Toxicology News and Research

Latest Toxicology News and Research

VYTORIN reduces major vascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease

In a new investigational study of VYTORIN, the cholesterol-lowering medicine from Merck, VYTORIN 10/20 mg reduced the incidence of first major vascular events defined as non-fatal heart attacks or cardiac death, stroke or any revascularization procedure by a highly statistically significant 16.1 percent compared to placebo, Study of Heart and Renal Protection study involved more than 9,000 patients who, on average, had advanced or end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD)

22 Nov 2010

New editorial dispel doubts about Lou Gehrig's ALS diagnosis

A recent study suggesting that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be attributed to repetitive head trauma experienced in collision sports lacks scientific epidemiological evidence to support this claim.

20 Nov 2010

Advanced Life Sciences submits application to FDA for ALS-886 to treat ARDS

Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, oncology and respiratory diseases, today announced that the Company has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for orphan drug designation for ALS-886, a novel therapy to reduce and prevent tissue damage, for the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

19 Nov 2010

Sekisui enters asset purchase agreement to acquire Genzyme's Diagnostic products

Genzyme Corporation today announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement under which Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. will acquire Genzyme's Diagnostic products business for $265 million in cash.

19 Nov 2010

Nanoparticles in everyday products can affect lungs: Study

Tiny particles used in a range of everyday products from computers to shampoo can adversely affect the lungs in very different ways, a study has shown.

18 Nov 2010

Merck announces FDA Advisory Committee approval of GARDASIL for anal cancer and AIN treatment

Merck announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee has advised that the data presented support an indication for GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] for the prevention of anal cancer and anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) in both males and females 9 through 26 years of age.

18 Nov 2010

FDA warns manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned four companies that the caffeine added to their malt alcoholic beverages is an "unsafe food additive" and said that further action, including seizure of their products, is possible under federal law.

18 Nov 2010

Review: Mercury likely plays role in development of AD

Mercury likely plays a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a review of relevant scientific literature published this month in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Joachim Mutter of Germany, Dr. Richard Deth of the United States, and other esteemed researchers collaborated on the groundbreaking article Does Inorganic Mercury Play a Role in Alzheimer's Disease? A Systematic Review and an Integrated Molecular Mechanism, which clarifies the need for continuing research to understand the cause of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's.

16 Nov 2010

NephRx initiates NX001 Phase I clinical trial to prevent DGF in kidney transplant patients

NephRx Corporation today announced that it has initiated a Phase I clinical trial of its lead compound NX001 and has successfully dosed the first subject in the study. NX001, a kidney growth factor peptide that has demonstrated good safety and promising efficacy in two animal models of acute renal failure, is in development for the prevention of delayed graft function (DGF) in kidney transplantation patients.

11 Nov 2010

Evotec revenues increase 33% to € 38.8 m during first nine months of 2010

Evotec AG today reported financial results and a corporate update for the first nine months of 2010.

11 Nov 2010

Cortex applauds Servier for intent to move High Impact AMPAKINE compound into Phase I clinical studies

Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it had been notified by Les Laboratoires Servier ("Servier"), France's largest privately held pharmaceutical company, of their intent to move forward into Phase I clinical studies with the jointly-discovered High Impact AMPAKINE® compound S47445 (CX1632).

11 Nov 2010

Water purification woes

According to an expert desalination plants that are built close to sewage outflows risk contaminating drinking water. An Australian National University professor of infectious diseases and microbiology Peter Collignon said that membrane technology is not fool proof when it comes to screening bugs. This comes coincidentally just after a “reporting error” by Sydney Water that showed E.coli had been found in processed drinking water at its $1.9 billion Kurnell desalination plant in Sydney's south. The plant's intake, which collects water to supply 1.5 million Sydney homes, is about 2.5km north of the Cronulla near-shore sewage outflow.

8 Nov 2010

XenoPort third quarter net loss decreases to $19.9 million

XenoPort, Inc. announced today financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2010. Revenues for the third quarter were $0.4 million, compared to $0.4 million for the same period in 2009. Net loss for the third quarter was $19.9 million, compared to a net loss of $24.4 million for the same period in 2009.

8 Nov 2010

Aeolus receives $489,000 grant under QTDP program for two lead compounds

Aeolus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has been awarded a total of approximately $489,000 under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Grant Program (QDTP) administered by the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Services.

4 Nov 2010

Effective treatment for brain cancer in daffodils

When looking for new ways to treat aggressive brain cancers, an international team of scientists turned a new leaf and "discovered" the lowly daffodil. A new research study published in the November 2010 print issue of The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) offers hope that a natural compound found in daffodil bulbs, called narciclasine, may be a powerful therapeutic against biologically aggressive forms of human brain cancers.

2 Nov 2010

SRA receives five-year contract to support NTP, NIEHS programmatic initiatives

SRA International, Inc., a leading provider of technology, research, and strategic consulting services and solutions to government organizations and commercial clients, today announced that the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the company a contract for up to five years to provide statistical, mathematical, bioinformatic, and computational expertise and support for the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and other NIEHS programmatic initiatives. The contract has a potential total dollar value of $15.5 million.

2 Nov 2010

Researchers generate bioengineered human liver organoid using bioscaffold

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center's Institute for Regenerative Medicine demonstrated the generation of a bioengineered human liver organoid using a liver bioscaffold made from an intact liver extracellular matrix, and filled (seeded) with primary human liver progenitor and endothelial cells.

1 Nov 2010

Geron 2010 third quarter revenue increases from $494,000 to $546,000

Geron Corporation today reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010.

29 Oct 2010

MRI awarded $31M NIH contract to provide chemistry support for National Toxicology Program

Midwest Research Institute (MRI), one of the nation's leading independent research organizations, with more than 65-years of experience in scientific research, has been awarded a $31 million contract from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Under the 5-year contract, MRI scientists will provide chemical procurement, handling, and analytical chemistry services requested by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) for toxicology studies in progress throughout the U.S.

28 Oct 2010

High urine BPA levels associated with decreased sperm quality

Increasing urine BPA (Bisphenol-A) level was significantly associated with decreased sperm concentration, decreased total sperm count, decreased sperm vitality and decreased sperm motility, according to a Kaiser Permanente study appearing in the journal of Fertility and Sterility.

28 Oct 2010