Biotech Week back issues from August 2004:
Sexual behavior changes may explain rising incidence of anal cancer.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Anal cancer is on the rise in both sexes, particularly among American men, and changing trends in sexual behavior - combined with current tobacco use and infection by a specific strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV) - may help explain the ...
Study: Squalamine effective for extraretinal neovascularization.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genaera Corp. (GENR) announced the publication of a study describing the potential use of its antiangiogenic drug, squalamine, to prevent and reduce extraretinal neovascularization associated with ocular diseases. The article, entitled, ...
Inverted pathogenicity useful for prevention or therapy of disease.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Inverted pathogenicity is finding use for the prevention or therapy of disease. "The term 'inverted pathogenicity' stands for the exploitation of microbial toxins, virulence factors, and cellular mechanisms for preventive or therapeutic ...
Patent issued for development of HIV/AIDS drug.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Phoenix Biosciences, Inc., (PBS), focused on developing affordable, non-toxic treatments for HIV/AIDS, announced that the U.S. Patent and trademark office has granted PBS Patent Number 6,734,192. This patent was provided to Phoenix ...
Positive results reported on neurodegenerative disease blood test.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Power3 Medical Products, Inc., (PWRM) announced the completion of a stage of clinical validation on their neurodegenerative disease blood test, developed by the company in collaboration with Stan Appel, MD, chairman of the Department of Neurology ...
Pharmaceutical group announces that joint venture is operational.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hubei Pharmaceutical Group (HBEI) announced that its new joint venture, a 60% controlling interest in Hubei Tongji Benda Ebei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (HBBendaJV), located in Guangshui City, Hubei Province, China, is operational. ...
FDA approval granted for Aldara for superficial basal cell carcinoma.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- 3M announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first prescription therapy in nearly a decade for the treatment of superficial basal cell carcinoma (sBCC), a type of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Aldara ...
Pharmaceutical firm works to become advanced drug discovery chemistry provider.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AFID Therapeutics, Inc., announced the launch of the first phase of its campaign to establish itself as the provider of the most advanced drug discovery chemistry in the industry. An array of potential therapeutic agents or drug leads ...
RT-PCR method specifically for European bat lyssavirus 1 developed.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have developed a hemi-nested RT-PCR method for the specific determination of European bat lyssavirus 1. According to published research from France, "A simplified hemi-nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction ...
Cardinal Health completes acquisition.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cardinal Health, Inc., (CAH), a provider of products and services supporting the healthcare industry, announced its previously announced acquisition of ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc., has been completed. As a result, ALARIS is now a ...
Genedata collaboration creates framework for drug discovery.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Computational biology company Genedata announced the global expansion of its collaboration with ALTANA Pharma to provide enterprise-wide scientific computing infrastructure for ALTANA's research programs in Constance, Germany and in Waltham, ...
Brochure helps lung cancer patients better understand treatment.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- To help patients better understand how radiation therapy is used to fight lung cancer, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) has published the new patient information brochure "Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer: Facts ...
Species-specific tropism determinants found in the HIV-1 capsid.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Species-specific tropism determinants were found in the HIV-1 capsid. According to a study from the United States, "Retroviral tropism is determined in part by cellular restriction factors that block infection by targeting the incoming ...
FDA grants waived status under CLIA for lipids test panel.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abaxis, Inc., (ABAX), a medical products company manufacturing point-of-care blood analysis systems, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted waived status under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulations ...
Pharmaceutical firm announces several new appointments.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Able Laboratories, Inc., (ABRX) announced the appointment of Lisa Graver as senior patent counsel working in Able's research & development department. Also, Able announced the appointments of Laura Borda-Short, Dennis Hicks and Melanie ...
CombiMatrix announces human drug metabolism array.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acacia Research Corp.'s (CBMX) CombiMatrix group has made available to researchers a new CustomArray Human Drug Metabolism Array. This array enables researchers to screen a panel of genes and "splice variants" known to be critical for ...
CombiMatrix inks comarketing agreement.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acacia Research Corp. (CBMX) announced its CombiMatrix group has entered into a comarketing agreement with Strand Genomics to market its product avadis, a data analysis software tool for microarray gene expression. "Strand Genomics is ...
