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Abiraterone improves outcomes for prostate cancer prior to chemo

Treatment with abiraterone acetate, an androgen biosynthesis inhibitor, may benefit patients with progressive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have not yet undergone chemotherapy, report researchers.

17 Dec 2012

Lapatinib benefits found for HER2-positive early-stage patients

Women with early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer who are unable to use trastuzumab may benefit from adjuvant lapatinib treatment, suggest phase III trial findings published in Lancet Oncology.

17 Dec 2012

Lexicon receives FDA Fast Track status for development of LX1033 for irritable bowel syndrome

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for human disease, announced today that it has received "Fast Track" status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the development of LX1033, an orally-delivered small molecule drug candidate for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-d).

17 Dec 2012

Allakos closes $32M Series A financing to develop antibody-based therapeutics

Allakos Inc. announced today that it has completed a $32 million Series A preferred stock financing led by Novo Ventures with participation from Alta Partners, RiverVest Venture Partners and the Roche Venture Fund. Peter Moldt , PhD., Partner at Novo Ventures, Robert Alexander , PhD., Director at Alta Partners and John McKearn PhD., Managing Director at RiverVest Venture Partners, will join the Board of Directors.

17 Dec 2012

Naurex announces completion of $38M Series B financing

Naurex Inc., a clinical-stage company developing innovative treatments to address unmet needs in psychiatry and neurology, today announced the completion of a $38 million Series B financing led by new investor Baxter Ventures.

17 Dec 2012

$Low BMI a stronger risk factor for hip fracture among elderly men$

Low BMI a stronger risk factor for hip fracture among elderly men

Speaking at the IOF Regionals Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting, researchers from the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Ministry of Health, announced a study which links carotenoids to decreased hip fracture risk in elderly, lean Chinese men. Elderly who are lean (BMI <20 kg/m2) are at higher risk of hip fracture compared to those with higher BMI.

17 Dec 2012

Efforts to prevent, treat cervical cancer increasing in Africa

The Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog" examines efforts to prevent and treat cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa, where "cervical cancer kills large numbers of women, many of whom are never diagnosed because local hospitals do not recognize the disease until it is too late."

15 Dec 2012

AcelRx announces top-line data from Sufentanil NanoTab PCA System Phase 3 trial

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of acute and breakthrough pain, today announced that top-line data from its previously announced open-label, active-comparator study of its lead product candidate, the Sufentanil NanoTab PCA System, will be featured in poster presentations to be held at the 66th annual New York State Society of Anesthesiologists PostGraduate Assembly meeting in New York City to be held December 14-18, 2012.

15 Dec 2012

Ibrutinib continues to show unprecedented results in patients with mantle cell lymphoma

An international study of ibrutinib in people with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) continues to show unprecedented and durable results with few side effects.

15 Dec 2012

Cempra commences CEM-102 Phase 2 trial in prosthetic joint infections

Cempra, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing antibiotics to meet critical medical needs in the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases, today announced the initiation of its Phase 2 clinical trial of CEM-102 in patients with prosthetic joint infections (PJIs).

15 Dec 2012

Altered gut microbiota associated with symptomatic atherosclerosis and stroke

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, demonstrate that an altered gut microbiota in humans is associated with symptomatic atherosclerosis and stroke.

15 Dec 2012

FDA approves GSK’s raxibacumab to treat inhalational anthrax

GlaxoSmithKline plc announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved raxibacumab for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with inhalational anthrax due to Bacillus anthracis in combination with appropriate antibacterial drugs and for prophylaxis of inhalational anthrax when alternative therapies are not available or are not appropriate.

14 Dec 2012

GSK receives FDA approval for raxibacumab to treat inhalational anthrax

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved raxibacumab injection to treat inhalational anthrax, a form of the infectious disease caused by breathing in the spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Raxibacumab also is approved to prevent inhalational anthrax when alternative therapies are not available or not appropriate.

14 Dec 2012

Graphic images best anti-smoking message

The findings of a US study have backed the use of graphic imagery on cigarette packets to deter smoking.

14 Dec 2012

Pairing statins with cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors might effectively treat melanomas

A novel approach to identifying potential anticancer drug combinations revealed that pairing cholesterol-reducing drugs called statins with cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors might provide an effective approach to treating intractable melanomas driven by mutations in the NRAS and KRAS gene.

14 Dec 2012

Pfizer, Ligand announce FDA acceptance of bazedoxifene/conjugated estrogens NDA

Pfizer Inc. and Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted for review a New Drug Application (NDA) for bazedoxifene/conjugated estrogens (BZA/CE), a potential new medicine for non-hysterectomized women for the treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA) associated with menopause, as well as the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

14 Dec 2012

NovaDigm announces data from NDV-3 vaccine Phase 1 study on Candida and Staph infections

NovaDigm Therapeutics, a company developing innovative vaccines for fungal and bacterial infections, today announced the publication of data from its first-in-human Phase 1 study of its NDV-3 vaccine program in the journal Vaccine.

13 Dec 2012

Medivir commences cohort 2 simeprevir and sofosbuvir phase II combination trial in HCV GT1

Medivir AB, announced today the initiation of cohort 2 in the interferon-free phase II trial combining simeprevir with sofosbuvir (GS7977) based on a safety and efficacy planned interim analysis of cohort 1 including prior null responder HCV genotype 1 infected patients without advanced hepatic fibrosis.

13 Dec 2012

Interim results from Inspiration’s OBI-1 and IB1001 hemophilia clinical study

Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Inspiration) announced interim clinical results for the company's two lead product candidates, an intravenous recombinant porcine FVIII (OBI-1) in the treatment of serious bleeds in acquired hemophilia A (AHA) and an intravenous recombinant FIX (IB1001) for the treatment and prevention of bleeding in children less than 12 years of age with hemophilia B.

13 Dec 2012

Unigene announces results from oral PTH Phase 2 study on osteoporosis

Unigene Laboratories, Inc., a leader in the design, delivery, manufacture and development of peptide-based therapeutics, today announced that the results of its successful Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating an experimental oral parathyroid hormone (PTH) analog for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women has been published online by Bone, the Official Journal of the International Bone and Mineral Society.

13 Dec 2012