Rash News and Research

RSS

Physician recommends vaccination for Meningitis before children start school

Freshmen all across the nation have begun packing in preparation for college. Along with their laptops, notebooks, pens and binders, there is one more essential item they need - a meningitis vaccination. "If a student hasn't gotten a meningitis vaccination, they absolutely should get one before they start school," said Dr. Michael Koller, associate professor of medicine, division of general internal medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood. "Meningitis is not a common disease but it can be tragic."

18 Aug 2010

Hana Biosciences second-quarter net loss decreases to $6.3 million

Hana Biosciences Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on strengthening the foundation of cancer care, today reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010, and provided a corporate update.

13 Aug 2010

Amgen reports top-line results from Vectibix Phase 3 trial for head and neck cancer

Amgen today announced top-line results from a randomized Phase 3 trial evaluating Vectibix as a first-line treatment in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell head and neck cancer. The data showed the addition of Vectibix to platinum-based chemotherapy did not result in a statistically significant improvement in overall survival, the primary endpoint, compared to chemotherapy alone.

12 Aug 2010

NIAID launches clinical trials of dengue vaccine

After more than a decade of development, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has started clinical trials to test a vaccine to protect against the dengue virus, a product researchers hope may one day "help prevent a disease to which 2.5 billion people are exposed," CIDRAP News reports (Roos, 8/9).

11 Aug 2010

ViroPharma announces data on safety, efficacy of Cinryze to treat acute angioedema attacks

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced that data from Phase 3 studies of Cinryze (C1 esterase inhibitor [human]) have been published in the August 5, 2010 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The paper entitled Nanofiltered C1 Inhibitor Concentrate for Treatment of Hereditary Angioedema by Dr. Bruce L. Zuraw et al. describes the safety and efficacy of Cinryze in treating and preventing attacks of hereditary angioedema. Cinryze is the first and only FDA-approved C1 esterase inhibitor therapy indicated for routine prophylaxis against angioedema attacks in adolescent and adult patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare, debilitating and potentially fatal disease; it is not approved by the FDA to treat acute angioedema attacks.

6 Aug 2010

Summer Academy Meeting highlights benefits of HPV, Herpes Zoster vaccines

Vaccines have a long history of successfully preventing disease and, in effect, improving the lives of countless Americans. Now, two serious diseases - human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes zoster - could become a thing of the past as people better understand the safety and efficacy of vaccines to prevent these serious viral infections in specific populations.

6 Aug 2010

BioMarin reports $0.5 million GAAP net loss for second-quarter 2010

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2010. GAAP net loss was $0.5 million ($0.01 per diluted share) for the second quarter of 2010, compared to GAAP net income of $1.3 million ($0.01 per diluted share) for the second quarter of 2009. Non-GAAP net income was $8.6 million ($0.08 per diluted share) for the second quarter of 2010, compared to non-GAAP net income of $9.0 million ($0.09 per diluted share) for the second quarter of 2009.

3 Aug 2010

VBDS secondary to nevirapine use in HIV-positive, pregnant female: Report

Vanishing bile duct syndrome refers to a group of disorders characterized by destruction and disappearance of intrahepatic (inside the liver) bile ducts. Multiple causes have been identified including infections, malignancies, autoimmune conditions and adverse effects of medications. The usual course of this condition is variable and many patients with VBDS respond to treatment of the underlying condition and/ or removal of the offending agent. However, others progress to cirrhosis and end stage liver disease requiring liver transplantation.

31 Jul 2010

Anthera initiates PEARL-SC Phase 2b study of A-623 for lupus

Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs to treat serious diseases associated with inflammation, today announced it has initiated PEARL-SC, the Phase 2b study of A-623, a novel inhibitor of B-Cell Activating Factor, or BAFF, for the treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (lupus). Lupus patients suffer from a chronic autoimmune disease, which often leads to severe skin rash, fatigue, joint pain, major organ complications, and cardiovascular disease.

