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A trial of beta-interferon-1a in inclusion-body myositis has failed to find benefit from the drug in this disease

A trial of beta-interferon-1a in inclusion-body myositis (IBM) has failed to find benefit from the drug in this disease. Beta-interferons counteract some of the activities of the immune system, which some experts believe is misguided in IBM.

5 Oct 2004

Minor depression is effectively treated with medication

Minor depression, an underdiagnosed and undertreated subset of major depressive disorder that affects upwards of 15 million Americans, can be effectively treated with a drug called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)

5 Oct 2004

$Analysis shows Teriparatide reduces fracture risk independent of bone turnover$

Analysis shows Teriparatide reduces fracture risk independent of bone turnover

Data presented yesterday at the 26th annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) show that the ability of teriparatide to prevent fractures remained consistent regardless of pretreatment bone turnover status.

5 Oct 2004

Immediate voluntary world-wide withdrawal of Vioxx (rofecoxib)

Pharmaceutical company, Merck Sharp & Dohme has announced an immediate voluntary world-wide withdrawal of the drug, Vioxx (rofecoxib), commonly used for patients with rheumatoid or osteoarthritis.

4 Oct 2004

Researchers investigate whether hormone therapy and two alternative herbal products can lessen memory in menopausal women

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are investigating whether hormone therapy and two alternative herbal products can lessen memory and other cognitive problems experienced by menopausal women.

4 Oct 2004

Reducing eosinophilic airway inflammation in severe asthma

Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that constitute from 1 to 3 percent of the total white cell count. When foreign substances or infectious cells enter the body, lymphocytes and neutrophils attract eosinophils which release toxic substances that can destroy abnormal cells. Eosinophils function in allergic responses and in helping resist some infections.

4 Oct 2004

Data demonstrate that Celebrex does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients with arthritis and pain

Pfizer has said that three large long-term Celebrex (celecoxib capsules) studies involving more than 6,000 patients have not shown any significant safety issues and are expected to continue to completion.

4 Oct 2004

Approval of Abilify (aripiprazole) for the treatment of acute bipolar mania

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical have announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Abilify (aripiprazole) for the treatment of acute bipolar mania, including manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder.

4 Oct 2004

Lycopene may be able to inhibit the growth of prostate tumours

A study by Dutch and German researchers has provided evidence that lycopene may be able to inhibit the growth of prostate tumours and that its effect may be enhanced if it is combined with vitamin E.

30 Sep 2004

Vitamin supplements not effective in protecting against gastro-intestinal cancer

A systematic review and meta-analysis (pooled analysis) of previously published randomised trials in this week’s issue of THE LANCET provides strong evidence that antioxidant supplements (such as vitamin supplements) are not effective in protecting against gastro-intestinal cancer.

30 Sep 2004

Draft Medicare plan to cover implantable defibrillators

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today proposed to expand coverage of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), a move expected to save thousands of lives a year.

29 Sep 2004

Study to test the effectiveness of anti-depressants in treating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

While Parkinson’s disease typically brings to mind symptoms such as tremors and slow movement, researchers have found that nearly half of all Parkinson’s patients also suffer from depression. While it might seem natural that someone who has a disease such as Parkinson’s might become depressed, it’s not so simple, says neurologist Irene Richard, M.D., who leads the study.

27 Sep 2004

New drug application to market ramelteon for insomnia

Takeda Global Research & Development Center announced today that it has submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market ramelteon (TAK-375), its investigational drug for insomnia.

26 Sep 2004

Seroquel is significantly more effective than placebo in treating patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder

AstraZeneca has announced important new data at the 4th European Stanley Foundation Conference on Bipolar Disorder, which show Seroquel is significantly more effective than placebo in treating patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder and is also well-tolerated in this difficult to treat patient population.

26 Sep 2004

Promising early results in a study of a medication to treat kleptomania

Kleptomania, the guilt-ridden, impulsive stealing of inexpensive and unneeded items, often goes untreated as many who suffer from the disorder hesitate to seek help out of fear of being turned in for their illegal activities.

23 Sep 2004

FDA proposal on antidepressants is premature and may be counterproductive

The recent FDA proposal to force antidepressants to carry warnings about increased suicide risk is the subject of a pair of articles by leading experts in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

23 Sep 2004

Acupuncture more effective at reducing nausea and vomiting after major breast surgery than the leading medication

The researchers also found that patients who underwent the 5,000-year-old Chinese practice reported decreased postoperative pain and increased satisfaction with their postoperative recovery. In conducting the trial, the researchers also demonstrated that the pressure point they stimulated possesses previously unknown pain-killing properties.

22 Sep 2004

Experimental drug PKC412 may be the key to treating myeloproliferative disease

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital have prolonged the lives of mice with a rare blood disorder by using an experimental drug that blocks signals promoting runaway growth of blood cells.

21 Sep 2004

New gene therapy technique may help treat Alzheimer's disease

Investigators at Rush University Medical Center have successfully initiated a new technique that uses gene therapy to deliver nerve growth factor into regions of the brain where neurons are degenerating, in order to prevent cell death and reverse cell atrophy, two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

21 Sep 2004

Tarceva plus Gemcitabine improves survival compared to Gemcitabine alone

OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Genentech, Inc., and Roche announced today that results from a randomized Phase III clinical study of the investigational drug Tarceva (erlotinib HCl), in combination with gemcitabine chemotherapy met its primary endpoint of improving survival.

20 Sep 2004