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Blocking beta glucuronidase enzyme could eliminate side effects of CPT-11 in colon cancer treatment

A debilitating side effect of a widely used but harshly potent treatment for colon cancer could be eliminated if a promising new laboratory discovery bears fruit.

8 Nov 2010

Vapor rub improves sleep for children with cold symptoms

Applying a vapor rub is effective for treating children with night-time cough and congestion and improves sleep for children with cold symptoms, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

8 Nov 2010

Apricus receives $733,437 grants under QTDP program

Apricus Biosciences, Inc., today announced the award of three grants totaling $733,437 under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project program for PrevOnco, RayVa and Femprox which are the Company's development programs in cancer, autoimmune/cardiovascular and female sexual dysfunction, respectively.

8 Nov 2010

Hydroxychloroquine may reduce cardiac neonatal lupus in subsequent pregnancies: Research

Women with anti-SSA/Ro antibodies and a previous child who has heart block a condition where the electrical signal that makes the heart beat is damaged may potentially decrease their risk of delivering another child with life threatening heart disease by taking hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

8 Nov 2010

Statin drugs do not benefit pediatric lupus patients

Lupus puts children at higher risk for coronary artery disease when they become adults, but routinely using statins doesn't provide enough benefit to warrant their regular use in children and adolescents, according to the largest study of pediatric lupus patients to date.

8 Nov 2010

Amgen wins Scrip Best New Drug award for Prolia

Amgen is pleased to announce that it has won the Best New Drug award for Prolia™ (denosumab), a novel treatment approved in the United States (U.S.) for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, at the 2010 Scrip Awards ceremony Nov. 4 in London. Named one of TIME's Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2009, Prolia is the first treatment specifically designed to target osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone.

8 Nov 2010

GeoVax receives $244,500 grant under QTDP program for HIV/AIDS vaccine development

GeoVax Labs, Inc., an Atlanta-based, biopharmaceutical firm dedicated to developing vaccines that prevent and fight Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections, today announced that it has been awarded a grant of $244,500 related to its HIV/AIDS vaccine development activities under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project program.

8 Nov 2010

Clinical Data receives $500,000 grants under QTDP program

Clinical Data, Inc. today announced that the Company has received two grants totaling nearly $500,000 under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project.

8 Nov 2010

FDA approves Cymbalta for treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride) to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain, including discomfort from osteoarthritis and chronic lower back pain. Cymbalta was first used to treat major depressive disorder in 2004.

8 Nov 2010

FDA reviews GSK's response to Complete Response letter for Horizant

GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review GSK's response to FDA's Complete Response letter for Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil) Extended-Release Tablets. Horizant is under review for the treatment of moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).

8 Nov 2010

Leaders discuss best practices, challenges for detecting counterfeit medications

During the opening of the 10th annual meeting of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP) in Accra, Ghana, the country's "Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday called on member countries of the society to institute effective measures that would help detect fake and counterfeit drugs," Ghana News Agency reports.

8 Nov 2010

Report: FDA conflict-of-interest rules too restrictive

The conflict-of-interest policies in the medical profession are coming under fire as too stringent and as impeding medical progress, a claim the Food and Drug Administration dismisses as a misunderstanding of its rules.

8 Nov 2010

New malaria drug can save millions of lives: Study

A landmark trial showed that the replacement of the standard malaria drug Quinine with the newer drug Artesunate for children with severe malaria could save 100,000 lives a year. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that artesunate derived from a Chinese plant called sweet wormwood, replace the four-century-old remedy of quinine for treating severe malaria in adults in 2006. Similar recommendations were not made for children with further trial results pending.

8 Nov 2010

APP Drug Hotline to assist healthcare professionals with shortage issues

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., announced today that it will launch the APP Drug Hotline on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. The APP Drug Hotline has been established to assist healthcare professionals with critical drug shortage issues.

7 Nov 2010

FDA issues approval letter to Carestream's CR system for mammography

Carestream Health has received an approval letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its high-resolution computed radiography (CR) system for mammography.

7 Nov 2010

Melanoma drug breakthrough

Two latest drugs useful in melanoma are termed as the biggest breakthrough in the last five decades say cancer experts. These drugs are the first ones to be effective in advanced forms of the cancer.

5 Nov 2010

CaPre drug candidate effective in managing impaired glucose tolerance

Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. subsidiary Acasti Pharma Inc. reports preclinical results showing that its leading drug candidate CaPre, performed significantly better than the currently marketed drug, Lovaza, at managing impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) a serious pre-diabetic state associated with increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

4 Nov 2010

EUSA Pharma announces 10-year outcome data of PROSTASCINT in prostate cancer radiotherapy

EUSA Pharma, a transatlantic specialty pharmaceutical company focused on oncology, oncology supportive care and critical care, announced today the publication of 10-year outcome data showing that PROSTASCINT(R) (capromab pendetide) fusion imaging is an effective tool for targeting and guiding the dosing of prostate cancer radiotherapy.

4 Nov 2010

Patient share of Actemra for RA to exceed patient share for Cimzia and Simponi, says Report

Bio-Trends is pleased to announce the publication of a new syndicated report, TreatmentTrends®: Rheumatoid Arthritis Q3 2010. This report covers the use of biologics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The report, part of a quarterly series, focuses on current and future use of biologic agents, patient market share, perceived strengths and weaknesses of the key brands, barriers to broader usage, sales force performance and perceived value of manufacturers' patient assistance programs.

4 Nov 2010

HPV vaccine enjoys wide support from medical and public health communities

The vaccine that protects against the potentially cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) enjoys wide support in the medical and public health communities. Yet state laws to require young girls to be vaccinated as a requirement for middle school attendance have aroused controversy with parents, politicians, and even medical and public health experts disagreeing about whether such laws are appropriate.

4 Nov 2010