Drug Week articles from May 2002

Drug Week archives from May 2002

Protease inhibitors may increase heart disease risk.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Drugs that block HIV protease activity may increase the risk of cardiac dysfunction, researchers in France warn. "Cardiovascular complications occurring in...

Nicorandil could improve outcomes.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of a U.K. study in the April 13, 2002 Lancet suggest that the antianginal drug nicorandil could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with angina. Angina occurs in 10% of...

Intensive antiretroviral-chemotherapy effective against lymphoma/leukemia.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Texas say that high-dose chemotherapy, combined with potent antiviral drugs, can offer hope to patients suffering from AIDS-related...

Three-way drug kills cancer cells from the inside.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- By combining a chemotherapy drug with a sugar that normally helps cancer move through the human body, University of Utah researchers have developed a new medication to track down, invade and destroy...

Literature review shows policosonol holds promise in lipid lowering.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Lindsay Edmunds, PhD, ELS, senior medical writer - The lipid-lowering agent policosonol has been shown to have favorable effects on total, low-density-lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein...

Drugs' effects on neovascular growth seemingly contradictory.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Calling statins the double-edged sword of the drug world may not be as off-base at it sounds. On the one hand, statins are effective for lowering...

Epilepsy drugs in pregnancy can triple risk of major malformation or developmental delay in children.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Epilepsy drugs given to women during pregnancy can triple the risk of congenital malformation or developmental delay in their children, finds research in the Journal of Medical Genetics. Stopping...

Cyclosporin A may be effective adjunct to antiretroviral therapy.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Europe say that cyclosporin A (CsA) can improve the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV infection. "Primary HIV-1...

Efavirenz improves quality of life despite mood alterations.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Spain say that treatment with the promising antiviral drug efavirenz can improve the quality of life for HIV patients. Dr. Carmina R. Fumaz...

Alexion completes enrollment in second phase II trial with pexelizumab.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc, (ALXN) announced that they and their partner Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals have completed enrollment of approximately 900 patients in their second phase II acute...

Dementia drug shows early promise.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Encouraging short-term results of a randomized trial in the April 13, 2002 issue of the Lancet suggest that the drug galantamine could offer therapeutic benefits to people with Alzheimer disease with...

Infliximab highly effective therapy.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- For the first time, there is a therapy that can significantly reduce disease activity for the majority of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease that often...

FDA approves sprinkle administration for once-daily ADHD treatment.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Celltech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a member of the Celltech Group (CLL), announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved revised labeling for Metadate CD (methylphenidate HCl)...

Nitric oxide donors, cGMP mimetics inhibit tumor cell metastasis.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cellegy Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (CLGY) announced positive study results on the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) and cGMP (cyclic guanosine monophosphate) mimetics in attenuating the metastasis of cancer...

GEM231 enhances antitumor activity of Irinotecan.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hybridon, Inc., (HYBN) and its academic collaborators announced the presentation of preclinical studies of GEM231, Hybridon's lead antisense drug candidate in combination with irinotecan. These...

CenterWatch, Veritas Medicine form patient recruitment collaboration.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CenterWatch and Veritas Medicine announced an exclusive collaboration to provide a personalized trial matching service for patients visiting the CenterWatch website. Each month the CenterWatch...

Data suggest Reminyl effectively treats dementia in certain patients.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of a study published in The Lancet suggest that Reminyl (galantamine hydrobromide), the newest approved treatment for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease, also is effective in treating a broad...

Diversa granted U.S. patent covering discovery technology.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Diversa Corp. (DVSA) announced that it has been issued U.S. Patent No. 6,368,798, expanding its proprietary position for identifying biologically active molecules derived from gene libraries. This...

Aptus announces drug discovery collaboration.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aptus Genomics, Inc., (Aptus) and Array BioPharma, Inc., (ARRY) announced a drug discovery collaboration agreement to create small molecule therapeutics against select G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)...

CAMPAIN: Heart patients at risk from pain relievers.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An international medical conference in the Netherlands called for vulnerable heart patients to take greater care over their choice of common pain reliever. Doctors warned that people taking heart...

Update provided on its phase III Onconase trial.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alfacell Corp. (ACEL) announced that the encouraging survival data from its phase II multicenter trial of Onconase led the company to conduct a phase III program, which included the evaluation of...

EntreMed's thalidomide analog proves powerful in preclinical studies.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- EntreMed, Inc., (ENMD), a biopharmaceutical leader in angiogenic research and product development, announced preclinical findings that a new derivative of thalidomide induces sustained tumor regression...

