Drug Week articles from June 2001

Drug Week archives from June 2001

New Drug Treatment Could Provide Long-Term Benefit For Heart-Attack Patients.(carvedilol)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- Patients with acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), complicated by left-ventricular systolic dysfunction, could benefit from the beta-blocker carvedilol, conclude an international group of cardiologists....

Two New Drugs Appear To Help Slow Metastatic Disease In Bone.(atrasentan and clodronate)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- Two novel drugs designed to block the spread of metastatic prostate cancer in bone appear to significantly slow clinical progression of the cancer in men. Approximately 30% of men with prostate cancer...

Endostatin Shows Safety And Potential Antivascular Activity In Early Human Trials.(of advanced cancer therapy)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- One of the first studies on the use of endostatin in advanced cancer patients shows that higher doses of the drug result in decreased vascular flow as measured by positron emission tomography (PET) scan. ...

Response To Anti-VEGF Therapy Can Vary Between Tumors In Same Patient.(vascular endothelial growth factor)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- The traditional method of conducting Phase I clinical trials may not be appropriate for testing drugs that control the growth of blood vessels to tumors, according to a report presented at the 37th annual...

Experimental Growth Factor Provides First Treatment For Patients With Hematologic Cancers.(recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor for the treatment of oral mucositis as a result of complications of cancer therapy)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- A recombinant human tissue growth factor significantly improves the quality of life for patients undergoing stem cell transplant for cancers of the bone marrow or lymph nodes, researchers report. Patients...

Human Parathyroid Hormone Could Be Potent New Therapy.(for osteoporosis)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- A substance secreted by four tiny glands in the neck could provide the most powerful treatment to date for osteoporosis. In the May 10, 2001, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, a Massachusetts...

Proteins In African HIV Strains Interact Differently With Drugs.
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8- (NewsRx Network) -- Naturally-occurring genetic variations in HIV-A and HIV-C, the two subtypes of HIV prevalent in Africa, make it harder for inhibitory drugs to bind to the protease, a key protein involved in viral maturation,...

Lymphoma Drug To Advance To Phase II Trials.(GTI-2040)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- Lorus Therapeutics, Inc.'s (LORFF; LOR) lead antisense anti-cancer drug, GTI-2040, was the topic of a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), May 12-15, 2001, in...

Marijuana Derivative Less Effective Than Hoped In Patients With Advanced Cancer.(dronabinol)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- A marijuana derivative approved for use in AIDS patients is not as effective at stimulating waning appetites in patients with advanced cancer when compared to standard treatment. The drug, dronabinol, was...

Aspergillus fumigatus Genome Sequenced.(by Elitra)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- Elitra Pharmaceuticals has the complete sequence of the Aspergillus fumigatus genome, a major human fungal pathogen, at 10X depth of coverage, the company says. Elitra contracted the sequencing work from...

Beta-Blocking Drug Reduces Heart Failure In Black Patients.(carvedilol)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- The beta-blocking drug carvedilol reduces the risk of death and the symptoms of mild to moderate heart failure in black patients as well as it does in nonblack patients, according to results from the U.S....

Humanized Monoclonal Antibody Approved For Patients With Refractory B-CLL.(Campath (alemtuzumab) for the treatment of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared [Campath.sup.[gamma]] (alemtuzumab) humanized monoclonal antibody for marketing as a treatment for patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia...

Monoclonal Antibody Elicits Immune Response To Target Antigen.(BrevaRex)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- AltaRex Corp. (AXO, ALXFF) presented results from the company's Phase I study of [BrevaRex.sup.R] monoclonal antibody (MAb) that demonstrate the ability of the antibody to elicit cancer-killing B- and T-cell...

Adding Troglitazone To Sulfonylurea Prevents Drawbacks Of Monotherapy.(in type 2 diabetes therapy)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8- (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Patients with type 2 diabetes who are receiving monotherapy with a sulfonylurea may benefit from the addition of troglitazone. Researchers aren't sure whether...

Regulation Of Over 300 Endogenous Human Genes Announced.(by Sangamo BioSciences Inc.)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (SGMO), says it has now regulated more than 300 endogenous human genes, which represent potential drug targets from 17 diverse functional areas including G-protein coupled receptors,...

Ethnobotanist Warns Of Mixing Herbs With Traditional Medications.
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- If you take herbs for medical purposes, tell your doctor. If you are a physician or nurse treating a patient, ask what herbs the patient might be taking and consider the consequences related to possible...

