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SANE Launches Website For Teens In Families Affected By Mental Illness, Australia
SANE Australia launches a new website - itsallright.org - to support the half a million Australian teenagers affected by mental illness in their family.

GTCbio Announces Its 4th Annual Assay Development And Screening Technologies Conference Taking Place On June 8-9, 2009 In San Francisco
GTCbio Announces 4th Annual Assay Development and Screening Conference taking place June 8-9, 2009. As compounds derived from high throughput screening increasingly find their way into clinical trials, drug screening has become widely accepted as a critical step in the drug discovery process. After more than a decade of rapid growth, tremendous progress has been made in assay technology, laboratory automation, and informatics. These technological developments have not only facilitated a drastic increase in throughput and efficiency in drug screening, but have also provided novel solutions in other areas of drug discovery and development. As screening has also become prominent in biological research, screening facilities have become increasingly popular in academic institutions.
News of the day
New York City Labor Unions Agree To Reductions In Health Benefits
"Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and city labor officials announced a tentative agreement Tuesday to amend health benefits for more than 550,000 current and retired city employees, guaranteeing the city $400 million in savings over the next two fiscal years," The New York Times reports. The arrangement imposes "$50 to $100 co-payments for about one-fifth of current and retired city employees, and eliminates coverage for preventive dental care at certain offices." The paper adds, "For most other city employees, the plan would restrict certain hospital, ambulatory and hemodialysis coverage to network providers and would implement several other administrative cost-saving measures." The agreement requires union approval.
Diagnostics

Orexo Announces Positive Phase III Results For KW-2246 In Japan

Orexo"s (STO:ORX) partner in Japan, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, has obtained positive phase III results in Japan for KW-2246, which is approved for the treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients and marketed under the brand AbstralTM in Europe. Kyowa Hakko Kirin will now proceed with preparations for a new-drug application for KW-2246 in Japan for use in continuous pain management of acute cancer pain (breakthrough pain). Orexo announces that Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Orexo"s partner in Japan, today confirms that it has obtained positive clinical phase III results for KW-2246 in Japan. The clinical study results revealed a statistically significant difference between KW-2246 and the placebo, and clinical effectiveness was confirmed. In addition, with regard to safety, no unacceptable side effects were found during the clinical study period. Kyowa Hakko Kirin will now proceed with the preparations for a new-drug application for KW-2246 in Japan. According to the market research institute Datamonitor, the Japanese market for opioids is one of the largest markets in the world (Datamonitor 2008, Commercial and Pipeline Insight: Opioids). Torbjç¶rn Bjerke, President and CEO of Orexo, comments: "The positive phase III results in Japan are an important milestone for our successful collaboration with Kyowa Hakko Kirin. This marks another important step in the international development of AbstralTM and strengthening Orexo in the process of becoming a profitable pharmaceutical company". Trial design The clinical study was conducted using a crossover design involving a double-blind placebo-controlled trial, targeting patients to whom an opioid analgesic was administered at fixed intervals for intermediate to severe cancer pain and who use a morphine preparation for breakthrough pain, and a non-blind controlled trial with a morphine preparation. About Abstral Abstral is a fast-dissolving tablet for sub-lingual administration of fentanyl, intended for the management of breakthrough cancer pain in patients who are already receiving opioid analgesics. It is based on Orexo"s unique and patented sublingual tablet technology in which a rapidly dissolving tablet is placed under the tongue and the active substance is absorbed by the mucous membrane. Currently Abstral is sold in Sweden, UK and Germany and is ready for launch in France. In Sweden, Abstral is sold through Orexo"s and ProStrakan"s joint venture, ProStrakan AB. The product is being prepared for registration in Japan and in the US the clinical phase III is finalized. License agreements have been signed with Kyowa Hakko Kirin for Japan and with ProStrakan for EU and the US. Distribution agreements regarding Abstral for Russia and the CIS, Bulgaria and Rumania have been signed with Gedeon Richter. A distribution agreement has been signed with Hospira for the Southeast Asian market. For the Chinese market, Orexo has signed a distribution agreement with NovaMed, and for the Israeli market Orexo has signed a distribution agreement with Neopharm. About Kyowa Hakko Kirin Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. is engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of medical products and pharmaceuticals. As the parent company of the Kyowa Hakko Kirin Group, it manages the business activities in the Bio-Chemicals and Chemicals segments with the Pharmaceuticals segment as its core business. More information can be found at http://www.kyowa-kirin.co.jp/english/index.html. Orexo


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