Anticancer summit 2002 to take place in June 2002.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Over 25 leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies will present the latest developments at the discovery, preclinical, and clinical stages in the field of oncology at the annual "Anti-Cancer Drug...

Does direct-to-consumer drug advertising medicalize normal human conditions?
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Does direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, currently allowed only in the United States and New Zealand, medicalize normal human conditions? A debate in the British Medical Journal puts...

CenterWatch launches consumer guide to the risks, benefits of volunteering for clinical trials.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CenterWatch, the leading publisher of clinical trial news and information, announced the release of "Informed Consent: The Consumer's Guide to the Risks and Benefits of Volunteering for Clinical...

'Cautious optimism' expressed for new anticancer drug.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Preliminary clinical trial results of the novel anticancer drug phenoxodiol indicate that it slowed cancer progression in 6 out of 10 patients at doses that were well tolerated. The interim trial...

Certican demonstrates reduced risk of graft vasculopathy.
May 10, 2002... 2002 MAY 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Certican (everolimus) data presented at the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in Washington, DC, offer the first-ever clinical evidence of an immunosuppressant drug with...

Iminosugar derivative inhibits flavivirus activity.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - An iminosugar derivative dubbed NN-DNJ shows promise for the treatment of flavivirus infections, researchers report. "Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)...

Enbrel safe but ineffective as therapy.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - An fusion protein designed to lower levels of a proinflammatory cytokine provides limited benefits to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients, according to...

Light-weight heparin has heavy-weight results in heart attack treatment.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Heart attack patients treated with the blood-thinner enoxaparin - a low-molecular-weight heparin - plus a clot dissolver are significantly less likely to die or have repeat heart attacks within 30 days...

Chemotherapy trial proves the worth of including elderly patients in clinical trials.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Doctors should be encouraged to include many more elderly people in clinical trials than they do at present, Dr. Olavo Feher told the 3rd European Breast Cancer Conference in Barcelona. Feher,...

New data show drug may have fewer complications, lower mortality rates CHD patients.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new medication derived from a hormone naturally secreted by the heart may reduce the risk of death and lower healthcare costs for patients who have been hospitalized for treatment of congestive heart...

One-day valaciclovir treatment shortens course.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Clinical trials with a high dose of orally administered valaciclovir given orally for one day shortened the duration of cold sore episodes appearing in patients infected with type 2 herpes virus,...

Study highlights efficacy of Tracleer in life-threatening lung condition.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2002;346(12)896-903) highlights the importance of Tracleer (bosentan) tablets for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). ...

Visilizumab may be useful for graft-versus-host treatment.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - A novel drug may help physicians treat severe complications after stem cell transplantation, researchers in the United States report. "Visilizumab is a...

Novel pyridinioalkanoyl thioesters show antiviral activity.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States say that a novel class of pyridinioalkanoyl thioesters (PATEs) demonstrates potent activity against a key HIV protein. ...

Atrisone milestone achieved with positive clinical results.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Atrix Laboratories, Inc., (ATRX) announced results from the first phase III study of Atrisone, dapsone topical gel, for the treatment of acne. Atrisone was found to be statistically superior to...

Phase I clinical trial of BI-K0376 initiated.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biosearch Italia S.p.A. (BIO.MI) announced the start of clinical trials of its new antibiotic BI-K0376 for the topical treatment of acne. The trial will be conducted at the Leeds Clinical Trial Unit...

Companies announce supplemental agreement for PulmoSpheres technology.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. (ALLP) and Inhale Therapeutic Systems, Inc., (INHL) have expanded their agreement regarding the PulmoSpheres particle and particle processing technology, aspects of which...

Study says Metadate CD is effective in controlling ADHD symptoms.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A phase III study published in the Pediatrics demonstrates that Metadate CD (methylphenidate HCl, USP) Extended-Release Capsules (CII), 20 mg, when administered once daily before school, controls...

Arimidex reduces risk of contralateral breast tumors compared with gold-standard tamoxifen.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Latest results from the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination) study in early breast cancer, presented at the 3rd European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), show that treatment with Arimidex...

Abbott Laboratories expand drug discovery collaboration.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Icagen, Inc., announced the signing of a research and development agreement with Abbott Laboratories to discover and develop small molecule drugs that target a specific ion channel target for the...

