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Scientists use non-viral, synthetic nanoparticle carrier to restores vision

Take a look at this: Scientists from Buffalo, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City made a huge step toward making the blind see, and they did it by using a form of gene therapy that does not involve the use of modified viruses.

1 Apr 2010

Common remedies can make ocular symptoms worse: MOA

The Minnesota Optometric Association offers advice for the thousands around the state who suffer from the itchy, watery eye symptoms associated with seasonal Spring allergens. The culprits exist indoors and out: pollen, mold, dust mites and pet dander.

1 Apr 2010

Insight into how mutations in LRRK2 gene may cause familial Parkinson's disease

Using new one-of-a-kind "mouse models" that promise to have a significant impact on future Parkinson's disease research, Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers are among the first to discover how mutations in a gene called LRRK2 may cause inherited (or "familial") Parkinson's disease, the most common form of the disease. The study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, is the first in vivo evidence that LRRK2 regulates dopamine transmission and controls motor performance, and that the mutation of LRRK2 eliminates the normal function of LRRK2, leading to Parkinson's disease.

1 Apr 2010

VA may expand list of Gulf War illnesses

The Army Times/Veterans Today: "In a boost for veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War and those who have served in recent years in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Veterans Affairs Department has proposed changes to its list of illnesses that are presumed connected to service to include nine infectious diseases."

1 Apr 2010

New book from AGA helps patients self-manage their IBD and challenges

Inflammatory bowel disease strikes young people between the ages of 15 and 30 most often, but it can appear at any age. It is easy to for the 100,000 people diagnosed with IBD - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - each year to feel powerless against this condition, but now, a new book from the AGA helps patients self-manage their IBD and the challenges they face.

1 Apr 2010

Mislabeled high fire risk kids nightwear recalled by Big W

Big W stores in Australia have apologized after selling inflammable children’s night wear labeled as “low fire danger”. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) deputy chair Peter Kell said in a statement, "The ACCC enforces a mandatory standard for the labelling of children's nightwear,” "It is designed to reduce the risk of burns injuries to children by providing specific information on the fire hazard," he said. "There is considerable research which shows that clear labelling helps minimise the risk of these injuries, which is why the ACCC regularly monitors compliance."

1 Apr 2010

Silicon Valley Bank provides new $10M credit facility to Solta Medical

Silicon Valley Bank, financial partner to technology and life science companies of all sizes worldwide, added a new $10 million term loan to existing credit facilities for Solta Medical, a global leader in the medical aesthetics market. The additional term loan increases Solta Medical's credit facilities with Silicon Valley Bank to a total of $22 million. Solta Medical would expect to use the additional facility to pursue strategic initiatives.

1 Apr 2010

Pfizer admits paying $35 million to doctors over last 6 months

Pfizer among other large pharmaceutical companies recently disclosed payments to doctors and other medical professionals for consulting and speaking on its behalf and also some sponsorship of clinical trials. On Wednesday in an announcement the company spokesperson revealed that they had paid a whopping $20 million to 4,500 doctors and other medical professionals in the last six months of 2009. Pfizer also accepted that they paid $15.3 million to 250 academic medical centers and other research groups for clinical trials in the same period. This disclosure is only about payments made within the US.

1 Apr 2010

Some states reject health reform lawsuits as others prepare to join fray

In Georgia, "the Democratic attorney general has rejected" the idea of lawsuits that challenge the constitutionality of the recently enacted federal health overhaul "as 'frivolous' and 'a waste of taxpayer money.' Now ... [31] Republicans in the state legislature signed a resolution Tuesday calling for the impeachment of the attorney general, Thurbert Baker." Mr. Baker is planning to run for governor, a race "expected to be closely fought, to succeed Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, who is prevented by law from seeking a third term."

1 Apr 2010

Cigarette filters contain pig’s blood

The next time you light up a cigarette you may be puffing on a filter which contains pig’s blood. A recent Dutch research found that pig hemoglobin was being used to make filters of cigarettes more effective in blocking harmful chemicals before they enter the smoker’s lungs.

1 Apr 2010

Four studies of bavituximab and PS-targeting antibodies to be presented at AACR 2010

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and viral infections, today announced four studies of bavituximab and its other PS-targeting antibodies have been accepted for presentation at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research to be held April 17-21, 2010 in Washington, D.C.

1 Apr 2010

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries settles generic eloxatin patent infringement litigation

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today that patent infringement litigation pertaining to Teva's generic version of sanofi-aventis and Debiopharm's Eloxatin (oxaliplatin injection) has been dismissed by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey pursuant to a settlement between the parties.

1 Apr 2010

Red Hill Studios, UCSF awarded two grants to develop computer-based physical therapy games

Red Hill Studios, a California-based serious games developer, in partnership with the UCSF School of Nursing, has been awarded two grants totaling $1.1 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue development, production and testing of computer-based physical therapy games for patients with Parkinson's disease and cerebral palsy.

1 Apr 2010

Newsweek examines challenges associated wtih U.S. food aid program

Newsweek examines how the U.S. farm bill influences food aid by tracking the efforts of U.S. entrepreneur Navyn Salem as she worked to launch a nonprofit capable of providing ready-to-use therapeutic (RUTF) food aid known as Plumpy'nut - "a squeezable package of fortified peanut-butter-based paste … used to feed severely malnourished children and pregnant or lactating women" - to NGOs that contract with USAID.

1 Apr 2010

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceutical announce Feraheme collaboration

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited today jointly announced that the companies have entered into a license, development and commercialization agreement related to Feraheme® (ferumoxytol) Injection for intravenous (IV) use in all therapeutic indications.

1 Apr 2010

Combating immune suppressive cells in liver may prevent the spread of cancer: Study

Scientists have uncovered what could be a very important clue in answering one of the most perplexing questions about cancer: why does it spread to the liver more than any other organ? In a new research report published in the April 2010 issue of Journal of Leukocyte Biology, scientists from New York University describe experimental results suggesting that the immune system may be the reason.

1 Apr 2010

Metabolon awarded U.S. patents for metabolomics methods

Metabolon, Inc., the leader in global metabolism through biomarker discovery and analysis, announced today the grant of US Patent 7,682,783 and US Patent 7,682,784 entitled "Methods for Drug Discovery, Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Using Metabolomics". The USPTO awarded the patents to Metabolon on March 23, 2010. The issued claims in the new patents are for uses of metabolomics to identify diagnostic biomarkers for depression and schizophrenia by profiling classes of metabolites in a sample.

1 Apr 2010

Researchers develop experimental protocol to detect age-related memory disorders

By studying the aging of memory in the mouse, researchers in the Laboratoire Neurobiologie des Processus Adaptatifs have developed an experimental protocol that can detect age-related memory deficits at an early stage. They have shown that even at 10 months, which corresponds to a third of their life expectancy, some mice present with age-related memory disorders.

1 Apr 2010

Lifetime Television to feature XenaCare Holdings' OTC pain reliever Cobroxin

XenaCare Holdings, Inc., a company specializing in the marketing and retail distribution of consumer healthcare products, has announced today that its over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever, Cobroxin, will be featured on a segment of The Balancing Act, a morning show that airs on the top-rated women's cable television network, Lifetime Television.

1 Apr 2010

Conventional analgesics to drive acute pain market over the next decade

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, through 2018, the launches and uptake of reformulations of conventional analgesics will drive annual three percent growth in the acute pain drug market in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

1 Apr 2010