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New tool for study of carbohydrates could aid drug research

While many dieters are trying to cut carbs, a University of New Hampshire (UNH) biochemist has invented a way to capture them so scientists can more easily study their structure.

13 Apr 2004

Foreign drug repackager complies with FDA order

The Food and Drug Administration today announced the settlement of a court case against an Illinois firm involved last year in FDA's seizure of thousands of imported unapproved drugs, including those that were labeled in foreign languages and/or labeled as repacked.

13 Apr 2004

FDA makes moves to block foreign drug imports

The Food and Drug Administration today announced a new partnership with the Virginia Pharmacists Association to distribute consumer educational materials outlining the risks of purchasing medicines outside of FDA’s regulatory scope. Over the past month, FDA has co-sponsored agreements with state pharmacists associations in Illinois, California, Texas, Maryland, New York, and Nebraska, and the Agency anticipates that additional agreements will be signed in the weeks ahead.

13 Apr 2004

Manchester - Rise in Stranger Homicides not Linked to Mental Illness

Stranger homicides have increased, but this is not the result of homicides committed by mentally ill people and the "care in the community" policy, finds a study by researchers at The University of Manchester in this week's British Medical Journal. Instead, stranger homicides are more likely to be related to alcohol or drug misuse.

13 Apr 2004

Researchers find next generation of medications to help schizophrenics

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found that a new generation of medications called "atypical antipsychotics" can significantly lower the risk of violent behavior in people with schizophrenia who are being treated in community-based centers.

13 Apr 2004

Welsh plaster invention will help diabetics

A revolutionary plaster developed in Wales could mean an end to the daily grind of injections suffered by diabetics.

12 Apr 2004

Medicare to launch website showing comparative drug pricing

Medicare has announced it will be publishishing detailed information comparing the prices of most prescription drugs, which is set to shake up the pharmaceutical industry.

12 Apr 2004

Latest developments in prostate cancer research

New research on genes linked to hereditary prostate cancer helps scientists better understand how prostate cancer grows. Tests to find abnormal prostate cancer genes could also help tell which men are at high risk. They could then be tested more often. Further research could provide answers about the chemical changes that lead to prostate cancer. Then, perhaps, we could design drugs to reverse those changes.

12 Apr 2004

Sponsors of Medicare-approved discount cards will begin marketing their cards

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) announced last week that 28 private sponsors will offer 49 different Medicare-sponsored drug discount cards, beginning June 1. Additionally, 43 private health plans have received CMS approval to offer Medicare drug discount cards to their members only.

11 Apr 2004

FDA issues warning againts street drug alternatives

FDA issued a warning in February 2004, about adverse events experienced by four teenagers after they consumed Green Hornet Liquid that contained high levels of the over-the-counter drugs diphenhydramine and dextromethorphan.

11 Apr 2004

Bush Administration Undermining World Health Organisation Guidelines

Since the release of President George W. Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the U.S. global AIDS coordinator and former CEO of Eli Lilly, Randall Tobias, and other Bush administration officials have made public remarks that question the quality of generic antiretroviral drugs and undermine international quality standards set by the World Health Organization.

11 Apr 2004

Study suggests ways to prevent prostate cancer

Current information on prostate cancer risk factors suggests that some cases might be prevented. One possible risk factor that can be changed is diet. You may be able to reduce your risk of prostate cancer by changing the way you eat.

11 Apr 2004

Ephedra - herbal stimulant sales illegal as of Monday

Sales of the herbal stimulant ephedra become illegal in the United States on Monday, barring a last-minute reprieve from a federal judge.

11 Apr 2004

A revolutionary new plaster could help diabetics

The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) has given $220,000 US to researchers working on the new plaster, which contains a tiny pump to deliver insulin or other drugs.

11 Apr 2004

More Americans resorting to stomach-shrinking surgery

Americans are increasingly resorting to stomach-shrinking surgery so much so that health experts and insurance companies are becoming alarmed about the safety issues and cost of such operations.

11 Apr 2004

Government warns medicare drug card sponsors

Medicare card sponsors of drug discount cards who pay pharmacists to attract customers to their cards could violate federal fraud and abuse laws, health inspectors warned Friday.

10 Apr 2004

Trials of antidepressants for children consistently exaggerated their benefits while playing down their possible harm

Antidepressants should not be used to treat children and teenagers, a controversial new Australian study has warned, saying clinical trials have exaggerated the benefits of the drugs and played down their side effects.

10 Apr 2004

A drug that improves function of retinal blood vessels may be able to reduce the risk of stroke

The small study found that endothelial function is abnormal in eye blood vessels of patients who have early-stage hypertension, but that treatment with an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) drug improves endothelial function. The endothelium is the lining of vessel walls and plays a key role in the vessels’ ability to relax and to constrict.

9 Apr 2004

Roche announces new dosing strategy

Roche has announced results from a study demonstrating that the new boosted dosing regimen for its protease inhibitor Invirase(R) (saquinavir 1000 mg with ritonavir 100 mg twice-daily) has no significant interactions when it is co-administered with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (300 mg once-daily).

9 Apr 2004

Hepatitis C wonder drug Ribasphere gets approval from FDA

The President and CEO of Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals, Donald J. Kerrish, RPh., stated, “The approval of Ribasphere™ marks a milestone in the treatment of HCV. Ribasphere™ is positioned to break down the economic barriers that have existed for the past decade in treating this chronic and potentially deadly disease.” Traditionally the cost of treatment for HCV can range from $20,000 – $25,000 annually. “Our aim is to bring affordable medicine to all individuals infected with this dreadful disease.” Mr. Kerrish continued.

8 Apr 2004