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Nexavar approved in Europe for treatment of advanced kidney cancer

Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc have announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization to Nexavar (sorafenib) tablets for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

24 Jul 2006

Antibiotics should not used to treat a runny nose

Antibiotics should not be given to patients with acute purulent rhinitis (a runny nose with coloured discharge), a familiar feature of the common cold, concludes a study published on the British Medical Journal website.

21 Jul 2006

Vaccines for preventing influenza in the elderly

Although national and international health organizations urge anyone over age 65 to get yearly flu shots, the vaccinations are only modestly effective in preventing flu and its complications among older adults, according to a new review of recent studies.

19 Jul 2006

Calcium supplementation during pregnancy for preventing hypertensive disorders and related problems

Expectant mothers may be able to prevent potentially serious medical problems in themselves and their babies simply by boosting their daily calcium intake, says a new systematic review.

19 Jul 2006

Breastfeeding or breast milk for procedural pain in neonates

In the first 24 hours after birth, nearly every newborn in the United States is subjected to a painful, but routine heel prick or needle stick to screen the blood for disease or rare genetic disorders.

19 Jul 2006

Dieting may not help cancer patients

One study, a meta-analysis of 59 trials, found little evidence that diet is associated with survival or prognosis.

19 Jul 2006

Study sheds light on how we form new memories

A study conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh involving an amnesia-inducing drug has shed light on how we form new memories.

18 Jul 2006

Donepezil slows brain shrinkage in some patients with mild cognitive impairment

According to a new study, the drug donepezil measurably slows the rate of brain shrinkage in some patients with mild cognitive impairment, a pre-Alzheimer's disease condition. The shrinkage was measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

18 Jul 2006

New hope for women with Alzheimer's disease

Leuprolide acetate helps women with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease maintain functional capabilities for a longer period of time, according to data presented Monday by Voyager Pharmaceutical Corporation.

18 Jul 2006

Pioglitazone shows promise in treating Alzheimer's

Treatment of high blood sugar may have a scientific connection to memory loss that could, one day, benefit millions of people with Alzheimer's Disease, which affects up to 4.5 million older Americans, bringing with it impaired thinking and memory.

17 Jul 2006

Hallucinogen in mushrooms creates mystical/spiritual experiences

Using unusually rigorous scientific conditions and measures, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that the active agent in "sacred mushrooms" can induce mystical/spiritual experiences descriptively identical to spontaneous ones people have reported for centuries.

11 Jul 2006

Anti-herpes drug reduces need for Caesarean sections in infected women

Giving an anti-viral drug to pregnant women who have a history of genital herpes significantly lowers the rate of Caesarean sections needed to protect the infant from becoming infected with the virus, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

11 Jul 2006

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients using beta-agonist inhalers are at risk

A new analysis that compares two common inhalers for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) finds that one reduces respiratory-related hospitalizations and respiratory deaths, but the other - which is prescribed in the majority of cases - increases respiratory deaths.

9 Jul 2006

Chantix may help smokers quit

Chantix (varenicline) was shown to be effective with a favorable safety profile as an aid to smoking cessation treatment, according to three pivotal studies published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

5 Jul 2006

Sildenafil boosts high altitude exercise up to 45% for some cyclists

Sildenafil (Viagra) significantly improved the cardiovascular and exercise performance measures of trained cyclists at high altitude, mostly because the drug helped some participants improve a lot -- up to 45% -- while others showed little change. Sildenafil provided no benefit at sea level.

5 Jul 2006