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Rx Partnership receives Amerigroup grant to provide Virginians with medication access

The Amerigroup Foundation today announced that it has provided a grant of $10,000 to the Rx Partnership in Richmond, Virginia. The grant will be used to support increased access to medications in four free clinics in Virginia.

1 Apr 2011

Valeant, Promius sign deal to market Cloderm Cream

PromiusTM Pharma, LLC, an affiliate of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. today jointly announced that they have signed a collaboration agreement for Cloderm Cream.

1 Apr 2011

Biota receives US$231 million BARDA contract to advance laninamivir development

Biota Holdings Limited advises that the Office of Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded up to an estimated US$231 million contract to its wholly owned subsidiary, Biota Scientific Management Pty Ltd, for the advanced development of laninamivir.

1 Apr 2011

Invida, Roche partner to commercialize primary care products

Invida Group Pte Ltd, the leading specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization of healthcare products throughout Asia Pacific, today announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Roche for the commercialization and marketing of that company's primary care portfolio throughout Korea.

1 Apr 2011

California State Controller urges Merck, Tibotec and ViiV to reduce AIDS drug prices

Today AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced that California State Controller John Chiang has sent letters to the CEOs of Merck & Co., Tibotec Therapeutics and ViiV Healthcare, asking the companies to reduce the price of their HIV/AIDS medications for California and its AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).

1 Apr 2011

LIFE Biosystems to present MASE data at AACR annual meeting

Adverse events, or side effects, have traditionally been viewed as an unavoidable consequence in the therapeutic treatment of cancer patients. Yet sufficient data exists to study the relationship between molecular mechanisms, and drug-induced phenotypes to learn about - and even predict - adverse events in patients.

1 Apr 2011

New research finds HIV virus's V3 loop as attractive vaccine target

A section of the AIDS virus's protein envelope once considered an improbable target for a vaccine now appears to be one of the most promising, new research by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists indicates.

1 Apr 2011

Study confirms D-penicillamine and trientine effective against Wilson disease

Results from the first ever European-wide retrospective analysis presented today at the International Liver CongressTM have shown both D-penicillamine and trientine continue to be effective treatments, providing positive survival rates in patients with Wilson disease free from a liver transplant.

1 Apr 2011

New data confirms antiviral activity of fluvastatin in patients with HCV

New data presented today at the International Liver CongressTM confirm the antiviral activity of fluvastatin -- commonly used as a cholesterol-lowering treatment -- in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

1 Apr 2011

Biota Scientific receives BARDA contract to develop single-dose antiviral drug

A contract has been awarded to develop a long-acting single-dose antiviral drug for use in the United States, the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority announced today.

1 Apr 2011

Medicare moves to pay for Provenge

On Wednesday, Medicare officials signaled the federal insurance program will pay for this costly prostate cancer drug, a move that National Journal described as heading off "accusations that the [government] would be 'rationing' care."

1 Apr 2011

Treatment for HBV infection with entecavir followed by lamivudine results in virologic rebound

A two-year trial of entecavir followed by lamivudine (LAM) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection resulted in a virologic rebound rate of 24% and 12% drug-resistance rate. Patients who continued on entecavir therapy throughout the study period had undetectable HBV DNA at the two-year endpoint. Details of this trial are published in the April issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

1 Apr 2011

Watson, GeneraMedix receive FDA approval for Nulecit to treat iron deficiency anemia

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it is initiating launch activities of Nulecit, following FDA approval of GeneraMedix Inc.'s, Abbreviated New Drug Application.

1 Apr 2011

Biota wins U.S. drug development contract for Laninamivir

Australian biotechnology company Biota Holdings revealed its US subsidiary has won a five year $US231 million ($A224.36 million) contract from the US government to develop a long-acting, single-dose flu drug for sale in the US. Shares in the Melbourne-based drug development company jumped 60 cents, or 57%, to $1.60 at the market open today falling back to $1.43, 1pm (AEST).

31 Mar 2011

First Edition: March 31, 2011

In today's news, reports on continuing congressional efforts to reach a deal on the current-year budget and on a move by Medicare to cover Provenge, a prostate cancer drug.

31 Mar 2011

Aetna commends FDA's decision on hydroxyprogesterone caproate

The United States Food and Drug Administration today announced that specialty pharmacies can continue compounding 17P based on a valid prescription for an individually identified patient.

31 Mar 2011

SMFM praises FDA's announcement on Makena drug

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine weighed in on today's FDA announcement to continue to allow pharmacies to compound hydroxyprogesterone caproate, also known as 17P.

31 Mar 2011

Health advocates file petition with U.N. over proposed trade agreement among several countries

Several health advocacy groups have submitted a letter to U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health Anand Grover "outlining their objections" to negotiations over a trans-Pacific partnership agreement being negotiated by the governments of Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States and Vietnam, claiming that the agreement would inhibit access to low-cost medications in developing countries, BMJ News reports.

31 Mar 2011

Researchers identify drug candidate that can treat prostate cancer

The best way to prevent the lethal spread of prostate cancer is by stopping cancer cell invasion of other tissues. Available treatments such as chemotherapy are toxic and can often be risky for older men, who are also most likely to get prostate cancer.

31 Mar 2011

Regulus obtains exclusive rights from NYU for miR-33a, 33b to treat metabolic diseases

Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative new medicines targeting microRNAs, today announced that it has obtained exclusive rights from New York University for intellectual property covering methods of use in modulating microRNA-33a and microRNA-33b for metabolic diseases such as atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome.

31 Mar 2011