Strategies & Technologies Driving Drug Discovery to Market
Gastoparesis Prevalent in Diabetes Study
May 20, 2013 12:28 pm | News | CommentsRhythm announced the presentation of results from a new epidemiology study demonstrating a higher prevalence of gastroparesis symptoms among diabetic patients in the U.S. than previously recognized. Prevalence of these symptoms is high among patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Molecule Linked to Cancer Growth
May 20, 2013 12:14 pm | News | CommentsResearchers have discovered how a key player in cell growth, immunity, and the inflammatory response can be transformed into a primary contributor to tumor growth. NF-kappa B induces the transcription of genes that trigger inflammation, promote cell proliferation, and undermine cell death.
Suvorexant Raises Red Flags
May 20, 2013 11:53 am | by Matthew Perrone | News | CommentsU.S. Food and Drug Administration regulators say an experimental insomnia drug from Merck called suvorexant can help patients fall asleep, but it also carries worrisome side effects, including an increased risk of daytime drowsiness and suicidal thinking.
Actavis Buying Warner Chilcott for $8.5B
May 20, 2013 8:00 am | by Michelle Chapman | News | CommentsActavis is buying Warner Chilcott in a transaction valued at about $8.5 billion which would create the third-biggest specialty pharmaceutical company in the U.S. The new company is expected to be called Actavis PLC and will be incorporated in Ireland, where Warner Chilcott is currently incorporated.
Osteoarthritis Progression Halted In Mice
May 20, 2013 8:00 am | by John Hopkins | News | CommentsScientists no longer see the painful degenerative disease osteoarthritis as a problem primarily of the cartilage that cushions joints; they now have evidence that the bone underneath the cartilage is also a key player and exacerbates the damage.
Antibody Offers New Route to Cancer Vaccine
May 20, 2013 3:00 am | by Christopher Vaughan | News | CommentsScientists have shown that their previously identified therapeutic approach to fight cancer via immune cells called macrophages also prompts the disease-fighting killer T cells to attack the cancer. The research demonstrates that the approach may be a promising strategy for creating custom cancer vaccines.
Depuy Ending Run of Two Hip Implants
May 17, 2013 12:05 pm | News | CommentsJohnson & Johnson's DePuy orthopedics business plans to stop selling a couple of hip replacement systems not widely used by doctors. DePuy will discontinue both its Ultamet Metal-on-Metal Articulation and Complete Ceramic-on-Metal Acetabular systems worldwide at the end of August.
Merck, Quintiles Sign Collaboration
May 17, 2013 11:42 am | News | CommentsIn a novel approach to clinical development that is founded on a shared commitment to cost-disciplined science, Merck and Quintiles have signed a collaboration intended to optimize productivity in the design and execution of studies with a focus on quality, speed, and efficiency.
Gilead Releases Positive Leukemia Data
May 17, 2013 11:18 am | News | CommentsGilead Sciences Inc. announced results from a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating idelalisib, an investigational, targeted, oral inhibitor of PI3K delta, in combination with rituximab for older patients with treatment-naïve chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Impax Marketing Generic Zomig
May 17, 2013 10:46 am | News | CommentsImpax Laboratories Inc. is now selling a low-cost generic version of Zomig tablets and orally disintegrating Zomig tablets in two strengths. Zomig, or zolmitriptan, is available in tablet and nasal spray form and as tablets that will disintegrate and can be taken without liquid.
Halozyme Reports Pancreatic Cancer Study Data
May 16, 2013 4:39 pm | News | CommentsHalozyme Therapeutics Inc. has posted results from an early-stage trial that included its drug PEGPH20 as a treatment for pancreatic cancer. Halozyme said PEGPH20 may make tumors more vulnerable to treatment by depleting their defenses and changing their metabolism.
Zocor May Reduce Exercise Benefits
May 16, 2013 4:32 pm | News | CommentsStatins are often suggested to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease in individuals with obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of medical disorders including excess body fat and/or high levels of blood pressure, blood sugar and/or cholesterol. However...
FDA Approves Cancer Treatment
May 16, 2013 4:21 pm | News | CommentsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Xofigo to treat men with symptomatic late-stage (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer that has spread to bones but not to other organs. It is intended for men whose cancer has spread after receiving medical or surgical therapy to lower testosterone.
The Promise of Companion Diagnostics
May 16, 2013 4:04 pm | by Christopher P. Leamon, Vice President of Research; Endocyte Inc., West Lafayette, Ind. | Articles | CommentsAdvances in biotechnology, together with an improved understanding of the underlying biology of disease, have led to the pursuit of more effective targeted therapeutics and the subsequent development of companion diagnostics to identify appropriate patients.
Oncothyreon Releases Stimuvax Data
May 16, 2013 11:54 am | News | CommentsDrug developer Oncothyreon Inc. announced new clinical trial data about an experimental lung cancer treatment that failed to improve the overall survival rate. Oncothyreon said that it identified some patients who appeared to live longer after treatment with Stimuvax.
