Clinical research updates on new drugs-

Stevioside associated with inhibited artherosclerosis in obese, insulin-resistant mice.
According to a study published online in the International Journal of Obesity, "stevioside treatment was associated with increased adiponectin and insulin sensitivity and improved antioxidant defense in both the adipose tissue and the vascular wall, leading to inhibition of atherosclerotic plaque development and inducing plaque stabilization." After treating "14 mice...with 10 mg/kg stevioside and 20 with placebo for 12 weeks," researchers found that "stevioside treatment...lowered levels of glucose and insulin, improved adipose tissue maturation, and increased glucose transport, insulin signaling and antioxidant defense in white visceral adipose tissue, compared with placebo," and "reduced plaque volume in the aortic arch.

"Shire Plc's Replagal [agalsidase alfa] provided 'substantial and sustained' benefits to patients with a rare condition called" Fabry disease "after five years taking the enzyme replacement therapy, according to" data collected on 181 multinational patients. In fact, the "drug improved all areas studied, including heart mass and function, kidney function, pain, and quality of life," investigators noted in their paper in The Lancet. However, "advanced complications of Fabry disease do not appear to be fully reversible with treatment and that future studies [should] examine whether early initiation of treatment can improve long-term outcomes more than was evident in the current study."


Specific drug combination may be more effective in patient with high HIV viral load.
"In patients with a high HIV viral load at the start of initial therapy, regimens based on tenofovir/emtricitabine (Truvada) were more effective than those based on abacavir/lamivudine (Epzicom)," Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers found after evaluating 1,858 patients. "Current guidelines for initial HIV therapy suggest a regimen based on two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and either a protease inhibitor or a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor."

While such combinations are "potent," it has "not been clear if they differ in antiviral activity, tolerability, and safety." The new "surprise finding," however, "suggests that physicians should be aware of the difference when prescribing initial treatment for patients with a high level of HIV-1 RNA in their blood," according to the paper in the New England Journal of Medicine.


Roche says experimental diabetes drug works better than Januvia.
In a clinical trial, Roche Holding AG's experimental diabetes treatment, taspoglutide, worked better than Merck & Co. Inc.'s Januvia [sitagliptin]. In a phase III trial for treatment of type 2 diabetes, the drug met its primary endpoints. Researchers found that the drug lowered blood-glucose levels more than Januvia, and showed superior HbA1c reduction compared to placebo.


Pharmaxis says Bronchitol improved lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis.
Drugmaker Pharmaxis Ltd. said "its Bronchitol [mannitol] drug improved patients' lung function" in "a study of 170 patients with cystic fibrosis." Researchers found that patients "who switched to the drug after taking a placebo for six months improved by 10.3 percent."


FDA rejects approval of Merck's cladribine to treat Multiple Sclerosis.
Merck KGaA announced that the FDA rejected approval of its cladribine drug to treat multiple sclerosis. The company sought approval of cladribine as a potential short-course treatment for the condition, but the agency said Merck's application is not adequately complete. Merck intends "to request a meeting with the FDA" to discuss the agency's "concerns with its application for approval," according to a spokesperson.

Disclaimer – This information is presented for knowledge purpose only and should not be interpreted as medical advise.

Drug- Clinical research updates-

Sanofi fails to win preliminary NICE backing for its Multaq heart drug.
Sanofi-Aventis SA failed to win the preliminary backing of the UK's health-cost panel for its Multaq [dronedarone] heart medicine after a committee said the medicine isn't more beneficial than standard therapies." The UK's "National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's [NICE] independent appraisal committee found that the drug doesn't work as well and costs more than medicines already on the market, NICE said today in an emailed statement and added that "NICE will make a final recommendation on whether the UK's National Health Service should pay for the medicine after a consultation period that ends on Jan. 28 2010.

MedImmune responds to FDA inquiry regarding motavizumab.
AstraZeneca PLC, the London pharmaceutical that owns MedImmune, said the local subsidiary has filed its formal responses to the Food and Drug Administration's questions about motavizumab, an enhanced version of MedImmune's blockbuster drug Synagis." According to the Business Journal, the drug, which treats respiratory syncytial virus disease in infants, "has hit its share of delays to market."

Combination therapy with mirtazapine may be more effective than fluoxetine alone.
According to a study published online Dec. 15 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, "mirtazapine used in combination with fluoxetine, venlafaxine, or bupropion is more effective and as well tolerated in treating major depressive disorder (MDD) as fluoxetine alone." After treating "a total of 105 patients meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, criteria for MDD," researchers found that "patients treated with these combinations had mean differences of 4.5 to 4.8 points on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) by day 42, compared with those treated with monotherapy."

FDA says Aridol cannot be approved in present form.
Pharmaxis, Ltd. reported that it has received a so-called complete response letter from the US Food and Drug Administration saying the application for its lung-function test Aridol [mannitol dry powder for inhalation] couldn't be approved in the present form." The agency "cited deficiencies at three manufacturing and testing subcontractors, a labeling issue, and post-marketing requirements, Pharmaxis said in a statement." The company plans to "address the issues and seek approval as soon as possible," Pharmaxis CEO Alan Robertson said. Aridol, which is already "approved for sale in Australia, major European countries, and Korea," is "a lung function test designed to help doctors diagnose and manage asthma by detecting active airway inflammation through measuring airway hyper-responsiveness."

