Pharmaceutical | Page 39 of 46

Health :: Arkansas and Pfizer – New Partnership to Embrace Healthier Eating and Fitness

Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Pfizer Inc today announced the formation of Balance It Out: Arkansas, a new school-based community program to reduce the number of children who are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, effectively diminishing their risk of developing chronic illness. In December 2006, the program will begin in Little Rock, AR, with a health fair for state employees designed to increase awareness of health risk factors and steps to prevent disease. Beginning in early 2007, the program will reach children and their families in the Dollarway (Pine Bluff), Harrison and Paragould school districts.

Stroke :: Doctors launch new effort to treat stroke more effectively

Just a small fraction of patients who have a stroke receive the only drug — TPA — available to treat the condition. Now doctors and scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have developed a potential new treatment that will reach a milestone in the next few months, when the experimental treatment is tested for the first time in people who have suffered a stroke or “brain attack.”

Lung Cancer :: Minister launches Lung Cancer Awareness Month

To highlight the symptoms of lung cancer health minister Rosie Winterton today launched Lung Cancer Awareness Month at the Royal Mail’s South London Mail Centre, where she heard first hand the experiences of lung cancer patients and met representatives from Royal Mail, the voluntary sector and health professionals.

Cervical Cancer :: Merck’s cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil in CDC’s Vaccines for Children

Merck & Co., Inc. announced that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added Merck’s cervical cancer vaccine, GARDASIL? [Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (Types 6, 11, 16, 18) Recombinant Vaccine] to the CDC’s Vaccines for Children (VFC) contract for girls and women aged 9 to 18. GARDASIL was approved on June 8 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in girls and women ages 9 to 26 years. GARDASIL is the world’s first and only vaccine available for the prevention of HPV types 16- and 18-related cervical cancer, cervical pre-cancers (CIN 2/3 and AIS), vulvar pre-cancers (VIN 2/3) and vaginal pre-cancers (VaIN 2/3) and for the prevention of genital warts and low-grade cervical lesions (CIN 1) caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

Health :: WHO sets up network to combat corruption in medicines procurement

Huge amounts of money – up to $50 billion – are spent every year on pharmaceutical products, a market so large that it is extremely vulnerable to corruption. Recent estimates have shown that as much as 25% of medicines which are procured can be lost to fraud, bribery and other corrupt practices.

Tuberculosis :: Pioneers in TB control from Africa and India receive awards for outstanding achievements

Two individuals who helped transform tuberculosis (TB) control in their home countries have become the first winners of a prestigious international health prize, to mark their contribution to improved TB control. The Stop TB Partnership Kochon Prize was inaugurated this year, and will be awarded for the first time, at the 37th Union World Conference on Lung Health, Palais des Congr?s, Paris.

Breast Cancer :: Australian Government funds new breast cancer drugs Aromasin, exemestane & Femara, letrozole

The Commonwealth Government will add two drugs for the treatment of breast cancer to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). From 1 December, exemestane (Aromasin?) and letrozole (Femara?) will be listed for the treatment of hormone-dependent early breast cancer in post-menopausal women.

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.