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Tips for reducing LDL cholesterol

Cardiovascular disease is the No.1 killer in North America. And high cholesterol is one of the primary risk factors of coronary heart disease and stroke. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, almost 40% of Canadian adults are classified as having high blood cholesterol levels.

16 Mar 2010

Study confirms blood-stage infection is due to population mixing and disease evolution

In a paradigm changing discovery, Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria has been identified in a population historically thought to be resistant to the disease, those who do not express the Duffy blood group protein on their red blood cells, according to researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Pasteur Institute, and the Madagascar Ministry of Health.

16 Mar 2010

Genzyme, Isis Pharmaceuticals: Phase 3 study of mipomersen in hoFH patients meets primary endpoint

Genzyme Corp. and Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that data from a phase 3 study of mipomersen in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (hoFH) were published in The Lancet. This study met its primary endpoint, resulting in an average LDL-C reduction of greater than 100 mg/dL in this very high-risk patient population.

16 Mar 2010

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals presents data on RNAi therapeutic targeting PCSK9 for hypercholesterolemia

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today the presentation of new pre-clinical data from its hypercholesterolemia program, performed in collaboration with scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. The data were presented at the PCSK9 Conference: From Gene to Therapeutics held in Nantes, France from March 11-13, 2010.

15 Mar 2010

Researchers discover microtentacles that play key role in spreading cancer to distant locations in body

Researchers at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center have discovered that "microtentacles," or extensions of the plasma membrane of breast cancer cells, appear to play a key role in how cancers spread to distant locations in the body. Targeting these microtentacles might prove to be a new way to prevent or slow the growth of these secondary cancers, the scientists say.

15 Mar 2010

U.S. prescribing information for PLAVIX revised

Sanofi-aventis U.S. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced revisions to the U.S. prescribing information for PLAVIX® (clopidogrel bisulfate), which include a boxed warning. The boxed warning concerns the diminished effectiveness of PLAVIX in patients who have a genetic variation leading to reduced formation of the active metabolite.

15 Mar 2010

FDA warns patients and physicians about the efficacy of Plavix treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today added a boxed warning to the anti-blood clotting drug Plavix (clopidogrel), alerting patients and health care professionals that the drug can be less effective in people who cannot metabolize the drug to convert it to its active form.

15 Mar 2010

Ardea Biosciences' revenues total $8.3M for three months ended December 31, 2009

Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: RDEA) a biotechnology company focused on the development of small-molecule therapeutics for the treatment of gout, cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), reported recent accomplishments, announced fourth quarter and full-year 2009 financial results and provided key upcoming clinical development milestones and financial guidance for 2010.

12 Mar 2010

Development of promising new cancer therapies: OICR announces $1M investment

Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) today announced an investment of $1 million towards the development of two new promising cancer therapies.

12 Mar 2010

Medivir AB announces license agreement with Daewoong Pharmaceutical for MIV-210 drug

Medivir AB (Sweden) today announced a license agreement with Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., (South Korea) for its hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase inhibitor drug, lagociclovir valactate (MIV-210).

12 Mar 2010

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals' ciprofloxacin DPI granted FDA orphan drug designation for CF treatment

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals announced today that an orphan drug designation has been granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ciprofloxacin dry powder inhaler for management of pulmonary infection due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients. A similar designation has already been granted by the European Medicines Agency.

12 Mar 2010

StemCells reports net loss of $5.23M for fourth-quarter fiscal 2009

StemCells, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009. The Company's results include the operations of Stem Cell Sciences Plc (SCS) since April 1, 2009.

11 Mar 2010

Investigators develop new mathematical approach to analyze molecular data

Investigators have developed a new mathematical approach to analyze molecular data derived from complex mixtures of immune cells. This approach, when combined with well-established techniques, readily identifies changes in small samples of human whole blood, and has the potential to distinguish between health and disease states.

11 Mar 2010

Clinical trial shows eprotirome drug reduces blood cholesterol

A thyroid-hormone-like substance that works specifically on the liver reduces blood cholesterol with no serious side effects. This according to a clinical trial conducted by researchers from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet, amongst other centres, published today in the top-ranking scientific periodical The New England Journal of Medicine.

11 Mar 2010

Small study shows eprotirome decreases LDL cholesterol

People whose "bad" cholesterol and risk of future heart disease stay too high despite cholesterol-lowering statin therapy can safely lower it by adding a drug that mimics the action of thyroid hormone. In a report published in the Mar. 11, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Johns Hopkins and Swedish researchers say an experimental drug called eprotirome lowered cholesterol up to 32 percent in those already on statins, an effect equal to that expected from doubling the statin drug doses, without harmful side effects.

10 Mar 2010

Idera Pharmaceuticals announces net income of $3.9M for fourth-quarter 2009

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

10 Mar 2010

TNS acquires license to Ergothioneine Transporter from University of Cologne

Total Nutraceutical Solutions, Inc. announced that the company has acquired from the University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, an exclusive license agreement on the invention entitled “Ergothioneine Transporter,” owned by the University.

10 Mar 2010

Insulin resistance in Hepatitis C patients: Mostly in muscle and not in liver

We have known for several years that Hepatitis C, a common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer, also makes people three to four times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.

10 Mar 2010

Papaya's anticancer effect against broad range of lab-grown tumors documented

The humble papaya is gaining credibility in Western medicine for anticancer powers that folk cultures have recognized for generations.

10 Mar 2010

AMT initiates dosing in Phase I/II gene therapy clinical trial for hemophilia B

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase I/II exploratory clinical trial with a gene therapy product for hemophilia B, a seriously debilitating and potentially lethal disease.

10 Mar 2010