30 Jul 2010

Allos reports topline results from Phase 2b trial of FOLOTYN vs erlotinib in advanced NSCLC

Allos Therapeutics, Inc. today announced topline results from the Company's randomized Phase 2b investigational trial of FOLOTYN® (pralatrexate injection) versus erlotinib in patients with Stage IIIB/IV (advanced) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had received one or two prior systemic treatments including at least one prior platinum-based regimen. The objective of the trial was to estimate the efficacy of FOLOTYN compared to that of erlotinib as assessed by overall survival.

28 Jul 2010

Regeneron second-quarter total revenues increase to $115.9 million

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2010. The Company reported a net loss of $25.5 million, or $0.31 per share (basic and diluted), for the second quarter of 2010 compared with a net loss of $14.9 million, or $0.19 per share (basic and diluted), for the second quarter of 2009.

28 Jul 2010

Healthcare Labor Update 2010: A year of critical opportunity for employers

When labor unions, particularly the Service Employee International Union (SEIU), spent hundreds of millions during the last presidential election cycle - resulting in a labor-friendly Democratic Administration and Congressional majority for the first time in a decade - it appeared the labor movement was poised to make a swift resurgence.

26 Jul 2010

Tibotec reports Phase 3 trial results of TMC278 vs. EFV in treatment-naive HIV-1-infected adults

Tibotec Pharmaceuticals announced today results from two pivotal Phase 3, double-blind, randomized clinical trials comparing the efficacy, safety and tolerability of its investigational non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) TMC278 (rilpivirine) versus efavirenz (EFV), each administered once daily with a nucleoside/nucleotide background regimen in treatment-naive, HIV-1-infected adults.

22 Jul 2010

Preventative measures to avoid Lyme disease

Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors.

21 Jul 2010

Medivir reports 24-week interim Phase 2b results of TMC435 in treatment-naïve patients with HCV genotype-1

Medivir announced today 24-week end-of-treatment interim results from the 5-arm phase 2b response guided PILLAR study in 386 treatment-naïve patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype-1 (TMC435-C205).

12 Jul 2010

Shire receives FDA approval of Daytrana for ADHD in adolescents

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Daytrana® (methylphenidate transdermal system) for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adolescents aged 13 to 17 years. Daytrana, the first and only transdermal ADHD patch, is already an FDA-approved ADHD treatment for children 6 to 12 years. Daytrana is indicated as an integral part of a total treatment program for ADHD that may include other measures (psychological, educational, and social).

7 Jul 2010

Clemizole can yield high-level synergy with protease inhibitor class: Research

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company developing antiviral therapies, announced today the publication of research from the lab of Stanford scientist and Eiger Founder, Dr. Jeffrey Glenn, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues entitled, "The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) NS4B RNA Binding Inhibitor Clemizole is Highly Synergistic with HCV Protease Inhibitors".

2 Jul 2010

Combination MMRV vaccine associated with increased risk of febrile seizures

The combination vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (MMRV) is associated with double the risk of febrile seizures for 1- to 2-year-old children compared with same-day administration of the separate vaccine for MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and the varicella (V) vaccine for chicken pox, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study appearing online in the journal Pediatrics. A febrile seizure is a brief, fever-related convulsion but it does not lead to epilepsy or seizure disorders, researchers explained.

28 Jun 2010

NanoViricides' anti-Dengue drug candidates demonstrate potential against severe virus infection

NanoViricides, Inc. reports that its anti-Dengue drug candidates demonstrated significant protection in the initial animal survival studies of Dengue virus infection. The studies were performed in the laboratory of Dr. Eva Harris, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of California, Berkeley.

21 Jun 2010

Effects of SLE may differ based on patient's genealogical heritage: Study

The effects of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus may differ based on the individual patient's genealogical heritage, according to results of a new study presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. In particular, the study reinforced differences in SLE phenotype found between Northern and Southern European subpopulations.

18 Jun 2010