Pfizer Inc said today that the European Commission has approved Champix(R) (varenicline), a novel pill for smoking cessation in adults. In addition, because smokers often need considerable support to quit successfully, Champix will be available with a patient support plan which smokers can customize to address their individual behavioral triggers as they try to quit smoking.
Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) and Biogen Idec, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved, after a Priority Review, two additional uses for Rituxan(R) (Rituximab) for patients with CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). One new indication for Rituxan is for first-line treatment of previously-untreated patients with follicular NHL in combination with CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone) chemotherapy. The second new indication is for the treatment of low-grade NHL in patients with stable disease or who achieve a partial or complete response following first-line treatment with CVP chemotherapy.
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development (JJPRD), L.L.C. announced that it has received an approvable letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding a New Drug Application (NDA) for paliperidone extended-release (ER) tablets for the treatment of schizophrenia.
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) today announced that the results of a Phase 1 clinical trial of HGS004 (CCR5 mAb) demonstrate that it was well tolerated and exhibited antiviral activity in patients who are infected with HIV-1, the retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The results were reported in San Francisco in an oral presentation at the American Society for Microbiology’s 46th Annual Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC).
Contrary to oral warfarin therapy, the use of subcutaneous low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) has the advantage of stable dosing without the need of prothrombin time monitoring. Few randomized studies have compared the efficacy of LMWH with the least costly unfractionated heparin for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). In the United States, 6 days of LMWH therapy for an 80 kg patient is estimated to cost $712, compared with $37 of unfractionated heparin.
A researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health has discovered a new part of the complicated mechanism that governs the formation of blood vessels, or angiogenesis.
Benzimate is the lead compound selected from a series of compounds known as benzimidazoles. The anti-cancer and anti-viral activity of the benzimidazoles was originally investigated by the Proctor & Gamble Company (P & G) beginning in the 1990’s.
If you someday become diagnosed with skin cancer and survive, one of the most worrisome issues you will face will be preventing a recurrence of the cancer. After successful treatment, your doctor will continue to schedule regular follow-up appointments to ensure that you remain skin cancer-free. Even regular medical attention is no substitute for exercising good skin care habits.
The risk of developing autism is significantly higher among children born to men who are 40 and older than it is among children with fathers under 30, researchers report. The reason appears to be genetic, researchers suggest.
An ointment containing the antibiotic mupirocin does not speed healing or prevent infection when applied to clean surgical wounds before the wound is sealed, research suggests. In fact, the ointment may increase the risk of skin edge necrosis (death), an Australian research team found.