Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Laquinimod study data reveals its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech today presented data further illuminating the novel, dual mechanism of action (MOA) of investigational oral, once-daily, laquinimod for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), conferring neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties.

14 Sep 2009

New findings could yield effective therapies for multiple sclerosis

14 Sep 2009

Oral NKTR-118 has low risk for mediating significant drug-drug interactions

Nektar Therapeutics presented clinical study data today demonstrating that the oral tablet formulation of NKTR-118 has favorable systemic bioavailability and a low risk for mediating significant drug-drug interactions.

14 Sep 2009

Mayo study raises hope for treating multiple sclerosis

A Mayo Clinic study has found that two genes in mice were associated with good central nervous system repair in multiple sclerosis (MS). These findings give researchers new hope for developing more effective therapies for patients with MS and for predicting MS patients' outcomes. This study will be presented at the Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sept. 11, 2009.

11 Sep 2009

Cymbalta maintains reduction in pain for patients with chronic low back pain

New data show patients with chronic low back pain on Cymbalta(R) (duloxetine HCl) maintained reductions in pain for 41 weeks. In patients who initially responded to duloxetine, this maintenance of pain reduction was accompanied by further reduction in pain that was statistically significant as measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) average pain rating.

11 Sep 2009

Merck update on the status of telcagepant clinical development programs

Merck & Co., Inc. today updated the status of the clinical development programs for telcagepant (MK-0974) and MK-3207, the Company's investigational oral calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists for the intermittent treatment of acute migraine.

11 Sep 2009

Phase 2b clinical trial results of TC-5214 to be presented at nAChR2009

Targacept, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics, today confirmed plans to present data from its completed Phase 2b clinical trial of TC-5214 as an augmentation treatment for major depressive disorder at the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors as Therapeutic Targets Symposium (nAChR2009) in Lincolnshire, Illinois on October 15, 2009.

10 Sep 2009

CytRx granted patent for molecular chaperone amplifier drug candidate

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical research and development company engaged in the development of high-value human therapeutics, today announced that it has been granted a key patent by the European Patent Office that covers through 2024 the use of its orally available molecular chaperone amplifier drug candidate arimoclomol for the treatment or prevention of neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS).

10 Sep 2009

Human neural stem cells to treat Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease

StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM) announced today that it will soon initiate with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Children’s Hospital a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the therapeutic potential of StemCells’ proprietary HuCNS-SC® product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) to treat Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a myelination disorder that primarily affects infants and young children.

10 Sep 2009

Acorda Therapeutics announces Phase 3 Fampridine-SR trial findings

Data from a long-term open-label extension study from the first Phase 3 Fampridine-SR trial, known as MS-F203, showed that 24.9% of extension study participants with multiple sclerosis (MS) met the criteria as Extension Timed Walk Responders (ETWRs) after one year of treatment and demonstrated improved walking speed over a two year period.

10 Sep 2009

METOZOLV drug approved for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease

Wilmington Pharmaceuticals announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for METOZOLV ODT (metoclopramide HCl), an orally disintegrating formulation of metoclopramide for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and diabetic gastroparesis.

10 Sep 2009

Medical liability reforms will hold down defensive medicine costs

President Obama, in his address to a joint session of Congress tonight, stated that “defensive medicine” does contribute to unnecessary costs in healthcare and will now explore options for medical liability reform. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) applaud the President’s inclusion of this key element as lawmakers move forward with an overall healthcare reform plan.

10 Sep 2009

Heavy school bags can cause back and spine injuries

Function and comfort over fashion is the goal this year as the kids head back to school. Starting today, the British Columbia Chiropractic Association is again launching television information to educate parents and inform them about the potential health risks an overweight back pack can cause on the early development of their children's backs.

10 Sep 2009

Merck's GARDASIL receives approval from FDA Advisory Committee

Merck & Co., Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee agreed that efficacy, immunogenicity and safety data from clinical trials in males support the use of GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] in boys and men 9 through 26 years of age for the prevention of genital warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11.

10 Sep 2009

Three genes linked to Lou Gehrig's disease

Michigan Technological University researchers have linked three genes to the most common type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), generally known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

10 Sep 2009

Neuralstem's patent on neural stem cell transplantation approved

Neuralstem, Inc. today announced that it has received notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its patent entitled “Transplantation of Human Neural Cells For Treatment Of Neurodegenerative Conditions,” number 11/281,640.

9 Sep 2009

International Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Technology established for a global research initiative

Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, and National Cheng Kung University in Tainan City, Taiwan, have announced the creation of the International Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Technology that will facilitate the collaboration of research across three continents and accelerate the development of novel bioengineering, diagnostic and biomedical products for the treatment and cure of disease, officials said today.

9 Sep 2009

Neuroprosthetics 2009 national conference to focus on artificial limbs

On September 16, leaders in research and development of implantable limb neuroprosthetics will gather at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) to discuss the state of the field and to advance collaborations that will push next-generation artificial limbs and prosthetic devices closer to clinical application.

9 Sep 2009

Exposure to air pollution can cause heart attack

It's well known that measures such as exercise, a healthy diet and not smoking can help reduce high blood pressure, but researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have determined the very air we breathe can be an invisible catalyst to heart disease.

8 Sep 2009

Research to develop new techniques for studying wild and transgenic mice's nervous system

Researchers of the Pablo de Olavide University (Seville) have started different projects based on the study of phenotype techniques in mice and their applicability to the pharmaceutical industry and neurodegenerative medicine.

8 Sep 2009