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Scientists discover new way to help save lives threatened by traumatic injuries

A discovery by scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation could help save lives threatened by traumatic injuries like those sustained in car crashes or on the battlefield. The work also holds potential for treating severe infectious diseases and diabetes.

26 Oct 2009

Emodin raises hope for treatment of fibrotic liver diseases

In the last decade, advances in the understanding of genes promoting hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation are impressive. However, there are few breakthroughs in therapeutic intervention of hepatic fibrogenesis. Efficient and well-tolerated antifibrotic drugs are lacking and current treatment of hepatic fibrosis is limited to withdrawal of the noxious agent. Research identifying innocuous antifibrotic agents is of high priority and urgently needed.

24 Oct 2009

Optical system for simultaneous imaging electrical and metabolic quantities in the heart

Cardiac rhythm disorders can result from disturbances in cardiac metabolism. These metabolic changes are tightly linked with specific cardiac electrophysiology (CEP) abnormalities, such as depressed excitability, impaired intra- and extracellular conductivities, wave propagation block, and alteration of conduction velocity, action potential amplitude, and duration.

24 Oct 2009

TreatmentReport.com aims to promote health system efficiency

While the Unites States Congress is busy debating the high costs of health care reform, TreatmentReport.com aims to promote health system efficiency by making treatment information structured and transparent. On the site, people with health conditions can review and share treatment experiences with those researching their options.

24 Oct 2009

Antidepressants are not effective for many people

More than half the people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief.

24 Oct 2009

UAB to create national database and repository to identify medications for rheumatoid arthritis

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is spearheading an effort to create a national database and repository to enable researchers to identify predictors of effectiveness of various treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

24 Oct 2009

Recent releases in Global Health

"The spread of dengue virus throughout the tropics represents a major, rapidly growing public health problem with an estimated 2.5 billion people at risk of dengue fever and the life-threatening disease, severe dengue," write the authors of a Lancet Infectious Diseases review that examines what is known about the virus and progress in the development of a dengue vaccine (Webster et. al, 11/09).

24 Oct 2009

MPI Research to assist Kineta in autoimmune drug development program

MPI Research, a preclinical Contract Research Organization (CRO), announced that it will be collaborating with Kineta, Inc, a Seattle-based privately held biotechnology company specializing in clinical advancement of drugs that modulate and enhance the human immune system.

24 Oct 2009

Health care changes forcing companies to adapt, could cost doctors

"Although thousands of doctors are converting their offices to electronic health records, a change the federal government supports with $19 billion in grants, there is a major catch — the government is still working on establishing a standard for e-records," the Las Vegas Sun reports. "Doctors who buy a software program could lose hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars, if their systems aren't compatible with the future government standard."

24 Oct 2009

TransMolecular announces final results from its Phase 2 clinical study of 131I-TM601

TransMolecular, Inc., a developer of innovative oncology drugs through targeted delivery technologies, today announced final results from its Phase 2 clinical study comparing the toxicity and overall survival of three versus six intracavitary injections of its anti-cancer compound 131I-TM601 in the treatment of recurrent malignant glioma.

24 Oct 2009

Keraderm raises $2.5 million from institutional investor

Keraderm Corp. announced the closing today of a $2.5 million dollar Series A investment by NewVa Capital Partners, LP. Currently starting clinical trials, the company's platform harnesses phototherapy technology to treat nail and skin infections. NewVa Capital Partners is a private equity and venture capital fund managed by Third Security, LLC and provides early stage investments in companies located or considering location in the NewVa region of southwest Virginia. This is Keraderm's first institutional investment round.

24 Oct 2009

U.S. District Court rules in favor of Allergan in its patent infringement suit against Exela PharmSci

Allergan, Inc. announced today that the United States District Court for the District of Delaware ruled in favor of Allergan, Inc. in its patent infringement suit against Exela PharmSci, Inc., Exela PharmSci Pvt., Ltd. ("Exela"), Apotex, Inc. and Apotex Corp. ("Apotex") (collectively, the "Defendants") for seeking to market purported generic versions of Allergan’s drugs ALPHAGAN® P (brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution) 0.1% and 0.15%. Specifically, after a trial in March of 2009, the Court ruled today that all five patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 6,627,210; 6,641,834; 6,673,337; 6,562,873; and 5,424,078) asserted by Allergan are valid and enforceable, that Apotex's proposed generic versions of ALPHAGAN® P 0.1% and 0.15% infringe each of the five patents, and that Exela's proposed generic version of ALPHAGAN® P 0.15% infringes U.S. Patent No. 6,641,834, which was the only patent asserted against it. Pursuant to the Hatch-Waxman Act, the United States Food and Drug Administration is required to delay approval of Defendants’ proposed generic products until the last to expire of the infringed patents, which is 2022.

