http://www.biospace.com/BioSpace RSS Generatorhttp://rss.biospace.com/images/BSPLogo.gifhttp://www.BioSpace.com/news.aspx?SectionId=2Copyright (C) 2007http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95701&full=1Transaction Provides Substantial Infusion of Cash as Osiris Prepares for Commercial Launch of Prochymal</p><p>COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSIR) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with NuVasive, Inc. (NASDAQ:NUVA) to sell Osiris Osteocel business for up to $85 million in upfront and milestone payments. In a separate agreement worth...Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95499&full=1TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biovail Corporation (NYSE/TSX: BVF) today announced several new initiatives stemming from its strategic review, including a new strategic focus on developing specialty products targeted towards central nervous system (CNS) disorders intended to drive sustainable growth. The Company also announced Board approval for the filing of a Normal Course Issuer Bid for up to 14 million...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95514&full=1INDIANAPOLIS, May 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY - News) announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Strattera (atomoxetine HCI) for maintenance treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. Strattera, a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, is the first FDA-approved non-stimulant...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95516&full=1ScienceDaily (May 8, 2008) A new class of anti-obesity drugs that suppresses appetite by blocking cannabinoid receptors in the brain could also suppress the adaptive rewiring of the brain necessary for neural development in children, studies with mice have indicated. One such drug, rimonabant (trade name Acomplia) has been developed by Sanofi-Aventis and is awaiting approval for use in the U.S....Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95506&full=1COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSIR - News) today announced it has been given clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate an expanded access treatment program for Prochymal, making the investigational stem cell product available to children with life-threatening Graft vs. Host Disease (GvHD). Prochymal, a formulation of adult mesenchymal stem...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95520&full=1BOSTON (Reuters) - An international team of researchers said they have pinpointed three variants of the genetic code that appear to set the stage for aggressive neuroblastoma, the deadliest solid tumor in early childhood. The finding is not expected to immediately change the way doctors treat the cancer, diagnosed in 700 children in the United States alone each year, they reported in the New England...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95517&full=1BOSTON (Reuters) - The diabetes pill metformin is just as effective as insulin injections in treating women who develop diabetes during pregnancy, researchers in New Zealand and Australia reported on Wednesday. So-called gestational diabetes surfaces in one out of every 20 pregnant women, and there has been concern that metformin might affect a fetus because the drug can cross the placenta.Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95521&full=1CHICAGO (AP) The federal government's new advice to doctors for helping smokers quit recommends the drug Chantix, which has recently been linked with depression and suicidal behavior. The new guidelines mention the psychiatric risks but also say the popular Pfizer Inc. drug is the most effective at helping people get off cigarettes.Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95510&full=1WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Corporation of North America and its U.S. subsidiary, MGI PHARMA, INC., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee on Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs (ALSDAC) has voted 6 to 3 in favor (with one abstention) of approval of fospropofol disodium injection for use as an intravenous sedative-hypnotic agent for sedation...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95534&full=1ScienceDaily (May 8, 2008) Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incurable disease that is increasing in prevalence and will increase even more rapidly as the Baby Boom generation enters the age of highest risk. The available AD drugs are only partially effective in some patients. New strategies are urgently needed. In a new study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience May 7, researchers in the laboratory...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95501&full=1TAMPA, May 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- New Phase III study data showed that Abbott's investigational hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen (HC/APAP) extended release medicine reduced pain in patients with moderate to severe chronic low back pain, one of the most common causes of chronic pain. Taken twice daily in the clinical trial, Vicodin CR(TM) (HC/APAP extended release) significantly lowered...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95547&full=1The genome of a newly-emerging superbug, commonly known as Steno, has just been sequenced. The results reveal an organism with a remarkable capacity for drug resistance. The research was carried out by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge and the University of Bristol. Understanding the genome of this bacterium will help researchers discover how to deal with this particularly...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95508&full=1BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Array BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRY - News) today announced that its Chief Medical Officer, John Yates, M.D., presented additional positive results from a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of ARRY-797, a novel small molecule pan-cytokine inhibitor, in patients with post-surgical dental pain at the American Pain Societys 27th Annual Scientific Meeting in...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95699&full=1RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Talecris Biotherapeutics, Inc. announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a Priority Review of Gamunex (Immune Globulin Intravenous [Human], 10% Caprylate/Chromatography Purified) for the treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).</p><p>The Priority Review designation is intended to expedite...