Drug Week articles from May 2001

Drug Week archives from May 2001

Cell Fusion Inhibitors Have Synergistic Effect.(HIV therapy with PRO 542 and T-20)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Two experimental drugs that inhibit different events in the process of HIV cell entry become much more potent when used in combination, study results show. "PRO 542...

Zidovudine Derivative Much More Potent Than Parent Compound.(coumpound 10)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Researchers in France say that a derivative of the antiretroviral HIV drug zidovudine, better known as AZT, is many times more powerful than the original. "Prodrugs...

Decoy Molecule That Fights Food Poisoning Might Help Defeat Other Toxins.
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- Scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico report that they have designed decoy molecules that, in laboratory studies, can stop the spread of staphylococcal superantigen, a toxin responsible...

New Cyclopentane Derivative Comparable To Oseltamivir And Zanamivir.(RWJ-270201)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - An influenza virus neuraminidase inhibitor called RWJ-270201 completely protects mice against lethal infection with influenza, and compares favorably with oseltamivir...

Designer Molecules Link Together To Make Nanotubes A Snap.
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- Inspired by nature's own building blocks, Purdue University researchers are using the same principle that makes DNA strands link together to create tiny structures that may someday be used to manufacture...

Drug Companies Drop Lawsuit Against Generics In South Africa.
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- Pharmaceutical giants dropped a lawsuit on April 19, 2001, against a South African law that could provide cheaper AIDS drugs to millions of Africans, ending an international battle that deeply embarrassed the...

Effective Dose Range For Once-Daily Protease Inhibitor Determined.(BMS-232632)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, staff medical writer - Further study of the Bristol-Myers Squibb's once-daily anti-HIV compound BMS-232632 has determined effective concentrations of the drug designed to ease patients'...

Once-Daily Dosing Holds Concentrations But With Side Effects.(Fortovase)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- Roche announced April 18, 2001, preliminary clinical data from four ongoing studies examining tolerability and antiviral activity with once-daily dosing of its protease inhibitor [Fortovase.sup.R] (saquinavir)...

High Blood Pressure Medicine May Ease Cocaine Withdrawal.(propranolol)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network)-- A medication long used to treat high blood pressure may ease severe withdrawal symptoms during the early stages of treatment for cocaine addiction, offering new hope for patients unable to wean themselves off...

Orally-Active Agent Inhibits Primary And Metastatic Tumors In Mice.(Panzem)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- EntreMed, Inc. (ENMD) has released data from a preclinical study of Panzem (2-Methoxyestradiol), indicating that in addition to significantly reducing the size of primary tumors, its product Panzem very...

Experimental Therapy Improves Mitomycin C Efficacy, But Blacks Don't Benefit.(bladder cancer therapy)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network)-- Researchers have found a relatively simple way to dramatically improve the cancer-killing capacity of a drug often used to treat superficial bladder cancer. The changes nearly doubled the number of people...

Medication That Normally Treats Low Blood Pressure Can Help Avoid Serious Complications.(midodrine hydrochloride)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- Midodrine hydrochloride, a medication normally used to treat low blood pressure, may also help kidney disease patients avoid some of the serious side effects of dialysis. Study results "show that midodrine...

Is Continuing Medical Education Linked Too Closely To Pharmaceutical Marketing?
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- The pharmaceutical industry is assuming a role in continuing medical education (CME) that is inappropriate for an industry with a vested interest in selling prescription drugs, according to an article in the...

NewsRx.net Is Preferred Site for Cancer, Malaria, AIDS, Other Health Searches, Audience Measurement Shows.
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, announced on April 17, 2001, the results of audience measurements based on its report from...

FDA Caught In Lotronex Battle.(patients with irritable bowel sndrome ask to have Lotronex put back on the market)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- A group of patients is petitioning the U.S. government to allow distribution to resume of a drug that was withdrawn from the market last fall after it caused dozens of patients to be hospitalized, including...

St. John's Wort Not Effective For Treatment Of Major Depression.
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network) -- The popular herbal remedy St. John's wort was not effective for treatment of major depression in the first large-scale controlled trial in the United States, according to an article in the April 18, 2001, issue...

L-tyrosine Linked Compounds Improve Nasal Uptake.
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 -- (NewsRx Network) -- by Deborah W. Heinrich, staff medical writer Researchers at the University of Missouri have used a rat in situ nasal perfusion model to show that linking model compounds to L-tyrosine resulted in nasal uptake...

Genome Sequence Completed And Published.(Staphylococcus aureus genetic sequence completed)
May 11, 2001... 2001 MAY 11 - (NewsRx Network)-- The complete genetic sequence of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that is a major source of infection in human beings and one of the most resistant organisms in hospital-acquired infections, was described in...

Combretastatin A4P Inhibits Microvascular Changes In Metastatic Livers.
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - The results of a new study suggest the prodrug combretastatin A4P is useful for managing liver metastases in a murine model of colorectal cancer. "Combretastatin...

