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Researchers to identify protein-recycling mechanism of TB bacteria

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University have discovered a key difference in the way human cells and Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB, deliver unwanted proteins marked with a "kiss of death" sequence to their respective cellular recycling factories.

18 Oct 2010

New discovery raises hopes for women with tamoxifen resistance

SCIENTISTS in London have found a potential new way of boosting the effectiveness of the anti-breast cancer drug, tamoxifen.

18 Oct 2010

IDRI's TB vaccine protects against drug-resistant tuberculosis

The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) announces it has developed a new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that protects against TB including drug-resistant strains of the disease in animal studies. The results of these studies are published in Science Translational Medicine today.

18 Oct 2010

CVS agrees to record fine to settle meth suit

The CVS retail pharmacy chain agreed Thursday to pay a record fine to settle a civil case brought by federal prosecutors who said the company had allowed criminals to buy large amounts of methamphetamine ingredients over the counter.

18 Oct 2010

Researchers identify new paradigm for regulation of alternative splicing

How a T cell decides to make protein X, Y, or Z can have profound effects for fighting foreign invaders or staving off dire autoimmune reactions. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified the steps that control how different forms of an immune cell protein called CD45, which is critical for activating the immune system when faced with pathogens, are controlled in the arc of a body's immune response.

18 Oct 2010

Catholic officials approve Caritas sale in Mass., Boston and Milwaukee hospitals strengthen their financial standing

Catholic church officials have signed off on the sale of Caritas Christi Health Care to a private equity firm, according to a document filed with the Supreme Judicial Court.

18 Oct 2010

Genetic link to depression: New avenues for therapy

Yale University scientists have found a gene that appears to play a key role in the onset of depression. This could mean new avenues of therapy for the disease. The gene in question is called MKP-1 and was identified after comparing the genetic codes of 21 deceased people who had been diagnosed with depression with those of 18 otherwise healthy individuals. The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine on 17th of October.

18 Oct 2010

FDA plans to revoke knee implant approval following intense political pressure for its approval

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it planned to revoke a medical-device company's right to sell a knee implant called Menaflex after an unprecedented yearlong review concluded the agency erred in allowing it on the market

18 Oct 2010

PTC announces ataluren Phase 2b efficacy data at International Congress

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that final analyses of Phase 2b efficacy data suggest the investigational new drug ataluren slowed the loss of walking ability in patients with nonsense mutation dystrophinopathy, a disease continuum comprising Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (nmDBMD). These data were presented at the International Congress of the World Muscle Society in Kumamoto, Japan and will be the basis of interactions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and national regulatory authorities in Europe in the fourth quarter of 2010.

18 Oct 2010

UK Intellectual Property Office issues patent for entinostat

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage epigenetics oncology company, today announced the UK Intellectual Property Office allowed application GB0907347.9 entitled N-(2-aminophenyl)-4-[N-(pyridine-3-YL)-methoxycarbonyl-aminomethyl]-benzamide (MS-275) polymorph B.

18 Oct 2010

Six-year data of reinforces efficacy and safety of Reclast injection in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

Novartis announced today that new six-year data reinforce the long-term efficacy and safety profile of once-yearly Reclast (zoledronic acid) injection in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The study of more than 1,200 women was presented this weekend at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) in Toronto, ON, Canada.

18 Oct 2010

2010 AAO-MEACO meeting focuses on genetic medicine

Genetic medicine is the focus of two presentations at today's Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting. The AAO-MEACO meeting is in session October 16 through 19 at McCormick Place, Chicago. It is the largest, most comprehensive ophthalmic education conference in the world.

18 Oct 2010

FDA approves BOTOX as prophylactic treatment for Chronic Migraine

Allergan, Inc. today announced the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BOTOX(onabotulinumtoxinA) for the prophylactic (preventive) treatment of headaches in adults with Chronic Migraine.

18 Oct 2010

Today's Op-Eds: Critiques of 'Obamacare,' Skyrocketing brand name drug prices, pay-for-performance

People are less negative about some of the specifics than they are about the package as a whole. But does this imply that those who understand the law like it better. Despite their political views, the well-informed share a strong opposition to the new law.

18 Oct 2010

MasterCard, Interpol partner to prevent online supply of illegal and counterfeit drugs, medicines

MasterCard Worldwide recently partnered with Interpol to support the global police organization's efforts to prevent websites from supplying illegal and counterfeit prescription drugs and medicines to consumers. Named "Operation Pangea III," the week-long effort covered 45 participating countries and resulted in 76 arrests to date. Additionally, 290 websites have been shut down and nearly 11,000 packages of contraband have been seized or detained.

15 Oct 2010

New rates and benefits for 2011 from APWU Health Plan

APWU Health Plan announces new rates and benefits for 2011. APWU Health Plan continues to offer comprehensive health care to America's Workforce at a competitive premium. The average rate increase for the FEHB Program in 2011 is 7.2 percent. For the tenth straight year, the APWU Health Plan's rate increase was below the FEHB average.

15 Oct 2010

Pericytes regulate blood-brain barrier

While the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from harmful chemicals occurring naturally in the blood, it also obstructs the transport of drugs to the brain. In an article in Nature scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet now present a potential solution to the problem. The key to the BBB is a cell-type in the blood vessel walls called pericytes, and the researchers hope that their findings will one day contribute to new therapies for diseases like Alzheimer's and stroke.

15 Oct 2010

CVS Caremark to present client experiences on innovative approaches at AMCP Conference

CVS Caremark is presenting data at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2010 Educational Conference illustrating how innovative approaches to traditional plan designs can help clients reduce drug spend, improve generic dispensing rates (GDR) and minimize member disruption.

15 Oct 2010

FDA warns companies over unsubstantiated claims of 'chelation' products

The Food and Drug Administration says there's no proof that nonprescription 'chelation' products—which claim to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer's disease—can rid the body of toxic metals.

15 Oct 2010

GfK HealthCare: RRMS patients anticipate availability of new oral therapies

Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) patients have been anticipating the availability of new oral therapies being developed to treat their specific condition. Among the string of oral therapies entering the market is Novartis' Gilenya, which recently became available for use following receipt of FDA approval in late September. One-third of MS patients are aware the new oral agents are under development and there is substantial interest within this group to seek further information through physicians and other sources, according to new research by GfK HealthCare.

15 Oct 2010