PharmaGazette: October 2007 Archives

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Oct31	Combigan Eye Drop for Glaucoma FDA Approved L. Lewis October 31, 2007 Know More: Drug Regulations & Approval The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Combigan by Allergan Inc.(NYSE:AGN) for the treatment of glaucoma. It is a prescription eye drop that reduces elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) using an alpha adrenergic receptor agonist with a beta adrenergic inhibitor. "COMBIGAN(TM) ophthalmic solution is a medication that provides well documented safety and efficacy for patients with inadequately controlled IOP," said Scott Whitcup, M.D., Allergan's Executive Vice President, Research and Development. "The development of COMBIGAN(TM), which has included five key clinical studies, underscores Allergan's commitment to provide new treatment options for patients with glaucoma." Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that are characterized by damage to the optic nerve and is a leading cause of preventable eyesight loss. It is estimated that 65 million people suffer from glaucoma worldwide. When the fluid that is produced by the eye, aqueous humor, drains too rapidly, or not rapidly enough, pressure builds in the eye cause the shape to distort and can cause damage to the optic nerve. Controlling the level of IOP may slow the progression and prevent loss of vision. [Source: Reuters and Allergen] Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct31	Parkinson's Disease Trigger Possibly Found L. Lewis October 31, 2007 Prof. William Burke and his team at Saint Louis University School of Medicine believe that they have uncovered how Parkinson's disease is triggered. Parkinson's happens when a protein called alphasynuclein (AS) clumps together in the brain. The clumps, also called... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pfizer Inc.'s Geodon May Control Unresponsive Schizophrenia L. Lewis October 31, 2007 Dr Anthony D. Loebel of Pfizer Inc. ( NYSE:PFE) and colleagues have found that Ziprasidone, sold as Geodon, was well tolerated and showed long term efficiency in patients that suffer from schizophrenia who did not respond to other drug.According to a... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	November is Diabetes Awareness Month L. Lewis October 31, 2007 November is Diabetes Awareness Month and the American Diabetes Association will be highlighting a different facet of the illness every week of the month.Many Faces of DiabetesWeek 1: Caregivers. ADA will offer resources and information to those that take care... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct30	Chili Pepper Hot Sauce Used in Surgeries L. Lewis October 30, 2007 Say What? Doctors are testing hot sauce to see if it can relieve the pain of surgery.In a previous article I explained how researchers were testing to see if the main ingredient in chili peppers, capsaicin, we able to be used... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Adams Respitory Therapeutics Gets Approval Letter for Mucinex with Codeine L. Lewis October 30, 2007 The U.S Food and Drug Administration has issued a letter of approval regarding the New Drug Application for Adams Respitory Therapeutics Inc's (NASDAQ:ARXT) Mucinex with Codeine.Mucinex with Codeine is to be used in the prescription treatment of cough associated with the common cold,... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pfizer's Axitinib Alows Kindey Cancer in Early Trials L. Lewis October 30, 2007 A study published in the medical journey The Lancet Oncology said that Axitinib stopped the disease in almost half the patients who saw no benefit from standard treatment. The trial, funded and designed by Pfizer showed that the experimental drug slowed... Continue Reading Posted at 9:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Novartis AG Gets FDA Approval For Tasigna L. Lewis October 30, 2007 Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for Tasigna.Tasigna is indicated for use in chronic myeloid leukemia for patients that no longer respond to Glivec(Gleevec in the US). It was developed as a next-generation targeted therapy... Continue Reading Posted at 8:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Says Roche's CellCept Raises Birth Defects Possibility L. Lewis October 30, 2007 Roche Holding AG (OTC:RHHBY) organ rejection drug, CellCept, increase the risk of miscarriage and birth defects according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There is also the possibility of congenital malformations.The FDA has added a new black box warning... Continue Reading Posted at 7:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct29	U,K to Vaccine School Girls against HPV, GKS and Merck Vie for Contract L. Lewis October 29, 2007 In what can only be seen as a huge bonus for Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) and GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (NYSE:GSK) , the U.K government has announced that it will begin vaccinating all girls between the ages of 12 and 13 as of... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wyeth Voluntary Recall of Some Robitussin and Children's Dimetapp Products L. Lewis October 29, 2007 While there is no issue with the medication, Wyeth has initiated a voluntary recall and replacement for all U.S retail outlets concerning several Robitussin and Children's Dimetapp Cold and Chest Congestion products.The recall involves the removal of all products that... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Researchers Developing "Bone Cement" L. Lewis October 29, 2007 Researchers in Ireland are in the process of developing a new bone cement that might be able to help repair spinal injuries and other major bone fractures.Usually serious bone fractures require intensive and invasive surgeries however, the done cement treatment,... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tentative Approval for Valsartan Tablets from FDA L. Lewis October 29, 2007 Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals announced that it has received tentative approval to manufacture and market Valsartan Tablets in 40 mg, 80 mg, 160 mg and 320 mg strengths.Valsartan is the generic version of Diovan, a Novartis drug, and is used in the... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	J&J Submits Paliperidone Palmitate for FDA Approval L. Lewis October 29, 2007 Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development has submitted paliperidone palmitate to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration for New Drug Application. Paliperidone palmitate is a once monthly antipsychotic intramuscular injection for the treatment of schizophrenia.To be marketed by Janssen L.P.... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct26	Laughter Good for Children in Pain from Cancer Treatments L. Lewis October 26, 2007 According to a study by UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Center and the nonprofit organization Rx Laughter watching comedy shows helped children tolerate pain for longer periods of time.Researchers had patients watch funny classic and contemporary movies and t.v series before, during... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Teen Screen - The Debate Continues L. Lewis October 26, 2007 I was asked if I would post an opinion piece by someone that had read the previous posts and comments on TeenScreen - Good or Bad?, Mantatory Mental Health Screening for Our Children Part 1 and Mantatory Mental Health Screening for Our... Continue Reading Posted at 2:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Issues Early Communication About Saftey of Bayer Trasylol L. Lewis October 26, 2007 Last week Canadian researchers stopped a study on Trasylol because they believed that the drug increased the risk if death compared to other antifibrinolytic drugs used in the study.Today the FDA recommended that health care providers review the risks and... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	High Blood Pressure Medication May Treat and Prevent Alzheimer's L. Lewis October 26, 2007 A study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation has found that geriatric patients who are being treated for high blood pressure with hypertension drug might be cutting their risk of delveloping Alzheimer's disease.Researchers at the Mount Sinai School of... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	ADHD Patch, Daytrana from Shire plc, Works L. Lewis October 26, 2007 Shire plc (NASDAQ:SHPGY) released data from a 12 month long study on the effects and tolerability of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patch, Daytrana. Results of the study demonstrated that significant tolerability and improved symptom control in children aged 6... Continue Reading Posted at 9:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct25	What is Lupus? L. Lewis October 25, 2007 I had the humiliating experience last night of running into an acquaintance. After exchanging pleasantries, I noticed she kept saying things like "Since I got sick" and "Sometimes it's hard for me to stand". I asked her what was wrong... Continue Reading Posted at 3:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Virtual Open Heart Surgery: You Be The Doctor L. Lewis October 25, 2007 Pharmacology can be dry and a tad boring at times but I found a site that had a link to the coolest game and I wanted to share it with you.Bertalan Mesko at ScienceRoll posted a link to game that's half... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FluMist Now Recommended For Children 2 and Older L. Lewis October 25, 2007 The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is now recommending that FluMist for children in the 2 to 5 year old bracket. Previously, the nasal spray was only for children over the age of 5.FluMist, by MedImmune, is a nasal spray... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sanofi-Aventis Receives Warning Letter over Ketek L. Lewis October 25, 2007 The FDA sent a warning letter to Sanofi's CEO Gregory Irace accusing the company of knowingly having submitted clinical data had "multiple and significant violations of FDA regulations… that affected the integrity of data submitted".After the FDA required more information... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cephalon Inc's Provigil Gets Stronger FDA Warning L. Lewis October 25, 2007 The sleep-disorder drug, Provigil, by Cephalon Inc.(NASDAQ:CEPH) will soon carry more severe warnings on its packaging. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided that the drug must now include warnings of life-threatening rashes and psychiatric symptoms.Prescribing information must now include... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct24	Too Much Marijuana Can Hurt! L. Lewis October 24, 2007 A new study by Dr Mark S. Wallace of University of California is showing that while smoking moderate does of marijuana helps to reduce pain, smoking larger amounts actually increases pain."Our study suggests that there is a therapeutic window for... Continue Reading Posted at 3:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) L. Lewis October 24, 2007 Plavix is an oral anitplatelet agent used in the treatment of stroke, heart attack or poor circulation. Plavix worked to keep platelets in the blood from sticking together and forming clots.Marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) and sanofi-aventis (EPA:SAN) Plavix prevents blood clots... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Mylan and GlaxoSmithKline Settle Over Generic Paxil CR L. Lewis October 24, 2007 Mylan Inc announced that it and its subsidiary, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, have in place an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (NYSE:GSK) to settle all litigation and also have in place a patent license agreement.Mylan applied for, and was granted, an ANDA from the U.S. Food... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wyeth Applies to FDA Approval for New Drug Tygacil L. Lewis October 24, 2007 Wyeth Pharmaceutical (NYSE:WYE) announced that the FDA has accepted the filing of Tygacil (tigecycline) for new drug approval. Tygacil is a first-in-class antibiotic for the treatment of patients with community acquired pneumonia.The next step is for the FDA to review the application... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	ABC's "Private Practice" Gets Vulvodynia Portrayal Wrong L. Lewis October 24, 2007 In the October 10th episode of ABC's "Private Practice" a woman visits the main character's office complaining that she is unable to have sex with her new husband. After Dr. Addison Montgomery checks her out, she's slapped with a diagnosis... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Wants Bigger Warning for GlaxoSmith Plc.'s Avandia L. Lewis October 24, 2007 GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (NYSE:GSK) diabetes drug, Avandia, looks like it's going to get hit again. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the FDA wants to increase the warning label on the drug.Avandia first came under fire last May when it was... Continue Reading Posted at 9:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct23	Effexor XR L. Lewis October 23, 2007 Effexor XR (extended release) by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. is the 6th best selling prescription medication in the U.S according to Drug Topics' Top 200 Brand Name Drug by Retail Dollars in 2006.It has been approved to treat major depression, panic disorder, generalized... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Novartis AG Gets FDA Approval for Voltaren Gel for Osteoarthritis Pain L. Lewis October 23, 2007 The U.S Food and Drug Administration has given approval to Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) for Voltaren Gel, a non-steriodal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication for osteoarthritic pain.The gel can be applied directly to joints, such as knees, hands, elbows, to relieve the pain assosciated with... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	National Pharma Free Week Oct 22 L. Lewis October 23, 2007 Sponsored by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) National Pharma Week is calling for medical schools to eliminate pharmaceutical marketing on their campuses.Across the country thousands of students in the medical field will hold event to promote freeing campuses from... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Choice of Double Mastectomies on the Rise L. Lewis October 23, 2007 A study published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology online has found more than a 3 percent increase in women choosing to have double mastectomies. In 1998 just under 2 percent of women chose to have a healthy breast removed... Continue Reading Posted at 9:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Gets FDA Approval to Market Generic Exelon L. Lewis October 23, 2007 Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (BOM:524715) announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration final approval to market the generic version of Exelon capsules.Exelon (rivastgmine tartrate) is a pharmaceutical drug manufactured by Novartis that helps slow down the progress of Alzheimer's disease and... Continue Reading Posted at 8:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tablet PC for the Medical Community by Phillips L. Lewis October 23, 2007 Phillip's unveiled its Cliniscape "Mobile Clinical Assistant", a tablet PC designed specifically for the medical community.Featuring a 10.4-inch pen touch screen, custom installation of Vista Business, a Core Sole processor with 1GB of RAM, 60GB disk, RFID and Bluetooth radios,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct22	FDA Expands Age Range for Menactra L. Lewis October 22, 2007 The bacterial meningitis vaccine, Menactra has been now been approved for use on people between the ages of 2 and 10 years. The FDA has previously approved Menactra, in 2005, for people between the ages of 11 and 55. Meningitis... Continue Reading Posted at 2:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cancer Links: October 22, 2007 L. Lewis October 22, 2007 It's a big month in Cancer Awareness and I thought I'd share with you some great link to sites that have interesting articles and commentaries on cancer research, therapies and mediations.Here are 4 good sources for news on everything cancer: Cancer... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA to Consider Tightening Regulations and Labeling for Salt in Food L. Lewis October 22, 2007 November 29, 2007 the U.S Food and Drug Administration meeting will consider a request for the agency to strengthen regulations and labeling for salt.The Center for Science in the Public Interest has asked the FDA to consider regulating the amount... Continue Reading Posted at 11:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Get a Job as a Condom Tester. L. Lewis October 22, 2007 While not quite a pharma topic, condoms are the alternative to other pharmaceutical products so I had to write about this story.Durex, one of the major manufacturers of condoms, is looking to hire people to be condom testers. Dream job... Continue Reading Posted at 8:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct19	Stock Market Fluctuations in Big Pharmas as of October 19, 2007 L. Lewis October 19, 2007 Company Name, Symbol, Share Price, ChangeAbbott Laboratories' (NYSE:ABT) $51.40 -0.27 (-0.52%)AstraZeneca's (NYSE:AZN) - $50.50 -1.66 (-3.18%)Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) - $28.04 -0.49 (-1.72%)Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY) - $56.05 -0.59 (-1.04%)GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE:GSK) - $50.76 -.50 (-0.98%)Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) - $53.06 -0.33 (-0.62%)Novartis AG... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What is Crohn's Disease L. Lewis October 19, 2007 Crohn's disease, also know as regional enteritis) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) and not irritable bowel syndrome as some people think. Crohn's is an infection anywhere from the top of the esophagus to the rectum whereas IBS is normally limited... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Approves Doribax L. Lewis October 19, 2007 Doribax, an intravenous infusion that has been shown to be affective against several strains of bacteria, has been approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration.The doripenem injection is indicated for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Viagra, Cialis, Levirta, Revatio to Get New FDA warning L. Lewis October 19, 2007 The FDA announced today that is expanding the warning labels on erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs. The warning will force pharmaceutical makers of the ED drugs to display the potential risk of sudden hearing loss more visibly. They will also be required to... Continue Reading Posted at 11:19 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct18	Novartis Wins Thompson Scientific's "Who Made The Biggest Splash" L. Lewis October 18, 2007 Thompson Scientific released its quarterly review of scientific literature on drugs and therapies and Novartis appears to have taken the lead form GlaxoSmithKline. The report takes an objective look at the quantity and quality of scientific literature published by pharmaceutical... Continue Reading Posted at 7:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pfizer takes a US$2.8B Hit After Exubera Sales Fail L. Lewis October 18, 2007 Pfizer Inc.(NYSE:PFE), the world's largest pharmaceutical, is reporting a 77% drop in 3rd quarter profit today after it decided to write off a multibillion dollar charge to divest itself of its Exubera franchise. Lower than expected sales of the company's blockbuster cholesterol... Continue Reading Posted at 6:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pap Smear Out, DNA Test In for Detecting Cervical Cancer L. Lewis October 18, 2007 A new study led by led by Eduardo Franco, Director of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology at McGill's Faculty of Medicine was released in the U.S today and states that the human papillomavirus (HPV) screening test is more accurate than... Continue Reading Posted at 5:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Use Your Common Sense Day - Nov 4 on Career SuperStar L. Lewis October 18, 2007 Bud Bilanchi of KMM sister blog Career SuperStar is having a contest. I believe it's something that everyone would be interested in because it's just good common sense to seek out new information from every possible source. Bud is an excellent... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Specific Cell That Causes Eye Cancer Found L. Lewis October 18, 2007 Researchers at St Jude's Researcher Hospital have announced that they have found the cell that causes retinoblastoma, eye cancer. This finding disproves long held beliefs about nerve growth and development. It also suggests that it may be possible for scientists to induce fully developed... Continue Reading Posted at 3:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct17	Everyone is Talking about it but What is Staph Infection Superbug? L. Lewis October 17, 2007 Staphylococcus (staph) is bacteria that cause a multitude of illnesses that are curable with antibiotics. The concern now is that a new strain, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), the Superbug, can cause serious infections and is resistant to numerous antibiotics such as methicillin... Continue Reading Posted at 3:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Male Infertility Gene Found L. Lewis October 17, 2007 U.S researchers believe they have found the gene that could explain why some men are infertile. A single gene may be crucial in the final stages of sperm cell formation and laboratory mice that lacked that gene had lower sperm... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Warning for Amylin Pharmacueticals Byetta L. Lewis October 17, 2007 Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMLN) and Eli Lilly & Co.'s (NYSE:LLY) Byetta will have a new warning on its packaging due to the fact that the drug has been linked to dangerous inflammation of the pancreas.The FDA stated that it has... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ixempra by Bristol-Myers Squibb Approved by FDA for Breast Cancer L. Lewis October 17, 2007 Ixempra, a new chemotherapy drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY), has been approved for sale by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration and is expected to be available for sale within the next few days.Ixempra, a new class of drugs called epothilones, is a... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct16	Alzheimer's Risk Predicted by Simple Blood Test L. Lewis October 16, 2007 Yahoo News is reporting that a study published in the journal of Nature Medicine is saying that a simple blood test may be able to detect if mild lapses of memory are an early sign of Alzheimer's disease.An international team... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Garlic Health Benefits Revealed L. Lewis October 16, 2007 Garlic has been touted for it's anti-bacterial, antifungal properties and cardiovascular effect for centuries and U.S, scientists may have figured out the reasoning behind it.Researchers at the University of Alabama found that contrary to previous research, that focused solely on Allicin... Continue Reading Posted at 12:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Eye Scan Could Track MS Progress L. Lewis October 16, 2007 U.S. researchers said Monday that they may have found a cheap, simple and painless way to track the progression of multiple sclerosis.They believe that scanning the nerve fibrers of the retina that they were able to detect and measure brain... Continue Reading Posted at 11:45 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	GlaxoSmithKline Gets FDA Approval for Oral Hycamtin L. Lewis October 16, 2007 The FDA approved GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE:GSK) oral Hycamtin (topotcan) for the treatment of relapsed small cell lung cancer. The capsules are indicated for patients who had a complete or partial response to chemotherapy and who are at least 45 days from... Continue Reading Posted at 10:45 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct15	More Great Blog Action Day Posts L. Lewis October 15, 2007 Since I posted so early I didn't have the chance to share with you all the other great blog that are participating in Blog Action Day.If you have the time, check out these excellent sites and their unique contributions and... Continue Reading Posted at 7:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	AstraZeneca's Nexium L. Lewis October 15, 2007 Most people have heard of "the purple pill" but do you know what it's for? AstraZeneca's (NYSE:AZN) Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium) is for the relief of persistent heartburn. Heartburn is considered "persistent" if you experience it two or more days a... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Medtronic Inc. Suspends Sale of Sprint Fidelis Defibrillation Leads L. Lewis October 15, 2007 Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT) announced that it has stopped distribution of Sprint Fidelis leads due to a fracture that may have been a contributing factor in the death of five patients.A defibrillation system is a device that is implanted near the shoulder with... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month L. Lewis October 15, 2007 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in light of that I thought I'd round up a list of breast cancer resources.Canadian Cancer SocietyNational Cancer InstituteNational Breast Cancer FoundationBreast Cancer Care - UKBreast Cancer - Mayo ClinicNational Breast Cancer Awareness... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ovarian Cancer Vaccine "Encouraging" L. Lewis October 15, 2007 An ovarian cancer vaccine, designed to enhance the body's immune to cancer has shown "encouraging" results said scientists from the Roswell Park Cancer Insitute of Buffalo, New York.While most patients with advanced ovarian cancer respond to chemotherapy, more than 70%... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Blog Action Day - Pharma and the Environment L. Lewis October 15, 2007 "What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day?" Seems today is the day to answer that question. Blog Action Day is an event is organized by Collis Ta'eed, Leo Babauta and Cyan Ta'eed... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct13	Merck & Co.'s AIDS Pills Approved by FDA L. Lewis October 13, 2007 The FDA has approved Merck & Co.'s (NYSE:MRK)newest AIDS option, Isentress and the company said that the pill should be available to the public within the next two weeks.Three different enzymes are used by the AIDS virus to reproduce and... Continue Reading Posted at 12:36 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct12	Biopharm's Best 10 Bosses of 2007 L. Lewis October 12, 2007 Science's annual survey of the best companies in biotech, biopharma, pharmaceutical and other related industries to work in for has been released and it's top company is a surprise.The list is as follows with last years ranking in brackets: Boehringer Ingelheim... Continue Reading Posted at 2:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Urges Meningitis Vaccine for Patients with Cochlear Implants L. Lewis October 12, 2007 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration urged that all patients who have cochlear implants get vaccinated against meningitis. The advisory follows on the heels of the deaths of two children who were found to have not been properly vaccinated.A cochlear implant... Continue Reading Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Moody's Lowers Pharma's Outlook L. Lewis October 12, 2007 Wednesday Moody's Investor Services downgrades the pharmaceutical sector's outlook from "stable" to "Negative" for the next twelve months.Citing a tough regulatory climate, lagging pipelines and upcoming patent expirations, Moody's senior vice president and credit analyst noted that large pharma companies... Continue Reading Posted at 10:43 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wyeth to Pay $134.5M in Hormone Drug Case L. Lewis October 12, 2007 Three Nevada women that had brought suit against pharmaceutical maker Wyeth have been awarded $134.5 million.In the largest award against Wyeth (NYSE:WYE) to date, the jury deliberated for two days before announcing in favor of the three plaintiffs. Wyeth is... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct11	Diabetes Trial with Piglet Cells "Promising" L. Lewis October 11, 2007 Results from a very small trial were announced with "promising" results. Living Cell Technologies (PINK:LVCLF), a New Zealand based company, injected 2 people in Russia with insulin-producing cells from the pancreas of piglets.A similar trial was halted in New Zealand in... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Zyprexa and Symbyax Get Stronger Warning Labels L. Lewis October 11, 2007 Eli LIlly's Zyprexa (olanzapine) and Symbyax (olanzapine/fluoxetine) have been updated to include stronger warnings due to the potential metabolic changes associated with the drugs.The label changes include warnings for weight gain, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia. Also included is greater association between... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cholesterol Statin Drugs Help Lower Heart Attack Risk L. Lewis October 11, 2007 A long term study of the world's top selling medication found that cholesterol-lowering statin drug help prevent heart attacks for up to 10 years after patients stop taking them.The original study showed that men taking Pravachol for five years lowered... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct10	Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Gives 1st Dose of Bavituximab L. Lewis October 10, 2007 Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: PPHM) announced that the first patient in their clinical trial has been dosed with Bavituximab. Peregrine developed Bavituximab as a targeted therapy for patients infected with hepatitis c virus infection (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).The trial is... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Researchers Find Key Cause of Type 2 Diabetes L. Lewis October 10, 2007 Researchers at Sydney Australia's Garvan Institute believe they have discovered a key cause of type 2 diabetes that will make developing a simpler and more effective treatment much easier.The scientists identified an enzyme found in diabetics that is an active agent... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited Receives FDA Approval to Market Generic Version of Trileptal L. Lewis October 10, 2007 Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited (NSE:GLENMARK)has received final U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to market generic Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) tablets.Trileptal is currently manufactured by Roxane Laboratories Inc (Google Finance), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (BOM:524715) in three strength (150 mg, 300... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pomegranate Juice May Curb Prostate Cancer L. Lewis October 10, 2007 According to researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) the natural chemicals in pomegranate juice may slow the growth of prostate cancer. The key chemicals in pomegranates, called ellagitannins, are also found in strawberries, raspberries and muscadine... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	3 Lung Cancer Genes Identified L. Lewis October 10, 2007 Researchers have identified 3 new genes that seem to work together and that are associated with 20% of lung cancers. These are the same genes that are linked to fetal lung development the report states. According to a report in... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 9	Clinical Trial of Apatone for Cancer Looks Promising L. Lewis October 9, 2007 Researchers from the Summa Health Sytem, IC-MedTech and other institutions have announced completion of the first ever FDA approve human clinical trial of Apatone. Apatone uses a new strategy to selectively lower the level of compounds within tumor cells. These... Continue Reading Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Appendix: Ever Wondered Why? L. Lewis October 9, 2007 Have you ever wondered what the point is to having an appendix? For years conventional wisdom has said that it has no purpose, that it's just there taking up space and for some people it becomes inflamed and has to be removed.... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Stored Blood Lacks Nitric Oxide L. Lewis October 9, 2007 This week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that two separate studies have shown that stored blood may lack a vital component that is vital in the delivery of oxygen to tissues. Nitric oxide, which... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Announces FDA Approval of Actonel L. Lewis October 9, 2007 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA) announced that it has received final FDA approval for its Abbreviated New Drug Application for the generic version of Actonel.Actonel, a Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) product, is used in the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Xeloda (capecitabine) Better than Traditional Chemo L. Lewis October 9, 2007 Roche Holding AG's (OTC:RHHBY) Xeloda, which is the first FDA approved oral chemotherapy for metastatic breast and colorectal cancer, has proven to be more convenient and have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy.In a study of almost 2000 patients, research showed that... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 8	Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! L. Lewis October 8, 2007 Today is Thanksgiving in Canada and while it's not quiet the event it is in the U.S. it is still an event. It doesn't make the news, we don't have big parades, it's not a huge shopping day and there's... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fat Dissolving Injections Receive Consumer Saftey Alert L. Lewis October 8, 2007 A consumer safety warning was issued by The Physicians Coalition for Injectable Saftey today. The Coalition warns that fat dissolving, fat melting, injection lipoysis and any other injectable treatments to reduce body fat are an unproven medical treatment."Injections to unwanted... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA to Warn Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. on Ultrasound Agent Definity L. Lewis October 8, 2007 According to the Wall Street Journal, the FDA will be asking Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.(NYSE:BMY) to add a "black box" warning to its ultrasound contrasting agent, Definity. The FDA has concerns that it can trigger dangerous cardiopulmonary reactions in some patients.The... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Check Your Health and Fitness with New Prototype phone from NTT DoCoMo Inc. L. Lewis October 8, 2007 It's rare I find my sources on the tech pages but a cell phone that monitors your health is interesting.NTT DoCoMo Inc. (NYSE:DCM) unveiled a prototype phone that monitors your health. It's touted as a "hassle-free way of keeping track of... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	European Approval for Novatis AG Aclasta L. Lewis October 8, 2007 Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) has received European approval for its drug Aclasta for postmenopausal osteoporosis. The treatment is taken once a year and has been shown to reduce fractures normally affected by osteoporosis such as spine, wrists and hips. Belonging to a... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 5	Aptivus (Tipranavir) Gets Full FDA Approval L. Lewis October 5, 2007 Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has received full approval from the FDA for Aptivus. It had already received accelerated approval in June of 2005. Full approval was granted on data from a 48-week analysis of the Phase 3 clinic... Continue Reading Posted at 2:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Advertising Prescription Drugs Bad says Europe Experts L. Lewis October 5, 2007 European parliament debated the possibility of letting pharmaceutical companies direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertising and experts warned this could be detrimental for public health.There are currently only two developed countries that allow this type of advertising, New Zealand and the... Continue Reading Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tentative FDA Approval for Teva Pharmaceutical's Generic Valtrex L. Lewis October 5, 2007 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ:TEVA) announced that it has received tentative approve for its generic version of Valtrex. Manufactured by GlaxoKleinSmith, the patent for Valtrex expires in December and final approval for the generic version is expected at that time.... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tentative FDA Approval for Generic Zyrtec Chewable L. Lewis October 5, 2007 Caraco Pharmaceuticals (AMEX:CPD) announced today that they have received tentative approval to market their generic version of Zyrtec Chewable, Cetirizine HCl Chewable. They are expecting final approval prior to the expiration of the patent in December of this year.Cetirizine HCl Chewable... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	GlaxoKlein and Merck's PR Battle of the HPV Vaccines L. Lewis October 5, 2007 For the last week or so pharma news has been full of articles headlining either GlaxoSmithKlein's (NYSE:GSK) Cervarix or Merck's (NYSE:MRK) Gardasil. Both are vying for the bigger share of the potential multi-billion cervical cancer pot.It started with GlaxoSmithKlein submitting for... Continue Reading Posted at 8:51 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 4	Canada Recalls Prexige from Market L. Lewis October 4, 2007 Health Canada announced today that it has stopped all sales of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.'s sale of the anti-inflammatory drug, Prexige.The cancellation of market authorization comes due to the risk of liver related illness such as hepatitis. Health Canada based their... Continue Reading Posted at 2:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Donepezil Ineffective at Calming Alzheimer's Agitation L. Lewis October 4, 2007 After a 12-week trial it was found that Alzheimer's patients with significant agitation experienced no change when compared to patients given a placebo reported Robert J. Howard, M.R.C.Psych., of Kings College London, and colleagues.While previous studies had show some effect... Continue Reading Posted at 1:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Chili Peppers as an Anesthetic? L. Lewis October 4, 2007 Researchers have found that adding capsaicin to a lidocaine derivative called QX-314 it had the ability to enter nerve cells but only the pain-sensing nocieptors.So what is capsaicin? Simple, it's the potent ingredient in chili peppers. Seems QX-134 doesn't have... Continue Reading Posted at 10:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Exploring a "Behind the Counter" Drug System L. Lewis October 4, 2007 The FDA announced today that it is exploring the possibility of introducing a "behind the counter" system that would allow more drugs that normally require a prescription to be sold without one.This type of system would require that a pharmacist... Continue Reading Posted at 9:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Top Women in Pharmaceuticals on Fortune's List L. Lewis October 4, 2007 Fortune recently released their list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and on it is found a good number of women in pharmaceuticals.On the list at #4 is Angela Braly, President and CEO of Wellpoint Inc (NYSE:WLP). Wellpoint is... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 3	Lilly Gets Hand Slap from FDA over Cymbalta Advertising L. Lewis October 3, 2007 In a cautionary letter released today the FDA warned Eli Lilly (Public, NYSE:LLY)and Company that they must cease to distribute specific advertising material as it is considered to contain false or misleading information.The FDA found that the advertising mailer in question in... Continue Reading Posted at 2:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cleaveland Clinic's Top 10 Innovations for 2008 L. Lewis October 3, 2007 Cleaveland Clinic announced today their top 10 medical innovations list. The list includes technologies that are expected to have a significant impact on healthcare in 2008.Flexible Intraluminal RoboticsPercutaneous Aortic Heart ValvesRNA-based TherapeuticsConvergence of advances in genome scanning and informatics to... Continue Reading Posted at 1:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Once Daily Advagraf® Launched Across Europe L. Lewis October 3, 2007 Astellas Pharma Europe Limited's (Public, TYO:4503) Advagraf®, a once daily immunosuppressant, is now available across the EU making life a little easier for patients that have had organ transplants.Advagraf® is the first calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) with a once a day dosing option... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Divigel Reduced Hot Flashes in Menopausal Women L. Lewis October 3, 2007 A study of Upsher-Smith Laboratories' Divigel (estradiol gel) 0.1% was presented at the Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). The study revealed that Divigel reduced the frequency and severity of moderate to severe hot flashed that come with... Continue Reading Posted at 11:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Approves Evista (raloxifene) for Invasive Breast Cancer L. Lewis October 3, 2007 The FDA has approved Raloxifene as a treatment to reduce breast cancer risk in menopausal women. Raloxifene, under the brand name Evista, has previously been approved for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis but is now available to women with high risk... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 2	Roche Holding AG's Avastin Works on Inoperable Colorectal Cancer L. Lewis October 2, 2007 Roche Holding (OTC:RHHBY) announced last week that new clinical data showed that Avastin improved the chances of removal of mestastatic lesions in people with colorectal cancer.Data showed that a large number of patients treated with Avastin combined with regular chemotherapy... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	MS Nerves Regenerated by Biogen Antibody L. Lewis October 2, 2007 Biogen Idec is publishing preclinical data that suggests that its anti-lingo-1 anitbody can promote myelin production and placement. Myelin, which acts as a protective cell covering around nerve fibres, is destroyed the cells lose their ability to send signals and... Continue Reading Posted at 3:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Drug Theft and Counterfeiting Costs Industry $71 Billion Annually L. Lewis October 2, 2007 An article on Lab Technologist has said that theft and counterfeiting of pharmaceutical is costing the industry $71 billion a year. The article, with information based on a study from consumer group America's Watchdog, states that counterfeiting costs $70 billion and... Continue Reading Posted at 2:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Concord Grape Heart Healthy L. Lewis October 2, 2007 Researchers at the Universite Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg, France have found that Concord grape juice aids in the production of nitric oxide in endothelial cells which provides a vasoralaxation effect. Nitric acid is important to the body's natural system for... Continue Reading Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 1	FDA Approves Lamisil for Scalp Ringworm in Children L. Lewis October 1, 2007 The FDA has approved the use of Lamisil Oral Granules in the treatment of scalp ringworm, tinea capitis, in children over the age of 4."Tinea capitis is a persistent infection that is hard to treat, and one that causes children... Continue Reading Posted at 3:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Nastech Pharmacueticals Starts Phase 2 Trial of Nasal Spray to Treat Obesity L. Lewis October 1, 2007 Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc, (NASDAQ: NSTK) announced that it has started Phase 2 of its clinical trial of PYY3-36 Nasal Spray for obese patients. The study will enroll approximately 500 obese patients for a six-month period. The intent is to... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Bristol-Myers Squibb Settles with Federal Government for $515M L. Lewis October 1, 2007 Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) and its subsidiary, Apothecon Inc. have agreed to pay over $515 million to settle civil suits over fraudulent marketing and pricing schemes.The federal suit included charges of illegally promoting the anti-psychotic drug Abilify to children and the elderly contrary... Continue Reading Posted at 1:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Small Study Shows Promise For CFS Sufferers in Dark Choclate L. Lewis October 1, 2007 A small study of 10 people by The Hull York Medical School found that patients had less fatigue when eating dark chocolate with a high cocoa content.Researchers were surprised but believe that it is possible that dark chocolate may have an... Continue Reading Posted at 12:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Taxotere™ Gets FDA Approval to Treat Head and Neck Cancer L. Lewis October 1, 2007 Sanofi-Aventis (EPA:SAN) has announced that the FDA has approved Taxotere™ for use in cancer patients with carcinoma of the head and neck prior to chemotherapy or surgery.A clinical trial found that patients receiving a combination of Taxotere-based therapy (TPF) and cisplatin... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments

« September 2007 | Main | November 2007 »

