Asthma News and Research

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Asthma is a common inflammatory disease affecting the airways that leads to shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Symptoms range from mild to severe but are generally manageable with appropriate treatment.

Pharmaxis announces combined results of Bronchitol Phase III trial for cystic fibrosis

Pharmaceutical company Pharmaxis today announced significant results of pooled data from its two large scale six month Phase III trials of Bronchitol (inhaled mannitol) in people with cystic fibrosis.

25 Oct 2010

Drug payment database spurs local reports

A database put together by ProPublica of drugmakers' payments to physicians for promoting their products is now spurring local inquiries and garnering some response from physicians.

22 Oct 2010

SO2 emission raise health concerns

Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's big island has been erupting on its east rift since 1983. But, in March 2008, an additional eruption vent opened at the volcano's summit, resulting in about triple the amount of sulfur dioxide gas (SO2) emissions drifting to the local community of Ka'u, raising health concerns over the risks associated with exposure to "vog," as the islanders refer to this volcanic air pollution.

21 Oct 2010

CKI to distribute Allergy Technologies' ActiveGuard mattress liners

Cadence Keen Innovations (CKI) has recently announced that it will be the exclusive distributor of Allergy Technologies' ActiveGuard Mattress Liners, which kill bed bugs within 72 hours, to the cruise industry and other CKI-supported hospitality facilities.

21 Oct 2010

MAP Pharmaceuticals to present nine analyses on LEVADEX for migraine therapy at 2010 EHMTIC congress

MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the Company will present nine analyses relating to its LEVADEX™ orally inhaled migraine therapy product candidate, including analysis from the FREEDOM-301 Phase 3 trial, at the 2010 European Headache and Migraine Trust International Congress (EHMTIC) in Nice, France.

21 Oct 2010

Study finds black rice bran may reduce inflammation

Scientists are reporting evidence that black rice a little-known variety of the grain that is the staple food for one-third of the world population may help soothe the inflammation involved in allergies, asthma, and other diseases.

21 Oct 2010

Cipla launches generic Pirfenidone for IPF

Cipla, among the world's leading generic pharmaceutical companies, has introduced Pirfenidone in India under the brand name Pirfenex, for the treatment of IPF. A chronic progressive form of lung disease, IPF has average survival rates as low as 3-5 years which is less than many cancers. Till now there is no approved treatment for IPF.

20 Oct 2010

Health Impact Project announces $400,000 in grants to 4 organizations to conduct health impact assessments

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, today announced nearly $400,000 in grants to four organizations to conduct health impact assessments (HIAs). The assessments will identify and address potential and often overlooked health implications of policy proposals including farm-to-school food legislation, energy development, smart-metering technology for electric utilities and urban transportation plans.

20 Oct 2010

New sensor uses frog peptides to detect contamination in drugs, medical devices

Princeton engineers have developed a sensor that may revolutionize how drugs and medical devices are tested for contamination, and in the process also help ensure the survival of two species of threatened animals.

20 Oct 2010

PBS-Bio announces three new contracts to develop cancer therapy

In an industry that faces increasing challenges in delivering new drugs to patients, Predictive Biomarker Sciences (PBS-Bio) today announced three new contracts aimed at bringing new medicines to the marketplace.

20 Oct 2010

Pearl announces $69 million Series C financing round

Pearl Therapeutics Inc., a privately held company developing clinically differentiated combination therapies for the treatment of highly prevalent chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), today announced a $69 million Series C financing. The financing round was led by Vatera Healthcare Partners and included existing investors, Clarus Ventures, New Leaf Venture Partners and 5AM Ventures.

20 Oct 2010

En Ze Jia Shi Pharmaceuticals receives patent for controlled-release oral gliclazide

Lotus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.a fast-growing, profitable developer, manufacturer and seller of medicine and drugs in the People's Republic of China announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, En Ze Jia Shi Pharmaceuticals, has been issued a patent by the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China for controlled-release oral gliclazide. The patent covers the composition and preparation methods for the drug through 2030.

20 Oct 2010

Long term exposure to air pollution increases risk of severe COPD

Long term exposure to low-level air pollution may increase the risk of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to researcher s in Denmark. While acute exposure of several days to high level air pollution was known to be a risk factor for exacerbation in pre-existing COPD, until now there had been no studies linking long-term air pollution exposure to the development or progression of the disease.

20 Oct 2010

Chemicals in everyday substances increase risk of allergies in children

The use of chemicals in our everyday lives entails increased risks of allergies in children, according to a study at Karlstad University in Sweden. The prevalence of PGEs, propylene glycol and glycol ethers, in bedroom air is associated with asthma, hay fever, and eczema, but also with antibodies against common allergens in children. The study shows a risk increase of up to 180 percent.

19 Oct 2010

Egg allergy is no reason to avoid 2010-2011 flu vaccination

Having an egg allergy is not a reason to avoid getting the 2010-2011 flu vaccination.

19 Oct 2010

Fluticasone gets rid of eosinophils in the esophagus, but does not improve symptoms

A group of Mayo Clinic researchers conducted the first controlled trial of swallowed fluticasone nasal spray (also known as Flonase) on people with the allergic esophageal condition called eosinophilic esophagitis. Research showed that the aerosolized swallowed allergy drug helped treat the cause of the throat condition, but symptoms lingered. The researchers' findings were presented today at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in San Antonio.

18 Oct 2010

Study: 2.5% of Americans have food allergy

An estimated 2.5 percent of Americans — 7.5 million people — have at least one food allergy and young black children with asthma appear to be at the highest risk, according to findings from what is believed to be the largest food allergy study to date. The research was conducted by investigators at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

18 Oct 2010

OTIS urges pregnant women to get vaccinated against influenza

The Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), a non-profit organization based at the University of California, San Diego with affiliates across North America, urges pregnant women to receive the influenza vaccine as soon as possible. The recommendation comes shortly after the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice issued new guidelines regarding the influenza vaccine during pregnancy.

15 Oct 2010

CIHR, Genome BC announce $5.4 million for microbiome research

The University of British Columbia today welcomed the announcement of $5.4 million in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Genome British Columbia for research into how micro-organisms affect human health.

15 Oct 2010

Chest compression-only method of CPR better than standard CPR

Heart attack patients whose hearts have stopped beating and who receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from bystanders fare better if their resuscitators skip the rescue breaths and do only chest compression, according to a study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

15 Oct 2010