Health News

Binge Drinking Raises Risk For Type 2 Diabetes Via Insulin Resistance

Date: Jan-31-2013
Binge drinking directly causes insulin resistance, which in turn leads to type 2 diabetes. This was the finding of a new study on rats, that the researchers say is the first to show binge drinking alone, separate from other factors like overeating, increases risk for type 2 diabetes. People with a history of binge drinking have a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. But until this study it was not clear how the link worked, and whether binge drinking alone raised the risk...

Mapping The Living Cell

Date: Jan-31-2013
New technique pinpoints protein locations, helping scientists figure out their functions. To get a clear picture of what's happening inside a cell, scientists need to know the locations of thousands of proteins and other molecules. MIT chemists have now developed a technique that can tag all of the proteins in a particular region of a cell, allowing them to more accurately map those proteins...

The Protein Klotho Paves The Way For Future Multiple Sclerosis Drugs

Date: Jan-31-2013
A team of researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have identified a new drug target for Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. They discovered the importance of a protein called Klotho which helps maintain healthy myelin - an insulating material allowing communication between nerve cells. As people begin to age the levels of Klotho in the brain also begin to decrease. They published their findings online in Journal of Neuroscience. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition in which the myelin inside the brain and spinal cord becomes damaged, causing demyelination...

Certain Markers For Down's Syndrome More Significant

Date: Jan-31-2013
Certain second trimester markers for Down's syndrome that are identified in an ultrasound are more significant than others. The finding came from new research published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology. The results of this investigation will help modify pregnant women's risks for having a baby with the chromosomal disorder. Every pregnant woman is asked whether she would like screening for Down's syndrome, who begin with a background risk based on how old they are...

Excessive Alcohol Use Has Lasting Effects On The Brain

Date: Jan-31-2013
The evidence is piling up, suggesting alcohol has a lasting and negative impact on the brain, according to new research published in the journal Cortex. Excessive alcohol use makes up four percent of the international burden of disease and specifically, binge drinking is becoming a more prominent health issue. Generally, disorders linked to "alcohol-related brain damage" occur as a result of chronic alcohol misuse and cause notable physical and psychological disabilities in the individual as well as the community...

Outsourcing - The Best Strategy For Clinical Trials In SEE & CIS? 18-19 April 2013, Zagreb, Croatia

Date: Jan-31-2013
"Even when a company has an established in-house team, it may make sense to outsource some activities. If the clinical team encounters an increased workload that is only short-term, then it might not make sense to hire new staff for those positions," explained Jeremy Spivey, Senior Research Analyst at Cutting Edge Information, in the summer interview for pharmaphorum. However, opinions on outsourcing often differ, with many opponents highlighting its cost...

Outsource Or Manage Internally? Pharma Logistics, 9-10 April 2013, Vienna, Austria

Date: Jan-31-2013
"The current trend in pharma logistics is the shift from blockbuster drugs. 6 out of 10 top selling drugs will lose their patents in one year, so there will be increase in the use of generic drugs," Sebastiaan Scholte, Chairman at Cool Chain Association, pointed out when speaking about the latest developments. These trends influence drug manufacturers and make them rethink their strategies. Already without medications like Lipitor and Plavix bolstering their bottom lines, manufacturers have to cut costs in order to stay competitive...

Obese Girls Have Higher Risk Of MS

Date: Jan-31-2013
Although a rare condition, multiple sclerosis (MS) appears to be more common among overweight and obese girls, to the point where extremely obese girls have nearly four times the risk of developing the neurological disease, or its precursor clinically isolated syndrome (CIS).  This was the finding of a new study whose authors urge parents to consult a doctor should their obese children develop symptoms like numbness and tingling...

World Generic Medicines Congress, 26 Feb - 1 March 2013, London, UK

Date: Jan-31-2013
The benefits of generic medicines are well celebrated and provide improved patient access to affordable effective treatments. The demand will remain strong with escalating healthcare costs but in this crowded, rapidly changing market it is critical to adopt the right strategy, overcome barriers to entry and stay ahead of the game. Generic and biosimilar manufacturers face a vast array of challenges and hurdles that they must navigate to really achieve strategic, operational and commercial excellence...

Exposure To Antiepileptic Drug In Womb Linked To Autism Risk

Date: Jan-31-2013
Increases risk of other neurodevelopmental disorders too when taken separately or with other drugs Children whose mothers take the antiepileptic drug sodium valproate while pregnant are at significantly increased risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, suggests a small study published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. The authors base their findings on children born to 528 pregnant women between 2000 and 2004 in the North West of England...