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Rhodiola rosea found to increase lifespan in fruit flies

The herbal extract of a yellow-flowered mountain plant indigenous to the Arctic regions of Europe and Asia increased the lifespan of fruit fly populations, according to a University of California, Irvine study.

5 Dec 2007

Positive results from trial of investigational anti-epilepsy drug Brivaracetam

UCB has announced data demonstrating that anti-epileptic drug (AED) brivaracetam, with the proposed trade name Rikelta, administered as an adjunctive treatment in adults with refractory epilepsy with partial onset seizures, significantly reduced seizure frequency and had a side-effect profile comparable to placebo.

4 Dec 2007

Napping more efficient than coffee in keeping young people awake

Coffee is an effective countermeasure to sleepiness for both young and middle-aged people.

3 Dec 2007

FDA approves Cymbalta for maintenance treatment of major depressive disorder

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) for the maintenance treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults.

2 Dec 2007

Bionovo describes a new class of therapeutic compounds

Bionovo, Inc. has announced the publication of a groundbreaking paper in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology covering the isolation, identification and description of a pure chemical compound, liquiritigenin, which represents a new class of therapeutic compounds showing promise for the safe treatment of menopausal symptoms.

2 Dec 2007

Eltrombopag studied in Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

There are estimated to be between 50,000 -- 100,000 individuals in the U.S. diagnosed with chronic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an autoimmune disease that dramatically reduces the number of platelets in their blood -- causing bruises, nosebleeds and, sometimes, life-threatening brain hemorrhages.

29 Nov 2007

FDA to review Champix/Chantix side effects

A drug which was designed to help people quit smoking is causing concern following a number of reports that it induces suicidal feelings and aggressive and erratic behaviour.

29 Nov 2007

Depressed, older adults with diabetes live longer when they are treated for depression

The depression study, which followed primary care patients in the New York City, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas for five years, also showed that treating depression reduced mortality more for those who had diabetes than for those who did not.

27 Nov 2007

Research suggests new direction for ALS treatment

A research team from Wake Forest University School of Medicine is the first to show that injections of a protein normally found in human cells can increase lifespan and delay the onset of symptoms in mice with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or Lou Gehrig's disease.

27 Nov 2007

Two phase II clinical trials commence for NeuroDiscovery

NeuroDiscovery Ltd, an Australian neurology-focused research and development company, has announced that two Phase II clinical trials of NSL-101 have commenced.

27 Nov 2007

Pain relief from cannabis depends on how much you smoke

A study by American researchers suggests that smoking a moderate amount of cannabis (marijuana) may relieve pain but smoking high doses may increase pain.

26 Nov 2007

Vitamin E can significantly reduce risk of heart attacks for diabetics with certain gene variant

Vitamin E supplements can significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and related deaths for diabetics who carry a particular version of a gene, according to researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the Clalit Health Services in Israel.

21 Nov 2007

Oral drug sets a new survival standard for bone marrow cancer

Findings from two large, international clinical trials show "unprecedented" survival for patients with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that occurs in the blood-making cells of bone marrow.

21 Nov 2007

Lenalidomide - dexamethasone combination effective against multiple myeloma

Pairing a new thalidomide derivative with a steroid slows progress of multiple myeloma, an incurable bone marrow cancer, and prolongs the lives of patients who have relapsed from previous treatment, researchers report in the Nov. 22 New England Journal of Medicine.

21 Nov 2007

Pregabalin decreases pain, speeds movement in knee replacement patients

The drug pregabalin administered before and after knee replacement surgery, significantly decreased patient pain while increasing and expediting mobility after surgery, according to a study by Asokumar Buvanendran, MD, director of Orthopedic Anesthesia and associate professor of Anesthesiology at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago.

21 Nov 2007

Gene-based therapy successful in Parkinson's disease

Brain scans have revealed that the first gene-based therapy for Parkinson's disease was effective.

20 Nov 2007

PET scans show gene therapy normalizes brain function in Parkinson's patients

Brain scans used to track changes in a dozen patients who received an experimental gene therapy show that the treatment normalizes brain function - and the effects are still present a year later.

20 Nov 2007

New HPV vaccine 'nine-valent' under study

A new vaccine against nine of the most harmful strains of human papillomavirus is under study at the Medical College of Georgia.

19 Nov 2007

U.S. approval of Nexavar (sorafenib) for inoperable liver cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Nexavar (sorafenib) for use in patients with a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma, when the cancer is inoperable.

19 Nov 2007

Patients taking anti-obesity drugs will only see "modest" weight loss

The study, which looked at the long-term effectiveness of anti-obesity medications, found that three drugs recommended for long-term use - orlistat, sibutramine and rimonabant, reduced weight by less than 5kg (11 pounds). This equated to a loss of less than 5% of total body weight.

19 Nov 2007