Gene Therapy Patients Show Sustained Improvements After Two Years.(Aldurazyme therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis-I)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc. (BMRN) and Genzyme General (GENZ) report that patients receiving Aldurazyme[TM] for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis-I (MPS-I) at the end of two years of therapy have...

Fentanyl Patches More Effective Than Sustained-Relief Oral Morphine, Study Finds.(for relief of chronic non-cancer pain)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- Fentanyl skin patches achieve better pain relief and an enhanced quality of life than sustained release oral morphine, report study patients with chronic non-cancer pain. Patients with chronic non-cancer...

Study Highlights Need To Study Drug Effects Specifically On Children.(effects of Benzdryl on children to be studied)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- The over-the-counter antihistamine diphenhydramine, commonly sold under the trade name Benadryl, has such potent sedative effects in adults that it is marketed as a sleep aid as well as an antihistamine. But new...

Ropinirole Effective In Treating Involuntary Movements.(Requip for the treatment of restless leg syndrome)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 -- (NewsRx Network) -- The first double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Requip (ropinirole) in restless leg syndrome (RLS) patients demonstrated a significant improvement in the periodic leg movements (PLMs) during sleep compared...

Study Compares New Generation Anti-Depressants For Common Side Effect.(sexual dysfunction prevalence examined)
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- In the first study to examine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction across the new generation antidepressants, researchers reported at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting in early May 2001 that...

Thin-Layer Chromatography Detects Substandard TB Drugs Worldwide.
June 8, 2001... 2001 JUN 8 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A substantial number of tuberculosis drugs may not be delivering what they promise, a quality assurance shortfall that could contribute to the worldwide problem of drug...

Research Findings On Ribosomes Could Lead To New Class Of Antibiotics.
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 -- (NewsRx Network) -- Fundamental research conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology could lead to the development of a new class of antibiotics to help combat the growing global...

Cidofovir Shows Promise Against Smallpox, Other Poxviruses.
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Following the global eradication of smallpox and discontinuation of the vaccinia virus vaccine, most of the world's population would be vulnerable to smallpox in the...

Cyanovirin-N Targets High-Mannose Oligosaccharides.(HIV infection therapy)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The algae-derived protein cyanovirin-N (CV-N) specifically targets high-mannose oligosaccharides on the HIV envelope, researchers in the United States report. M.R....

Mushrooms May Be Fertile Source For Thrombin Inhibitors.
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Slovenia report that many species of mushroom contain substances that can be isolated and developed into anticoagulant drugs. "Thrombin is the key...

Monoclonal Antibody Can Maintain Long-Term Remission.(Remicade for Crohn's disease therapy)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Periodic treatment with the monoclonal antibody infliximab can prolong remissions in patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease, a multi-.center research team reported on May 21, 2001, at the Digestive...

Paradoxical Finding Raises Hope For Pharmaceutical Intervention.(for fetal alcohol syndrome)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Researchers report that, paradoxically, the long-chain alcohol 1-octanol successfully blocks a mechanism leading to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Viewed as paradoxical because it is the short-chain alcohol...

Smaller Packets Help Reduce Incidence Of Analgesic Overdose In U.K.(prevention of paracetmol (acetaminophen) poisoning by reducing the number of pills in a package)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- The number of deaths from self-poisoning with paracetamol and salicylates has decreased significantly since legislation limiting the number of tablets per pack was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1998,...

Two New Trials Set For Ragweed Allergy Drug.(Dynavax Amb)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Dynavax Technologies has started a Phase II/III, observer-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to test the immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety of subcutaneously administered Dynavax Amb a 1...

rh Angiostatin Demonstrates Safety In Human Trials.(on advanced cancer treatment)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- EntreMed, Inc. (ENMD) presented data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting from a Phase I clinical trial of rhAngiostatin that showed this anti-angiogenesis agent to be very well...

Investigational Medicine Compared With Ibuprofen For Gastrointestinal Blood Loss.(etoricoxib)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- A new study shows Merck & Co., Inc.'s (MRK) investigational pain and arthritis medicine, etoricoxib, caused significantly less gastrointestinal (GI) blood loss - an indicator of GI damage - than the...

Data Verify JNK Pathway Is Important Anti-Inflammatory Target.(c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Celgene Corp. (CELG) scientists and collaborators presented data at the 97th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society demonstrating that Celgene's novel JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) inhibitor,...