24 Oct 2009

Efforts to measure support for the public option continue

Associated Press: Democratic leaders in Congress scrambled Friday to round up votes for allowing the government to sell health insurance in competition with private industry as they struggled to finalize a health care bill that meets President Barack Obama's goals." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spent Friday "calling and talking with wavering Democrats to test support for different versions of the plan."

24 Oct 2009

Campaign to end pediatric HIV/AIDS launched in Africa

At the launch of the Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA) on Thursday, advocate Graca Machel urged African leaders to redirect state spending to prevent and treat HIV infections among women and children, Agence France-Presse reports.

24 Oct 2009

Strict adherence in taking HIV medication; extremely difficult for many individuals

Highly active antiretroviral therapy has increased the longevity and quality of life for people living with human immunodeficiency virus. But it requires strict adherence in taking the medicine, something that is extremely difficult for many individuals to do.

23 Oct 2009

Physicians' recognize benefits of genetic testing; say formal education required to put it into practice

Medco Health Solutions, Inc.(NYSE: MHS) and the American Medical Association (AMA) today announced the findings of a national benchmark survey on physicians' acceptance, use and education regarding pharmacogenomic testing.

23 Oct 2009

Recent health policy studies and analyses

The Urban Institute: Age Rating Under Comprehensive Health Care Reform: Implications for Coverage, Costs, and Household Financial Burdens - The authors of this study brief compare the "financial implications of the premium rating policy," as outlined in the House Tri-Committee proposal (H.R. 3200), across households of different ages, incomes, and sizes.

23 Oct 2009

Follow healthy lifestyle to overturn genetic predisposition to heart disease

When it comes to heart disease, lifestyle usually trumps genetics, says noted genetic researcher Dr. Robert Hegele, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Lecturer at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009.

23 Oct 2009

Adult male monkeys exposed to cocaine while in the womb have poor impulse control

Adult male monkeys exposed to cocaine while in the womb have poor impulse control and may be more vulnerable to drug abuse than female monkeys, even a decade or more after the exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The findings could lead to a better understanding of human drug abuse.

23 Oct 2009

ISHLT Infectious Disease Council issues new H1N1 advisory for cardiothoracic transplantation programs

Each year 3-5 million people have severe cases and 250-500,000 die from complications of seasonal influenza world-wide. This year, the novel 2009 H1N1 (nH1N1) influenza, previously called swine flu, has reached pandemic status.

23 Oct 2009

Drugs News and Research

Scientists discover new way to help save lives threatened by traumatic injuries

Emodin raises hope for treatment of fibrotic liver diseases

Optical system for simultaneous imaging electrical and metabolic quantities in the heart

TreatmentReport.com aims to promote health system efficiency

Antidepressants are not effective for many people

UAB to create national database and repository to identify medications for rheumatoid arthritis

Recent releases in Global Health

MPI Research to assist Kineta in autoimmune drug development program

Health care changes forcing companies to adapt, could cost doctors

TransMolecular announces final results from its Phase 2 clinical study of 131I-TM601

Keraderm raises $2.5 million from institutional investor

U.S. District Court rules in favor of Allergan in its patent infringement suit against Exela PharmSci

Efforts to measure support for the public option continue

Campaign to end pediatric HIV/AIDS launched in Africa

Strict adherence in taking HIV medication; extremely difficult for many individuals

Physicians' recognize benefits of genetic testing; say formal education required to put it into practice

Recent health policy studies and analyses

Follow healthy lifestyle to overturn genetic predisposition to heart disease

Adult male monkeys exposed to cocaine while in the womb have poor impulse control

ISHLT Infectious Disease Council issues new H1N1 advisory for cardiothoracic transplantation programs

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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