Phenothiazines Enhance Potency Of Antibiotic Therapy.(for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Phenothiazine drugs enhance the potency of antibiotics against multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, according to a new report. The phenothiazines were previously...

ACE Inhibitor Perindopril Shows Potential As Anti-Cancer Agent.
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Some day the antihypertensive agent perindopril could be used for treating patients with cancer, medical researchers in Japan suggest. Perindopril, an...

New Class of Synthetic Antibodies Is Described.(molecularly imprinted polymers)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- A new class of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) has the ability to bind to small molecules and to target molecules such as organics and proteins with equal or greater potency than that of natural...

Drug Reduces Kids' Anxiety With Few Side Effects.(fluvoxamine)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- A team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and four other medical centers has found that the antidepressant drug fluvoxamine significantly lowers anxiety without major side effects in most...

NCI Funds HIV Fusion Inhibitors Study.(National Cancer Institute)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced April 11, 2001, that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) to discover drug candidates...

Study Finds Most Medication Errors Among Hospitalized Children Are Preventable.
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- Errors involving medication for hospitalized children are relatively common, and further efforts are needed to reduce them, according to an article in the April 25, 2001, issue of the Journal of the American...

Data Indicate Vertreporfin Is Able To Stabilize Vision.(in patients with age-related macular degeneration)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- Data presented May 1, 2001, at a symposium held during the annual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) conference showed that average visual acuity remained stable during the third year...

Phase III Clinical Data Support Use Of Oral Chemotherapy.(for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- The April 15, 2001, edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology features Phase III clinical data about the use of Roche's [Xeloda.sup.R] (capaceitabine), an oral chemotherapy, in the first-line treatment of...

Catalytic Activity Of Anti-Inflammatory Compounds Increased 100-Fold.(synthetic manganese-based compounds catalytic activity increased with computer-aided design techniques)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- Researchers at MetaPhore Pharmaceuticals have used computer-aided design techniques to achieve a 100-fold increase in the catalytic activity of one of the company's synthetic manganese-based compounds...

Hospitals, Clinicians Troubled By Vulnerable Production System.(anesthetic drug shortage leads to possibility of future multidrug shortages)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- A critical shortage of anesthetic drugs, which led to a fact-finding meeting of doctors, pharmacists, and manufacturing representatives April 16, 2001, in Washington, DC, may be just a symptom of a larger...

Hormones Improve Immune Response to HBV Vaccination in Aged Animals.(HE220 improved immune response to hepatitis B virus vaccine)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- Preclinical results with a Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (HEPH) investigational drug candidate, HE2200, an immune-regulating hormone, demonstrated that HE2200 and other immune-regulating hormones given to...

Drug Companies Start Phase II Monotherapy Clinical Trials.(Abgenix Inc. and Immunex Corp. to start Phase II trials of ABX-EGF in kidney cancer patients)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- Abgenix, Inc. (ABGX) and Immunex Corp. (IMNX) announced April 18, 2001, that the companies will start a Phase II clinical trial of ABX-EGF in patients with kidney cancer. The Phase II trial will assess the...

New Mouse Model's Cells Cause Oncogene To Switch On Spontaneously.
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- Researchers have genetically engineered cancer-prone mice that carry cells that switch on a cancer-causing gene spontaneously, generating lung and other cancers much like humans do. The scientists believe...

Enzyme-Replacement Drug Is Granted Orphan Drug Status For Mucopolysaccharidosis I.(mucopolysaccharidosis I from Novazyme Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- Novazyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced April 17, 2001, that the company was granted orphan drug status for its proprietary treatment for mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I). This notification from the U.S....

Anti-Angiogenesis Agent To Be Tested With Chemotherapy.(IM862)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- The University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Puget Sound Oncology Consortium will lead a Phase II ovarian cancer clinical trial in the U.S. evaluating the safety and effectiveness...

Study Reports Lamivudine Effective In 23% Of Treated Children With Chronic Hepatitis B.(BioChem Pharma Inc. has new data on Zeffix)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- BioChem Pharma Inc. announced that new data on its product, Zeffix (lamivudine), were presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress, held in Prague, the Czech Republic, during...

72-Week Results From Completed Phase II Study Reported.(Ceplene and interferon alpha treatment of hepatitis C)
May 18, 2001... 2001 MAY 18 - (NewsRx Network) -- Maxim Pharmaceuticals (MAXM) announced the 72-week results from its completed Phase II study evaluating Ceplene [TM] (histamine dihydrochloride) plus interferon-alpha (IFN-(alpha)) in the treatment of naive,...

Betulinic Acid Derivative Can Prevent Viral Maturation.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - The betulinic acid derivative YK-FH312 seems to inhibit HIV viral packaging and/or release a novel plan of attack for HIV drugs, researchers in Japan say. ...

Chemists Synthesize Possible New Anti-Tumor Agent.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 -- (NewsRx Network) -- Using a frothy brew of soil bacteria as a guide, chemists at Ohio State University have synthesized a substance that may lead to a new generation of chemotherapy drugs. Laboratories around the world have...

