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GlaxoSmithKline settles dispute with IRS

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that it has settled its transfer pricing tax dispute with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

12 Sep 2006

TV advertising of prescription drugs may increase visits to doctor not actual sales

TV advertising of prescription drugs may be prompting more people to visit their doctors rather than substantially increasing sales of advertised drugs, according to research led by the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

12 Sep 2006

Nanocantilevers as future disease detectors

Researchers at Purdue University have made a discovery about the behavior of tiny structures called nanocantilevers that could be crucial in designing a new class of ultra-small sensors for detecting viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.

12 Sep 2006

Synthetic low-density lipoprotein-like nanoparticles target brain tumors

Low-density lipoprotein, better known as LDL, is one of the chief villains involved in the development of coronary artery disease.

12 Sep 2006

New screening method shows how nanoparticles interact with human cells

Scientists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a screening method to examine how newly made nanoparticles interact with human cells following exposure for various times and doses. Using this new method, the investigators have been able to visualize how human cells interact with some specific types of carbon nanoparticles.

12 Sep 2006

New information on how to design nanoparticles that avoid macrophage uptake

Few researchers doubt the potential for nanoparticles to revolutionize the way anticancer drugs and imaging agents are delivered to tumors.

12 Sep 2006

Weightlifting may cause temporary pressure build up in the eye

Weightlifting may cause a temporary increase in pressure within the eye, with higher pressure occurring with breath-holding during a weightlifting exercise, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

12 Sep 2006

Weight loss may be a preclinical indicator of Alzheimer's disease

The slow, steady weight loss associated with aging may speed up prior to the onset of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, according to an article in the September issue of Archives of Neurology.

12 Sep 2006

Reactive oxygen species in cancer cells

A biochemical alteration that has long been viewed as an adverse aspect of tumor biology may turn out to be a deadly double-edged sword for the cancer cells themselves.

12 Sep 2006

Allocating HIV drugs to cities prevents the greatest number of infections

The most effective way to control the AIDS pandemic in hard-hit South Africa would be to concentrate the allocation of scarce antiretroviral drugs in urban areas.

12 Sep 2006

Zolmitriptan nasal spray may be safe and effective in treating painful cluster headaches

Zolmitriptan nasal spray, used to treat migraine headaches, also may be safe and effective in treating painful cluster headaches, according to an article posted online today that will appear in the November 2006 print issue of Archives of Neurology.

12 Sep 2006

Vitamin D cuts the risk of pancreatic cancer

Consumption of Vitamin D tablets was found to cut the risk of pancreatic cancer nearly in half, according to a study led by researchers at Northwestern and Harvard universities.

12 Sep 2006

Drug ads and their influence on patients and doctors

Television ads for prescription drugs are everywhere, enticing people to ask their doctors for this drug or that one, but the effect this type of ad has on American healthcare may be more complicated than simply inducing patients to choose one brand or the other, according to a team of researchers.

12 Sep 2006

New wireless internet technologies could reduce physician visits for patients with chronic diseases

The New York Times on Saturday examined new technologies that will allow tens of millions of U.S. residents with chronic diseases such as heart failure, diabetes and mental illnesses to have their conditions "constantly monitored, remotely and virtually, as they go about their daily lives."

11 Sep 2006

United Auto Workers ends health benefit discussions with Chrysler

DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group and the United Auto Workers on Friday ended discussions on health care, "shutting the auto maker out of cost concessions the union has given General Motors and Ford Motor companies in the past year," the Wall Street Journal reports (Stoll/Boudette, Wall Street Journal, 9/9).

11 Sep 2006

Unprecedented number of CDC staff resigned or retired in last two years

In the last two years, an "unprecedented" number of CDC staff has resigned or retired from the agency, prompting some officials to express concern, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Young, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/10).

11 Sep 2006

FDA approves Watson's generic version of Barr's contraceptive pill Seasonale

FDA on Thursday approved Watson Pharmaceuticals' marketing application for its generic version of Barr Laboratories' extended-cycle oral contraceptive Seasonale, Reuters reports.

11 Sep 2006

Federal Judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit challenging Illinois rule requiring pharmacists to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception

U.S. District Judge Jeanne Scott on Wednesday ruled against a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that aims to block an Illinois rule that requires pharmacies to dispense prescriptions for emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse -- saying the plaintiffs have a legitimate claim that the rule infringes on their religious rights.

11 Sep 2006

Study's findings on breast density might complicate models for assessing breast cancer risk

A study published in the Sept. 6 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that finds breast density might be a risk factor for breast cancer could make assessment methods "considerably more complicated," the Los Angeles Times reports (Healy, Los Angeles Times, 9/11).

11 Sep 2006

Pregnant women with fatty, high-caloric diets increase fetal risk for liver disease, obesity, diabetes

Infants born to women who have diets high in calories and fat during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing liver disease, which can lead to obesity and diabetes later in life, Kevin Grove, a researcher at Oregon Health and Science University and the Developmental Obesity Research Consortium, said on Friday at the 10th International Congress on Obesity in Sydney.

11 Sep 2006