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Health :: Pharmion enrolled first patient into Vidaza Patient Registry

Pharmion Corporation (Nasdaq: PHRM) announced today the enrollment of the first patient in AVIDA(TM), a registry for patients treated with Vidaza(R) (azacitidine for injectable suspension). Vidaza was approved in May 2004 for the treatment of all five French-American-British (FAB) subtypes of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS): refractory anemia (RA) or refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS) if accompanied by neutropenia or thrombocytopenia or requiring transfusions; refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB), refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEB-T), and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMMoL). Myelodysplastic syndromes are a serious and life-threatening group of diseases in which the bone marrow does not function normally, resulting in the production of malformed or immature blood cells.

Hepatitis :: Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Baraclude, entecavir suppressed viral load to undetectable levels

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced data from a three-year cohort (ETV-022/901, n=119), which showed BARACLUDE? (entecavir) suppressed viral load to undetectable levels in 90 percent of nucleoside-na?ve chronic hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) positive patients at week 144 who continued on-treatment from week 96. In this cohort, undetectable HBV DNA levels were defined as less than 300 copies per mL of blood as measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Suppression of viral load to undetectable levels is one of several measures of antiviral treatment response; a sustained, undetectable viral load is an important goal of chronic hepatitis B treatment. The results of this three-year cohort were presented today at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

Parkinson’s Disease :: Boehringer Ingelheim’s pramipexole, mirapexin/sifrol to improve depressive and motivational symptoms

New data presented today from a meta-analysis* of nearly 1,300 Parkinson?s disease (PD) patients, indicate that pramipexole (Mirapexin?/Sifrol?) has a beneficial effect on depressive and motivational symptoms in PD.1 This confirms findings from previously published clinical trials,2,3,4 and is in addition to its established efficacy in controlling motor symptoms. These findings are of particular interest as mood symptoms in PD can affect up to 50 percent of the patient population.1,5 The data were presented at the 10th International Congress of Parkinson?s Disease and Movement Disorders (MDS) in Kyoto, Japan.

Multiple Sclerosis :: Increased sale of Copaxone drug for multiple sclerosis – Teva

COPAXONE? is indicated for the reduction of the frequency of relapses in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA) announced, in conjunction with the release of the Sanofi-Aventis group’s financial results, that global in-market sales of Copaxone? in the third quarter of 2006 grew by 15% as compared to the third quarter of 2005 and reached a record of $354 million.

Hepatitis :: Glaxo eltrombopag improved platelet count in hepatitis C patients with thrombocytopenia

GlaxoSmithKline plc [NYSE:GSK, LSE:GSK] announced results from a global Phase II study of eltrombopag, an investigational non-peptide oral platelet growth factor. In this study of 74 hepatitis C patients with thrombocytopenia, (a condition where the blood has low platelet levels) more than 95% (p< 0.001) of patients treated with the highest dose of eltrombopag (75mg) had increased platelet counts. In addition, 71% - 91% of patients in all treatment groups were able to initiate antiviral therapy with pegylated interferon-α (IFN) and ribavirin, and 65% were able to be maintained on therapy.1 Full results from this Phase II study are being presented today at the 57th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) in Boston, Massachusetts.

Cholesterol :: Patent Victory in Spanish Court Favoring Ranbaxy on Atorvastatin Unaffected

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited said that recently, in two separate rulings, the Spanish courts (the Mercantile Court of Barcelona, No. 2) found Spanish patent ES 2,167,306 (counterpart of Pfizer’s EP 409 281) to be invalid for lack of novelty. The two rulings made on September 26, 2006, in Lek Pharmaceuticals v. Warner Lambert Co. and in Laboratorios Cinfa et al. v. Warner Lambert, found claims 1 to 3 of Pfizer to be invalid. These decisions came after considering the views of the Spanish Patent Office (SPO), in addition to technical expert reports.

Health Care :: Nursing Spectrum becomes Gannett Healthcare Group

Gannett Co., Inc. announced that Nursing Spectrum, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gannett since 1995 and the nation?s largest print and electronic publisher of information for registered nurses, is now Gannett Healthcare Group. The company?s 12 regional nursing publications will continue to operate under their existing brand names, Nursing Spectrum in the Eastern United States, and NurseWeek in the Western United States, as they have for nearly 20 years.

Asbestosis :: Government announces more money for asbestos sufferers

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Timms, and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, John Hutton, announced that the Government will bring forward legislation to ensure that at least 800 sufferers of asbestos related diseases are able to keep their full compensation.

Nutrition :: Cognis launches 3 natural, non-GMO health ingredients at SupplySide West

Traffic at the Cognis Nutrition & Health booth at the SupplySide West trade show is expected to be brisk as dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers discover the benefits of three new, non-GMO natural health ingredients Cognis is launching — Covi-ox? T-95 EU natural mixed tocopherols, Vegapure? F40 WDP E water dispersible natural plant sterols, Xangold? 20% natural lutein ester beadlets.

Weight Loss :: Supplements help avoid ‘Weight Creep’ from Turkey and Sugar Plums – Tonalin CLA Study

CLA may serve critical role in preventing weight and fat gain during year-end holidays and with normal aging. Avoiding ‘weight creep’ from turkey and sugar plums is the theme of a consumer PR campaign Cognis Nutrition & Health is rolling out in time for the holiday season based on a Tonalin? CLA study recently published online in the prestigious International Journal of Obesity. The research suggests that Tonalin? CLA could have long-term health benefits by preventing weight and fat gain commonly experienced by adults during the November-December holiday season, and in the normal aging process.