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95067&full=1May 5, 2008 -- Takara Bio Inc. (TSE: 4974) of Japan has begun a collaboration with Tianjin Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, under which Tianjin Cancer Institute & Hospital has initiated clinical research of a cancer immunotherapy developed by Takara. The new immunotherapy uses RetroNectin, Takaras proprietary recombinant human fibronectin, to expand T-cells. More details...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94928&full=1MENLO PARK, Calif., May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- ROXRO PHARMA, Inc. today announced it has received an Excellence and Innovation Award for the Phase 3 data of the company's novel intranasal pain reliever ROX-888, which is in development for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pain.</p><p>The award was presented by the Committee on Scientific Papers of the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia on Sunday, May...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94927&full=1BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Minerva Biotechnology, a leading nanotechnology, cancer and stem cell development company today announced a major breakthrough in a cancer target that is widely expressed in human cancers. Minerva used its proprietary nanoparticle technology to elucidate a key molecular mechanism that is involved in cancer cell growth and metastasis. The study, published today in the journal...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95507&full=1LOS ANGELES, May 7 (Reuters) - A panel of expert advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will meet at the end of this month to review GlaxoSmithKline Plc's experimental drug for treating a disorder in which the blood does not clot properly, according to Amgen Inc.Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95515&full=1St. Louis Business Journal -- Cardinal Health Inc., the parent company of St. Louis-based pharmacy franchisor Medicine Shoppe International Inc., is recalling an alcohol-free mouthwash it marketed to hospitals and medical centers after the product tested positive for an infection-causing bacteria. </p><p>The Dublin, Ohio-based company said the recall applies to 60,000 bottles of mouthwash made...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95503&full=1CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY - News), a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that Novartis has elected to fully exercise its current right to purchase 213,888 unregistered shares of Alnylams common stock in accordance with the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement between Alnylam and Novartis, dated September 6, 2005.</p><p>In connection...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95526&full=1NewScientist -- Enlarge imageFathers get the baby blues too and, if they do, it can be bad news for their children's language development. Two-year-olds have a smaller vocabulary if their fathers have depression than if their mothers do.Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95690&full=1May 8, 2008 -- BMP Sunstone Corporation (NSDQ: BJGP) said its Clinical Trial Application for Enablex (Darifenacin) was accepted by the SFDA, allowing the company to begin clinical trials of the treatment for overactive bladder (OAB). BMP will start human trials in the first half of 2009 and expects that approval will follow sometime in 2011. Novartis (NYSE: NVS), which owns Enablex, signed an agreement...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95500&full=1WILMINGTON, Del., May 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN - News) today announced the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for SEROQUEL XR(TM) (quetiapine fumarate) Extended-Release Tablets to seek approval for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), including maintenance of antianxiety effect. It is the...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95504&full=1RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (Nasdaq: BDSI - News) and commercial partner Meda Pharmaceuticals will present today and tomorrow, data from Phase III clinical pivotal trials for BEMA Fentanyl, a potential treatment for breakthrough pain (BTP) in opioid tolerant patients with cancer. The presentations will be made at the 27th Annual Scientific Meeting of the...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95502&full=1BRISBANE, Calif., May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- BiPar Sciences, Inc. today announced the expansion of Phase 2 clinical trial programs for its lead product, BSI-201, in ovarian cancer. This is the third major clinical trial of BSI-201 that BiPar has launched in the past 6 months, expanding on on-going trials in breast and brain cancer.</p><p>The company is evaluating BSI-201, the first poly ADP-ribose polymerase...Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95293&full=1WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. (NYSE: PRX) today announced that it amended its agreement with Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPPI) for $20 million in cash to increase its share of profits from the generic versions of GlaxoSmithKline's Imitrex(R) Injection, which will be immediately accretive to 2008 earnings and provide a strong return...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95315&full=1Salt Lake City, Utah. Researchers at the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah and collaborative institutions have identified a gene called erythropoietin (EPO) that contributes to increased risk of severe diabetic eye and kidney diseases, called retinopathy and nephropathy.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95289&full=1CHICAGO (Reuters) - Blocking a single brain enzyme helped short-circuit a key hunger signal in mice and made them eat less, lose weight and have better blood sugar control, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. While much more research lies ahead, they said the finding may lead to new treatments for obesity and diabetes in humans.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95296&full=1TOKYO, May 7 (Reuters) - Japan's Astellas Pharma said on Wednesday it would suffer further delays in approval for a new version of its key transplant drug after U.S. authorities said they were not ready to approve it for liver transplants.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95299&full=1FRAZER, Pa., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH - News) announced today that a Joint Advisory Committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted not to recommend approval of an expanded label for FENTORA (fentanyl buccal tablet) [C-II] for the management of breakthrough pain in opioid-tolerant patients with chronic pain conditions. The panel expressed concerns...