Central Nervous System News and Research

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Researchers find how angiotensin influences immune system

Researchers in Heidelberg and Stanford have discovered a new signalling pathway of brain cells that explains how widely used antihypertensive drugs could keep inflammation in multiple sclerosis in check. The peptide angiotensin not only raises blood pressure but also activates the immunological messenger substance TGF beta on a previously unknown communication pathway in the brain.

29 Jul 2010

Aphios awarded US patent for compositions, methods for treating diseases involving 5-α reductase enzyme

Aphios® Corporation today announced that it was awarded United States Patent No. 7,744,935 B2 for "Compositions and Methods for Inhibiting 5-α Reductase," granted June 29, 2010. This invention is related to compositions and methods for treating diseases involving the 5-alpha (α) reductase enzyme.

28 Jul 2010

NCKU engineers and physical therapy experts develop rehabilitation robots

Prof. Ming-Shaung Ju of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, has developed rehabilitation robots by integrating the experience of physical therapy experts at NCKU Hospital, opening a new road for stroke patients' rehabilitation.

28 Jul 2010

Antares Pharma reports positive results from Anturol Gel Phase 3 study in overactive bladder patients

Antares Pharma, Inc. announced today positive results from its Phase 3 study of Anturol Gel in patients with overactive bladder. The study met its primary endpoint of a statistically significant reduction in urinary incontinence episodes for both doses studied.

28 Jul 2010

Omeros initiates enrollment in OMS302 Phase 2b clinical trial in patients undergoing cataract surgery

Omeros Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing products focused on inflammation and disorders of the central nervous system, today announced that it has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating OMS302 in patients undergoing cataract surgery.

27 Jul 2010

QPS acquires Xendo Drug Development

QPS Holdings, LLC, a leading full-service GLP/GCP-compliant contract research organization providing testing services to support preclinical and clinical research and development, announced the completion of its acquisition of Xendo Drug Development BV (XDD), headquartered in Groningen, The Netherlands. XDD, a European contract research organization (CRO), will be known as QPS Netherlands BV and become a wholly-owned subsidiary of QPS Holdings, LLC.

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

Euthymics Bioscience completes $24 million Series A financing

Euthymics Bioscience, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing next-generation antidepressants, today announced the completion of a Series A financing -- led by Novartis Venture Funds and Venture Investors - for a total investment commitment of $24 million in milestone-conditioned tranches. Hambrecht & Quist Capital Management, LLC, GBS Venture Partners and the State of Wisconsin Investment Board also participated in the financing.

22 Jul 2010

Somaxon's Silenor Phase 3 clinical data accepted for publication in Sleep, Sleep Medicine journals

Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the in-licensing, development and commercialization of proprietary branded pharmaceutical products and late-stage product candidates for the treatment of diseases and disorders in the central nervous system therapeutic area, today announced that detailed results from two Phase 3 clinical trials of the company's product Silenor® (doxepin) have been accepted for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

22 Jul 2010

AMRI initiates enrollment for Phase I study of ALB-127158 for obesity

AMRI has commenced enrollment for a Phase I study of ALB-127158(a), a novel MCH1 receptor antagonist offering a potential new approach for the treatment of obesity. The announcement was made yesterday during a presentation by AMRI's Dr. Peter Guzzo, director, discovery research and development, at the 6th Obesity and Diabetes Drug Development Summit in Arlington, VA. Preclinical data were also reported.

21 Jul 2010

Cara Therapeutics closes Series D financing of $15 million

Cara Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it had closed on a Series D financing of $15 million. The round was led by new investor, Rho Ventures, with participation from previous investors Alta Biopharma, Ascent Biomedical Ventures, CT Innovations, Devon Park BioVentures, Healthcare Private Equity, Mitsubishi International Corporation and MVM Life Science Partners.

21 Jul 2010

Acorda Therapeutics awarded $1M C-TRIP grant to support research on GGF2

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has awarded a $1 million Cardiac Translational Research Implementation Program grant to support research on Glial Growth Factor 2, a novel investigational agent for the treatment of patients with heart failure under development at Acorda.

20 Jul 2010

Bi-monthly journal on neurovirology from Springer

Starting in January 2011, Springer will publish the Journal of NeuroVirology, a bi-monthly publication closely affiliated with the International Society for NeuroVirology. Previously published by Taylor & Francis/Informa, the five-year contract with Springer runs to 2015.

20 Jul 2010

Columbia scientists discover new way to alleviate chronic pain

Columbia scientists working to combat injury-related depression, substance abuse and suicide due to unremitting, persistent pain may have discovered a new way of treating that pain: a powerful analgesic dubbed N60 that leads to neither tolerance nor addiction.

16 Jul 2010

Cryo-Cell second-quarter consolidated revenues decrease to $4.3 million

Cryo-Cell International, Inc., one of the world's largest and most established family cord blood banks, today announced results for the second quarter ended May 31, 2010. Consolidated revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2010 were $4.3 million compared to $4.7 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2009.

15 Jul 2010

Scientists awarded $2.3M grant to develop new treatments for drug addiction

A pair of scientists on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute has been awarded a $2.3 million grant by the National Institutes of Health to conduct research relevant to developing new treatments for drug addiction.

15 Jul 2010

AD may lead to increased risk of comorbid conditions, research shows

Pfizer Inc., together with its collaborator on the Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program, Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy, presented new research this week at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease 2010 from two podium and four poster presentations.

14 Jul 2010

CSHL scientists reverse symptoms of Type III SMA using ASOs

The devastating, currently incurable motor-neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy might soon be treated with tiny, chemically modified pieces of RNA called antisense oligonucleotides.

13 Jul 2010

New research shows head size helps measure brain reserve, brain growth

New research shows that people with Alzheimer's disease who have large heads have better memory and thinking skills than those with the disease who have smaller heads, even when they have the same amount of brain cell death due to the disease. The research is published in the July 13, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Jul 2010

Survey shows only few Canadians identify painful physical symptoms of depression

Although the majority of Canadians believe in a mind/body connection, agreeing how they feel physically is related to how they feel emotionally (87 per cent), only half make the link when it comes to depression.

12 Jul 2010