Drug Week articles from April 2001

Drug Week archives from April 2001

Color-Coded System Tracks Cell Receptors' Regulatory Processes; Implications For Drug Development.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) - John Hopkins researchers have developed the first color-coded tracking system to see how receptors on the surface of a living cell transmit signals to the cell's interior and regulate a wide range of...

Experimental Drug Decreases Age-Related Blood Vessel Stiffening.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An experimental drug may reverse the stiffening of the cardiovascular system that occurs with aging, according to results of a clinical trial conducted at nine sites throughout the United States. ...

Anti-CD23 Monoclonal Antibody Demonstrates Safety, Efficacy.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp. reports results from a single-dose, placebo-controlled, dose-escalating Phase I trial of its investigational agent IDEC-152, a primatized, anti-CD23 monoclonal antibody in...

Potent Potential Antibiotic Inhibits Previously Unknown Class Of Bacterial Enzymes.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) - Building on recent discovery of a potent potential antibiotic, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy researchers have found a previously unknown family of metal-requiring enzymes in bacteria. ...

Over 20 Clinical Trials Are Underway With Arsenic Trioxide.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTIC) continues to advance the investigation of Trisenox (arsenic trioxide) injection in the treatment of a variety of blood-related cancers. Recently-initiated studies...

Benefits of Drug Treatment Confirmed in Recent Study.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A front-line drug against multiple sclerosis (MS) has recently passed a long-anticipated, critical test of its effectiveness, according to a report in the March 2001 issue of Annals of Neurology. ...

New Microparticle Carrier Sustains Isoniazid Delivery Up To Seven Weeks.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A biodegradable polymeric drug carrier shows promise for the delivery of isoniazid and other anti-tubercular drugs. Poly (DL-lactide-co-glyoolide) (PLG)...

KNI-272 Targets Two Viral Replication Stages.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - The protease inhibitor KNI-272 blocks HIV replication at two distinct stages in the process, according to microbiologists in Japan. T. Goto and colleagues...

Researchers Shed New Light On Action Of Pain Killers.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston have shown for the first time how a class of common pain-relieving agents called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including...

Antisense Oligonucleotide Enters Clinical Trials.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NeoPharm announced on March 19, 2001, the initiation of two Phase I/II clinical trials of Le-Aon for cancer patients. Le-Aon is an electrostatic liposome encapsulated antisense cRaf oligonucleotide...

Human Trials Begin For Antisense Drug.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lorus Therapeutics Inc. announced March 19, 2001, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company's Investigational New Drug (IND) application to begin a Phase I clinical trial...

Phase III Trial Investigates Angiogenesis Signaling Inhibitor.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pharmacia Corporation (PHA) announced March 16, 2001, the launch of a multi-national Phase III clinical trial to evaluate the addition of semaxanib (SU5416), an investigational angiogenesis signaling...

Adenosine Receptor Antagonist Protects And Improves Renal Function.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biogen, Inc. (BGEN) and CV Therapeutics, Inc. (CVTX) announced March 19, 2001, that positive results were presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology from a Phase II trial with...

Studies Demonstrate Natriuretic Peptide Rapidly Improves Blood Circulation.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An investigational drug called nesiritide may become a useful new treatment for the one million Americans hospitalized each year with acute congestive heart failure (CHF), according to a comprehensive...

Researchers Discover Way To Create Artificial Protein Structures.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists at the NEC Research Institute have discovered a way of creating artificial protein structures, the key building blocks in all living systems - a finding that could ultimately lead to the...

New Drug Enhances Function In Most Men Regardless Of Severity.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Men with mild to severe erectile dysfunction (ED) may benefit from Cialis (IC351), an investigational oral treatment for ED, according to a study published in the March 2001 issue of International...

FDA Approves Two New Intraocular Pressure Lowering Drugs.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of two new drugs to treat the elevated intraocular pressure which is often associated with glaucoma - Lumigan (bimatoprost ophthalmic...

Low-Dose Gemcitabine Sensitizes Cells to Radiation Treatment.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Low doses of gemcitabine lessen the danger of toxicity and adequately sensitize tumor cells to radiation in patients with head and neck cancer, researchers have...

