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Anadys Pharmaceuticals presents data showing ANA773 promotes anti-tumor activity of killer cells

Anadys Pharmaceuticals presented data from an in vitro study showing that the active metabolite of ANA773 promotes natural killer (NK) cell-mediated anti-tumor response by inducing cytokine secretion, cytolysis of tumor cells and enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), during a poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) in Los Angeles.

18 Apr 2007

A candidate neural circuit for stress-induced analgesia

Recent statistics indicate that one in five people worldwide suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain and that one in three are unable or less able to maintain an independent lifestyle due to their pain.

17 Apr 2007

GlaxoSmithKline initiates study of PROMACTA in chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

GlaxoSmithKline has announced the initiation of a global, open-label, single group trial that will assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of PROMACTA (eltrombopag olamine) in patients previously treated for chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

15 Apr 2007

Cytokinetics initiates of phase II clinical trial for CK-1827452

Cytokinetics has announced the initiation of a Phase II clinical trials program evaluating CK-1827452, a novel cardiac myosin activator for the potential treatment of patients with either acutely decompensated or chronic heart failure.

15 Apr 2007

Coley Pharmaceutical licenses VaxImmune to Merck

Coley Pharmaceutical Group has announced that Merck & Co has licensed Coley's VaxImmune vaccine adjuvant for incorporation into vaccines being developed by Merck for certain infectious diseases and Alzheimer's disease.

15 Apr 2007

A woman's chance of undergoing a hysterectomy can now be accurately predicted

Results from a four-year study of 762 women with various symptoms of uterine distress, such as chronic pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding or fibroids, are reported in the April 2007 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Surgeons."

10 Apr 2007

Inhaled corticosteroids deserve further consideration for lung cancer chemoprevention

Among a group of mostly older male veterans suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an illness that offers a greater susceptibility to lung cancer, researchers found that regular use of high dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) lowered the risk of developing lung cancer.

4 Apr 2007

Withdrawal of Pergolide products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that manufacturers of pergolide drug products, which are used to treat Parkinson's disease, will voluntarily remove these drugs from the market because of the risk of serious damage to patients' heart valves.

29 Mar 2007

Drug montelukast reduces trips to doctor for childhood asthma attacks

Young children with attacks of sporadic, recurring asthma who were treated with the prescription drug montelukast by their parents had fewer unscheduled trips to the doctor, missed less days from school or childcare, and caused their parents to take fewer days off work for their care.

15 Feb 2007

Therapy for restless legs may trigger compulsive gambling

Compulsive gambling with extreme losses -- in two cases, greater than $100,000 -- by people without a prior history of gambling problems has been linked to a class of drugs commonly used to treat the neurological disorder restless legs syndrome (RLS).

11 Feb 2007

Peptide vaccine fights off breast tumors with help of bacteria-mimicking agents

With the help of immune system-stimulating molecules that mimic bacterial components, researchers have used a type of cancer vaccine to both delay and prevent breast tumors in mice.

1 Feb 2007

Inhaled steroids best treatment for children with asthma

Although several medications are available to help children maintain asthma control, clinical trials directly comparing them have not been conducted.

23 Jan 2007

Guanfacine no more effective than a placebo

Guanfacine, a medication commonly prescribed to alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, is no more effective than a placebo, according to a study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

2 Dec 2006

Combination therapy of salmeterol and fluticasone improves survival in patients with COPD

A combination of two common medications may help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) live longer.

23 Oct 2006

Targeted tumor therapy has paramount consequences for future expansion of nuclear medicine

Targeted tumor therapy lobs toxic payloads directly into tumors to destroy cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed.

20 Oct 2006

New diabetes drug Januvia works without causing weight gain

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. has granted approval for a new drug to treat adults with type 2 diabetes.

17 Oct 2006

FDA approves Januvia for diabetes

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today the approval of Januvia (sitagliptin phosphate) Tablets, the first diabetes treatment approved in a new class of drugs known as DDP-4 inhibitors that enhances the body's own ability to lower elevated blood sugar.

17 Oct 2006

Insulin receptor stops progression of Alzheimer's disease

Stimulation of a receptor in the brain that controls insulin responses has been shown to halt or diminish the neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease, providing evidence that the disease can be treated in its early stages, according to a study by researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School.

21 Sep 2006

Inhaled corticosteroids reduce COPD mortality risk

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who use inhaled corticosteroids may have a significantly decreased mortality risk, according to a new study published in the September issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

12 Sep 2006

More children around the world now have allergies and asthma

Researchers in Auckland, New Zealand say that the number of children with allergies and asthma is increasing around the world and especially among the youngest.

28 Aug 2006