Pharmaceutical News

RSS

Americans overdosing on prescription pain killers

According to figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 40 Americans die from prescription painkiller abuse each day. Overdoses of opioid prescription drugs now kill more people in the U.S. than do overdoses from heroin and cocaine combined the report says. Twelve million Americans say they abused prescription drugs in the last year.

2 Nov 2011

Prescription drug shortages: Endocrine Society calls for mandatory reporting by manufacturers

The Executive Order President Obama issued Monday directing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take action to reduce prescription drug shortages is a commendable first step, but the White House could strengthen its directive and address the full scope of the problem by ordering mandatory reporting by manufacturers, which The Endocrine Society calls for in its Position Statement on drug shortages.

2 Nov 2011

Scientists identify distinct tobacco transporter for nicotine metabolism

A team of Virginia Tech and Purdue University scientists have identified a distinct transporter used by tobacco plant cells for nicotine metabolism. The research appears in the Oct. 17 online before print issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in the article, "A tobacco nicotine uptake permease effects alkaloid metabolism."

2 Nov 2011

Researchers identify small-molecule drug candidates for many metabolic conditions

A new discovery by Californian scientists may lead to a pharmaceutical breakthrough for a wide range of illnesses that involve the hydration of cells that line the inner surfaces of our body's organs and tissues. In a new report appearing in the FASEB Journal, the researchers describe how they used high-throughput screening to identify small-molecule drug candidates which help cells bypass defective channels that normally move salt and water through cell membranes.

2 Nov 2011

Obama takes action to address drug shortages

President Barack Obama issued an executive order Monday directing the Food and Drug Administration to, among other steps, speed up reviews of manufacturers' applications to begin or alter production of a drug in potentially short supply.

2 Nov 2011

Prostate cancer patients with bone metastases benefit from repeated 188Re-HEDP therapy

For prostate cancer patients with bone metastases, repeated administrations of radionuclide therapy with 188Re-HEDP are shown to improve overall survival rates and reduce pain, according to new research published in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

2 Nov 2011

ADHD medications do not increase risk of heart attack in children, young adults

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medications do not increase the risk for heart disease or heart attack in children and young adults, according to a Vanderbilt study of 1.2 million patients taking drugs including Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta and Strattera between 1998 and 2005.

2 Nov 2011

Birth control shot may impair a person's memory

The birth control shot Depo Provera offers a convenient alternative for women who don't want to remember to take a daily pill. Ironically, research from Arizona State University has shown the shot actually may impair a person's memory.

2 Nov 2011

No link between anti-clotting drugs and increased risk of bleeding in GI procedure

Patients with recent use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), or anti-clotting drugs such as clopidogreal (Plavix) do not appear to have an increased risk of bleeding during or after removal of precancerous lesions in the digestive tract, according to results of a Mayo Clinic study.

2 Nov 2011

SurModics to sell Pharma assets to Evonik for $30 million

SurModics, Inc., a leading provider of surface modification technologies to the healthcare industry, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its SurModics Pharmaceuticals assets to Evonik Industries AG for $30 million in cash.

2 Nov 2011

SmartTots sets agenda for research on anesthetic safety in children

A special section of the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), presents new research, updates, and commentaries about possible toxic effects of anesthetics and sedatives in infants and young children. The IARS is a key partner in the SmartTots initiative, dedicated to finding scientific answers to these urgent public health concerns.

2 Nov 2011

High dose of vitamin D3 safe and effective for obese adolescents

Vitamin D deficiency is common in Americans, and especially in overweight and obese adolescents, according to the National Institutes of Health. University of Missouri researchers have found that providing obese adolescents with a high daily dose of vitamin D3 is safe and effective in improving their vitamin D status.

2 Nov 2011

Takeda receives FDA approval for VELCADE sNDA to treat MM

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company with its parent company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for VELCADE (bortezomib) for Injection, which updates the label to include additional long-term overall survival (OS) data from the VISTA trial.

2 Nov 2011

Glyphosine can prevent development of type 1 diabetes

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have found a specific molecule that can prevent the development of type 1 diabetes in mice and has a similar effect on human cells from diabetic patients.

2 Nov 2011

FDA approves Abbott's XIENCE PRIME Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System

Abbott today announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the next-generation XIENCE PRIME Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

2 Nov 2011

Perrigo's partner receives final approval for Epinastine HCl ophthalmic solution

Perrigo Company today announced that its partner, PharmaForce/Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, received final approval for Epinastine HCl ophthalmic solution, 0.05%, a generic version of Elestat. Perrigo will commence shipment of the product immediately.

2 Nov 2011

ProPhase Labs introduces new Cold-EEZE Oral Spray

ProPhase Labs, makers of Cold-EEZE, a leader in over-the-counter (OTC) homeopathic cold remedies, continues to pioneer the category as they launch their first-ever Cold-EEZE Oral Spray. The new Oral Spray is formulated with zinc gluconate, the same effective active ingredient found in the best-selling, clinically proven and #1 pharmacist recommended Cold-EEZE lozenges.

1 Nov 2011

National lupus organizations urge NICE to recommend Benlysta for coverage

National lupus organizations in more than 28 countries, and individuals with lupus and their families around the world, are rallying to protect access to new treatments and the development of future therapies to treat lupus.

1 Nov 2011

Internet-based communication improves teenagers' use of topical acne therapy

Tech-savvy teens with acne used their medicine more frequently when they also took part in a web-based survey, a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center finds.

1 Nov 2011

LA BioMed's lead investigator hopes to bring PAH awareness this November

As the month of November kicks off PH Awareness Month, Dr. Ronald Oudiz - lead investigator at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) - hopes to bring greater awareness to this disorder that has affected the lives of so many. Dr. Oudiz is a pioneer in this field, having received the 2011 Award for Excellence earlier this year from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association for his dedication to find new ways to treat this often fatal disease.

1 Nov 2011