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FDA approves Tarceva (erlotinib)

OSI Pharmaceuticals and Genentech have announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved, after priority review, Tarceva (erlotinib) for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen.

20 Nov 2004

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to treat major depression

Psychiatrists at Rush University Medical Center are testing a noninvasive technique that uses repeated short bursts of magnetic energy to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to treat major depression.

20 Nov 2004

Researchers find that alcohol has a profound effect on some, but not all, brain circuits activated in sober driving

New imaging studies from Yale show that when the human brain is under the influence of alcohol, different areas of the brain are impaired under high and low levels of alcohol.

20 Nov 2004

Capsules may be effective in treating bipolar disorder

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers have announced study results finding that a formulation of three-beaded extended-release carbamazepine capsules (ERC-CBZ) was effective, safe and tolerable in the treatment of bipolar I disorder

19 Nov 2004

Prolonged abstinence, no visual problems in patients taking GVG for meth/cocaine abuse

A second, small clinical trial of a proposed addiction treatment led by investigators at NYU School of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory has produced favorable results in the treatment of long-term addiction to methamphetamine and/or cocaine, with no visual side effects in any of the 30 patients enrolled.

18 Nov 2004

Biotoxin from puffer fish may provide treatment for opioid withdrawal

On November 10, 2004 investigators involved in a Phase IIa clinical trial of the novel biotoxin Tetrodotoxin (TTX) for the treatment of opioid withdrawal enrolled their first participants.

18 Nov 2004

Low-cost antibiotic co-trimoxazole should be given to all children with HIV in developing countries

Results of a randomised trial in this week’s issue of THE LANCET highlight how the low-cost antibiotic co-trimoxazole should be given to all children with HIV in developing countries to help reduce illness and death from opportunistic infections such as pneumonia.

18 Nov 2004

Acupuncture better than drugs alone for osteoarthritis of the knee

Acupuncture, as a complementary therapy to drug treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee, is more effective than drug treatment alone, find researchers from Spain in this week's BMJ.

18 Nov 2004

Concord grapes increase good cholesterol

Drinking Concord grape juice significantly increased HDL--the good cholesterol--and significantly lowered two markers of inflammation in people with stable coronary artery disease, according to results of a study presented in the November issue of the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

16 Nov 2004

Startling new blood pressure findings - atherosclerosis slowed

A new study led by The Cleveland Clinic shows that giving blood pressure lowering medication to heart disease patients with a “normal” blood pressure dramatically reduces risk of adverse cardiac events and slows disease progression.

16 Nov 2004

Vaccine against human papillomavirus infection could reduce the global incidence of cervical cancer

A randomised trial in this week’s issue of THE LANCET shows how a vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) infection could potentially reduce the global incidence of cervical cancer.

14 Nov 2004

Kids who outgrow peanut allergy need to eat peanut products at least once a month in order to maintain tolerance

Kids who outgrow peanut allergy have a slight chance of recurrence, but researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center report that the risk is much lower in children who frequently eat peanuts or peanut products.

11 Nov 2004

Atorvastatin slows down mental decline and improves depressive symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s disease

The cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin slowed down mental decline and improved depressive symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a small pilot study reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2004.

11 Nov 2004

Too much vitamin supplementation could be harmful

Daily vitamin E doses of 400 international units (IU) or more can increase the risk of death and should be avoided, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2004.

11 Nov 2004

Dementia patients receiving long-term treatment with Reminyl may be able to stay at home for longer compared

Shire Pharmaceuticals Group has announced that Dementia patients receiving long-term treatment with Reminyl (more than 36 months) may be able to stay at home for longer compared to those receiving treatment for shorter periods of time.

10 Nov 2004

Abbott's investigational anti-interleukin-12 fully human monoclonal antibody in Crohn's disease study

Results of a Phase II study of Abbott's ABT-874, a fully human anti-interleukin-12 (IL-12) monoclonal antibody, will appear tomorrow in the New England Journal of Medicine citing treatment with ABT-874 shows differences in response and remission in patients with active Crohn's disease compared to placebo, in one arm of the study.

10 Nov 2004

Dietary supplement DHEA could play a role in reducing abdominal fat in elderly men and women

Preliminary research indicates that the dietary supplement DHEA could play a role in reducing abdominal fat in elderly men and women with age-related decreases in DHEA levels, according to a study in the November 10 issue of JAMA.

10 Nov 2004

Calcium channel blocker reduces adverse cardiovascular events

The calcium channel blocker amlodipine decreases the risk of cardiovascular events (such as heart attack or heart-disease related deaths) in patients with coronary artery disease and normal blood pressure, as does the ACE inhibitor enalapril, but to a lesser extent, according to a study in the November 10 issue of JAMA.

10 Nov 2004

A new medication has dramatically reduced mortality among African-American patients suffering from heart disease

A new medication has dramatically reduced mortality among African-American patients suffering from heart disease, according to results of a study including UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researchers.

9 Nov 2004

Zetia co-administered with Fenofibrate significantly reduced LDL ("bad") cholesterol in mixed hyperlipidemia patients

Results from a new study showed that coadministration of Zetia (ezetimibe) and fenofibrate significantly reduced LDL ("bad") cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and apo B1 in patients with mixed hyperlipidemia and high LDL cholesterol when compared to fenofibrate alone.

9 Nov 2004

Placebo News and Research

FDA approves Tarceva (erlotinib)

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to treat major depression

Researchers find that alcohol has a profound effect on some, but not all, brain circuits activated in sober driving

Capsules may be effective in treating bipolar disorder

Prolonged abstinence, no visual problems in patients taking GVG for meth/cocaine abuse

Biotoxin from puffer fish may provide treatment for opioid withdrawal

Low-cost antibiotic co-trimoxazole should be given to all children with HIV in developing countries

Acupuncture better than drugs alone for osteoarthritis of the knee

Concord grapes increase good cholesterol

Startling new blood pressure findings - atherosclerosis slowed

Vaccine against human papillomavirus infection could reduce the global incidence of cervical cancer

Kids who outgrow peanut allergy need to eat peanut products at least once a month in order to maintain tolerance

Atorvastatin slows down mental decline and improves depressive symptoms in people with Alzheimer’s disease

Too much vitamin supplementation could be harmful

Dementia patients receiving long-term treatment with Reminyl may be able to stay at home for longer compared

Abbott's investigational anti-interleukin-12 fully human monoclonal antibody in Crohn's disease study

Dietary supplement DHEA could play a role in reducing abdominal fat in elderly men and women

Calcium channel blocker reduces adverse cardiovascular events

A new medication has dramatically reduced mortality among African-American patients suffering from heart disease

Zetia co-administered with Fenofibrate significantly reduced LDL ("bad") cholesterol in mixed hyperlipidemia patients

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