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Research News

Beyond Patches and Pills: The Remarkable Future of Drug Delivery
In less than 20 years, the field of drug delivery has gone from a fledgling pharmaceutical art to a $20 billion global industry.
(American Chemical Society, via EurekAlert 11/27/2002)

OLA, MDI, PEG: The Latest Words in Drug Delivery
Innovative formulations and inhalation delivery systems expand the range of molecules that can become drugs.
(Drug Discovery & Development 11/22/2002)

Macrolides Exhibit Immunomodulatory Effects Valuable in the Treatment of Chronic Lung Diseases
Macrolide antibiotics have been shown to have immunomodulatory effects that make them candidates for the therapy of chronic inflammatory airway diseases.
(Drug & Market Development 11/21/2002)
 

Interferon Treatment Causes Major Depression in Many Hepatitis C Patients
Researchers have found that many people develop major depression while taking interferon, the most effective drug against the life-threatening liver disease hepatitis C.
(U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, via EurekAlert 11/21/2002)
 

New Buzz on Coffee: It's Not the Caffeine That Raises Blood Pressure
Results of a study suggest that some unknown ingredient or ingredients in coffee -- not caffeine -- is responsible for cardiovascular activation.
(American Heart Association 11/20/2002)

Researchers Use Computational Methods to Predict Drug Side Effects
Researchers tested the ability of a common computational method known as a drug-docking program to successfully predict drug-receptor side interactions.
(University of Iowa 11/05/2002)

Cannabis Drugs Pass Testing "Milestone"
Cannabis-based drugs could be prescribed in the UK as early as 2003, following successful final-stage trials in patients with multiple sclerosis.
(New Scientist 11/05/2002)

Pharmacotherapies for Cocaine Addiction
Solutions to two market barriers for development of cocaine pharmacotherapeutics are presented.
(Drug & Market Development 11/04/2002)

Thalidomide Drugs Attack Cancer
New drugs based on Thalidomide are showing great promise as potent anti-cancer medications.
(BBC 10/30/2002)
 

New Type of Antiobiotic Tackles Hard-to-Treat Pediatric Infections
Linezolid, a new type of antibiotic, is well-tolerated and as effective as the most common antibiotic, vancomycin, in treating infants and children with known or suspected gram-positive infections.
(Baylor College of Medicine, via EurekAlert 10/29/2002)

Frequent Use of Paracetamol in Late Pregnancy May Double Risk of Wheezing in Young Children
Frequent use of the painkiller paracetamol (acetaminophen) after 20 weeks of pregnancy may increase the risk of the babies wheezing as young children.
(British Medical Association, via AlphaGalileo 10/29/2002)

Phenotype Database Opens for Business
Point-of-care use could be in 5 to 10 years. (one-time, free registration required)
(The Scientist 10/24/2002)
 

Chemists Identify Compound That Inhibits Cell Migration
A high-throughput assay has led to discovery of a small organic compound that shows the unusual ability to inhibit cell migration.
(University of Illinois at Chicago 10/23/2002)

Peptide Drugs Are on the Comeback Trail
Latest advances in pharmacokinetics and automated peptide synthesis improve delivery of fragile proteins.
(Drug Discovery & Development 10/23/2002)

Osteoporosis Medication's Effects on Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Problems
Researchers report that patients taking a common osteoporosis medication (bisphosphonate) showed no increase in upper gastrointestinal tract problems compared with groups taking placebos.
(Mayo Clinic 10/21/2002)

Steep Increase in Antidepressant Use
Researchers examine rise in expenditures on pharmacotherapy for depression.
(University of Toronto 10/17/2002)

Study Finds Increased Risk of Liver Injury With Some TB Medications
A newly recommended treatment for latent tuberculosis infection can cause liver injury, and therefore needs to be used with great caution and frequent monitoring.
(University of California, San Francisco, via EurekAlert 10/14/2002)

Lemon Juice "Is HIV-Killing Spermicide"
Laboratory tests show that lemon juice is a potent destroyer of both HIV and sperm.
(New Scientist 10/14/2002)

