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Synthetic biology extends anti-malaria drug artemisinin's effectiveness

In addition to providing a simple and much less expensive means of making artemisinin, the most powerful anti-malaria drug in use today, synthetic biology can also help to extend the effectiveness of this drug.

8 Mar 2009

Polymer-coated spheres provide bring possibilities for pharma

Amphiphilic molecules, which have one water-friendly (hydrophilic) end and one water-repellant (hydrophobic) end, spontaneously aggregate in aqueous solutions to make superstructures like capsules or bilayers.

8 Mar 2009

Drug therapy for brain tumors shows promise

The combination of two drugs produces a critical improvement in the treatment of certain brain tumours.

8 Mar 2009

New Stanford list of HIV mutations vital to tracking AIDS epidemic

In a collaborative study with the World Health Organization and seven other laboratories, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have compiled a list of 93 common mutations of the AIDS virus associated with drug resistance that will be used to track future resistance trends throughout the world.

5 Mar 2009

New DNA test is basis for groundbreaking IVF refund plan

The Sher Institutes of Reproductive Medicine (SIRM) announced today the introduction of the world's first CGH-Risk Sharing Plan that guarantees qualified IVF patients a baby or offers a full refund of the clinic's medical fees.

5 Mar 2009

Serious flaws in study on vitamin C treatment in cancer

Serious flaws in a recent study, which concluded that high doses of vitamin C reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of cancer, are revealed in the current issue of Alternative and Complementary Therapies.

5 Mar 2009

Saving heart attack patients in the middle of the night

When Joyce Moss recently arrived at Loyola University Hospital with a life-threatening heart attack, it took just 42 minutes to perform an emergency balloon angioplasty.

5 Mar 2009

Ranbaxy secures FDA approval for quinapril hydrochloride + hydrochlorothiazide tablets

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals has announced approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market Quinapril Hydrochloride & Hydrochlorothiazide (Quinapril + HCTZ) Tablets, 10mg/12.5mg, 20mg/12.5mg and 20mg/25mg.

5 Mar 2009

Pulmonary hypertension in children may result from reduced activity of gene regulator

Too little activity by gene regulators called PPARs appears to be a major player in the irreversible lung damage that can occur in children with heart defects, researchers say.

5 Mar 2009

Seniors may be more affected by social drinking

Older adults may be more affected by a couple of glasses of wine than their younger counterparts are -- yet they are less likely to be aware of it, a new study suggests.

5 Mar 2009

Brain tumor treatment may increase number of cancer stem-like cells

A new study suggests that the standard treatment for a common brain tumor increases the aggressiveness of surviving cancer cells, possibly leaving patients more vulnerable to tumor recurrence.

5 Mar 2009

Tanzania to introduce ACTs to prevent drug-resistant malaria

Tanzania's government plans to introduce artemisinin-based combination malaria treatments to prevent the development of drug resistance, the Guardian/IPP Media reports.

5 Mar 2009

Employers plan to reduce contributions to employees' premiums in 2010, survey says

Two out of every three U.S. employers are examining ways to reduce the amount they contribute to employees' health care expenses in 2010, according to a study by Hewitt Associates, the Chicago Tribune reports. In addition, Hewitt said 4% of U.S. employers are planning "to discontinue providing health care benefits altogether."

5 Mar 2009

Pharmacies offering no-cost antibiotics should promote responsible use, CDC says

CDC last week sent out letters to several chain pharmacies that offer no-cost prescription antibiotics to low-income consumers urging them to promote responsible use of antibiotics, the New York Times reports.

5 Mar 2009

Dorgan, McCain, Snowe introduce bill to allow prescription drug reimportation

Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) on Wednesday introduced a bill (S 525) that would allow the reimportation of lower-cost prescription drugs from other nations, Bloomberg reports.

5 Mar 2009

Supreme Court rules against Wyeth in pre-emption case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled 6-3 that consumers harmed by an FDA-approved pharmaceutical product can sue the drugmaker for liability in state courts, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/5).

5 Mar 2009

Obama hosts health care summit at White House

A White House health care summit hosted on Thursday by President Obama will enable attendees to discuss reform proposals for the U.S. health care system, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/5).

5 Mar 2009

HIV/AIDS advocates in Thailand urge government to maintain compulsory license program

HIV/AIDS advocates in Thailand plan to meet with officials to urge the government not to restrict its compulsory license program, which allows people in the country to access low-cost, generic versions of drugs such as antiretroviral medications, AFP/Google.com reports.

5 Mar 2009

Combination of genes and prenatal exposure to smoking increases teens' risk of disruptive behavior

A study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a component of the National Institutes of Health, shows that prenatal exposure to smoking combined with a specific genetic variant places children at greatest risk for behavioral problems.

5 Mar 2009

Rituximab reduces kidney inflammation in patients with severe lupus nephritis

Treatment with the targeted drug rituximab can significantly benefit some patients with severe lupus nephritis who do not respond to conventional therapy, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

4 Mar 2009