Biotech Week back issues from July 2004:
Report: Islet cell transplant program for type 1 diabetes successful.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Edmonton Protocol for transplanting islets, through an injection that frees people with diabetes from daily insulin injections, has been shown to be effective and safe in its first international multicenter trial, according to a report ...
Enrollment completed in trial of paclitaxel-loaded vascular wrap.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ANPI; ANP) announced that it has completed the enrollment of its vascular wrap study, approximately 6 months earlier than anticipated. Patients suffering from poor blood flow to the legs often have ...
Data released on Canvaxin in treatment of patients with Stage IV melanoma.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CancerVax Corporation (CNVX) announced that data from retrospective analyses show that treatment with Canvaxin, the company's investigational specific active immunotherapy, significantly improved median overall survival of patients with Stage IV ...
Discovery of tumor vascular targets may mean safer cancer treatment.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A discovery by researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) holds the promise of taking treatment of several types of cancer to a much higher level of safety and effectiveness. The identification of unique biomarkers in the ...
Subterfuge enables gene therapy to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Subterfuge enables gene therapy to cross the blood-brain barrier. "Many chronic neurological diseases do not respond to small molecule therapeutics, and have no effective long-term therapy. Gene therapy offers the promise of an effective ...
Results reported from phase I trial of Perifosine combined with radiotherapy.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AEterna Zentaris, Inc., (AEZ; AEZS) announced encouraging final results from recently completed phase I trial evaluating perifosine, the company's novel, first-in-class, oral AKT inhibitor, in combination with radiotherapy in patients with ...
Miniaturized RNAi gene knockdown experiments performed in primary cells.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Miniaturized RNAi gene knockdown experiments can now be performed in primary cells. According to recent research from Japan, "The transfection efficiency of primary cells is the bottleneck for their use with miniaturized formats for gene ...
Data regarding intraoperative radiotherapy for early breast cancer is unclear.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Data regarding intraoperative radiotherapy for early breast cancer is unclear. According to a study from Australia, "a systematic review was undertaken to assess the safety and efficacy of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) in early ...
Placement of bone tunnels for ACL reconstruction reviewed.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The optimal placement of bone tunnels for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has been reviewed. The reconstruction of a ruptured ACL is "a frequently performed operation," however, such surgery is "technically demanding ...
Psychiatric health of dermatology patients is an important aspect of care.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients with dermatologic ailments often have disease-related psychological problems, which should be addressed as part of the patients' care. Researchers in Denmark "[compared] psychological symptoms and health-related quality of life ...
Diabetes management system launched.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abbott Laboratories (ABT) introduced the new and improved Precision Xtra Advanced Diabetes Management System at the American Diabetes Association's 64th Annual Scientific Sessions and Exposition in Orlando, Florida. The new monitor ...
FDA accuses maker of antiretroviral of misleading promotions.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accused Abbott Laboratories, Inc., of providing the public with misleading information about a drug used to treat HIV infection, saying the promotional materials raised health and safety concerns. ...
FDA issues warning letter regarding Norvir.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abbott Laboratories has received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Division of Drug Marketing Advertising and Communications (DDMAC) outlining concerns related to the website and other specified materials for Norvir ...
Data: Panitumumab has single-agent antitumor activity in colorectal cancer.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen, Inc., (AMGN), and Abgenix (ABGX), an antibody-development company, announced interim data from an ongoing phase II study demonstrating that panitumumab (formerly ABX-EGF), a fully human monoclonal antibody, has antitumor activity when ...
CareSouth acquires California home health company.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CareSouth, Augusta, Georgia-headquartered home care and business services provider, has announced the acquisition of Able Home Health, Inc., of Santa Clarita, California. Complete ownership of Able Home Health will reside with CareSouth, ...
Elective single embryo transfer percentage reflects quality of institution.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Assisted reproduction centers should strive for fewer embryo transfers, and researchers say that the elective single embryo transfer (eSET) is the most important indicator of the quality of such centers. "In the course of the present ...
Biomarker study focuses on indicators of Herceptin responsiveness.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aclara BioSciences (Nasdaq: ACLA) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science (Rinshoken) have entered into an agreement to collaborate on a study to evaluate breast cancer patient samples to validate candidate biomarkers detected with ...
