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Orexo and Boehringer Ingelheim extend collaboration

Orexo AB, the Swedish pharmaceutical company and Boehringer Ingelheim, the international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, have extended their existing three year research collaboration for a further 12 months from November 2008.

8 Sep 2008

The Cancer Genome Atlas reports first results

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) has reported results from its first comprehensive study which focused on the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma.

8 Sep 2008

Catching the blood cell bus gives fatal yeast infection a clean getaway

Yeast fungus cells that kill thousands of AIDS patients every year escape detection by our bodies' defences by hiding inside our own defence cells, and hitch a ride through our systems before attacking and spreading, scientists heard today (Tuesday 9 September 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's 163rd meeting being held this week at Trinity College, Dublin.

8 Sep 2008

'Black sheep protein' key to cancer cell death

A neglected member of an important family of proteins could boost the effectiveness of an exciting new group of cancer drugs - reveals a study in Cancer Cell.

8 Sep 2008

New treatment for diabetics identified

Some of the most serious health complications associated with diabetes could be prevented or delayed by taking a widely available cholesterol-lowering drug which has already been on the market for three decades, new research has shown.

8 Sep 2008

Common painkillers may lower a man's risk of prostate cancer

Scientists are suggesting that common painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen could possibly lower a man's risk of developing prostate cancer

8 Sep 2008

Once a week treatment for type 2 diabetes in the pipeline

Canadian researchers have found that a weekly treatment for type 2 diabetes has proved safe and effective for patients.

8 Sep 2008

About 85% of insurers' marketing materials for prescription drug plans do not meet Medicare guidelines, audit finds

Nearly 85% of the marketing materials used by private prescription drug plans to reach Medicare beneficiaries do not fully meet CMS guidelines, according to a report released Thursday by the HHS Office of Inspector General, CQ HealthBeat reports.

7 Sep 2008

U.N. report finds donors providing less aid to developing nations

Despite rising food and energy prices and slowing economic growth worldwide, aid to developing nations has been on the decline, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the New York Times reports.

7 Sep 2008

Community health workers in Cameroon receive training to diagnose, treat malaria

Approximately 120 community health workers in the Kumba district of Cameroon have been trained to identify, diagnose and treat malaria in an effort to eradicate the disease in the district, Kumba District Medical Officer Orok Bate said, the Post reports.

7 Sep 2008

Advocates in Swaziland call for democratic reforms, social spending to address issues such as HIV/AIDS

About 1,000 people in the Swazi city of Manzini held a protest on Wednesday, calling for democratic reforms and increased social spending to address issues such as HIV/AIDS in the country, Reuters Africa reports.

7 Sep 2008

Injections of N-acetyl cysteine may help 'chemobrain'

Cancer patients have complained for years about the mental fog known as chemobrain. Now in animal studies at West Virginia University, researchers have discovered that injections of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, can prevent the memory loss that breast cancer chemotherapy drugs sometimes induce.

7 Sep 2008

60% of women use herbal products during pregnancy

Almost 60% of women use at least one herbal product during pregnancy, research launched at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester has revealed.

7 Sep 2008

Patients at risk from unnecessary tubes

A third of patients have unnecessary tubes (cannulae) inserted when they are in hospital, needlessly exposing them to serious complications such as infection and blood clots, research launched at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester has shown.

7 Sep 2008

Simple hardness test detects fake medicines

The fight against fake medicines could soon be aided by a small, portable device that quickly measures the hardness of a tablet, revealing whether it is counterfeit, according to research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference (BPC) in Manchester.

7 Sep 2008

Atomic structure of the mammalian "fatty acid factory" determined

Mammalian fatty acid synthase is one of the most complex molecular synthetic machines in human cells. It is also a promising target for the development of anti-cancer and anti-obesity drugs and the treatment of metabolic disorders. Now researchers at ETH Zurich have determined the atomic structure of a mammalian fatty acid synthase. Their results have just been published in Science magazine.

7 Sep 2008

Rattlesnake-type poisons used by superbug bacteria to beat our defences

Colonies of hospital superbugs can make poisons similar to those found in rattlesnake venom to attack our bodies' natural defences, scientists heard today (Monday 8 September 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting being held this week at Trinity College, Dublin.

7 Sep 2008

FDA to post quarterly report of potential drug safety issues

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has posted on its Web site its first quarterly report that lists certain drugs that are being evaluated for potential safety issues. The drugs have been identified based on a review of reports in FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS).

7 Sep 2008

Free drug samples may end up costing uninsured more

Free drug samples provided to physicians by pharmaceutical companies could actually be costing uninsured patients more in the long run, according to a study done by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.

7 Sep 2008

Trastuzumab-DM1 - a 'smart bomb' for breast cancer treatment

Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) investigators have found that "smart bomb" therapies are effective in treating breast cancer patients while minimizing side effects.

7 Sep 2008