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FDA approves seasons influenza vaccines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it has approved this year's seasonal influenza vaccines that include new strains of the virus likely to cause flu in the United States during the 2008-2009 season.

5 Aug 2008

Abbott Labs agrees to settle lawsuit over antiretroviral Norvir pricing

Abbott Laboratories on Wednesday agreed to pay between $10 million and $27.5 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit filed by HIV/AIDS advocates and other drug companies over an increase in the price of the company's antiretroviral drug Norvir, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (AP/International Herald Tribune, 7/31).

3 Aug 2008

UK's national HPV vaccination programme extended

The UK's national vaccination programme against HPV is being extended to offer protection to an additional 300,000 girls aged 17-18, starting in September, Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo announced today.

21 Jul 2008

GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis found guilty of overcharging Alabama Medicaid Program

An Alabama state court jury on Tuesday found pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis guilty of defrauding the state Medicaid program by charging artificially high prices for medications and ordered the two companies to pay more than $114 million in restitution, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

4 Jul 2008

Smoking ban triggered the biggest fall in smoking ever seen in England

Smokefree law in England has helped more smokers to quit than ever before and will help prevent an estimated 40,000 deaths over the next 10 years - according to new research being presented in Birmingham tomorrow (Tuesday).

30 Jun 2008

Treating genital herpes does not reduce eisk of HIV

Treating genital herpes does not reduce the risk of HIV, according to a study published on Friday in the journal Lancet, the AP/Newsweek reports (Cheng, AP/Newsweek, 6/19). Herpes simplex virus-2 has been shown to increase the risk of HIV by as much as threefold, so the researchers examined whether treating HSV-2 might reduce the risk of HIV, Bloomberg reports.

24 Jun 2008

FDA approves Kinrix - combination vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio diseases in one shot

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Kinrix [Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine], the first combination vaccine to offer protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio diseases in one shot.

24 Jun 2008

Irritable bowel syndrome linked to chilli pepper pain receptor

People with irritable bowel syndrome have a higher than usual number of chilli pepper pain receptors, according to a new study published tomorrow (Wednesday 11 June).

10 Jun 2008

Boehringer, Gilead freeze antiretroviral prices for some U.S. agencies

Pharmaceutical companies Boehringer Ingelheim and Gilead Sciences are freezing the prices of their antiretroviral drugs for select agencies in the U.S., the AIDS Healthcare Foundation announced on Tuesday, Bloomberg reports.

8 Jun 2008

GlaxoSmithKline Acquires Sirtris Pharmaceuticals

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that it has completed its acquisition of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Sirtris) for approximately USD720 million (or approx. GBP362 million) through a cash tender offer and merger of USD22.50 (or approx. GBP11.33) per share.

8 Jun 2008

Boehringer Ingelheim, Gilead to freeze AIDS drug price

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today applauded decisions by Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) and Gilead Sciences, Inc. to freeze prices on antiretroviral medications purchased by government agencies.

3 Jun 2008

Quality of life predicts cancer survival

Head and neck cancer patients who reported lower physical quality of life were more likely to die from their disease, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The findings could mean that identifying patients with poor quality of life could also identify patients with particularly aggressive tumors.

30 May 2008

Novel replacement for conventional needle and syringe

Chris Holden (21), A third year design student at Northumbria University, has won a prestigious national award for medical design by redesigning the conventional needle and syringe.

30 May 2008

Nurse-midwives present blankets for babies to Boston area women's organizations

Women, newborns, and families in the Boston area will benefit from the contributions of new and handmade blankets during the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) annual Blankets for Babies public service campaign during the ACNM 53rd Annual Meeting & Exhibit in Boston. Three area women's organizations will receive baby blankets, which are donated by certified nurse-midwives, certified midwives, student nurse-midwives, exhibitors and other meeting guests.

27 May 2008

FDA approves Entereg (alvimopan) to restore bowel function

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Entereg (alvimopan) today to accelerate the restoration of normal bowel function in patients 18 years and up who have undergone partial large or small bowel resection surgery. Entereg will be used in hospitalized patients who can receive no more than 15 doses.

20 May 2008

First pre-pandemic bird flu vaccine available in Europe

The approval for a licence from the European Commission will place Glaxo ahead of rivals in the vaccine fields and the company says it has already received orders from some governments such as the U.S., Switzerland and Finland.

19 May 2008

Canadian drug company awarded Rwandan contract to provide combination antiretroviral

Rwanda recently accepted a bid from the Toronto-based generic drug company Apotex to supply its fixed-dose combination antiretroviral drug Apo-triAvir to the country, the Toronto Star reports (Toronto Star, 5/9).

13 May 2008

New drug added to chemo kills off residual breast cancer stem cells

New research says chemotherapy often fails to totally eliminate breast cancer because it does not knock out breast cancer stem cells.

30 Apr 2008

GlaxoSmithKline to acquire Sirtris Pharmaceuticals

GlaxoSmithKline and Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which GlaxoSmithKline will acquire Sirtris Pharmaceuticals for approximately USD720 million (or approx. GBP362 million) through a cash tender offer of USD22.50 (or approx. GBP11.33) per share.

22 Apr 2008