Artesunate Influences Kidney Clearance.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The anti-malaria drug sodium artesunate causes decreased clearance of inulin and increased urinary output of sodium, chloride, potassium, and nitric oxide...

New Formulation Of Tolterodine Demonstrates Improved Efficacy And Tolerability.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The University Hospital of Maastricht, The Netherlands, announced clinical trial results that demonstrate that patients taking a new, once-daily formulation of tolterodine, currently marketed in the...

Volume, Not Price, Continues To Drive Higher Drug Spending.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New research released March 15, 2001, concludes that increased use of medicines, not rising prices, continues to be the primary cause of higher prescription drug spending. Protocare Sciences has...

Monoclonal Antibody Attacks Condition On A Molecular Level.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Psoriasis symptoms can be alleviated with Xanelim (efalizumab), one of a new class of targeted monoclonal antibody drugs, researchers said at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology...

New Treatment Appears To Demonstrate Lasting Benefit.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine's Department of Dermatology have announced the results of a clinical trial in which alefacept (human LFA-3 IgG1 fusion protein, Amevive [TM]) was...

Drug Reverses DNA Damage Caused By Sunlight.
April 6, 2001... 2001 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A topical lotion, applied once a day, uses liposomes to deliver DNA repair enzymes into the skin that reverse the DNA damage caused by sunlight. Daniel B. Yarosh, PhD, AGI Dermatics, Inc, announced...

Ethiopian Medicinal Plant Extracts Show Promise For Treatment.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Several substances derived from traditional Ethiopian medicinal plants may be effective antiviral compounds, according to researchers writing in the journal...

Duke Receives U.S. Patent On Heat-Triggered Drug Carriers.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Duke University has received a United States patent for a special formulation of drug-carrying microscopic fatty liposome spheres invented by Duke engineering professor David Needham. The patent...

Novel Compound Inhibits HIV Replication In Cell Cultures.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A compound that inhibits human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in human immune system cells may eventually provide a new therapeutic approach against the virus by blocking infection at an early stage. ...

Manufacturers To Test Drugs In Children, Elderly.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amid an explosion of U.S. cases of type 2 diabetes, pharmaceutical companies are testing drugs on two groups once excluded from experiments for safety reasons: children and the elderly. ...

Compounds Demonstrate Strong HBV-Specific Antiviral Activity In Vitro.(hepatitis B virus)
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers with Mitsubishi-Tokyo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in Japan reported that certain trifluoroethyl esters of phosphonomethoxyethyl purine derivatives demonstrate strong and specific antiviral...

Enzyme Therapy May Become First Effective Treatment For Rare Disease In Infants.(recombinant human acid alpha-glucosidase, Pompe disease)
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An enzyme therapy developed by Duke University researchers has been shown to improve heart and muscular functions - and therefore prolong and enhance quality of life - in a small study of infants born...

Doctors Still Not Using Heart Drugs Shown To Be Beneficial In Clinical Trials.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The results were presented during the 50th annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, Florida. During the past decade, large-scale randomized clinical trials have...

Antibody 17b May Hold Key To Blocking Viral Entry.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - The mechanisms by which the HIV antibody 17b interferes with viral cell entry may aid in the creation of new HIV inhibitors, say researchers in Pennsylvania....

Transmucosal Drug To Begin Trials In South Africa.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (HEPH) March 21, 2001, announced it has received clearance from the South African Medicines Control Council (MCC) to initiate testing of a new transmucosal (buccal)...

Arthritis Drug Will Be Tested Against Cancerous Tumors.(Celebrex )
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cancer researchers are poised to begin a study to determine if a commonly prescribed arthritis drug can shrink tumors. The trial is still before the scientific review committee at the Dana-Farber...

Drug Candidate Stimulates Neutrophil Production.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Telik, Inc. (TELK) announced that additional data supporting the potential of its TLK199 product candidate were presented March 23, 2001, at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer...

Antibodies Invoke Cell-Mediated Tumor Killing In Vitro.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AltaRex Corp. (AXO, ALXFF) of Waltham, Massachusetts, additional data further explaining its clinical demonstration of effective T-cell activation induced by its [OvaRex.sup.R] antibody. The in...

