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Heptares exercises exclusive option to license new A2A antagonist for CNS disorders

Heptares Therapeutics, the leading GPCR drug discovery company, announces that an operating company of Shire PLC, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, has exercised its exclusive option to license a novel adenosine A2A antagonist discovered by Heptares that is currently in preclinical development.

20 Mar 2012

Novartis' Arcapta Neohaler now available in the U.S. for COPD treatment

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation today announced that once-daily Arcapta Neohaler (indacaterol inhalation powder) 75 mcg is now available in the US and in pharmacies nationwide.

20 Mar 2012

Gilenya - pill for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis recommended by NICE

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) issued new draft guidance recommending fingolimod (brand name Gilenya) on the NHS for some patients with a form of MS. The new drug can help reduce the number of relapses in adults with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), which is characterized by periods when symptoms worsen and then improve.

19 Mar 2012

$Ponatinib to earn gold-standard status for refractory chronic myeloid leukemia in 2015$

Ponatinib to earn gold-standard status for refractory chronic myeloid leukemia in 2015

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that surveyed U.S. hematologist-oncologists and managed care organization (MCO) pharmacy directors agree that survival effect is one of the attributes that most influences their decisions regarding prescribing and formulary status determinations, respectively, in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who have failed first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

19 Mar 2012

Soy-based S-equol lowers HbA1c, LDL cholesterol and improves vascular stiffness

A 12-week treatment of the fermented soy germ-based nutritional supplement containing S-equol significantly lowered hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), LDL cholesterol and improved vascular stiffness, all factors that occur as part of metabolic syndrome, according to a first-of-its-kind peer-reviewed study reported in a poster at the Women's Health 2012 annual meeting.

19 Mar 2012

Merz launches new, once daily Mederma Advanced Scar Gel

Mederma, the #1 doctor-and pharmacist-recommended brand for scars for over a decade, announced today the introduction of Mederma Advanced Scar Gel, which reduces the overall appearance of scars caused by injury, acne, surgery or burns with just one daily application. Mederma Advanced Scar Gel contains Cepalin, the same proprietary botanical extract derived from onions used in all Mederma® scar products and stretch marks therapy.

19 Mar 2012

GE-BAC partner to launch LambdaFabSelect bioprocess affinity resin

GE Healthcare, the healthcare business of GE and BAC BV, the leading provider of antibody-based affinity purification technology, announced today that, following a successful collaboration between the two companies, GE Healthcare Life Sciences has added a new and innovative affinity resin to its portfolio of technologies for the purification of antibody-based fragments.

19 Mar 2012

Abbott files suit against Watson over generic NIASPAN

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc. – Florida, filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval to market Niacin Extended-release Tablets, 500 mg and 1000 mg. Watson's ANDA products are generic versions of Abbott Laboratories' NIASPAN.

19 Mar 2012

arGEN-X introduces NHance technology to create therapeutic antibodies

arGEN-X announces today the launch of NHance, its latest cutting-edge technology enabling the creation of truly differentiated human antibody therapeutics.

19 Mar 2012

East Asian BIM gene variant contributes to drug resistance in cancer

A multi-national research team led by scientists at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School has identified the reason why some patients fail to respond to some of the most successful cancer drugs.

19 Mar 2012

Klf4 protein an important regulator of inflammation: HNK study

Microglia are the first line defence of the brain and are constantly looking for infections to fight off. Overactive microglia can cause uncontrolled inflammation within the brain, which can in turn lead to neuronal damage. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Journal of Neuroinflammation shows that, honokiol (HNK) is able to down-regulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory enzymes in activated microglia via Klf4, a protein known to regulate DNA.

19 Mar 2012

Life Length, Cenegenics Carolinas partner to offer telomere testing

Representatives from Cenegenics Carolinas, the Southeast's leading age management practice, today announced that the practice is now offering cutting-edge telomere length testing to provide an accurate prediction of biological age and risk for disease.

17 Mar 2012

Argus to participate in National Council for Prescription Drug Programs focus group

Argus Health Systems Inc., a leading transparent pharmacy benefits administrator, will participate in a National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) focus group on March 20, 2012, to better understand the growing biopharmaceuticals industry.

17 Mar 2012

Study identifies primary care skills and competencies in opioid risk management

Primary care physicians are faced with treating a large proportion of chronic pain patients, but many do not often have specific training in the assessment and management of chronic pain, including the use of opioid medications for chronic pain management.

17 Mar 2012

Zimbabwe's plan to conduct household HIV testing raises concerns among some advocates

PlusNews examines the challenges and concerns surrounding Zimbabwe's plan to conduct a door-to-door HIV testing campaign, which has not yet begun but "is already being met with skepticism by activists who feel this is not a priority for the country, especially with global HIV/AIDS funding on the decline."

17 Mar 2012

The Medical Letter introduces mobile apps for iPad, Android

The Medical Letter – recognized since 1959 as the most trusted source of unbiased prescription drug information and drug facts - announces the launch of its mobile apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android.

17 Mar 2012

Obesity appears to increase risk of mortality tied to sleeping pills

Obesity appears to significantly increase the risk of death tied to sleeping pills, nearly doubling the rate of mortality even among those prescribed 18 or fewer pills in a year, researchers reported Friday.

17 Mar 2012

Antibiotics may increase incidence and severity of allergic asthma in early life

Widely used antibiotics may increase incidence and severity of allergic asthma in early life, according to a University of British Columbia study.

17 Mar 2012

Adverse drug reactions could be avoided among adult hospital and emergency patients

Close to half of adverse reactions to medicines among adult hospital and emergency patients could be avoided, shows a study from the Nordic School of Public Health NHV.

16 Mar 2012

ThromboGenics, Alcon collaborate to commercialize ocriplasmin outside the US

ThromboGenics NV, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative ophthalmic medicines, announces today that it has entered into an agreement with Alcon (a division of Novartis), the global leader in eyecare, for the commercialization of ocriplasmin in all markets outside the U.S.

16 Mar 2012