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Study finds common risk factors linked with painkiller addiction

A new Geisinger study begins to unlock the puzzle of painkiller (opioid) addiction - why some people are more likely to become addicted than others. Geisinger investigators have found that patients with four common risk factors have a significantly higher risk of addiction. In addition, a history of severe drug dependence and drug abuse compounds the risk.

30 Aug 2010

Prescription drug abuse soars despite state monitoring programs

Stateline: Over the past 10 years, "prescription drug abuse has soared to new levels. A recent White House study found a 400 percent increase in abuse from 1998 to 2008.

26 Aug 2010

Continuous boosting of natural painkiller shuts down brain cell receptor response

ERepeatedly boosting brain levels of one natural painkiller soon shuts down the brain cell receptors that respond to it, so that the painkilling effect is lost, according to a surprising new study led by Scripps Research Institute and Virginia Commonwealth University scientists. The study has important implications for drug development.

25 Aug 2010

Study finds black patients receive fewer opoid medications than whites

Black patients are prescribed fewer pain medications than whites and few women receive medications strong enough to manage their chronic pain, according to a study in the August issue of Journal of Pain.University of Michigan Health System researchers studied nearly 200 patients with chronic pain who sought help from a specialty pain center. Researchers analyzed the number and potency of medicines they were already taking and the adequacy of pain management.

18 Aug 2010

Adversity-exposure may protect against psychiatric disturbances that occur with CBP: Study

A new study by researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of California, Irvine, to be published in the September issue of the journal Pain, reveals that, for people with chronic back pain, having a little adversity in your life can be protective and beneficial.

6 Aug 2010

Painkiller combinations cost more but are less effective: Report

In a new article in the journal Australian Prescriber, there is a warning that combination painkillers cause more side effects and may not provide the relief promised. This comes from the National Prescribing Service (NPS), Australia's medicine review body.

1 Aug 2010

Taoist Tai Chi internal arts of health celebrates 40 years

Dimitri Granovski, a Russian immigrant to Canada, says that after 20 years of chronic migraines, he's become painkiller-free by practising these arts for only three months. Samantha Albert of Stratford, Ontario, says they help her deal with the effects of a critical blood disorder called amyloidosis. Helen Gaunt a wine producer in Margaret River, Australia, attributes her smooth recovery from thyroid and breast cancer to their practice.

31 Jul 2010

Scientists develop new version of medication to relieve severe forms of pain

Scientists have developed a new version of a medication, first isolated from the saliva of sea snails, that could be taken in pill form to relieve the most severe forms of pain as effectively as morphine but without risking addiction. An article on the topic appears in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

29 Jul 2010

Pain Therapeutics second-quarter collaboration revenue decreases to $0.1 million

Pain Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, today reported second quarter financial results. Net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 was $0.8 million, or $0.02 per share, compared to net loss of $34,000, or $0.00 per share, for the second quarter of 2009. Pain Therapeutics had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $176.2 million, or about $4.14 cash per share, and no debt as of June 30, 2010.

28 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 16, 2010

Indiana's Medicaid chief told lawmakers Thursday that the federal government has largely left states in the dark on implementing the federal health care overhaul because it hasn't yet provided needed guidelines (The Associated Press).

16 Jul 2010

Federal advisory panel with reservations, recommends keeping Avandia on the Market

Federal advisers delivered a mixed verdict Wednesday on the diabetes drug Avandia,with a significant number of experts voting to recommend that it be pulled from the market because of safety concerns but a majority urging to keep it available, perhaps with tough new restrictions and new warnings.Avandia was once the world's most popular diabetes drugs but has become the focus of intense debate because of concerns that it increases the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

16 Jul 2010

Amnesty International reveals the rotting health care system in North Korea

According to a human rights group, Amnesty International, North Korea is unable to meet up to even the most basic health needs of its population. The report was released this Thursday.

15 Jul 2010

Fear of having something in uterus deters teen girls from using intrauterine devices for birth control

Very few teenage girls in the United States use intrauterine devices for birth control, even though studies show they are safe, effective and extremely low-maintenance, according to researchers at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford School of Medicine.

9 Jul 2010

Judge rules for Merck in state Vioxx lawsuit over Medicaid payments

A federal judge ruled in favor of Merck & Co. Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by Louisiana trying to recoup what it paid when Medicaid patients used the company's withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, The Associated Press reports. James R. Dugan II, "the lead attorney representing Louisiana, said his team would be meeting with state officials later this week to discuss appellate possibilities.

1 Jul 2010

First Edition: June 30, 2010

Today's headlines highlight the results of a new tracking poll that indicate that the health reform law has gained popularity among Americans while implementation advances for overhaul initiatives such as high-risk pools and the early retiree reinsurance program.

30 Jun 2010

Pain Therapeutics modifies strategic alliance with King Pharmaceuticals for REMOXY outside U.S.

Pain Therapeutics, Inc. announced today a modification of its strategic alliance with King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for REMOXY outside the U.S. The move signals a desire to target Europe's small and growing market for strong pain medications.

28 Jun 2010

Waismann Method survey: 88% of individuals taken prescription painkillers for chronic pain relief

According to a recent survey conducted by the Waismann Method of opiate detoxification, doctors prescribing medication for the treatment of chronic pain were found to be the leading source of prescription painkiller use. Approximately 88 percent of all respondents stated they began taking prescription painkillers for chronic pain relief, with an astounding 70 percent of these individuals believing that they experience the same or a greater amount of pain than when originally prescribed painkillers.

11 Jun 2010

Adenosine plays major role in parlaying effects of acupuncture

Scientists have taken another important step toward understanding just how sticking needles into the body can ease pain.

31 May 2010

Astrazeneca settles drug marketing lawsuit, plea deal rejected for possibly defective heart device maker

The New York Times: AstraZeneca has settled a case and agreed to pay $520 million after federal investigations into its marketing practices for a schizophrenia drug, Seroquel. The announcement came Tuesday from Attorney General Eric Holder. Government officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, said the company paid illegal kickbacks to doctors to promote drugs for unapproved uses by children, the elderly, veterans and prisoners, which is illegal under federal law.

29 Apr 2010

Pain Therapeutics reports net loss of $1.0 million for first-quarter 2010

Pain Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, today reported first quarter 2010 financial results. Net loss for Q1 2010 was $1.0 million, or $0.02 per share, compared to a net loss of $1.8 million, or $0.04 per share, for Q1 2009.