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95305&full=1VANCOUVER, May 7 /CNW/ - iCo Therapeutics Inc. (TSX-V: ICO - News) is pleased to announce that the company has acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to iCo-009, an oral reformulation of Amphotericin B ("Amp B") for the treatment of systemic fungal infections and Leishmaniasis.</p><p>AmpB is a generic drug that has been in use for approximately 50 years and is considered one of the most effective...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94809&full=1NEW YORK, May 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to immediately approve Discovery Laboratories Inc's drug to help prevent respiratory distress syndrome in premature babies, the company said on Friday, sending shares down 41 percent.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94787&full=1WASHINGTON (AP) Congress sent President Bush a bill Thursday forbidding employers and insurance companies from using genetic tests showing people are at risk of developing cancer, heart disease or other ailments to reject their job applications, promotions or health care coverage, or in setting premiums.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94800&full=1ScienceDaily (May 1, 2008) Any hunter will tell you that when your quarry goes into hiding, you have to flush it out to get a good shot at it. Such is the case with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Though antiretroviral "cocktails" can target an active infection, they cannot get at the virus when it retreats inside the host's T cells, where it may lie dormant for decades, waiting for an opportunity...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94814&full=1LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc, the world's biggest drugmaker, is to invest 190 million euros ($297 million) establishing a new biotech plant in Ireland for the production of experimental medicines, it said on Friday.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95286&full=1TORONTO, May 7 /CNW/ - Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX:MBX - News) announced today that it intends to spin off its Urokinase assets into a new private company, Klarogen Biotherapeutics Inc., which would become the sole commercial-scale manufacturer and supplier of the clot-busting drug after a proposed acquisition.</p><p>Microbix intends to transfer to Klarogen Biotherapeutics Inc., its Urokinase...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95290&full=1BRIDGEWATER, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENZN - News) today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a plan to spin-off its novel biotechnology business from Enzon in a transaction that will result in two independent and highly focused public companies.</p><p>By separating these unique businesses into two focused companies, the opportunities for both...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95291&full=1CHICAGO (Reuters) - Giving B vitamins and folic acid supplements to reduce high levels of a blood protein that is a marker for heart disease did nothing to protect women from heart trouble, according to a study released on Tuesday. The findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association raised further doubts about whether addressing an indicator for heart disease -- in this case...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95319&full=1ScienceDaily (May 7, 2008) Medical College of Wisconsin researchers in Milwaukee have shown for the first time that thrombopoietin (TPO), a naturally occurring protein being developed as a pharmaceutical to increase platelet count in cancer patients during chemotherapy, can also protect the heart against injury during a heart attack.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95295&full=1ScienceDaily (May 7, 2008) It has long been known that type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity, particularly fat inside the belly. Now, researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have found that fat from other areas of the body can actually reduce insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95300&full=1MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(MARKET WIRE)--May 6, 2008 -- Mistral Pharma Inc. (CDNX:MIP.V - News) ("Mistral") today announced that it will not pursue the proposed combination with a private US-based specialty pharmaceutical company ("US Pharma Co.") announced on February 27, 2008 and has terminated the non-binding letter of intent to that effect. This decision is based on the Mistral's inability to meet different...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95284&full=1ARLINGTON, Va., May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Champions Biotechnology, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CSBR - News), a company engaged in the development of advanced preclinical platforms and tumor specific data to enhance the value of oncology drugs, today announced that it has established an agreement with ImClone Systems Incorporated for the preclinical evaluation of certain therapeutic antibodies in...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95314&full=1A growth factor receptor found abundantly on the surface of cancer cells and long known to fuel cancer growth also protects tumor cells from starvation by a newly identified mechanism, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the May 5 issue of Cancer Cell.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95335&full=1ScienceDaily (May 7, 2008) Tumors have a unique vulnerability that can be exploited to make them more sensitive to heat and radiation, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95278&full=1LAVAL, QC, May 6 /CNW Telbec/ - LAB Research Inc. ("LAB Research" or the"Company"), a Canadian-based global non-clinical contract researchorganization, announces the execution of the financing agreement entered intoon January 31, 2008 with National Bank of Canada Health Group ("NBC"),pursuant to which NBC granted the Company a $21.1 million financing to expandits Canadian facilities. Estimated...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95398&full=1<p> SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- NGN Capital announced today the formation of ACT Biotech Inc., a new company dedicated to developing and commercializing targeted oral cancer drugs. ACT Biotech has entered into a license agreement with Bayer HealthCare LLC for a portfolio of clinical and early stage oncology assets. In conjunction with the agreement, ACT has raised $12 million...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95301&full=1TUESDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report they have identified a marker that might predict which pregnant women will pass meconium during delivery.