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Hi-tech 3D imaging may improve lives of chronic lung disease patients

Pioneering research in Southampton, using hi-tech 3D imaging, could improve the lives of those suffering from chronic lung disease.

26 Mar 2012

Islet Sciences acquires DTI

Islet Sciences, Inc., a biotechnology company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of patented technologies in the field of transplantation therapy for patients with diabetes, today announced the closing of the acquisition of DiaKine Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing new, proprietary drugs for unmet medical needs in diabetes and complications related to diabetes which is now the Company's wholly owned subsidiary.

26 Mar 2012

Nerve pain patients in Wales gain access to first of a kind treatment which can provide lasting pain relief

For the first time NHS patients in Wales with peripheral nerve pain (known as peripheral neuropathic pain) can be treated with a patch containing capsaicin, which can provide at least 12 weeks pain relief following a single 30- or 60-minute application.

25 Mar 2012

New cholesterol lowering drugs on the horizon

The new drugs in development by pharmaceutical makers are injectable medications that block a protein called PCSK9. These drugs have shown promise in early clinical trials for slashing bad LDL cholesterol further than widely used statins can alone. Their biggest advocates say PCSK9 blockers have the potential to be the next multibillion-dollar class of heart drugs.

25 Mar 2012

Africa must develop its own pharmaceutical pipeline through creation of policy frameworks

"To break free of its dependence on donor money and supplies from India, Africa must develop its own pharmaceutical pipeline by creating policy frameworks that encourage a fledgling drug industry," journalist Priya Shetty argues in this SciDev.Net opinion piece.

23 Mar 2012

Fraunhofer FIT software rapidly analyzes complex biological processes

At Analytica 2012, Fraunhofer FIT presents software that supports the search for new active pharmaceutical ingredients of cancer drugs. Through a high degree of parallelization, the software can analyze complex biological processes very fast, even with large amounts of data.

23 Mar 2012

Multiresistant bacteria withstand wastewater treatment processes

Large quantities of antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter the environment via municipal - and especially hospital - wastewater streams. Although wastewater treatment plants reduce the total number of bacteria, the most hazardous - multiresistant - strains appear to withstand or even to be promoted by treatment processes. This was demonstrated by Eawag researchers in a study carried out in Lake Geneva, near Lausanne.

23 Mar 2012

European Commission grants marketing authorization for use of BYETTA with basal insulin

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company announced today that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization to BYETTA (exenatide twice-daily) as an adjunctive therapy to basal insulin, with or without metformin and/or Actos (pioglitazone), for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults who have not achieved adequate glycemic control with these agents.

23 Mar 2012

China SFDA approves Taibang's clinical trials for human fibrinogen

China Biologic Products, Inc., one of the leading plasma-based biopharmaceutical companies in the People's Republic of China, today announced that its indirectly owned subsidiary, Shandong Taibang Biological Products Co., Ltd., recently received approval from the China State Food and Drug Administration to begin clinical trials for its human fibrinogen to be used to treat congenital fibrinogen deficiency and acquired fibrinogen deficiency.

23 Mar 2012

Max Planck researchers obtain somatic stem cells from fully differentiated somatic cells

Breaking new ground, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in M-nster, Germany, have succeeded in obtaining somatic stem cells from fully differentiated somatic cells. Stem cell researcher Hans Sch-ler and his team took skin cells from mice and, using a unique combination of growth factors while ensuring appropriate culturing conditions, have managed to induce the cells' differentiation into neuronal somatic stem cells.

23 Mar 2012

No added benefit of aliskiren-amlodipine fixed drug combination for hypertension

The fixed drug combination of aliskiren and amlodipine (trade name: Rasilamlo-) was approved in April 2011 for the treatment of people with hypertension in whom aliskiren or amlodipine alone has an insufficient effect.

23 Mar 2012

Cardiff team receives European grants to develop 'RealTCut' surgical simulation

Highly realistic surgical simulation which reduces patient risk has become the 100th Cardiff University project to win an award under the European Union's prime research funding scheme, the Seventh Framework Programme.

23 Mar 2012

Hyperion acquires worldwide rights to Ucyclyd's Ravicti

Hyperion Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that it has acquired worldwide rights to the investigational drug Ravicti from Ucyclyd Pharma, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation.

23 Mar 2012

No added benefit from retigabine therapy in adults with epileptic seizures

The drug retigabine was approved in March 2011 as add-on therapy for adults with epileptic seizures. In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the "Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products" (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined whether retigabine offers an added benefit compared with the present standard therapy.

23 Mar 2012

Endo acquires oxymorphone hydrochloride patent from Johnson Matthey

Endo announced today that it has acquired U.S. patent 7,851,482 B2 for oxymorphone hydrochloride, the key API in all formulations of OPANA, from Johnson Matthey plc.

23 Mar 2012

FMBFarma granted exclusive rights to market Ampio's Zertane for PE in Brazil

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company that discovers and develops new uses for previously approved drugs and new molecular entities, and FBM Industria Farmaceutica Ltda, a member of the HOSPFAR Group that manufactures, imports and distributes pharmaceuticals in Brazil, today announced a license and distribution agreement providing FMBFarma exclusive rights to market Zertane in Brazil for the treatment of premature ejaculation.

22 Mar 2012

CINJ clinical trials leader receives 2012 Award of Excellence from HOPA

Susan Goodin, PharmD, FCCP, BCOP, associate director of clinical trials and therapeutics at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) has received the 2012 Award of Excellence from the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association.

22 Mar 2012

Allen Institute for Brain Science receives $300M gift to expand scientific programs

The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today that, given its achievements to date, Paul G. Allen has committed an additional $300 million to the Institute to significantly expand its scientific programs.

22 Mar 2012

Supreme Court limits patents on diagnostic medical tests

The U.S. Supreme Court put new limits on the availability of patents for diagnostic medical tests, ruling in favor of the Mayo Clinic in a case that will shape the growing field of personalized health care.

22 Mar 2012

New method for in vivo study of unknown selenium metabolism

Spanish and Danish researchers have developed a method for the in vivo study of the unknown metabolism of selenium, an essential element for living beings. The technique can help clarify whether or not it possesses the anti-tumour properties that have been attributed to it and yet have not been verified through clinical trials.

22 Mar 2012