Australian biotech enters into GPCR collaboration.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alchemia Pty, Ltd., an Australian chemistry and drug discovery company, and Euroscreen SA, a Belgian biotechnology company specialized in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) research, announced that they...

Nobex announces collaboration for oral delivery of protein drug.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nobex Corp. announced the formation of a collaboration with Pharmacia Corp. (PHA); proprietary medicinal chemistry developed by Nobex will be used to modify an undisclosed Pharmacia protein to improve...

Company reports 2001 financial results.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genzyme Corp. reported that total revenues for Genzyme Molecular Oncology (GZMO) for the fourth quarter of 2001 were $2.6 million, an increase from $1.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2000. For the...

New compounds developed after 30 years.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The herpes simplex virus (HSV) is responsible for the cold sores and genital herpes that plague a great many people. Fortunately, the introduction of acyclovir in the 1970s has offered widespread...

Irbesartan superior to other antihypertensive drugs.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Irbesartan and similar drugs produce benefits not seen with other antihypertensive agents, according to researchers in Scotland. Dr. M. Julia Brosnan and...

Results of a phase III clinical trial using Estrasorb released.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Novavax, Inc., (NVAX) presented the results of a randomized, double-blind, phase III, placebo-controlled clinical trial of Estrasorb in postmenopausal women at the Society for Gynecologic...

Phase 1 development of ADL 10-0101 peripheral kappa analgesic expanded.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adolor Corp. (ADLR) announced plans to expand its phase 1 program of ADL 10-0101, the company's novel peripherally restricted kappa opioid analgesic, to better define the maximum tolerated dose of the...

FDA changes rules on testing drugs for children.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is suspending a rule that lets the government require safety testing of adult medicines commonly given to children, a move that has drawn the ire of some...

Product Quality Research Institute issues first recommendation to FDA.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Product Quality Research Institute (PQRI) forwarded its first recommendation to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review. The recommendation proposes that in-process dosage unit...

Ethical Pharmaceuticals gets new structure, completes global management team.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Merck KGaA announced the new organizational structure for its largest division, Ethical Pharmaceuticals. The change also includes the promotion of four executives to newly created positions,...

Myobloc may reduce myofascial pain associated with piriformis syndrome.
May 17, 2002... 2002 MAY 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Data from a 12-week pilot study released at the 18th American Academy of Pain Medicine annual meeting demonstrate that Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) may reduce the myofascial pain associated with...

Cannabinoids have little impact on protease inhibitor levels.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Cannabinoids should have little or no impact on the efficacy of antiretroviral agents used to treat HIV infection, according to researchers in the United...

Drug reduces risk of acute rejection in kidney transplantation.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An international study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri has found that a drug normally used to treat acute rejection of transplanted kidneys also...

Protease inhibitors affect statin pharmacokinetics.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - HIV protease inhibitors can profoundly alter the pharmacokinetics of lipid-reducing agents when they are administered concurrently, researchers in the United...

Anticonvulsant drugs found to impact children's ability to recall information.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Epilepsy and its treatment impair cognitive and behavioral functions. The impact on the former by epilepsy-associated seizures, brain damage, and use of anticonvulsant drugs can result in memory...

Clinical trials of Civacir commence.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NABI) announced initiation of a phase I/II clinical trial for its investigational product, Civacir (hepatitis C immune globulin (human)). Civacir is an antibody-based therapy...

Final phase II GPI 1485 imaging data show drug may retard disease progression.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Guilford Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (GLFD) announced that the final imaging data analysis from a phase II clinical trial of GPI 1485 (formerly known as NIL-A) was presented at the Annual Meeting of the...

24-week results from phase III study of fusion inhibitor T-20 announced.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Roche and Trimeris, Inc., (TRMS) announced positive 24-week results from the first pivotal phase III study of T-20, the furthest in clinical development of an investigational class of antiretrovirals...

Rituximab potentiates cisplatin effects by Bcl-2 suppression.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have shed new light on the mechanisms by which the monoclonal antibody rituximab potentiates the effects of the anticancer...

FDA needs to get tougher on RU-486, FRC Says.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new letter posted on the website of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by the manufacturer of RU-486 raises serious questions about the drug's safety and the FDA's efforts to protect women's...

Researchers find high frequency of erythromycin resistance in school children with strep throat.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh have identified a high frequency of erythromycin resistance among group A streptococci (GAS) recovered from elementary school children in Pittsburgh....