Monoclonal antibody may be promising in Ewing's sarcoma.
A monoclonal antibody that targets an insulin-like growth-factor receptor (IGF-1R) was well tolerated and demonstrated antitumor activity in refractory Ewing's sarcoma," according to research appearing online in Lancet Oncology. In a study of "29 patients with advanced sarcomas treated with figitumumab," researchers assessed "tumor response...every six to eight weeks by CT, MRI, or both." The study showed that "two patients...had confirmed responses," and eight "had disease stabilization." Researchers found "no cardiac toxicity," and "no substantial change in cardiac valve function or left ventricular ejection fraction," which they said "was noteworthy...because IGF-1R is expressed on cardiac myocytes, and three-quarters of the patients had previously received potentially cardiotoxic anthracyclines."

Patients with MDD taking paroxetine may undergo greater personality change.
According to a study published in the Dec. issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, "patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) taking paroxetine underwent greater personality change than those taking placebo, including a significant reduction in neuroticism and a marked increase in extraversion, even after controlling for depression improvement." Researchers arrived at that conclusion after randomizing "240 MDD patients aged 18 to 70 years to receive paroxetine (n = 120), placebo (n = 60), or cognitive therapy (n = 60)," then following them for a year. Notably, paroxetine "appears to have a positive effect on personality that is separate and distinct from its antidepressant effects."

Disclaimer : The information presented here is for knowledge purpose only and should not be interpreted as medical advise.

Cancer drugs : Clinical research updates

Researchers increasingly targeting cellular environments in cancer research.
NewYork Times reports that "more and more researchers are studying tumors in their cellular environments," a "major shift in thinking about why cancer occurs and how to stop it." The approach is rooted in the idea "that cancer cells cannot turn into a lethal tumor without the cooperation of other cells nearby," which implies that "cancer might be kept under control by preventing healthy cells around it from crumbling." Drugmakers are also "investigating the way some skin, ovarian, colon, and brain cancers signal surrounding cells to promote cancer growth." Dr. Barnett Kramer, associate director for disease prevention at the National Institutes of Health, noted, however, that such ideas are not new, pointing to a 1962 study in The Lancet that suggested "cancer may be a disorder of cellular organization."


Compugen confirms development of cancer treatment target.
Israeli drug developer Compugen Ltd. said that it has discovered a potential cancer treatment target using its RNA sequence technology." The company claims to have validated CGEN-671, which "can be used to better tailor treatments to target a wide range of cancers." According to Compugen's research, CGEN-671 "is expressed in more than 75 percent of colorectal and breast cancers, and 50 percent in lung cancers."

Teva seeks approval for copy of Amgen's Neupogen.
Teva Pharmaceutical "has tired of waiting for the U.S. government to establish a pathway for approval of generic versions of biologic drugs," and has instead decided to seek approval "for its copy of Amgen's Neupogen under the normal branded-drug process." Teva has recently submitted a Biologic License Application "for XM02, its copycat of Neupogen - a drug that stimulates the production of a type of white blood cells in cancer patients." However, "it doesn't mention having tested XM02 in acute myeloid leukemia or severe chronic neutropenia," and is "likely settling for fewer patients in exchange for a more restrictive label."

Synta Pharmaceuticals begins mid-stage trial of treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. Reported that it has started a mid-stage trial of a cancer drug candidate as a treatment for cancers of the digestive tract." The drugmaker will examine STA-9090 in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors "who have not responded to treatment with two other cancer drugs, Novartis AG's Gleevec [imatinib] and Pfizer Inc.'s Sutent [sunitinib]." The drug works by inhibiting a protein, Hsp90, which "activates other proteins that cancer cells need to grow.

Gefitinib may improve survival among lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations.
According to research appearing online Dec. 21 in Lancet Oncology, "Asian patients with lung cancer and epidermal growth-factor receptor (EGFR) mutations respond well to initial treatment with gefitinib." In a study of 177 patients, researchers found that "gefitinib conferred superior progression-free survival time vs. standard treatment with platinum-based combination chemotherapy." The study also showed that "the objective response rate in patients with measurable disease was significantly higher among patients receiving gefitinib," and "the disease control rate was also higher."

Findings may help researchers understand how cordycepin inhibits cancer cell growth.
According to findings published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, "scientists have discovered how a promising cancer drug, first discovered in a wild mushroom, works." Researchers found that the drug cordycepin "inhibits the uncontrolled growth and division of the cells" at low doses by interfering "with the production of mRNA, the molecule that gives instructions on how to assemble a protein." Meanwhile, "at high doses it stops cells from sticking together, which also inhibits growth." The results may help investigators determine which cancers may be treated with cordycepin.

Disclaimer : This information is for knowledge purpose only and should not be interpreted as medical advise.

Pharma and biotech news -

Pharma News

Five years, twice the revenue.

That's what Teva Pharmaceutical Industries chief Shlomo Yanai is predicting: By 2015 his feisty generics company can more than double its annual sales to $31 billion. That would make it big enough to become one of the Top 10 drugmakers worldwide--on the 2008-revenue ranking at least.

Further details at http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/will-teva-join-big-pharma-2015/2010-01-08?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Judge tosses two more Seroquel suits

Once again, a judge has nipped Seroquel litigation in the bud. A Delaware state court judge dismissed two more lawsuits, saying that the plaintiffs couldn't prove via medical testimony that the drug contributed to their developing diabetes, Pharmalot reports. That makes eight lawsuits dismissed. No Seroquel lawsuit has made it to trial.Of course there are still plenty of Seroquel suits floating around in U.S. courts. But a lawyer representing AstraZeneca says that plaintiffs have been trying--and failing--for years. "This litigation has been around since 2003 and they still can't get a case to trial," Michael Kelly of McCarter & English tells The Am Law Litigation Daily. "These are presumably their best cases. It's telling that they can't even get these to trial."Plaintiffs' lawyers undoubtedly see the issue differently. Almost 40 federal Seroquel cases are in pre-trial proceedings right now, awaiting their moment in federal district courts. And another New Jersey state court case is set for trial next month. We'll have to wait and see how those proceed.

