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Cough suppressant syrup may predict patients metabolise tamoxifen in breast cancer treatment

Cough medicine could be used as way of predicting how well individual patients metabolise tamoxifen used in the treatment of their breast cancer, according to new research presented at the 22nd EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Berlin today

19 Nov 2010

COPD both a burden and a loss

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, revealed that they perceive their disease as both a burden they must deal with and as a loss they have experienced, according to recent in-home research conducted by GlaxoSmithKline. Patients participating in the research characterized their sense of loss as a combination of factors including loss of energy, loss of control, loss of independence and loss of their old self.

18 Nov 2010

CDC data: Adults remain unvaccinated against preventable infectious illnesses

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that adults remain largely unvaccinated against preventable infectious illnesses.

18 Nov 2010

New findings reveal complexities in close chemical combat waged among bacteria

Like all organisms, bacteria must compete for resources to survive, even if it means a fight to the death. New research led by scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the University of California, Santa Barbara, describes new complexities in the close chemical combat waged among bacteria.

18 Nov 2010

Exelixis reports interim data of XL184 for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Exelixis, Inc. today reported interim data from the cohort of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treated with XL184 in an ongoing phase 2 adaptive randomized discontinuation trial (RDT).

18 Nov 2010

VX-770 drug candidate improves lung function in people with cystic fibrosis

In a study published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, treatment with a new drug candidate known as VX-770 resulted in improvements in lung function and markers of disease in a Phase 2 clinical trial of 39 people with cystic fibrosis (CF). There were no discontinuations due to adverse events in the study, and the frequency of adverse events was similar across the study groups.

18 Nov 2010

Researchers develop new vaccine delivery system for rotavirus infection

Researchers have developed a promising new approach to vaccination for rotavirus, a common cause of severe diarrheal disease that is responsible for approximately 500,000 deaths among children in the developing world every year.

16 Nov 2010

BIDMC, IPFnet to conduct clinical trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) will join the Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Clinical Research Network (IPFnet), a clinical research network sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to conduct randomized clinical trials to evaluate new and existing medications for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The network is made up of healthcare institutions from around the United States.

16 Nov 2010

U-M researchers develop simple mathematical model to predict whooping cough transmission

Strategies for preventing the spread of whooping cough on the rise in the United States and several other countries in recent years should take into account how often people in different age groups interact, research at the University of Michigan suggests.

12 Nov 2010

New leaders in Congress called upon to fix restrictions on flexible spending accounts

Save Flexible Spending Plans today called on the new leaders in Congress to follow through on their campaign promises to fix problems with the health care reform law, including restrictions on employer-provided flexible spending accounts (FSAs).

12 Nov 2010

Pharmaxis to present ARIDOL Bronchial Challenge Test Kit at 2010 ACAAI

Pharmaxis, a global specialty pharmaceutical company focused on therapeutic products for respiratory and immune disorders, will present ARIDOL™ (mannitol inhalation powder) Bronchial Challenge Test Kit, at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), November 11-16 in Phoenix, AZ.

11 Nov 2010

NHLBI launches new campaign to highlight common COPD symptoms

The number of Americans who report being aware of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, increased by 4 percentage points between 2008 and 2010, but many people at risk are still unaware of the disease, according to mailed survey results released today by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

10 Nov 2010

Aromatase inhibitors increase side effects in women undergoing breast cancer therapy

Women being treated for breast cancer with aromatase inhibitors may experience extremely low estrogen levels resulting in a wide variety of side effects that a typical postmenopausal woman without cancer may not experience.

10 Nov 2010

Health reform policy: Flexible spending, device taxes and waivers

One health law provision will be a bummer for people who use the tax-free dollars stored in flexible spending accounts, Kaiser Health News reports. "Starting in January, you'll no longer be able to use your FSA for over-the-counter drugs and medicines unless you have a doctor's prescription. Experts agree that the new rules will likely discourage people from tapping their FSAs for routine purchases of aspirin, vitamins, cough medicine and other drugstore essentials" (Andrews, 11/8).

10 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 9, 2010

Today's news includes reports about the Supreme Court's decision regarding an early challenge to the health law.

9 Nov 2010

SIMPONI injection improves inflammation, structural damage in RA patients

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses from two Phase 3 clinical trials showed that once every four week subcutaneous injections of SIMPONI (golimumab) 50 mg plus methotrexate resulted in statistically significant improvements in markers of inflammation and structural damage in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with placebo plus methotrexate.

9 Nov 2010

Vapor rub improves sleep for children with cold symptoms

Applying a vapor rub is effective for treating children with night-time cough and congestion and improves sleep for children with cold symptoms, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

8 Nov 2010

Prestige Brands second fiscal quarter net revenue decreases 3% to $78.3 million

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. today announced results for the second quarter and first half of fiscal year 2011, which ended on September 30, 2010. The Company also announced the completion on November 1, 2010 of the acquisition of Blacksmith Brands, Inc., which added five over-the-counter healthcare products to its business.

4 Nov 2010

HPV vaccine enjoys wide support from medical and public health communities

The vaccine that protects against the potentially cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) enjoys wide support in the medical and public health communities. Yet state laws to require young girls to be vaccinated as a requirement for middle school attendance have aroused controversy with parents, politicians, and even medical and public health experts disagreeing about whether such laws are appropriate.

4 Nov 2010

Afinitor tablets decrease size of SEGA associated with tuberous sclerosis

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today published a study that found patients taking Afinitor (everolimus) tablets experienced a decrease in the size of their subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA), a benign brain tumor associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS).

4 Nov 2010