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Pharmaceutical R&D in the spotlight: why is there still unmet medical need
Drug Discovery Today-December 2007 (216 KB-PDF Document)
"Demand for medicines is growing around the world-yet innovation and the availability of more and better medicines may actually fuel this demand. How much reduction in medical need will we be able to afford? And who should pay for it?" (Pharmaceutical R and D in the spotlight) |
James and Esther King and Bankhead-Coley Programs to Adopt Innovative NIH Policy on Journal Access
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Consistent with a new federal policy, the James & Esther King Biomedical Research Program and the Bankhead-Coley Cancer Research Program will require open access to published research findings of their funded researchers, beginning with new grants that will be awarded in July 2008.(Open Access) |
The Florida Department of Health Annouces Accreditation of Human Research Protection Program
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) today announced that the agency has become the first public health department to receive full accreditation of its human research protection program, which encompasses the Institutional Review Board and all members of the DOH research community. Accreditation means that the Department has met or exceeded national best-practice standards for ensuring ethical conduct of research and the protection of participants in biomedical and behavioral research. |
By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, June 9, (HealthDay News) -- A sophisticated new imaging device could one day help doctors detect the devastating eye disease known as narrow-angle glaucoma earlier and more accurately, researchers report. If left undetected and untreated, narrow-angle glaucoma can lead to a sudden or acute glaucoma attack, which can result in permanent vision loss.
UNITED NATIONS - Despite a stepped up global battle againse AIDS, the numbers of people newly infected with HIV are far and away outpacing the numbers beginning antiretroviral drug treatments, U.N. officials said Monday. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, opening several days of U.N. debate on AIDS prevention, told world leaders that 2.5 million people became infected with HIV last year compared with
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter, SUNDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- A drug used to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells, may also be a treatment for the chronic autoimmune disease lupus, German researchers report. The drug, Velcade (bortezomib), which is a proteasome inhibitor, worked against the disease adn prolonged surbibal in mice with lupus. The finding could one
Staff report June 3, 2008. A new study reveals patients with liver cancer who have no other treatment options might benefir from more aggressive operations once considered too risky, report University of Florida scientists, who also published research yielding insight into ways to protect the liver during surgery. The number of Americans battling liver disease, meanwhile, is expected to
By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter SATURDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer -- which historically carries a grim prognosis -- nearly doubled their overall survival when the cancer drug Gemzar was used after surgery, new research shoes. Unfortunately, only about 15 percent of pancreatic cancer patients are even candidated for surgery.
By David Gulliver Published Monday, June 6, 2008 at 4:30 am. Last updated Monday, June 2, 2008 at 3:37 am. A pulmonologist snaked a tube through the nose and into a man's lungs. A nurse inserted a needle into a man's arm and started an intravenous drip of a medicine. A otolarynologist made a small incision in the fold behing the ear of a man with persistent hearing
MIAMI- It's not going to make the big beasts lurking in South Florida's canals seem any nicer, but new research suggests a little alligator might be good for human health. Scientists in Lousiana recently found the blood of the American alligator such a potent killer of bacteria, including some resistent to existing antibiotics, they are hoping to use it to develop new medicines. Researchers
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) today released a widely anticipated plan to improve its system for peer reveiwing grant proposals. The plan generally follows the recommendations of two advisory committees, including shortening the grant application. But NIH rejected a more radical suggestion aimed at eliminating an apparent bias toward researchers who submit their grant applications. Instead, NIH will try other ways to fund the best ideas quickly.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist paid a visit to Wall Street last week to celebrate the signing of a new law that will increase the state retirement fund's investment in high-tech industries. Under the new legislation, the Florida Retirement System will dedicate up to 1.5 percent of the system's trust fund to technology and growth investments. (Article is from the June 4, 2008 SSTI Weekly digest)
NEW YORK Scientists for the first time have used gene therapy to dramatically improve sight in people with a rare form of blindness, a development experts called a major advance. Some vision was restored in four of the six young people treated, teams of researchers in the United States and Britain reported last month. Two of the volunteers who could only see hand motions were able to read
Scientists at Scripss Florida have developed a new way to determine the effectiveness of drug candidates for such estrogen-dependent disorders as breast cancer and osteoporosis. The study is being published in this week's online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research was funded by the state, Eli Lilly Research Laboratories and the National Institutes of
