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Biologics reduce fatigue in people with RA

Treatment with a biologic agent reduces fatigue in people with rheumatoid arthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago.

7 Nov 2011

IFNa-kinoid shows promise against lupus

The first study to show results using active immunotherapy against the signaling protein interferon alpha in the treatment of lupus will be presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago.

7 Nov 2011

Link between use of anti-TNF therapy and malignant melanoma in RA patients

According to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, people taking anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies to treat rheumatoid arthritis have a higher risk of developing malignant melanoma.

7 Nov 2011

Doctors may stop anti-TNF medications for RA patients before surgery to reduce disease flares

As guidelines recommend, doctors appear to be stopping anti-TNF medications before surgery, but may be doing so far sooner than is necessary, according to a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery. These medications are used to treat a variety of inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, and better timing of withdrawal prior to surgery might minimize the risk of disease flares.

6 Nov 2011

Supplemental dose of pneumonia vaccine recommended for age-eligible patients

In a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare providers are being urged to administer a supplemental dose of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to age-eligible patients as they come in for visits.

5 Nov 2011

APF launches new online educational module on safe use of CAM

The American Pain Foundation (APF) announced the launch of a new online educational module focusing on safe use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as part of its PainSAFE initiative.

5 Nov 2011

Octapharma receives FDA approval for octagam to treat disorders of immune system

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday cleared the way for the U.S. market return of octagam, the Octapharma USA product used to treat disorders of the immune system.

5 Nov 2011

Janssen receives FDA approval for Xarelto to prevent stroke in people with AF

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the anti-clotting drug Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to reduce the risk of stroke in people who have abnormal heart rhythm.

5 Nov 2011

Vitamin D levels not related to acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Vitamin D levels are not related to acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) in patients with severe COPD, according to a large prospective cohort study involving 973 North American patients. The findings were published online ahead of the print edition of the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

4 Nov 2011

Baxter launches NUMETA emulsion for infusion in Europe

Baxter International Inc. announced today the European launch of NUMETA (emulsion for infusion).

From Baxter International Inc. 4 Nov 2011

Kenyan company receives WHO prequalification for generic ARV

"The cost of HIV/AIDS medicine is expected to drop by 30 percent in Kenya, enabling more people to access life-prolonging drugs, after the World Health Organization (WHO) gave the green light to a local company manufacturing generics, The Star newspaper reported on Wednesday," AlertNet reports.

4 Nov 2011

Avoiding sun may increase risk of vitamin D deficiency in light-skinned people

Light-skinned people who avoid the sun are twice as likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency as those who do not, according to a study of nearly 6,000 people by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

4 Nov 2011

Financial investment, progress in HIV/AIDS treatment must be protected by international patent law

In this Hill opinion piece, John Castellani, CEO and president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, writes, "Over the past three decades, more than 30 treatments have been approved to treat HIV/AIDS," but he adds, "While this is remarkable progress, it's not enough."

4 Nov 2011

Cancer drug shortage relates to economics

A perspective in this week's New England Journal of Medicine outlines this connection. Meanwhile, a House Democrat ramps up his investigation into the "gray market" and how it is contributing to the shortage.

4 Nov 2011

Glaxo pays $3 billion to settle investigations involving alleged marketing missteps and Medicaid fraud

GlaxoSmithKline PLC said it will pay the U.S. government $3 billion to settle several long-running criminal and civil investigations into the company, including allegations that Glaxo marketed some drugs illegally and defrauded the Medicaid program. The settlement will also cover a Department of Justice probe into Glaxo's development and marketing of the diabetes drug Avandia, which has been linked to heart attack risks.

4 Nov 2011

Media coverage of potential link between hormonal contraception, HIV risk needed more 'critical thinking'

In a Nature News opinion piece, James Shelton, science adviser for USAID's Bureau for Global Health, discusses media coverage of recent findings from the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases showing that women's use of hormonal contraception (HC) may increase the risk of HIV acquisition or transmission.

4 Nov 2011

Amphetamine use in adolescence can affect brain chemistry and behaviour

Amphetamine use in adolescence can cause neurobiological imbalances and increase risk-taking behaviour, and these effects can persist into adulthood, even when subjects are drug free. These are the conclusions of a new study using animal models conducted by McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) researcher Dr. Gabriella Gobbi and her colleagues.

4 Nov 2011

TPI announces formulation expansion program for GMOL

Tianyin Pharmaceutical Co., Inc., a pharmaceutical company that specializes in patented biopharmaceutical medicine, modernized traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), branded generics and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) today announced the formulation expansion program for its flagship product Gingko Mihuan Oral Liquid.

4 Nov 2011

Escitalopram reduces pain severity, interference in opioid-dependent patients

In what is believed to be the first study of its kind to demonstrate an association between the antidepressant escitalopram and improved general pain, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), have found that opioid-dependent patients treated with escitalopram experienced meaningful reductions in pain severity and pain interference during the first three months of therapy.

4 Nov 2011

FDA accepts VIVUS' Qnexa NDA for filing and review

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing and review the New Drug Application (NDA) for Qnexa to treat obesity. The company resubmitted the NDA on October 17, 2011.

4 Nov 2011