Gastrointestinal Tract News and Research

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Shield commences two ST10 Phase 3 studies in iron deficiency anaemia

Shield Therapeutics (Shield), the independent specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of late-stage, mineral-derived hospital pharmaceuticals which address areas of high unmet medical need, today announced that the first patients have been treated in the two Phase 3 clinical studies of ST10 for the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in subjects with inflammatory bowel disease.

12 Oct 2011

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute releases upgraded ENISI software

Researchers with the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have released an upgrade to the institute's ENteric Immunity SImulator (ENISI) software, which models immune responses to beneficial and harmful bacteria that enter the gastrointestinal tract of mice, pigs, and humans.

7 Oct 2011

UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center receives NCI grant to renew support for cancer research program

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a five-year, $27.5 million Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute to renew support for its cancer research program through 2016.

1 Oct 2011

BVES protein may play a role in colon cancer progression

A protein critical in heart development may also play a part in colon cancer progression. Research led by investigators from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Vanderbilt Eye Institute suggests that the protein BVES (blood vessel endocardial substance) - which also is key in regulating corneal cells - may be a therapeutic target for halting colon cancer metastasis.

14 Sep 2011

Bariatric surgery is cost-effective but has long-term complications

The majority of people who undergo bariatric weight-loss surgery benefit from the procedure, but long-term complications and further surgery are not uncommon, according to a UK paper on late postoperative complications in the October issue of BJS, the British Journal of Surgery.

6 Sep 2011

Scientists identify human colon stem cells and grow them in lab-plates

Human colon stem cells have been identified and grown in a lab-plate for the first time. This achievement, made by researchers of the Colorectal Cancer Lab at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine and published in Nature Medicine, is a crucial advance towards regenerative medicine.

5 Sep 2011

FDA accepts Salix and Progenics' sNDA filing for RELISTOR to treat opioid-induced constipation

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for RELISTOR Subcutaneous Injection to treat opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients with non-cancer pain.

30 Aug 2011

Shire receives FDA marketing approval for FIRAZYR to treat acute attacks of HAE

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for FIRAZYR for treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in adults 18 years of age and older.

26 Aug 2011

ICU patients less likely to renew prescriptions for chronic diseases after discharge

Patients often do not renew prescriptions for their chronic diseases after they are released from hospital.

25 Aug 2011

Research uncovers natural defense mechanism that inactivates C. diff toxins

Groundbreaking research encompassing Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, has uncovered a natural defense mechanism that is capable of inactivating the toxin that spreads Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, an increasingly common bacterial infection in hospitals and long-term care settings.

22 Aug 2011

NPS submits NDA CMC section to FDA for GATTEX

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company developing orphan therapeutics for rare gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders, today announced that it has submitted the chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) section of its new drug application (NDA) for GATTEX® (teduglutide) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

18 Aug 2011

Positive data from Lexicon LX1032 Phase 2 study on carcinoid syndrome

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering breakthrough treatments for human disease, announced positive, top-line proof-of-concept data from its recently completed Phase 2 study in carcinoid syndrome with LX1032, telotristat etiprate. Carcinoid syndrome is a chronic condition caused by neuroendocrine tumors that usually originate from the gastrointestinal tract.

9 Aug 2011

Lexicon's second quarter revenues decrease 55% to $0.6 million

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for human disease, today updated its drug development progress and reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011.

9 Aug 2011

Avaxia receives BARDA contract to develop new radiation mitigation drug

Avaxia Biologics, Inc., a privately-held biotech company developing oral antibody drugs that act locally within the gastrointestinal tract, announced today it was awarded a contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), for the research and development of an oral antibody therapy to mitigate the gastrointestinal damage that follows radiation exposure that might occur after a nuclear incident.

4 Aug 2011

Hunger hormone likely to cause stress-linked complex eating behaviors

We are one step closer to deciphering why some stressed people indulge in chocolate, mashed potatoes, ice cream and other high-calorie, high-fat comfort foods. UT Southwestern Medical Center-led findings, in a mouse study, suggest that ghrelin - the so-called "hunger hormone" - is involved in triggering this reaction to high stress situations.

24 Jun 2011

MRE reduces ionizing radiation exposure, detects Crohn's disease as reliably as CT

A new study from Rhode Island Hospital has found that MR enterography (MRE) without the use of an anti-peristaltic agent were as reliable as CT enterography (CTE) in determining the presence of Crohn's disease.

16 Jun 2011

Simple urine test could detect early stage cancers

Cancers of the gut, stomach and pancreas could be detected much sooner with a simple urine test, research suggests.

10 Jun 2011

Tragara's apricoxib-erlotinib Phase 2 study data on non-small cell lung cancer presented at ASCO 2011

Tragara Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that apricoxib in combination with erlotinib demonstrated significant and consistent clinical benefit over erlotinib alone in a clinically relevant subset of biomarker-selected patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had previously failed a platinum-containing regimen for advanced disease.

7 Jun 2011

Gleevec shows significant overall survival benefit for patients w/ GIST after 3 years of adjuvant treatment vs. 1 year

Novartis announced new data today showing a significant improvement in both recurrence-free survival and overall survival for patients taking Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate)* tablets for three years after surgery to remove KIT (CD117)-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (KIT+ GIST) compared to one year of treatment. These data will be presented at the 47th American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) plenary session on Sunday, June 5.

6 Jun 2011

New guideline on bariatric surgery

The treatment of obesity still needs improvement. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Norbert Runkel and colleagues present a new, interdisciplinary S3 guideline entitled "Bariatric Surgery".

6 Jun 2011