A pill designed to zero in on abnormal genes that drive specific cancers has produced encouraging early results in children with an uncommon but aggressive type of lymphoma, as well as in children with a rare form of neuroblastoma.
A phase 1 clinical trial of the drug crizotinib achieved remissions, with minimal side effects, for 10 of the children participating in a clinical study carried out by the multicenter Children’s Oncology Group (COG). The results were “an exciting proof-of-principle” for the targeted treatment, said the study leader, Yaël P. Mossé, M.D., a pediatric oncologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“We are entering a new era of cancer therapy, in which we use knowledge of basic biology to design very specific drugs that target cancer cells with potentially less side effects on healthy tissue,” said Mossé. “In addition, as we concentrate on targets in molecular pathways, we move away from an exclusive focus on one form of cancer to customizing treatments according to biological activity. Abnormal ALK activity occurs in subtypes of neuroblastoma and subtypes of lymphoma, so identifying ALK activity in individual patients may enable us to provide the most effective care.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/50776-childrens-hospital-philadelphia-lymphoma-neuroblastoma-oncology-gene-trial
Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. [http://www.upsher-smith.com] today announced that its epilepsy-focused educational website, http://www.Epilog.us, has been expanded to include thought-leader commentary on issues related to Epilepsy and Comorbidities. The newly updated website will make its debut at the 64th Annual American Academy of Neurology Meeting in New Orleans on April 23 – 26, 2012, at the Upsher-Smith exhibit, booth number 128.
TO view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55934-upsher-smith-expands-epilog-us-on-epilepsy-comorbidities
Having a confident smile is important at any age, even more so when you grow up in the spotlight and need to be close-up ready at any moment. In search of a picture perfect smile, many young stars are turning to modern new options that straighten their teeth.
Today, treatment can take place with Invisalign - a clear and removable option that allows teeth-straightening to go nearly unnoticed because the braces are virtually invisible. A series of clear aligners move teeth gradually over time. Gone are the days when straightening teeth means you have to wear metal braces and deal with all the challenges associated with them.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/53352-invisalign-secret-to-hollywood-smiles/
Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) today announced that data from two Phase 2 trials with SAR236553/REGN727, an investigational, high-affinity, subcutaneously administered, fully-human antibody targeting PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9), were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) 61st Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago.
The data showed that treatment with SAR236553/REGN727 over 8 to 12 weeks significantly reduced mean low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C, or “bad” cholesterol) by 40% to 72% in patients with elevated LDL-C on stable dose of statins.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55299-sanofi-regeneron-pharmaceuticals-lipid-lowering-medications-pcsk9-antibody
Researchers have identified the first gene mutation associated with a chronic and often fatal form of neuroblastoma that typically strikes adolescents and young adults. The finding provides the first clue about the genetic basis of the long-recognized but poorly understood link between treatment outcome and age at diagnosis.
The study involved 104 infants, children and young adults with advanced neuroblastoma, a cancer of the sympathetic nervous system. Investigators discovered the ATRX gene was mutated only in patients age 5 and older. The alterations occurred most often in patients age 12 and older. These older patients were also more likely than their younger counterparts to have a chronic form of neuroblastoma and die years after their disease is diagnosed.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52992-st-jude-pediatric-cancer-genome-project-neuroblastoma-research
According to a recent national survey, 17.1 percent of Americans lack health insurance, and more than nine million of the nation’s uninsured rely on federally qualified health centers (FQHC), non-profit community clinics and free clinics each year for primary care. While these clinics serve the critical health care needs of the uninsured, patients oftentimes cannot afford the medications prescribed by the clinic’s physicians, or navigate a fragmented system that only offers partial solutions. This is a particularly growing problem for America’s working poor.
Today, Medco Foundation and Dispensary of Hope (DOH), a not-for-profit pharmacy-focused social venture for the uninsured, introduced a new, national initiative to substantially improve the supply, delivery and management of critical prescription drugs to thousands of uninsured Americans who are managing a chronic illness.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54424-medco-dispensary-of-hope-prescription-drug-program-clinics-uninsured
Nestlé Health Science will unveil its pediatric closed system formulas with the new SpikeRight® PLUS port at the annual American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition’s (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week meeting being held in Orlando January 21-24. The introduction marks a significant step in supporting the provision of safe enteral (tube) feeding.
Enteral tubing misconnections, where feeding solutions are wrongly administered through intravenous (IV) tubing or other non-enteral systems, have been a concern for nearly thirty years. Most commonly occurring in intensive care settings, where patients have multiple types of tubing connections, an enteral tubing misconnection can result in catastrophic complications and possibly death.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53580-nestle-health-science-launches-next-generation-spikeright-plus-pediatrics
Miramar Labs today announced that the miraDry System for the treatment of primary axillary hyperhidrosis, commonly known as excessive underarm sweat, is now available to select physicians in the U.S. The miraDry procedure provides a safe and lasting solution for this debilitating condition.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration granted clearance for miraDry following a robust, randomized, blinded clinical study that involved 120 patients at seven clinics and followed them 12-months post treatment. The miraDry System delivers energy non-invasively to the area under the arm where the sweat glands reside which creates localized heat to destroy and eliminate the glands. Since sweat glands do not regenerate, results are lasting.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54021-miramar-labs-miradry-treat-excessive-underarm-sweat-axillary-hyperhidrosis
Researchers have discovered that a subtype of leukemia characterized by a poor prognosis is fueled by mutations in pathways distinctly different from a seemingly similar leukemia associated with a much better outcome. The findings from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP) highlight a possible new strategy for treating patients with this more aggressive cancer.
The work provides the first details of the genetic alterations fueling a subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) known as early T-cell precursor ALL (ETP-ALL). The results suggest ETP-ALL has more in common with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) than with other subtypes of ALL. The study appears in the January 12 edition of the journal Nature.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/46768-st-jude-cancer-genome-sequencing-project-combat-aggressive-leukemia
Smith & Nephew plc (LSE: SN, NYSE: SNN), the global medical technology business, announces the FDA clearance of the pocket-sized PICO◊ system, a single use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) system. PICO is cleared for use both in a hospital and homecare setting and expands the use of NPWT from the traditional wound care population to include a wider range of patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery and general surgical procedures. This FDA clearance follows the recent successful launch of PICO in Europe, Canada, and Australia.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/51011-smith-nephew-pico-system-fda-approval-npwt
Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX) announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the PROMUS Element™ Plus Everolimus-Eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System, the Company’s next-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) technology. The PROMUS Element Stent, designed to provide physicians improved DES performance in treating patients with coronary artery disease, is built on an innovative platinum chromium (PtCr) platform with the market-leading everolimus drug. The Company plans to begin marketing the product in the U.S. immediately.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/43510-boston-scientific-fda-promus-element-plus-platinum-chromium-stent-system
International treatment guidelines – from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) – have advised that prevention of exacerbations should be a cornerstone of COPD management, placing equal emphasis on the management of future risk as it does on treatment of COPD symptoms.1 This is also confirmed in the latest data on the impact of season on the frequency of COPD exacerbations, showing an almost two-fold increase in the winter months. This is contributing to the increased morbidity seen during the festive season.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/nycomedtakeda/52782/
