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Cancer safety fears of most common heartburn treatment rejected

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 10 (ANI): The largest ever study on ‘Proton pump inhibitors’ (PPI)-the second most prescribed group of drugs for heartburn-has dismissed all fears about the cancer causing effects of the treatment.

PPI are the most commonly used treatment for chronic acid reflux, or ‘heartburn’, a painful burning sensation in the chest, neck and throat which is experienced by almost a third of people in developed countries.

Regular and prolonged heartburn is known to cause ‘benign oesophagitis’, a reversible inflammation of the gullet.

However if left untreated a condition called Barrett’s Oesophagus (BE) occurs in around 10 per cent of sufferers, which can in turn develop into a potentially fatal cancer called oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

While PPIs had an excellent safety record, it was unclear if long-term use of these drugs to reduce the discomfort of heartburn could increase the risk of developing either BE or the spread of the associated cancer.

But, the new research carried out at Queen Mary, University of London and Leicester Royal Infirmary, has given the most conclusive evidence yet that this is not the case.

Professor Janusz Jankowski, who co-authored the study, said: “This is one of the most detailed studies investigating both the laboratory and clinical side of proton pump inhibitor drugs. As a consequence we are now better able to inform patients of the good benefit/risk ratio of this commonly prescribed therapy.”

Tests carried out during the two-year study looked at tissue sampled from the oesophagus lining of ninety volunteers, each of whom were given PPI drugs at either a high or low dosage.

Researchers found that there was no difference in the rate at which BE developed, neither was there a change in the number of precancerous cells in either group.

Despite fears about how the treatments might affect people already suffering from BE, the study showed that there was no evidence that this led to any worsening of the condition or any extra incidences of cancer.

PPIs work by blocking the action of gastrin, a hormone that controls acid levels in the stomach, and is known to increase the normal movement of cells in the gastro-intestinal tract.

Since PPI therapy increases the levels of gastrin in the body, it had been thought this could cause expansion of BE affected tissue, but this was not found to be the case.

In fact, the scientists observed neither expansion nor contraction of the abnormal tissue.

The study has been published in the peer reviewed journal Gut. (ANI)

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MJ’s death was homicide, concludes coroner

August 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, August 25 (ANI): The Los Angeles County coroner has reportedly concluded Michael Jackson’s death was homicide.

The King of Pop, who was allegedly being treated for insomnia, had lethal levels of the strong anaesthetic Propofol in his body when he died, according to court papers.

Details of the coroners’ findings were revealed when a search warrant affidavit was made public in Texas, reports the Sun.

Investigators have quizzed the team of doctors who treated Jackson, including his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, who, though not named as a suspect, is at the centre of a manslaughter probe.

A search warrant affidavit for Murray in California read: “The Los Angeles Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, Dr Sathyavagiswaran, indicated that he had reviewed the preliminary toxicology results and his preliminary assessment of Jackson’s cause of death was due to lethal levels of propofol (diprivan).”

The affidavit apparently revealed that Murray told LAPD detectives he had been giving the singer propofol as part of his treatment for insomnia, and feared the star was becoming addicted to the drug.

But Murray, who has denied any wrong doing, reportedly gave Jackson a lower dosage of propofol on the morning of his death after several other drugs failed to work.

Jackson died aged 50 from an apparent cardiac arrest at his rented LA mansion on June 25. (ANI)

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Online prescription drug purchase may endanger your health, warns expert

July 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 12 (ANI): An expert at The University of Texas at Austin warns that prescription drugs’ purchase via the Internet, though more convenient, may endanger the buyer’s health.

“There’s a big problem with rogue Web sites,” says Dr. Marv Shepherd, the Klinck Centennial Professor in the College of Pharmacy and director of the Center for Pharmoeconomic Studies at the university.

“It’s very difficult to determine whether a Web site represents an authentic pharmacy or a counterfeit drug pharmacy. You can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys,” adds Shepherd, whose research and expertise on drug importation and drug counterfeiting has been featured on CNN, NPR and in Newsweek, Time, U.S. News and World Report, the New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today, among others.

Shepherd reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) surveyed Canadian pharmacy Web sites, and found 11,000 Web sites claiming to be Canadian sites selling pharmaceuticals.

However, according to the researcher, closer analysis revealed that only 214 pharmacies in Canada sell pharmaceuticals over the Web.