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95334&full=1ScienceDaily (May 7, 2008) A gut hormone that causes people to eat more does so by making food appear more desirable, suggests a new report in the May issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press. In a brain imaging study of individuals, the researchers found that reward centers respond more strongly to pictures of food in subjects who had received an infusion of the hormone known as ghrelin...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95332&full=1ScienceDaily (May 7, 2008) It is pathetically true that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB is still thriving the test of scientific interventions despite affecting almost one -third of the worlds' population. The fact that it takes approximately one human life every 15 second somewhere in the world is an unfortunate death statistics unmatched by any other microbe.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95298&full=1BETHESDA, Maryland (Reuters) - An experiment that went wrong may provide a new way to treat multiple sclerosis, a Canadian researcher said on Tuesday. Patients who got bone marrow stem-cell transplants -- similar to those given to leukemia patients -- have enjoyed a mysterious remission of their disease.Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95488&full=1May 7, 2008 -- Venturepharm Asia, a joint venture between Commonwealth Biotechnologies (NSDQ: CBTE) and Venturepharm (HK: 8225), will build two state-of-the-art chemistry facilities in Jiangsu province, China, with capital provided by Venturepharm and grants awarded by the federal government of China. The labs will employ 200 chemists by the end of 2008, and the JV expects to have 1000 scientists on...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95493&full=1May 6, 2008 -- WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX), the Shanghai-located CRO, has postponed its secondary stock offering, which was proposed one month ago, citing market conditions and the trading price of its ADSs. At the time of the SEC filing, WuXi was selling for $22.15. It has since declined only a small amount to $19.15. More details...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95492&full=1(Amherst, NH) Technology has a way of providing benefits that create complexities, a lesson that drug developers and their supply chain partners are learning to deal with. Historically, the success of new drugs has focused on tolerability, safety, and pharmacokinetics. The challenges of biologically-derived drugs have added new requirements to successful drug development. Because of their far-reaching...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94799&full=1ScienceDaily (May 2, 2008) A common component of the contraceptive pill (progesterone) could improve the neurologic outcome for patients with severe head injuries, according to a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94910&full=1San Francisco, Calif. -- King Pharmaceuticals announces the discontinuation of Tilade Inhaler (nedocromil sodium inhalation aerosol). The drug is being discontinued for a variety of reasons, including the company's inability to identify a qualified manufacturer for a chlorofluorocarbon propellant inhaler. TILADE(R) will remain available through pharmacies and wholesalers until current supplies are...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95294&full=1SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: OREX - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system disorders, including obesity, today announced completion of enrollment in NB-303 and NB-304, the final two Phase III clinical trials for Contrave, its lead obesity product candidate. Todays announcement marks the completion of patient enrollment...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95322&full=1<p> LEXINGTON, Mass., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced positive results of the ongoing Phase III extension study of SUPPRELIN(R) LA (histrelin acetate), the only once-yearly subcutaneous implant for the treatment of central precocious puberty or early onset puberty, at the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society (LWPES) Annual Meeting. This study evaluated...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95328&full=1<p> WASHINGTON, MAY 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Data presented today on Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s investigational drug candidate, iloperidone, included its 4-week, short-term Phase III trial, as well as a pooled analysis of three long-term, 52-week trials, studying the efficacy and safety of iloperidone. Iloperidone is a 5HT2/D2 antagonist ("atypical") antipsychotic currently under review by...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95316&full=1<p>Phase 3 Safety and Efficacy Studies Will Be Highlighted</p><p></p><p>TAMPA, Fla., May 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Acute pain is a significant medical issue in the United States. More than 25 million Americans are said to experience acute pain each year as a result of injuries or surgeries, and a recent study estimated that 42 percent of U.S. hospital emergency department visits were due to pain...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95297&full=1H0RSHOLM, Denmark--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Summary: LifeCycle Pharma successfully completes Phase II LCP-AtorFen clinical program and expects to initiate Phase III clinical program in 2H 2008 while simultaneously seeking a partner for completion of the Phase III clinical trial program and subsequent commercialization.</p><p>LifeCycle Pharma A/S (OMX:LCP) announced today positive results from the company...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95302&full=1SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PARD - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology, today announced that it has completed patient enrollment in its Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating picoplatin combination chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Early data from this trial are expected...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95288&full=1PITTSBURGH, May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mylan Inc. (NYSE: MYL - News) today announced that Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Ropinirole Hydrochloride Tablets, 0.25 mg (base), 0.5 mg (base), 1 mg (base), 2 mg (base), 3 mg (base), 4 mg (base) and 5 mg (base).</p><p>Ropinirole...Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95087&full=1NicOx S.A. (Euronext Paris: COX) today announced the results of a U.S. phase 2 study, conducted by its partner Pfizer Inc, which compared the safety and efficacy of various doses of PF-03187207 to Xalatan (latanoprost) 0.005% in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. The higher doses of PF-03187207 demonstrated a clinically significant reduction in diurnal intraocular pressure...