Placebo News and Research

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Probiotics for the prevention of pediatric antibiotic-associated diarrhea

Probiotics, the "good" bacteria in many dietary supplements, might counteract an unpleasant side effect for children on antibiotics, according to a new systematic review.

20 Apr 2007

Local corticosteroid injection for carpal tunnel syndrom

A single corticosteroid injection in the wrist can offer at least a month of relief to people suffering from severe carpal tunnel syndrome, according to an updated review of studies by Canadian researchers.

20 Apr 2007

Steroids for acute sinusitis

Every year, nearly 37 million Americans suffer from the sinus pressure, nasal congestion, cough and postnasal drip that accompany sinusitis.

19 Apr 2007

Prazosin shows promise for post traumatic stress disorder sleep disturbances

For sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), sleep disturbances are among the most treatment-resistant symptoms and can lead to drug and alcohol abuse and even suicide.

19 Apr 2007

Placebo effect in the pharmacologic treatment of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms

All physicians involved in the treatment of PBS/IC understand that the placebo effect likely plays a major role in treatment, and is important when evaluating drug trials.

19 Apr 2007

Jefferson participates in global study to extend effectiveness of drug for Parkinson's

After Parkinson's disease patients use the drug levodopa or L-dopa for several years as a treatment for restoring the cellular communication that controls muscle movement by replacing lost dopamine, they begin to experience motor complications that include a shortened response to each dose of L-dopa.

19 Apr 2007

Review of all major studies involving anti-depressants in children

Today, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a review of all major studies involving anti-depressants in children and adolescents by a team of researchers from Western Psychiatric Institute in Pittsburgh.

18 Apr 2007

FDA approves new bird flu vaccine from sanofi pasteur

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the first approval in the United States of a vaccine for humans against the H5N1 influenza virus, commonly known as avian or bird flu.

18 Apr 2007

Antidepressants safe for children and adolescents - black box warnings questioned

Antidepressants are safe and effective for treating anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depressive disorder in children and adolescents, according to a meta-analysis of 27 major studies.

18 Apr 2007

Anti-anemia drug darbepoetin alfa no better than placebo for cancer patients

Results from a phase III drug trial indicate that an anti-anemia drug did not significantly decrease the need for blood transfusions in patients not on chemotherapy, and decreased overall patient survival when compared to placebo, according to researchers from the UCLA Medical Center at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

17 Apr 2007

Natalizumab (Tysabri) reduces vision loss in MS patients

According to a study that appears in the April 17 issue of Neurology, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that natalizumab (TYSABRI), a drug that slows disability and reduces relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), also reduces vision loss in patients with relapsing MS.

17 Apr 2007

Natalizumab helps reduce vision loss

A drug that slows disability and reduces relapse rates in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been found to also reduce vision loss in patients with relapsing MS. Vision loss is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of MS.

17 Apr 2007

FDA accepts GPC Biotech's Satraplatin NDA

GPC Biotech AG has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing the Company's New Drug Application (NDA) for satraplatin in combination with prednisone for patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) whose prior chemotherapy has failed.

17 Apr 2007

Potential treatments for mouth ulcers

The drug pentoxifylline appears to have limited benefit in the first-line treatment of mouth ulcers due to recurrent apthous stomatitis, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Dermatology.

17 Apr 2007

Chondroitin for arthritis just doesn't work

According to Swiss researchers the dietary supplement chondroitin is no better than a placebo at easing the hip and knee pain of arthritis and they believe its use should be discouraged.

17 Apr 2007

Gleevec available to patients in post-surgical GIST study

Investigators will begin offering Gleevec(R) (imatinib mesylate)* tablets to patients receiving placebo in a major North American clinical trial after an interim analysis showed participants with Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors treated with Gleevec following surgery were significantly less likely to experience a return of their cancer compared to those not taking this innovative therapy.

15 Apr 2007

Gleevec shows great promise in preventing cancer recurrence

Gleevec, a pill developed in conjunction with the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute is again showing excellent results in preventing a cancer recurrence.

15 Apr 2007

GlaxoSmithKline initiates study of PROMACTA in chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

GlaxoSmithKline has announced the initiation of a global, open-label, single group trial that will assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of PROMACTA (eltrombopag olamine) in patients previously treated for chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

15 Apr 2007

Gleevec decreases cancer recurrence for GIST

Preliminary results from a large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial for patients with primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a type of tumor usually found in the stomach or small intestine, showed that patients who received imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) after complete removal of their tumor were significantly less likely to have a recurrence of their cancer compared to those who did not receive imatinib.

15 Apr 2007

Cytokinetics initiates of phase II clinical trial for CK-1827452

Cytokinetics has announced the initiation of a Phase II clinical trials program evaluating CK-1827452, a novel cardiac myosin activator for the potential treatment of patients with either acutely decompensated or chronic heart failure.

15 Apr 2007