• Nab-paclitaxel appears to enhance gemcitabine activity.
• Study also shows the potential value of a time-delay administration.
• Combination treatment regimen already in late-stage phase III clinical trial.
Researchers from UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, together with scientists from 12 other sites in the United States and Australia, report for the first time that a newly approved drug for patients with metastatic melanoma nearly doubles median survival times, a finding that will change the way this deadly form of skin cancer is treated.
Investigators from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) and 12 other centers in the United States and Australia have found that a new drug for patients with metastatic melanoma nearly doubled median overall survival.
Billions of engineered nanoparticles in foods and pharmaceuticals are ingested by humans daily, and new Cornell research warns they may be more harmful to health than previously thought.
-New study published in Science Translational Medicine demonstrates microRNA-21 contributes to fibrogenesis in the kidney
-Regulus, in partnership with Sanofi, developing novel anti-fibrotic therapies targeting microRNAs
Leading representatives of the American Epilepsy Society, American Academy of Neurology, and the Epilepsy Foundation today reported they have grave concerns about the implications and potential misuse of the anticonvulsant (AED) drug comparisons study recently released by the U.S. Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ). The study’s intent is to provide an evidence-based analysis of the Effectiveness and Safety of Antiepileptic Medications in Patients With Epilepsy. But the AHRQ report has little clinical value according to the specialists in neurology and epilepsy and could negatively impact patient care.
A mutli-site study offers paramedics a better tool for treating seizures -- autoinjectors were found to be a safe, effective alternative to giving drugs by IV.
Jack Muckstadt, a professor of Engineering and an expert on manufacturing systems, manufacturing logistics and supply chain systems, comments on reports that chronic shortages of key drugs are driving up health care costs and compromising patient care.
Antibiotics that doctors typically prescribe for sinus infections do not reduce symptoms any better than an inactive placebo, according to investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Novel gene abnormalities discovered in a subpopulation of lung and colorectal tumors could potentially identify patients with a good chance of responding to highly specific “targeted” drugs already in use for treating other cancers, scientists report.
The genetic alterations – pieces of two genes fused together - showed up in a massive search of the DNA in stored tumor samples of non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer, said researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Foundation Medicine, Inc. These specific genetic abnormalities had not been previously linked to the two cancer types.
Tenofovir, one of the most effective and commonly prescribed antiretroviral medications for HIV/AIDS, is associated with a significant risk of kidney damage and chronic kidney disease that increases over time, according to a study of more than 10,000 patients led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
With the new year came many drug recalls. In the first six weeks of 2012, there were at least 13 drug-related recalls. Some were due to bacterial contamination. Eight distinct bacterial contaminants were identified in one over-the-counter product.
Short-term use of the antibiotic cefpodoxime for the treatment of women with uncomplicated cystitis (bladder infection) did not meet criteria for noninferiority for achieving clinical cure compared with ciprofloxacin, a drug in the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics for which there have been concerns about overuse and a resulting increase in resistance rates, according to a study in the February 8 issue of JAMA.
Within a few years, a new generation of easy-to-use blood-thinning drugs will likely replace Coumadin for patients with irregular heartbeats who are at risk for stroke, according to a journal article by Loyola University Medical Center physicians.
Research from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey on the FDA-approved drugs Celebrex® and Lipitor® -- used respectively for arthritis pain and lowering cholesterol -- shows that these drugs are well tolerated in the treatment of recurrent prostate cancer. Preliminary results from an ongoing Phase II clinical trial will be presented this week during the 2012 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.
The FDA's approval of ivacaftor for treatement of cystic fibrosis will provide substantial benefit for CF patients with the G551D mutation in CFTR, say UAB investigators who conducted clinical trials on the drug.
Researchers at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine have identified a genetic variation that raises the risk of developing serious necrotic jaw bone lesions in patients who take bisphosphonates, a common class of osteoclastic inhibitors.
Researchers have discovered that the most common receptor for the major neurotransmitter in the brain is also present in the eye, which may explain links between cataracts, epilepsy and use of a number of antiepileptic and antidepressant drugs.
HIV-positive mothers have been able to guard against transmitting the disease to their babies by taking antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy. Although the drugs prevent children from being born with HIV, they could cause birth defects, such as cleft lip and palate. A new study explores any links between antiretroviral prophylaxis and cleft lip and palate.
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) announced today that the company will establish a type 1 diabetes research and development center in Seattle, Wash., U.S. The new center will combine Novo Nordisk's history of innovation and leadership in diabetes treatment with the company's growing expertise in immunotherapy.
The Institute of Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery (ICB&DD) at Stony Brook University announced a multi-year research collaboration with Sanofi, a multinational pharmaceutical company, on a potential treatment for Tuberculosis (TB) and other bacterial infections.
