Drug Week back issues from May 2004:
Paper further validates brain protein theory.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Prana Biotechnology, Ltd., (PRAN) announced the publication of a new study in which the results further support Prana's theory that metals in the brain, rather than proteins on their own, are responsible for the pathology of Alzheimer disease and ...
Novel antibacterial agents for skin infections reviewed.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers review novel antibacterial agents for skin and skin structure infections in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. "With the continuing development of clinical drug resistance among bacteria and ...
3-D agarose matrix used to determine mechanism of cell death by COX-2 inhibitor.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A 3-dimensional agarose matrix was used to determine the mechanism of cell death by COX-2 inhibitor etodolac. A new method "for studying slow acting pharmaceutical COX-2 inhibitors in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line" is described in ...
K579 is long-acting hypoglycemic agent.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- K579, a slow-binding inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase IV, is a long-acting hypoglycemic agent. According to recent research from Japan, "Dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors are expected to be categorized in a new type of antidiabetic ...
Board recommends dosing of final two patients in VRX496 trial.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- VIRxSYS Corporation announced that the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) unanimously recommended that the remaining two patients in the company's phase I trial be dosed using VRX496 modified T cells. The clinical trial is ...
BAY 43-9006 receives FDA fast track designation.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation (BAY) and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ONXX) announced that BAY 43-9006 has been granted Fast Track status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The compound is being evaluated for the ...
Report: Aspirin's cardioprotective benefits far outweigh risks.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A paper published in Cardiovascular Reviews & Reports demonstrates that the benefits of aspirin outweigh the risks when used for prevention of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients determined to be at sufficient risk. This conclusion is ...
Antibodies that recognize HIV coreceptor-binding site on gp120 studied.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists describe the structural basis of tyrosine sulfation and V[subscript]H-gene usage in antibodies that recognize the HIV type 1 coreceptor-binding site on gp120 in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the ...
Attenuated SIV vaccine provides early protection against viral infection.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vaccination with attenuated simian immunodeficiency virus provided early protection against pathogenic viral infection at a mucosal challenge site. "Atraumatic application of attenuated SIVmac239Deltanef vaccine to the tonsils of rhesus ...
Epitope mimic for human HIV-neutralizing antibody 2G12 synthesized.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have synthesized a template-assembled oligomannose cluster as an epitope mimic for human HIV-neutralizing antibody 2G12. According to published research from the United States, "The synthesis and antibody-binding affinity of a ...
HIV synthetic peptide-cocktail prevents SHIV transmission.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An HIV synthetic peptide-cocktail prevented SHIV transmission in rhesus macaques. "An effective vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) should not only protect from infection and development of acquired immunodeficiency ...
Low-dose mucosal SIV challenge has same kinetics as high-dose challenge.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Repeated low-dose mucosal simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239 challenge results in the same viral and immunological kinetics as high-dose challenge. According to published research from the United States, "Simian immunodeficiency ...
Nasal vaccine controls SHIV viremia and disease progression in primates.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- IL-2-augmented DNA-modified vaccinia virus Ankara nasal vaccination controlled simian/human immunodeficiency virus viremia and disease progression in nonhuman primates. According to recent research from the United States, "A successful ...
Molecular analyses of ALL suggest strategies for more effective treatments.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The cure rate for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) might continue to rise with improved use of conventional therapies. But even more effective and less toxic therapies based on genetic and pharmacogenetic studies might one ...
Popular citrus soda culprit in patient's medical mystery.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bill Turner never knew that drinking a popular soda could adversely affect his recovery from a double-lung transplant. What ensued was a true medical mystery, leading to the identification of a new food-and-drug interaction. It took a ...
Company reports additional FDA clearances for its Gemini system.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Laserscope's (LSCP) Gemini laser system for three major additional indications, including acne treatment, permanent hair reduction, and wrinkle reduction. Including these new ...
Patch to help cut down alcohol consumption in development.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A patch that could help drinkers cut down on alcohol is being developed, according to a new report. The patches will contain nicotine, to help smokers get off cigarettes, and a compound called mecamylamine, which reduces a person's ...