Biotechnology company announces new appointment to scientific advisory board.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aclara BioSciences (NASDAQ:ACLA) announced that Jose Baselga, MD, has been appointed to its scientific advisory board. Baselga is professor of medicine at the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona and the scientific chairman of the Spanish ...
Phase I study of porous nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel complete.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acusphere, Inc., (ACUS) announced that it has completed a phase I human safety study of its AI-850 product. AI-850 is a Cremophor-free formulation of paclitaxel, the active ingredient in Taxol, a product used to treat a variety of solid ...
Radiotherapy during pregnancy requires careful choice of linear accelerator.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- It is preferable to withhold radiotherapy on pregnant women with cancer, but should it be unavoidable, researchers have revealed data on fetal dose estimates and risk assessment. "Cancer in pregnancy is relatively uncommon, but ...
Exherin clinical data released.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adherex Technologies, Inc., (AHX) released initial results from the phase I study of its anticancer drug, Exherin, at a major international cancer conference. Exherin is a small peptide molecule that specifically disrupts the blood ...
Neuromodulation company comments on acquisition of Advanced Bionics.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Inc., (ANS, ANSI) commented on Boston Scientific Corporation's recent announcement that it will acquire Advanced Bionics Corporation for $740 million in cash plus earn-out payments that could exceed $2 billion. ...
Results of AVR118 phase I/II clinical program presented at ASCO.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Viral Research Corp. (ADVR) announced that the company presented interim results of its phase I/II clinical program with its flagship product, AVR118, at The American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) 40th Annual Meeting in New ...
Positive data reported for CoFactor, VEGF antibody, 5-FU combination.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adventrx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ANX) announced positive results using CoFactor in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and an antibody-based inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) in a mouse model for human colorectal ...
Respimat SMI provides improved ipratropium bromide/fenoterol delivery.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel inhaler provides improved drug delivery to COPD patients. Researchers in England "performed a multicenter, randomized, double-blind (within-device), placebo- and active-controlled, parallel-group study to compare the efficacy and ...
Saforis reduces severity of oral mucositis in chemotherapy study patients.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aesgen, Inc., announced results from its pivotal phase III trial that show Saforis (L-glutamine) for oral suspension significantly reduced the severity and duration of clinically significant oral mucositis in breast cancer patients receiving ...
Device maker completes $673,000 private placement.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aethlon Medical, Inc., (AEMD) announced that it has completed a $673,000 private placement of common stock with accredited investors, including Fusion Capital Fund II LLC, a Chicago based institutional investor. Aethlon also announced ...
AHRQ makes access to hospital data easier.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has redesigned its interactive HCUPnet software tool (available on the web at www.ahrq.gov/hcupnet/) to make it easier to obtain hospital care trend data for the U.S. and for individual states. The ...
Results from phase I/II cancer trials with rhLF presented at ASCO.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Department of Hematology/Oncology at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Houston, Texas, and Agennix Inc., disclosed results from two phase I/II cancer trials with oral recombinant human lactoferrin (rhLF). The trials are ...
Tool launched for standardized measurement of RNA quality.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Agilent Technologies, Inc., (A) introduced the first tool to measure RNA quality and grade it on a quantitative scale of 1 to 10. This measurement, known as the RNA integrity number (RIN), makes it possible for scientists to objectively ...
Drugs given away by AIDS patients in U.S. prolong lives worldwide.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Jose Clemente, who restores artworks in Mexico's capital, has never met Daphne Rivera, a Brooklyn health educator. But medicines donated by Rivera are keeping Clemente alive. From Mexico to Mauritania, India to Iran, patients in poor ...
Diminished lung compliance found in nutritionally obese young rats.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lung compliance is diminished and surfactant lipids and proteins are elevated in nutritionally obese young rats. According to recent research published in the journal Lung, "Dietary-induced obesity is associated with increases in lung ...
Pharmaceutical company receives commitments for $11M financing.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. (ALLP) announced that it has entered into definitive purchase agreements with respect to the private placement of 31,427,137 shares of Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp.'s common stock that will result in gross proceeds to ...