Further details at http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/judge-tosses-two-more-seroquel-suits/2010-01-08?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Biotech News

Cambridge, MA-based Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals announced today that it is cutting nine positions as it seeks to reduce operating costs. The company will take a one-time charge of $200,000 in the first quarter, but expects to save about $1 million annually as a result of the cuts.

Research Triangle Park, NC-based PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals has raised $25 million in a Series B financing round. New investors New Enterprise Associates and OSI Investment Management, a subsidiary of OSI Pharmaceuticals, led the round.

Clavis Pharma announced today that the FDA has granted its intravenous pancreatic cancer treatment CP-4126 orphan drug designation. Clavis signed a $380 million development and commercialization deal with cancer-drug powerhouse Clovis Oncology in November. As part of the deal, Clavis handed off all development of the Phase II CP-4126 to Clovis. The FDA designation follows a similar move by European regulators in October of last year.

A fresh set of promising Phase IIa data for its lead therapy helped Irving, TX-based Reata Pharmaceuticals score a $272 million licensing pact with Kyowa Hakko Kirin covering Japan and a slate of key Pacific Rim countries. The collaboration on bardoxolone calls for $35 million of that to arrive as an upfront payment with $97 million in development milestones, $140 million in sales milestones and escalating double-digit royalties.

Disclaimer- This information is for knowledge purpose only. Specialist opinion should be sought for your specific circumstance.

Who are the 50 Best Employers in Canada?

Who are the 50 Best Employers in Canada and where are they headquartered? The list goes-

PCL Constructors Inc., Edmonton, AB
EllisDon Corporation, London, ON
Cisco Canada, Toronto, ON
Bennett Jones LLP, Calgary, AB
CIMA+ Partner in Excellence, Laval, QC
WestJet , Calgary, AB
JTI-Macdonald Corp., Mississauga, ON
BC Biomedical Laboratories Ltd., Surrey, BC
Farm Credit Canada, Regina, SK
Edward Jones, Mississauga, ON
Wellington West Holdings Inc., Winnipeg, MB
Stikeman Elliott LLP, Montreal, QC/Toronto, ON
Aecon Group Inc., Toronto, ON
Marriott Hotels of Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON
GlaxoSmithKline Inc., Mississauga, ON
Chubb Insurance Company of Canada, Toronto, ON
McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited, Toronto, ON
The Co-operators, Guelph, ON
Flight Centre Canada, Vancouver, BC
Delta Hotels and Resorts, Toronto, ON
LoyaltyOne Inc., Toronto, ON
G&K Services Canada Inc., Mississauga, ON
OMERS Administration Corporation, Toronto, ON
Scotiabank Group, Toronto, ON
AstraZeneca Canada Inc., Mississauga, ON
TD Bank Financial Group, Toronto, ON
Conexus, Regina, SK
Earl's Restaurants Ltd., North Vancouver, BC
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., Dorval, QC
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (Canada), Toronto, ON
Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc., Montreal, QC
Co-operators Life Insurance Company, Regina, SK
Graham Group Ltd., Calgary, AB
Bentall LP, Toronto, ON
Canadian Western Bank, Edmonton, AB
ATB Financial, Edmonton, AB
Ericsson Canada Inc., Town of Mount Royal, QC
Keg Restaurants Ltd., Toronto, ON
Federal Express Canada Ltd., Mississauga, ON
Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, Surrey, BC
Nova Scotia Community College, Dartmouth, NS
Envision Financial, Langley, BC
Meyers Norris Penny, Calgary, AB
Ceridian Canada Ltd., Markham, ON
Cintas Canada Limited, Mississauga, ON
British Columbia Automobile Association, Burnaby, BC
Clark Builders, Edmonton, AB
Procter & Gamble, Inc., Toronto, ON
Nexen Inc., Calgary, AB
Novotel Canada, Mississauga, ON

The 2010 list of Best Employers in Canada includes 25 organizations from Ontario, nine from Alberta, six from British Columbia, four from Quebec, three from Saskatchewan, one from Manitoba, one from Nova Scotia and one headquartered jointly in Ontario and Quebec. Eight organizations have never appeared on the Best Employers in Canada list before.

For more information about the Best Employers in Canada study visit,http://www.workopolis.com/work.aspx?action=Transfer&View=Content/Common/ArticlesDetailView&lang=EN&articleSource=SpecialEN2&articleId=sp20100105File1Article2&cid=551%3A19L%3A13728

WHO says Tamiflu-resistant cases call for "vigilant monitoring."
The recent reports of Tamiflu resistance has prompted the World Health Organization to recommend "boosted antiviral treatment for hospital patients with severely weakened immune systems who contract swine flu." WHO maintained that there had been "no evidence" that the reported cases represented a wider public health threat, but "reiterated calls for vigilance and modified treatment advice for the frontline flu drug."

Cervarix may protect against HPV for more than six years.
Cervarix, one of two FDA-approved vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV), protects against infection for more than six years, researchers found." In a Lancet paper, researchers reported that through "follow-up as long as 6.4 years, the vaccine had an efficacy of 95.3% for preventing infection with the two types of HPV most commonly implicated in cervical cancer -- HPV-16 and -18." In addition, Cervarix was found to be "100% effective at preventing cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 and above, the investigators reported."

“Wellness" blog also notes that previous "research has shown that the equivalent vaccine, Gardasil, from fellow pharmaceutical giant Merck, protects for up to five years."