New Class Of Drugs Shows Promise In Tackling Multifactorial Diseases.(respirable antisense oligonucleotides)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Research presented by scientists from EpiGenesis of Cranbury, New Jersey, indicates a new class of drugs may offer improved control of multifactorial diseases by targeting multiple mRNAs simultaneously. ...

Soft Tissue Glycopeptide Antibiotic Begins Phase II Trial.(dalbavancin for the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Versicor, Inc. (VERS) has begun a Phase II clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of its novel investigational antibiotic, dalbavancin (formerly V-Glycopeptide), for the treatment of complicated...

Mucolytic Drugs May Benefit Patients With Severe Or Prolonged Recurrences.(of chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Patients who suffer frequent, prolonged, or severe recurrences of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may benefit from regular use of mucolytic drugs for at least two months, a...

Mucoregulator Shows Promise In Treating Respiratory Diseases.
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Genaera Corporation (GENR) and collaborators have presented four new studies on the company's mucoregulator program at the meeting of the American Thoracic Society (ATC), held in San Francisco, California, May...

Trial Results Reported For Ulcer and Proctitis Drugs.(Helicide)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Results of the Phase III North American trials conducted on 277 patients confirmed that Axcan's Helicide regimen is neither statistically nor clinically different from the widely used OAC combination (20 mg of...

Human Antibody Fragments Tested For Therapeutics.(Mabstract technology)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Crucell N.V. (CRXL) officials say the company has developed and tested a new, improved and larger phage antibody-display library of human antibody fragments for target discovery and the development of...

Ezetimibe Significantly Reduced Levels Of LDL Cholesterol.(low-density lipoprotein cholesterol)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 -- (NewsRx Network) -- Ezetimibe, an investigational cholesterol-absorption inhibitor, reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, the so-called "bad" cholesterol, by 18% and total cholesterol (TC) by 12%, in a new...

Nasal Flu Vaccine Enters Safety, Immunogenicity Trials.
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- ID Biomedical Corp. has initiated expanded human safety and immunogenicity studies of the company's subunit intranasal influenza vaccine. The first group of healthy adult volunteers has been enrolled in...

Add 'Infotherapy' To Your List Of Medical Terms.(NewsRx Network)
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, now has coined a new medical word: "infotherapy." The new word is the combination of two...

Lotronex: Editorial Calls FDA "Servant Of Industry".
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- An editorial in the May 19, 2001, issue of the Lancet focused on controversy surrounding the licensing of Lotronex (a drug for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)....

Tegaserod Maleate Effective For Abdominal Pain, Constipation.
June 15, 2001... 2001 JUN 15 - (NewsRx Network) -- Zelnorm[TM] (tegaserod maleate) demonstrated significant improvement of multiple symptoms in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) suffering from abdominal pain, discomfort, and constipation,...

Nucleoside Analog Family Effective Against Resistant Strains.(of HIV)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - A group of nucleoside analogs has shown great potential for fighting drug-resistant strains of HIV, researchers report. "A series of 4'-ethynyl (4'-E) nucleoside...

New Rigin Analogs Protect Rodents From Plasmodium berghei.(the cause of rodent malaria)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22- (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Two new analogs of rigin, a tetrapeptide derived from immunoglobulin G, show promise against Plasmodium berghei, the etiologic agent of rodent malaria. Their...

Researchers Question Placebo Effect.
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- One of the most strongly held beliefs in medicine - that placebos or other sham treatments greatly help many patients - has been called into question by Danish researchers who found little or no "placebo...

ACE Inhibitor Effective In Slowing Kidney Disease Progression In African Americans.
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- For patients with kidney disease due to high blood pressure, treatment with a angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor offers greater benefit in slowing the progression of the disease than using a calcium...

Bacterial Nasal Spray Could Prevent Flu.
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) - A nasal spray containing bacteria from fermented milk may be a new preventive treatment for the flu. Researchers from Japan report promising results of this new therapy in mouse models in the May 2001 issue...

Report Cites 14.9% Growth in U.S. Prescription Sales to $145 Billion in 2000.
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- IMS Health (NYSE: RX) reported on May 31, 2001, that U.S. prescription drug sales grew 14.9% to $145 billion in 2000, compared with $126 billion in sales the previous year. Prescription product sales data...

