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Insecticidal nets do not always work against diseases transmitted by insect bites

Longlasting insecticidal nets yielded an important breakthrough in malaria prevention, but this does not automatically mean they always work against diseases transmitted by insect bites. Against the transmission of kala azar disease in India and Nepal they did not have an effect. This was reported by an international group of researchers, led by Marleen Boelaert of the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, in the reputed British Medical Journal.

5 Jan 2011

Low levels of microbe-killing molecules improve survival rate of people with CGD

Investigators at the National Institutes of Health have observed that the survival rate of people with a rare immunodeficiency disease called chronic granulomatous disease is greatly improved when even very low levels of microbe-killing molecules are present.

30 Dec 2010

Positive results from Incyte's COMFORT-I INCB18424 pivotal Phase III clinical trial in myelofibrosis

Incyte Corporation announced today positive top-line results from COMFORT-I, the pivotal Phase III clinical trial of INCB18424 (also known as INC424) in patients with myelofibrosis (MF) being conducted under a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) Agreement. COMFORT-I (COntrolled MyeloFibrosis Study with ORal JAK Inhibitor Treatment) is a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III trial involving 309 patients.

21 Dec 2010

Clinical, preclinical results of ISF35 in CLL patients presented at ASH 2010

Memgen, LLC announced the presentation of clinical and preclinical results for its lead product, ISF35, during the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Orlando, Florida. The research and clinical development of ISF35 announced today was led by Januario Castro, MD, and Thomas Kipps, MD, PhD, both at the University of California, San Diego.

10 Dec 2010

p53 activation offers a novel strategy for cancer therapy

A pioneering clinical trial is testing the effectiveness in leukemia of a small molecule that shuts down MDM2, a protein that can disable the well-known tumor suppressor p53.

9 Dec 2010

Mayo Clinic scientists say JAK inhibitors may help treat patients with myelofibrosis

Two janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are substantially improving treatment of myelofibrosis in patients, say Mayo Clinic researchers who are presenting results of several clinical trials at the 52nd annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Dec. 4 in Orlando.

7 Dec 2010

Positive interim data from Phase I/II trial of CYT387 in myelofibrosis presented at ASH Annual Meeting

YM BioSciences Inc. today announced positive interim data from the first 60 patients enrolled in the Phase I/II trial for its JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, CYT387, in myelofibrosis. The results were reported today in an oral presentation at the 52nd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting being held in Orlando, Florida.

7 Dec 2010

Preclinical study results for Syk, JAK inhibitor program presented at ASH 2010

Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of preclinical study results for its novel Syk and JAK inhibitor program at the American Society of Hematology's 52nd Annual Meeting and Exposition. Portola's novel Syk and JAK inhibitors are in development to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, and certain cancers, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

6 Dec 2010

Research reveals new standard treatment options for various forms of lymphoma

The next generation of drug therapies and enhanced treatment approaches for various forms of lymphoma are evolving as researchers continue to better understand how these cancers progress. Research will be presented today at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology introducing promising new options for the standard treatment of advanced asymptomatic follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and early, unfavorable (referring to patients with clinical stage I or II disease and one or more risk factors) Hodgkin disease.

6 Dec 2010

Health Canada approves VPRIV enzyme replacement therapy for type 1 Gaucher disease

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announces that Health Canada has approved VPRIV (velaglucerase alfa), an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for long-term use in pediatric and adult type 1 Gaucher disease.

1 Dec 2010

How HIV kills CD4 T cells

Researchers appear to have an explanation for a longstanding question in HIV biology: how it is that the virus kills so many CD4 T cells, despite the fact that most of them appear to be "bystander" cells that are themselves not productively infected. That loss of CD4 T cells marks the progression from HIV infection to full-blown AIDS, explain the researchers who report their findings in studies of human tonsils and spleens in the November 24th issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication.

25 Nov 2010

Scientists reveal long-standing mystery about HIV infection

Scientists at Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology have solved a long-standing mystery about HIV infection-namely how HIV promotes the death of CD4 T cells.

25 Nov 2010

Preclinical trial shows Chimerix’s CMX001 inhibits HSV replication

Chimerix, Inc., a pharmaceutical company developing orally-available antiviral therapeutics, today announced that data demonstrating preclinical efficacy of Chimerix's lead antiviral compound CMX001 against herpes simplex virus (HSV) as well as its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier was published in the November 15, 2010 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

23 Nov 2010

YM BioSciences expands CYT387 Phase I/II clinical trial for myelofibrosis in five sites

YM BioSciences Inc., today reported that the Phase I/II clinical trial for its orally available JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, CYT387, in patients with myelofibrosis has been expanded to five sites. Of the additional sites, the Stanford Cancer Center (Stanford, California) under Principal Investigator Jason Gotlib, MD has already commenced enrolling patients.

19 Nov 2010

Spleen cells may do more harm than good at site of spinal cord injury

The spleen, an organ that helps the body fight infections, might also be a source of the cells that end up doing more harm than good at the site of a spinal cord injury, new research suggests.

18 Nov 2010

Research suggests targeting spleen may promote healing of spinal cord injury

The spleen, an organ that helps the body fight infections, might also be a source of the cells that end up doing more harm than good at the site of a spinal cord injury, new research suggests.

16 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

Idera presents data on TLR 3 agonist as vaccine adjuvants at Immunological Meeting

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced a presentation describing the chemistry and immunological activity of its proprietary Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) 3 agonist compounds and the use of these compounds as vaccine adjuvants in a preclinical model.

30 Oct 2010

Systemic amyloidosis patient to receive triple organ transplant

In 2005, then 40-year-old Walt McGuire was playing hockey twice a week, working full-time and chasing his young daughter. Then one day, he noticed after one trip up the stairs to catch her, he couldn't catch his breath. A few days later his legs were swollen. After numerous trips to different doctors, McGuire finally was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called amyloidosis.

28 Oct 2010

BAFF protein can promote aggressive leukemia and lymphomas

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells survive and thrive not just by their own innate wiles, but by also acquiring aid and support from host cells in their surrounding environment.

25 Oct 2010