Scientists find association between "recreational drug use," sleep apnea.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found an association between "recreational drug use" and sleep apnea. "It is a problem some physicians are calling 'the agony of ecstasy.'" In fact, an editorial accompanying the study in Neurology points out that "two major epidemics are sweeping across the United States -- one is methylenedioxymethamphetamine abuse and the other is obstructive sleep apnea."

With that in mind, investigators "enrolled [71] medically healthy 'club drug users' for a sleep lab study. Sixty-two "participants who said they did not use ecstasy -- but might use others drugs -- formed the control group." All subjects "were required to abstain from drug use for two weeks before the sleep lab test, in which the polysomnographers were blinded to the status of the volunteers.

The team soon found that "ecstasy users had a more than eight-fold increased risk of sleep apnea compared to non-users. Mild sleep apnea rates were similar in both groups (21 percent of ecstasy users and 27 percent of non-users), but only ecstasy users had moderate (13 percent) or severe (one percent) sleep apnea. And, "the longer a person used ecstasy, the more sleep apnea episodes they experienced. Surprisingly, "ecstasy use was a greater risk factor for sleep apnea than obesity.

Novavax H1N1 vaccine study seen as meeting goals.
Novavax Inc. announced that its H1N1 flu vaccine proved safe and effective in a study conducted in Mexico." Novavax "said that the vaccine, which uses lab-created virus-like particles rather than the entire live virus strain, produced favorable initial results from the first stage of a two-stage pivotal Phase II study." Based on the findings, the company also "said it has been cleared to proceed to a second stage of testing in which vaccine safety will be evaluated in 3,000 subjects with a single dose regimen." An independent panel said the vaccine was well tolerated at three dose levels and showed no systemic side effects.

Lenalidomide plus bortezomib may be promising for relapsed, refractory multiple myeloma.
Lenalidomide (Revlimid) combined with bortezomib (Velcade) appears to be a promising treatment for patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma," according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Researchers found that "overall, the combination treatment was well tolerated." But, in an accompanying editorial, Jesús F. San Miguel, MD, of the University of Salamanca in Spain, noted that "similar results have been observed with combination therapy that includes bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone, or lenalidomide, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone," which "could be considered as an...argument in favor of the sequential rather than simultaneous use of bortezomib and lenalidomide."

Disclaimer : This information is for knowledge purpose only and should not be interpreted as medical advise.

Drug research updates-

FDA approves low-dose Vagifem for atrophic vaginitis.
According to Dec. 3 announcement by Novo Nordisk, the Food and Drug Administration "has approved a low-dose local estrogen therapy, a 10 mcg formulation of the estradiol vaginal tablet Vagifem for atrophic vaginitis." The FDA based its approval "for the lower dose...on a 52-week randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial with 309 participants with an average age of 57.6." Trial results indicated that "women using the estradiol tablets showed statistically significant improvement after 12 weeks of treatment, compared with those using a placebo in correcting vaginal pH," as well as in "correcting vaginal maturation index."

FDA approves IV formulation of Revatio for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The Food and Drug Administration "has approved an intravenous formulation of the pulmonary arterial hypertension drug sildenafil (Revatio) for patients who are temporarily unable to take the medication in its oral form." The FDA-approved injection "is administered in single-dose, 10 mg vial three times a day, which corresponds to a 20 mg oral tablet three times daily."

EU regulators approve COPD treatment.
Novartis AG reports that its treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Onbrez, has received approval to be marketed in the European Union. The drug, which is inhaled once a day, was shown in studies to be better in improving lung function and symptoms of breathlessness than older treatments Spiriva (tiotropium bromide) and Serevent (salmeterol).

Simocyclinone could lead to powerful new drugs to beat resistance.
According to research published in the Science Journal, "a 'double-headed' antibiotic could lead to powerful new drugs to beat resistance." Recently, UK investigators examined "a naturally occurring molecule made by soil bacteria called simocyclinone," which "sticks to bacteria in two places making it more potent and reducing the chance that bacteria will adapt to resist it." Although simocyclinone is itself unsuitable "for use in patients, it is hoped drugs can be created based on the same principle." By targeting "an enzyme in bacteria called DNA gyrase" and latching on in two places or 'pockets, simocyclinone creates an effect 100 times more powerful than if each 'head' attached to the bacteria individually."

WHO finds no further Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 spread in US, UK.
The World Health Organization reported that there is no evidence that Tamiflu-resistant viruses have spread beyond the walls of two hospitals where they caused clusters of cases among immunocompromised patients. WHO said investigations into the outbreaks, in hospitals in Wales and the United States, have so far turned up no evidence the resistant viruses have spread from infected patients to the staff, to other patients in the hospitals or to the nearby communities. WHO official Charles Penn said, "We're confident in saying that at the moment it looks to be limited, but ... it's a question of continually monitoring." CP adds, "The two clusters involved eight patients in a hospital in Cardiff, Wales and four at Duke University Hospital in Raleigh, NC, who were severely immunocompromised. Three of the patients in North Carolina have died."

Tamiflu-resistant swine flu cases reported in Maryland, Virginia.
The Washington Post reports that three people have been hospitalized with a Tamiflu-resistant strain of the H1N1 virus. The patients, two in Maryland and one in Virginia, have prompted "infectious disease specialists to call for renewed caution even as the intensity of the pandemic has declined nationwide." Diane Helentjaris, head of Virginia's office of H1N1 response, said the cases were "not unexpected at all, when you have many, many people taking an antiviral medication." The American Press reports that the Maryland patients, who were both admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital, were treated there and have been discharged.Officials at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are notifying the state's acute-care hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers to be on the lookout of other possible cases."

Disclaimer : This information is for knowledge purpose only and should not be interpreted as medical advise.