First in series of catalog expression arrays launched.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acacia Research Corporation (CBMX, ACTG) announced that its CombiMatrix group has made available to researches a new CustomArrayHuman Drug Metabolism Array. This array enables researchers to screen panel of genes and "splice variants ...
Flow cytometric method used to assess lipid accumulation in fat cells.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have used a simple flow cytometric method to assess lipid accumulation in fat cells. "Adipogenesis of preadipocytes in culture has been frequently used to study the molecular basis and effect of drugs on fat cell conversion ....
Real-time qPCR more sensitive than COBAS Amplicor for CMV DNA detection.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A real-time quantitative PCR assay is more sensitive than the COBAS Amplicor assay for cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA detection. According to a study from Sweden, "A duplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay was designed to detect both ...
David Lawrence named CFO at UK pharmaceutical firm.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acambis plc (ACM, ACAM) announced the appointment of David Lawrence as chief financial officer. Lawrence, 41, is currently VP of finance for Chiron Vaccines, the vaccines division of Chiron Corporation ('Chiron'), which he joined in ...
HSP70 mutants separate antigen delivery from DC stimulation.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HSP70 peptide binding mutants separate antigen delivery from dendritic cell (DC) stimulation. "Microbial heat shock proteins (HSPs) have been implicated in the induction of both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune response. We now ...
Michael N. Avallone named CFO at pharmaceutical firm.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Magnetics, Inc., (AVM) announced the appointment of Michael N. Avallone, CPA, as chief financial officer of the company. Avallone will be assuming the responsibilities of James A. Matheson, VP of finance who will be stepping ...
Device firm reports results of tender offer for its notes.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Medical Optics, Inc., (AMO, AVO) announced the final results of its offer to purchase for cash any and all of the $70,000,000 aggregate outstanding principal amount of its 9-1/4% senior subordinated notes due 2010 and solicitation of ...
Wound care company reports new partnership agreement.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS) has entered into a 3-year agreement with Cardinal Health, a provider of products and services supporting the healthcare industry in the United States, for private label wound care products. Under terms of ...
PC12 cells require dystrophin Dp71 for neurite outgrowth.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- PC12 cells require dystrophin Dp71 for neurite outgrowth. "To determine the role of Dp71 in neuronal cells, we generated PC12 (pheochromocytoma) cell lines in which Dp71 protein levels were controlled by stable transfection with either ...
Australian biotech firm wins grant for ThromboView.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Brisbane-based biotechnology company, Agenix Limited (AGX, AGXLY) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Agen Biomedical Limited has been awarded a $1,128,758 Australian Government R&D Start grant. The grant will be used to further ...
Biotech company names Martha Vincent VP, clinical R&D.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Agensys, Inc., announced the appointment of Martha Vincent, PhD, FACCP, as VP, Clinical Research and Development. Vincent brings extensive expertise in clinical, regulatory and medical affairs to Agensys, a biotech company developing ...
Female literacy influences child health in India.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Female literacy influences child health in India. "The influence of female literacy as a major factor affecting child health in India was examined using data from the second National Family Health Survey between 1998 and 1999, as well as ...
New product removes high-abundance proteins from mouse blood serum.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Agilent Technologies, Inc., (A) introduced the second in a new line of proteomics products that removes high-abundance proteins from blood serum. The Multiple Affinity Removal Column removes the three most highly abundant proteins ...
Cdx2 is present in early gastric cancers.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Immunohistochemically detectable Cdx2 is present in intestinal phenotypic elements in early gastric cancers of both differentiated and undifferentiated types, with no correlation to non-neoplastic surrounding mucosa. According to a study ...
Space tech captures toxic micro-organisms.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sophisticated technology developed to ensure clean air for astronauts onboard space stations is now used in hospitals to capture and destroy airborne fungi, bacteria, spores and viruses. It can also eliminate microorganisms causing SARS, Ebola, ...