Clinical Trial Gets Underway For Anticancer Drug.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The biopharmaceutical company MediGene AG (MDG) announced on March 21, 2001, that a Phase I, dose-escalating, clinical trial to determine the safety of a novel anticancer therapeutic, NV 1020, a...

Preclinical Data Presented On Growth-Factor Inhibitor.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ImClone Systems, Inc. (IMCL) announced preclinical findings from a study of the company's lead cancer therapeutic, IMC-C225, demonstrating its anti-tumor activity in combination with irinotecan in...

Second-Generation Cox-2, Other Drug Developments Announced,.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pharmacia Corporation (PHA) announced March 23, 2001 several developments in ongoing pharmaceutical programs. The company said that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food...

Angiogenesis Inhibitor Lengthens Median Survival Two-Fold.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AEterna Laboratories, Inc. (AEL, AELA) reported on March 26, 2001, clinical data from a Phase I/II clinical trial, demonstrating a statistically significant two-fold increase (p[less than]0.01) in...

FDA Designates Priority Review For Glivec.
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Novartis Oncology announced March 26, 2001, that Glivec has been designated for priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for possible use as treatment of patients with chronic...

Artesunate Plus Pyrimethamine-Sulfadoxine Regimen Cuts Transmission.(malaria )
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The anti-malarial agent artesunate combined with pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine lowers, but does not eliminate, transmission of malaria from infected humans to...

Immunotherapeutic Antisense Agent Extends Survival.(melanoma)
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genta, Inc. (GNTA) reported on March 26, 2001, updated results of clinical trials for its immunotherapy drug Genasense [TM] at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)...

Targeting Enzyme Could Provide Continual Fat Burning.(acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2)
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In an article in the March 30, 2001, issue of Science, Dr. Salih Wakil described mice - whose genes were manipulated to make them deficient in the enzyme acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2, or ACC2 - as being...

Phase II Trial To Evaluate Irofulven Dosing Schedule.(ovarian cancer)
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MGI Pharma, Inc. (MOGN) March 22, 2001, announced that it has initiated a new Phase II clinical trial of irofulven, its anti-cancer compound, for patients with refractory or recurrent advanced...

Phase II Clinical Trials Begin For Neuro-Regenerative Drug.(spinal cord injury)
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NeoTherapeutics, Inc. (NEOT) announced March 26, 2001, that it has initiated a 12-week, open-label, pilot study of Neotrofin in patients wit subacute, complete spinal cord injury. The study has...

Recombinant Interleukin-11 Not Effective For Refractory Patients.(immune thrombocytopenia purpura )
April 13, 2001... 2001 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Despite its platelet-stimulating effects, recombinant human interleukin-11 (rhIL-11) does not show promising results for the treatment of refractory immune...

Thiazolyl Thiourea Compounds Show Therapeutic Promise.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - A number of thiazolyl thiourea derivatives possess potent and selective HIV inhibitory ability. pharmaceutical researchers report. F.M. Uckun and...

Chemists Synthesize Fungus Compound That Could Lead To Oral Diabetes Drugs.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Duke University chemists have used "combinatorial chemistry" techniques to synthesize a compound originally extracted from an African fungus that could lead to oral drugs that control diabetes. ...

Polymer Gel Holds Promise For Therapeutics Delivery And Tissue Engineering.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20- (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new polymer-based material with unique gelling properties found useful in medical applications ranging from targeted cancer treatment to tissue engineering has been developed by researchers at the...

Very Low Doses Of Potent New Drug Reduce Complications Of Bone Metastases In Some Cancers.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 -- (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, report that very low doses of a potent new drug called zoledronic acid reduce the complications that arise from multiple myeloma...

Molecular Envelopes Help Medicines Penetrate Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Cells.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers believe they have found a way to defeat the multidrug resistance of many cancer cells and to dramatically reduce some of the undesirable side effects of chemotherapy. Based on work...

Over 400 Drugs In Pipeline for Cancer, PhRMA Survey Says.(Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America )
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pharmaceutical researchers are developing 402 new weapons to target cancer, many of them cutting-edge medicines that will be alternatives to standard radiation and chemotherapy treatments that are...