Drug Delays Progression In Hormone Therapy Nonresponders.(ABT-627, prostate cancer)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) researchers have shown that a new prostate cancer drug can slow progression of the disease in patients no longer responding to hormone therapy. In a Phase II,...

Sibutramine Performs Better Than Diet In Phase II Trial.
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22- (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Six months of therapy with the novel noradrenaline and serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor sibutramine is more effective for shedding pounds than six months of dieting,...

Prodrug May Increase T Cells In Patients Treated With Antivirals.(Remune)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- The Immune Response Corp. (IMNR) has published data from a 15-patient, open-label research study suggesting that treatment with Remune [TM] (HIV-1 Immunogen) may increase the number of patients' [CD8.sup.+] T...

Single Calanolide A Doses Safe For Humans.(HIV infection treatment)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The HIV inhibitor calanolide A appears to be safe for use in humans. "(+)-Calanolide A is a novel, naturally occurring, nonnucleoside inhibitor of [HIV 1] reverse...

New Study Sheds Light On Treating SSRI-Induced Sexual Dysfunction.(serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 -- (NewsRx Network) -- In the first clinical study of its kind, researchers have found that a popular strategy, Wellbutrin SR in commonly used doses, does not correct antidepressant-induced sexual function. Researchers at SUNY...

Potential Cyclosporine Replacement Drug Begins Phase II Trials.(ISA(TX)247)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- Isotechnika has received approval from Health Canada to begin Phase II clinical trials of its immunosuppressive drug ISA(TX)247 on patients suffering from psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Isotechnika...

Carvedilol Improves Ejection Fraction Better Than Metoprolol.
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- Congestive heart failure patients experienced a greater improvement in their hearts' ability to pump when treated with carvediol as compared with metoprolol, according to new data published in the June 2001...

Drug Candidate Demonstrates VEGF Gene Activation, Angiogenesis.(vascular endothelial growth factor)(zinc finger DNA-binding protein transcription factors)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (SGMO) has demonstrated that the company's engineered zinc finger DNA-binding protein transcription factors (ZFP TFs), designed to activate the VEGF gene, induced blood vessel growth,...

Aerosolized Gene Therapy Agent Demonstrates Transfer.(cystic fibrosis treatment)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- An aerosolized gene therapy agent for cystic fibrosis has demonstrated gene transfer and expression in a primate model, researchers report. Targeted Genetics Corp. (TGEN) presented data from a repeat-dosing...

Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors Halt Progression.(of diabetic nephropathy)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Two reninangiotensin system inhibitors lowered proteinuria in rats with diabetic nephropathy, highlighting the importance of angiotensin II in disease progression. ...

Enzyme Mimetic Compound As Adjuvant To IL-2 Immunotherapy Enters Phase I Trials.(M40403)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- MetaPhore Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application to conduct clinical trials in the U.S. to evaluate M40403, one of...

Sea Snail Venom Proves Safe In Phase I Trials.(CGX-1007 for epilepsy therapy)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- Cognetix, Inc., has completed a Phase I clinical trial of CGX-1007, a compound derived from a venomous sea snail that shows early promise for the treatment of intractable epilepsy when delivered directly into...

Ceftriaxone Reduces Fever In HIV And Blood-Cancer Patients.
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The antibiotic ceftriaxone ameliorates fevers related to HIV infection or blood-based cancers in an outpatient setting, researchers in Germany report. "Patients...

Atovaquone/Proguanil Hydrochloride Effective Against Two Plasmodium Strains.(Malarone effective against Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- Malarone[TM] (atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride) was shown to be highly effective against the two most common types of malaria, caused by Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax, in people without a natural...

Squalamine Receives Orphan Drug Status.
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- Genaera Corp.'s (GENR) squalamine has been granted Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of ovarian cancer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Squalamine, an anti-angiogenic drug, is...

Hormone-Based Drug May Reduce Risk Of Disease Progression In Men With Early-Stage Disease.(Casodex reduces prostate cancer progression)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- In data presented from the largest prostate cancer clinical trial program in the world, Casodex (150 mg) was shown to significantly reduce (42%) the risk of disease progression in men with localized or locally...

Zoledronic Acid Has Fewer Skeletal-Related Events In Metastases Cases.(Zometa)(bone metastasis)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- Men with prostate cancer who are treated with the Novartis Oncology agent [Zometa.sup.R] (zoledronic acid for injection) experience significantly fewer skeletal-related events (SREs) associated with bone...

