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Linagliptin safe and effective for long-term management of type 2 diabetes

An extended trial of a drug for people with type 2 diabetes has confirmed that the oral DPP-4 inhibitor linagliptin is a safe and effective means of lowering glucose levels for up to 102 weeks, either on its own or in combination with other selected oral anti-diabetic medication.

23 Jul 2012

Researchers uncover protein structure that regulates blood cell formation and activity

A Finnish research team together with researchers from New York, USA, has uncovered a protein structure that regulates cell signalling and the formation of blood cells. The team's results, published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the most prestigious journal in the field, shed light on the mechanisms at play in haematological disorders and provide new opportunities for the design of disease-specific treatment.

23 Jul 2012

Yeast gene can increase ethanol production yield by up to 34%

iDiverse announced that it has discovered a yeast gene that when inserted into yeast and properly modulated can increase ethanol production yield by up to 34%.

23 Jul 2012

Regeneron, Sanofi initiate enrollment in SAR236553/REGN727 Phase 3 program

Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that several trials within ODYSSEY, the Phase 3 clinical program of SAR236553/REGN727, have initiated patient enrollment.

21 Jul 2012

Unexplained fatigue in women: start iron supplements

Iron deficiency may be underdiagnosed in women of child-bearing age who report considerable fatigue, say researchers whose randomized controlled trial results show a significant reduction in fatigue after women took iron supplements.

20 Jul 2012

Silymarin does not offer significant improvements for patients with HCV

Silymarin, an extract of milk thistle commonly used to treat chronic liver disease by millions of people around the World, does not offer significant improvements for patients, according to a new study conducted by a nationwide group of researchers including faculty at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

20 Jul 2012

Scientists identify inhibitors of key enzyme involved in survival of malaria parasite

An international team of scientists, led by researchers from the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have identified the first reported inhibitors of a key enzyme involved in survival of the parasite responsible for malaria. Their findings, which may provide the basis for anti-malarial drug development, are currently published in the online version of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

20 Jul 2012

Conatus, University of Alberta initiate islet cell transplant Phase I/II trial of emricasan for diabetes

Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. and the University of Alberta announced today the treatment of the first patient in an investigator-initiated islet cell transplant Phase I/II trial of emricasan (IDN-6556), a pan-caspase inhibitor.

20 Jul 2012

Bryologs more potent than prostratin in treating HIV

Thanks to antiretrovirals, an AIDS diagnosis hasn't been a death sentence for nearly two decades. But highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART, is also not a cure.

19 Jul 2012

Silymarin does not provide greater benefit for patients with chronic HCV infection

Use of the botanical product silymarin, an extract of milk thistle that is commonly used by some patients with chronic liver disease, did not provide greater benefit than placebo for patients with treatment-resistant chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, according to a study in the July 18 issue of JAMA.

18 Jul 2012

Researchers uncover mechanism by which aging may weaken immune response

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have uncovered one of the mechanisms by which aging may compromise the ability of the immune system to fight infections and respond to vaccines.

18 Jul 2012

Combination of tPA and 3K3A-APC may effectively treat stroke

A team led by a physician-scientist at the University of Southern California (USC) has created an experimental drug that reduces brain damage and improves motor skills among stroke-afflicted rodents when given with federally approved clot-busting therapy.

18 Jul 2012

Relationship between two biological risk factors for schizophrenia

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered a cause-and-effect relationship between two well-established biological risk factors for schizophrenia previously believed to be independent of one another.

17 Jul 2012

Researchers identify cannabinoid-making pathway

U of S researchers have discovered the chemical pathway that Cannabis sativa uses to create bioactive compounds called cannabinoids, paving the way for the development of marijuana varieties to produce pharmaceuticals or cannabinoid-free industrial hemp.

17 Jul 2012

Why is the incidence of gout increasing?

Gout has been described by the Daily Mail as something, “usually associated with port-swilling, over-fed elderly men of the 19th century”. (1) Recent research carried out at the Boston University School of Medicine, however, has found that the incidence of gout in the US is on the rise. (2) Thus, the condition is clearly not something that only affects this stereotype.

17 Jul 2012

Research reveals how metformin reduces HCC risk

For every year that a patient with diabetes takes metformin, their risk for hepatocellular carcinoma reduces, say the authors of a study that also sheds light on the cellular pathway it uses.

16 Jul 2012

ACE inhibitors ‘protect against pneumonia’

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, but not angiotensin receptor blockers, reduce the risk of pneumonia, findings from a meta-analysis show.

16 Jul 2012

Merck to present results from clinical studies on BACE inhibitors at AAIC 2012

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today presentations at the upcoming Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) being held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on July 14-19, 2012.

16 Jul 2012

New NMR spectrometer to benefit researchers from across Texas A&M

Top-notch molecular research swung into gear at Texas A&M University this week - literally. A crane lowered a high-field 800 megahertz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometer through an opening in the roof of a biochemistry and biophysics building Wednesday, putting the university on par with leading U.S. research institutions, according to Dr. Gregory Reinhart, department head.

16 Jul 2012

Scientists investigate new ingredients to produce food with less energy, more taste

Our attraction to foods bloated with energy has made excess body weight increasingly common, particularly in the West. Hence, people's health has been affected. Scientists are now investigating new ingredients to satisfy our taste buds without impacting our health

14 Jul 2012