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Prevalence of mental health diagnoses increases with long duration of opioid use

Most patients taking opioids for low back pain or other pain syndromes are prescribed low-to moderate doses, but a substantial number are given higher doses. Although there is no consensus on an absolute limit because tolerance varies over time among individual patients, what is known, however, is higher does are associated with elevated risks for side effects, addiction, overdoses and death.

28 Nov 2012

Off label atypical antipsychotic use lacks safety and effectiveness in patients over 40

In older adults, antipsychotic drugs are commonly prescribed off-label for a number of disorders outside of their Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indications - schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The largest number of antipsychotic prescriptions in older adults is for behavioral disturbances associated with dementia, some of which carry FDA warnings on prescription information for these drugs.

28 Nov 2012

Digoxin increases risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation

Digoxin, a drug widely used to treat heart disease, increases the possibility of death when used by patients with a common heart rhythm problem − atrial fibrillation (AF), according to new study findings by University of Kentucky researchers. The results have been published in the prestigious European Heart Journal, and raises serious concerns about the expansive use of this long-standing heart medication in patients with AF.

28 Nov 2012

Intramyocardial injection of organ-derived stem cells after AMI improves left ventricle function

A study published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation, now freely available on-line, has found that when mesenchymal cells derived from skeletal muscle (SM-MSCs) or adipose tissue (ADSCs) were injected into the heart muscle (myocardium) of separate groups of laboratory rats that had suffered a myocardial infarction, rats in both groups experienced significantly improved left ventricle function and smaller infarct size after cell therapy.

28 Nov 2012

Carnosic acid promotes eye health

Herbs widely used throughout history in Asian and early European cultures have received renewed attention by Western medicine in recent years. Scientists are now isolating the active compounds in many medicinal herbs and documenting their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In a study published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) report that carnosic acid, a component of the herb rosemary, promotes eye health.

28 Nov 2012

State roundup: Conn. official says bulk buying prescription drugs could help budget

The state's chief fiscal watchdog is asking legislators and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's administration to take a second look at how government purchases prescription medication -- and a proposal he believes could save more than $65 million over the next fiscal year.

28 Nov 2012

Vitamin D may help prevent dental caries

A new review of existing studies points toward a potential role for vitamin D in helping to prevent dental caries, or tooth decay.

28 Nov 2012

Microneedle-based measles vaccine can immunize against measles

Measles vaccine given with painless and easy-to-administer microneedle patches can immunize against measles at least as well as vaccine given with conventional hypodermic needles, according to research done by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

28 Nov 2012

FDA grants final approval to Cobrek’s generic Luxiq foam NDA for treatment of scalp psoriasis

Perrigo Company today announced that its partner, Cobrek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for betamethasone valerate foam 0.12%, the generic equivalent of Luxiq Foam.

28 Nov 2012

Topically applied simvastatin enhances wound recovery in diabetic mice

Delayed wound healing is a major complication of diabetes because the physiological changes in tissues and cells impair the wound healing process. This can result in additional disease outcomes such as diabetic foot ulcer, a significant cause of morbidity in the growing population of diabetic patients. A new study has found that topically applied simvastatin accelerates wound healing in diabetic mice, suggesting important implications for humans with diabetes.

28 Nov 2012

Study identifies gene signature associated with resistance to cancer therapies

Agendia, an innovative molecular cancer diagnostics company and leader in personalized medicine, today announced the publication in the November 21st issue of the prestigious scientific journal "Cell" of a study that identifies a gene signature that is associated with resistance to a broad range of cancer therapies in multiple cancer types.

28 Nov 2012

Gilead Sciences receives EC approval for Viread to treat HIV-1 infected children

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for two new indications for once-daily Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate).

28 Nov 2012

National Taiwan University Hospital, PAREXEL establish alliance

PAREXEL International Corporation a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, and the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) announced today that they have established an alliance. Under the agreement, PAREXEL and NTUH will collaborate to provide drug development services in Taiwan.

From Parexel 27 Nov 2012

Specific combination of two pharmaceutical substances show promise against multiple sclerosis

A new substance class for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases now promises increased efficacy paired with fewer side effects. To achieve this, a team of scientists under the leadership of Prof. Gunter Fischer and Dr. Frank Striggow have combined two already approved pharmaceutical substances with each other using a chemical linker structure.

27 Nov 2012

Recognizing pharmaceutical philanthropy's role in fighting NTDs

"In October 1987, Roy Vagelos, then the chief executive of pharmaceutical company Merck, launched the largest pharmaco-philanthropic venture ever," William Foege, an epidemiologist and former director of the CDC, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece highlighting the company's efforts to combat onchocerciasis in the developing world through the free distribution of its drug Mectizan.

27 Nov 2012

Buying mail-order medications may encourage patients to stick their treatments

Patients newly prescribed a cholesterol-lowering medication were more likely to pick it up from the pharmacy if they received automated phone and mail reminders, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine today.

27 Nov 2012

Clinics on Cambodian-Thai border aim to prevent spread of drug-resistant malaria

BBC News examines "a worrying drop in the effectiveness of the artemisinin-based drugs" against malaria along the Cambodian-Thai border, and how clinics are attempting to combat the trend by offering monetary incentives to patients to complete treatment regimens.

27 Nov 2012

Anesthetics can help reduce risk of cardiac surgery drug-associated seizures

Two drugs commonly given during cardiac surgery can lead to convulsive seizures, but anesthetics can help cut the risk, according to new research from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

27 Nov 2012

California researchers develop new strategy to find novel antibiotics for bacterial infections

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have developed a new strategy for finding novel antibiotic compounds, using a diagnostic panel of bacterial strains for screening chemical extracts from natural sources.

27 Nov 2012

Low folate and vitamin B12 intake increase risk of melancholic depressive symptoms

A low intake of folate and vitamin B12 increases the risk of melancholic depressive symptoms, according to a study among nearly 3,000 middle-aged and elderly Finnish subjects. On the other hand, non-melancholic depressive symptoms are associated with an increased risk for the metabolic syndrome.

27 Nov 2012

Pharmaceutical News

Prevalence of mental health diagnoses increases with long duration of opioid use

Off label atypical antipsychotic use lacks safety and effectiveness in patients over 40

Digoxin increases risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation

Intramyocardial injection of organ-derived stem cells after AMI improves left ventricle function

Carnosic acid promotes eye health

State roundup: Conn. official says bulk buying prescription drugs could help budget

Vitamin D may help prevent dental caries

Microneedle-based measles vaccine can immunize against measles

FDA grants final approval to Cobrek’s generic Luxiq foam NDA for treatment of scalp psoriasis

Topically applied simvastatin enhances wound recovery in diabetic mice

Study identifies gene signature associated with resistance to cancer therapies

Gilead Sciences receives EC approval for Viread to treat HIV-1 infected children

National Taiwan University Hospital, PAREXEL establish alliance

Specific combination of two pharmaceutical substances show promise against multiple sclerosis

Recognizing pharmaceutical philanthropy's role in fighting NTDs

Buying mail-order medications may encourage patients to stick their treatments

Clinics on Cambodian-Thai border aim to prevent spread of drug-resistant malaria

Anesthetics can help reduce risk of cardiac surgery drug-associated seizures

California researchers develop new strategy to find novel antibiotics for bacterial infections

Low folate and vitamin B12 intake increase risk of melancholic depressive symptoms

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

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