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August Health Reform Forecast: High Probability Of Hot Debate, Crowded Airwaves
"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to unite her divided caucus around a common enemy - the health insurance industry - previewing an August recess line of attack by Democrats trying to maintain momentum on health care reform," Politico reports. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday, "They are the villains in this. They have been part of the problem in a major way. They are doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening, and the public has to know" (Thrush, 7/31).

Array BioPharma Advances Its Lead MEK Inhibitor Into Cancer
Array BioPharma Inc. (NASDAQ: ARRY) announced the filing of an investigational new drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in cancer patients with its most advanced wholly owned MEK inhibitor, ARRY-162. Recent research confirms that the MEK pathway acts as a central axis in the proliferation of different tumors including melanoma, non-small cell lung, head/neck and pancreatic cancers. Array plans to simultaneously develop ARRY-162 for the treatment of both cancer and inflammatory disease. Array is currently completing a worldwide Phase 2, double-blinded clinical trial with ARRY-162 in 200 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.
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Preventing Spread Of Infectious Diseases Is Everyone's Responsibility
According to a report published recently, we must all share responsibility for preventing the spread of diseases such as swine flu, SARS, avian influenza, diarrhoeal and skin diseases, and even the common cold.
Diagnostics

CHMP Recommends Expanded Use Of ISENTRESS(R) (Raltegravir), From MSD, In Adult Patients With HIV-1 Infection

Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommending expanded marketing authorisation for "Isentress" (raltegravir) in combination with other antiretroviral (ARV) medicinal products for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in all appropriate adult patients, including patients starting HIV therapy for the first time (treatment-naç¯ve), as well as treatment-experienced patients. The positive opinion will be reviewed by the European Commission, which grants marketing authorisation to the 27 countries that are members of the European Union (EU), as well as Iceland and Norway. Raltegravir, the first and only approved integrase inhibitor, is currently approved in more than 80 countries across six continents for use in combination with other ARV agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-experienced adult patients with evidence of HIV-1 replication despite ongoing ARV therapy1. If marketing authorisation is granted by the European Commission, the drug will be approved for use both in treatment-naç¯ve and treatment-experienced patients. About Raltegravir Raltegravir works by inhibiting the insertion of HIV-1 DNA into human DNA by the integrase enzyme and has demonstrated rapid antiviral activity2. Inhibiting integrase from performing this essential function limits the ability of the virus to replicate and infect new cells2. There are drugs in use that inhibit two other enzymes critical to the HIV-1 replication process - protease and reverse transcriptase - but raltegravir is the only drug approved that inhibits the integrase enzyme3. Raltegravir is a single 400 mg tablet taken twice daily without regard to food. Raltegravir does not require boosting with ritonavir1. References 1. Summary of Product Characteristics 2. Grinsztejn B, Nguyen BY, Katlama C, et al. Safety and Efficacy of the HIV-1 Integrase Inhibitor Raltegravir (MK-0518) in Treatment-Experienced Patients with Multidrug-Resistant Virus: A Phase II Randomised Controlled Trial. The Lancet 2007; 369:1261-1269. 3. Hazuda DJ, Felock P, Witmer M, et al. Inhibitors of strand transfer that prevent integration and inhibit HIV-1 replication in cells. Science 2000; 287:646-50. Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited


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