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Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy reduces pain and improves function in knee osteoarthritis patients

The first American study that positions Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) as a viable means in managing knee osteoarthritis, appeared today in the December issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AJPMR). The study, authored by Dr. Steven Sampson of the Orthohealing Center in Los Angeles, details the account of 14 patients with primary and secondary knee osteoarthritis receiving three platelet-rich plasma injections in the affected knee at 4-week intervals with one year follow up.

20 Nov 2010

Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer discontinue Phase 3 APPRAISE-2 trial in patients with ACS

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer today reported that the companies have discontinued the Phase 3 APPRAISE-2 clinical trial in patients with recent Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) treated with apixaban or placebo in addition to mono or dual antiplatelet therapy.

19 Nov 2010

GRAVITAS Trial finds high dose of clopidogrel does not reduce risk of ischemic events

Accumetrics, Inc., developer and marketer of the VerifyNow System, today announced that the GRAVITAS (Gauging Responsiveness With A VerifyNow Assay-Impact On Thrombosis And Safety) Trial found that in patients with high residual platelet reactivity, doubling the maintenance dose of clopidogrel did not reduce the risk of further ischemic events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

19 Nov 2010

Regado presents poster on REG3 at AHA Scientific Sessions meeting

Regado Biosciences, Inc., a privately held company leading the development of antithrombotic aptamers with active control agents, announced that Steven L. Zelenkofske, D.O., F.A.C.C., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, and Chris Rusconi, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, presented a poster about REG3 at the AHA Scientific Sessions meeting.

18 Nov 2010

Swissmedic approves use of plasma components treated with Cerus' INTERCEPT Blood System

Cerus Corporation announced today that the Swiss regulatory body, Swissmedic, has approved the use of plasma components treated with Cerus' INTERCEPT Blood System.

17 Nov 2010

Children's Hospital pediatric immunologist collaborates with European gene therapy researchers to study WAS syndrome

A pediatric immunologist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia collaborated with European gene therapy researchers who achieved marked clinical improvements in two young children with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, a very rare but often severe immunodeficiency disorder.

16 Nov 2010

GTx presents preclinical studies of GTx-758 and GTx-230 for treatment of cancer

GTx, Inc. announced the presentation of preclinical studies evaluating GTx-758, a selective estrogen receptor alpha agonist being developed for first line treatment of advanced prostate cancer, and GTx-230, a novel microtubule polymerization inhibitor.

15 Nov 2010

Nplate reduces treatment failure and splenectomies in adults with chronic immune thrombocytopenia

Amgen Inc. today announced the publication of results from the first open-label study to compare Nplate® (romiplostim) treatment to standard of care therapies (SOC) in non-splenectomized adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The study results, which were published today in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), show that both the incidence of treatment failure and need for splenectomy were reduced among the Nplate-treated patients.

11 Nov 2010

PPIs, antiplatelet drugs can help treat CV disease patients at high risk of upper GI bleeding

Using proton pump inhibitors and antiplatelet drugs (thienopyridines) together is an appropriate way of treating patients with cardiovascular disease who are at high risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeds, despite recent concerns about an adverse interaction between these two types of drugs, according to an Expert Consensus Document released jointly today by the American College of Cardiology Foundation, the American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Heart Association.

10 Nov 2010

GTx third quarter net loss decreases to $8.6 million

GTx, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter of 2010. The net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2010 was $8.6 million compared with a net loss of $12.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, GTx reported net income of $22.8 million compared with a net loss of $35.4 million for the same period in 2009.

9 Nov 2010

UC Irvine study: Small amount of brain bleeding is common among older individuals

Neurologist Dr. Mark Fisher and neuropathologist Dr. Ronald Kim found that cerebral microbleeds are highly prevalent in the aging brain - and not primarily products of stroke-related injury, hypertension or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, as had been thought.

9 Nov 2010

Novel drug-coated balloon technology adopted in niche applications across Europe: MRG

According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, novel drug-coated balloon technology is being adopted in niche applications throughout Europe. This market will continue to grow as physicians increasingly use the technology in cases where other devices may not be suitable.

4 Nov 2010

Positive preliminary data from Protalix's taliglucerase alfa switchover trial for Gaucher disease

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., announced today positive preliminary data from the first 15 patients that completed the Company's nine month, worldwide, multi-center, open-label, switchover trial of taliglucerase alfa for the treatment of Gaucher disease under a protocol cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The data indicate that patients can safely be switched to taliglucerase alfa from imiglucerase (Cerezyme®).

2 Nov 2010

Study finds increasing dosage of blood thinners can help cardiovascular disease patients with genetic defect

Cardiovascular disease patients who have a genetic defect that makes them less responsive to blood thinners may be helped with an increased dosage, according to results of an innovative pilot study led by a cardiologist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

2 Nov 2010

NYBC calls for blood donations during Pancreatic and Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and New York Blood Center (NYBC) serving more than 20 million people in New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, calls upon our communities to please join the fight against cancer by donating blood. Healthy people of all blood types and ethnicities are encouraged to donate and help save lives. Blood donations are particularly needed from O-negative, B-negative and A-negative types.

30 Oct 2010

Physicians suggest tips to overcome acute pain

The truth is not all pain is created equal. Acute pain is where it all begins. Lasting for several months, acute pain is typically treated with rest, time and medication. For many, that is enough. But if the pain persists, it converts to chronic pain, and new methods must be explored.

29 Oct 2010

New approach to platelet replacement therapy for thrombocytopenia

Platelets are cells in the blood that have a key role in stopping bleeding. Thrombocytopenia is the medical term used to describe the presence of abnormally low numbers of platelets in the blood. Platelet transfusion is used to treat several causes of thrombocytopenia, but there is a shortage of donors. Mortimer Poncz and colleagues, at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, working with mice, have now identified a potential new approach to platelet replacement therapy that circumvents the problem of donor shortage.

26 Oct 2010

Alexion announces results of eculizumab two open-label Phase 2 studies for aHUS treatment

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its two open-label Phase 2 studies investigating eculizumab (Soliris) as a treatment for patients with atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS) have met the primary and key secondary endpoints with high clinical and statistical significance, in interim analyses.

21 Oct 2010

Xenogenics acquires Ideal BioStent assets

MultiCell Technologies, Inc. and its majority owned subsidiary, Xenogenics Corporation, are pleased to announce the acquisition of the Ideal™ BioStent assets by Xenogenics Corporation from investment funds managed by Western Technology Investment and Silicon Valley Bank. Xenogenics Corporation also entered into a worldwide exclusive license with Rutgers University for rights to certain intellectual property related to the Ideal™ BioStent.

19 Oct 2010

Study finds wide variability in use of blood transfusions for coronary artery bypass graft surgery

A study that includes data on more than 100,000 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery finds that there is wide variability among hospitals in the U.S. on the use of blood transfusions, without a large difference in the rate of death, suggesting that many transfusions may be unnecessary, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA. Another study in this issue of JAMA examines the effect of a restrictive transfusion strategy on outcomes after cardiac surgery.

13 Oct 2010