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 the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, could lead to a new class of antihypertensive drugs designed
Prompt treatment of a common stomach infection reverses the damage that can lead to gastric cancer, according to tests on mice done by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The findings should put a stop to any questions about whether, and when, antibiotic treatment of Helicobacter pylori can reduce or eliminate the risk of developing
TALLAHASSEE -- State lawmakers said on Friday that they hope to bring the renowned Denver-based National Jewish Medical and Research Center to run a new tuberculosis hospital to replace A.G. Holley State Hospital in Lantana. The center is the only medical and research center in the United States that treats only patients with repiratory, immune and related diseases. U.S. News and World
Breakthroughs in understanding the extremely fine genetic underpinning of acute myeloid leukemia may allow doctors to quickly decide which existing therapies will most benefit individual patients. "This can now help the bedside physician pick a course of action" using existing drugs, said Dr. Barton Kamen, chief
Researchers have devised a rapid and efficient method for generating protein sentinels od the immune system, called monoclonal antibodies, which mark and neutralize foreign invaders. The development could potentially accelerate the traditionally challenging task of generating human antibodies, which can be used both
By implanting specialized cells found in the human eye into areas of the brain damaged by Parkinson's disease, researchers were able to reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life in people with moderate to severe Parkinson's. The new treatment, dubbed Spheramine, reduced symptoms experienced when people we
The epilepsy drug Dilantin may put young women who take it for a year or more at higher risk for osteoporosis, researchers report. The bone loss described in a paper in the April 29 issue of Neurology was actually eight times higher than that experienced by premenopausal women who did not take any drugs for epilepsy.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Scientists for the first time have used gene therapy to dramatically improve sight in people with a rare form of blindness, a development experts called a major advance for the experimental technique. Some vision was restored in four of the six young people who got the treatment, teams of researchers in the United States and Britain reported Sunday. Two of the volunteers who
African Americans 55 years od age or older could be at risk of going blind, having a heart attack or suffering an amputation if they become a victim of undetected or uncontrolled diabetes. Two scientists from the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences of the University of West Florida are investigating whether sickle cell trait
CHICAGO -- A new study has found that the Food and Drug Administration allowed human testing of experimental blood substitutes even after it was shown that they increased the risk of heart attack and death. The lead researcher in the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center study contends that rules that kept the FDA from releasing biotech company trade secrets also prevented the
Although smoking is well-established as an independent risk factor for lung cancer, two new studies suggest that two different viral infections might boost a smoker's already substantial risk for developing the disease. While the specific viruses at issue -- human papillomavirus (HPV) and measles -- may not directly cause
TAMPA -- A "dream team" of researchers from around the United States assembled by the Pediatric Cancer Foundation is days away from launching early stage clinical trials on potential drug treatments for children with sarcomas and other solid tumors. The nonprofit foundation with a staff of six and a $2 million annual operating budget is raising $5 million to fund the trials. The group has
LOS ANGELES - The number of pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes has more than doubled in seven years, a California study found, a troubling trend that means health risks for both mothers and newborns. And the number of diabetic teenagers giving birth grew fivefold during the same period, according to the study, the largest of its kind. Expectant mothers who don't control their diabetes
NEW YORK -- Scientists for the first time have used gene therapy to dramatically improve sight in people with a rare form of blindness, a development experts called a major advance for the experimental technique. Some vision was restored in four of the six young people who got the treatment, teams of researchers in the United Stated and Britain reported Sunday. Two of the volunteers who could
High levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker that may warn of impending heart disease, are tied to variations in genes that control metabolism, two new studies show. The studies identify "new genes that are of potential importance for either the treatment of cardiovascular disease or potentially screening
TALLAHASSEE -- Port St. Lucie's bid to land a biotech research firm is a step closer to fruition as the Oregon-based institute is poised to receive $15 million in state grants in the coming weeks. The Portland-based Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, a branch of the Oregon Health & Science University, has reached a tentative agreement with state economic development officials to begin
Researchers at FSU's College of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic will exchange research and data and establish joint projects in neuroscience, genomics and transitional medicine, officials announced Thursday.
