Health News

Study examines amyloid deposition in patients with traumatic brain injury

Date: Nov-12-2013
Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) had increased deposits of β-Amyloid (Aβ) plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer Disease (AD), in some areas of their brains in a study by Young T. Hong, Ph.D., of the University of Cambridge, England, and colleagues.  There may be epidemiological or pathophysiological (changes because of injury) links between TBI and AD, and Aβ plaques are found in as many as 30 percent of patients who die in the acute phase after a TBI. The plaques appear within hours of the injury and can occur in patients of all ages, according to the study background...

Multi-site study further demonstrate efficacy and quality of life benefits for prostate cancer patients treated with Accuray's Cyberknife® System

Date: Nov-12-2013
Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), has announced the publication of two papers stemming from a large multi-center study of CyberKnife® stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) led by investigators at the University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA). The first paper, published in the September 2013 online issue of Radiotherapy & Oncology (commonly referred to as the Green Journal), found, in more than one thousand patients with organ-confined prostate cancer, relapse-free survival rates were comparable to other established treatments at both three- and five-year intervals post-treatment...

ZS Pharma announces positive top-line results of Phase 3 trial of ZS-9 in patients with hyperkalemia

Date: Nov-12-2013
ZS Pharma, a specialty pharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for kidney, cardiovascular and liver disorders, today announced top-line results from the Acute Phase of its pivotal Phase 3 ZS-003 trial of ZS-9, a novel, investigational treatment for hyperkalemia. Preliminary top-line analyses of the safety and efficacy results of the Acute Phase showed that the trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a rapid, statistically significant reduction in serum potassium (K+) over the initial 48 hours...

Obese older women at higher risk for death, disease, disability before age 85

Date: Nov-12-2013
Obesity and a bigger waist size in older women are associated with a higher risk of death, major chronic disease and mobility disability before the age of 85, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.  The number of women ages 85 years and older in the United States is on the rise with 11.6 million women projected to reach 85 by 2050. Obesity is also on the rise, and obesity is a risk factor for diseases that are prevalent in older women, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers, the authors write in the study background...

FDA approves first generic versions of Aciphex delayed-release tablets to treat GERD

Date: Nov-12-2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic versions of Aciphex (rabeprazole sodium) delayed-release tablets, used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in adults and adolescents (ages 12 and up).  GERD, also called acid reflux or acid regurgitation, is a common condition in which backward flow of acid from the stomach causes heartburn and possible injury to the esophagus (the tube that connects the throat and stomach).  Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Kremers Urban Pharmaceuticals Inc., Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc., Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc...

Simple blood test for sub-type specific lung cancer diagnosis

Date: Nov-12-2013
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer specific death worldwide. 85% lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) while remaining are small cell lung cancers (SCLC). Although X-Ray and CT scan remain the main non-invasive diagnosis strategy, the painful lung tissue biopsy is essential for confirmation and staging of the disease...

FDA takes action to speed safety information updates on generic drugs

Date: Nov-12-2013
A proposed U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule would speed the dissemination of new safety information about generic drugs to health professionals and patients by allowing generic drug makers to use the same process as brand drug manufacturers to update safety information in the product labeling.  Under the proposal, generic drug manufacturers would be able to independently update product labeling (also called prescribing information or package inserts) with newly-acquired safety information before the FDA's review of the change, in the same way brand drug manufacturers do today...

Study finds new explanation for resistance to breast cancer treatment

Date: Nov-12-2013
Breast cancers that initially respond to hormone therapies such as tamoxifen eventually become resistant to treatment, and a new study finds this may be because of a mutation in the receptor present in the cancer cell to which tamoxifen binds, according to data published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. "Virtually all patients with metastatic breast cancer who initially respond to endocrine [hormone] treatments eventually develop resistance to these treatments," said Ido Wolf, M.D...

USPlabs LLC recalls OxyElite Pro dietary supplements; products linked to liver illnesses

Date: Nov-12-2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that USPlabs LLC, of Dallas, Texas, is recalling certain OxyElite Pro dietary supplement products that the company markets. The company took this action after receiving a letter from the FDA stating that the products have been linked to liver illnesses and that there is a reasonable probability that the products are adulterated...

Use of calcium-channel blocker and antibiotic associated with small increased risk of kidney injury

Date: Nov-12-2013
Among older adults taking a calcium-channel blocker, simultaneous use of the antibiotic clarithromycin, compared with azithromycin, was associated with a small but statistically significant greater 30-day risk of hospitalization with acute kidney injury, according to a study published by JAMA. The study is being published early online to coincide with its presentation at the American Society of Nephrology's Kidney Week 2013.  The commonly used antibiotics clarithromycin and erythromycin are clinically important inhibitors of the enzyme CYP3A4, while azithromycin is much less so...