Shingles News and Research

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Shingles (herpes zoster) is an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox — the varicella-zoster virus. The first sign of shingles is often burning or tingling pain, or sometimes numbness or itch, in one particular location on only one side of the body.

UCSF scientists aim to use embryonic stem cells for treatment of neuropathic pain

Chronic pain, by definition, is difficult to manage, but a new study by UCSF scientists shows how a cell therapy might one day be used not only to quell some common types of persistent and difficult-to-treat pain, but also to cure the conditions that give rise to them.

25 May 2012

Pfizer announces results from Lyrica clinical studies on fibromyalgia

Pfizer Inc. announced the results of studies on Lyrica (pregabalin) capsules CV presented at the American Pain Society Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

19 May 2012

Research roundup: Electronic health records don't seem to improve diabetes care; Beefing up adult vaccination rates

Federal officials and health policy experts believe that electronic health records (EHRs) will improve patient care. Researchers measured adherence to diabetes care guidelines as well as patient outcomes over three years at 16 practices using EHRs and 26 practices using paper records. Practices with EHRs did not show signs of better care and providers using them "have not made the necessary changes to both work processes and ways of thinking about care that would lead to improvements in chronic illness management."

19 May 2012

RNP granules exit the nucleus via new budding mechanism akin to herpes-type viruses

New evidence published in Cell by Vivian Budnik, PhD, Melissa J. Moore, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, reveals a novel budding mechanism, similar to the process used by some viruses, capable of exporting large ribonucleoprotein particles from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.

11 May 2012

Pfizer terminates Lyrica Phase 3 trial on neuropathic pain associated with HIV neuropathy

Pfizer Inc. announced today that it has stopped a Phase 3 clinical trial of Lyrica (pregabalin) in patients with neuropathic pain associated with HIV neuropathy, a form of nerve damage characterized by burning pain usually beginning in the feet. The decision follows review of a planned interim analysis of the study by the trial's external Data Monitoring Committee.

5 May 2012

Pfizer’s Lyrica Phase 3 study on pDPN fails to meet primary endpoint

Pfizer Inc. announced today that a Phase 3 randomized withdrawal design study for Lyrica (pregabalin) in patients with inadequately treated painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint, change in endpoint mean pain score relative to baseline.

5 May 2012

Herpes zoster vaccine safe and well tolerated: Study

The herpes zoster vaccine, also known as the shingles vaccine, is generally safe and well tolerated according to a Vaccine Safety Datalink study of 193,083 adults published online in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

23 Apr 2012

NIH awards Winston SBIR grant to develop Civamide for postherpetic neuralgia of TN

Winston Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,, announced that the National Institutes of Health has awarded Winston a grant under the Small Business Innovation Research program supporting the development of Civamide, a proprietary TRPV-1 receptor modulator, for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve.

9 Apr 2012

Merck announces data from ZOSTAVAX Phase III study on shingles

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that data from the pivotal Phase III study with ZOSTAVAX(Zoster Vaccine Live) in adults ages 50 to 59 were published in the April 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

3 Apr 2012

New guidelines offer guidance on how and when to switch between RA drug classes

A trend toward more aggressive treatment in patients just starting to develop rheumatoid arthritis is among the most important changes in treatment guidelines for the disease, according to updated American College of Rheumatology recommendations published today in the journal Arthritis Care & Research. The trend may proceed from emerging opinions that joint damage caused by RA is irreversible, and that early, intensive therapy better preserves physical function, quality of life and capacity to work.

2 Apr 2012

Long delays for persistent pain management

An article in the Australian Medical Journal reveals that taxpayers are paying $34 billion a year to treat persistent pain. Pain specialist Dr Timothy Semple, and president of the Australian Pain Society, told the Herald Sun chronic back pain, arthritis, nerve injuries and people who needed care after surviving cancer made up significant numbers.

1 Apr 2012

New NIST clinical SRM can help in accurate CMV detection and treatment

A new clinical Standard Reference Material (SRM) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will help health care professionals more accurately diagnose and treat cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common pathogen that is particularly dangerous for infants and persons with weakened immune systems.

12 Jan 2012

Office-based medical practice can promote vaccination in adults

Promoting immunizations as a part of routine office-based medical practice is needed to improve adult vaccination rates, a highly effective way to curb the spread of diseases across communities, prevent needless illness and deaths, and lower health care costs, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

12 Jan 2012

Bristol-Myers Squibb signs definitive agreement to acquire Inhibitex

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Inhibitex, Inc. announced today that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which Bristol-Myers Squibb will acquire Inhibitex for $26.00 per share in cash pursuant to a cash tender offer and second step merger.

8 Jan 2012

Arcion receives U.S. patent allowance for ARC-2022 to treat PHN

Arcion Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing topical therapies for chronic pain, today announced that it received notice of allowance for a US Patent for its high strength gel formulation of topical lidocaine, ARC-2022.

5 Jan 2012

UV rays help prevent spread of chickenpox

Ultraviolet rays help prevent the spread of chickenpox, meaning people in milder climates are more at risk of catching the disease, according to new research. The discovery could lead to new ways of preventing chickenpox and its more severe relative, shingles.

16 Dec 2011

Positive results from Aestus' ATx08-001 Phase II study on post-herpetic neuralgia

Aestus Therapeutics, Inc. today reported positive results from a Phase II clinical study evaluating the efficacy of its novel neuropathic pain therapeutic, ATx08-001, in the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia.

14 Dec 2011

Positive final results from BioLineRx BL-1021 Phase Ia study for neuropathic pain

BioLineRx announced today the final results of the Phase Ia study of BL-1021, an orally available small molecule for neuropathic pain.

6 Dec 2011

Medical websites provide harmful information about postherpetic neuralgia treatments

Health information is plentiful on the Internet and many Web surfers consider medical advice they find online to be a cheaper alternative to visiting a doctor, according to some studies. However, the risk of obtaining useless or even harmful medical information from some websites is high for patients with postherpetic neuralgia, a common complication of shingles, according to new research reported in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society.

1 Dec 2011

Shots reduce risk of chicken pox

Infants below the age of one may be too young to get the chicken pox vaccine but far fewer of them got the itchy rash after the U.S. started routinely vaccinating older children in 1995, according to a new study.

29 Nov 2011