As regards the other 10,000-plus sites, he said that they included website in Pakistan, Southeast Asia, Mexico and even Washington State.

He warned that consumer ordering pharmaceuticals from them might receive counterfeit drugs with incorrect dosage, false labeling, no pharmaceutical benefit or worse.

“For many counterfeit products, it is difficult to distinguish the genuine product from the counterfeit product without a forensic test. They may have the brand name on them, but they aren’t the brand name product,” Shepherd says.

He says that people can avoid the risk by confirming if a pharmacy is licensed in the state, by checking the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) for links to their state board.

He says that people can also look for the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites seal on the site. By clicking on the seal, he adds, a visitor is linked to a site where information about the pharmacy is maintained by the NABP. (ANI)

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‘Nano-sized assassins’ for bacterial infections in implant patients created

June 27, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, June 27 (ANI): Researchers have created what they call ‘nano-sized assassins’ to kill bacteria responsible for infections in implant patients.

From catheters to prosthetics, the bacteria called Staphylococcus epidermidis are known to hitch a ride on a range of medical devices implanted into patients.

According to researchers, iron-oxide nanoparticles have been shown to eliminate a bacterial infection on an implanted prosthetic device.

Inside the body, the bacteria multiply on the implant’s surface and then build a slimy, protective film to shield the colony from antibiotics.

Webster and Brown graduate student Erik Taylor have created a nano-sized headhunter that zeroes in on the implant, penetrates S. epidermidis’s defensive wall and kills the bacteria.

The study showed that 28 percent of the bacteria on an implant had been eliminated after 48 hours by injecting 10 micrograms of the nanoparticle agents.

The same dosage repeated three times over six days destroyed essentially all the bacteria.

The tests show “there will be a continual killing of the bacteria until the film is gone,” said Webster, who is editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal in which the paper appears.

The finding is published in the International Journal of Nanomedicine. (ANI)

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NASA ‘nano satellite’ to study how effectively drugs work in space

May 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, April 29 (ANI): NASA is preparing to fly a nano satellite about the size of a loaf of bread that could help scientists better understand how effectively drugs work in space.

The nanosatellite, known as PharmaSat, is a secondary payload aboard a U.S. Air Force four-stage Minotaur 1 rocket planned for launch the evening of May 5.

PharmaSat weighs approximately 10 pounds.

It contains a controlled environment micro-laboratory packed with sensors and optical systems that can detect the growth, density and health of yeast cells and transmit that data to scientists for analysis on Earth.

PharmaSat also will monitor the levels of pressure, temperature and acceleration the yeast and the satellite experience while circling Earth at 17,000 miles per hour.

Scientists will study how the yeast responds during and after an antifungal treatment is administered at three distinct dosage levels to learn more about drug action in space, the satellite’s primary goal.

“Secondary payload nanosatellites expand the number of opportunities available to conduct research in microgravity by providing an alternative to the International Space Station or space shuttle conducted investigations,” said Elwood Agasid, PharmaSat project manager at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.

“The PharmaSat spacecraft builds upon the GeneSat-1 legacy with enhanced monitoring and measurement capabilities, which will enable more extensive scientific investigation,” he added.

After PharmaSat separates from the Minotaur 1 rocket and successfully enters low Earth orbit at approximately 285 miles above Earth, it will activate and begin transmitting radio signals to two ground control stations.

When NASA spaceflight engineers make contact with PharmaSat, which could happen as soon as one hour after launch, the satellite will receive a command to initiate its experiment, which will last 96 hours.

Once the experiment begins, PharmaSat will relay data in near real-time to mission managers, engineers and project scientists for further analysis.

The nanosatellite could transmit data for as long as six months.

“PharmaSat is an important experiment that will yield new information about the susceptibility of microbes to antibiotics in the space environment,” said David Niesel, PharmaSat’s co-investigator from the University of Texas Medical Branch Department of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology in Galveston.

“It also will prove that biological experiments can be conducted on sophisticated autonomous nanosatellites,” he added. (ANI)

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Patna zoo animals sheltered from heat wave

April 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Patna, Apr 25 (ANI): Zoo officials in Patna made special arrangements to protect the animals under their care from the rising mercury.

The onset of summer this year has witnessed temperatures soaring beyond the normal figures.

Thus the zoo authorities are taking a number of steps to safeguard animals from the heat.

Shades made from straws are being placed over cages of animals and these are periodically kept cool by spraying water.