Allergies to Plavix®, also know by its chemical name, Clopidogrel occur in about six percent of patients given the drug, vital for the prevention of life-threatening stent thrombosis after angioplasty and percutaneous coronary interventions. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University found that a combination of steroids and antihistamines can successfully alleviate the allergic reaction and enable patients to remain on the drug. Until now, hypersensitivity required drug interruption, placing the patient at risk for restenosis or a major coronary event.
Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening genetic muscle disorder, most commonly triggered in those at risk by certain types of drugs used during anesthesia. Heat stroke, on the other hand, most commonly occurs in individuals in response to physical exertion in hot/humid environments. While their common triggers may differ, the signs associated with MH and heat stroke are remarkably similar – uncontrolled muscle contractions, dangerous increases in body temperature, and muscle breakdown leading to the release of toxins in the blood which may cause cardiac arrhythmias and death. Immediate treatment for these conditions is crucial.
Each year many individuals die or suffer consequences of heat stroke. Heat stroke is not uncommon in the military as well as in athletic competitions. This would be the first demonstration that a medication can be effective in preventing certain forms of heat stroke.
The new UC San Diego-Roche Extending Innovation Network (EIN) program has been launched with selection of its first three research projects at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. The UC San Diego-Roche EIN program, which was formalized in June 2011, aims to accelerate the discovery of new drug therapies through research innovation at the interface of industry and academia.
For children with HIV infection, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the use of raltegravir, an antiretroviral drug that slows the spread of HIV infection, offers a new weapon to treat HIV infection in children.
Technology developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University for delivering drugs and other therapeutics to specific locations in the eye provides the foundation for a startup company that has received a $4 million venture capital investment.
Drugs already approved for clinical use across a variety of therapeutic categories can be screened to identify effective agents for thyroid cancer according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). These findings could rapidly be implemented into a clinical trial to test how effective the treatment would be.
Pharmacists’ prescribing medications is a topic often discussed when health policy experts explore how to improve patient safety, medication-use outcomes, and access to medical services. The Dec. 15 issue of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (AJHP) examines the sometimes-controversial topic in its current issue.
The pharmaceutical sector has made a big investment in targeting kinases proteins, so there are a lot of compounds and drugs out there that, although they were designed to overcome cancer, they can in fact be looked at with fresh eyes and maybe repurposed to address the problem of antibiotic resistance.
In a new study, NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have discovered how cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins promote the breakdown of plaque in the arteries.
An antimalarial agent developed by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University proved effective at clearing infections caused by the malaria parasite most lethal to humans – by literally starving the parasites to death. The study, published in the November 11, 2011 issue of PLoS ONE, was led by senior author Vern Schramm, Ph.D., professor and Ruth Merns Chair in Biochemistry at Einstein.
A UCSF study suggests patients with chronic pain may experience greater relief if their doctors add cannabinoids – the main ingredient in cannabis or medical marijuana – to an opiates-only treatment. The findings, from a small-scale study, also suggest that a combined therapy could result in reduced opiate dosages.
Researchers in the U.S. and U.K. are conducting an ongoing investigation of the cognitive effect of fetal exposure across four commonly used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as part of an NIH-funded Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs (NEAD) Study. An early NEAD analysis found that fetal exposure to valproate impairs IQ at age three.
Bromide is not FDA-approved for use in the United States. But it is among anticonvulsants available in Germany and other European countries. Research reported today at the American Epilepsy Society’s 65th annual meeting by investigators from Germany suggests that bromide may have promise in treating patients with SCN1A-associated Dravet syndrome with intractable seizures.
A drug commonly used to treat seizures appears to make eye tumors less likely to grow if they spread to other parts of the body, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, have identified the pattern of cell signaling induced by antipsychotic drugs in a complex composed of two brain receptors linked to schizophrenia. The discovery should allow researchers to predict the effectiveness of novel compounds for the treatment of schizophrenia and other serious mental disorders and may accelerate the development of better antipsychotic drugs. The findings are published in the November 23 issue of Cell.
Researchers interested in the treatment of schizophrenia and dementia have clarified how antipsychotic drugs that target a complex of two receptors at the surface of cells in the brain work, according to a new study published online Nov. 23 in the journal Cell.
A research team led by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists has identified an atypical metabolic pathway unique to some tumors, possibly providing a future target for drugs that could reduce or halt the spread of cancer.
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, in collaboration with colleagues in Boston and South Korea, say they have identified a novel gene mutation that causes at least one form of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common type of malignant brain tumor.
Georgia Tech has developed a computer program that can study larger molecules faster than any other program in existence. The analysis program is designed to improve knowledge about why certain molecules are attracted to each other and how those relationships can be "tuned" to improve drug development.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Kyushu University Medical School say a novel combination of a specific sugar molecule with a pair of cell-killing drugs prompts a wide variety of cancer cell types to kill themselves, a process called apoptosis or programmed cell death.