Pharma business updates-

Novartis makes offer to buy Alcon for $39 billion.
Novartis AG offered to buy the rest of Alcon Inc., the world's largest eye-care company, from Nestle SA and shareholders for a total of $39.3 billion, as Chief Executive Officer Daniel Vasella expands into products for eye surgery. The deal increases Novartis' ownership of Alcon to 77 percent, possibly bringing the company closer to its goal of becoming a global healthcare conglomerate. Novartis also bid to buy out minority shareholders and offered 2.80 Novartis share for each Alcon share.

Nabi signs licensing deal with Glaxo for nicotine vaccine.
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals "has signed a licensing deal" with GlaxoSmithKline "that could produce a huge payday if the anti-smoking drug can be successfully brought to market." Nabi said a unit of Glaxo "has agreed to pay $40 million initially for the exclusive worldwide licensing rights to the drug, called NicVax [nicotine conjugate vaccine]. According to a published report, Nabi could receive over $500 million in option fees and regulatory, development and sales milestones and is running one late-stage clinical study of NicVax and plans to start another one.

Bristol-Myers splits from nutrition company to focus on biotech drugs.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. will split off its 83 percent stake in Mead Johnson Nutrition Co., the maker of Enfamil infant formula, to focus on biotechnology medicines." Bristol-Meyers said about "a third" of its "drugs in development are biotechnology compounds. Bristol CEO "James M. Cornelius has been selling assets to raise money for acquisitions and cutting jobs to lower costs by $2.5 billion by 2012, when the blood-thinner Plavix [clopidogrel bisulfate] faces generic competition."

Abbott buys potential chronic pain drug for up to $190 million.
Abbott Laboratories is reportedly buying a potential chronic pain drug from PanGenetics BV for as much as $190 million." Abbott "said the drug is in early-stage clinical testing as a treatment for pain cause by arthritis," and could be tested "against chronic lower back pain, cancer pain, and diabetic nerve pain." PanGenetics "will receive $170 million upfront from Abbott, and $20 million in milestone payments if the drug advances through development. Although the drug, called PG110, is "still in early human clinical trials, Abbott executives say they expect to one day launch the drug in both injected form and an intravenous formulation."

Disclaimer : This information is for knowledge purpose only and should not be interpreted as business advise.

Drug- Clinical research updates-

First human trial begins on alternative to insulin injection.
Novo Nordisk A/S started the first human tests on an experimental insulin pill, joining companies seeking to develop an alternative to daily injections for diabetics who need the hormone to control their disease." The trial of 80 patients will attempt to "determine whether the medication is safe and how it works in the human body." In addition, Biocon Ltd. "said in September it plans to begin commercial production of an insulin pill within 18 months."

Carfilzomib meets study goals in treating patients with multiple myeloma.
Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s carfilzomib "worked in patients with multiple myeloma," according to a study presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting in New Orleans. The study of "51 patients who didn't respond to as many as three previous therapies" showed that "carfilzomib significantly reduced the disease in 45 percent of subjects, including one whose cancer disappeared." The drug "also helped reduce neuropathy," and Onyx's CEO said the study's "data also positions the company to enter the $4 billion myeloma market as soon as 2011 if US regulators evaluate the drug under an accelerated six-month review process."

Glaxo suspends Promacta chronic-liver disease trial.
After winning FDA approval as a treatment for chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura, GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK) decided to look for other uses for Promacta [eltrombopag]. It was thought the blood-disorder drug could benefit chronic-liver disease patients who might need platelet transfusions during invasive treatments. Sometime in September, however, an independent panel reviewing the Elevate study found that there was an "increased risk of thombrotic and thrombo-embolic events" among seven of the 260 participants enrolled in the trial. Accordingly, the trial was suspended. GSK, however, continues to look for other applications among other patient groups, including those with hepatitis C and cancer.

Researchers examine antiepileptic medications, suicide attempt link in BD patients.
According to a study "of 47,918 patients with bipolar disorder (BD)" published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, those "who took one of 11 antiepileptic medications had the same rate of suicide attempts -- 13 per 1,000 patients per year -- as those who didn't take any drugs for their condition. That rate was slightly lower than for bipolar people who took lithium (18 suicide attempts per 1,000 patients per year)," and "was also much lower than the rate of suicide attempts among" patients with bipolar disorder "in the year before they began taking antiepileptic medications (72 per 1,000 patients per year)."

Two thirds of patients with SIE prescriptions may not use it before ED visit.
A 42 responses survey to a Mayo Clinic questionnaire revealed that "nearly two thirds of patients with prescriptions for self-injectable epinephrine (SIE) failed to use it before reaching the emergency department." What's more, "slightly more than half of those surveyed (22 individuals) reported a delay in coming to" the ED, "with 15 saying they expected the symptoms to go away. However, the severity of an anaphylactic reaction is impossible to anticipate, and treatment could come too late," explained lead author Wyatt W. Decker, MD.

Patients with indolent lymphoma may achieve long-term survival with tositumomab.
According to research presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting, "Patients with indolent lymphoma whose disease has progressed after rituximab can still achieve long-term survival if they're switched to tositumomab and Iodine-131 tositumomab (Bexxar Therapeutic Regimen)." In a study of "40 patients with indolent, follicular large-cell or transformed B-cell lymphoma," researchers found that "nine...achieved a complete response and 28 patients (72 percent) achieved some response." On average, the "duration of the response was 18.9 months," with "mean progression-free survival" at 10.4 months "for all 40 patients." Meanwhile, "median overall survival was 6.7 years after receiving tositumomab and Iodine-131 tositumomab."