Nasal lavage may help allergy sufferers.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Last summer, Bill Schroeder's extreme allergies, inflammation, and infection of his sinuses kept him from tending his beloved garden in rural Wisconsin. This year, Schroeder has already begun to work in his backyard full of lush trees, ...
Optimal occlusion time for atopy patch test determined for children.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The optimal occlusion time for the atopy patch test (APT) has been determined for pediatric patients. The APT "is a valuable additional tool in the diagnosis of food allergies in children with atopic dermatitis (AD)," immunologists in ...
Mycobacterium vaccae induces regulatory pulmonary CD11c+ cells in mice.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Exposure to a ubiquitous strain of mycobacteria triggers the production of regulatory pulmonary CD11c+ cells in allergic mice. "The hygiene hypothesis proposes that common, harmless microorganisms, present throughout our evolutionary ...
Eosinophil-produced MIF plays key role in allergic rhinitis.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Eosinophil-produced MIF is involved in the development and subsequent symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Scientists in Japan conducted a study "to assess the potential role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the pathogenesis ...
Researchers link common airborne bacterium to Alzheimer disease.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine's Center for the Study of Chronic Diseases of Aging in the Adolph and Rose Levis Alzheimer disease Laboratory have found a possible link between Chlamydia pneumoniae, a common airborne ...
Current concepts and future prospects for Alzheimer disease vaccines.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers review current concepts and future prospects for Alzheimer disease vaccines in a recent issue of the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders. "Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia ...
Early Alzheimer detection and treatment essential.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alzheimer disease can't be cured, but discovering it early and treating it with drugs can give the patient a better quality of life, a neurologist from Texas told a Montana conference here. Available drugs to treat Alzheimer work best ...
FDA completes review of Propofol IDD-D phase II trial results.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- SkyePharma PLC (SKYE) successfully completed the review of the phase II trial results of Propofol IDD-D with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Propofol IDD-D is licensed in North America to Endo Pharmaceuticals (ENDP) and, under the ...
Case made for using awareness monitoring in surgical patients.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients describe it as like being buried alive. The worse part is not the pain, they say, although that can be excruciating, but the horror of being paralyzed, unable to talk and yet totally aware of what the surgeon is doing to you. ...
FDA approves CardizemLA.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biovail Corp. (BVF) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved CardizemLA for the treatment of chronic stable angina. CardizemLA can be given orally once daily, either in the evening or in the morning. ...
Antioxidants may mediate exercise-induced drop in platelet activity.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Antioxidants may mediate exercise-induced reductions in platelet activity. Researchers in Italy conducted a study "to evaluate in sedentary individuals the effects of a 20-week exercise training program on ex vivo platelet responsiveness ...
LPS-induced COX-2 expression attenuated in diabetic blood vessels.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- COX-2 expression and prostacyclin production after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation are attenuated in diabetic blood vessels. According to recent research published in the journal Naunyn - Schmiedebergs Archives of Pharmacology, "In ...
Suprax launched in the U.S.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lupin, Ltd., has now launched its anti-infective product Suprax (cefixime Oral Suspension) in the U.S. The newly established, 50-strong, pediatric-specialty sales force of the company's subsidiary, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (LPI) has ...
AACR data indicate strong synergy of Hsp90 inhibitor, 17-AAG.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Kosan Biosciences (KOSN) announced, at the American Association for Cancer Research, preclinical in vitro data on the cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects of Kosan's lead Hsp90 inhibitor, 17-AAG, when used in combination with 20 different ...
Oncology company licenses cancer compound to NeoRx.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AnorMED, Inc., (AOM) announced that it has licensed its platinum-based anticancer agent, AMD473, to NeoRx Corporation (NERX). Under the terms of the agreement, NeoRx was granted exclusive global rights, excluding Japan, to develop, ...
CLEAR II registry launched.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ENZN) announced a major new initiative to build upon the value of its CLEAR (Collaborative Exchange of Antifungal Research) patient registry with the launch of CLEAR II. CLEAR II is a multicenter registry ...
Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance in India determined.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The prevalence and patterns of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance in India have been characterized. In a recent study, the P. falciparum "chloroquine resistance transporter (Pfcrt) K76T mutation and haplotype (amino acids 72-76) and ...
EGCG inhibits radiation-induced apoptosis by inactivating capase pathway.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Polyphenol EGCG inhibits radiation-induced apoptosis by inactivating the capase pathway in HaCaT cells. "Green tea is a rich source of polyphenols, and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a major constituent of green tea ...
Heat shock protein promotes presentation of antigens to immune system.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Recombinant human heat shock protein 60 (HuHsp60) facilitates the presentation of antigenic proteins to the immune system. According to a study from England, "Cross-reactive T cell recognition of self-heat shock proteins (hsp) has been ...
NO scavenging underlies hypertensive effects on Hb-based blood substitutes.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nitric oxide [NO] scavenging underlies the hypertensive effects of hemoglobin [Hb]-based blood substitutes. "The major pathway for nitric oxide scavenging in red cells involves the direct reaction of the gas with HbO[subscript]2 to form ...
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection works when oocytes have abnormal structures.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection works when oocytes have abnormal structures. According to recent research from Israel, "a couple with unexplained infertility was referred for routine in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic ...
Multiple birth rates after assisted reproductive techniques have leveled off.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Multiple birth rates after assisted reproductive techniques have leveled off. "European results of assisted reproductive techniques from treatments initiated during 2000 are presented in this fourth annual report. Data were collected ...
Parents' feelings and official practices governing stored embryos vary.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Parents' feelings and official practices governing stored embryos vary. According to a study from the United States, "cryopreservation of embryos is frequently employed in in vitro fertilization (IVF) practices because transfer of more ...
Three key variables predict the success of intrauterine insemination.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Three key variables predict the success of intrauterine insemination. "This study was performed to predict pregnancy by intrauterine insemination (IUI) using computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) estimates and strict criteria in patients ...
Role of costimulatory molecules in allergy and asthma reviewed.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists review the role of costimulatory molecules in allergy and asthma in a recent issue of Springer Seminars in Immunopathology. "Activation and differentiation of T cells play a critical role in the pathogenesis of allergies and ...
Xolair forecasted to lead the growth of the asthma drug market in 2012.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Decision Resources, Inc., forecasts that Genentech/Novartis/Sankyo/Tanox Biosystems' Xolair will lead the growth of the asthma market with major-market sales of $3.3 billion in 2012. According to the new Pharmacor study entitled ...
Poor glycemic control increases asymptomatic bacteriuria risk in women.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Poor metabolic control increases the risk of asymptomatic bacteriuria in women with diabetes. According to recent research from Italy, "We screened 228 women with diabetes for bacteriuria during the period of January 1997 through ...
Novel platelet proteins located in human atherosclerotic lesions.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Characterization of the proteins released from activated platelets led to localization of novel platelet proteins in human atherosclerotic lesions. "Proteins secreted by activated platelets can adhere to the vessel wall and promote the ...
Microbes that produce hydrogen peroxide reduce obstetrical complications.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Microbes that produce hydrogen peroxide reduce obstetrical complications. According to recent research published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, "lactobacilli, principally the strains that are hydrogen peroxide ...
E. coli LPS induces heat shock protein 25 in intestinal cells.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides induce heat shock protein 25 in intestinal epithelial cells through mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation. According to a study from the United States, "Protection of colonic epithelial ...
Pasteurella multocida contains multiple hemoglobin-binding proteins.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pasteurella multocida contains multiple immunogenic hemin- and hemoglobin-binding proteins. According to a study from Spain, "Iron-dependent outer membrane proteins (IROMPs) play an important role in bacterial pathogenesis and present ...
Study demonstrates improvements in BPH symptoms with AVODART.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New clinical study findings showed that men with symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate, taking AVODART for 4 years had sustained, long-term improvement in three major markers of BPH - urinary symptoms, ...