New oral medication halts blindness in AIDS patients.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A viral infection that robs AIDS patients of their sight can now be fought with a drug in pill form, allowing patients a better quality of life, say the authors of a recent paper in the New England...

New Paxil CR now available.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced the availability of Paxil CR (paroxetine HCl) Controlled Release, a new formulation of the serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), Paxil (paroxetine HCl). Paxil CR...

PEG technology licensed to Zycos for drug-delivery research.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cohesion Technologies, Inc., (CSON) a leader in developing and commercializing BioSurgical products including surgical hemostats, sealants, adhesion-prevention barriers and adhesives, announced that it...

First phase III clinical trial of Peramivir completed.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (BCRX) announced that patient enrollment is complete in the first phase III trial of once-a-day, orally administered peramivir (RWJ-270201), BioCryst's influenza...

Conflicting information causes confusion about hormone replacement therapy.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Approximately 39 million women in the United States have reached menopause and many of them are struggling to make sense of the endless confusion surrounding hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. ...

EVIDENCE study confirms that patients on Rebif are more likely to remain relapse free than patients on Avonex.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Serono, S.A. (SEO and SRA) announced that the findings from the Rebif (interferon (beta)-1a) versus Avonex (interferon (beta)-1a) EVIDENCE head-to-head study for the period of 48 weeks, were presented...

Study shows long-term benefit of Copaxone on relapses and neurologic status.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The majority of patients treated with Copaxone (glatiramer acetate for injection) remained either unchanged or improved in their neurologic status during an 8-year period in the longest prospective...

Preliminary data on drugs to treat chemotherapy-induced neutropenia released.
May 24, 2002... 2002 MAY 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human Genome Sciences, Inc., (HGSI) announced a new initiative to develop a long-acting form of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. ...

CCR5 blocker may be useful with antiretroviral therapy.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have identified a potentially useful adjuvant to antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection. "SCH-C (SCH 351125) is a...

Novel agent effective against (beta)-lactam-resistant pathogens.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in California have developed a novel antimicrobial agent with potent activity against (beta)-lactam-resistant bacteria. "Enzyme-catalyzed...

Antiretroviral treatment may restore thymic function.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Powerful antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection can help restore thymic function in treated patients, researchers in Spain report. "The origin of T...

Genistein-containing supplements may stop tamoxifen.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Isoflavone-enhanced dietary supplements containing genistein may negate the tumor-fighting effects of tamoxifen, a commonly prescribed medication for women battling estrogen-dependent breast cancer,...

Pilot study suggest Myobloc reduces pain and frequency of whiplash-related headaches.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New data from a study presented at the American Academy of Neurology 54th annual meeting demonstrated that Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) reduces pain and headache frequency and improves restricted...

Vaccine candidates clear review; phase III results expected within month.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The independent committee that oversees the only final-stage clinical trials of AIDS vaccine candidates has once again indicated that the vaccine candidates appear safe and that the trials are being...

Novel nucleoside analog active against drug-resistant strains.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States may have found a way to augment antiretroviral therapy's effectiveness against drug-resistant HIV strains. "Highly active...

Preliminary results from Neotrofin study announced.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NeoTherapeutics, Inc., (NEOT) reported that based on preliminary analysis, some Alzheimer patients taking its lead drug Neotrofin experienced improvement in ADAS-cog scores and clinical global change...

AstraZeneca receives FDA approval for Faslodex.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to AstraZeneca (AZN) for their new breast cancer drug Faslodex (fulvestrant) Injection for treatment of hormone receptor positive...

Genaissance discovers genetic markers associated with response to individual statin drugs.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (GNSC) announced new results from ongoing analyses of the STRENGTH I clinical study that further demonstrate the ability of its HAP Technology to identify specific...

FDA committee endorses Claritin as OTC treatment for chronic idiopathic urticaria.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP) said it was pleased with recommendations of the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee, which supported over-the-counter treatment for Claritin (loratadine) in chronic...

Company helps biotech, pharmaceutical companies complete drug development more rapidly.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- With the challenge of insufficient clinical trial patient enrollment becoming known as the critical barrier to achieving drug development timetables, progressive pharmaceutical managers are adopting...

Infliximab could offer long-term benefits.
May 31, 2002... 2002 MAY 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sustained use of the drug infliximab could offer substantial clinical benefit to people with Crohn disease, conclude authors of a study in the May 4, 2002, issue of the Lancet. Crohn disease is a...