Oct31	Combigan Eye Drop for Glaucoma FDA Approved L. Lewis October 31, 2007 Know More: Drug Regulations & Approval The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Combigan by Allergan Inc.(NYSE:AGN) for the treatment of glaucoma. It is a prescription eye drop that reduces elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) using an alpha adrenergic receptor agonist with a beta adrenergic inhibitor. "COMBIGAN(TM) ophthalmic solution is a medication that provides well documented safety and efficacy for patients with inadequately controlled IOP," said Scott Whitcup, M.D., Allergan's Executive Vice President, Research and Development. "The development of COMBIGAN(TM), which has included five key clinical studies, underscores Allergan's commitment to provide new treatment options for patients with glaucoma." Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that are characterized by damage to the optic nerve and is a leading cause of preventable eyesight loss. It is estimated that 65 million people suffer from glaucoma worldwide. When the fluid that is produced by the eye, aqueous humor, drains too rapidly, or not rapidly enough, pressure builds in the eye cause the shape to distort and can cause damage to the optic nerve. Controlling the level of IOP may slow the progression and prevent loss of vision. [Source: Reuters and Allergen] Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct31	Parkinson's Disease Trigger Possibly Found L. Lewis October 31, 2007 Prof. William Burke and his team at Saint Louis University School of Medicine believe that they have uncovered how Parkinson's disease is triggered. Parkinson's happens when a protein called alphasynuclein (AS) clumps together in the brain. The clumps, also called... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pfizer Inc.'s Geodon May Control Unresponsive Schizophrenia L. Lewis October 31, 2007 Dr Anthony D. Loebel of Pfizer Inc. ( NYSE:PFE) and colleagues have found that Ziprasidone, sold as Geodon, was well tolerated and showed long term efficiency in patients that suffer from schizophrenia who did not respond to other drug.According to a... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	November is Diabetes Awareness Month L. Lewis October 31, 2007 November is Diabetes Awareness Month and the American Diabetes Association will be highlighting a different facet of the illness every week of the month.Many Faces of DiabetesWeek 1: Caregivers. ADA will offer resources and information to those that take care... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct30	Chili Pepper Hot Sauce Used in Surgeries L. Lewis October 30, 2007 Say What? Doctors are testing hot sauce to see if it can relieve the pain of surgery.In a previous article I explained how researchers were testing to see if the main ingredient in chili peppers, capsaicin, we able to be used... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Adams Respitory Therapeutics Gets Approval Letter for Mucinex with Codeine L. Lewis October 30, 2007 The U.S Food and Drug Administration has issued a letter of approval regarding the New Drug Application for Adams Respitory Therapeutics Inc's (NASDAQ:ARXT) Mucinex with Codeine.Mucinex with Codeine is to be used in the prescription treatment of cough associated with the common cold,... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pfizer's Axitinib Alows Kindey Cancer in Early Trials L. Lewis October 30, 2007 A study published in the medical journey The Lancet Oncology said that Axitinib stopped the disease in almost half the patients who saw no benefit from standard treatment. The trial, funded and designed by Pfizer showed that the experimental drug slowed... Continue Reading Posted at 9:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Novartis AG Gets FDA Approval For Tasigna L. Lewis October 30, 2007 Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for Tasigna.Tasigna is indicated for use in chronic myeloid leukemia for patients that no longer respond to Glivec(Gleevec in the US). It was developed as a next-generation targeted therapy... Continue Reading Posted at 8:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Says Roche's CellCept Raises Birth Defects Possibility L. Lewis October 30, 2007 Roche Holding AG (OTC:RHHBY) organ rejection drug, CellCept, increase the risk of miscarriage and birth defects according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There is also the possibility of congenital malformations.The FDA has added a new black box warning... Continue Reading Posted at 7:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct29	U,K to Vaccine School Girls against HPV, GKS and Merck Vie for Contract L. Lewis October 29, 2007 In what can only be seen as a huge bonus for Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) and GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (NYSE:GSK) , the U.K government has announced that it will begin vaccinating all girls between the ages of 12 and 13 as of... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wyeth Voluntary Recall of Some Robitussin and Children's Dimetapp Products L. Lewis October 29, 2007 While there is no issue with the medication, Wyeth has initiated a voluntary recall and replacement for all U.S retail outlets concerning several Robitussin and Children's Dimetapp Cold and Chest Congestion products.The recall involves the removal of all products that... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Researchers Developing "Bone Cement" L. Lewis October 29, 2007 Researchers in Ireland are in the process of developing a new bone cement that might be able to help repair spinal injuries and other major bone fractures.Usually serious bone fractures require intensive and invasive surgeries however, the done cement treatment,... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tentative Approval for Valsartan Tablets from FDA L. Lewis October 29, 2007 Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals announced that it has received tentative approval to manufacture and market Valsartan Tablets in 40 mg, 80 mg, 160 mg and 320 mg strengths.Valsartan is the generic version of Diovan, a Novartis drug, and is used in the... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	J&J Submits Paliperidone Palmitate for FDA Approval L. Lewis October 29, 2007 Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development has submitted paliperidone palmitate to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration for New Drug Application. Paliperidone palmitate is a once monthly antipsychotic intramuscular injection for the treatment of schizophrenia.To be marketed by Janssen L.P.... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct26	Laughter Good for Children in Pain from Cancer Treatments L. Lewis October 26, 2007 According to a study by UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Center and the nonprofit organization Rx Laughter watching comedy shows helped children tolerate pain for longer periods of time.Researchers had patients watch funny classic and contemporary movies and t.v series before, during... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Teen Screen - The Debate Continues L. Lewis October 26, 2007 I was asked if I would post an opinion piece by someone that had read the previous posts and comments on TeenScreen - Good or Bad?, Mantatory Mental Health Screening for Our Children Part 1 and Mantatory Mental Health Screening for Our... Continue Reading Posted at 2:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Issues Early Communication About Saftey of Bayer Trasylol L. Lewis October 26, 2007 Last week Canadian researchers stopped a study on Trasylol because they believed that the drug increased the risk if death compared to other antifibrinolytic drugs used in the study.Today the FDA recommended that health care providers review the risks and... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	High Blood Pressure Medication May Treat and Prevent Alzheimer's L. Lewis October 26, 2007 A study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation has found that geriatric patients who are being treated for high blood pressure with hypertension drug might be cutting their risk of delveloping Alzheimer's disease.Researchers at the Mount Sinai School of... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	ADHD Patch, Daytrana from Shire plc, Works L. Lewis October 26, 2007 Shire plc (NASDAQ:SHPGY) released data from a 12 month long study on the effects and tolerability of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patch, Daytrana. Results of the study demonstrated that significant tolerability and improved symptom control in children aged 6... Continue Reading Posted at 9:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct25	What is Lupus? L. Lewis October 25, 2007 I had the humiliating experience last night of running into an acquaintance. After exchanging pleasantries, I noticed she kept saying things like "Since I got sick" and "Sometimes it's hard for me to stand". I asked her what was wrong... Continue Reading Posted at 3:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Virtual Open Heart Surgery: You Be The Doctor L. Lewis October 25, 2007 Pharmacology can be dry and a tad boring at times but I found a site that had a link to the coolest game and I wanted to share it with you.Bertalan Mesko at ScienceRoll posted a link to game that's half... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FluMist Now Recommended For Children 2 and Older L. Lewis October 25, 2007 The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is now recommending that FluMist for children in the 2 to 5 year old bracket. Previously, the nasal spray was only for children over the age of 5.FluMist, by MedImmune, is a nasal spray... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sanofi-Aventis Receives Warning Letter over Ketek L. Lewis October 25, 2007 The FDA sent a warning letter to Sanofi's CEO Gregory Irace accusing the company of knowingly having submitted clinical data had "multiple and significant violations of FDA regulations… that affected the integrity of data submitted".After the FDA required more information... Continue Reading Posted at 11:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cephalon Inc's Provigil Gets Stronger FDA Warning L. Lewis October 25, 2007 The sleep-disorder drug, Provigil, by Cephalon Inc.(NASDAQ:CEPH) will soon carry more severe warnings on its packaging. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided that the drug must now include warnings of life-threatening rashes and psychiatric symptoms.Prescribing information must now include... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct24	Too Much Marijuana Can Hurt! L. Lewis October 24, 2007 A new study by Dr Mark S. Wallace of University of California is showing that while smoking moderate does of marijuana helps to reduce pain, smoking larger amounts actually increases pain."Our study suggests that there is a therapeutic window for... Continue Reading Posted at 3:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) L. Lewis October 24, 2007 Plavix is an oral anitplatelet agent used in the treatment of stroke, heart attack or poor circulation. Plavix worked to keep platelets in the blood from sticking together and forming clots.Marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) and sanofi-aventis (EPA:SAN) Plavix prevents blood clots... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Mylan and GlaxoSmithKline Settle Over Generic Paxil CR L. Lewis October 24, 2007 Mylan Inc announced that it and its subsidiary, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, have in place an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (NYSE:GSK) to settle all litigation and also have in place a patent license agreement.Mylan applied for, and was granted, an ANDA from the U.S. Food... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wyeth Applies to FDA Approval for New Drug Tygacil L. Lewis October 24, 2007 Wyeth Pharmaceutical (NYSE:WYE) announced that the FDA has accepted the filing of Tygacil (tigecycline) for new drug approval. Tygacil is a first-in-class antibiotic for the treatment of patients with community acquired pneumonia.The next step is for the FDA to review the application... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	ABC's "Private Practice" Gets Vulvodynia Portrayal Wrong L. Lewis October 24, 2007 In the October 10th episode of ABC's "Private Practice" a woman visits the main character's office complaining that she is unable to have sex with her new husband. After Dr. Addison Montgomery checks her out, she's slapped with a diagnosis... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Wants Bigger Warning for GlaxoSmith Plc.'s Avandia L. Lewis October 24, 2007 GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (NYSE:GSK) diabetes drug, Avandia, looks like it's going to get hit again. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the FDA wants to increase the warning label on the drug.Avandia first came under fire last May when it was... Continue Reading Posted at 9:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct23	Effexor XR L. Lewis October 23, 2007 Effexor XR (extended release) by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. is the 6th best selling prescription medication in the U.S according to Drug Topics' Top 200 Brand Name Drug by Retail Dollars in 2006.It has been approved to treat major depression, panic disorder, generalized... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Novartis AG Gets FDA Approval for Voltaren Gel for Osteoarthritis Pain L. Lewis October 23, 2007 The U.S Food and Drug Administration has given approval to Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) for Voltaren Gel, a non-steriodal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication for osteoarthritic pain.The gel can be applied directly to joints, such as knees, hands, elbows, to relieve the pain assosciated with... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	National Pharma Free Week Oct 22 L. Lewis October 23, 2007 Sponsored by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) National Pharma Week is calling for medical schools to eliminate pharmaceutical marketing on their campuses.Across the country thousands of students in the medical field will hold event to promote freeing campuses from... Continue Reading Posted at 10:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Choice of Double Mastectomies on the Rise L. Lewis October 23, 2007 A study published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology online has found more than a 3 percent increase in women choosing to have double mastectomies. In 1998 just under 2 percent of women chose to have a healthy breast removed... Continue Reading Posted at 9:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Gets FDA Approval to Market Generic Exelon L. Lewis October 23, 2007 Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (BOM:524715) announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration final approval to market the generic version of Exelon capsules.Exelon (rivastgmine tartrate) is a pharmaceutical drug manufactured by Novartis that helps slow down the progress of Alzheimer's disease and... Continue Reading Posted at 8:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tablet PC for the Medical Community by Phillips L. Lewis October 23, 2007 Phillip's unveiled its Cliniscape "Mobile Clinical Assistant", a tablet PC designed specifically for the medical community.Featuring a 10.4-inch pen touch screen, custom installation of Vista Business, a Core Sole processor with 1GB of RAM, 60GB disk, RFID and Bluetooth radios,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:15 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct22	FDA Expands Age Range for Menactra L. Lewis October 22, 2007 The bacterial meningitis vaccine, Menactra has been now been approved for use on people between the ages of 2 and 10 years. The FDA has previously approved Menactra, in 2005, for people between the ages of 11 and 55. Meningitis... Continue Reading Posted at 2:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cancer Links: October 22, 2007 L. Lewis October 22, 2007 It's a big month in Cancer Awareness and I thought I'd share with you some great link to sites that have interesting articles and commentaries on cancer research, therapies and mediations.Here are 4 good sources for news on everything cancer: Cancer... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA to Consider Tightening Regulations and Labeling for Salt in Food L. Lewis October 22, 2007 November 29, 2007 the U.S Food and Drug Administration meeting will consider a request for the agency to strengthen regulations and labeling for salt.The Center for Science in the Public Interest has asked the FDA to consider regulating the amount... Continue Reading Posted at 11:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Get a Job as a Condom Tester. L. Lewis October 22, 2007 While not quite a pharma topic, condoms are the alternative to other pharmaceutical products so I had to write about this story.Durex, one of the major manufacturers of condoms, is looking to hire people to be condom testers. Dream job... Continue Reading Posted at 8:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct19	Stock Market Fluctuations in Big Pharmas as of October 19, 2007 L. Lewis October 19, 2007 Company Name, Symbol, Share Price, ChangeAbbott Laboratories' (NYSE:ABT) $51.40 -0.27 (-0.52%)AstraZeneca's (NYSE:AZN) - $50.50 -1.66 (-3.18%)Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) - $28.04 -0.49 (-1.72%)Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY) - $56.05 -0.59 (-1.04%)GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE:GSK) - $50.76 -.50 (-0.98%)Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) - $53.06 -0.33 (-0.62%)Novartis AG... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	What is Crohn's Disease L. Lewis October 19, 2007 Crohn's disease, also know as regional enteritis) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) and not irritable bowel syndrome as some people think. Crohn's is an infection anywhere from the top of the esophagus to the rectum whereas IBS is normally limited... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Approves Doribax L. Lewis October 19, 2007 Doribax, an intravenous infusion that has been shown to be affective against several strains of bacteria, has been approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration.The doripenem injection is indicated for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections and... Continue Reading Posted at 12:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Viagra, Cialis, Levirta, Revatio to Get New FDA warning L. Lewis October 19, 2007 The FDA announced today that is expanding the warning labels on erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs. The warning will force pharmaceutical makers of the ED drugs to display the potential risk of sudden hearing loss more visibly. They will also be required to... Continue Reading Posted at 11:19 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct18	Novartis Wins Thompson Scientific's "Who Made The Biggest Splash" L. Lewis October 18, 2007 Thompson Scientific released its quarterly review of scientific literature on drugs and therapies and Novartis appears to have taken the lead form GlaxoSmithKline. The report takes an objective look at the quantity and quality of scientific literature published by pharmaceutical... Continue Reading Posted at 7:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pfizer takes a US$2.8B Hit After Exubera Sales Fail L. Lewis October 18, 2007 Pfizer Inc.(NYSE:PFE), the world's largest pharmaceutical, is reporting a 77% drop in 3rd quarter profit today after it decided to write off a multibillion dollar charge to divest itself of its Exubera franchise. Lower than expected sales of the company's blockbuster cholesterol... Continue Reading Posted at 6:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pap Smear Out, DNA Test In for Detecting Cervical Cancer L. Lewis October 18, 2007 A new study led by led by Eduardo Franco, Director of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology at McGill's Faculty of Medicine was released in the U.S today and states that the human papillomavirus (HPV) screening test is more accurate than... Continue Reading Posted at 5:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Use Your Common Sense Day - Nov 4 on Career SuperStar L. Lewis October 18, 2007 Bud Bilanchi of KMM sister blog Career SuperStar is having a contest. I believe it's something that everyone would be interested in because it's just good common sense to seek out new information from every possible source. Bud is an excellent... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Specific Cell That Causes Eye Cancer Found L. Lewis October 18, 2007 Researchers at St Jude's Researcher Hospital have announced that they have found the cell that causes retinoblastoma, eye cancer. This finding disproves long held beliefs about nerve growth and development. It also suggests that it may be possible for scientists to induce fully developed... Continue Reading Posted at 3:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct17	Everyone is Talking about it but What is Staph Infection Superbug? L. Lewis October 17, 2007 Staphylococcus (staph) is bacteria that cause a multitude of illnesses that are curable with antibiotics. The concern now is that a new strain, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), the Superbug, can cause serious infections and is resistant to numerous antibiotics such as methicillin... Continue Reading Posted at 3:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Male Infertility Gene Found L. Lewis October 17, 2007 U.S researchers believe they have found the gene that could explain why some men are infertile. A single gene may be crucial in the final stages of sperm cell formation and laboratory mice that lacked that gene had lower sperm... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Warning for Amylin Pharmacueticals Byetta L. Lewis October 17, 2007 Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. ( NASDAQ:AMLN) and Eli Lilly & Co.'s (NYSE:LLY) Byetta will have a new warning on its packaging due to the fact that the drug has been linked to dangerous inflammation of the pancreas.The FDA stated that it has... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ixempra by Bristol-Myers Squibb Approved by FDA for Breast Cancer L. Lewis October 17, 2007 Ixempra, a new chemotherapy drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY), has been approved for sale by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration and is expected to be available for sale within the next few days.Ixempra, a new class of drugs called epothilones, is a... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct16	Alzheimer's Risk Predicted by Simple Blood Test L. Lewis October 16, 2007 Yahoo News is reporting that a study published in the journal of Nature Medicine is saying that a simple blood test may be able to detect if mild lapses of memory are an early sign of Alzheimer's disease.An international team... Continue Reading Posted at 1:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Garlic Health Benefits Revealed L. Lewis October 16, 2007 Garlic has been touted for it's anti-bacterial, antifungal properties and cardiovascular effect for centuries and U.S, scientists may have figured out the reasoning behind it.Researchers at the University of Alabama found that contrary to previous research, that focused solely on Allicin... Continue Reading Posted at 12:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Eye Scan Could Track MS Progress L. Lewis October 16, 2007 U.S. researchers said Monday that they may have found a cheap, simple and painless way to track the progression of multiple sclerosis.They believe that scanning the nerve fibrers of the retina that they were able to detect and measure brain... Continue Reading Posted at 11:45 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	GlaxoSmithKline Gets FDA Approval for Oral Hycamtin L. Lewis October 16, 2007 The FDA approved GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE:GSK) oral Hycamtin (topotcan) for the treatment of relapsed small cell lung cancer. The capsules are indicated for patients who had a complete or partial response to chemotherapy and who are at least 45 days from... Continue Reading Posted at 10:45 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct15	More Great Blog Action Day Posts L. Lewis October 15, 2007 Since I posted so early I didn't have the chance to share with you all the other great blog that are participating in Blog Action Day.If you have the time, check out these excellent sites and their unique contributions and... Continue Reading Posted at 7:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	AstraZeneca's Nexium L. Lewis October 15, 2007 Most people have heard of "the purple pill" but do you know what it's for? AstraZeneca's (NYSE:AZN) Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium) is for the relief of persistent heartburn. Heartburn is considered "persistent" if you experience it two or more days a... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Medtronic Inc. Suspends Sale of Sprint Fidelis Defibrillation Leads L. Lewis October 15, 2007 Medtronic Inc. (NYSE:MDT) announced that it has stopped distribution of Sprint Fidelis leads due to a fracture that may have been a contributing factor in the death of five patients.A defibrillation system is a device that is implanted near the shoulder with... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month L. Lewis October 15, 2007 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in light of that I thought I'd round up a list of breast cancer resources.Canadian Cancer SocietyNational Cancer InstituteNational Breast Cancer FoundationBreast Cancer Care - UKBreast Cancer - Mayo ClinicNational Breast Cancer Awareness... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ovarian Cancer Vaccine "Encouraging" L. Lewis October 15, 2007 An ovarian cancer vaccine, designed to enhance the body's immune to cancer has shown "encouraging" results said scientists from the Roswell Park Cancer Insitute of Buffalo, New York.While most patients with advanced ovarian cancer respond to chemotherapy, more than 70%... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Blog Action Day - Pharma and the Environment L. Lewis October 15, 2007 "What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day?" Seems today is the day to answer that question. Blog Action Day is an event is organized by Collis Ta'eed, Leo Babauta and Cyan Ta'eed... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct13	Merck & Co.'s AIDS Pills Approved by FDA L. Lewis October 13, 2007 The FDA has approved Merck & Co.'s (NYSE:MRK)newest AIDS option, Isentress and the company said that the pill should be available to the public within the next two weeks.Three different enzymes are used by the AIDS virus to reproduce and... Continue Reading Posted at 12:36 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct12	Biopharm's Best 10 Bosses of 2007 L. Lewis October 12, 2007 Science's annual survey of the best companies in biotech, biopharma, pharmaceutical and other related industries to work in for has been released and it's top company is a surprise.The list is as follows with last years ranking in brackets: Boehringer Ingelheim... Continue Reading Posted at 2:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Urges Meningitis Vaccine for Patients with Cochlear Implants L. Lewis October 12, 2007 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration urged that all patients who have cochlear implants get vaccinated against meningitis. The advisory follows on the heels of the deaths of two children who were found to have not been properly vaccinated.A cochlear implant... Continue Reading Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Moody's Lowers Pharma's Outlook L. Lewis October 12, 2007 Wednesday Moody's Investor Services downgrades the pharmaceutical sector's outlook from "stable" to "Negative" for the next twelve months.Citing a tough regulatory climate, lagging pipelines and upcoming patent expirations, Moody's senior vice president and credit analyst noted that large pharma companies... Continue Reading Posted at 10:43 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Wyeth to Pay $134.5M in Hormone Drug Case L. Lewis October 12, 2007 Three Nevada women that had brought suit against pharmaceutical maker Wyeth have been awarded $134.5 million.In the largest award against Wyeth (NYSE:WYE) to date, the jury deliberated for two days before announcing in favor of the three plaintiffs. Wyeth is... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct11	Diabetes Trial with Piglet Cells "Promising" L. Lewis October 11, 2007 Results from a very small trial were announced with "promising" results. Living Cell Technologies (PINK:LVCLF), a New Zealand based company, injected 2 people in Russia with insulin-producing cells from the pancreas of piglets.A similar trial was halted in New Zealand in... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Zyprexa and Symbyax Get Stronger Warning Labels L. Lewis October 11, 2007 Eli LIlly's Zyprexa (olanzapine) and Symbyax (olanzapine/fluoxetine) have been updated to include stronger warnings due to the potential metabolic changes associated with the drugs.The label changes include warnings for weight gain, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia. Also included is greater association between... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cholesterol Statin Drugs Help Lower Heart Attack Risk L. Lewis October 11, 2007 A long term study of the world's top selling medication found that cholesterol-lowering statin drug help prevent heart attacks for up to 10 years after patients stop taking them.The original study showed that men taking Pravachol for five years lowered... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct10	Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Gives 1st Dose of Bavituximab L. Lewis October 10, 2007 Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: PPHM) announced that the first patient in their clinical trial has been dosed with Bavituximab. Peregrine developed Bavituximab as a targeted therapy for patients infected with hepatitis c virus infection (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).The trial is... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Researchers Find Key Cause of Type 2 Diabetes L. Lewis October 10, 2007 Researchers at Sydney Australia's Garvan Institute believe they have discovered a key cause of type 2 diabetes that will make developing a simpler and more effective treatment much easier.The scientists identified an enzyme found in diabetics that is an active agent... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited Receives FDA Approval to Market Generic Version of Trileptal L. Lewis October 10, 2007 Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited (NSE:GLENMARK)has received final U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to market generic Trileptal (Oxcarbazepine) tablets.Trileptal is currently manufactured by Roxane Laboratories Inc (Google Finance), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (BOM:524715) in three strength (150 mg, 300... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pomegranate Juice May Curb Prostate Cancer L. Lewis October 10, 2007 According to researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) the natural chemicals in pomegranate juice may slow the growth of prostate cancer. The key chemicals in pomegranates, called ellagitannins, are also found in strawberries, raspberries and muscadine... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	3 Lung Cancer Genes Identified L. Lewis October 10, 2007 Researchers have identified 3 new genes that seem to work together and that are associated with 20% of lung cancers. These are the same genes that are linked to fetal lung development the report states. According to a report in... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 9	Clinical Trial of Apatone for Cancer Looks Promising L. Lewis October 9, 2007 Researchers from the Summa Health Sytem, IC-MedTech and other institutions have announced completion of the first ever FDA approve human clinical trial of Apatone. Apatone uses a new strategy to selectively lower the level of compounds within tumor cells. These... Continue Reading Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	The Appendix: Ever Wondered Why? L. Lewis October 9, 2007 Have you ever wondered what the point is to having an appendix? For years conventional wisdom has said that it has no purpose, that it's just there taking up space and for some people it becomes inflamed and has to be removed.... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Stored Blood Lacks Nitric Oxide L. Lewis October 9, 2007 This week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that two separate studies have shown that stored blood may lack a vital component that is vital in the delivery of oxygen to tissues. Nitric oxide, which... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Announces FDA Approval of Actonel L. Lewis October 9, 2007 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA) announced that it has received final FDA approval for its Abbreviated New Drug Application for the generic version of Actonel.Actonel, a Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) product, is used in the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Xeloda (capecitabine) Better than Traditional Chemo L. Lewis October 9, 2007 Roche Holding AG's (OTC:RHHBY) Xeloda, which is the first FDA approved oral chemotherapy for metastatic breast and colorectal cancer, has proven to be more convenient and have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy.In a study of almost 2000 patients, research showed that... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 8	Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! L. Lewis October 8, 2007 Today is Thanksgiving in Canada and while it's not quiet the event it is in the U.S. it is still an event. It doesn't make the news, we don't have big parades, it's not a huge shopping day and there's... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Fat Dissolving Injections Receive Consumer Saftey Alert L. Lewis October 8, 2007 A consumer safety warning was issued by The Physicians Coalition for Injectable Saftey today. The Coalition warns that fat dissolving, fat melting, injection lipoysis and any other injectable treatments to reduce body fat are an unproven medical treatment."Injections to unwanted... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA to Warn Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. on Ultrasound Agent Definity L. Lewis October 8, 2007 According to the Wall Street Journal, the FDA will be asking Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.