Engineered fibrin matrices boost the study of angiogenesis-linked therapy.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Engineered fibrin matrices boost the study of angiogenesis-linked therapy. According to published research from Switzerland, "with the rapid increase in approaches to pro- or anti-angiogenic therapy, new and effective methodologies for ...
New models depict endothelial patterning during tubulogenesis.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New models depict endothelial patterning during tubulogenesis. "In vitro angiogenesis assays have shown that tubulogenesis of endothelial cells within biogels, like collagen or fibrin gels, only appears for a critical range of ...
New techniques embed pDNA in collagen scaffolds more effectively.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New techniques embed pDNA in collagen scaffolds more effectively. According to a study from Israel, "collagen matrices can be used as non-viral biocompatible gene carriers for localized implantable gene therapy. Collagen matrices ...
Reengineered salivary glands act as bioreactors for systemic gene therapies.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Reengineered salivary glands act as bioreactors for systemic gene therapies. According to published research from the United States, "the use of critical-for-life organs (e.g., liver or lung) for systemic gene therapeutics can lead to ...
Decision support system developed for measurement of operational efficiency.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel system has been developed for measuring the operational efficiency of blood banks. J.F. Kros and colleagues at East Carolina University described a "decision support system (DSS)" that "allows users to input, analyze, and output ...
Bordetella holmesii bacteremia is a problem in asplenic patients.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bordetella holmesii bacteremia is a newly recognized clinical entity among asplenic patients. "Bordetella holmesii is a recently identified Gram-negative bacterial species associated with bacteremia, endocarditis, and respiratory ...
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy can monitor glioma response to treatment.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Monitoring low-grade glioma response to temozolomide can be accomplished using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1-MRS), researchers say. "Assessment of low-grade glioma treatment response remains as much of a challenge as the ...
Aromatase inhibitors may replace tamoxifen.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A 4-year update of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination) Trial showed that patients on anastrozole have longer disease-free survival, lower incidence of contralateral breast cancer, and fewer side effects than women taking ...
CXCR4 expressed in DCIS of the breast and atypical ductal hyperplasia.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CXCR4 is expressed in DCIS of the breast and atypical ductal hyperplasia, and may play a key role in the development of these malignancies. "Recent evidence attributed important influence to chemokines and their receptors on motility, ...
Drug development company doses first patient in breast cancer study.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- YM BioSciences Inc. (YM) announced that the first patient has been dosed in its 700-patient phase III registration trial for metastatic breast cancer. The international pivotal trial is designed to compare the overall survival ...
Perillyl alcohol inhibits human breast cancer cell growth in mice.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers report that monoterpene perillyl alcohol (POH) administered to nude mice inhibited breast cancer cell growth. According to a study from Japan, "The effect of POH on cell growth, cell cycle progression, and expression of cell ...
Progenta breast cancer treatment data presented at cancer research meeting.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Zonagen, Inc., (ZONA) announced that data generated at Zonagen in collaboration with scientists at the University of Illinois-Chicago that indicate the potential for Progenta for the treatment of breast cancer were presented at the 2004 Annual ...
Studies: INGN 241 enhances antitumor effects of Herceptin.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Preclinical data presented at the 95th annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research demonstrate that INGN 241 enhances the antitumor effects of Herceptin (Trastuzumab) in HER2-positive breast cancer. INGN 241, a product ...
Implications of estrogen receptor beta in breast cancer outlined.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The implications of the estrogen receptor beta for patients with breast cancer are outlined in a recent issue of Lancet Oncology. "Estrogen receptor (ER) a is a well established prognostic marker in breast cancer, and all patients who ...
"Crystal engineering" helps scientists solve 3-D protein structures.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new technique for engineering protein crystals is helping scientists figure out the three-dimensional structures of some important biological molecules, including a key plague protein whose structure has eluded researchers until now. ...
BioBalance parent's 2003 revenues come solely from healthcare services.
May 07, 2004 ... 2004 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New York Health Care, Inc., (BBAL) announced financial results for the year ended December 31, 2003. Net patient service revenues of $45,060,449 were entirely generated from its healthcare services business. The company's BioBalance ...