Lead chelation therapy can lessen learning and behavioral problems due to lead exposure, but the therapy adversely affected rats with no lead in their systems, a Cornell study shows. The finding has implications for the treatment of autistic children.
A clinical trial of a new targeted breast cancer drug, led by physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center, has begun enrolling patients. The TEACH (Tykerb Evaluation After CHemotherapy) trial will investigate the experimental drug Tykerb (lapatinib) in patients with early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer who have not been treated with Herceptin, another targeted drug used for the same type of tumor.
Pharmion Corporation (Nasdaq: PHRM) today announced new data presented from two studies of thalidomide in combination therapy, including updated results from the pivotal MM-003 study in first-line multiple myeloma, and results from a study examining the effect of the addition of thalidomide to a post-transplant regimen. The results of these studies were presented at the 48th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in Orlando, December 9-12, 2006).
An analysis of previous studies suggests that for people with a history of vascular disease, folic acid supplementation does not decrease the risk of coronary heart disease or stroke, as has been suggested in some research, according to a review article in the December 13 issue of JAMA.
In a review article in the December Nicotine and Tobacco Research, researchers at the University of Vermont have found an unexpected, effective alternative to motivate smokers to quit smoking ? cutting back. According to the qualitative review of 19 studies on smoking reduction in individuals who did not want to quit, this method, typically coupled with the use of nicotine replacement products, led to an increase in quitting in 16 of the studies.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc., The Rockville, Maryland-based company, said its experimental schizophrenia drug proved effective in a late-stage clinical trial, reviving hopes for a product that many had considered dead and sending the company’s shares soaring more than 68 percent.
Low doses of the drug mifepristone shrink uterine fibroid tumors and greatly improve the quality of life in women who suffer from pain and heavy bleeding, according to a University of Rochester study published in the December Obstetrics and Gynecology journal.
A new study will provide further understanding about the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on the brain function of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Transplanted neural stem cells hold promise for reducing the destruction of dopaminergic cells that occurs in Parkinson’s disease and for replacing cells lost to the disease, scientists say.
Preliminary new research discussed today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology’s Annual Meeting finds that oxytocin, when administered using intravenous fluid and nasal technology may have significant positive effects on adult autism patients.