Iloprost is an inhaled drug currently used to treat individuals with pulmonary arterial hypertension (raised blood pressure in the blood vessels in the lungs that leads to shortness of breath, dizziness and fainting). However, the results of a new study in mice indicate that iloprost might provide an effective therapeutic for the treatment of individuals with allergic asthma.
Rats that rode in a truck on the New York State Thruway between Rochester and Buffalo and were exposed to the same highway pollution that motorists encounter, showed a drop in heart rate and effects on the autonomic nervous system, according to a study published this month in the journal Inhalation Toxicology.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi banned smoking from the Speaker’s Lobby outside the entrance to the House floor. Pelosi said she was banning smoking from the area to protect the health of the staff, reporters and public who spend time in the lobby.
Microneedle-based vaccination with the current anthrax vaccine produced an equally effective immune response to intramuscular injection in rabbits using smaller dosage say researcher from Maryland and North Carolina. They report their findings in the December 2006 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.
Clinical signs and pathological changes in guinea pigs following an aerosol challenge with acute Q fever were similar to those seen in human acute Q fever indicating an effective animal model of human disease say researchers from Texas A&M University. They report their findings in the November issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.
An observational study of more than 64,000 asthma patients demonstrated that patients receiving treatment with Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) had a significant risk reduction in emergency department visits due to asthma versus patients treated with fluticasone propionate (FP) alone.
The following articles are featured in the upcoming issue of the Journals of the American Society for Microbiology: Novel H3N1 swine influenza virus identified in pigs in Korea; New treatment using human antibodies to target harmful toxins may protect against C. cifficile; and Guinea pig aerosol challenge presents new model for Q fever research in humans.
Newly presented data indicate that treatment with SYMBICORT? (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) inhalation aerosol results in significantly greater improvements in lung function, and a lower risk of asthma worsening episodes, compared to budesonide and/or formoterol used alone. In addition, data also showed that SYMBICORT was generally well-tolerated, with an adverse event profile similar to that of its individual components. These study results, involving patients with mild to moderate persistent asthma, were presented today at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology’s (ACAAI) annual scientific sessions held in Philadelphia on November 9-15, 2006.
Children treated with PULMICORT RESPULES? (budesonide inhalation suspension) either once or twice daily experienced a significantly greater increase in the percentage of asthma-control days compared to those receiving placebo. These results are being presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), held in Philadelphia on November 9-15. Asthma-control days were defined as days when children were free of symptoms and did not use rescue medications during the day and night. Control of asthma symptoms during the day and night and reduction of the need for rescue medication is an important goal of asthma therapy in keeping with current National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) guidelines.
Abbott and Kos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced a definitive agreement for Abbott to acquire Kos for $78 per share in cash, for a total transaction value of $3.7 billion, net of cash currently held by Kos. Based in Cranbury, N.J., Kos is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and markets proprietary medications for the treatment of chronic cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory diseases. The company has a growing presence in the $20 billion lipid management market.