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FDA advisory committee supports Advair 500/50 in reducing COPD exacerbations

An Advisory Committee to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unanimously agreed that GlaxoSmithKline's Advair Diskus 500/50 (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) demonstrated a significant reduction in the risk of exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

2 May 2007

Consuming lower-calorie soup a way to reduce food intake

Eating low-calorie soup before a meal can help cut back on how much food and calories you eat at the meal, a new Penn State study shows. Results show that when participants in the study ate a first course of soup before a lunch entree, they reduced their total calorie intake at lunch (soup + entr'e) by 20 percent, compared to when they did not eat soup.

2 May 2007

Seniors are being stereotyped as grouchy

A study of caregivers of Alzheimer's patients and non-caregivers done by the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada revealed that seniors are being stereotyped as grouchy, inflexible to change, and mostly living in nursing homes, when the opposite is true.

2 May 2007

Evidence of very early onset defective bone mineralization in the lumbar spine revealed in children with cystic fibrosis

In a study of children with cystic fibrosis, French researchers found evidence of very early onset defective bone mineralization in the lumbar spine that was not caused by either nutritional status or lung disease.

2 May 2007

Adalimumab shows potential for Crohn's disease

A study led by Mayo Clinic found that adalimumab (HUMIRA) is an effective treatment for adults with Crohn's disease who do not respond to infliximab (REMICADE) therapy.

2 May 2007

Rituximab reduces disease activity in multiple sclerosis

A new drug under investigation shows a reduction in disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to two studies that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 59th Annual Meeting in Boston. The drug reduced disease activity as indicated by MRI scans.

2 May 2007

Sirion Therapeutics starts phase III clinical trials of pipeline compounds

Sirion Therapeutics has announced that it has initiated new phase III clinical programs for two of its pipeline compounds, ST-601 (difluprednate) and ST-603 (cyclosporine).

2 May 2007

Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke increases the risk of developing dementia

Based on preliminary results, the study authors found that elderly people with high lifetime exposure to secondhand smoke were approximately 30 percent more likely to develop dementia than those with no lifetime secondhand smoke exposure.April 28, May 5, 2007.

2 May 2007

Ultra fast and ultra active: the strange life of the extraocular muscles

The eye, often called the window to the soul, may become a window to the mysteries of muscular dystrophy, a debilitating muscle disease that often leads to death in early adulthood.

2 May 2007

Wrapping version of Gleevec fights drug-resistant cancer

A new study highlighted on the cover of this week's issue of Cancer Research finds that the anti-cancer drug Gleevec? is far more effective against a drug-resistant strain of cancer when the drug wraps the target with a molecular bandage that seals out water from a critical area.

2 May 2007

U.S. Supreme Court decision boosts stem cell patent challenge

A U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of KSR International Corp. on Monday strengthens challenges against overreaching human embryonic stem cell patents held by an affiliate of the University of Wisconsin, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) and the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) said.

2 May 2007

New compounds show potential for cognitive disorders

UC Irvine researchers have identified a new class of compounds that could be used for drugs to treat cognitive disorders that accompany schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and ADHD, according to an article published today in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

2 May 2007

Testosterone cream does not increase sexual drive in female cancer survivors

Increasing the testosterone levels of female cancer survivors using testosterone cream did not improve their libido more than a placebo, according to a randomized controlled clinical trial in the May 2 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

2 May 2007

Levosimendan compared to dobutamine for decompensated heart failure

The drug levosimendan did not improve survival for patients with decompensated heart failure when compared with a more widely-used treatment for this condition, dobutamine, according to a study in the May 2 issue of JAMA.

2 May 2007

Unstable leukemia stem cells may predispose patients to drug resistance

The BCR-ABL gene in chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells has a tendency to quickly mutate, and this may help explain why patients are predisposed to resistance to drugs like imatinib that target that gene, according to a study in the May 2 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

2 May 2007

Web-based disease management program improves outcomes for low-income black students

Low-income African-American high school students with asthma who participated in a specially-designed, web-based disease management program reported fewer days and nights with symptoms, fewer school days missed, fewer days of restricted activity, and less hospitalization for asthma during a 12-month follow-up period, as compared to non-participating asthmatic students.

2 May 2007