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New gene required for memory formation identified

A team led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist has for the first time identified a new gene that is required for memory formation in Drosophila, the common fruit fly. The gene may have similar functions in humans, shedding light on neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or human learning disabilities.

9 Sep 2010

Illegal drug usage in older people reduces quality of life: Research

Health and social services are facing a new challenge, as many illicit drug users get older and face chronic health problems and a reduced quality of life. That is one of the key findings of research published in the September issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

9 Sep 2010

Scientists discover over-expression of C35 gene in HER2 positive tumours

UK scientists have discovered that a gene called C35 can work together with other cancer-promoting genes to drive the growth and invasion of breast cancer cells in the lab.

9 Sep 2010

Federal appeals court declines to reconsider 'pay-for-delay' on generic drugs

A federal appeals court on Tuesday said it will not revisit its decision to uphold settlements that allow pharmaceutical companies to pay competitors to keep generic versions of their drugs off the market, The Wall Street Journal reports. "In April, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals [in New York] affirmed the legality of a settlement in which Bayer AG, in essence, paid Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., a potential generic competitor, to drop its patent challenge to Cipro, a Bayer antibiotic."

9 Sep 2010

Scientists discover molecular gatekeeper for arthritis

Elimination of a molecular gatekeeper leads to the development of arthritis in mice, scientists report in a study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The newly discovered gatekeeper is a protein that determines the fate survival or death of damaging cells that mistakenly attack the body's own tissues and lead to autoimmune disorders such as arthritis.

9 Sep 2010

UCLA psychologist explains measure to overcome drug addiction

Millions of Americans suffer from severe addictions that can ruin lives and are extremely difficult to control. Nearly 2 million enter roughly 12,000 addiction treatment programs in the U.S. each year.

9 Sep 2010

C.A.R.E.S. Alliance launches online tools for addressing misuse and abuse of pain medications

The C.A.R.E.S. Alliance, a new patient safety organization, today launched a range of online tools designed to help solve the growing problem of misuse and abuse of opioids by identifying the risks associated with these powerful pain medications. The free resources offered through the C.A.R.E.S. (Collaborating & Acting Responsibly to Ensure Safety) Alliance promote safety in prescribing, dispensing, using, storing and disposing of these commonly abused pain medications.

9 Sep 2010

Study finds long-term use of bone-strengthening drugs increase risk of oesophageal cancer

People who take bone-strengthening pills called bisphosphonates over a long period of time could be more likely to develop cancer of the oesophagus (gullet), new research suggests.

9 Sep 2010

Micro-RNAs programmed cells can lead to malignant growth

Cancer becomes life threatening when tumor cells start leaving their primary site. They travel through the lymph and blood streams to other tissues where they grow into metastases. This transition to malignancy is associated with characteristic changes in the cancer cells. The activity of several genes is reprogrammed and, thus, the production of proteins anchoring cells to a tissue is reduced. On the other hand, the amount of surface markers which make a cancer cell mobile increases.

9 Sep 2010

Researchers synthesize new compounds to reduce A-beta 42 peptide in Alzheimer's disease

A team of scientists, led by University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers, has synthesized hundreds of new compounds with the potential of reducing the production of the A-beta 42 peptide, a primary component of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

9 Sep 2010

Ohio State University receives five-year grant to improve drug therapy using gene profiles

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded a $9.1 million, five-year grant to The Ohio State University for a study titled "Expression Genetics in Drug Therapy." The goal of the research is to enhance drug response rates and reduce the number of adverse drug reactions among patients taking medication.

9 Sep 2010

Zyngenia completes $15M Series A financing extension from NEA

Zyngenia, Inc., a privately held biotherapeutics company focused on next-generation antibody drug development, announced today the completion of a $15 million Series A financing extension from New Enterprise Associates (NEA), one of the world's leading venture capital firms. The capital will be used to continue to rapidly progress Zyngenia's pipeline of Zybodies™, which are novel, multi-specific, antibody-based molecules that address two or more biological targets with a single protein drug.

