Placebo News and Research

RSS

Expectations drive patient preferences for treatment of spine problems

For patients with low back pain caused by a herniated disk, expectations of good results without surgery are the main factor affecting the preference for nonsurgical treatment, reports a study in the November 15 issue of Spine.

17 Nov 2008

Study looks at investigational compound MK-677 in Alzheimer's disease

A new study shows that a drug that increases the release of growth hormone failed to slow the rate of progression of Alzheimer's disease in humans.

17 Nov 2008

COLD-FX remedy undergoes NCI-sponsored trial in leukemia patients

Cancer patients - with their weakened immune systems - are particularly vulnerable when the cold and flu season hits.

17 Nov 2008

Link between prostate inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms

In the December issue of European Urology ( http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eururo ) Dr. Curtis Nickel and associates report on the evidence of a relationship between prostate inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men enrolled in the REDUCE trial.

16 Nov 2008

No evidence supporting the use of vitamin E and C in the prevention of cancer

The Physicians' Health Study II is a large-scale, long-term, randomized clinical trial that included 14,641 physicians who were at least 50 years old at enrollment.

16 Nov 2008

Difluoromethylornithine may affect Barrett's esophagus

"While there was a suggestion that difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) may influence the extent of Barrett's dysplasia, this finding is very preliminary and further study of this agent in a larger number of patients is needed," said Frank A. Sinicrope, M.D., professor of medicine and oncology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

16 Nov 2008

Advanced lung cancer patients see improved, progression-free survival

Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer whose disease has progressed following chemotherapy have a higher rate of tumor shrinkage and a longer interval before cancer progression when bevacizumab is added to standard second-line erlotinib therapy, according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, sponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago.

16 Nov 2008

Genetic Immunity announces first patient dosed in trial with DermaVir patch for HIV

Genetic Immunity, a US/Hungarian clinical-stage company focused on development of nanomedicines for targeted immune amplification, today announced it has treated the first subject in a Phase II clinical study to evaluate DermaVir Patch.

13 Nov 2008

Relationship between prostate inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms evident

In the December issue of European Urology Dr. Curtis Nickel and associates report on the evidence of a relationship between prostate inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men enrolled in the REDUCE trial.

13 Nov 2008

Rosuvastatin trial shows dramatic reduction in hidden heart disease

A Harvard-led study shows that the risk of heart attack and stroke among subjects with "silent heart disease" - and normal cholesterol levels - can be dramatically reduced by the use of an already widely prescribed class of drugs.

13 Nov 2008

Analyses of Merck's HIV vaccine 'Step' study

Results from the Step study, a test-of-concept efficacy study of a Merck & Co., Inc. HIV vaccine candidate, were published online in two papers in The Lancet.

12 Nov 2008

NicOx's Naproxcinod shows highly significant reduction in daytime blood pressure versus Naproxen

NicOx S.A. has announced that a new analysis of the data from the 104 Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) study for naproxcinod was presented yesterday at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2008, in New Orleans, USA.

12 Nov 2008

Adalimumab therapy may reduce health-care costs for Crohn's disease patients

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term that refers to both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).

12 Nov 2008

Promising clinical trial for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects 2% of the population and is considered a psychiatric disorder. It is the number four psychiatric pathology in terms of frequency following phobias, disorders relating to alcohol and drugs, and depression.

12 Nov 2008

Taking calcium and vitamin D supplements does not reduce breast cancer risk

Taking calcium and vitamin D supplements does not reduce breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women, according to data from a randomized, doubled-blind, placebo-controlled trial published online November 11 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

11 Nov 2008

Large trial on low-dose aspirin in diabetics

Type 2 diabetics treated with low-dose aspirin did not have a significantly lower incidence of atherosclerotic events than those who received placebo in this primary prevention trial of low-dose aspirin, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008. However, sub-group analyses showed a significant reduction with aspirin in both atherosclerotic events in those over 65 years of age, and a reduction in cerebrocardiovascular deaths.

11 Nov 2008

Folic acid does not offer any cardiovascular benefits

Folic acid is safe - but it lacks any cardiovascular benefits - according to researchers presenting at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008. The results from the Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and Homocysteine (SEARCH), a 12,064-person, randomized study, were presented as a late-breaking clinical trial.

11 Nov 2008

Rivaroxaban shows promise in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Researchers reported on a study of a new oral anti-clotting agent - rivaroxaban - designed to identify doses that would be safe to test in subsequent Phase III efficacy and safety trials. The results of ATLAS ACS-TIMI 46 were presented as a late-breaking clinical trial at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008.

11 Nov 2008

Interferon eliminates specific causes of some viruses in heart failure patients, improving clinical outcomes

Giving interferon to heart failure patients with evidence of a chronic viral infection safely eliminated two viruses from their systems and reduced levels of a third virus.

11 Nov 2008

New advances in diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases

Researchers are presenting more than 450 abstracts on investigational findings in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases at the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Seattle, Nov. 6-11. Following are highlights of some key studies in allergy-immunology.

11 Nov 2008