Pharmaceutical News

RSS

Researchers study safety, effectiveness of experimental Ebola vaccine following high-risk exposure

A physician who received an experimental Ebola vaccine after experiencing a needle stick while working in an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone did not develop Ebola virus infection, and there was strong Ebola-specific immune responses after the vaccination, although because of its limited use to date, the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine is not certain, according to a study appearing in JAMA.

6 Mar 2015

Oxytocin nasal spray helps healthy men reduce consumption of fatty foods

A synthetic nasal formulation of the hormone oxytocin reduced caloric intake in healthy men, particularly consumption of fatty foods, after a single treatment, a new study finds. The results, to be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 97th annual meeting in San Diego, confirm those of animal studies showing oxytocin reduces food intake.

6 Mar 2015

Psychedelics does not increase risk of mental health problems

The use of psychedelics, such as LSD and magic mushrooms, does not increase a person's risk of developing mental health problems, according to an analysis of information from more than 135,000 randomly chosen people, including 19,000 people who had used psychedelics.

5 Mar 2015

LUNGevity applauds FDA's approval of Opdivo drug

LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's leading lung cancer nonprofit, applauds the Food and Drug Administration's approval of Bristol Myers Squibb's new immunotherapy drug Opdivo (nivolumab). Opdivo and other immunotherapy treatments add another critical new treatment option to fight lung cancer by harnessing the power of a patient's own immune system to fight cancerous cells.

5 Mar 2015

ANI acquires approved ANDA for Flecainide Acetate tablets USP

ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has acquired the approved abbreviated new drug application ("ANDA") for Flecainide Acetate tablets USP 50mg, 100mg and 150mg, previously marketed by Teva Pharmaceuticals.

5 Mar 2015

Lucideon welcomes University College Dublin students on work placements

Lucideon is pleased to announce that it has offered three healthcare technology placements to students from University College Dublin (UCD).

From Lucideon 5 Mar 2015

Low-cost antiseptic could help reduce deaths in newborn babies

A low-cost antiseptic used to cleanse the cord after birth could help reduce infant death rates in developing countries by 12%, a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library suggests. Authors of the review found that when chlorhexidine was used on babies born outside of a hospital, it reduces the number of newborn babies who died or suffer from infections.

5 Mar 2015

Babies treated for CMV infection for six months have better developmental outcomes

Babies treated for symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection for six months, instead of the standard six weeks, have better hearing and developmental outcomes, according to a new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

5 Mar 2015

New approach could dramatically increase survival rate of cancer patients

Michail Sitkovsky, an immunophysiology expert at Northeastern University, and his research colleagues have made a breakthrough discovery in cancer treatment. The new approach, some 30 years in the making, could dramatically increase the survival rate of patients with cancer, which kills some 8 million people each year.

5 Mar 2015

Study: Omega-3 fatty acids appear to protect heart function among heart attack survivors

Taking omega-3 fatty acids appeared to lower inflammation and guard against further declines in heart function among recent heart attack survivors already receiving optimal standard care, according to results from a randomized, controlled trial to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego.

5 Mar 2015

Bayer announces FDA acceptance of BAY 81-8973 BLA for treatment of hemophilia A

Bayer HealthCare today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the company's Biologics License Application for BAY 81-8973, a recombinant Factor VIII compound. Bayer is seeking FDA approval of the investigational compound, proposed trade name Kovaltry, for the treatment of hemophilia A in children and adults.

4 Mar 2015

Diplomat Pharmacy selected to distribute Novartis' COSENTYX (secukinumab)

Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. has been selected to the Novartis limited-distribution panel to distribute COSENTYX (secukinumab), a drug approved in January by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

4 Mar 2015

Lexicon updates drug development progress, reports 2014 financial results

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing breakthrough treatments for human disease, today updated its drug development progress and reported financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2014.

4 Mar 2015

Study demonstrates that activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors suppresses chronic pain

Medical marijuana is proliferating across the country due to the ability of cannabis ingestion to treat important clinical problems such as chronic pain. However, negative side effects and the development of tolerance limit the widespread therapeutic use of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the major psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

4 Mar 2015

Novogen's TRXE-009 therapy shows promise against brain cancer

Australian/US biotechnology company, Novogen Limited, today announces that it has confirmed that one of its lead candidate products, TRXE-009, is showing the potential to become an important new therapy in the fight against adult and pediatric brain cancer.

4 Mar 2015

Grifols, Alkahest sign definitive agreements

Grifols, a global healthcare company and leading producer of plasma therapies, and Alkahest, a Redwood City, California based, privately held biopharmaceutical company founded upon the pioneering work of Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray and other leading scientists at Stanford University, today announced that they have signed definitive agreements whereby Grifols will make a major equity investment in Alkahest, and the companies will work together to develop novel plasma-based products for the treatment of cognitive decline in aging and disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), including Alzheimer's.

4 Mar 2015

Study findings question benefit of giving sedatives before surgery for patients under general anesthesia

Although sedatives are often administered before surgery, a randomized trial finds that among patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia, receiving the sedative lorazepam before surgery, compared with placebo or no premedication, did not improve the self-reported patient experience the day after surgery, but was associated with longer time till removal off a breathing tube (extubation) and a lower rate of early cognitive recovery, according to a study in the March 3 issue of JAMA.

4 Mar 2015

New study shows who benefits most from statin therapy

Research has demonstrated that the risk for developing coronary heart disease depends on a host of risk factors that are related both to lifestyle and genetics. In a new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Massachusetts General Hospital, researchers tested whether a composite of genetic variants could identify the risk of cardiovascular death and heart attacks as well as identify individuals who derived greater clinical benefit from statin therapy.

4 Mar 2015

Study: 31 states implement new policies for 'atypical' prescribing of antipsychotics to children

With a concern about inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medications to children, 31 states have implemented prior authorization policies for atypical antipsychotic prescribing, mostly within the past 5 years, and with most states applying their policies to children younger than 7 years of age, according to a study in the March 3 issue of JAMA.

4 Mar 2015

Common antidepressant medications not helpful for people with mood, anxiety disorders

Studies indicate that the majority of people with mood and anxiety disorders who receive the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressant medications, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRI's, are not helped by these medications. SSRIs are designed to increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is key to maintenance of mood.

4 Mar 2015