8 Sep 2010

AHF praises US government's increase in PEPFAR funding commitment for Uganda

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, which currently cares for over 49,000 AIDS patients in Uganda through its Uganda CARES network of eleven treatment clinics throughout the country, today lauded the United States government for increasing its funding commitment in Uganda for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States' respected global AIDS program.

8 Sep 2010

Champions Biotechnology signs agreement to test Cephalon's CEP-32496 in Biomerk Tumorgraft platform

Champions Biotechnology, Inc., an oncology drug development company with a predictive preclinical platform aimed at accelerating the development and enhancing the value of oncology drugs, announced the establishment of an agreement with Cephalon, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company, for the testing of the Cephalon novel B-Raf inhibitor CEP-32496 in Champions' Biomerk Tumorgraft™ platform.

8 Sep 2010

PPD establishes preferred provider relationships for conducting Phase I trials

PPD, Inc. today announced it has established preferred provider relationships with a network of sites across North America for conducting Phase I trials in patients to meet growing client demand for these services.

8 Sep 2010

PPTA supports CMS' proposal for hospital outpatient reimbursement for plasma protein therapies

The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) recommends that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalize its Proposed Rule regarding reimbursement to better ensure patient access to vital medicines in the hospital outpatient setting.

8 Sep 2010

Lack of data on best way to treat nausea and vomiting in children undergoing chemotherapy

Although nausea and vomiting are common in children undergoing chemotherapy, few quality studies identify absolutely the best way to prevent and treat this problem in kids, said Robert Phillips, M.D., lead author of a new Cochrane review. Phillips, a pediatric oncologist at St. James's Hospital in Leeds, England, said the main finding is the paucity of data that he and his colleagues uncovered.

8 Sep 2010

NIH announces $15 million for expansion of Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base

To help advance research on how genes affect responses to medicines, the National Institutes of Health is spending $15 million over five years to expand a key resource, the Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base (PharmGKB), http://www.pharmgkb.org/ .

8 Sep 2010

Phase 3 REALIZE study shows milestone in treatment development for hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that 65% of people overall achieved a sustained viral response (SVR or viral cure) with a telaprevir-based regimen in the pivotal Phase 3 REALIZE study, as compared to 17% of people in the control arm who received pegylated-interferon and ribavirin alone.

8 Sep 2010

Gemcitabine does not improve survival compared with fluorouracil plus folinic acid in resected pancreatic cancer

Use of gemcitabine, a drug that can be effective in treating advanced and resected pancreatic cancer, did not result in improved overall survival after pancreatic cancer resection (surgical removal) compared to patients who received fluorouracil and folinic acid, another treatment regimen that has shown effectiveness, according to a study in the September 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Sep 2010

Drugs News and Research

New gene required for memory formation identified

Illegal drug usage in older people reduces quality of life: Research

Scientists discover over-expression of C35 gene in HER2 positive tumours

Federal appeals court declines to reconsider 'pay-for-delay' on generic drugs

Scientists discover molecular gatekeeper for arthritis

UCLA psychologist explains measure to overcome drug addiction

C.A.R.E.S. Alliance launches online tools for addressing misuse and abuse of pain medications

Study finds long-term use of bone-strengthening drugs increase risk of oesophageal cancer

Micro-RNAs programmed cells can lead to malignant growth

Researchers synthesize new compounds to reduce A-beta 42 peptide in Alzheimer's disease

Ohio State University receives five-year grant to improve drug therapy using gene profiles

Zyngenia completes $15M Series A financing extension from NEA

AHF praises US government's increase in PEPFAR funding commitment for Uganda

Champions Biotechnology signs agreement to test Cephalon's CEP-32496 in Biomerk Tumorgraft platform

PPD establishes preferred provider relationships for conducting Phase I trials

PPTA supports CMS' proposal for hospital outpatient reimbursement for plasma protein therapies

Lack of data on best way to treat nausea and vomiting in children undergoing chemotherapy

NIH announces $15 million for expansion of Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base

Phase 3 REALIZE study shows milestone in treatment development for hepatitis C

Gemcitabine does not improve survival compared with fluorouracil plus folinic acid in resected pancreatic cancer

Drug Discovery - Second Edition eBook

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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