Coolers have been placed in enclosures of felines like the tigers, lions and leopards and arrangements for shower have been set up in many other cages.

Further, so as to avoid dehydration among the animals, ample dosage of glucose and other apt medicines are being administered under the veterinarian’s supervision.

“We have placed coolers in the zoo. We are also providing glucose in drinking water so that heat wave doesn’t bother the animals. We are giving a medicine called Gluline. Water is being sprayed on animals. Shower is being provided to bears. Whenever bears feel heat, they take a bath under the shower,” said Subhash Chandra Verma, Deputy Director, Patna Zoo.

No wonder, the tigers are enjoying in the tiny pond full of water, swimming to beat the heat.

On their part, almost all the visitors at the zoo have appreciated the efforts of the zoo administration in the cause of the animals. By Ajay Kumar (ANI)

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New test can help assess efficacy of Alzheimer’s drugs

April 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 10 (ANI): Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a new test that can assess whether an Alzheimer’s drug could really reduce the production of amyloid beta (A-beta)- one of the possible underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

With the test, called stable isotope-linked kinetics (SILK), the researchers showed that an Alzheimer’s drug given to healthy volunteers reduced A-beta production

The test could speed up the development of new treatments for the disease.

In the clinical trials by Eli Lilly and Company, the scientists are studying the drug candidate, LY450139, which is also known as semagacestat.

Ongoing clinical trials are studying the effect that semagacestat may have on cognitive function and biochemical and brain imaging biomarkers in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers said that they wanted to see if SILK could detect the drug’s impact on A-beta synthesis in healthy volunteers.

“Bringing an Alzheimer’s disease drug into clinical trials from tests in animal models has always been challenging. We haven’t had a way to quickly and accurately assess a drug’s effects, and that meant there always had to be some degree of educated guesswork when it came to setting the optimal dosage for humans. SILK may help to eliminate much of that guesswork,” said study director Randall Bateman.

The researchers are currently using SILK to know if increased A-beta production, reduced clearance or a combination of the two lead to the A-beta buildup in the brain- a process believed to trigger Alzheimer’s disease.

Until SILK, there has not been a way to directly measure the production or clearance of A-beta.

Scientists have assessed the efficacy of potential new Alzheimer’s drug candidates by monitoring the cognitive functions of patients with the disease for extended periods of time, which require large, lengthy and expensive studies.

In the new study, the scientists reported a dose-dependent drop in A-beta production, and measured an 84 percent reduction in A-beta production with the highest study drug dose.

The SILK procedure takes 36 hours, but provides scientists a more detailed assessment of amyloid beta production and clearance levels than they can obtain through conventional methods.

“You could use a spinal tap to look directly at the amount of A-beta present in the cerebrospinal fluid, but we’ve shown that natural processes cause A-beta levels to change dynamically. Such changes make it more difficult to assess the effects of a drug in that fashion,” said Bateman.

The results have been published in Annals of Neurology. (ANI)

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High-dosage brachytherapy shows promising results in head and neck tumours’ treatment

March 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 29 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Navarra Hospital say that high-dosage perioperative brachytherapy can prove very useful in the treatment of head and neck tumours, and for reducing the period of radiation.

Brachytherapy is a radiotherapy treatment involving the placing of radioactive sources within the tumour or nearby.

The scientists say that their work describes the application of this new radiotherapy technique to 40 patients between 2000 and 2006.

A research article on the study suggests that it was the greatest number of patients treated with high-dosage brachytherapy for head and neck tumours in world medical literature.

The results suggest that after a seven-year follow-up, the illness was controlled in 86 per cent of the cases, and that the percentage of survival was 52 per cent.

The researchers revealed that their study concentrated on the treatment of tumours in the oral cavity, those affecting the tongue and the floor of the mouth, and those in the oropharyngeal region, such as tumours of the tonsils.

Doctor Rafael Martínez-Monge, Director of the Radiotherapy Department, revealed that the team analysed the application of brachytherapy as complementary post-surgery treatment.

Some cases of head and neck tumours require the application of radiotherapy after the surgical operation.

The researchers say that using this technique, they could intensify the radiation dosage with the goal of reducing relapse rates.

According to them, brachytherapy provides better end-result possibilities than conventional radiotherapy, as it enables the administration of doses that would not be easily achieved using other techniques due to toxic effects.

