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Tetracycline-like compound raises hope for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

A chemical cousin of the common antibiotic tetracycline might be useful in treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a currently incurable disease that is the leading genetic cause of death in infants. This is the finding of a research collaboration involving Adrian Krainer, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and scientists from Paratek Pharmaceuticals and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

5 Nov 2009

Researchers develop new molecular tools to investigate Alzheimer's disease

One of the many mysteries of Alzheimer's disease is how protein-like snippets called amyloid-beta peptides, which clump together to form plaques in the brain, may cause cell death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental difficulties.

5 Nov 2009

Surgery may not be the best option for children with obstructive sleep apnea

For children with obstructive sleep apnea, standard care often includes a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. But researchers at Saint Louis University say further research is needed to determine if surgery is the best option for these patients.

5 Nov 2009

Imagenetix awarded U.S. patent for its 1-TDC drug candidate to treat periodontal disease

Imagenetix, Inc., announced today the issuance of a new U.S. patent (No. 7,612,111). The patent provides intellectual property protection for Imagenetix's 1-TDC early stage drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease.

5 Nov 2009

Green tea extract shows promise as cancer prevention agent for oral cancer, reveal researchers

Green tea extract has shown promise as cancer prevention agent for oral cancer in patients with a pre-malignant condition known as oral leukoplakia, according to researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

5 Nov 2009

New paper-strip test for detecting pesticides in beverage and food samples

Scientists in Canada are reporting the development of a fast, inexpensive "dipstick" test to identify small amounts of pesticides that may exist in foods and beverages. Their paper-strip test is more practical than conventional pesticide tests, producing results in minutes rather than hours by means of an easy-to-read color-change, they say.

5 Nov 2009

People with MS who relapse within first five years of onset have more severe disability: Study

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have relapses within the first five years of onset appear to have more severe disability in the short term compared to people who do not have an early relapse, according to a new study published in the November 4, 2009, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study is one of the first to examine how MS relapses affect people during different time periods of the disease.

5 Nov 2009

NIAID funds CCHI and IMVC programs to help identify new vaccines for emerging infectious diseases

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded approximately $208 million to two programs that support research to better understand the human immune response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, including those that may be introduced into a community through acts of bioterrorism.

5 Nov 2009

USPTO awards Peregrine Pharmaceuticals patent for anti-viral uses of phosphatidylserine targeting antibodies

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent Number 7,611,704, which includes broad claims covering anti-viral uses of phosphatidylserine (PS)-targeting antibodies including Peregrine's lead clinical compound, bavituximab. PS is a unique marker exposed on the surface of virally infected cells that can be targeted to treat a broad spectrum of virus infections.

5 Nov 2009

Micro-injector may help rapid development of new generation of drugs

It's no bigger than a stamp packet but it has the potential to allow rapid development of a new generation of drugs and genetic engineering organisms, and to better control in-vitro fertilization.

5 Nov 2009

New Merck set to begin global health care operations

Merck & Co., Inc. today outlined its global plans following the completion of Merck's merger with Schering-Plough Corporation announced yesterday. The new Merck is a global health care leader aimed at providing innovative, distinctive products and services that save and improve lives, while satisfying customer needs and creating long term shareholder value.

5 Nov 2009

Healthcare unions in Nova Scotia to suspend all collective activities till New Year in response to H1N1 flu

Three of the four major healthcare unions in Nova Scotia have agreed to suspend all collective bargaining activities until at least the New Year. This move is in response to the increased pressures that the H1N1 flu pandemic is placing on the province's health system.

5 Nov 2009

Adolescents with chronic health conditions rely more on Internet

The Internet has become a popular socializing tool for adolescents and a new study shows those with chronic health conditions might rely on it more heavily than their peers do.

5 Nov 2009

House legislation seeks 5 days of sick leave for workers

In an effort to rein in the spread of the H1N1 Flu, Representative George Miller, the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, introduced legislation on Tuesday that would guarantee five paid sick days for workers sent home by their employers with a contagious illness. Mr. Miller, Democrat of California, voiced concern that more than 40 million workers did not have paid sick days and that many workers coming into contact with public — like restaurant or school cafeteria employees — would go to work with H1N1 and spread the virus if they could not afford to stay home.

5 Nov 2009

NIAID renews contract to support inner city asthma research

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has renewed the contract to continue studying asthma in children living in lower-income, inner-city environments.

5 Nov 2009

Untreated rainwater is safe to drink

A world first study by Monash University researchers into the health of families who drink rainwater has found that it is safe to drink.

5 Nov 2009

House Dems unveil 'managers amendment,' setting stage for health bill votes

"House Democrats have cleared the way for a pivotal floor vote on health care overhaul as early as the weekend, after tweaking their 1,990-page bill to crack down harder on insurance companies," The Associated Press reports.

5 Nov 2009

One Health Commission summit to focus on emerging infectious diseases

The growing threat of the H1N1 pandemic and West Nile virus -- as well as other emerging zoonotic, food, or waterborne diseases and environmental changes -- has prompted experts to look for solutions to the increasingly integrated problems among animal, human, and environmental health.

5 Nov 2009

Health reform timeline appears to be slipping

ABC News: "Senior Congressional Democrats told ABC News today it is highly unlikely that a health care reform bill will be completed this year, just a week after President Barack Obama declared he was 'absolutely confident' he'll be able to sign one by then reports that senior Congressional Democrats said it's unlikely Obama will get a bill this year."

5 Nov 2009

Pfizer and Flamel Technologies sign license agreement

Flamel Technologies today announced that Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) has exercised its option to license Flamel’s Medusa® technology for the development of a controlled release formulation of an already-marketed therapeutic protein.

5 Nov 2009