Diagnostics device company ships 500th MetriScan densitometer.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alara, Inc., announced that it has shipped the 500th MetriScan peripheral bone densitometer. MetriScan is a cost-effective, tabletop system that facilitates in-office bone mineral density (BMD) testing. By using radiographic ...
Imaging agent launched for preclinical computed tomography.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alerion Biomedical, Inc., a company developing diagnostic and therapeutic products based on its molecular targeting technologies, has launched Fenestra, its first contrast enhancement product line for use in computed tomography imaging of animals. ...
Court finds Ormco Corp. infringed on teeth straightening patents.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Align Technology, Inc. (ALGN), inventor of Invisalign, a method of straightening teeth without wires and brackets, announced that the U.S. District Court has granted summary judgment in Align's counterclaim against Ormco Corporation, a division of ...
Ophthalmic drug company debuts with $26.75M in series A financing.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alimera Sciences, Inc., a recently formed specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the ophthalmic industry, announced that it has received $26.75 million in Series A financing. The funds will be used for acquisition and continued ...
Pharmaceutical company announces retirement of board member.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Allergan, Inc., (AGN) announced that for personal health reasons, Ronald M. Cresswell has retired as a director of Allergan, effective July 9, 2004. "Since joining Allergan's board of directors in 1998, professor Cresswell has been an ...
R. Brian Hanson joins diagnostic imaging company as VP and CFO.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alliance Imaging Inc. (NYSE:AIQ) announced that R. Brian Hanson will become its executive vice president and chief financial officer. Hanson has extensive financial and operations experience. Most recently, Hanson held various positions ...
Agreement with Nycomed for development of Oxygent terminated.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. (ALLP) announced that Nycomed, its development partner for Oxygent in the European Union, has provided notice that it is terminating the recently announced license agreement. The decision reached by Nycomed ...
Biopharmaceutical R&D company announces management changes.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alltracel Pharmaceuticals Plc. announced the promotion of Tony Richardson from group chief financial officer to group chief executive officer, and John Kelly was appointed to chief financial officer. Both appointments will be effective ...
Agreement signed for Kadian in cancer pain.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alpharma, Inc., (ALO) announced that it has entered into a 3-year agreement with MGI Pharma, Inc., an oncology focused biopharmaceutical company, for the promotion of Alpharma's Kadian product, a sustained release morphine sulfate. Under ...
Group supports Medicare reimbursement for brain scans.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In the hope that it will drive early intervention for the increasing number of Americans with Alzheimer disease, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) announced its support of the federal government's proposal to provide Medicare ...
Definitive agreement signed to acquire Laxdale.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amarin Corporation plc (AMRN) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Laxdale Limited, a privately owned, neuroscience development company based in Stirling, Scotland. Laxdale's development pipeline includes ...
Diagnostics maker announces successful connectivity trial.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ambri Limited (ABI) announced that it has completed testing of a Data Management System (DMS) - making it the first medical diagnostic device in Australia, and one of the first in the world, to successfully demonstrate compliance with POCT-1a, the ...
Ankle sprains can hide more serious condition.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A frequent malady of summer activity is a sprained ankle, which sports-medicine experts from the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) said is by far the most neglected injury in the U.S. They warn that many who disregard a ...
Academy reacts to FDA alert on allergic reactions to pigment in permanent makeup.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In response to the FDA's consumer alert regarding permanent makeup pigments that have been reported to cause severe allergic reactions, the American Academy of Micropigmentation wants consumers to report allergic reactions to any pigment. ...
New guidelines released for management of hyperbilirubinemia in newborns.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released new guidelines for the treatment of neonatal jaundice. The guidelines were promulgated by the AAP Subcommittee on Hyperbilirubinemia and published in the July issue of Pediatrics ...
Guideline challenges use of common medication.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new evidence-based guideline for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) cautions the use of calcium channel blockers, a commonly used treatment for high blood pressure, in unstable patients due to the potentially fatal side effects associated with ...
Alan D. Cherrington elected president of diabetes group.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The American Diabetes Association, the nation's largest and leading voluntary health organization in the fight against diabetes, has announced that Alan D. Cherrington, PhD, of Nashville, Tennessee, was elected president of its executive committee ...
