but those with diastolic heart failure (DHF) experienced the opposite effect, including increased dyspnea, fatigue, and decreased exercise tolerance.

4 Nov 2009

AMFm subsidized malaria drugs to be delivered soon

Subsidized artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) under the Affordable Medicines Facility - malaria (AMFm) program will be available in select countries "in two week's time," SABC News reports. The announcement came Monday at the 5th Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.

4 Nov 2009

Possible cure for Parkinson's disease

Researchers at Iowa State University have found an essential key to possibly cure Parkinson's disease and are looking for others.

4 Nov 2009

Foamix' emollient foam platform awarded Mexican patent

Foamix Ltd., a leading developer of topical foams for dermatological and gynecological use, announced today that it has been awarded Mexican Patent Registration No. 268451 entitled "Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Foam." The patent covers Foamix's vehicles, compositions and cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses thereof based on the company's Emollient Foam technology platform.

4 Nov 2009

GenVec receives FDA orphan drug designation for TNFerade

GenVec, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to TNFerade(TM) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

4 Nov 2009

Conflicts of interest examined between doctors and medical industry, AARP and reform

Health care reform bills include provisions to examine the financial relationships between doctors and the medical industry while some are questioning the AARP's role in reform.

4 Nov 2009

PAH patients face life-threatening risks from medication errors

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients using infused drugs have suffered serious injury or in some cases died from medication errors in hospitals and other inpatient settings, according to a peer-reviewed study by Accredo Health Group and several university hospitals that surveyed doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

4 Nov 2009

Third quarter 2009 financial results announced by Affymax

Affymax, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009. The net loss for the third quarter of 2009 was $18.4 million compared to a net loss of $26.2 million for the third quarter of 2008.

4 Nov 2009

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Roche team up to develop specific RNAi therapeutic products

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has advanced to the RNAi therapeutic collaboration stage of its landmark alliance with Roche formed in 2007.

4 Nov 2009

Shire receives FDA Priority Review for velaglucerase alfa NDA

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review for the New Drug Application (NDA) for velaglucerase alfa, the company's enzyme replacement therapy in development for the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher disease.

4 Nov 2009

Third quarter 2009 financial results announced by Synta Pharmaceuticals

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2009.

4 Nov 2009

Safeguard Scientifics reports financial results for the third quarter of 2009

Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., a holding company that builds value in growth-stage life sciences and technology companies, today announced that third quarter consolidated net loss from continuing operations attributable to Safeguard common shareholders was $11.6 million, or $0.57 per share, compared with a net loss of $4.1 million, or $0.20 per share, in the same period of 2008.

4 Nov 2009

Scientific and medical community mourns the loss of Emeritus Professor James Boyer Brown

The scientific and medical community mourns the loss of our esteemed colleague and good friend Emeritus Professor James Boyer Brown AM, MSc (NZ), PhD (Edin), MSc (Melb), DSc (Edin), FRANZCOG (Ad Eundem), Life Member Fertility Society of Australia, Life Member Endocrine Society of Australia, who passed away on Saturday 31st October 2009, aged 90.

4 Nov 2009

Report on the global anti-infectives market

MarketResearch.com has announced the addition of Kalorama Information's new report "The Worldwide Market for Anti-Infectives (Antifungals, Antibacterials and Antivirals)," to their collection of Healthcare market reports.

4 Nov 2009

Reduced VEGF can lead to degeneration of retina

Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have found that when the eye is missing a diffusible form of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), i.e. one that when secreted can reach other cells at a distance, the retina shows defects similar to "dry" macular degeneration, also called geographic atrophy (GA).

4 Nov 2009

Researchers to find better ways to manage chronic pain by treating neuroinflammation

Thanks to a two year, $974,024 NIH-funded ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) grant, Saint Louis University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville researchers are working to find better ways to manage chronic pain by treating neuroinflammation.

4 Nov 2009

Scientists develop technique to predict new target diseases for existing drugs

Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco have developed and experimentally tested a technique to predict new target diseases for existing drugs.

4 Nov 2009

Survey shows majority of rheumatologists would prescribe Actemra drug for rheumatoid arthritis

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that 98 percent of surveyed rheumatologists indicate they will prescribe Roche's Actemra, an interleukin-6 inhibitor, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis following the agent's expected launch in 2010.

4 Nov 2009

Canadian patients have less access to the latest medicines, says report

Canadian patients have less access to the latest medicines when compared to the world's developed countries, concludes a comprehensive new report released today. The Report shows Canada ranks 20th out of 25 OECD countries in public reimbursement of new drug therapies. Canada's grade of 56% is comparable with Iceland, Slovakia and Turkey.

4 Nov 2009

Scientists identify compounds that hold promise for treating parasitic infection

Using an unconventional approach that they designed, University of Pittsburgh drug discoverers and their collaborators at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have identified compounds that hold promise for treating leishmaniasis, a parasitic infection that many consider one of the world's most overlooked diseases.

4 Nov 2009