Rockville, Md.-based biotech firm CytImmune is working to create gold nanoparticles that would target cancer tumors like a smart bomb using a toxic protein called tumor necrosis factor. "I'd be the happiest man in the world if they can do this," one researcher said.
Florida and Spacehab have entered into a partnership to establish a space-based biotech corridor for eventual product development in space. The deal permits Spacehab to create a link between the International Space Station and the state's facilities, including the Space Life Sciences Lab.
A federal report found that drugmakers, as of Sept. 30, had not begun 1,044 post-market drug studies that they agreed to perform. An industry official said studies can be delayed because of conversations with the agency over their design, as well as difficulty recruiting patients. An FDA spokeswoman said the agency will make sure drug firms finish the incomplete post-approval trials "in a timely manner."
By
Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, April 23 (HealthDay News) -- A
multinational team of researchers has succeeded in turning human embryonic
stem cells into three types of human heart muscle cells. When transplanted,
the cells also improved heart function in mice. The findings have a number of
implications, the most immediate of which would be to use the cells to test
drugs. "We
Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Southwest Florida has allocated $821,640 in grants to organizations in the region that serve women in breast health education, cancer screening and cancer treatment. The grants are possible from donations and the 6,000 people who participated in the Race for the Cure on March 15 at Coconut Point Mall in Estero. Grant recipients are Partners for Breast Cancer Care
Treatment with a single, commonly used chemotherapy drug causes memory problems and other cognitive difficulties, a common and unpleasant side effect called "chemo brain," a new study found. Up to 50 percent of women with breast cancer reported having cognitive problems a year after chemotherapy treatment ended
New therapies must target a key protein interaction to destroy aggressive cancer cells' protective force field, University of Florida scientists reported last week at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting in San Diego. The barrier deflects damage from radiation or chemotherapy, making some cancer cells difficult to destroy, but researchers from UF and the University of
Early diagnosis of a heart attack may now be possible using only a few drops of saliva and a new nano-bio-chip, a multi-institutional team led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin reported at a recent meeting of the American Association for Dental Research. The nano-bio-chip assay could some day be used to analyze a patient's saliva on board an ambulance, at the dentist's office
Solving a 60-year-old mystery, researchers have concluded that new flu strains emerge in eastern and southeastern Asia, move to Europe and North America six to nine months later, then travel to South America, where they disappear forever.The new findings should help researchers pick the correct flu vaccine each year.The group charged with making the decisions about vaccines has been right about 80
Florida -- the fourth most populous state in the U.S. -- ranks No. 48 in the amount of federal money it gets for disease prevention, despite the fact that it has a high rate of disease. And that could haunt business owners in the form of higher health care costs, say industry experts.
CHICAGO -- Heavy drinkers and heavy smokers develop Alzheimer's disease years earlier than people with Alzheimer's who do not drink or smoke heavily, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago. "These results are significant because it's possible that if we can reduce or eliminate heavy smoking and drinking, we co
Alcohol, consumed even in small amounts, increases the risk of breast cancer and particularly estrogen-receptor and progesterone-receptor positive breast cancer, a new study shows. The findings, expected to be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in San Diego, are
The antidepressant Prozac has been shown to restore old brain cells to their more plastic youthful condition in animal experiments, researchers report. The work not only provides a possible new explanation for the antidepressant activity of the medication but also raises the distant prospect that it could be used to treat
A nano-engineered gel that inhibits the formation of scar tissue at the site of a spinal injury and enables severed spinal cord fibers to regenerate has been developed by researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago. They noted that nerve fibers do have the ability to regrow after a spinal injury, but they're blocked by scar tissue that develops around
New research indicates that the fatty plaques that harden arteries may also harm vital organs. "Atherosclerosis is usually associated with plaque formation in arteries," said study author Rita K. Upmacis, an associate research professor in pathology and laboratory medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University
The past decade has seen remarkable progress in the fight against AIDS with many new treatments discovered and more in development. Some people in the public health community now say that AIDS could be reclassified as a chronic disease that is manageable like diabetes or hypertension. Until recently, such thoughts were unimaginable. Despite this progress in treatment, 2.5 million people will
High-intensity chemotherapy does not improve the survival rate of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a new Swiss study concludes. Testing on 140 patients in a randomized trial showed no statistically significant differences in survival rate or tumor size between groups receiving either standard or high doses of chemo over a three-year period.
