Pharmaceutical News and Articles

Comprehensive and up-to-date drug news for both consumers and healthcare professionals.

Including medical news, pharmaceutical industry news, new drug approvals, applications and clinical trial results.

Daily MedNews

-- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch: Heartburn Volunteers are being sought to take part in a clinical trial of an investigational drug. Candidates who meet study criteria will be medically supervised. The research site is...
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: Vaccine Said to Ward Off Bird Flu An experimental bird flu vaccine appears to generate an immune response in people that can help guard against...
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27 -- A chemical produced in the brain may play a role in regulating appetite and the likelihood of becoming obese, according to a new study. For the study, researchers looked at a group of 33 people who had WAGR syndrome, a genetic...
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27 -- Magnesium sulfate, given to mothers at risk of preterm delivery, cut the rate of cerebral palsy in their babies by nearly half, a new study found. "If deemed to be at high or immediate risk of delivery prior to 32 weeks, women...
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27 -- Fat cells in obese people are "sick" compared to those in lean people, a new study shows. Published in the September issue of Diabetes, a group of researchers from the Temple University School of Medicine analyzed fat samples...

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Pharma Industry News

NICE Final Guidance Recommends Lucentis As Cost-Effective Treatment for Wet AMD, a Leading Cause of Blindness Lucentis is only approved therapy to demonstrate improvement in vision and vision-related function in vast majority of wet AMD...
- Clinical data showing unprecedented 89% reduction in risk of GIST relapse with use of Gleevec after surgery are basis for FDA, EMEA, Swissmedic filings EAST HANOVER, N.J., August 27, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis announced today that Gleevec(R)...
SAN DIEGO and INDIANAPOLIS, August 26, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company in a conference call today provided context and additional information regarding the August 18, 2008 U.S. Food and Drug...
Information for Healthcare Professionals Natalizumab Injection for Intraveneous Use (marketed as Tysabri) ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 25, 2008--FDA ALERT [8/2008]: The FDA has recently received information from the manufacturer about two new cases of...
Diabetes sites gain popularity as treatment options change NEW YORK, August 25, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Diabetes treatment brand sites from Januvia, Actos, Byetta, and Avandia are among the top pharmaceutical product websites in terms of primary care...

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New Drug Approvals

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., August 23, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Corporation of North America and its partner Helsinn Healthcare SA today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new oral formulation of Aloxi...
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 22, 2008 - Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) today announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Nplate (romiplostim), the first and only platelet producer for the...
SUMMIT, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 21, 2008 - Celgene Corporation today announced Vidaza (azacitidine) received expanded U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to reflect new overall survival achieved in the AZA-001 survival study of...
WASHINGTON, August 15, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Prestwick Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held pharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Xenazine (tetrabenazine) for the treatment of chorea...
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 11, 2008 - Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for the treatment of chronic...

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New Drug Applications

TITUSVILLE, N.J., August 26, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) announced today that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked for additional data before it will approve the company's...
VANCOUVER and DEERFIELD, IL, August 11, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Cardiome Pharma Corp. and its co-development partner Astellas Pharma US, Inc. ("Astellas") today announced that they have received an action letter dated August 8, 2008 from the...
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., August 08, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sanofi-aventis announced today that U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has assigned priority review status for its New Drug Application (NDA) for Multaq (dronedarone). The priority...
HORSHAM, Pa., August 08, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Centocor, Inc., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the review timeline for the Biologic License Application for ustekinumab, a subcutaneous biologic therapy, by...
EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 30, 2008 - Othera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today the submission of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for OT-730, an oculoselective beta-blocker, as a...

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Clinical Trials

Studies demonstrate efficacy and safety of VisonacTM and the potential for a simplified Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) procedure for treatment of moderate to severe acne Oslo, Norway, August 27, 2008 – Photocure announces positive preliminary results...
Study led by Hollings Cancer Center researcher finds risk greatest in ages 25-44 CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Individuals with a history of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), especially those who had it at a younger age, are at...
STANFORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 26, 2008 - Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine are shedding light on how type-1 diabetes begins. Doctors have known the disease is caused by an autoimmune attack on the pancreas, but the...
PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 26, 2008 - The Medicines Company (NASDAQ: MDCO) today announced that the results of VELOCITY, a pivotal Phase 3 safety and efficacy trial of its new intravenous (IV) therapy Cleviprex(TM) (clevidipine...
  Studies from pramipexole clinical programme confirm efficacy in treating highly prevalent RLS-associated symptoms, including limb pain and mood disturbance Ingelheim, Germany, 26 August 2008 – Results from a large pramipexole trial programme in...

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More News Resources


MedNotes
Latest FDA Drug Alerts
August 25, 2008
Audience: Neurologists, other healthcare professionals, patients[Posted 08/25/2008] FDA informed healthcare professionals of two...
August 21, 2008
Audience: Endocrinologists, cardiologists, other healthcare professionals, patients[Posted 08/21/2008] FDA informed healthcare...
August 18, 2008
Audience: Endocrinologists, other healthcare professionals, consumers[UPDATED 08/18/2008] Since issuing Information for...
August 14, 2008
Audience: Cardiologists, hospital risk managers [Posted 08/14/2008] Boston Scientific and FDA informed healthcare professionals...
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Latest Drug Information Updates

Xenazine
Xenazine (tetrabenazine) is a selective and reversible centrally-acting dopamine depleting drug indicated for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington's disease.

Cleviprex
Cleviprex is an intravenous, ultrashort-acting calcium channel blocker under development for the treatment of severely elevated blood pressure in the hospital setting when oral therapy is not feasible or desirable.

Stavzor
Stavzor is delayed-release valproic acid formulated in the EnteriCare enteric soft gelatin capsule delivery system designed to minimize GI adverse events. Stavzor is indicated for the treatment of manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder, adjunctive therapy in multiple seizure types (including epilepsy), and prophylaxis of migraine headaches.

Navstel
Navstel is a balanced salt ophthalmic solution for use as an intraocular irrigation during surgical procedures involving perfusion of the eye.

Eovist
Eovist (gadoxetate disodium) is a gadolinium-based contrast agent for intravenous use in T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver to detect and characterize lesions in adults with known or suspected focal liver disease.

Evolence
Evolence is a collagen-based structural dermal filler for the correction of moderate to deep facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds.

Kinrix
Kinrix [Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine] is a combination vaccine for protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio diseases in children.

Durezol
Durezol (difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion) is a topical steroid for the treatment of postoperative ocular inflammation and pain.

PrandiMet
PrandiMet (repaglinide and metformin HCl) is a fixed-dose combination of the fast-acting secretagogue replaglinide (also known as Prandin) and insulin sensitizer, metformin, indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Pentacel
Pentacel is a combination vaccine indicated for active immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis and invasive disease due to Haemophilus influenzae type b in children 6 weeks through 4 years of age.

Trivaris
Trivaris (triamcinolone acetonide) is a glucocorticoid corticosteroid delivered via intravitreal injection for the treatment of sympathetic ophthalmia, temporal arteritis, uveitis, and ocular inflammatory conditions unresponsive to topical corticosteroids.

Entereg
Entereg (alvimopan) is a peripherally-acting mu opioid receptor antagonist used to help patients regain gastrointestinal (GI) function earlier following bowel resection surgery.

OraVerse
OraVerse is a dental anesthetic reversal agent that accelerates the return to normal sensation and function following dental procedures.

Aplenzin
Aplenzin is a once-daily formulation of bupropion hydrobromide indicated for the treatment of depression in adults.

Cimzia
Cimzia is a PEGylated anti-TNF (tumor necrosis factor) biologic therapy for the treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease in adults.

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