Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Positive results from Cara’s CR845 Phase II study on acute post-operative pain

Cara Therapeutics, Inc. today announced positive results from a Phase II study for the treatment of acute post-operative pain with its novel, peptide-based, peripherally-acting kappa opioid agonist, CR845.

11 Jun 2012

UMI, Toshiba partner to sell ultrasound systems in the U.S.

To meet the increased need for advanced ultrasound equipment, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. has partnered with United Medical Instruments (UMI), a worldwide provider of new and pre-owned ultrasound systems, parts and transducers, to sell Toshiba's ultrasound systems to the private physician office and clinic market in the U.S.

11 Jun 2012

Simple blood test can quickly identify 'poor metabolisers'

French researchers have found a way to identify quickly the 5-10% of patients in whom the commonly used painkiller, tramadol, does not work effectively. A simple blood test can produce a result within a few hours, enabling doctors to switch a non-responding patient on to another painkiller, such as morphine, which will be able to work in these patients.

11 Jun 2012

Dapagliflozin more effective than sitagliptin for adult patients with type 2 diabetes

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca today announced results from a Phase 3 clinical study that showed the investigational compound dapagliflozin 10 mg demonstrated significant reductions in blood sugar levels (glycosylated hemoglobin levels, or HbA1c) compared with placebo at 24 weeks when either agent was added to existing sitagliptin therapy (with or without metformin) in adult patients with type 2 diabetes.

11 Jun 2012

Adolescent mental disorders have repercussions for addiction

Adolescents with mental health disorders are significantly more likely to become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers than those without mental disorders, experts say.

8 Jun 2012

Positive results from Amgen Sensipar/Mimpara Phase 3 trial for HPT, CKD

Amgen today announced top-line results of the Phase 3 EVOLVE (EValuation Of Cinacalcet HCl Therapy to Lower CardioVascular Events) trial, which evaluated Sensipar/Mimpara (cinacalcet) for the reduction of the risk of mortality and cardiovascular (CV) events among 3,883 patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving dialysis.

8 Jun 2012

Data from abatacept versus adalimumab Phase IIIb comparison study on RA

Data from one of the few head-to-head trials in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, demonstrates that at one year, 64.8% of patients receiving abatacept (Orencia) and 63.4% of patients receiving adalimumab (Humira) achieved ACR20.

8 Jun 2012

Experts debate whether spinal manipulation for neck pain should be abandoned

The effectiveness of spinal manipulation divides medical opinion. On bmj.com today, experts debate whether spinal manipulation for neck pain should be abandoned.

8 Jun 2012

New study into pain associated with diabetes

Researchers in Sheffield have been awarded over £310,000 to carry out a study that could help revolutionise the way clinicians treat the pain experienced by thousands of people with diabetes.

8 Jun 2012

Anti-TNFs increase risk of shingles in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor medications (anti-TNFs) have a 75% greater risk of developing herpes zoster, or shingles, than patients treated with traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), according to a meta-analysis presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism.

8 Jun 2012

FDA approves XenoPort, GSK’s Horizant ER tablets for management of PHN

GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) and XenoPort, Inc. announced today that the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil) Extended-Release Tablets for the management of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in adults.

7 Jun 2012

Astute Medical announces completion of $40.4M Series C financing

Astute Medical, Inc., a developer of novel, biomarker-based medical diagnostics, today announced the completion of a $40.4 million Series C financing led by MPM Capital and including new investor Kaiser Permanente Ventures.

7 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 7, 2012

Today's headlines include a report that some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are meeting to attempt to find ways to deal with an upcoming deadline -- Jan. 1 -- which is also known as the "fiscal cliff."

7 Jun 2012

Young adults, adolescents with mental health disorders more likely to become long-term opioid users

Long-term use and abuse of opioid painkillers, such as OxyContin and Vicodin, has markedly increased in the United States in the last two decades. Of note, prescription opioids constitute 86.9 percent of prescription drug misuse among high school students. And last week in a two-day U.S. Food and Drug Administration public meeting, officials questioned the use of long-term opioids for chronic pain due to a lack of evidence for the effectiveness and concerns about the potential risk for addiction.

7 Jun 2012

CBO: Ballooning health care costs will continue as a key driver in nation's debt

A new Congressional Budget Office report offers a bleak view of the future if current tax and spending policies are not adjusted.

7 Jun 2012

Savient announces results from KRYSTEXXA Phase III trials on gout-related kidney disease

Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that new data presented in an oral session at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2012 congress showed that patients with refractory chronic gout (RCG) who also suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) responded to treatment with KRYSTEXXA (pegloticase) regardless of baseline CKD stage.

7 Jun 2012

Study suggests link between fungi and ulcerative colitis

Cedars-Sinai researchers say their examination of the fungi in the intestines suggests an important link between these microbes and inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis.

7 Jun 2012

ADACTA trial: Tocilizumab more effective than adalimumab in treating RA

Data presented today at EULAR 2012, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism, demonstrates that tocilizumab monotherapy is more effective than adalimumab monotherapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on change from baseline in DAS28 (-3.3 vs. -1.8, p<0.0001) at week 24.

7 Jun 2012

Pioneering new test can quickly diagnose coeliac disease

Coeliac disease affects millions of people worldwide, but many sufferers are not aware they have the condition or may have been misdiagnosed with other illnesses. A pioneering new test developed with EU-funding should soon be available in hospitals, offering an accurate, quick, cost-effective diagnosis and monitoring solution.

6 Jun 2012

STELARA effectively reduces signs and symptoms of active psoriatic arthritis

Patients with active psoriatic arthritis receiving the interleukin (IL)-12/23 inhibitor STELARA (ustekinumab) experienced significant improvements in signs and symptoms of the disease, according to new findings presented today from a Janssen Research & Development, LLC, (Janssen)-sponsored investigational study.

6 Jun 2012