Hormone News and Research

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A hormone is a chemical released by one or more cells that affects cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. It is essentially a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another.

FDA approves neurostimulation treatment for heart failure

The FDA recently approved the first study of neurostimulation as a treatment for heart failure, a chronic disease that affects nearly six million Americans and is the leading cause of hospitalization in America.

2 Feb 2010

Healthy older adults without sleep disorders may need less sleep

A study in the Feb. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests that healthy older adults without sleep disorders can expect to have a reduced "sleep need" and to be less sleepy during the day than healthy young adults.

1 Feb 2010

PROLOR Biotech reports the EC approval of Merck's ELONVA

PROLOR Biotech, Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: PBTH) today noted the European Commission (EC) approval of Merck & Co., Inc.'s ELONVA®, a long-acting CTP-modified version of the fertility drug follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).

30 Jan 2010

FDA approves new drug combination for hormone positive and HER2-positive advanced breast cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Tykerb (lapatinib) in combination with Femara (letrozole) to treat hormone positive and HER2-positive advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women for whom hormonal therapy is indicated.

30 Jan 2010

FDA grants accelerated approval for GlaxoSmithKline's TYKERB

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval for a new combination regimen using TYKERB® (lapatinib) as a first-line, all-oral treatment for women with metastatic breast cancer.

29 Jan 2010

BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award granted to Robert J. Lefkowitz

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biomedicine category goes in this second edition to Prof. Robert J. Lefkowitz (1943, New York, United States), investigator in the Department of Medicine at Duke University (United States).

29 Jan 2010

Hormones & Cancer: A new journal from The Endocrine Society

Today, The Endocrine Society unveiled its newest journal, Hormones & Cancer. This bi-monthly journal will include research articles covering all aspects of hormone action on cancer causation, progression, dependence, prevention, resistance and treatment.

29 Jan 2010

Researchers discover new target for drugs to prevent common iron deficiency

The discovery of a major player in the body's regulation of iron levels should provide a new target for drugs that prevent common iron deficiency as well as rare, potentially deadly iron overload, researchers said.

29 Jan 2010

Zelos Therapeutics commences dosing in clinical study of ZT-034 nasal spray for osteoporosis

Zelos Therapeutics, Inc. has initiated dosing in a seven day clinical study of a nasal spray formulation of ZT-034 (teriparatide) that is being developed in collaboration with development partner Aegis Therapeutics, LLC. Nasal spray ZT-034 is being developed as an alternative to Eli Lilly and Company’s Forteo (teriparatide [rDNA origin]) which generated approximately $800M in annual sales in 2009 for the treatment of osteoporosis and is administered by daily injection.

28 Jan 2010

Ligand Pharmaceuticals acquires Metabasis Therapeutics

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that it has completed the acquisition of Metabasis Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBRX), following approval of the transaction by Metabasis stockholders yesterday. As a result, Ligand gains a fully funded partnership with Roche, additional pipeline assets and drug discovery technologies and resources. The transaction was first announced on October 27, 2009.

28 Jan 2010

Scientists discover mechanism that regulates prolactin hormone

A mechanism for regulating the hormone prolactin has newly been revealed by scientists at Karolinska Institutet. The results are to be published in the scientific journal Neuron, and may be significant for conditions and functions such as breast-feeding, sexual libido, and metabolism.

28 Jan 2010

Research suggests pomegranate seed extract could stimulate uterine contractions

The team identified beta-sitosterol - a steroid that can inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine - as the main constituent of pomegranate seed extract. The research suggests that pomegranate extract could be used as a natural stimulant to encourage the uterus to contract during labour.

28 Jan 2010

Blocking CRF may prevent excessive alcohol consumption

A team of scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has found that a specific stress hormone, the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), is key to the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence in animal models.

28 Jan 2010

Phthalate exposure can affect child's neurobehavioral development, says study

A new study led by Mount Sinai researchers in collaboration with scientists from Cornell University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has found higher prenatal exposure to phthalates-manmade chemicals that interfere with hormonal messaging-to be connected with disruptive and problem behaviors in children between the ages of 4 and 9 years.

28 Jan 2010

Transdermal estrogen therapies: Effective alternatives to oral estrogen and compounded bioidentical hormones

Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that non-patch, transdermal estrogen therapies, such as Divigel® (estradiol gel 0.1%), prescribed for the management of moderate-to-severe hot flashes, including night sweats, associated with menopause are effective alternatives to oral estrogen and compounded bioidentical hormones.

28 Jan 2010

Merck receives marketing authorization for ELONVA

Merck & Co., Inc., which operates outside the U.S. and Canada as MSD, today announced the European Commission (EC) approval of ELONVA® (corifollitropin alfa injection). ELONVA is indicated for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in combination with a GnRH antagonist for the development of multiple follicles in women participating in an assisted reproductive technology (ART) program.

28 Jan 2010

Adipose tissue, a promising new source of HSPCs

Bone marrow is a leading source of adult stem cells, which are increasingly used for research and therapeutic interventions, but extracting the cells is an arduous and often painful process. Now, researchers have found evidence that fat tissue, known as adipose tissue, may be a promising new source of valuable and easy-to-obtain regenerative cells called hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), according to astudy prepublished online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

28 Jan 2010

Research shows even mild to moderate kidney disease may diminish child's quality of life

Challenging prevailing wisdom that only children with end-stage kidney disease suffer physical, social, emotional and educational setbacks from their disease, research led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center shows that even mild to moderate kidney disease may seriously diminish a child's quality of life.

28 Jan 2010

Vitamin D supplements can counter the effects of Crohn's disease

A new study has found that Vitamin D, readily available in supplements or cod liver oil, can counter the effects of Crohn's disease. John White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, led a team of scientists from McGill University and the Universit- de Montr-al who present their findings about the inflammatory bowel disease in the latest Journal of Biological Chemistry.

27 Jan 2010

FDA approves FIRST RESPONSE Early Result Pregnancy Test

Church & Dwight Co., Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the FIRST RESPONSE® Early Result Pregnancy Test which can determine pregnancy up to six days before the day of a woman's missed period

27 Jan 2010