Pancreatitis News and Research

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Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large gland behind the stomach and close to the duodenum—the first part of the small intestine. The pancreas secretes digestive juices, or enzymes, into the duodenum through a tube called the pancreatic duct. Pancreatic enzymes join with bile—a liquid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder—to digest food. The pancreas also releases the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. These hormones help the body regulate the glucose it takes from food for energy.

Normally, digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas do not become active until they reach the small intestine. But when the pancreas is inflamed, the enzymes inside it attack and damage the tissues that produce them.

Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic. Either form is serious and can lead to complications. In severe cases, bleeding, infection, and permanent tissue damage may occur.

Lilly, Merck announce another immuno-oncology collaboration

Eli Lilly and Company and Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced another immuno-oncology collaboration that will evaluate abemaciclib (LY2835219), Lilly's cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4 and 6 inhibitor, and Merck's KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in a Phase I study across multiple tumor types.

10 Dec 2015

Pediatric chemotherapy regimen improves outcomes in young adults with ALL

Using a pediatric chemotherapy regimen to treat young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) significantly improved their outcomes compared to what has historically been achieved with 'adult' treatment protocols, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists.

8 Dec 2015

Gallstones, statins increase risk of acute pancreatitis, shows study

Idiopathic pancreatitis is often caused by small gallstones that are difficult to observe prior to surgery, shows a study from the University of Eastern Finland. Small gallstones were found in surgery from two out of three idiopathic pancreatitis patients.

8 Dec 2015

Comorbidities relevant to CML TKI choice common

Comorbid conditions that could affect the choice of tyrosine kinase inhibitor are common in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia, finds an analysis of a US claims database.

27 Nov 2015

Lilly, Merck expand oncology clinical trial collaboration

Eli Lilly and Company and Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the extension of an existing collaboration to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combination of Lilly's ALIMTA (pemetrexed for injection) and Merck's KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in a pivotal Phase III study in first-line nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

19 Nov 2015

Intravenous PEG-asparaginase use recommended in paediatric ALL

Phase III trial results support the use of intravenously administered PEGylated Escherichia coli asparaginase as the preparation of choice in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

11 Nov 2015

Immunovia and OHSU team up to validate, commercialize blood test for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Immunovia AB and the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University formed a collaboration to confirm, validate and commercialize a blood test for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The test called IMMray™ PanCan-d analyses a patient's immune system for early signs of disease. The collaboration will also enable researchers to explore biomarkers for a number of other cancer types.

9 Oct 2015

Lund University researchers reveal how the body develops acute pancreatitis

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden may have discovered one of the keys to understanding how the body develops acute pancreatitis. The results offer hope for the development of drugs that specifically target the disease.

8 Sep 2015

Liraglutide drug combined with diet and exercise promotes weight loss in diabetic patients

Among overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes, daily injection of the diabetes drug liraglutide with a modified insulin pen device, in addition to diet and exercise, resulted in greater weight loss over 56 weeks compared with placebo, according to a study in the August 18 issue of JAMA.

19 Aug 2015

‘Medical foods’ for patients with rare IEMs may cause harm when not carefully managed

Many "medical foods" are designed to help manage patients with rare inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), and can help prevent serious and life-threatening complications. However, such special foods may cause harm in some patients when their use is not carefully monitored and managed, according to a research team led by scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

14 Aug 2015

Vascular side effects prevent first-line ponatinib use in chronic phase CML

Ponatinib is highly active when given to patients within 6 months of developing chronic phase chronic myeloid leukaemia, phase II results show, but its toxicity profile is unacceptable for first-line treatment.

7 Aug 2015

High levels of specific proteins in urine can accurately detect early-stage pancreatic cancer

A combination of three proteins found at high levels in urine can accurately detect early-stage pancreatic cancer, UK researchers have found.

3 Aug 2015

NEJM publishes positive clinical results from Phase 2 clinical study of volanesorsen

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leader in RNA-targeted therapeutics, and Akcea Therapeutics, its wholly owned subsidiary, announced today that The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has published positive clinical results from a Phase 2 clinical study evaluating volanesorsen (formerly ISIS-APOCIII Rx) in patients with very high to severely high triglycerides.

30 Jul 2015

New paper describes positive effects of CRAC channel inhibitors in animal models of acute pancreatitis

Researchers from CalciMedica, Inc. and the University of Liverpool today announced the publication of a paper describing positive effects of calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channel inhibitors in animal models of acute pancreatitis. The paper, titled "Inhibitors of ORAI1 prevent cytosolic calcium-associated injury of human pancreatic acinar cells and acute pancreatitis in 3 mouse models" appears in the August edition of the journal Gastroenterology.

25 Jul 2015

Akcea Therapeutics obtains FDA Orphan Drug Designation for volanesorsen

Akcea Therapeutics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Orphan Drug Designation to volanesorsen (ISIS-APOCIIIRx) for the treatment of patients with Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS).

6 Jul 2015

Gene-encoded protein may be effective in early detection of pancreatic cancer

A protein encoded by the gene glypican-1 (GPC1) present on cancer exosomes may be used as part of a potential non-invasive diagnostic and screening tool to detect early pancreatic cancer, potentially at a stage amenable to surgical treatment, according to a study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

24 Jun 2015

Credentialed health care professionals have greater knowledge of evidence-based nutrition support practice

Multidisciplinary health care professionals who hold the Certified Nutrition Support Credential (CNSC) scored significantly higher on a survey about their approaches to nutrition support practice than those who do not hold the credential according to new study.

11 Jun 2015

Glucose-control drug sitagliptin does not raise risk of cardiovascular events

A clinical trial of the glucose-control drug sitagliptin among patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease has found it did not raise the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.

9 Jun 2015

Sanofi announces results from Phase IIIb ELIXA study of Lyxumia in adults with diabetes and high CV risk

Sanofi announced today the presentation of full results of the Phase IIIb ELIXA study, which was designed to assess the cardiovascular (CV) safety of Lyxumia (lixisenatide) in adults with type 2 diabetes and high CV risk.

8 Jun 2015

Once-weekly Trulicity 0.75 mg shows promising results in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes

Results from a new study of Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes showed once-weekly Trulicity 0.75 mg provided greater hemoglobin A1c (A1C) reduction compared to once-daily Victoza 0.9 mg after 52 weeks of treatment. Eli Lilly and Company will present these data at the 75th American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in Boston.

7 Jun 2015