Gary Puckrein, PhD, executive director of the National Minority Health Month Foundation, today praised the Congressional Black Congress (CBC) for striving to ensure the development of innovative and lifesaving drugs, a core purpose of the Hatch- Waxman Act. "I am pleased that the CBC joins us in urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to move to correct the current patent-law anomaly," said Dr. Puckrein. "The committee has the opportunity to make certain that the development of lifesaving drugs is not halted simply because of an administrative error."
U.S. scientists sequencing the genetic composition of alligator blood determined the presence of proteins that can fight 23 types of bacteria. The work may lead to the development of drugs against fatal bacteria, common infections and even HIV within a decade, the researchers said.
On the front lines he was a warrior. A U.S. Army Ranger with five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Little did Beau MacVane know he would come home to encounter his toughest battle.“To have someone tell us that your son had ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease, there's no way to explain what happened to my heart
St. Petersburg, Florida--Add another risk to hormone therapy after menopause: Benign breast lumps. One type of hormone therapy — estrogen plus progestin — already is well-known to increase the risk of breast cancer. But a major study of women able to use estrogen alone didn't find that link. Tuesday, researchers reported a new wrinkle: Those estrogen-only users doubled their chances
Omega-3 free fatty acids don't help prevent relapses in patients with Crohn's disease, concluded two studies published in the April 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. "These studies are quite definitive," said study lead author Dr. Brian Feagan, professor of medicine and director of Robarts Clinic
Transplanted neurons derived from reprogrammed adult skin cells successfully integrated into the brains of fetal mice and reduced symptoms of a Parkinson's disease-like condition in adult rats, say U.S. researchers. "This is the first demonstration that reprogrammed cells can integrate into the neural system or positively affect neurodegenerative disease," study
The FDA has unveiled a five-year program aimed at employing more safety reviewers and risk-management and medication-error experts to improve post-market drug security. The agency, which will receive nearly $30 million annually under the plan, also intends to boost its communications and technological capabilities.
Fifteen years later, scientists are still learning from a woman who risked her life to be part of a controversial experiment to treat Parkinson's disease with fetal cells implanted in her brain. The woman died last year, and an autopsy surprised scientists. The transplanted cells showed unmistakable signs of Parkinson's. That means the disease is able to spread inside the brain
NIH's Protein Structure Initiative has created a new Web portal for sharing research data on the protein structure of DNA. Biologists can use the PSI Structural Genomics Knowledgebase to learn more about a specific protein for their work in genetics, biochemistry, pharmacology, bioinformatics, clinical medicine or other research areas.
The cholesterol drug did absolutely everything it was supposed to do -- except for demonstrably improving the health of the people who took it. That was the conclusion reached about the popular drug Vytorin in a study published online last week in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results were a disappointment to the millions of patients who take Vytorin and the thousands of
Older corneas seem to transplant as well as younger ones, according to a major new study that promises to expand the age of cornea donation to 75. It might sound surprising. After all, when it comes to most types of transplants, younger organs and tissue are more coveted, and there has been controversy among corneal surgeons about using older eye tissue, too.
Scottish researchers are using IBM's Blue Gene supercomputer to run algorithms that help them study amino acid and peptide properties in an effort to design and develop HIV drugs more quickly.
