Cardiovascular Disease News and Research

Latest Cardiovascular Disease News and Research

Essentialis receives patent for active component in DCCR product

Essentialis, Inc. announced today that the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued U.S. Patent No. 7,799,777 entitled Salts of potassium ATP channel openers and uses thereof. The patent claims a novel composition of a polymorph of diazoxide choline, the active ingredient in the Essentialis lead product, DCCR. Essentialis has successfully completed phase 2b clinical trials with DCCR, showing a highly significant triglyceride reduction in dyslipidemic patients.

12 Oct 2010

Insulin resistance increases risk of stroke in non-diabetic patients

Insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin produced by the body becomes less effective in reducing blood glucose levels, appears to be associated with an increased risk of stroke in individuals without diabetes, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

Incentivized structured weight loss program with free prepared meals effectively promotes weight loss

In another article being released early online, Cheryl L. Rock, Ph.D., R.D., from Moores UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, Calif., and colleagues, conducted a randomized controlled trial of weight loss and weight maintenance in 442 overweight or obese women (BMI, 25 - 40), ages 18 to 69, over a two year period with follow-up between November 2007 and April 2010.

11 Oct 2010

'Achilles heel' for HCV infection

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology (GIVI) have found that an enzyme associated with the storage of fat in the liver is required for the infectious activity of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This discovery may offer a new strategy for treating the infection.

11 Oct 2010

FDA warns of harmful stimulant in Slimming Beauty capsules

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today advised consumers who have Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules not to use the product. FDA warns that Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine, a prescription-only drug which is a stimulant. Sibutramine is not listed on the product label and could harm consumers, especially those with cardiovascular conditions.

11 Oct 2010

Abbott to withdraw sibutramine from Canadian market

Abbott will voluntarily withdraw sibutramine from the Canadian market after discussion with Health Canada. Sibutramine is marketed by Abbott in Canada as Meridia.

11 Oct 2010

Abbott to withdraw Meridia medicine from the U.S. market

Abbott will voluntarily withdraw Meridia (sibutramine) from the U.S. market at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

11 Oct 2010

Meridia – weight loss pill off the shelves in US

Abbott Pharmaceuticals has announced the withdrawal of weight loss drug Meridia from shelves in the United States and urged patients to stop taking it after regulators questioned its safety. The withdrawal happened last Friday in the US. In January, Meridia sales were suspended in Europe.

10 Oct 2010

IMNG relaunches websites for Internal Medicine News, Hospitalist News

International Medical News Group, an Elsevier company that provides medical news to physicians, today announced the relaunch of its websites for Internal Medicine News (www.internalmedicinenews.com) and Hospitalist News.

8 Oct 2010

Genzyme board of directors vote to reject tender offer from Sanofi-Aventis

Genzyme Corp. announced today that its board of directors has voted unanimously to reject the unsolicited $69.00 per share tender offer from Sanofi-Aventis, and the board recommends that Genzyme shareholders not tender their shares to Sanofi-Aventis pursuant to the offer.

8 Oct 2010

Study finds no association between gene variant and risk of coronary disease

A genetic marker touted as a predictor of coronary artery disease is no such thing, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

7 Oct 2010

HHS partners with PEPFAR to invest $130M for African medical education

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief with a plan to invest $130 million over five years to transform African medical education and dramatically increase the number of health care workers.

7 Oct 2010

microRNA miR-33 may help control blood cholesterol level

Thanks to a discovery by a Saint Louis University researcher, scientists have identified an important microRNA that may allow us to better control cholesterol levels in blood.

6 Oct 2010

New biomarker could aid in accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

A set of proteins found in blood serum shows promise as a sensitive and accurate way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found as part of a statewide study.

6 Oct 2010

IDMC recommends early termination of Phase 3 intramuscular depot aripiprazole trial

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (OPC) and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) announced today that an independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) has recommended the early termination of its Phase 3, 52-week, placebo-controlled, intramuscular depot aripiprazole trial.

6 Oct 2010

Knome announces winners of KnomeDISCOVERY Awards

Knome, Inc. today announced the winners of its inaugural KnomeDISCOVERY Awards, a program designed to spur new genetic insights into health.

6 Oct 2010

Genzyme shareholders urged not to take action on unsolicited tender offer from Sanofi-Aventis

Genzyme Corp. said today that its board of directors urged shareholders to take no action on an unsolicited tender offer from Sanofi-Aventis to acquire all outstanding common shares of Genzyme for $69 per share.

5 Oct 2010

CardioDx publishes PREDICT trial results

CardioDx, a pioneer in the field of cardiovascular genomic diagnostics, today announced publication of results from the Personalized Risk Evaluation and Diagnosis In the Coronary Tree (PREDICT) trial in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the journal of the American College of Physicians.

5 Oct 2010

Researchers identify new type of cell that protects from immune system attack

Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have identified a new type of cell in mice that dampens the immune system and protects the animal's own cells from immune system attack.

5 Oct 2010

NIH awards contract to develop nanotechnology tools for atherosclerosis treatment

Georgia Tech and Emory University have received a five-year $14.6 million contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue the development of nanotechnology and biomolecular engineering tools and methodologies for detecting and treating atherosclerosis.

5 Oct 2010