Gastrointestinal Tract News and Research

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20-year data shows bariatric surgery to reduce risk of heart attack and stroke in diabetics

In the longest study of its kind, bariatric surgery has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with diabetes. These results and other groundbreaking research were presented at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes, hosted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College.

31 Mar 2011

Nycomed submits teduglutide MAA to EMA for SBS treatment

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a specialty pharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for rare gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders, today reported that Nycomed, a global pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Switzerland, has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency for clearance to market teduglutide as a once-daily subcutaneous treatment for short bowel syndrome.

29 Mar 2011

Cancer drug Gleevec may hold promise against scleroderma: Study

A drug approved to treat certain types of cancer has shown promising results in the treatment of patients with scleroderma, according to results from an open-label Phase II trial. While the drug's efficacy must be demonstrated in a Phase III trial, the gold standard for testing a drug, researchers are optimistic that Gleevec- (imatinib) could potentially be a weapon against the chronic connective tissue disease for which a treatment has remained elusive.

28 Mar 2011

German company steps up production of Radiogardase following Japan nuclear crisis

Heyltex Corporation is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Radiogardase® (Prussian Blue insoluble capsules), the only FDA-approved drug to treat people who have been internally contaminated with radioactive cesium (Cs-137), which is manufactured by Heyl chem. pharm. Fabrik Berlin GmbH in Germany.

25 Mar 2011

Smart Medical to customize NaviAid External Channel Device to suit Crospon's EndoFLIP imaging catheter

Medical device developers, Crospon, based in Ireland and Smart Medical Systems based in Ra'anana, Israel today announced that they have signed a collaborative agreement whereby Smart Medical will produce a custom version of their NaviAid™ external channel endoscope accessory for Crospon, to permit deployment and positioning of Crospon's EndoFLIP™ imaging catheter.

25 Mar 2011

NephRx receives new U.S. patent for NX002 to treat IBD

NephRx Corporation today announced issuance of a new U.S. patent for use of its novel growth factor peptide NX002 as a potential treatment for inflammatory bowel disease.

24 Mar 2011

NephRx receives new U.S. patent for NX002 to treat oral mucositis

NephRx Corporation today announced issuance of a new U.S. patent for its novel peptide NX002, which currently is in preclinical development for the treatment of oral mucositis.

23 Mar 2011

SCCA, ProCure to open new proton therapy center for cancer treatment

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, together with ProCure Treatment Centers Inc., today held its ceremonial groundbreaking on a new proton therapy center in north Seattle that will provide a first-of-its-kind treatment option for cancer patients throughout the Northwest.

23 Mar 2011

Study sheds light on how vitamin A contributes to immune responses in gastrointestinal tract

Although it has been known for some time that vitamin A deficiency is linked with an impaired ability to resist infections, exactly how vitamin A and its metabolites contribute to the immune response is not well understood.

18 Mar 2011

St. Michael's receives $5 million McCain donation for therapeutic endoscopy program

Wallace and Margaret McCain have donated $5 million to St. Michael's Hospital for its therapeutic endoscopy program.

18 Mar 2011

Next-generation sequencing can improve infant microbiota

Sequencing technology has advanced significantly since the race to sequence the human genome first began. As part of the Teagasc Vision Programme a 'next generation sequencer', the only one of its kind in Ireland, was installed at Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark.

17 Mar 2011

Innovative strategies to reduce infections in health-care settings

Can probiotics prevent pneumonia in patients breathing with the help of ventilators? That's just one question researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis hope to answer as part of innovative new studies to reduce infections in health-care settings.

15 Mar 2011

AGA issues Medical Position Statement on Treatment of Barrett's Esophagus

BARRX Medical, Inc., a leader in developing minimally invasive medical devices to remove precancerous tissue from the gastrointestinal tract, reported today that the American Gastroenterological Association has issued the AGA Medical Position Statement on the Treatment of Barrett's Esophagus.

10 Mar 2011

Redpoint Bio fourth quarter revenues are $0.7 million for 2010

Redpoint Bio Corporation, a company focused on the development of healthier foods and beverages and new approaches to the treatment of diabetes and obesity, today announced financial and operational results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2010.

5 Mar 2011

Dentists need to take a closer look at potential hazards of exposing patients to zinc

Dentists need to take a closer look at potential hazards of exposing patients to zinc, a common ingredient of many dental products, according to a report by Amar Patel, DDS, resident and colleagues at the University of Maryland Dental School in the March/April 2011 issue of the journal General Dentistry.

4 Mar 2011

Research: Gene mutation linked to schizophrenia may aid in new drug development

In a major advance for schizophrenia research, an international team of scientists led by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and involving Trinity College Dublin researchers has identified a gene mutation strongly linked to schizophrenia that may be an important new target for the development of drug therapies.

24 Feb 2011

Bacteria and fungi may protect against asthma in rural children: Study

Children who grow up on farms are less likely to suffer from asthma than other rural children. An international team of researchers including Dr. Markus Ege and Professor Erika von Mutius at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet has published a large-scale study that now indicates that this may be due to differences in the spectrum of microbes the two groups are likely to encounter.

24 Feb 2011

Aspirin for coronary heart prevention is less costly, more effective

Using aspirin for coronary heart prevention is less costly and more effective than doing nothing in men older than 45 with more than 10 percent 10-year-risk of the disease, according to a study by researchers at RTI International, University of Michigan, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

23 Feb 2011

Aeolus receives BARDA contract for AEOL 10150 drug development against ARS

Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of broad spectrum catalytic antioxidant compounds that reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and subsequent tissue damage-signaling cascades resulting from radiation exposure, today announced that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has awarded Aeolus a contract for the advanced development of AEOL 10150 as a medical countermeasure against the pulmonary sub-syndrome of acute radiation syndrome.

16 Feb 2011

New review of anthrax case discussed by review committee vice chair, Stanford bioterrorism expert

In 2001, a mystery perpetrator mailed a series of anthrax-laced letters to several locations, killing five people. In 2008, shortly after emerging as the prime suspect in an exhaustive investigation by the FBI, an Army microbiologist, Bruce Ivins, PhD, committed suicide. This morning, a National Academy of Sciences committee, charged in September 2008 with reviewing the scientific approaches used by the FBI in that investigation, released its report.

15 Feb 2011