Health | Page 1286 of 1374 | SpiritIndia.com

Tuberculosis :: Promising New TB Drug Enters Clinical Trial

A promising new drug candidate that may be effective against both actively dividing and slow-growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) has begun testing in humans, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, announced today. The novel antibiotic, PA-824, may shorten the time needed to treat tuberculosis (TB), a contagious disease that claims approximately two million lives worldwide each year. In partnership with the non-profit New York-based Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), NIAID contributed to the drug candidate?s preclinical safety and efficacy testing in animal models. Now, a clinical trial to assess PA-824?s safety, sponsored by the TB Alliance, has opened at a medical clinic in Lincoln, NE.

HIV :: Lamivudine – Generic AIDS Drug for AIDS Relief

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the tentative approval of Lamivudine Tablets manufactured by Aurobindo Pharma LTD. Hyderabad, India. This product will now be available for consideration for purchase under the President?s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

HIV :: Glaxo inks AIDS vaccine deal with non-profit group

GlaxoSmithKline Plc is to develop an experimental AIDS vaccine in collaboration with a non-profit group, in the first such public-private HIV vaccine partnership involving a major company.

HIV :: Generic Nevirapine for AIDS Relief

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the tentative approval of two applications for nevirapine tablets manufactured by Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, Guragon, India and Aurobindo Pharma Limited, Hyderabad, India. These are the first generic versions of Viramune Tablets manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim. These products will now be available for consideration for purchase under the President?s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Insomnia :: Broader Use of Cognitive n Behavioral Therapies for Chronic Insomnia

Many of the medications widely used to manage chronic insomnia have not yet been rigorously evaluated for long-term use, according to an independent scientific panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health. This is a critical consideration because for many patients, insomnia can persist for decades. The panel also stressed that many chronic insomnia sufferers could benefit from currently underused behavioral and cognitive therapies.

Cancer :: True cancer-causing genes revealed by new technique

New research under the direction of Paul Khavari, MD, PhD, professor in the Program in Epithelial Biology at the Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the dermatology service at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System, shows a novel and more effective way of testing which mutations cause cancer and which are mere research distractions. The work is published in the June issue of Nature Genetics.

Diabetes :: Diet drug cuts blood sugar, trims waistline in type 2 diabetics

A drug that curbs appetite has been found to reduce a host of factors that contribute to type 2 diabetes – including elevated blood sugar levels, a study has shown.

Rheumatoid Arthritis :: Cancer Drug Rituximab Fights Rheumatoid Arthritis

A study found rituximab to be a safe and effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The U.K. study, which included 465 men and women who had had arthritis for about 10 years, examined the effects of two doses of the drug.

Lupus :: Cancer Drug Rituximab Fights Lupus

The cancer drug rituximab may benefit lupus patients with central nervous system (CNS) complications, according to a new U.S. study.

Alzheimer’s Disease :: Behavior approach helps Alzheimer’s patients sleep

Behavioral techniques that are known to improve sleep in non-demented institutionalized older adults may benefit patients with Alzheimer’s disease who have nighttime insomnia, according to the findings of a small study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.