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95072&full=1WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck & Co., Inc. today announced plans to reduce the size of its U.S. sales force by 1,200 positions.</p><p>"Merck is taking this step as part of our previously disclosed, continuing efforts to optimize our cost base and improve Merck's effectiveness and efficiency across all aspects of our business as part of our Plan to Win strategy," said Kenneth Frazier...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95070&full=1BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Array BioPharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ARRY), today announced that it has received an $80 million funding commitment from Deerfield Management, a leading healthcare investment organization and one of Arrays largest shareholders. Together with existing capital, these funds are expected to enable Array to advance six wholly owned small molecule drug programs through clinical proof...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95089&full=1Bizjournals -- Mayor Ron Dellums at his second economic summit on May 2 will present the economic development strategy for Oakland that was forged over the last year by the Oakland Partnership. Dellums' goals are to bring 10,000 new jobs to Oakland in the next five years, increase investment in the city and give Oakland residents better access to needed jobs. The priorities, the strategies and the...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95132&full=1RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. (CBI) (NASDAQ Capital Market: CBTE) is pleased to announce further details regarding Venturepharm (Asia), CBIs joint venture with Venturepharm Laboratories Ltd (VPL) (HKEX: 8225.HK). The joint venture was established to leverage CBIs and VPLs respective strengths in drug discovery and clinical research and development. The initial...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95109&full=1ScienceDaily (May 5, 2008) Recent work from the Finnish Academy Center of Excellence on Cancer Biology at the University of Helsinki, Finland, has shed light on the mechanisms of colon tumor development and may help to design better treatment for this disease.Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94789&full=1LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday left in place a lower court's ruling that allowed Washington state pharmacists to refuse to sell emergency contraceptive "morning after" pills on religious grounds.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94805&full=1EurekAlert -- University of Florida researchers have identified a drug compound that dramatically lowers blood pressure, improves heart function and in a remarkable finding prevents damage to the heart and kidneys in rats with persistent hypertension. The findings, which appear in May 1st edition of the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, could lead to a new class of antihypertensive...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94793&full=1THURSDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Injections of the drug ranibizumab can improve vision and reduce macular swelling caused by blockages in the retinal vein in people with macular edema, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94796&full=1ScienceDaily (May 1, 2008) A team led by Dr. Xue-Hai Tan from the Beijing Genomics Institute has determined that the antifibrotic function of Chinese herbal extract Cpd 861 is mediated by both downregulating the synthesis of collagens and upregulating the degradation of collagens. This effect is evidently different from that of Western antifibrogenic drugs and could allow for the development of effective...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95114&full=1ScienceDaily (May 6, 2008) Much work has been done to identify genetic variations that predispose women to breast cancer. Previous work showed that variants in the gene called fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) were associated with increased risk of the disease, but how these variants translated into increased risk was unknown. A new paper by Kerstin Meyer and colleagues, published this...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95100&full=1Medica News Today -- Researchers in the US studying a large patient population have shown that use of the anti-inflammatory and painkiller ibuprofen is linked to lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Patients who used the drug for more than 5 years were 40 per cent less likely to develop the disease compared with patients who did not use that type of drug at all. The study is the work of researchers...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95101&full=1ScienceDaily (May 6, 2008) People with shorter arms and legs may be at a higher risk for developing dementia later in life compared to people with longer arms and legs, according to a study published in the May 6, 2008, bonus issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers say the association between short limbs and dementia risk may be due to poor nutrition...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95086&full=1CAMBRIDGE, MA--(MARKET WIRE)--May 6, 2008 -- New Phase III data for Menveo (MenACWY-CRM) show that the vaccine produced a greater immune response against meningococcal serogroups A, C, W-135 and Y in adolescents 11-18 years of age compared to Menactra. Infection with any of these four vaccine-preventable serogroups can lead to bacterial meningitis, an infection of the membrane around the brain and...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95118&full=1ScienceDaily (May 6, 2008) A person with dilated cardiomyopathy has an enlarged and stretched heart cavity, usually too weak to pump normally; most people will go on to develop heart failure. While clinicians know that up to 36 percent of all cases of dilated cardiomyopathy may be due to excessive drinking, it has been difficult to differentiate between alcohol-induced heart failure and heart failure...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95130&full=1EurekAlert -- Researchers have discovered how a mole develops into melanoma by showing the interaction of two key proteins involved in 60-70 percent of tumors. The Penn State scientists also demonstrate that therapeutic targeting of these proteins is necessary for drugs to effectively treat this deadly form of cancer.Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95134&full=1EurekAlert -- When a form of cancer that begins in the milk ducts of the breast invades neighboring tissue to spread to other parts of the body, the cause lies not in the tumor cells themselves but in a group of abnormal surrounding cells that cause the walls of the duct to deteriorate like a rusty pipe, according to a new study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers.Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95080&full=1SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apoptos Inc., an oncology research and development company, today announced that it has secured $28 million in funding. Major investors in the milestone-driven, two-tranche Series A financing include Venrock, ARCH Venture Partners, OrbiMed Advisors, and Advanced Technology Ventures. The financing will fund the company through 2010. It will be used to advance Apoptos portfolio...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95102&full=1BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese officials said on Tuesday a Chinese-made blood thinner was not to blame for fatalities linked to the product, and accused U.S. drugmaker Baxter International Inc of obstructing the investigation into the cause of the problem. Baxter has recalled batches of the drug heparin that were found to be tainted with a similar but cheaper chemical that U.S. Food and Drug Administration...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95106&full=1LONDON: AstraZeneca PLC said Tuesday that a European patent covering the use of its Symbicort medicine as a treatment for a condition commonly known as "smoker's cough" has been revoked.Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95122&full=1ScienceDaily (May 6, 2008) The incidence of a strain of tuberculosis (TB) called Mycobacterium bovis, or M. bovis, associated more often with cattle than humans, is increasing in San Diego and is concentrated mostly in Hispanics of Mexican origin, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in collaboration with San Diego County public...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95081&full=1LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline, the world's second-biggest drugmaker, plans to sell a $6 billion three-tranche bond, one of the banks managing the sale said on Tuesday.Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95088&full=1Mechelen, Belgium; 6 May 2008 - Galapagos NV (Euronext: GLPG) announced today that Galapagos' service division, BioFocus DPI, will provide hit-finding services for multiple Allergan, Inc. targets. Total contract value for Galapagos could reach up to EUR 1.3 million over the next 12 months, contingent on the number of BioFocus DPI compounds screened.</p><p>BioFocus DPI's Basel (Allschwil, Switzerland...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95083&full=1MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA and TOKYO--(MARKET WIRE)--May 6, 2008 -- REGiMMUNE Corporation, a privately held biopharmaceutical company, announced today that it has closed its Series B financing for a total of $8 million U.S. Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance the company's lead program, RGI-2001, to human clinical trials for graft versus host disease (GvHD). Preclinical development for GvHD...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95079&full=1VISTA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Auspex Pharmaceuticals, a developer of next-generation medicines with improved safety and performance through the targeted deuteration of clinically validated drugs, today announced a $13.875 million Series B financing led by Thomas, McNerney & Partners with participation from co-investors CMEA Ventures and Costa Verde Capital. The company also announced that pharmaceutical...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95110&full=1BBC -- Geneticists have identified a biological basis for seven different subtypes of chronic fatigue syndrome. The researchers from St George's Hospital, University of London, hope the work could lead to a blood test to distinguish between the forms. Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95107&full=1TUESDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- The grapefruit flavonoid naringenin inhibits the secretion of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in infected cells and could offer a new approach for treating the disease, according to a Harvard Medical School study.Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95108&full=1ScienceDaily (May 6, 2008) New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology confirm that the drug botulinum toxin is safe and effective for treating cervical dystonia, a condition of involuntary head tilt or neck movement, spasticity and other forms of muscle overactivity that interfere with movement in adults and children with an upper motor neuron syndrome, and excessive sweating of...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95270&full=1May 6, 2008 -- Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (NYSE: SCR) released its first quarter financial report showing modestly higher revenues and a large increase in net profit. In Q1, Simcere booked revenues of 394 million RMB ($56.3 million), a solid increase of 26% from the year earlier period, and net income of 112 million RMB ($16 million), a much larger jump of 68%. The increases came from the company...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94801&full=1Utrecht University -- Using an enzyme of the Japanese mushroom Grifola frondosa (Maitake or dancing mushroom), proteins can be identified without knowing the organism's genetic composition. This advance simplifies the study of proteins lying at the root of such diseases as cancer and diabetes. Utrecht University Prof. Albert Heck's research group announced this breakthrough on the website of the scientific...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94791&full=1Abbott CEO leaves Sweden for Canada. Schering-Plough's President of Taiwanese business fills her shoes. CEO of health and pharmaceutical company Abbott Scandinavia, Sybil Dahan, is leaving her post at the end of May. Camilla Soenderby has been selected to replace Dahan, who leaves Sweden to assume the position of Commercial Director of the therapy area Immunology in Montreal with Abbott Canada. Soenderby...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94795&full=1ScienceDaily (May 1, 2008) A mini-protein found in sunflower seeds could be the key to stopping tumors spreading in prostate cancer patients, according to QUT researchers. Dr. Jonathan Harris, a senior lecturer in Queensland University of Technology's Faculty of Science, and PhD student Joakim Swedberg, both from the University's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, are working on the naturally...