Protein Inhibitor Targets Chronic Myeloid Leukemia And Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.(Gleevec, formerly called Glivec)
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewRx.net) -- A compound developed to fight one form of leukemia at the molecular level also is working to combat a rare gastrointestinal cancer, report researchers in the April 5, 201, issue of the New England...

Combination Antiretroviral Tablet Does Not Alter Pharmacokinetics.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - A single tablet combining doses of abacavir, lamivudine, and zidovudine is equivalent to individual doses of these antiretroviral drugs, according to...

Cuba Poised To Enter Generic Drug Market.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- South African president Thabo Mbeki signed a series of agreements in Havana the week of April 2, 2001, with his Cuban counterpart Fidel Castro, one of which could clear the way for the two countries to...

Drug May Substantially Extend Time To Nursing Home Placement.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Persistent treatment with [Aricept.sup.R] (donepezil hydrochloride) may have delayed dementia-related nursing home placement for Alzheimer's patients for close to two years (21 months), according to a...

Motexafin Gadolinium Increases Tumor Response, Prolongs Survival.(brain tumors)
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pharmacyclics, Inc. (PCYC) announced on April 2, 2001, the results of a multi-center Phase Ib/II clinical trial of its investigational agent [Xcytrin.sup.R] (motexafin gadolinium) Injection. ...

Platinum Agent Shows Activity Against Resistant Tumors.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AnorMED, Inc., announced that new preclinical data showed ZD0473, its platinum-based anti-cancer agent, is active against cisplatin-and carboplatin-resistant cell lines and human tumor xenografts. ...

Patent Expirations Expected To Boost Antidepressant Markets.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A not-so-depressing situation is developing for users of antidepressant medications such as Prozac and Zoloft; however, the makers of these drugs might have a different view. The U.S. market will...

Peripheral Kappa Agonist Relieves Pain, Itch In Clinical Trial.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adolor Corp. (ALDR) announced on April 5, 2001, that results from two early clinical trials for its first-in-class pain drug candidate, ADL 10-0101, have shown positive results in relieving pain and...

Scientists Identify Genetic Cause For Altered Response Or Toxicity In Some Patients.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The genetic basis for why some people do not express, or produce, CYP3A5, a specific protein that helps the body metabolize one half of all drugs, including many anti-cancer drugs and organ rejection...

Adequate Vaccine Coverage Trumps Oseltamivir Prophylaxis In Outbreaks.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer -- The antiviral medication oseltamivir may be useful for controlling outbreaks of influenza B, but vaccination of patients and staff in long-term care...

VA Hospital Will Test Apoptosis-Inducing Drug.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (TTP) announced on March 28, 2001, that it has initiated a clinical study of its Pivanex product for the treatment of liver tumors. The Phase I/II clinical study is...

Development Of New Drugs Urged As Chloroquine Resistance Grows In Africa.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine has rendered the drug next to useless in some areas of sub-Saharan Africa, and may even be responsible for...

Gene Therapy Doubles Survival Time For Brain Cancer Patients.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ark Therapeutics, Ltd., announced on April 4, 2002, positive results from a Phase I/IIa clinical trial investigating its new gene medicine treatment, EG009, for malignant glioma, an aggressive form of...

Neuroregenerative Drug Enters Clinical Trials.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NeoTherapeutics, Inc. (NEOT), announced on March 29, 2001, that it has begun a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study of Neotrofin in Parkinson's disease. This marks the third...

Famciclovir Less Effective For HBV-Associated Infections After Grafts.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer Researchers in Spain propose famciclovir monotherapy is of no benefit to most patients with new or recurrent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections after liver...

Compound Causes Up To Five-Fold Decrease In Tumor Weight, Volume.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Collgard Biopharmaceuticals, Ltd., reports that low doses of its proprietary lead compound, Halofuginone, caused a four- to five-fold decrease in human tumor weight and volume in SCID mice when...

FDA Grants Priority Review For Lilly Compound.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) announced on March 28, 2001, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research has granted a priority review of drotrecogin alfa...