Health Of Drug Industry Depends On Reducing Patent Litigation.
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- "We need to find a way to better use the energy and funds now being directed at gimmicks and litigation," says Gerald F. Meyer, former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy director of the Center for...

Antibodies Speed Return To Normal Platelet Levels In Animal Model.(of bone marrow toxicity)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALXN) reported the results of a preclinical study of a new class of therapeutic antibodies that accelerate the return to normal platelet levels in an animal model of bone marrow...

Popular Drug Faces Deadline.(Synthroid faces government approval deadline)
June 22, 2001... 2001 JUN 22 - (NewsRx Network) -- A widely used thyroid drug that has been sold for decades in the U.S. is facing an August 2001 deadline to get government approval. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) turned down a request that...

New Treatment Approach Increases Life Expectancy.(methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin for patients with advanced bladder cancer)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29- (NewsRx Network) -- A chemotherapy drug combination given prior to surgery to remove the bladder has been found to increase life expectancy in patients with locally advanced bladder cancer. David Crawford, MD, professor of...

Success Rate Of Experimental Drugs Called "Remarkably Dismal".(drugs for stroke patients)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- Aiming to enhance the quality of stroke research, scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Pennsylvania analyzed controlled clinical trials from the past 50 years to...

Evidence Of Bacterial-Protein Trigger Has Implications For Antibiotic And Vaccine Therapies.(some asthma patients have antibodies against heat shock proteins from Chlamydia pneumoniae)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- Bacteria may be to blame for many cases of asthma. Researchers in Finland and the U.S. have found evidence that a bacterial protein can trigger the disease, while another American study has shown...

Beta-Blocker Ineffective In Patients With Advanced Heart Failure.(bucindolol)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- A promising beta-blocker did not prolong survival of patients with advanced heart failure in a study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Bucindolol,...

Report Quantifies Benefits of Genomic Technologies for Streamlined Discovery.
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) - Shedding new light on a growing debate, The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) issued original research showing the positive economic impact of genomics technologies on pharmaceutical research and development (R&D)....

Investigational Drug Helps Improve Erectile Function.(vardenafil from Bayer Corp.)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- An international Phase II study of nearly 500 men showed vardenafil significantly improved their ability to consistently complete sexual intercourse. This improvement was achieved early and maintained over...

New Study Indicates Low Risk of Cancer From Cholesterol-Reducing Drugs.
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- Since their introduction in 1987, a class of drugs known as statins (hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) has revolutionized the management of high cholesterol. Although the short-term...

Data On Novel Neuroprotective Effects Of Memantine Presented.(a treatment for Alzheimer's disease from Forest Laboratories)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- Data demonstrating the novel neuroprotective effects and clinical potential of memantine, an investigational new drug being developed in the United States as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, were presented...

Supratek Announces a Novel Inhibitory Molecule.(that prevents the formation of new blood vessels)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- Supratek Pharma, Inc., announced the discovery of a novel ligand for high affinity vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-1 (flt-1) that has demonstrated significant activity against angiogenesis....

Twice-Daily ADHD Drug As Effective As Thrice-Daily Doses.(attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Concerta from Alza Corp.)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- A new 12-hour formulation of the most commonly prescribed drug for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, has proved to be as effective as the standard three-times-a-day dosing regimen, a clinical...

FDA Panel Considers GHB For Treating Narcolepsy-Related Condition.(gamma hydroxy butyrate)(under the brand name Xyrem)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- A U.S. government advisory panel concluded that a drug abused in date rape can be useful as a treatment for a rare but dangerous complication of the sleep disorder narcolepsy. The panel convened by the U.S....

Traditional Practitioners In China Urged To Modernize.
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- Traditional Chinese medicine must be brought into the 21st century or miss out on the multibillion-dollar global drug market, speakers at an international conference said. "We must use scientific technology...

U.S. Agency Launches Investigation Of Counterfeit Drugs.
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating three counterfeit drugs that have appeared on the U.S. market. The agency and the manufacturers of the real drugs that are being counterfeited...

Continued Drug Treatment Improves Symptom Relief.(Elmiron from Alza Corp. to treat Interstitial cystitis)
June 29, 2001... 2001 JUN 29 - (NewsRx Network) -- Interstitial cystitis (IC) patients taking pentosan polysulfate sodium (Elmiron[R], Alza Corp.) experienced increased symptom relief with continued therapy, according to the results of a study presented June 3,...