New regimen may increase rate of remission in some patients with advanced follicular lymphoma.
Older patients with advanced follicular lymphoma achieved high rates of complete remission and two-year progression-free survival (PFS) with a brief course of chemoimmunotherapy, followed by consolidation with rituximab (Rituxan), according to findings reported at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting. Researchers found that of 242 patients with "stage 3-4 disease, bulky stage 2 disease, or stage 2 lymphoma with one or more adverse features," 55 achieved complete responses, while there were "partial responses in 37 percent" following "four cycles of chemoimmunotherapy." But, "after rituximab consolidation therapy, 69 percent of the patients had achieved complete responses, and 18 percent had partial responses."

Disclaimer : This information is for knowledge purpose only and should not be interpreted as medical advise.

Geron says its cancer vaccine met safety, tolerability goals in study.
Geron Corp.correspondent reports that its developing cancer treatment GRNVAC1 met safety and tolerability goals in a midstage study." The study of the "developing vaccine, aimed at prompting the immune system to fight tumor cells," involved "patients with acute myelogenous leukemia." Further, 14 of the study's 20 patients in remission from AML remain in complete clinical remission and the median duration of clinical remission is 12 months.

Voreloxin may improve survival for patients with AML.
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s "drug candidate voreloxin improved survival for patients with treatment-resistant leukemia in clinical testing," according to the company. Sunesis reported "results from two mid-stage trials of voreloxin as a treatment for acute myeloid leukemia," and said it will advance the drug into more testing. The company also "said patients who were dosed with the drugs once a week for three weeks had median survival of 8.7 months, and half of those who took the drugs for two weeks survived for more than 5.8 months."

Arixtra may reduce SVT complications.
According to researchers at the American Hematology Society's annual meeting, "Pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and other potentially fatal complications of superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) were less frequent in patients treated with fondaparinux (Arixtra) in a pioneering trial. The placebo-controlled study of more than 3,000 patients in 17 European countries found that "fondaparinux slashed rates of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis by about 80% over a 45-day treatment period." One of the researchers also "said the data finally established that a low molecular weight heparin is effective in reducing SVT complications, although such drugs have long been used empirically to treat the condition."

One-fifth of dialysis patients undergoing PCI may be given contraindicated antithrombotics.
More than one-fifth of patients on dialysis who undergo angioplasty are given blood thinners they should not be given, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The investigators looked at data on "22,778 dialysis patients who underwent PCI." Altogether, "5,084 patients (22.3%) received a contraindicated antithrombotic." The investigators found that "patients who received the antiplatelet agent eptifibatide or the anticoagulant enoxaparin, which are renally cleared and therefore not recommended for dialysis patients, had higher unadjusted rates of inhospital bleeding...than patients who received recommended antithrombotics."

Depressed patients on paroxetine may experience personality changes.
According to a study published in the J. Archives of General Psychiatry, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) "antidepressants effect profound and rapid personality changes in those who respond to them. Compared to a group of depressed patients doing talk therapy and another taking a placebo drug," study participants "who took the SSRI paroxetine (marketed as Paxil) and reported some depression relief had more dramatic personality changes, becoming less negative and emotional, less easily discouraged or embarrassed, and more self-confident and assertive."

In the study of "240 adults with a major depressive disorder" divided into groups receiving paroxetine, cognitive therapy, and a placebo,participants taking paroxetine became less neurotic and more extraverted than those receiving cognitive therapy or placebo. Extraversion, which is associated with positive emotions, is believed to help protect from depression, while neuroticism, the tendency to experience negative emotions and emotional instability, is thought to contribute to depression, psychologist and lead author Tony Tang, PhD, of Northwestern University, explained, adding that "becoming more extraverted and less neurotic may" also "help prevent a relapse of depression."

Claude Robert Cloninger, MD, "a professor of psychiatry, genetics, and psychology at Washington University in St. Louis," who was not involved in the study, who told "WebMD that the conclusions of the new study 'confirm earlier work showing that particular personality traits are indicators of vulnerability to depression.' He added, 'What this work does well is show' that depression is 'not just a matter of mood,' and that SSRIs 'are not specific just for depression’.

Cetrorelix does not meet main goal in late-stage study.

AEterna Zentaris Inc. said Monday its enlarged prostate drug cetrorelix did not meet its main goal in a late-stage clinical study.The company "said there were no clear differences in effectiveness between the drug and placebo," and it also "said it will shift its focus to several cancer drugs," such as perifosine. The company announced similar results from its North American studies, which is prompting doubts regarding regulatory approval.

Disclaimer : This information is for knowledge purpose only and should not be interpreted as medical advise.

Overcoming Discouragement: From Fired to Inspired to Hired

The average job seeker takes about four months to land a job after searching for openings. During an economic downturn, finding a job becomes even more difficult and so discouragement is a common emotion. While the practical aspects of looking for a job present plenty of challenges, the emotional component cannot be ignored.

For some, the emotions of shock, grief, anger, anxiety, and depression that often accompany job loss can impair a solid action plan. Maybe you don’t even have a plan of action. Or, you are diligently getting your resume out to the world without the results you desire. Everyone feels discouraged at times but you can’t be effective in your job search if you launch into interviews with unchecked emotions popping up.

What can you do to transform discouragement into hope that you will land another job? First, don’t panic. Place post-it notes with the word “Breathe” on them. Engage in activities that will help you move through difficult emotions. Fear and hope make poor roommates because one dispels the other.

You must fight discouragement. Avoid beginning and ending your day with negative television and radio news reports about the economy. News of this sort can only result in negative thinking and feelings. Begin your day early by first making a deposit into your emotional bank account. Write a list of five things you are grateful for each morning.

