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Archive for June, 2009

“Trojan horse” goes cellular to attack cancer, diabetes, infections

Monday, June 29th, 2009

With biotechnology companies looking to control RNA to block genes that produce disease-causing proteins involved in cancer and other diseases, a new study shows that researchers may be one step closer using the â€œTrojan horseâ€ method. The therapy uses bacterially derived nano cells that may directly target cancer cells with chemotherapy ...

Posted in cancer | No Comments »

Migraines show long-term impact on the brain

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

According to a recentÂ study, migraine aura may lead to long-term damage to the cerebellum. Researchers found that brain lesions were found in about one-quarter of older women who had migraines that were accompanied by aura. The lesions appeared in the cerebellum, located at the base of the brain, which plays ...

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Drug safety takes center stage at DIA

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

This year, planners of the DIA Annual Meeting decided to pick an official theme for their big event in San Diego, something the organization hasnâ€™t done for several years. The theme they settled on is â€œBetter Medicines: Improving Safety With Every Step.â€ Not necessarily a surprising choice, but certainly an ...

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DIA dispatch

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Greetings from San Diego, the site of the DIA 45th Annual Meeting taking place this week at the cityâ€™s sprawling convention center. As I rediscover a newfound appreciation for sunshine (I hear itâ€™s still raining in the Northeast), Iâ€™ll get right down to some of the highlights from Day 1 ...

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Talking shop with Bert Spilker

Monday, June 15th, 2009

In my job, you have the opportunity to speak with, meet, or cross paths with a wide variety of executives in pharmaceutical research and development. They can range from experts in the science and discovery end to heads of specific clinical trial programs to those specializing in regulatory affairs. With the ...

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Pandemic hastens vaccine chase

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Now that a swine flu pandemic has officially been declared and the outbreak alert meter raised to phase 6, the big question again is just how long will it take for vaccine shots against the H1N1 strain to be ready? News outlets reported Wednesday that Sanofi-Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and Solvay had ...

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Clumps key in Huntingtonâ€™s disease breakthrough

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Scientists have figured out the cause of brain damage and death in Huntingtonâ€™s disease patients that may lead to treatments to stop the disease. There is currently only one treatment that eases the symptoms of Huntingtonâ€™s, Xenazine, marketed and developed by H. Lundbeck. Although there are a handful of drugs ...

Posted in clinical trials, filed for approval | No Comments »

Diabetes studies offer cancer clues

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Researchers have made a breakthrough that may increase the efficiency of vaccines and cancer treatments. They discovered that diabetes drug metformin can increase T-cellâ€™s in the bodyâ€™s immune system and since T-cells can remember pathogens they have encountered from past infections of vaccinations they can fight infections faster. DiabetesÂ therapies are ...

Posted in cancer, diabetes, vaccines | No Comments »

Prasugrel not pleasing

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Since January 2008, FDA has been discussing the benefits over the risks of Eli Lillyâ€™s prasugrel. The drug prevents more heart attacks than Plavix, but causes more internal bleeding, according to a study conducted by Lilly. Consumer health advocates and Dr. Victor Serebruany, who worked on the early development of ...

Posted in filed for approval | No Comments »

FDA wants to open up

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

The launching of the FDA Transparency Task Force is welcomed news for those who have long complained that the agency is too secretive when it comes to sharing vital drug information, even to the point uninformed patients have been harmed. However, as this report notes, while the goals for the program ...

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