A combination of two drugs – lumacaftor and ivacaftor – improves lung function in children aged 6-11 with cystic fibrosis within 15 days of treatment, according to a phase 3 trial published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal and presented at the European Cystic Fibrosis Society conference. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes the lungs and digestive...
Category: <span>Pharmaceutical Updates</span>
Post
Previously unpublished trial data explain effects and side effects of key MS drug
Alemtuzumab is a highly effective drug for multiple sclerosis, approved in more than 60 countries and used by more than 12,000 patients worldwide. However, there is an almost 50 per cent risk of secondary autoimmune diseases, some of which are life-threatening, such as platelet and kidney diseases. Although knowledge about these adverse effects was included...
Post
Common acne medication offers new treatment for multiple sclerosis
Demyelination by MS. The CD68 colored tissue shows several macrophages in the area of the lesion. Original scale 1:100. A Canadian clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI), at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), shows that minocycline, a common acne medication, can slow the progress of...
Post
Tourette-like tics vanish in mice treated with histamine
The activity of neurons in the striatum are regulated by neurotransmitter histamine and is associated with Tourette-like grooming behavior in mice. Yale scientists produced increased grooming behavior in mice that may model tics in Tourette syndrome and discovered these behaviors vanish when histamine—a neurotransmitter most commonly associated with allergies—is introduced into their brains. The...
Post
Smaller dose combos of blood pressure meds may be effective with fewer side effects
Quarter-dose combinations of blood pressure lowering medications appear to be effective in treating hypertension and result in fewer side effects for patients than a single dose of one drug, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension. “Widespread control of blood pressure is generally low, even in high-income countries. The largest global survey of hypertension...
Post
Study finds cause of, and possible cure for, genetic skin disorder
Human skin structure. Yale scientists have discovered the cause of a disfiguring skin disorder and determined that a commonly used medication can help treat the condition. About one in 200,000 people are affected by a group of severe skin disorders known as the ichthyoses (ik-thee-oh-sees), which feature dry, scaly, or thickened skin. Although treatment with...
Post
Adding abiraterone to standard treatment improves prostate cancer survival by 40 percent
Adding abiraterone to hormone therapy at the start of treatment for prostate cancer improves survival by 37 per cent, according to the results of one of the largest ever clinical trials for prostate cancer presented at the 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago and published in the New England Journal of Medicine today (Saturday). The results...
Post
How a double dose of prostate drugs boosts survival rates by 40%: Thousands of men set to benefit from new way of treating the cancer
British scientists behind the trial believe it will ‘transform’ treatment Some 46,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year Research was unveiled at American Society for Clinical Oncology conference Thousands of men could benefit from a new way of treating prostate cancer that doubles their average life expectancy, research has found. Giving patients...
Post
Type 2 diabetes: New biopolymer injection may offer weeks of glucose control
Keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible is important for people with type 2 diabetes, as it lowers the risk of serious complications. However, despite a long list of treatment options, patients still struggle with glucose control, especially when working out meal-specific doses. Treatments that cut down on injections are seen as...
Post
New Drug Reduces Transplant and Mortality Rates Significantly in Patients with Hepatitis C, Study Finds
Patients with hepatitis C who suffer from advanced stages of liver disease have renewed hope, thanks to findings by researchers who have discovered that a new drug significantly reduces their risk of death and need for transplantation. The research team, led by clinical researchers at Intermountain Healthcare’s Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City,...