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FDA approves new nonprescription allergy drug Zyrtec-D

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zyrtec-D (cetirizine HCl 5 mg and pseudoephedrine HCl 120 mg), an allergy drug, for nonprescription use in adults and children 12 years of age and older. This drug combines an antihistamine with a nasal decongestant.

13 Nov 2007

Factor key to severity of community-associated methicillin-resistant staph infections identified

Newly described proteins in drug-resistant strains of the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium attract and then destroy protective human white blood cells - a key process ensuring that S. aureus survives and causes severe disease, according to scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

13 Nov 2007

Early, routine testing for HIV is key to curbing the disease among teens

Half of all new HIV infections in the United States occur among 13 to 24 year olds, but adolescents rarely seek HIV testing. Now, new research from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center suggests that early and widespread testing - both in schools and community centers - may be the key to effectively curbing the spread of HIV within this age group.

13 Nov 2007

H5 avian influenza found on Suffolk poultry farm

The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed avian influenza in turkeys on premises near Diss on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Preliminary tests were positive for the H5 strain.

13 Nov 2007

75% of Medicare beneficiaries with stand-alone prescription drug plans could face premium increases in 2008

The open enrollment period for the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit begins Thursday and continues through the end of the year, and beneficiaries should "look closely" at their plans because many of them are increasing premiums, copayments and deductibles, the Baltimore Sun reports.

12 Nov 2007

Health officials to discuss links between commercial sex work, HIV transmission in Baltimore

Health officials from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Baltimore Health Department plan to hold the first in a series of meetings this month to discuss the links between commercial sex work and HIV transmission in an effort to curb the spread of the disease in the Baltimore area, the Baltimore Sun reports (Bor, Baltimore Sun, 11/9).

12 Nov 2007

Former Chair of Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS Hitt passes away

R. Scott Hitt -- a former HIV/AIDS physician and former chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the Clinton administration -- died Thursday of colon cancer at his home in West Hollywood, Calif., according to Hitt's friend and West Hollywood Mayor John Duran, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

12 Nov 2007

Potential block buster on the horizon - new vaccine to control high blood pressure

A vaccine that would help people control their blood pressure is showing promise in early trials.

7 Nov 2007

Molecular docking unlocks function of enzymes

Fitting a key into a lock may seem like a simple task, but researchers at Texas A&M University are using a method that involves testing thousands of keys to unlock the functions of enzymes, and their findings could open the door for new targets for drug designs.

6 Nov 2007

Interaction between nicotine and alcohol impacts learning

The interaction between nicotine and alcohol, two of the most abused and co-abused drugs, can impact a person's ability to learn and could have implications for treating addiction, according to researchers at Temple University.

6 Nov 2007

New liver model for drug tests

In the early stages of drug development, a drug’s effect is tested in animal experiments.

6 Nov 2007

Printed human organs!

Each year, pharmaceutical companies invest millions of dollars to test drugs, many of which will never reach the market because of side effects found only during human clinical trials.

6 Nov 2007

Brain appears to play important role in glucose metabolism and insulin action

An appetite-suppressing chemical also improves glucose tolerance and lowers insulin levels in obese and diabetic mice, researchers report in the November issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press.

6 Nov 2007

Lungs' pressure needn't threaten heart transplant survival

Heart surgeons at Johns Hopkins say people who need heart transplants can largely avoid transplant failure due to elevated blood pressure in their lungs with the help of proper drug treatment.

6 Nov 2007

Community computer grid squeezes speeds cancer research

Canadian researchers expect to accelerate the war on cancer by tapping into a global network of hundreds of thousands of people who volunteer their idle computer time to tackle some of the world's most complex problems.

6 Nov 2007

Hepatitis C treatment reduces the virus but serious liver problems may progress

Patients with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease who did not respond to previous standard therapy experienced significant decreases in their liver enzymes, viral levels, and liver inflammation following treatment with long-term pegylated interferon.

6 Nov 2007

Synthetic version of chlorotoxin shows promise in treatment of brain tumors

A drug developed and tested at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) targeted at malignant brain tumors known as glioma has shown promising results in a Phase 1 trial, according to results presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology annual meeting.

6 Nov 2007