If you are starting to give in to discouragement, it is time to tune in for self-care. Prepare a list of 10 self-care items that will help renew your mind, body, and spirit. You may find it difficult to do so, but it is completely worth your time. The items on your list do not even have to cost money. Participate in 2-3 of these self-care activities every day. If you are burned out, experiencing stress or other physical health symptoms, and feelings of discouragement, this situation absolutely requires that you give yourself permission to take an overdue restorative time-out. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity!

Many people work very hard while also attending to the needs of their family, but find it nearly impossible to be especially kind and tender to their selves. In an emergency, you have to put on your own oxygen mask first, and being out of work in an economic downturn qualifies as just such an emergency.

Address discouragement and other emotions by taking the time you need – not by doing what others think you should do. Talk to someone you trust who will help you to get rid of negative feelings. When you are ready, launch into the tangible, practical components of job search.

Take stock of your expectations. Unmet expectations can lead to disappointment and discouragement. You may be very good at the work you have done in the past but your future does not live in your past. Industry changes create opportunities for new job growth. Do you need to take what I refer to as the ’transitional bridge job’ or two part time jobs to pay the bills while you think about seriously re-inventing yourself ?

Do you want to return to a former, similar, or new job title? Research professional association websites in the industry you want to explore. Perform information interviews to help expand or narrow options. New job growth is there. You will bring greater enthusiasm and success to your job hunting when you identify what you want to do. What does your heart desire for employment?

When you are ready, set a structured job search schedule, say between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm daily. No matter what, though, it’s important to keep your work/life balance in the daily mix. Your future work is ahead of you and you must move forward to reach your goals.

Are you a Hunter of farmer ?

Are we discussing agriculture ? George Orwell's Animal farm ? No...we are discussing job search strategy in 2009 and beyond !

Statistics indicate there are at least six unemployed Americans for every job opening; and this figure does not take into account the employed-but-searching for new job candidates who are also competing for these jobs.

So, what is the difference between job seekers who achieve success and those that keep toiling away day after day, week after week, and month after month without landing a job? It is whether you approach your job search as a Hunter or a Farmer.

When compared to Farmers, Hunters are 87% more likely to find a job in this economy with key differences being in their qualitative approach to pursuing opportunities and their prioritization of using a professional network. So who are the Hunters and who are the Farmers - and which one are you?

Hunters are extremely focused and very selective; they stalk few opportunities and only ones they consider just right for them; and most important they effectively leverage their professional networks to work for them.

Hunters expand and leverage their professional network every day of the week to find opportunities and consider time spend networking exponentially more important to their job search than depending on job sites.

Hunters use online social media and profiles, with references and testimonials, as tools to enable their networks and develop a brand and Subject matter Expertise in their field.

Hunters manage their contacts personally and independently, outside of company systems.

Hunters are more selective and apply for fewer opportunities and only those opportunities considered fulfilling or critical to their career roadmap, and they are twice as likely to follow up interviews – and even after being rejected.

Hunters will tailor their resumes and cover letters for each position to stand out in a crowd, and they will focus on showing not only why they are qualified, but more so why they are the most qualified candidate for that job, and why they want to work specifically for that company and not its competitors.

Hunters cultivate, grow and contribute to their professional networks on an ongoing basis, and they place as much if not more emphasis on helping others rather than only looking to only themselves.

Hunters are more than twice as likely to consult mentors on their job search, and they are likely to seek out and pay for a resume and professional advice and attend paid seminars and networking events, rather than basing their job search exclusively around free advice, services, job fairs and no-fee events.

Farmers are seed-sowers; they cover a lot of ground, exploring numerous opportunities and place more value on broad, rather than qualitative searches.

Farmers are more conscious about key-word searches and not whether this is a job they will qualify for and enjoy.

Farmers use job boards to find opportunities and consider jobs sites more important than networking.

Farmers may use online profiles, but primarily to market themselves.

Farmers keep address books or contact lists on company servers, making the data vulnerable to loss
Farmers post and pray; apply for many jobs, even those perceived as low matches

Farmers are more likely to use the same all-purpose resume and cover letter for each applied-for position.

Farmers only use their professional networks as needed.

Farmers rarely consult others on their job search or pay for a professional resume or valuable career advice.

Now that you know the facts you choose whether you want to be a farmer or HUNTER.

Top 50 LinkedIn Groups ALL MBAs/ Professionals MUST Join

LinkedIn is the leading professional network on the web, so if you don’t have an account already, get one today! If you have one already, you’re off to a great start.

LinkedIn is an invaluable asset to all professionals out there, especially MBAs, providing you many unique features, including your own professional online resume, its own job board, a comprehensive company directory and more.

One feature you job seekers may not know about or have fully explored is LinkedIn Groups. LinkedIn Groups are free to join, and you can choose to join up to 50 groups from a list of thousands of user-created groups for literally just about anything. Not only do these groups provide you access to connect with and contact fellow group members who could become future partners, employees, investors, customers etc., but the groups’ discussion board and news sections can provide more networking opportunities, answers to your questions and insightful advice, tips and support. You can also contribute answers, comments and your own expertise to the groups’ discussion boards to establish your own online personal brand on LinkedIn.