Data from phase III trial of radiation sensitizer presented at ASCO.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Allos Therapeutics, Inc., (ALTH) announced that results from its phase III clinical trial of the investigational radiation sensitizer RSR13 (efaproxiral) in patients with brain metastases were presented in a poster session at the 40th Annual ...
Phase III trial data suggest some lung cancer patients may benefit from RSR13.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Allos Therapeutics, Inc., (ALTH) announced that a retrospective analysis of the results from its phase III trial of the investigational radiation sensitizer RSR13 (efaproxiral) in patients with brain metastases demonstrated a survival benefit in a ...
Biotech company announces entry into European surgical devices market.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alltracel Pharmaceuticals Plc, (AP.L) announced its entry into the post and inter operative surgical market with the third quarter launch by one of the world's leading medical device companies of an m-doc based portfolio of specialist post ...
Biopharmaceutical firm exercises underwriters' over-allotment option.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ALNY) announced that the underwriters of its recent initial public offering of 5,000,000 shares of common stock have exercised in full their over-allotment option to purchase an additional 750,000 shares of common ...
Insulin patch maker expands its capabilities with new directors.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Altea Therapeutics announced the appointment of three new directors from the pharmaceutical industry as it broadens the leadership of its product development programs. The company's lead clinical products are a daily insulin skin patch ...
Medical advisory board formed by stent company.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alveolus, Inc., a developer of non-vascular interventional stent technology announced the formation of its newly organized Thoracic Advisory Board. Alveolus, whose products are developed for physicians by physicians, will work closely ...
Prevalence, exposure to mouse allergen may contribute to asthma.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mouse allergen has a widespread presence in U.S. homes and may contribute to the development of asthma, according to a study featured in the June 2004 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI). The JACI is the peer-reviewed ...
Doctors' group rejects proposal to soften "freebie" policy.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The American Medical Association has rejected a proposal that would have softened the group's stance against drug industry "freebies," including paying for doctors' trips to industry-sponsored educational conferences. The proposal ...
Results reported in trial of Abraxane for advanced breast cancer patients.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abraxis Oncology, a division of American Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc., (APP, APPX) said that results from a 106 patient phase II study of Abraxane in patients with advanced breast cancer whose disease had progressed while they were being treated ...
Novel gene therapy approach suppresses autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have developed a novel retroviral gene therapy approach to inhibit specific antibody production and suppress experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced by MOG and MBP. "Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), ...
MabCampath continues to improve survival for patients with CLL.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Data from two related studies confirm the ability of MabCampath (alemtuzumab) to clear leukemic cells from the bone marrow of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, a result known as eradication of minimal residual disease or MRD negativity. ...
NSABP protocol C-06: Oral chemotherapy equally effective and tolerated.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Five-year results of NSABP (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project) Protocol C-06 that compared oral chemotherapy (UFT/leucovorin) with intravenous chemotherapy (5-FU/leucovorin) demonstrated no significant differences in disease-free ...
Advancements in imaging enhance diagnosis, treatment of neurological diseases.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Neuroscience and radiology experts shared new research and technological developments in medical imaging that facilitate diagnosis and breakthrough treatments of fetal brain abnormalities, epilepsy and cognitive disorders such as autism and ...
Aranesp corrects chemotherapy-induced anemia when dosed once every 3 weeks.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen Inc. (AMGN) announced results of a new study demonstrating that Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) dosed once every 3 weeks achieved and maintained the target hemoglobin levels recommended by clinical guidelines. Most patients who received ...
Studies: Aranesp dosed semiweekly is comparable to epoetin alfa once a week.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen, Inc., (AMGN) presented final results from an analysis of three identical head-to-head trials showing that Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) dosed once every 2 weeks provided similar results as epoetin alfa dosed once every week in boosting ...
Exenatide studies show significant improvements in glucose control, weight loss.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (AMLN) and Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) presented detailed 30-week data from two of the three pivotal phase III studies of exenatide during the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) 64th scientific sessions in Orlando, ...