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95085&full=1NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lev Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: LEVP.OB - News) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review Levs complete response submission for Cinryze (C1 inhibitor), the Companys lead product candidate. Lev is seeking marketing approval for Cinryze for both the acute and prophylactic treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE), also known...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95097&full=1<p> COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Roxane Laboratories, Inc. announced today the approval of its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Ropinirole Hydrochloride Tablets, 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 2mg, 3mg, 4mg, 5mg by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The product is available in Bottles of 100 and is available for immediate shipment to wholesalers and pharmacies nationwide.</p><p> ...Tue, 06 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94925&full=1NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) announced today it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its ConvaTec business unit to Nordic Capital Fund VII (Nordic Capital) and Avista Capital Partners (Avista) for $4.1 billion subject to adjustments based on ConvaTecs audited 2007 financial statements and closing working capital. ConvaTec is a world leader in the development...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94950&full=1ScienceDaily (May 5, 2008) A study of 90,000 people has uncovered new genetic variants that influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity. The variants act in addition to the recently described variants of the FTO gene: adults carrying variants in both genes are, on average, 3.8 kg (or 8.5 lb) heavier. The study, published in Nature Genetics, is led by investigators from the Cambridge GEM consortium...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94937&full=1SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VaxGen, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: VXGN.OB - News), a biopharmaceutical company, announced today it has completed the sale of all assets and rights related to its recombinant protective antigen (rPA) anthrax vaccine product candidate and related technology to Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. Under the terms of the transaction, Emergent BioSolutions...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94940&full=1KABUL (Reuters) - The anti-platelet drug cilostazol is as effective as aspirin at preventing recurrent stroke and appears to be linked to fewer bleeding events, a study in China has shown. Published in the online version of The Lancet Neurology, the study suggests that cilostazol could be a safer alternative to aspirin for post-stroke Chinese patients, who seem to be at higher risk of cerebral hemorrhage...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94939&full=1Medical News Today -- America's largest prize for work in medicine, amounting to half a million dollars, is shared this year by two scientists, Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California, San Francisco and Joan Streitz of Yale University, for their groundbreaking work in molecular research that opens up development of new and effective treatments for a range of diseases. Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94941&full=1CHICAGO (Reuters) - Elderly people who took commonly prescribed drugs for incontinence, allergy or high blood pressure walked more slowly and were less able to take care of themselves than others not taking the drugs, U.S. researchers said on Saturday.Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94932&full=1WARRINGTON, Pa., May 5, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Discovery Laboratories, Inc. (NasdaqGM:DSCO - News) on May 1, 2008 received an Approvable Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Surfaxin(r) (lucinactant) for the prevention of Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) in premature infants. Discovery Labs' Manufacturing, Quality and Regulatory management have performed an assessment of...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94978&full=1WASHINGTON, May 5 - An experimental sedative from Japan's Eisai Co Ltd appears effective based on a preliminary evaluation of data, U.S. drug reviewers said in an analysis released on Monday.Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94934&full=1LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:EPIX - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics through the use of its proprietary and highly efficient in silico drug discovery platform, today announced that it has begun its Phase 2b program in Alzheimers disease through the initiation of a clinical trial of PRX-03140, its novel...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94944&full=1AP - Government regulators on Friday said encouraging wider use of a powerful painkiller made by Cephalon Inc. raises the risk of potentially fatal misuse of the drug. Shares of the Frazer, Pa. drugmaker fell $2.7, or 4.2 percent, to $60.72 in morning trading. Cephalon's drug Fentora is already approved to treat severe pain flare-ups in cancer patients. On Tuesday FDA will ask a panel of outside experts...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94942&full=1WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new type of treatment that trains immune system cells to better recognize the AIDS virus may help control the deadly and incurable infection, Australian researchers reported on Friday. Tests on monkeys infected with a similar virus shows the treatment controlled the infection, although it does not cure it, and tests are already planned in people.Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94970&full=1EurekAlert -- A person with dilated cardiomyopathy has an enlarged and stretched heart cavity, usually too weak to pump normally; most people will go on to develop heart failure. While clinicians know that up to 36 percent of all cases of dilated cardiomyopathy may be due to excessive drinking, it has been difficult to differentiate between alcohol-induced heart failure and heart failure due to idiopathic...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94968&full=1ScienceDaily (May 5, 2008) A new study suggests that extra iron for infants who don't need it might delay development -- results that fuel the debate over optimal iron supplement levels and could have huge implications for the baby formula and food industry. "Our results for 25 years of research show problems with lack of iron. For us to find this result is a big deal, it's really unexpected," said...