Rainforest May Hold Key to New Drugs
The Biozulua database, will be an electronic library of the jungle plants used by ethnic communities to cure people for centuries.
(BBC 10/10/2002)

Abortion Pill May Treat Depression
A controversial abortion pill may have a use as an anti-depressant, say researchers in the United States and France. The pill, known as RU486 or mifepristone, is available in both countries.
(BBC 10/09/2002)

Researcher Discovers Target for New Anxiety-Reducing Drugs
Researchers found that absence of a certain enzyme greatly reduces both anxiety and stress in the animals when compared to normal mice.
(Oregon Health & Science University 10/07/2002)

Innovations in Formulating Are Essential to Pharmaceutical Products
There is an explosion of research aimed at creating methods of formulation and new excipients.
(Drug & Market Development 10/07/2002)

Aspirin Does Not Reduce Effectiveness of ACE Inhibitors
The efficacy of ACE inhibitors was not found to be altered (either positively or negatively) among patients who were also receiving aspirin.
(The Lancet, via AlphaGalileo 10/07/2002)

Diabetes Drugs of the Future
Common blood-pressure drugs that help prevent the life-threatening complications of diabetes may do so by slowing the accelerated aging from which diabetics suffer.
(New Scientist, via AlphaGalileo 10/07/2002)

"Virtual Stomach" Reveals Pill's Path
Mechanical engineers, working with medical and pharmaceutical researchers, have developed the first computer-generated "virtual stomach" to follow the path of extended-release tablets.
(Pennsylvania State University, via EurekAlert 10/04/2002)

Researchers Successfully Deliver Drugs to the Primate Brainstem
Researchers used a technique called convection-enhanced delivery (CED) to deliver a tracer molecule to the primate brainstem.
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 10/03/2002)

In Style, but... Out of Reach, Pt. 2
Pharmacogenomics promises savings to pharmaceutical companies, but it tests the industry's current cost structures. (one-time, free registration required)
(The Scientist 10/02/2002)

Blood Pressure Drugs "Slow Aging"
Common blood-pressure drugs that help prevent the life-threatening complications of diabetes may do so by slowing the accelerated aging from which diabetics suffer.
(New Scientist 10/02/2002)

Cipro, Related Antibiotics Over-Prescribed, Fueling Microbe Resistance
A new study heightens concerns that Cipro and related broad-spectrum antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones are being over-prescribed, accelerating bacterial resistance to the drugs and reducing their ability to treat infections.
(University of California, San Francisco, via EurekAlert 09/30/2002)

Lorenzo's Oil Finally Proven to Work
The controversial do-it-yourself medicine that inspired the heart-rending movie Lorenzo's Oil has finally been proved to work.
(New Scientist 09/26/2002)

"Futile" Cycle Both Fights Diabetes and Causes Weight Gain
If obesity is the leading cause of type II diabetes, then why do thiazolidinediones (TZDs), the only available drugs that treats this form of diabetes, actually cause more weight gain?
(University of Pennsylvania, via EurekAlert 09/23/2002)

New Drug May Help Recovering Cocaine Addicts
A new drug called Nocaine may help cocaine addicts withdraw from their habit in much the same way that methadone helps heroin addicts withdraw.
(Georgetown University, via EurekAlert 09/19/2002)

Professor Discovers Enzyme Inhibited by Acetaminophen
A new study has discovered what could be the enzyme acetaminophen attacks to relieve pain.
(Brigham Young University 09/17/2002)

Yeast Research Targets Drug Resistance Battle
Evolution of a much-maligned yeast shows that drug resistance is a predictable outcome of exposure to drugs.
(University of Toronto 09/17/2002)

Targeted Therapies
Will gene screens usher in personalized medicine?
(Science News Online 09/16/2002)

Study Sheds Light on Cause of an AIDS Treatment Side Effect
Researchers report that protease inhibitors, a component of HAART, can lead to mitochondrial toxicity.
(National Cancer Institute, via EurekAlert 09/12/2002)