(NYSE:BMY) to add a "black box" warning to its ultrasound contrasting agent, Definity. The FDA has concerns that it can trigger dangerous cardiopulmonary reactions in some patients.The... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Check Your Health and Fitness with New Prototype phone from NTT DoCoMo Inc. L. Lewis October 8, 2007 It's rare I find my sources on the tech pages but a cell phone that monitors your health is interesting.NTT DoCoMo Inc. (NYSE:DCM) unveiled a prototype phone that monitors your health. It's touted as a "hassle-free way of keeping track of... Continue Reading Posted at 9:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	European Approval for Novatis AG Aclasta L. Lewis October 8, 2007 Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) has received European approval for its drug Aclasta for postmenopausal osteoporosis. The treatment is taken once a year and has been shown to reduce fractures normally affected by osteoporosis such as spine, wrists and hips. Belonging to a... Continue Reading Posted at 8:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 5	Aptivus (Tipranavir) Gets Full FDA Approval L. Lewis October 5, 2007 Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has received full approval from the FDA for Aptivus. It had already received accelerated approval in June of 2005. Full approval was granted on data from a 48-week analysis of the Phase 3 clinic... Continue Reading Posted at 2:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Advertising Prescription Drugs Bad says Europe Experts L. Lewis October 5, 2007 European parliament debated the possibility of letting pharmaceutical companies direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertising and experts warned this could be detrimental for public health.There are currently only two developed countries that allow this type of advertising, New Zealand and the... Continue Reading Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tentative FDA Approval for Teva Pharmaceutical's Generic Valtrex L. Lewis October 5, 2007 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ:TEVA) announced that it has received tentative approve for its generic version of Valtrex. Manufactured by GlaxoKleinSmith, the patent for Valtrex expires in December and final approval for the generic version is expected at that time.... Continue Reading Posted at 12:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Tentative FDA Approval for Generic Zyrtec Chewable L. Lewis October 5, 2007 Caraco Pharmaceuticals (AMEX:CPD) announced today that they have received tentative approval to market their generic version of Zyrtec Chewable, Cetirizine HCl Chewable. They are expecting final approval prior to the expiration of the patent in December of this year.Cetirizine HCl Chewable... Continue Reading Posted at 11:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	GlaxoKlein and Merck's PR Battle of the HPV Vaccines L. Lewis October 5, 2007 For the last week or so pharma news has been full of articles headlining either GlaxoSmithKlein's (NYSE:GSK) Cervarix or Merck's (NYSE:MRK) Gardasil. Both are vying for the bigger share of the potential multi-billion cervical cancer pot.It started with GlaxoSmithKlein submitting for... Continue Reading Posted at 8:51 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 4	Canada Recalls Prexige from Market L. Lewis October 4, 2007 Health Canada announced today that it has stopped all sales of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.'s sale of the anti-inflammatory drug, Prexige.The cancellation of market authorization comes due to the risk of liver related illness such as hepatitis. Health Canada based their... Continue Reading Posted at 2:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Donepezil Ineffective at Calming Alzheimer's Agitation L. Lewis October 4, 2007 After a 12-week trial it was found that Alzheimer's patients with significant agitation experienced no change when compared to patients given a placebo reported Robert J. Howard, M.R.C.Psych., of Kings College London, and colleagues.While previous studies had show some effect... Continue Reading Posted at 1:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Chili Peppers as an Anesthetic? L. Lewis October 4, 2007 Researchers have found that adding capsaicin to a lidocaine derivative called QX-314 it had the ability to enter nerve cells but only the pain-sensing nocieptors.So what is capsaicin? Simple, it's the potent ingredient in chili peppers. Seems QX-134 doesn't have... Continue Reading Posted at 10:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Exploring a "Behind the Counter" Drug System L. Lewis October 4, 2007 The FDA announced today that it is exploring the possibility of introducing a "behind the counter" system that would allow more drugs that normally require a prescription to be sold without one.This type of system would require that a pharmacist... Continue Reading Posted at 9:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Top Women in Pharmaceuticals on Fortune's List L. Lewis October 4, 2007 Fortune recently released their list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and on it is found a good number of women in pharmaceuticals.On the list at #4 is Angela Braly, President and CEO of Wellpoint Inc (NYSE:WLP). Wellpoint is... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 3	Lilly Gets Hand Slap from FDA over Cymbalta Advertising L. Lewis October 3, 2007 In a cautionary letter released today the FDA warned Eli Lilly (Public, NYSE:LLY)and Company that they must cease to distribute specific advertising material as it is considered to contain false or misleading information.The FDA found that the advertising mailer in question in... Continue Reading Posted at 2:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Cleaveland Clinic's Top 10 Innovations for 2008 L. Lewis October 3, 2007 Cleaveland Clinic announced today their top 10 medical innovations list. The list includes technologies that are expected to have a significant impact on healthcare in 2008.Flexible Intraluminal RoboticsPercutaneous Aortic Heart ValvesRNA-based TherapeuticsConvergence of advances in genome scanning and informatics to... Continue Reading Posted at 1:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Once Daily Advagraf® Launched Across Europe L. Lewis October 3, 2007 Astellas Pharma Europe Limited's (Public, TYO:4503) Advagraf®, a once daily immunosuppressant, is now available across the EU making life a little easier for patients that have had organ transplants.Advagraf® is the first calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) with a once a day dosing option... Continue Reading Posted at 12:30 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Divigel Reduced Hot Flashes in Menopausal Women L. Lewis October 3, 2007 A study of Upsher-Smith Laboratories' Divigel (estradiol gel) 0.1% was presented at the Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). The study revealed that Divigel reduced the frequency and severity of moderate to severe hot flashed that come with... Continue Reading Posted at 11:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	FDA Approves Evista (raloxifene) for Invasive Breast Cancer L. Lewis October 3, 2007 The FDA has approved Raloxifene as a treatment to reduce breast cancer risk in menopausal women. Raloxifene, under the brand name Evista, has previously been approved for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis but is now available to women with high risk... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 2	Roche Holding AG's Avastin Works on Inoperable Colorectal Cancer L. Lewis October 2, 2007 Roche Holding (OTC:RHHBY) announced last week that new clinical data showed that Avastin improved the chances of removal of mestastatic lesions in people with colorectal cancer.Data showed that a large number of patients treated with Avastin combined with regular chemotherapy... Continue Reading Posted at 4:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	MS Nerves Regenerated by Biogen Antibody L. Lewis October 2, 2007 Biogen Idec is publishing preclinical data that suggests that its anti-lingo-1 anitbody can promote myelin production and placement. Myelin, which acts as a protective cell covering around nerve fibres, is destroyed the cells lose their ability to send signals and... Continue Reading Posted at 3:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Drug Theft and Counterfeiting Costs Industry $71 Billion Annually L. Lewis October 2, 2007 An article on Lab Technologist has said that theft and counterfeiting of pharmaceutical is costing the industry $71 billion a year. The article, with information based on a study from consumer group America's Watchdog, states that counterfeiting costs $70 billion and... Continue Reading Posted at 2:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Concord Grape Heart Healthy L. Lewis October 2, 2007 Researchers at the Universite Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg, France have found that Concord grape juice aids in the production of nitric oxide in endothelial cells which provides a vasoralaxation effect. Nitric acid is important to the body's natural system for... Continue Reading Posted at 1:00 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Oct 1	FDA Approves Lamisil for Scalp Ringworm in Children L. Lewis October 1, 2007 The FDA has approved the use of Lamisil Oral Granules in the treatment of scalp ringworm, tinea capitis, in children over the age of 4."Tinea capitis is a persistent infection that is hard to treat, and one that causes children... Continue Reading Posted at 3:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Nastech Pharmacueticals Starts Phase 2 Trial of Nasal Spray to Treat Obesity L. Lewis October 1, 2007 Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc, (NASDAQ: NSTK) announced that it has started Phase 2 of its clinical trial of PYY3-36 Nasal Spray for obese patients. The study will enroll approximately 500 obese patients for a six-month period. The intent is to... Continue Reading Posted at 2:15 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Bristol-Myers Squibb Settles with Federal Government for $515M L. Lewis October 1, 2007 Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) and its subsidiary, Apothecon Inc. have agreed to pay over $515 million to settle civil suits over fraudulent marketing and pricing schemes.The federal suit included charges of illegally promoting the anti-psychotic drug Abilify to children and the elderly contrary... Continue Reading Posted at 1:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Small Study Shows Promise For CFS Sufferers in Dark Choclate L. Lewis October 1, 2007 A small study of 10 people by The Hull York Medical School found that patients had less fatigue when eating dark chocolate with a high cocoa content.Researchers were surprised but believe that it is possible that dark chocolate may have an... Continue Reading Posted at 12:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Taxotere™ Gets FDA Approval to Treat Head and Neck Cancer L. Lewis October 1, 2007 Sanofi-Aventis (EPA:SAN) has announced that the FDA has approved Taxotere™ for use in cancer patients with carcinoma of the head and neck prior to chemotherapy or surgery.A clinical trial found that patients receiving a combination of Taxotere-based therapy (TPF) and cisplatin... Continue Reading Posted at 10:00 AM \| Permalink \| Comments

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