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94969&full=1ScienceDaily (May 4, 2008) A process of self-digestion called autophagy prompts the maturation of red blood cells. Without a protein called Nix, the cells would not effectively rid themselves of organelles called mitochondria and consequently become short-lived, leading to anemia, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report that appears online in the journal Nature.Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94967&full=1ScienceDaily (May 5, 2008) Influenza is currently a grave concern for governments and health organisations around the world. The worry is the potential for highly virulent bird flu strains, such as H5N1, to develop the ability to infect humans easily. New drugs and vaccines to halt the spread of the virus are badly needed. Now one of the tactics used by influenza virus to take over the machinery...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95066&full=1May 5, 2008 -- GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) has reorganized its corporate structure to put an increased focus on emerging markets. A new management group was given the charge of increasing business in the Emerging Markets, defined as China, Russia, Brazil, India and the Middle East. Even though the countries are not closely linked geographically, GSK believes the structure of the pharmaceutical markets...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=95073&full=1<b><img src"http://enewsletters.biospace.com/images/columnists/nadinewong.jpg" width"100" height"133" hspace"5" vspace"3" align"left" />Going Strong: <a href"http://www.biospace.com/company_profile.aspx?CompanyId102904"target"_blank" alt"Company">Genzyme Corporation</a></b><br><br>First quarter was a roller coaster ride for the market, driven by hope and fear. While just about every category...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94945&full=1<p> HONOLULU, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- MedImmune today announced that researchers are currently presenting results from a MedImmune-sponsored Phase 3 study involving motavizumab, an investigational monoclonal antibody (MAb) that is being evaluated for its potential to prevent serious disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in high-risk pediatric patients. Kate O'Brien, M.D., M.P.H., associate...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94930&full=1CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS - News), a drug development company focused on developing the next generation of proprietary targeted medicines for cancer treatment, today announced that its collaborator Genentech has initiated a Phase II clinical trial of GDC-0449, an orally-administered small molecule Hedgehog antagonist, in metastatic colorectal cancer. As a result...Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94810&full=1ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:VRX - News) today announced that it has instituted headcount reductions as part of a company-wide restructuring effort intended to bring expenses in line with revenues.</p><p>The Company has reduced its headcount by 130 people in the United States and Mexico. Employees affected by the reductions have been offered severance packages...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94792&full=1ScienceDaily (May 1, 2008) Therapies under development to treat prostate cancer by inhibiting the ability of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) to activate its target receptor could have unexpected results especially if a major tumor suppressor gene -- p53 -- is already compromised, according to new research by investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94788&full=1LONDON (Reuters) - An international research team has pinpointed a genetic mutation that can raise a healthy person's blood sugar to harmful levels, putting them at higher risk of serious problems like heart disease.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94817&full=1WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday that Amgen Inc and Wyeth's Enbrel arthritis drug will carry a warning about the risk of serious infections that can lead to hospitalization or death.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94813&full=1MONTVALE, N.J. and BASEL, Switzerland, May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Memory Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: MEMY - News) and Roche (SWX: ROG - News) today announced that Roche has exercised its option to further develop and commercialize Memory Pharmaceuticals' lead nicotinic alpha-7 agonist drug candidate, MEM 3454, for neurological and psychiatric disorders. Roche's exercise of its option for MEM...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94790&full=1AP -- The government is evaluating a new version of OxyContin the potent painkiller sometimes called "hillbilly heroin" designed to be harder to abuse. A plastic-like coating fuses to the tablet, making it harder to crush and turning into a gooey mess if abusers try to inject it, maker Purdue Pharma LP said in documents released by the Food and Drug Administration Thursday.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94804&full=1Researchers at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA have found that low-dose antidepressant therapy can significantly improve the overall quality of life for adolescents suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. The syndrome affects 6 percent of middle school students and 14 percent of high school kids in the United States.Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94812&full=1JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioLineRx Ltd. (TASE:BLRX), a clinical stage drug development company, announced that data from Phase 2a trials of BL-1020, a GABA-enhanced antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia, will be presented today at the Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP) 63rd Annual Scientific Convention & Meeting held in Washington DC, May 1-3, 2008. Recent Phase 2a data demonstrate...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94816&full=1MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA - News) announced today that it will present at the 161st American Psychiatric Association annual meeting the results of a Phase 2a clinical trial of Staccato loxapine (AZ-004) for the treatment of acute agitation in schizophrenic patients. The poster presentation, "Inhaled Loxapine Rapidly Improves Acute...Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=94575&full=1WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration aims to hire more than 1,300 biologists, chemists, pharmacologists and other staff members by October as part of a major expansion, the agency said on Wednesday.Thu, 01 May 2008 12:00:00 AM GMT