Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Health Canada approves BDSI's NDS for ONSOLIS

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. today announced the approval of a New Drug Submission (NDS) by Health Canada, the regulatory authority in Canada, for ONSOLIS (fentanyl buccal soluble film) in the management of breakthrough pain in opioid-tolerant adult patients with cancer. ONSOLIS is the first product approved in Canada for this indication.

10 May 2010

Mice express pain through facial expressions, says study

A new study by researchers from McGill University and the University of British Columbia shows that mice, like humans, express pain through facial expressions.

10 May 2010

FDA approves Cipher's CIP-TRAMADOL ER for chronic pain

Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved CIP-TRAMADOL ER, the Company's extended-release tramadol product, for the treatment of moderate to moderately severe chronic pain in adults.

10 May 2010

28% of crashes attributed to cell phone talking, texting while driving

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has joined forces with the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) on a public service announcement (PSA) urging drivers to NEVER text while driving. Simply put, texting is a deadly distraction that can cause accidents, severe orthopaedic injuries or even death. Orthopaedic surgeons not only treat, but want to prevent accidental traumas.

10 May 2010

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals first-quarter revenues down 61%

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing breakthrough treatments for human disease, today updated its drug development progress and reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2010.

10 May 2010

Urgent care and retail health clinics can reduce treatment costs for allergy sufferers

In this economy, allergy sufferers are looking for relief from more than sneezing, runny noses, and itchy eyes. And, according to a recent study, they can find relief for both their symptoms and their wallets, saving anywhere from $50 to $400 in out-of-pocket costs per visit if they skip the emergency room and head to urgent care and retail health clinics when they are unable to see their primary physician.

10 May 2010

Majority of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans experience multi-symptom pain disorders

Dr. Gallagher further noted the VA's pain care challenge is magnified by a 90 percent injury survivor rate from these conflicts compared with only 40 percent in the Vietnam War. VA clinicians are now challenged to manage pain in blast survivors with one or several other consequences of blast, such as head injuries causing mild to severe TBI, physical disfigurement and social stigma, emotional trauma, and often post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

10 May 2010

House committee to investigate Johnson & Johnson after kids' Tylenol recall

A House committee is looking at Johnson & Johnson after the company announced a recall of children's medicines. "Lawmakers requested information on Thursday from regulators about Johnson & Johnson's recall of Children's Tylenol and other over-the-counter pediatric medicines, saying the company's repeated recalls 'point to a major problem' with production," Reuters/The New York Times reports.

10 May 2010

Lawsuit over hepatitis C infections contracted from Doctor

Nearly 30 women got infected with Hepatitis C virus due to a breach in infection prevention protocols by an anaesthetist at a late-term abortion clinic. The incidents occurred at the Croydon Day Surgery in Melbourne's eastern suburbs during an 18-month period when James Latham Peters was working as an anaesthetist. The issue had come to light in the last few weeks. Now a multi million dollar lawsuit against the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria on behalf of the allegedly infected women is being planned.

9 May 2010

Researchers launch NIH-sponsored clinical trial for spinal deformity

Researchers at Northwestern Memorial have launched the first-ever National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical trial for spinal deformity. The trial will evaluate the effectiveness of surgical and non-surgical treatments in people with adult scoliosis or curvature of the spine. Researchers also hope to identify important factors related to patient reported outcomes such as pain, activity and appearance.

7 May 2010

Inflammation enzyme regulates production of brown fat tissue

Love handles, muffin tops and stomach tires - white fat tissue forms the typical curves in the notorious problem areas to store energy. Exactly the opposite happens in brown fat tissue: Instead of being stored, energy gets transformed into heat. To the dismay of many people, adults have only small amounts of this energy burner. By contrast, babies and animals in hibernation have lots of it in their bodies where it serves for heat regulation.

7 May 2010

Data comparing NUCYNTA to oxycodone IR for osteoarthritis pain presented at 29th APS

A post-hoc analysis of a Phase 3 safety study demonstrated that NUCYNTA® (tapentadol) tablets were associated with a lower incidence of nausea, vomiting and constipation when compared to oxycodone immediate release (IR) tablets in elderly patients with moderate to severe low-back or osteoarthritis pain.

7 May 2010

$CT scans superior to standard X-rays for detection of pelvic fractures: Study$

CT scans superior to standard X-rays for detection of pelvic fractures: Study

Computed tomography scans are superior to standard radiography (X-rays) for the detection of pelvic fractures, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. CT scanning combines special X-ray equipment with sophisticated computers to produce multiple images of pictures of the inside of the body.

7 May 2010

Icagen reports revenues of $1.5M, net loss of $3.2M for first-quarter 2010

Icagen, Inc. reported today its financial results and operational highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010. For the first quarter of 2010, the Company reported revenues of $1.5 million and a net loss of $3.2 million. As of March 31, 2010, the Company's cash and cash equivalents totaled $14.3 million.

7 May 2010

Conventional MRI may be effective alternative to MR arthrography for diagnosis of hip labral tears: Study

Conventional magnetic resonance imaging may be an effective alternative to minimally invasive MR arthrography for the diagnosis of hip labral tears, a common cause of hip pain, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.

7 May 2010

First 3-year results of world's largest temporomandibular joint disorder study reported at APS meeting

Scientists with the University of Maryland Dental School and collaborators at three other major universities will report results from the first three years of the world's largest study yet of a mysterious yet common pain syndrome involving the jaw at 8:30 a.m.on May 7 at the annual scientific meeting of the American Pain Society (APS). This year it is being held at the Baltimore Convention Center.

7 May 2010

New research examines coping and appraisal of disease-related pain

Growing evidence suggests how individuals cope with and appraise disease-related pain, such as arthritis or cancer, is related not only to their experience with pain but also to their physical and psychological functioning, according to new research presented here today in a plenary session talk at the American Pain Society's annual scientific meeting.

7 May 2010

Inadvertent reprogramming of genes in peripheral nervous system may cause chronic pain

Chronic pain severely limits patients' quality of life and is among the cost drivers in U.S. health care. Patients can suffer pain without an apparent cause and often fail to respond to available treatments. Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators now report that chronic pain may be caused by the inadvertent reprogramming of more than 2,000 genes in the peripheral nervous system. The research findings appear in the current issue of the journal Genome Research.

7 May 2010

Neurons' complicated tree-like structure formation unravelled

A breakthrough about the formation and maintenance of tree-like nerve cell structures could have future applications in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and the repair of injuries in which neurons are damaged. The findings by the international team led by Prof. Benjamin Podbilewicz of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Faculty of Biology are published in the May 6th issue of Science Express.

7 May 2010

Meda acquires exclusive rights for use of flupirtine to treat fibromyalgia from Adeona Pharmaceuticals

Meda has acquired exclusive US, Canadian and Japanese rights for the use of flupirtine to treat fibromyalgia from Adeona Pharmaceuticals. As part of the agreement, Meda is taking over full responsibility for development and commercialization of the compound. Flupirtine is currently in phase II development for the patented indication fibromyalgia.

7 May 2010