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Experts evlauate impact of Medicare Part D program on independent and chain pharmacies

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Medicare Part D) added prescription drug coverage to Medicare beginning in January 2006.

30 Jun 2010

2 new studies add to evidence of risks with diabetes drug Avandia as FDA prepares to debate it's safety

The Washington Post: Two new studies provide evidence "that the diabetes drug Avandia increases the risk of heart problems and strokes, renewing questions about the safety of the medication. ... The new research, released Monday, should prompt the Food and Drug Administration to remove the drug from the market, according to the researchers who led the analyses and several drug-safety advocates.

30 Jun 2010

Sirnaomics receives NIH SBIR grants to advance siRNA therapeutics for critical human diseases

Sirnaomics, Inc. announced today that the company has received two SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grants from National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), of National Institute of Health (NIH). Sirnaomics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company founded in early 2007, is dedicated to developing RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics for treatment of critical human diseases.

30 Jun 2010

New hope for patients with drug-resistant depression

New research shows that a unique strain of laboratory mice characterized at Penn State University has behavioral, hormonal, and neurochemical characteristics that are similar to those of human patients with drug-resistant forms of depression.

30 Jun 2010

Asbestos induces cell necrosis, promotes tumor growth

More than 20 million people in the U.S., and many more worldwide, who have been exposed to asbestos are at risk of developing mesothelioma, a malignant cancer of the membranes that cover the lungs and abdomen that is resistant to current therapies.

30 Jun 2010

FDA grants approval for first generic version of Effexor XR antidepressant capsules

On June 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic version of Effexor XR capsules (venlafaxine hydrochloride) to treat major depressive disorder.

30 Jun 2010

Recent, upcoming FDA efforts address rare, 'neglected' diseases

The FDA's new rare disease review group will hold its first public hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss how to expand efforts to develop treatments for rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people, Reuters

30 Jun 2010

Doctors want pain drugs to be tracked

The Hill: Doctors who belong to the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians want lawmakers to give money to help states begin collecting and sharing data on patients who "doctor shop" for pain medications. The group wants $55 million for the program and are asking Congress "to reauthorize a 2005 bill providing grants to states that collect prescription drug information and share it with physicians and pharmacists — and law enforcement officials when there's an investigation — while protecting patients' privacy.

30 Jun 2010

Greenwire/New York Times examine dengue vaccine development

Greenwire/New York Times reports on the growing number of cases of dengue worldwide, including the CDC's report last month that the virus has now been locally acquired in the continental U.S. for the first time in 65 years. "While a few cases were reported earlier, they were primarily in Americans who had caught the virus abroad or at the Texas-Mexico border," the news service writes.

30 Jun 2010

Novel method of encapsulating gases, liquids and solids using miniature bubbles

Researchers from University College London have won a £25,000 prize for developing technology that could be used to improve medical imaging, the targeted delivery of drugs and much more.

29 Jun 2010

BBD reports analyze effectiveness and safety of statin use

A series of new reports from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs (BBD) caution that the benefits of statin use by children and some women may not outweigh the risks. Drugs to lower cholesterol - including statins - are the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S. and garnered more than $14 billion in sales last year.

29 Jun 2010

Ovarian transplant procedure increases lifespan, restores fertility in aging mice

Scientists have discovered that when they transplant ovaries from young mice into aging female mice, not only does the procedure make the mice fertile again, but also it rejuvenates their behaviour and increases their lifespan. The question now is: could ovarian transplants in women have the same effect?

29 Jun 2010

Teenage girls more likely to perceive potential benefits of drug and alcohol use

Survey data released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America® and MetLife Foundation found that teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to perceive potential benefits from drug use and drinking, making teen girls more vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse.

29 Jun 2010

BIND Biosciences announces $12.4 million Series C-1 financing

BIND Biosciences, Inc. (BIND), a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing best in class therapeutics based on its proprietary targeted nanotechnology platform, announced today that it has secured a $12.4 Million Series C-1 financing. This financing included all of BIND's current investors (including Polaris Venture Partners, Flagship Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, NanoDimension and DHK Investments) as well as a new venture investor, Endeavour Vision, and private investors.

29 Jun 2010

Rosiglitazone therapy associated with increased risk for heart attack: Study

Eleven years after the introduction of the diabetes drug rosiglitazone, data from available clinical trials demonstrate an increased risk for heart attack associated with its use and suggest an unfavorable benefit-to-risk ratio, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the July 26 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

29 Jun 2010

Statins does not reduce death risk in high-risk individuals without heart disease

A meta-analysis of previously published studies finds no evidence that statins are associated with a reduced risk of death among individuals at risk for but with no history of cardiovascular disease, according to a report in the June 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals

29 Jun 2010

Serotonin promotes beta cell expansion during pregnancy, offers possible cure for type 1 diabetes

Researchers funded by JDRF have discovered that the hormone, serotonin, may be involved in the increase of insulin-producing beta cells during pregnancy.

29 Jun 2010

Genetic variation can impact women's response to ovarian stimulating hormones

Researchers have discovered that some women carry a genetic variation that makes them sub-fertile and less likely to respond to ovarian stimulating hormones during fertility treatment. The discovery opens the way to identifying these women and devising personalised fertility treatments that could bypass the problem caused by the genetic abnormality.

29 Jun 2010

A natural approach to combat stress

For anyone who knows the racing, "misfiring" brain associated with today's multitasking lifestyles, finding a safe, effective remedy to achieve calm can be a challenge. Women-run Rainbow Light® Nutritional Systems, a leader in natural nutrition for nearly 30 years, has developed a breakthrough remedy to calm the "busy brain" that can impair mental clarity and cause restless sleep.

29 Jun 2010

Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly respond to ACCF/AHA clinical alert on FDA's clopidogrel boxed warning

Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company appreciate the availability of a "Clinical Alert" from the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and American Heart Association (AHA) in response to the FDA's Boxed Warning about Plavix® (clopidogrel), and commend the leading cardiovascular medical societies for providing perspective on the importance of genetic make-up and the variability in response of certain oral anti-platelet (OAP) therapy for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who are managed with angioplasty and stenting (known as PCI).

29 Jun 2010

Drugs News and Research

Experts evlauate impact of Medicare Part D program on independent and chain pharmacies

2 new studies add to evidence of risks with diabetes drug Avandia as FDA prepares to debate it's safety

Sirnaomics receives NIH SBIR grants to advance siRNA therapeutics for critical human diseases

New hope for patients with drug-resistant depression

Asbestos induces cell necrosis, promotes tumor growth

FDA grants approval for first generic version of Effexor XR antidepressant capsules

Recent, upcoming FDA efforts address rare, 'neglected' diseases

Doctors want pain drugs to be tracked

Greenwire/New York Times examine dengue vaccine development

Novel method of encapsulating gases, liquids and solids using miniature bubbles

BBD reports analyze effectiveness and safety of statin use

Ovarian transplant procedure increases lifespan, restores fertility in aging mice

Teenage girls more likely to perceive potential benefits of drug and alcohol use

BIND Biosciences announces $12.4 million Series C-1 financing

Rosiglitazone therapy associated with increased risk for heart attack: Study

Statins does not reduce death risk in high-risk individuals without heart disease

Serotonin promotes beta cell expansion during pregnancy, offers possible cure for type 1 diabetes

Genetic variation can impact women's response to ovarian stimulating hormones

A natural approach to combat stress

Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly respond to ACCF/AHA clinical alert on FDA's clopidogrel boxed warning

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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