Cholesterol News and Research

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Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made in the liver, and found in the blood and in all cells of the body. Cholesterol is important for good health and is needed for making cell walls, tissues, hormones, vitamin D, and bile acid.

NASA-developed technology for treatment of hardened arteries in the heart

NASA has signed a patent license agreement that will allow a California company use of NASA-developed technology that could be used to treat hardened arteries in the heart.

3 Dec 2011

Assembly Bill 5502-B would raise cost of many prescriptions in NY by 10%

Assembly Bill 5502-B—transmitted to Governor Andrew Cuomo yesterday—would needlessly raise the cost of many prescriptions in New York by 10 percent, according to the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. If enacted, the Bill would prohibit consumers from getting discounted prescriptions through mail-service pharmacies.

2 Dec 2011

The Lipitor story: Drug companies brace for losses as patents expire on this and other popular medications

News outlets analyze the impact that generic Lipitor could have on costs and the "era of 'blockbuster drugs'" as well as the strategies from Lipitor's maker to block its generic competitors. Meanwhile, some of these generics are already reaching the marketplace.

2 Dec 2011

Low-carbohydrate diet may help prepubescent girls avoid obesity associated risks

A low-carbohydrate diet may help prepubescent girls avoid some risks associated with obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease, according to research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

2 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 1, 2011

In today's headlines, Republicans in Congress advance plan to charge wealthy beneficiaries more for Medicare in order to cover the costs of the proposaed payroll tax extension.

1 Dec 2011

Lipitor going generic, Pfizer making deals to keep consumers

The popular cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor goes off-patent today. Manufacturer Pfizer planned ahead, making agreements with some insurers to keep covering the drug.

1 Dec 2011

Ranbaxy receives FDA approval to manufacture and market generic Lipitor

Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., today announced that it has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market Atorvastatin and has launched the product in the U.S. market.

1 Dec 2011

Watson commences shipping of generic LIPITOR

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has launched an authorized generic version of LIPITOR (atorvastatin calcium tablets) as part of an exclusive agreement with Pfizer Inc.

30 Nov 2011

Ranbaxy receives FDA approval for first generic version of cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic version of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor.

30 Nov 2011

Pfizer backs its highest grosser Lipitor

Pfizer’s Lipitor, a blood cholesterol lowering drug, is a popular one the among general population. However now that a generic competition for the drug has arrived in the market the company has devised discounts and incentives for patients, insurers and companies that process prescriptions that will, at least for the next six months, make the brand name drug about as cheap as or cheaper than the generics.

30 Nov 2011

Existing prediction tools could prevent many cases of diabetes

New research from Queen Mary, University of London suggests that many cases of diabetes could be prevented by making use of existing prediction tools.

30 Nov 2011

Growth hormone replacement increases bone formation in abdominally obese women

In a new study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), growth hormone replacement for six months was found to increase bone formation in abdominally obese women.

29 Nov 2011

Obese boy’s mother loses custody

An eight year old boy in third grade from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, has been removed from his home after he grew to 218 pounds, weighing nearly as much as four times the usual. The average weight for an eight-year-old boy is 57 pounds - about one quarter of what the Ohio boy weighs.

28 Nov 2011

Enrollment complete in SUSTAIN Phase 2b clinical trial for atherosclerotic CVD

Resverlogix Corp. today announced that SUSTAIN, a Phase 2b clinical trial comprised of 176 subjects, is fully enrolled.

28 Nov 2011

Bayer, Regeneron commence EYLEA Phase 3 clinical trial for wet AMD in China

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bayer HealthCare today announced that they have initiated a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of EYLEA (aflibercept) Injection in the neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) in China.

28 Nov 2011

Peter and Melanie Munk Charitable Foundation donates $18M to UHN cardiac centre

Dr. Robert Bell, President and CEO of University Health Network (UHN), announced today that the Peter and Melanie Munk Charitable Foundation is donating $18 million to the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at UHN. This new gift brings the total investment by Peter and Melanie Munk in UHN to $65 million.

24 Nov 2011

Benefits of vitamin D-fortified yoghurt drink for people with diabetes

People with diabetes are known to have an increased risk of heart disease. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine shows that regular consumption of a vitamin D-fortified yoghurt drink improves cholesterol levels and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, a precursor of heart disease, in diabetics.

24 Nov 2011

Study evaluates safety and effectiveness of Diamondback device for heart attacks

Drilling through concrete to create an opening may sound more like construction than medicine, but the approach is similar to what researchers at Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) are doing in a clinical trial to evaluate a device that breaks through hardened coronary arteries, in an effort to prevent heart attacks and relieve chest pain.

23 Nov 2011

FDA accepts Regeneron's ARCALYST sBLA for review

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the Company's supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for ARCALYST Injection for Subcutaneous Use for the prevention of gout flares in patients initiating uric acid-lowering therapy.

22 Nov 2011

South Asian patients with CAD more likely to need repeat PCI procedures

South Asian patients with coronary artery disease were almost three times as likely to be readmitted to hospital for further interventional treatment to arterial plaque than their White European counterparts, according to research in the December issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice. They were also more likely to present as an emergency and require urgent treatment.

22 Nov 2011