The government should improve oversight of genetic testing and develop a mandatory, public registry of information on the intended use of the tests, U.S. researchers wrote in an article for the journal Science. The authors said they are concerned about misleading marketing claims that could lead patients and providers to make inappropriate treatment decisions.
U.S. scientists at Stanford University have devised a new molecular imaging technique that can magnify molecules by more than 1,000 times. Raman spectroscopy could help doctors spot and remove tiny particles of tumors during surgery, one of the study's researchers said. "This is an entirely new way of imaging living subjects, not based on anything previously used," said the lead author.
Scientists said in the Journal of the American Medical Association that since 2005, research using the genome-wide scanning approach has linked about 100 DNA variants to as many as 40 common diseases and qualities. The technique may uncover new data involving the biology of diseases and lead to new treatments or tests to pinpoint people at high risk for a disorder.
A proposal by state Sen. Mike Fosano to cut in half Florida's funding for biotech initiatives may hinder the growth of its bioscience sector, some industry officials said. The proposed legislation would require that 10% to 15% of royalties and naming rights from research groups go to the state and would provide additional oversight for institutes that got aid from groups such as the Innovation Incentive Fund grant program.
Nonprofit group Myelin Repair Foundation is preparing to present major research work to biotech firms that are already involved in multiple sclerosis, such as Eli Lilly and Co., Biogen Idec, Novartis AG and Genentech. The foundation's scientists have discovered a potential method to prevent T-cells from attacking myelin.
People who have diabetes encounter a faster loss of lung capacity than those who do not have diabetes, a finding that may have implications for the potential use of inhaled insulin, according to a study appearing in the April issue of Diabetes Care. The April issue also contains a consensus statement from the American Diabetes Association and American College of Cardiology Foundation emphasizing
What is believed to be the largest study of its kind for the genetic roots of inflammatory bowel diseases has suggested new links to Crohn's Disease, as well as further evidence that some people of Jewish descent are more likely to develop it. The study examined changes in DNA associated with the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — Crohn's Disease (CD), which is most
New findings clarify the brain mechanisms that explain many aspects of dependency on nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco. Among them: Individual differences in brain chemistry can have a profound effect on a person's susceptibility to addiction, and smoking may predispose adolescents to mental disorders in adolescence and adulthood. In addition, researchers have identified a potential neural network that regulates the body's craving response and have demonstrated how smoking may affect decision-making.
WASHINGTON Scientists have pinpointed genetic variations that make people more likely to get hooked on cigarettes and more prone to develop lung cancer -- a finding that could someday lead to screening tests and customized treatments for smokers trying to kick the habit. The discovery by three separate teams of scientists makes the strongest case so fa
CHICAGO A small study of toddlers finds that about one-quarter of babies born very prematurely had signs of autism on an early screening test. The research is preliminary since formal autism testing wasn't done. But the results are provocative, suggesting that tiny preemies may face greater risks of developing autism than previously thought. That sugg
CHICAGO - Two big studies offer good news to people with high blood pressure, finding that novel ways to use cheap drugs already on the market can lower patients' risk of heart attacks, stroke and death - even if they are very old. Both studies were stopped early so the surprising benefits could be made known. Doctors presented results Monday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Ch
Leading doctors urged a return to older, tried-and-true treatments for high cholesterol after hearing full results Sunday of a failed trial of Vytorin.Millions of Americans already take the drug or one of its components, Zetia. But doctors were stunned to learn that Vytorin failed to improve heart disease even though it worked as intended to reduce three key risk factors.''People need to turn back
Doctors increasingly perform surgery in their offices instead of at hospitals, but researchers have found a higher risk of death and complications in offices compared with other facilities -- and cosmetic procedures cause the most problems. The death of Boca Raton cheerleader Stephanie Kuleba after breast surgery at a doctor's office, and a new study of Florida office-surgery risks published t
Drug-eluting stents, the small tubing placed in diseased coronary arteries to keep them open, are more effective than bare-metal stents for heart attack patients, new research shows. In the largest study yet comparing the long-term effect of drug-eluting stents -- the drug in question retards the growth of arterial cells -- with drug-free ones, Boston research
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