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Thousands of prescription drug products sold in the U.S. not approved by FDA

Drugs that have not been approved by FDA make up nearly 2% of prescription drugs on the market, and some of them "might not only be ineffective but also might actually be harmful," USA Today reports.

20 Sep 2006

House subcomittee hearing focuses on disciplinary measures for NIH scientists' ethnics violations

NIH officials have not adequately disciplined agency scientists found to have violated ethics rules, members of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations said at a hearing last Wednesday.

18 Sep 2006

Oregon Prescription Drug Program would expand coverage to all uninsured residents

An initiative that will appear on the November ballot in Oregon would expand a state prescription drug program to cover all residents without drug coverage, the Oregonian reports.

18 Sep 2006

GSK to supply antiretroviral drugs to Russia at discounted price

GlaxoSmithKline has announced it would supply 90,000 packs of its antiretroviral drugs Combivir, Epivir and Ziagen to Russia at discounted prices by the end of 2006, the AFP/Yahoo! U.K and Ireland reports (AFP/Yahoo! U.K and Ireland, 9/15).

18 Sep 2006

More physicians now visit web sites to find information on brand-name prescription drugs

An increased number of physicians visited Web sites that promote brand-name prescription drugs during the first six months of 2006 to seek information about dosages and side effects, according to a recent Manhattan Research study, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

18 Sep 2006

Extremely virulent, drug resistant strain of TB running wild in South Africa

It was 18 months ago when doctors in South Africa who were treating HIV/AIDS patients first raised the alarm that an untreatable form of tuberculosis (TB) was circulating.

18 Sep 2006

Most Federal scientists accused of conflicts of interest avoid criminal investigations

Only two of the 44 NIH scientists found to have violated ethics rules on outside consulting agreements with health care companies face investigations for possible criminal activity, and they remain employed by the federal government, the AP/Arizona Daily Star reports (Beamish, AP/Arizona Daily Star, 9/13).

14 Sep 2006

Department of Justice joins Whistleblower lawsuit alleging overcharging by drug company Dey

The Department of Justice on Monday joined a whistleblower lawsuit filed against California-based Dey, a generic medication division of Germany-based Merck KGaA, over allegations that the company inflated prices reported to federal health insurance programs, the Boston Globe reports.

13 Sep 2006

High copayments for 'specialty pharmacy' medications has little effect on use

Higher copayments have a small effect on usage of "specialty pharmacy" medications, which can cost as much as $10,000 monthly, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

13 Sep 2006

Nicotine shows potential medical benefits

Nicotine may improve the symptoms of depression in people who do not smoke, Duke University Medical Center scientists have discovered.

12 Sep 2006

TV advertising of prescription drugs may increase visits to doctor not actual sales

TV advertising of prescription drugs may be prompting more people to visit their doctors rather than substantially increasing sales of advertised drugs, according to research led by the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

12 Sep 2006

FDA approves Watson's generic version of Barr's contraceptive pill Seasonale

FDA on Thursday approved Watson Pharmaceuticals' marketing application for its generic version of Barr Laboratories' extended-cycle oral contraceptive Seasonale, Reuters reports.

11 Sep 2006

Court of Appeals rules in favor of Mylan in Oxybutynin patent case

Mylan Laboratories Inc. has announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a district court decision that Mylan's Oxybutynin products do not infringe a patent for DITROPAN XL and that the patent was invalid.

11 Sep 2006

Many adults need help understanding basic medical instructions, as most are written at above-average level

Fewer than one in six U.S. adults have proficient health literacy, according to report released on Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

7 Sep 2006

NIH launches "Knockout Mouse Project"

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today awarded a set of cooperative agreements, totaling up to $52 million over five years, to launch the Knockout Mouse Project.

7 Sep 2006

China appears to have beaten the world to a bird flu vaccine

Scientists in China have developed a potential vaccine against the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus currently sweeping across Asia.

7 Sep 2006

Some drug companies experiencing higher prescription volume, revenue with Medicare drug benefit

The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday examined how the Medicare prescription drug benefit "is boosting prescription volume and revenue for drug companies."

5 Sep 2006

Licensing arrangement reached for antiepileptic drug developed at Hebrew University

A worldwide licensing arrangement for development, production and marketing of an antiepileptic drug created at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has been signed by Shire Pharmaceuticals with Yissum, the Hebrew University's technology transfer company.

5 Sep 2006

New map for human genome expression

ExonHit Therapeutics has announced the completion of a new messenger RNA (transcripts) map coming from human genome expression.

5 Sep 2006

Wild vegetables key to life-prolonging Mediterranean diet

Eating wild food plants, native to countries in Southern Europe, helps people living in the Mediterranean to live longer and to have better health according to new research presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester today.

4 Sep 2006

Pharmaceuticals News and Research

Thousands of prescription drug products sold in the U.S. not approved by FDA

House subcomittee hearing focuses on disciplinary measures for NIH scientists' ethnics violations

Oregon Prescription Drug Program would expand coverage to all uninsured residents

GSK to supply antiretroviral drugs to Russia at discounted price

More physicians now visit web sites to find information on brand-name prescription drugs

Extremely virulent, drug resistant strain of TB running wild in South Africa

Most Federal scientists accused of conflicts of interest avoid criminal investigations

Department of Justice joins Whistleblower lawsuit alleging overcharging by drug company Dey

High copayments for 'specialty pharmacy' medications has little effect on use

Nicotine shows potential medical benefits

TV advertising of prescription drugs may increase visits to doctor not actual sales

FDA approves Watson's generic version of Barr's contraceptive pill Seasonale

Court of Appeals rules in favor of Mylan in Oxybutynin patent case

Many adults need help understanding basic medical instructions, as most are written at above-average level

NIH launches "Knockout Mouse Project"

China appears to have beaten the world to a bird flu vaccine

Some drug companies experiencing higher prescription volume, revenue with Medicare drug benefit

Licensing arrangement reached for antiepileptic drug developed at Hebrew University

New map for human genome expression

Wild vegetables key to life-prolonging Mediterranean diet

Drug Discovery - Second Edition eBook

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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