Penicillin News and Research

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Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN or pen) is a group of antibiotics derived from ''Penicillium'' fungi. Penicillin antibiotics are historically significant because they are the first drugs that were effective against many previously serious diseases such as syphilis and Staphylococcus infections.

UPMC develops its first EHR application for BlackBerry smartphones

In an effort to put critical patient information in the hands of physicians at the bedside, UPMC announced today that it has developed its first electronic health record (EHR) application for BlackBerry® smartphones. The pilot project gives physicians access to such information as a patient’s allergies, current medications and recently completed lab tests.

3 Mar 2010

Robotic surgery does not compromise clinical outcomes for prostate cancer surgery

Robotic surgical technology with its three-dimensional, high-definition view gives surgeons the sensation of touch, even as they operate from a remote console. A new study describes the phenomenon, called intersensory integration, and reports that surgical outcomes for prostate cancer surgery using minimally invasive robotic technology compare favorably with traditional invasive surgery.

3 Mar 2010

Electronic prescribing decreases prescription errors

Should doctors around the country use e-prescribing to decrease prescription errors? A study led by physician-scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College found that health care providers using an electronic system to write prescriptions were seven times less likely to make errors than those writing their prescriptions by hand. The study appears today in the online edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

27 Feb 2010

A surgical cure for diabetic and obese patients

Dr. Francesco Rubino, chief of gastrointestinal metabolic surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, is now enrolling overweight and mildly obese patients -- those with a body mass index (BMI) of 28 to 35 -- in a study of gastric bypass surgery aimed at reversing Type 2 diabetes.

25 Feb 2010

Six states to study sickle cell disease and thalassemias in national pilot project

Medical researchers are developing a new surveillance system to determine the number of patients diagnosed with a family of inherited blood disorders known as hemoglobinopathies, including sickle cell disease, thalassemias, and hemoglobin E disease.

19 Feb 2010

New sugar-based polymer for disposing food packaging and other plastic items

Food packaging and other disposable plastic items could soon be composted at home along with organic waste thanks to a new sugar-based polymer.

17 Feb 2010

Antibiotics program of Giant Eagle results in more than $3M in free prescriptions for customers

Pittsburgh-based food and fuel retailer Giant Eagle, Inc. launched its free antibiotics program in September of 2009, and is pleased to announce that the program has resulted in more than $3 million in free prescriptions for customers in the company's four-state operating area.

15 Feb 2010

CTD seeks small molecule drug discovery and therapeutic antibody targets from academic researchers

A major centre created by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and MRC Technology (MRCT) in order to fast-track the discovery and development of novel drugs, opens its first call for targets today.

4 Feb 2010

Suzhou Erye Pharmaceutical receives Chinese SFDA approval for manufacturing penicillin at new facility

NeoStem, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company with operations in the U.S. and China, announced that it recently was advised that its Suzhou Erye Pharmaceutical subsidiary ("Erye") received approval from the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) in China to manufacture solvent crystallization sterile penicillin and freeze dried raw sterile penicillin at their new facility which provides 50% and 100% greater manufacturing capacity, respectively, than its existing facility. Historically, these two lines have accounted for approximately 20% of Erye's sales.

2 Feb 2010

How to recognize heart attack symptoms in younger women

The risk for heart-related death is increasing in young adults ages 35 to 54, and the numbers are even more alarming for younger women. It is the number-one cause of death for both men and women in the United States, yet every year since 1984 more women have died of cardiovascular health problems than men, according to the American Heart Association.

29 Jan 2010

NCMHD awards Weill Cornell Medical College $8M for establishing CEDREC in New York City

Weill Cornell Medical College has established a new research center to improve medical care in ethnically diverse and medically underserved communities in New York City.

23 Jan 2010

Study lays groundwork to develop new treatments for cardiovascular disease and other conditions

In a significant step toward restoring healthy blood circulation to treat a variety of diseases, a team of scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College has developed a new technique and described a novel mechanism for turning human embryonic and pluripotent stem cells into plentiful, functional endothelial cells, which are critical to the formation of blood vessels.

21 Jan 2010

Statins may protect SCD children from pneumococcal infection

New research suggests a family of widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs might help protect individuals from serious illness following bacterial infection, including the pneumococcal infections that pose a deadly threat to those with sickle cell disease.

20 Jan 2010

New book on harnessing science and innovation to tackle challenges in poor countries

Science and Innovation for Development demonstrates how science and innovation can be harnessed to tackle today's biggest challenges in poor countries, including climate change, HIV/AIDS and illiteracy. Case studies are described, including the use of tissue culture to develop disease-resistant bananas in Kenya; the use of nanotechnology to develop cheaper and faster kits for diagnosing infectious diseases and the use of organic material to power a multi-purpose stove that can also function as a refrigerator and generator.

18 Jan 2010

Kenta Biotech and Rentschler Biotechnologie sign agreement to develop antibody against MRSA

Kenta Biotech today announced an agreement with Rentschler Biotechnologie for the development of a fully human monoclonal antibody against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

18 Jan 2010

Reducing DA dosage causes acute withdrawal symptoms in Parkinson's patients

New research has shown that reducing the dosage of dopamine agonist (DA) drugs, a mainstay treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), sometimes causes acute withdrawal symptoms similar to those reported by cocaine addicts -- including anxiety, panic attacks, depression, sweating, nausea, generalized pain, fatigue, dizziness and drug cravings. These symptoms can be severe, and are not alleviated by other PD medications.

12 Jan 2010

Research suggests ancient Egyptians may have used lead-based cosmetics to prevent eye infections

There's more to the eye makeup that gave Queen Nefertiti and other ancient Egyptian royals those stupendous gazes and legendary beauty than meets the eye. Scientists in France are reporting that the alluring eye makeup also may have been used to help prevent or treat eye disease by doubling as an infection-fighter.

12 Jan 2010

Bryant Ranch Prepack tracks medications from its manufacture to the patient with E Pedigree

“More and more physicians are realizing that prescriptions that leave the office are like money walking out of the door,” said Fred Ganjian, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Bryant Ranch Prepack, a leading supplier of prepackaged physician-dispensed prescription programs. “In this day of continuing pressure on physicians to cover their costs, physician-dispensed prescriptions have become increasingly important to a physician’s bottom line,” he added.

11 Jan 2010

Epigenetic diagnosis and therapies, a new strategy for treating cancer

A tumor's genetic profile is often useful when diagnosing and deciding on treatment for certain cancers, but inexplicably, genetically similar leukemias in different patients do not always respond well to the same therapy.

7 Jan 2010

Authors explain why health care reform initiative should include CER

The current health care reform bills approved by the House and the Senate seek to expand health insurance coverage while containing costs; however, the proposed policy changes are not guaranteed to improve health for individuals or society, according to a "Perspective" article by faculty of Weill Cornell Medical College in the Jan. 6 New England Journal of Medicine.