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FDA forces manufacturers of TNF-blockers to highlight risk of fungal infections

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that the manufacturers of Humira, Cimzia, Enbrel, and Remicade must strengthen the existing warnings, in the Warnings and Precaution sections of the drugs' prescribing information and Medication Guides, on the risk of developing opportunistic fungal infections. Some patients with invasive fungal infections have died.

5 Sep 2008

Link found between Apobec3 gene and neutralizing antibody response to retrovirus

Scientists have uncovered new evidence that strengthens the link between a host-cell gene called Apobec3 and the production of neutralizing antibodies to retroviruses. Published in the Sept. 5 issue of Science, the finding adds a new dimension to the set of possible explanations for why most people who are infected with HIV do not make neutralizing antibodies that effectively fight the virus.

4 Sep 2008

Unsuccessful drug against anxiety opens a novel gateway for the treatment of cancer

According a new study, unsatisfying drug for anxiety reveals scientists a promising novel anti-cancer drug target.

4 Sep 2008

Zimbabwe lifts ban on aid groups; organizations still face difficulties providing assistance

Zimbabwe on Friday lifted an almost three-month ban on the work of aid groups in the country, which the government had imposed because it said some of the groups had supported the opposition to President Robert Mugabe, the New York Times reports (Dugger, New York Times, 8/30).

4 Sep 2008

Anadis to commercialise "BioGard" adjunctive therapy for HIV/AIDS

Anadis announced today its commercialization of a new product, BioGard, intended to maintain gastrointestinal and immune system health. The specific formulation may be of particular clinical benefit in persons undergoing antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS.

4 Sep 2008

The power of cigarettes not just down to nicotine

According to new research from the U.S., it may not just be nicotine which gives cigarettes their power but rather how it enhances other experiences.

4 Sep 2008

Stress and depression compromising the safety of Australia's truck drivers

A new report raises concerns about the mental well being of many of Australia's truck drivers.

4 Sep 2008

Merck Serono and Ablynx to jointly develop nanobodies

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Ablynx, to co-discover and co-develop Nanobodies against two targets in oncology and immunology. The agreement includes an upfront cash payment to Ablynx of EUR10 million.

4 Sep 2008

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals initiates phase I/II clinical trial in patients with peripheral arterial disease

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC, a clinical-stage drug-development company commercializing new drugs for the treatment of unmet medical needs, announced today that it has begun to enroll patients in a Phase I/II clinical trial of its lead drug candidate trans sodium crocetinate (TSC).

3 Sep 2008

Vimpat (lacosamide) approved in Europe

UCB announced today that the European Commission (EC) has approved Vimpat (lacosamide) as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial-onset seizures with or without secondary generalisation in patients with epilepsy aged 16 years and older. Vimpat is the first new antiepileptic drug (AED) for partial-onset seizures in three years and offers a new treatment option for European patients living with uncontrolled partial-onset epilepsy.

3 Sep 2008

Alte Biosciences files patent for novel inflammatory bowel disease drugs

Alte Bioscience, Inc., a development stage pharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce the filing of a provisional patent for a new class of drugs that may benefit patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

3 Sep 2008

MRSA breast infections controllable in nursing mothers, researchers find

Many nursing mothers who have been hospitalized for breast abscesses are afflicted with the "superbug" methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, but according to new research by UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians, conservative treatment can deal with the problem.

3 Sep 2008

Concern raised again about heart drugs Zetia and Vytorin

The editors of the New England Journal of Medicine have raised concern regarding the cholesterol-lowering drugs Zetia and Vytorin.

3 Sep 2008

Charity says using Valium as a substitute for heroin, increases overdose risk

A drug charity in Britain says increasing numbers of drug users are turning to the tranquilliser Valium (diazepam) as a substitute for heroin.

3 Sep 2008

Why bypass surgery helps in diabetes

To manage obesity, various different surgical procedures can be performed on the stomach, including so-called bypass surgery in which, as well as reducing the size of the stomach, a bypass is created to send food directly into the distal gut (which, before the operation, is far from the stomach).

3 Sep 2008

Oxidative stress: mechanism of cell death clarified

Dr. Marcus Conrad of the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology and Tumor Genetics at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen has decrypted the molecular mechanism through which the death of cells is caused by oxidative stress.

3 Sep 2008

Men who have too much calcium in their bloodstreams may increase risk of fatal prostate cancer

Men who have too much calcium in their bloodstreams may have an increased risk of fatal prostate cancer, according to a new analysis from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin.

3 Sep 2008

Sri Lankan health official says strong family bonds, values responsible for low prevalence of HIV/AIDS in country

Supportive family values and strong family bonds, in addition to the practice of monogamy, have contributed to the low prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Sri Lanka, Health Care and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said recently at the second Asia Pacific Regional Meeting on universal access to HIV prevention in the Philippines, Sri Lanka's Daily News reports.

2 Sep 2008

$HIV-positive people might be at increased risk of bone fractures, study finds$

HIV-positive people might be at increased risk of bone fractures, study finds

As HIV-positive people live longer primarily because of antiretroviral treatment, they might face an increased risk of bone fractures, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital reported last week, Xinhua/Individual.com reports.

2 Sep 2008

Researchers find genetic proof on how osteoarthritis destroys cartilage

A team of orthopaedic researchers has found definitive, genetic proof of how the most common form of arthritis destroys joint cartilage in nearly 21 million aging Americans, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. The findings serve as an important foundation for the design of new treatments for osteoarthritis (OA), researchers said.

2 Sep 2008