Oncophage cancer vaccine clinical findings announced.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antigenics Inc. (AGEN) announced findings from two clinical trials of the company's investigational cancer vaccine Oncophage (HSPPC-96). Demographic data from the company's phase III trial of Oncophage in renal cell carcinoma (the most ...
Australian company addresses two common and debilitating eye diseases.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- With an aging population and increasing prevalence of diabetes, Australia can expect a surge in the incidence of blindness. Two major causes of blindness are diabetic retinopathy and wet age-related macular degeneration. Of the estimated ...
Positive results reported from phase I trial of ATL-1102 for MS.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antisense Therapeutics Limited and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ISIS) announced the results of a dose-escalating phase I study of ATL-1102. Based on the study's results 6 mg/kg/week of ATL-1102 appeared well tolerated and has been ...
Severe infections plague acute alcoholic hepatitis patients given infliximab.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Severe infections plague acute alcoholic hepatitis patients given infliximab. According to published research from France, "tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) may contribute to the progression of acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH). The ...
Regulatory submission of pancreatic cancer therapy begins in Switzerland.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aphton (APHT) announced that it has begun submission of regulatory documentation to the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic), the regulatory authority in Switzerland, for the registration of G17DT as monotherapy in patients with ...
Phase IIa trial starts for rheumatoid arthritis drug.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Arakis, Ltd., has initiated a phase IIa clinical trial in 96 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to study the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of a range of doses of AD 452, a novel disease modifying treatment for early stage RA. ...
ADP-specific sensors enable universal assay of protein kinase activity.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ADP-specific sensors enable a universal assay of protein kinase activity. "Two molecular sensors that specifically recognize ADP in a background of over 100-fold molar excess of ATP are described. These sensors are nucleic-acid based and ...
Improved throughput protein precipitation method presented.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Argonaut Technologies (AGNT) presented a poster on a new protein precipitation filterplate at the 2004 American Society of Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) conference in Nashville, Tennessee. In the poster, Argonaut demonstrated how its new ...
Device company announces preliminary fiscal 2005 guidance.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ArthroCare Corp. (ARTC), a medical device company that develops minimally invasive surgical products, announced preliminary financial guidance for its fiscal year 2005. The company's guidance is as follows: 1) ArthroCare ...
Device maker announces sale of common stock to Boston Scientific.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aspect Medical Systems, Inc., (ASPM) announced that it has completed the sale of 500,000 shares of its common stock to Boston Scientific Corporation. The purchase price per share was $16.21, and the aggregate gross proceeds from the ...
Study investigates resistance to tamoxifen and possible way to reverse it.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study has found a possible mechanism for tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer and provides evidence that another cancer drug - gefitinib (AstraZeneca brand name: Iressa) - may be able to restore tamoxifen's anticancer activity. ...
Results reported for IRESSA in non-small cell lung cancer patients.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Final data from more than 21,000 non-small cell lung cancer patients who received the oral cancer drug IRESSA (gefitinib) through AstraZeneca's preapproval expanded access program (EAP) in the United States were presented at the American Society of ...
Anthrax antibody profiled in medical journal.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Avanir Pharmaceuticals' (AVN) anti-anthrax monoclonal antibodies protected rats from lethal anthrax toxins, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Immune Based Therapies and Vaccine. Additionally, the results of ...
Diagnostic scale used in phase III trial to identify pseudobulbar affect.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Avanir Pharmaceuticals (AVN) announced that information on a diagnostic scale used to identify pseudobulbar affect (PBA) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) was presented at the 2004 Annual Conference of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis ...
Morwell added as partner to list of diagnostics distributors.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Avitar, Inc., (AVR) announced that it is adding Morwell Diagnostics GmbH of Switzerland to its growing list of international distribution partners, now spanning Australia, Canada, Croatia, Hungary, Malaysia, Mexico, and Thailand. "As a ...
Intramuscular hepatitis B immunoglobulin offers advantages to liver recipients.
Jul 07, 2004 ... 2004 JUL 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Intramuscular hepatitis B immunoglobulin offers advantages to liver recipients. According to a study from Italy, "the combination of lamivudine and hepatitis B immunoglobulins (HBIg) to prevent recurrence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) ...