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Major metropolitan areas show variation in rates of drug-related ED visits

Major metropolitan areas show significant variation in the rates of emergency department (ED) visits involving illicit drugs.

16 Dec 2011

Glucocorticoid inhalation during pregnancy does not increase risk of diseases in offspring

Inhaled glucocorticoids for the treatment of asthma during pregnancy are not associated with an increased risk of most diseases in offspring, but may be a risk factor for endocrine and metabolic disturbances, according to a new study.

16 Dec 2011

Almost two-thirds of pregnant women in B.C. consume prescription drugs

Almost two-thirds of women in British Columbia filled at least one prescription at some point in their pregnancy, including drugs with potential risks, according to a new study by University of British Columbia researchers.

16 Dec 2011

IQWiG publishes report on Esbriet benefit assessment for treatment of IPF

InterMune, Inc. today reported that the private Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has today published its report on the benefit assessment of Esbriet (pirfenidone) for the treatment of mild to moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

16 Dec 2011

FDA accepts Vertex KALYDECO NDA for six-month Priority Review

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) for KALYDECOTM (ivacaftor) and granted the company's request for six-month Priority Review.

16 Dec 2011

Antimalarial drugs administered during pregnancy safer than contracting malaria, study suggests

"Antimalarial drugs are safer for pregnant women than contracting the disease," according to a study from the University of Oxford published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases on Tuesday that "assessed the effects of malaria and its treatment in the first trimester of pregnancy," HealthCanal.com reports.

16 Dec 2011

Study: Many prescription drugs use phthalates as inactive ingredients

Researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC), in collaboration with Harvard School of Public Health, have found numerous prescription and over-the-counter drugs and supplements use certain chemicals called phthalates as inactive ingredients in their products.

15 Dec 2011

ONC gives gift with vision to reduce blindness and mortality among children

This holiday season, Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC) is giving a gift with vision. ONC, the largest supplier of Omega-3 EPA/DHA ingredients in the world, is helping to reduce blindness and mortality amongst children in the developing world by donating five million doses of vitamin A to Vitamin Angels.

15 Dec 2011

Roundtable discussion about caffeine and physical performance

Caffeine is regarded by some as being a potent stimulant, but the debate continues as to whether it enhances exercise performance. A range of expert opinions capture the scope of this ongoing debate in an informative roundtable discussion published in Journal of Caffeine Research, a quarterly peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

15 Dec 2011

MTF survey shows large decline in teen smoking

Cigarette and alcohol use by eighth, 10th and 12th-graders are at their lowest point since the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey began polling teenagers in 1975, according to this year's survey results. However, this positive news is tempered by a slowing rate of decline in teen smoking as well as continued high rates of abuse of other tobacco products, marijuana and prescription drugs.

15 Dec 2011

New drug candidate may halt mental decline of Alzheimer's

A new drug candidate may be the first capable of halting the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's disease, based on the findings of a study published today in PLoS one.

15 Dec 2011

GeneKey launches personalized medicine service for cancer patients

GeneKey Corp., announced today that it has launched a personalized medicine service that empowers cancer patients and their oncology teams to develop treatment strategies based on insight into the biology of individual tumors.

15 Dec 2011

FDA approves modernized labeling for ViroPharma's Vancocin Capsules

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced the modernization of labeling for Vancocin (vancomycin hydrochloride, USP) Capsules made effective through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of a supplemental new drug application.

15 Dec 2011

Experts warn expectant moms about dangers of common cold medicines during pregnancy

Experts in pregnancy and breastfeeding health at the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line warn expectant moms about the potential dangers of common cold medicines during pregnancy.

15 Dec 2011

Scientists evaluate toxicity of Peruvian plant species in traditional medicine

Many developing countries rely on traditional medicine as an accessible and affordable treatment option for human maladies. However, until now, scientific data has not existed to evaluate the potential toxicity of medicinal plant species in Peru. Scientists from the William L. Brown Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis led a study using brine shrimp to determine the toxicity of 341 Northern Peruvian plant species commonly ingested in traditional medicine.

15 Dec 2011

Nitroglycerin can boost body's natural immune response to cancer

Researchers at Queen's University have identified a new mechanism that could potentially explain why the body's immune system sometimes fails to eliminate cancer. The new findings shed light on the possible cause of immune resistance in cancer cells, and indicate that nitroglycerin, a relatively safe and low-cost drug used for more than a century to treat angina, may be effective for managing certain cancers.

15 Dec 2011

Salix submits Crofelemer NDA to FDA for treatment of HIV-associated diarrhea

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that the Company has submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a New Drug Application (NDA) for Crofelemer for the proposed treatment of HIV-associated diarrhea.

14 Dec 2011

Hydrogel regenerates healthy, scar-free tissue on skin damaged by severe burns

Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a jelly-like material and wound treatment method that, in early experiments on skin damaged by severe burns, appeared to regenerate healthy, scar-free tissue.

14 Dec 2011

Researchers discover how statins promote breakdown of plaque in arteries

In a new study, NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have discovered how cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins promote the breakdown of plaque in the arteries. The study was published online by the journal PLoS One on December 6, 2011.

14 Dec 2011

People in Swaziland protesting shortages of ARVs amid government financial crisis

In Swaziland, where a "deepening financial crisis is taking a toll on service delivery, and the country is experiencing an unprecedented number of protests over issues such as school closures and a lack of HIV treatment," "a new wave of HIV activism is rising ... as people living with HIV take to the streets in protest, many for the first time in their lives, over continued shortages of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment," PlusNews reports.

14 Dec 2011