Potential New Therapy Could Lead To Novel Treatments Against Other Bacterial Infections.(a mutation in the anthrax toxin)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- A study by Harvard Medical School researchers, reported in the April 27, 2001, edition of Science, suggests a mutation in the anthrax toxin, which prevents poisoning, may lead to a double-pronged pharmaceutical...

Newest Hypertension Drugs May Help.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- Sexual dysfunction in men with high blood pressure may be aided by the newest type of hypertension drug, according to a study in the May 2001 American Journal of the Medical Sciences, a publication of the...

New Drug Improves Heart Function After Heart Attack.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- A new drug being studied at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been shown to improve heart function following a heart attack. The drug, called M40403, removes...

In Vitro Study Results Suggest Drug May Help Prevent Disease Progression.(pramipexole )(Parkinson's disease )
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- A drug used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease may also play a role in preventing disease progression, according to a preliminary study using cell cultures. The study was presented during the...

FDA Advisors Say Three Prescription Drugs Are Safe Enough To Be Over-The-Counter.(Claritin, Allegra, and Zyrtec)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- A advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided that three popular allergy drugs are safe enough to sell without prescription, but experts say the path to over-the-counter sales may...

Galantamine Therapy Shows Sustained Cognitive Benefits.(Alzheimer's disease)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) - Cognitive benefits of galantamine treatment are likely to be sustained for at least two years in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 53rd...

FDA Approves Moxifloxacin HCL For Treatment Of Bacterial Skin Infections.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of [Avelox.sup.R] (moxifloxacin HCl), the second fluoroquinolone antibiotic from Bayer Corp., as a once-daily treatment for uncomplicated skin...

'Smart' Drug Fails Independent Clinical Testing.(piracetam for Down syndrome)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- One of the first studies of a so-called "smart drug" for Down syndrome suggests it does not boost children's intellectual ability, despite testimonials on television and the Internet. In fact, the drug,...

Sulphonamide Resistance Remains High Despite Prescribing Restriction.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) --- A substantial decrease in prescribing of sulphonamides in the U.K over the past decade has failed to reduce resistance to this class of antibiotic drugs, conclude authors of a study in the April 28, 2001,...

Study Aims To Reduce Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions To Elderly Patients.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- The administration of many drugs together to elderly patients is a well-known problem in geriatrics. In an effort to find a solution, Dr. Jacques Allard and colleagues set up a randomized controlled trial...

Imiquimod Effective Against Genital Warts In Adolescent Girls.(Aldara)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- Results of a new study show that Aldara[TM] (imiquimod) cream 5% is a highly effective treatment for adolescent girls with the sexually transmitted disease genital warts. Nearly 80% of the patients studied...

Drug Candidate Proves Effective In Stimulating Ovulation.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- Results of three studies evaluating Ferring Pharmaceuticals' highly purified, human-derived follicle stimulating hormone (hFSH) were presented at the 49th Annual Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Meeting and...

NewsRx Network Chosen As Source For 'Information Therapy'.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, now is a major source for "information therapy." NewsRx databases are derived from medical...

Drug Relieves Common Physical, Emotional Complaints.(Yasmin)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- Yasmin[R], an investigational low-dose, monophasic oral contraceptive, provides relief from some of the most common physical and emotional symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle, according to a study...

Drug Removes Free Radicals That Damage Heart Tissue.
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- A developmental drug being studied at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has been shown to improve heart function in animal models of heart attack, according to a study presented at the annual...

Bendamustine Not Effective In Some Combinations.(treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, possible interaction with other cancer drugs)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Although bendamustine can be effective as monotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), it does not combine well with several other commonly used anticancer drugs,...

Docetaxel/Estramustine Phosphate Effective In Phase II Trials.(prostate cancer)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- The chemotherapy combination of docetaxel (Taxotere([[blank].sup.R]) and estramustine phosphate ([Emcyt.sup.R]) plus low-dose hydrocortisone appears to be a promising treatment for men with an advanced form of...

Kinase Inhibitor Well Tolerated In Short Dosing Trial.(SCIO-469 from Scios Inc. for treating rheumatoid arthritis)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- Scios Inc. (SCIO) says that data from a Phase Ib clinical trial indicate that SCIO-469, the company's oral p38 kinase inhibitor, was well-tolerated in healthy volunteers over a two-week dosing period. ...

Anti-Thrombin Protein Enters Preclinical Testing.(MPC-1203, from Myriad Genetics, Inc.)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (MYGN) reports that it has begun preclinical testing of its proprietary protein drug MPC-1203 for the treatment of acute thrombotic events such as those due to inflammation following major...

Amiosterol Compound Controls Appetite In Animal Models.(appetite suppressant produlestan from Genaera Corp.)
May 25, 2001... 2001 MAY 25 - (NewsRx Network) -- Genaera Corp. (GENR) reports that the company's second aminosterol development compound, produlestan, has shown potent and specific appetite suppressant properties in animal models. According to a report...