While there are thousands of quality groups out there, here are the Top 50 LinkedIn Groups (according to me) ALL MBAs MUST Join to help build their brands and launch their careers:


MBA Specific

MBA Highway MBA & Recruiter Network


Entrepreneurship
On Startups - The Community For Entrepreneurs
Startup Specialists
Bright Ideas & Entrepreneurs
Private Equity and Venture Capital Group


Consulting
Consultants Network
Worldwide Management Consultants


Marketing & Communications
Marketing & Communication Network
Public Relations and Communications Professionals
Marketing Executives Group
Innovative Marketing, PR, Sales, Word-of-Mouth & Buzz Innovators


Advertising Professionals
Online Advertising Professionals
Social Media Marketing


Sales & Business Development
Sales Best Practices
SalesBlogcast.com


Product & Brand Management
280 Group: Product Management & Product Marketing
CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS CONNECTS - SuperGroup!
CPG people


Finance & Accounting
Finance Club
Finance Industry Professionals Worldwide
Finance & Accounting Professionals


Business Intelligence & Information Technology
Business Intelligence & Analytics Group
Business Intelligence Professionals
IT Specialist Group
The IT Architect Network


Project Management
Project Manager Networking Group
Project Management Link


Operations
Supply Chain Today
Procurement Professionals
Lean Six Sigma


Human Resources
Linked:HR
H.R. Professionals


Industry Specific
GreenBiz.com -- Green Business Professionals
Telecom Professionals
Biotech & Pharma Professionals Network
Media Professionals Worldwide
Event Peeps: For Live Event Industry Professionals
Retail Industry Professionals Group
Travel & Tourism Industry Professionals Worldwide
Sports Industry Network™


Special Interest
Creative Expressions
Women For Hire
National Black MBA Association
NSHMBA
National Association of Women MBAs

Career Search & Development
Career Change Central


Academic & Professional Career
Your Graduate School/MBA Program Alumni LinkedIn Group
Your Undegraduate College Alumni LinkedIn Group
Your Past Employer’s LinkedIn Group

If you are a job seeker, please also check out the Top 20 LinkedIn Groups ALL Job Seekers MUST Join.

*These 50 groups are not listed in any particular order.

Drug- Clinical research updates-

Antiretroviral treatment reduces suicide rate among Swiss AIDS patients.
According to a Swiss paper in the American Journal of Psychiatry,"Suicide among AIDS patients in Switzerland dropped by more than 50 percent after they started getting antiretroviral drugs in 1996," The lead author of the study also said that although "the suicide rate is still higher than normal among Swiss AIDS patients, 62 percent of those who killed themselves also had a mental illness." Meanwhile, when asked "if she thought she would find similar results in African countries with high AIDS rates, Dr. Keiser said there was no way to know because there was so little data on suicide in Africa."

Tamoxifen, other anti-estrogen therapies may reduce lung cancer mortality in women.
A study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, "tamoxifen and other anti-estrogen therapies may reduce lung cancer mortality in women." In a study of 6,655 breast cancer patients, Swiss researchers found that "women who took endocrine therapy for breast cancer were 87% less likely to die from lung cancer than the general population...despite similar lung cancer incidence." While "women with breast cancer who didn't take anti-estrogen therapy were no less likely to die from lung cancer than the general population," the results still lend support to the "hypothesis that estrogen plays a role in lung cancer prognosis."

Cannabis-based mouth spray may reduce pain in patients with cancer.
Cancer patients who used a cannabis mouth spray had their level of pain reduced by 30 percent," according to research appearing in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. The "cannabis-based spray" works by activating molecules in the body called cannabinoid receptors which can stop nerve signals being sent to the brain from the site of pain.The spray was developed so that it did not affect the mental state of patients in the way that using cannabis would." The researchers said the study "did not justify smoking cannabis as this could increase the risk of cancer."

Time to progression in metastatic breast cancer may improve with higher fulvestrant dose.
Women with metastatic breast cancer had a modest but statistically significant improvement in time to progression when treated with 500 mg of fulvestrant (Faslodex) -- double the usual dose," according to a study reported at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. The study of "736 patients with estrogen receptor-positive advanced breast cancer" showed that "the 500-mg dose led to a median time to progression of 6.5 months, compared with 5.5 months for patients treated with the standard 250-mg dose." Researchers also found that "total clinical benefit was 45.6 percent with 500 mg of fulvestrant and 39.6 percent with 250 mg."

Gel fails to prevent AIDS infection in African women, study shows.
A study reports that after a four-year trial of nearly 10,000 women in South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, and Tanzania, a microbicide gel "containing molecules that clump around" the AIDS "virus before it reaches the vaginal wall," in order "to protect women against infection has failed....researchers said Monday." The Microbicides Development Program, known as MDP 301, "was overseen by the British Medical Research Council." Results showed that "the gel had no effect: 4.1 percent of those who used it were infected, as were four percent of those who used a placebo." The failure marks the end of the council's investigation into that particular "type of microbicide." Researchers are now turning their attention "to gels and rings that release constant doses of antiretroviral drugs to kill the virus or stop it from reproducing."

Novartis' Tasigna may halt CML progression better than Gleevec.
Preliminary results from a clinical trial presented at the American Society of Hematology's annual meeting, show that fewer patients taking Novartis AG's Tasigna [nilotinib] progressed to an advanced stage of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) compared to Novartis' Gleevec [imatinib]. Researchers also found a significant drop in the presence of the disease in nearly twice as many participants taking Tasigna.

The study showed that Tasigna lowered levels of Bcr-Abl, a protein linked to CML, "to less than or equal to 0.1 percent of pre-treatment levels in 44 percent of patients, compared with 22 percent in those given Gleevec." Furthermore, "fewer patients on Tasigna discontinued treatment because of adverse events."

Novartis is expected to seek approval for Tasigna for use in adult patients who are newly diagnosed with CML . The drugmaker will lose patent protection for Gleevec in the US in 2015. Novartis, therefore, intends to replace Gleevec with Tasigna as the standard of care.

Disclaimer : This information is for knowledge purpose only and should not be interpreted as medical advise.