Epiroprim Plus Isoniazid Shows Strong Anti-M. tuberculosis Activity In Vitro.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor epiroprim cannot fight Mycobacterium tuberculosis on its own but may be a useful adjunctive therapy to isoniazid - even...

Antisense Drug Normalizes Blood Glucose Levels In Mice.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ISIS 113715, an antisense inhibitor of the PTP-1B gene, has produced significant therapeutic benefit in multiple animal models of diabetes by normalizing blood glucose and insulin levels, according to...

Insulin Analog Lowers Nocturnal Hypoglycemia Risk.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a pivotal trial comparing the safety and efficacy of the long-acting analog insulin [Lantus.sup.R] (insulin glargine (rDNA origin) injection) with NPH (neutral protamine Hagedorn) in patients with...

Researchers Determine 3-D Structure Of Target Protein.
April 20, 2001... 2001 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Karo Bio AB and Abbott Laboratories announced on April 5, 2001, that they have determined the three-dimensional structure of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), an important target protein for...

New Synthetic Drugs Target Amyloid-b Protein.(in Alzheimer's disease)
April 27, 2001... 2001 APR 27- (NewsRx Network) -- Researchers in France report in the May 2001 issue of Nature Cell Biology that they have synthesized drugs that specifically target what may be the causal event of Alzheimer's disease (AD), without any obvious...

New Drug Therapies On The Horizon.(for tuberculosis treatment)
April 27, 2001... 2001 APR 27 - (NewsRx Network) -- A range of new drugs, developed by scientists in the U.K. to combat the most deadly strains of tuberculosis, are being assessed by leading pharmaceuticals companies. The drugs have been developed by a team...

Novel Antibiotic Provides Rapid Relief From Tonsillitis/Pharyngitis Symptoms.(Ketek (telithromycin) from Aventis Pharma)
April 27, 2001... 0 *BA 0 - (NewsRx Network) -- [Ketek.sup.r] (telithromycin), a novel compound from a new family of antibiotics, administered once daily for five days to patients suffering from tonsillitis/pharyngitis, provided equivalent clinical and...

Potential New Drugs for Malaria and Tuberculosis Extracted from Deep-Sea Sponges.
April 27, 2001... 2001 APR 27 - (NewsRx Network) -- For most people, sea sponges are little more than handy items to have in the shower, but a group of University of Mississippi researchers has evidence that these simple creatures may hold the key to taming some...

Treatment May Enable Drug Resistance.(amantadine resistant influenza virus)
April 27, 2001... 2001 APR 27 - (NewsRx Network) -- The influenza virus may be developing resistance to a drug recently approved for the prevention and treatment of the disease, say researchers from Japan. They reported their findings in the April 2001 issue...

Study Shows Venlafaxine Significantly Superior To SSRIs.(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
April 27, 2001... 2001 APR 27 - (NewsRx Network) -- Results of a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry showed that significantly more patients with depression who were treated with venlafaxine ([Effexor.sup.r]) or venlafaxine extended-release...

Gavestinel Does Not Improve Outcomes In Functional Capability.(in stroke patients)
April 27, 2001... 2001 APR 27 - (NewsRx Network) -- The neuroprotectant compound gavestinel, administered up to six hours after an acute ischemic stroke, did not improve patients' functional capability at three months, according to an article in the April 4,...

Potential Medication Can Reduce Effects Of Marijuana.(SR141716 cannabinoid receptor antagonist)
April 27, 2001... 2001 APR 27 - (NewsRx Network) -- Scientists at the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse's (NIDA) Intramural Research Program in Baltimore, Maryland, have confirmed for the first time in humans that chemically blocking the body's cannabinoid...

Potentially Fatal Heart Disorder Linked To More Than 50 Common Prescription Medications.(Long QT Syndrome disorder of the heart electrical system)
April 27, 2001... 2001 APR 27 - (NewsRx Network) -- According to recently released survey results, many doctors may not have enough information about Long QT Syndrome, a potentially fatal disorder of the heart's electrical system, to protect patients from...

Third-Generation Antihistamines Generally Safe In Children.
April 27, 2001... 2001 APR 27 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - The evolution of antihistamines has resulted in a class of drugs that are unlikely to sedate children and present low cardiac risk. A.P. Teneick and colleagues...