More intensive cholesterol treatment an option for high-risk heart patients.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- More intensive cholesterol treatment is an option for people at high risk for heart attack and death from cardiovascular disease, according to updated recommendations from the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). The ...
Medical students react to study findings that link nursing errors to long hours.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) has responded to the study, "The working hours of hospital staff nurses and patient safety," published in Health Affairs. The study, led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, ...
Device firm signs patent cross-licensing agreement with Ethicon.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Medical Systems Holdings, Inc., (AMMD) announced that it has entered into a patent cross-licensing agreement with Ethicon, Inc., through its Gynecare Worldwide Division. Under the agreement, both companies are cross-licensing ...
Asthma device maker reports record sales.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Scientific Resources, Inc.'s (ASR, ASRO.PK) asthma monitoring device exceeded forecasts and drove ASR to a record quarter. "The product is selling off the pharmacy's shelves just as we are we in the infancy of executing our ...
Study sets best time for bone marrow transplant in patients with blood disorder.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Many MDS patients enjoy a long period after diagnosis without obvious disease progression. For these patients, the risks associated with bone marrow transplantation are unacceptably high," according to Corey Cutler, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Dana-Farber ...
Maternal anthropometric characteristics impact fetal growth restriction.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have identified maternal anthropometric characteristics that appear to be risk factors for term or near-term fetal growth restriction (FGR) in uncomplicated pregnancies. Pediatricians at the American University of Beirut ...
Joshua Ofman named VP at biotechnology company.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen, Inc., (AMGN) announced the appointment of Joshua Ofman, MD, MSHS, to the new position of vice president, Reimbursement and Payment Policy. Ofman will be responsible for the design and execution of Amgen's reimbursement and payment ...
Pharmaceutical firm closes $25M equity investment in Orthovita.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ANPI, ANP) announced that it has completed its purchase of 5,681,818 common shares of Orthovita, Inc., for $25 million. The equity investment was originally announced on June 24, 2004. ...
Sixth patent granted on fluorescence imaging technology.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AntiCancer, Inc., of San Diego announced that it has received its sixth patent in a series from the U.S. Patent and Trademark office covering the use of fluorescent proteins for imaging of cancer, gene expression, stem cells and other processes in ...
Successful phase Ia trial results reported on anti-obesity compound.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ARNA) announced results from a phase Ia, single-dose clinical trial of the company's novel anti-obesity compound, APD356. APD356 is an orally administered small molecule that is a selective 5-HT2C serotonin ...
Profoundly deaf children display GJB6 gene deletions.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Profoundly deaf children display GJB6 gene deletions. According to published research from France, "recent investigations identified a large deletion of the GJB6 gene in trans to a mutation of GJB2 in deaf patients. We looked for GJB2 ...
Protein collusion foretells poor prognoses for maxillary sinus cancer patients.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Protein collusion foretells poor prognoses for maxillary sinus cancer patients. "We have previously reported that p53 mutations, loss of bax expression or decreased spontaneous tumor apoptosis were associated with poorer prognoses in ...
Healthcare investment firm hires two key executives.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Asante Partners LLC, an investment banking boutique focused primarily on the healthcare sector, announced that Steven A. Mermelstein has joined the firm as managing director and Brian E. Pasdach has joined as VP. Steve will lead Asante ...
North American rights acquired for Andrin.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ascend Therapeutics announced that it has secured exclusive North American development, marketing and commercialization rights to the developmental pharmaceutical product Andrin (transdermal dihydrotestosterone gel), a novel treatment for late ...
Comments issued on FDA's consumer information release about Glucatell.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Associates of Cape Cod, Inc., (ACC), a manufacturer of endotoxin and beta-glucan detection products, addressed a newly published U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Consumer Information release concerning ACC's new fungal infection diagnostic, ...
Insurance companies renew alliance to offer multiple products.
Aug 04, 2004 ... 2004 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- State Farm Insurance and Assurant Health have renewed the national marketing alliance that makes Assurant Health's individual medical insurance products available through State Farm agents nationwide. The original alliance became official in July ...