Wyeth and FDA notified healthcare professionals of revisions to the OVERDOSAGE/Human Experience section of the prescribing information for Effexor (venlafaxine HCl), indicated for treatment of major depressive disorder.
The UK face transplantation team has been given permission to perform a series of full face transplant operations at the Royal Free Hospital in North London. The independent research ethics committee for the Royal Free delivered its decision to team leader, plastic and reconstruction surgeon, Mr Peter Butler, who said he was delighted with the news.
Strains of tuberculosis (TB) that are resistant to both first-line and second-line drugs could threaten the success of not only tuberculosis programs, but also HIV treatment programs worldwide, according to an article published online this week in The Lancet. The report details a study by a team of investigators from the United States and South Africa, who found that highly resistant strains of TB were more common than previously thought in a rural area of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, and were associated with high death rates in patients with HIV infection. TB accounts for approximately 1.7 million deaths worldwide, each year, and is the leading cause of death in HIV-infected patients in low-income countries.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY, TSX: SHQ) announced that its Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patch, DAYTRANA tm (methylphenidate transdermal system), has significant efficacy in reducing the symptoms of ADHD in children aged 6 to 12 years, even when the ADHD patch is taken off earlier than the recommended nine hours. The ability to remove the patch earlier than the recommended nine-hour wear time allows physicians the opportunity to manage the potential for late-day side effects, such as lack of appetite or difficulty sleeping. These phase IIIb clinical trial results were reported today at a major scientific and educational meeting of child and adolescent psychiatrists in San Diego, Calif.
With the research support from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a Wisconsin biotech company has found that a compound from a protein found in jellyfish is neuro-protective and may be effective in treating neurodegenerative diseases.
A new study investigating the effects of chemotherapy on cognitive function in mice has confirmed what many cancer patients receiving treatment have often complained about ? a decline in their memory and other cognitive functions, sometimes characterized as “chemobrain”.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY, TSX: SHQ) and its collaborative partner New River Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: NRPH) announced today that their investigational ADHD treatment, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (also known as NRP104 or LDX), yielded a 60 percent improvement in the primary rating scale scores for symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children aged 6 to 12 years who received six months of treatment in an open-label phase III study. Results also demonstrated that at 6 months, 95 percent of children taking lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (NRP104/LDX) produced a “much improved” or “very much improved” rating on the Clinical Global Impressions ? Improvement score. These results were presented last weekend at a national meeting of child and adolescent psychiatrists.
Many patients over the age of 65 who are hospitalized with an acute illness experience a subtle change in their cognitive ability that often goes undiagnosed, untreated and underreported. As a result, a patient’s ability to make decisions about his or her medical treatment may be negatively impacted.
Women undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer benefit from moderate intensity, regular aerobic activity, according to a new study. A peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study found that exercise improved the oxygen capacity of patients and maintained levels of red blood cells during radiation treatment. In contrast, women who did not exercise experienced significant declines in their oxygen capacity. This is the first study to investigate the effect of exercise during treatment.
A new study suggests that mothers may be able to transfer antiretroviral immunity during gestation and while breastfeeding when receiving a new antibody-based treatment say researchers from France. They report their findings in the October 2006 issue of the Journal of Virology.