Given that the use in brachytherapy of high dosages involves a series of benefits for the patient as regards the overall treatment, Doctor Martínez-Monge points out that the great advantage is the reduction of total time.

While conventional radiotherapy treatment lasted seven weeks, administering part of the radiation through brachytherapy can take two weeks less.

The researchers say that this technique also manages to reduce the time of radiation compared to treatment with low dosage brachytherapy, thanks to the existence of new sources of radiation that help release the treatment in a matter of minutes.

The University of Navarra Hospital says that there are a number of studies under way on its use in gynaecological tumours and sarcomas, amongst others.

The current study has been published in Brachytherapy, official journal of the American Society of Brachytherapy. (ANI)

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Cumulative lead exposure may impair women’s cognition in later years

March 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, March 29 (ANI): Cumulative exposure to lead at levels likely to be experienced in community settings may have adverse consequences for women’s cognition in their later years, according to a study.

The study, supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, was conducted with a view to examine biomarkers of lead exposure in relation to performance on cognitive tests given to older women.

Lead exposure is measured in two ways-blood lead level, which is a reading of recent lead dosage; and bone lead level, which is a cumulative measure of lead exposure over many years.

The current study involved the assessment of bone lead levels in the tibia and the patella.

The researchers said that the analysis of all cognitive tests combined showed that levels of all three lead biomarkers were associated with worse cognitive performance, with the association between bone lead and letter fluency scoring dramatically different from the other bone lead/cognitive score associations.

They said that even though the levels of patella and blood lead were linked with worse cognitive function, their findings were statistically significant only for tibia lead, which typically reflects longer-ago exposures than patella lead.

Based on their observations, the researchers came to the conclusion that lead exposures in the distant past might be more important than relatively recent exposures in influencing cognitive function in older women.

“The identification of modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline may provide important clues for delaying or even preventing dementia,” wrote first author Jennifer Weuve and colleagues.

The study has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

The journal’s editor-in-chief, Dr. Hugh A. Tilson, said: “Findings in this study are important because of their long-range consequences on the public health of an aging generation. Impaired cognition and cognitive decline in older women are associated with heightened risks of dementia, physical disability, hospitalisation and reduced quality of life in later years.” (ANI)

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Vitamin D linked to reduced fracture risk in elderly

March 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 24 (ANI): Older adults can prevent fractures by taking oral vitamin D supplements at a dose of at least 400 international units per day, says a new study.

“The anti-fracture benefits of vitamin D have been questioned by several recent trials, leading to uncertainty among patients and physicians regarding recommendations for vitamin D supplementation,” the authors write as background information in the article.

“Factors that may obscure a benefit of vitamin D are low adherence to treatment, low dose of vitamin D or the use of less potent ergocalciferol (vitamin D2),” they added.

To reach the conclusion, Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, Dr.P.H., of the University of Zurich, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland, and colleagues performed a meta-analysis on 12 previously published clinical trials of oral vitamin D supplements among adults age 65 or older.

These double-blind randomized controlled trials involved 42,279 participants (average age 78) and looked at non-vertebral (non-spinal) fractures, including eight trials of 40,886 participants specifically studying hip fractures.

When the results of the trials were pooled, vitamin D supplements decreased the risk of non-vertebral fractures by 14 percent and of hip fractures by 9 percent. The authors then pooled the results of only the nine trials in which participants received doses of more than 400 international units per day.

At this dosage, vitamin D supplements reduced non-vertebral fractures by 20 percent and hip fractures by 18 percent. Doses of 400 international units per day or lower did not reduce the risk of either fracture type.

A greater reduction in risk was also seen among trial articipants whose blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (a ommonly used measure of blood vitamin D levels) achieved a greater increase.

Among individuals taking high doses of vitamin D, additional calcium did not appear to have any further protective effect against fractures.

“Physiologically, the calcium-sparing effect of vitamin D may explain why we did not see an additional benefit of calcium supplementation at a higher dose of vitamin D,” the authors write.

“The greater fracture reduction with a higher received dose or higher achieved 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels for both any non-vertebral fractures and hip fractures suggests that higher doses of vitamin D should be explored in future research to optimize anti-fracture efficacy,” they conclude.

The study has been published in the March 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. (ANI)

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Scientists identify genes that determine right warfarin dose

March 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 21 (ANI): Researchers at Uppsala University, together with colleagues at Karolinska Institute and Sanger Institute, have identified three genes that would help determine the optimal dose of blood-thinning drug warfarin.

