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'Gateway effect' of marijuana overblown

New research from the University of New Hampshire shows that the "gateway effect" of marijuana - that teenagers who use marijuana are more likely to move on to harder illicit drugs as young adults - is overblown.

3 Sep 2010

'Aspartame danger' myths

Heard the one about how aspartame single-handedly caused the Gulf War syndrome? In recent years, outlandish allegations – often spread via the Internet by individuals who have little scientific or medical expertise – have tried to link the low-calorie sweetener to every ailment ranging from Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease to cancer and weight gain. However, the overwhelming body of scientific evidence via more than three decades of research and over 200 studies demonstrate that aspartame is safe.

3 Sep 2010

Gilead Sciences seeks MAA in Europe for fixed-dose combination of Truvada and TMC278 for HIV-1 infection

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that it has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for marketing approval for the fixed-dose combination of Truvada® (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil (as fumarate)) and Tibotec Pharmaceuticals' investigational non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor TMC278 (rilpivirine (as hydrochloride)) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults.

3 Sep 2010

European Commission approves MSD's MAA for SYCREST in manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder

MSD announced today that the European Commission has approved the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for SYCREST® (asenapine) sublingual tablets for the treatment of moderate to severe manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults. Today's decision was based on recommendations from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). The Commission Decision applies to all 27 European Member States.

3 Sep 2010

BDSI announces positive meeting with FDA, Meda on REMS program for ONSOLIS

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. today announced a positive meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Meda and BDSI that occurred on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 to discuss significant modifications to the existing Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program for ONSOLIS (fentanyl buccal soluble film).

3 Sep 2010

Study finds high content of aluminium in infant formulas

The aluminium content of a range of the most popular brands of infant formulas remains high, and particularly so for a product designed for preterm infants and a soya-based product designed for infants with cow's milk intolerances and allergies, researchers have found.

3 Sep 2010

Botox maker agrees to pay $600 million for misbranding

The Associated Press: "Allergan Inc., the maker of wrinkle-smoothing Botox, has agreed to pay $600 million to settle a yearslong federal investigation into its marketing of the top-selling, botulin-based drug. The Justice Department and the company said Wednesday in a statement it will plead guilty to one misdemeanor charge of 'misbranding,' in which the company's marketing led physicians to use Botox for unapproved uses. Those included the treatment of headache, pain, spasticity and cerebral palsy in children.

3 Sep 2010

Diabetes drug metformin exhibits potential against tobacco-induced lung tumors

Metformin, a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, shows potential in the prevention of tobacco-induced lung tumors, according to early research conducted at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

3 Sep 2010

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals publishes research article on RX-8243 anti-tumor activity

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced the publication of a research article in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters on the anti-tumor activity of RX-8243 and its analogues.

3 Sep 2010

CaPre drug candidate shows promising result on CRP level reduction

Acasti Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. reports significant results on the effects of its anti-dyslipidemic investigational drug candidate CaPre on C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, a biomarker of CardioVascular Disease risk (CVD) and associated with diabetes and obesity.

3 Sep 2010

New antibacterial peptide effective against infections in burn or blast wounds

An antibacterial peptide developed by Laszlo Otvos, a research professor of biology in Temple's College of Science and Technology, looks to be a highly-effective therapy against infections in burn or blast wounds suffered by soldiers.

2 Sep 2010

Purdue University researchers develop new type of pump for drug-delivery patches

Purdue University researchers have developed a new type of pump for drug-delivery patches that might use arrays of "microneedles" to deliver a wider range of medications than now possible with conventional patches.

2 Sep 2010

SaveRxCanada.com announces enhancement to online shopping system

SaveRxCanada.com, the premier Canadian pharmacy intermediary since 2004, announced an enhancement to its full online shopping system.

2 Sep 2010

iBio and CMB enter development and marketing collaboration with GE Healthcare

iBio, Inc., its development collaborator, Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB), and GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company, today announced their entry into an agreement to jointly develop and globally market manufacturing solutions for biopharmaceuticals and vaccines based upon their respective proprietary technologies.

2 Sep 2010

Emergent BioSolutions signs contract with NIAID to develop third generation anthrax vaccine candidate

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced today that it has signed a contract valued at up to $28.7 million with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, an institute within the National Institutes of Health, for advanced development of the company's third generation anthrax vaccine candidate.

2 Sep 2010

AHF proposes innovative solution to resolve AIDS drug crisis in Florida

As the State of Florida grapples with a budget shortfall that is crippling its AIDS Drug Assistance Program and forcing the state to place more than 1,300 low-income Floridians on waiting lists to access lifesaving AIDS medications, AIDS Healthcare Foundation has proposed an innovative solution to state health officials and seven leading AIDS drug companies that would create a public/private partnership to resolve the drug crisis and get vulnerable Florida AIDS patients on to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment.

2 Sep 2010

Dietary supplement combining zinc, phytase enhances effectiveness of BTX injections: Study

Taking a dietary supplement of organic zinc and the enzyme phytase four days before receiving botulinum toxin injections made the toxin more effective in 93 percent of patients tested in a recent study at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.

2 Sep 2010

Lilly's Evista method patents upheld through March of 2014

Eli Lilly and Company today announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed a prior ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana that the company's method-of-use patents for Evista® (raloxifene HCl tablets) are valid. These patents provide protection for Evista in the U.S. through March of 2014.

2 Sep 2010

Researchers develop new technique to trace counterfeit drugs

Counterfeiting of drugs is a huge industry with an annual turnover of more than SEK 500 billion. In Africa the situation is extremely serious. Half of the malaria medication sold there could be ineffective or even harmful. Researchers from Lund and the UK have now developed a technique that could resolve the situation.

2 Sep 2010

Orexigen and Takeda partner to develop, commercialize Contrave in US, Canada and Mexico

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, today announced that they have entered into an exclusive partnership to develop and commercialize Contrave® (naltrexone SR/bupropion SR), Orexigen's investigational drug for the treatment of obesity, in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

2 Sep 2010