The team led by Mia Wadelius have come across three genes VKORC1, CYP2C9, and CYP4F2 that would help determine adequate warfarin dosage.

“We have previously studied selected genes that can affect warfarin treatment,” said Wadelius.

“Now that we have gone in and scanned the entire genome, we see that the two most important genes are among those we previously singled out.

“The adequate warfarin dosage for a patient is determined by three genes: VKORC1, CYP2C9, and CYP4F2. This is a step forward for a large group of patients, because it will be easier to determine the dosage, and the treatment will be less risky,” she added.

During the study, the researchers looked at more than 1,000 warfarin patients and roughly 370,000 gene variants, covering the entire human genome.

Patients vary in their sensitivity to warfarin, which makes treatment initially a risky balancing act between bleeding and blood clots.

Wadelius said that the variation is great among patients, sometimes up to a difference of twenty times.

“We will continue to look for genetic variants that influence the risk of bleeding, which can be a reaction to warfarin treatment, though a rare one,” said Wadelius.

The study appears in the scientific journal PLoS Genetics. (ANI)

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Broccoli may help protect against asthma

March 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar 3 (ANI): A naturally occurring compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may help protect against respiratory inflammation that causes conditions like asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, says a new study.

The study, which has been published in the March edition of the journal Clinical Immunology, shows that sulforaphane, a chemical in broccoli, triggers an increase of antioxidant enzymes in the human airway that offers protection against the onslaught of free radicals that we breathe in every day in polluted air, pollen, diesel exhaust and tobacco smoke.

A supercharged form of oxygen, free radicals can cause oxidative tissue damage, which leads to inflammation and respiratory conditions like asthma.

“This is one of the first studies showing that broccoli sprouts – a readily available food source – offered potent biologic effects in stimulating an antioxidant response in humans,” said Dr. Marc Riedl, the study’s principal investigator and an assistant professor of clinical immunology and allergy at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

“We found a two- to three-fold increase in antioxidant enzymes in the nasal airway cells of study participants who had eaten a preparation of broccoli sprouts,” Riedl said.
This strategy may offer protection against inflammatory processes and could lead to potential treatments for a variety of respiratory conditions,” the expert added.

To reach the conclusion, the research team worked with 65 volunteers who were given varying oral doses of either broccoli or alfalfa sprout preparations for three days. Rinses of nasal passages were collected at the beginning and end of the study to assess the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in cells of the upper airways.
esearchers found significant increases of antioxidant enzymes at broccoli sprout doses of 100 grams and higher, compared with the placebo group.

The maximum broccoli sprout dosage of 200 grams generated a 101-percent increase of an antioxidant enzyme called GSTP1 and a 199-percent increase of another key enzyme called NQO1. (ANI)

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40 generic drug stores to be opened by March: Paswan

February 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Gurgaon (Haryana), Feb.20 (ANI): Steel, Chemicals and Fertilizers MInister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday announced plans to set up 40 generic drug stores under the brand Jan Aushadhi by the end of March this year.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone of a new block of the public sector Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL) to manufacture ‘Cephalosporin’ in Gurgaon today, Paswan said the government is trying its best to provide affordable health services to everybody.

He also said that when the new pharmaceutical policy is approved, price of at least 354 drugs would be reduced.

He said the new drug stores would dispense generic drugs at a fraction of the price of branded drugs in the market, and added that they would remain open round the clock.e said these stores are being set up with the help of State Governments and NGOs.

IDPL’s new Cephalosporin Block shall be constructed over an area of five acres, producing latest Cephalosporins initially in tablet dosage form.

The block would be “State of Art” and energy efficient using solar energy for lighting.he total estimated Project cost for the first phase is Rs. 13 crore. Additional manpower requirement for operating the plant would be about 150. In the second phase facilities for Cephalosporin Injectibles, Dry syrups and other formulation will be created.

IDPL also signed MoU with the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) on the occasion for transfer of technology for manufacture of Zinc Dispersible Tablets used for treatment of diarrhorea. This technology has been provided free of cost to IDPL.

On the occasion four new products were launched by Paswan-IDIFIZ, a digestive enzyme; MISMIS, an emergency contraceptive pill; PROXY, a sugar substitute containing Aspartame; and IDICON, an oral antifungal agent.

The new IDPL logo was also launched by Paswan. (ANI)

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