MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'inhibitors'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:52:24 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107829&cid=t_103479_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F07%2Finherited-mutations-in-rad51d-gene-confer-susceptibility-to-ovarian-cancer%2F Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have discovered that women who carry a faulty copy of a gene called RAD51D have almost a 1-in-11 chance of developing ovarian cancer. The finding that inherited mutations in the RAD51D gene confer susceptibility to ovarian cancer was reported in a study published online in Nature Genetics on August 7, 2011. Cancer [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107829 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:57:32 +0100 5107829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968494&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-is-it-appropriate-to-disregard-guidelines-in-medical-care%2F2011.06.24 Podcast: In an article appearing last week in the American Heart Journal, investigators concluded that if American doctors would prescribe for their patients with heart failure each of the six therapies which are most strongly recommended in current heart failure guidelines, 68,000 lives per year could be saved. The following (for the interest of the reader, and for the convenience of any attorneys who may follow DrRich’s offerings), is an ordered list of these six proven, life-saving heart failure therapies, along with the number of American lives that could be saved each year if only American doctors would stop grossly under-utilizing them in violation of published guidelines: aldosterone antagonist therapy – 21,407 lives beta blockers – 12,922 lives implantable defibrillators ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968494 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 21:00:47 +0100 4968494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709237&cid=t_103479_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Frecent-science-news-roundup.html Optical catapulting for explosive fingerprint detection – Optical catapulting-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been used to successfully detect residues of common explosives in human fingerprints, according to researchers from Egypt and Spain. Unsettling enzymes – Millisecond oscillations can massively impact how an enzyme functions, a new NMR spectroscopic study in the US reveals. The study suggests that finding ways to control such movements, without altering the overall structure of an enzyme might be useful in disabling an enzyme in disease. Proof of principle was demonstrated with an enzyme from Escherichia coli. Melanoma lead – Cheminformatics has helped researchers home in on a single compound that could lead to a new approach to treating malignant melanoma... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709237 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:00:34 +0100 4709237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636660&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F_LncIHegHag%2F Normally, a high price for a medication prompts outrage and accusations from consumers, politicians, doctors and insurers. Now, though, there is the courtroom spectacle of an attorney for GlaxoSmithKline charging Abbott Labs with being greedy, stifling competition and creating an illegal monopoly after more than quadrupling the price of its Norvir med. The pill is used in AIDS cocktails. The background: Abbott sells a combo pill called Kaletra that includes Norvir and its own protease inhibitor. Glaxo claims Abbott raised Norvir’s price - but not the Kaletra price - in 2003 in order to boost Kaletra sales at the expense of other protease inhibitors that require Norvir as a booster. In other words, Abbott allegedly tried to use Norvir to create an illegal monopoly. A Glaxo lawyer told a ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636660 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:27:32 +0100 4636660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4200564&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fimproving-health-for-older-adults%2F2010.11.24 New clinical trials and published research are giving us information on how to improve health in elderly patients. Here are some brief points from the Cleveland Journal of Medicine that were surprising to me: – Each year 30 percent of people age 65 or older fall and sustain serious injuries so preventing falls and fractures is important. Vitamin D prevents both falls and fractures, but mega doses of Vitamin D (50,000 mg) might cause more falls. A better dose is 1,000mg a day in people who consume a low-calcium diet.  – Exercise boosts the effect of influenza vaccine. – The benefits of dialysis in older patients is uncertain, as it does not improve  function in people over age 80. We don’t even know if it improves survival. Older patients who receive dialysis... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4200564 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:00:00 +0100 4200564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179467&cid=t_103479_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F18%2Fexelixis-reports-promising-interim-data-from-ovarian-cancer-patients-treated-with-xl184%2F Exelixis reports promising interim data from ovarian cancer patients treated with XL184, including:  a  32% confirmed response rate per RECIST in patients with platinum-resistant or platinum-sensitive disease, and a 64% overall week-12 disease control rate. Exelixis, Inc.  today reported interim data from the cohort of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179467 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:03:41 +0100 4179467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175973&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FcfGJ41IhIq0%2F One of the most closely watched drug development stories just got a little more interesting. A study of 1,623 people with coronary heart disease or an equivalent risk found that a new pill from Merck - which is called anacetrapib - lowered LDL, which is bad choleserol, while also raising HDL, so-called good cholesterol, to impressive levels. At 24 weeks, the pill decreased LDL by 40 percent and increased HDL by 138 percent in patients already treated with a statin. And there were no significant differences from placebo in the primary safety measures studied, such as blood pressure. The pre-specified adjudicated cardiovascular endpoints were defined as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, unstable angina or stroke, occurred in 16 patients treated with anacetrapib, or 2 percent, comp... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175973 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:40:30 +0100 4175973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159275&cid=t_103479_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSciencebaseScienceBlog%2F%7E3%2FjTS2f09T_Fw%2Fcanned-heavy-metal-and-more.html My latest science news updates on SpectroscopyNOW – a sneak preview just for you ahead of their going live on 15th November, covering heavy metals in sardines, enzyme inhibitors for pain relief and sleep problems, the possibility of oral insulin without a Trojan horse carrier, and a spectroscopic test for male infertility that could explain the issue problem. Canned heavy metal – Samples of tinned sardines, originating from six countries have been analyzed for total arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury content using spectroscopy. The analysis provides a useful baseline for a foodstuff – small pelagic fish – that could become increasingly important in a possible sustainable future and shows that arsenic rather than mercury could be the main concern in eating such smal... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159275 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:00:27 +0100 4159275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152272&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FyEol_ZBMUqs%2F Good morning, folks. How are you today? We are just fine, thank you. After all, the sun is shining here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where the official mascots are chasing squirrels and two cups of stimulation are brewing. What will today bring? Hmm… One never knows, but to help you prepare, we have gathered a few interesting tidbits of information. So dig in. And we hope your day goes well… PhRMA CEO John Castellani On Elections And Health Care Reform (Politico) Merck Results For Cholesterol Pill Are Due Next Week (Bloomberg News) FDA Commish Defends Handling Of Heparin Crisis (Reuters) Glaxo Sees More Industry Consolidation (The Business Standard) Pharma Needs Lessons On Winning Trust (MedAd News) Court Is Urged To Narrow Patent-Misconduct Standard (Bloomberg News) FDA ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152272 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:39:39 +0100 4152272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086514&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F45vXlctp9-U%2F Last week, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found there was no evidence of increased heart risk among patients who took both proton pump inhibitors such as Prilosec and the Plavix bloodthinner. The findings contradicted a warning issued last year by the FDA, which urged doctors not to combine the drugs after research suggested these heartburns med could lessen the effects of the bloodthinner and, therefore, raise the risk of a heart attack. Now, the FDA is reiterating that its warning remains intact. “We are absolutely not” changing earlier warnings to doctors and patients against taking the drugs together, Mary Ross Southworth, an FDA official who oversees cardiovascular product safety, tells The Wall Street Journal. In fact, the FDA plans to issue a re... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086514 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:25:49 +0100 4086514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3903099&cid=t_103479_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdoes-tanned-and-wrinkled-mean-healthy-and-cancer-free%2F Recently my husband commented on how tan my feet are. I have been in love with flip-flops (also known as thongs) all summer long, so my feet are constantly exposed to the sun. I have been pretty careful about sun exposure since my early twenties. My skin has benefited from my caution, but with all the new information about vitamin D and its effects on cancer prevention, I wonder if this has been a good practice or not. I have written a little about the importance of vitamin D supplementation before, especially for women needing calcium or for those on hormonal drugs like aromatase inhibitors. Vitamin D may protect against bone loss in women taking Arimidex, a type of aromatase inhibitor, and lessen the bone, muscle, and joint pain that are known side effects of this drug. Now the effect of... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3903099 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:29:13 +0100 3903099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786114&cid=t_103479_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fcleve-jones-jim-chud-phill-wilson-reflect-longterm-hivaids-survivors%2F With the advent of protease inhibitor drugs, patients with HIV/AIDS are living longer. Three prominent AIDS activists discuss their own battle with the disease. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786114 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:25:51 +0100 3786114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753822&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fan-important-tip-for-men-who-use-viagra%2F2010.07.14 The medical journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings recently contained some clinical pearls that I wanted to pass on to my men readers who take medication for erectile dysfunction (ED). They reported on a healthy 67-year-old male who took two 25mg doses of Viagra (sildenafil) but still did not get erections. He was frustrated and inquired about other treatments for ED. The article reported that patients often take Viagra and other phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (Cialis, Levitra) incorrectly. To be effective, Viagra must be taken on an empty stomach at least one hour before intercourse. Research has shown that approximately half of patients who don’t respond to Viagra will have success when they take it properly. The dose can go up to 100mg, but there is no need to increase the medi... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753822 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:00:00 +0100 3753822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3618087&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FeIKSx7mehTc%2F This isn’t surprising. A new survey finds that 78 of those seeking treatment for depression or anxiety were prescribed antidepressants, but roughly half of those taking such a pill report being helped ‘a lot.’ Meanwhile, 91 percent of respondents who stuck with ‘talk therapy, reported this approach made things “a lot” or “somewhat” better, according to Consumer Reports, which conducted the survey. The survey also found that older, often less expensive SSRI antidepressants - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Lexapro, Celexa, Prozac and Zoloft - work just as well, and with fewer side effects, than newer, more costly SNRIs, including Cymbalta and Effexor (see Consumer Reports cost data here). Last year, doctors prescribed $9.9 billion worth of ant... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3618087 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:31:11 +0100 3618087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3618091&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F6uNOqry1KTc%2F An HIV-positive North Carolina woman, whose pictures had been taken by Roche and appeared in an HIV patient magazine, later was surprised to find her photos and personal details were published on the Internet - but without her permission. And so ‘Jane Doe’ has filed a lawsuit saying the contract she signed with the drugmaker and its ad agency never allowed the sort of exposure that took place. “I can’t think of a way it could be more widely disseminated unless they bought an ad on the Super Bowl. It’s either careless or callous. It’s got to be one or the other,” Norris Adams, Jane Doe’s lawyer tells The Charlotte Observer. “She certainly never signed on for it to get out into the community…It’s as private a thing as I can th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3618091 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:03:52 +0100 3618091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599739&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F2r8j0YGwaWg%2F The FDA issued a warning about a possible increased risk of hip, wrist, and spinal fractures with high doses or long-term use of proton pump inhibitors, and so product labeling will be changed. The products include Nexium, Dexilant, Prilosec, Zegerid, Prevacid, Protonix and Aciphex. Over-the-counter versions include Prilosec OTC, Zegerid OTC and Prevacid 24HR. “Epidemiology studies suggest a possible increased risk of bone fractures with the use of proton pump inhibitors for one year or longer, or at high doses,” Joyce Korvick, deputy director for safety in the FDAs Division of Gastroenterology Products, says in a statement. Most of the studies evaluated people 50 years or older, and the increased risk of fracture primarily was observed in this age group (there’s more info, inclu... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599739 Tue, 25 May 2010 20:17:46 +0100 3599739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552548&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FMS-PTE-LQVU%2F Hello, everyone. Nice to see you again. Another shiny day here on the Pharmalot corporate campus where the grounds are being spruced up in a long overdue move. What will today bring? Important meetings and deadlines, no doubt. As you ready yourself, here are a few items to help you along. Best of luck and catch you later… Galapagos Widens Lung Drug Deal With Roche (Reuters) Drugmakers Leave New Jersey’s Medicine Chest Bare (NJ Spotlight) Purdue Files Patent Infringement Suit Against Ranbaxy (Business Standard) Merck And Glenmark Settle Zetia Patent Suit (Bloomberg News) UK Drug Shortages May Last Until 2011 (PharmaTimes) Proton Pump Inhibitors Increase Bone Fracture Risk (Los Angeles Times) Cost Of Treating Cancer Doubles (Associated Press) Roche Seeks Deal Approval In Accutane... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552548 Tue, 11 May 2010 11:31:23 +0100 3552548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3534105&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FLwhnA_uUGwM%2F Reading the April 21 warning letter from the FDA to Novartis is a bit like reading a primer on how not to promote one’s drug on the Internet. Where to begin? Well, Novartis was tagged by the FDA after its DDMAC division reviewed two web sites - gistalliance.com and cmlalliance.com - which were sponsored by the drugmaker, but are now out of commission. The problem? The web sites don’t mention the Gleevec cancer drug by name, but come close enough to ruffle the FDA. In effect, these disease awareness sites came off as so-called product branded sites. And so the agency writes these were “false and misleading because they promote the drug for an unapproved use, fail to disclose the risks associated with the use of Gleevec and make unsubstantiated dosing claims, (which) can pu... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3534105 Tue, 04 May 2010 20:05:08 +0100 3534105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3504954&cid=t_103479_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F26%2Ftop-25-psychiatric-drugs-in-2009%2F A few years back, we published the Top 20 Psychiatric Prescriptions for 2005. Four years later and we thought it’s about high time we updated that list with the help of the healthcare intelligence firm IMS Health, which tracks prescription data in the U.S. We published the new list this morning, Top 25 Psychiatric Prescriptions for 2009. There’s a few interesting observations we can make based upon this data and the intervening four year span between the two lists. First, anti-anxiety medications like Xanax, Valium and Ativan remain some of the most commonly prescribed psychiatric medications. And it’s no wonder — they are fast-acting and have a short half-life, meaning their effects typically wear off in a few hours. Xanax remains the most commonly prescribed psych... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3504954 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:35:14 +0100 3504954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3502807&cid=t_103479_93_f&fid=35707&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FHemodynamics%2F%7E3%2FWdRyLKdumis%2F1996-protease-inhibitors-were-confusing.html For my zine, I wrote this; although my life changed in other ways shortly afterwards, and somehow that also meant that I stopped publishing my zine. Those were in the days before blogs, children; in the days of photocopiers when self-published writers had to go to the Leather Tongue video store and drop off five copies of the zine for the magazine rack, in hopes that there might be only two when they returned a month later.Not long after this I ended up going to work for an HIV vaccine research group, which restored my sense of urgency. It also stalled the question of doctor or account planner (see previous 1996 post); then I learned immunology, did some needle exchange, and with much more excitement and no inertia, I decided to become a doctor.October 14, 1996At my job [at an HIV preventi... hemodynamics blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3502807 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 05:26:00 +0100 3502807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499284&cid=t_103479_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F22%2Fincreased-ovarian-cancer-metastases-identified-in-women-with-brca-gene-mutations-may-shed-light-on-new-treatment-approach%2F U.K. researchers have found that patients with hereditary ovarian cancer – whose tumors are caused by faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes – are more likely to experience metastases of the liver, lung, spleen, and viscera. … [T]he researchers suggest that ovarian cancer patients whose tumors spread to the solid organs … should be tested for [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499284 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:32:44 +0100 3499284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429448&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FrsVT21QODtA%2F US prescription sales rose 5.1 percent last year, to $300.3 billion, a big increase from the 1.8 percent rate in 2008, thanks to manufacturer coupons, rebates, price hikes of 3 percent to 4 percent, and low-cost generics, which accounted for 75 percent of all prescriptions. Nonetheless, demand remained at “historically low levels,” according to IMS Health, which released the data. Overall, the rate at which prescriptions were filled rose 2.1 percent in 2009, to 3.9 billion dispensed, up from 1 percent the previous year. However, another recent report noted that the rate at which scrips were submitted to a pharmacy but never picked up was 6.3 percent, a 24 percent increase over 2008 (see here). Other contributing factors included inventory management by retail pharmacies; greate... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429448 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:08:20 +0100 3429448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092651&cid=t_103479_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F16%2Fnot-one-rct-on-swine-flu-or-h1n1-outrageous%2F Last week doctorblogs (Annabel Bentley) tweeted: “Outrageous- there isn’t ONE randomised trial on swine flu or #H1N1“ Annabel referred to an article at Trust the Evidence, the excellent blog of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) in Oxford, UK. In the article “Is swine flu the most over-published and over-hyped disease ever?” Carl Heneghan first showed [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092651 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:46:49 +0100 3092651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004090&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FZxJ4CeYYJHE%2F ‘Tis the middle of the week and that means deadlines and meetings are in full swing. We know the feeling. Nonetheless, the skies are clear and our spirits high. So please join us as we reach for another cup of stimulation and dig in to begin another day. Hope yours goes well… Vivus Says Impotence Pill Trial Meets Goals (Reuters) NicOx Hopes To Raise $149M In Stock Sale (Bloomberg) Genzyme To End Development Of Kidney Drug (Reuters) Former Olathe Pharma Exec Runs For Kansas Governor (KansasCity.com) FDA Says Heartburn Meds Interfere With Plavix (Associated Press) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004090 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:42:52 +0100 3004090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2765979&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Flatest-version-of-argument-that-we-are.html Discussion) portion of the article was it mentioned that the authors had served as paid expert witnesses for plaintiffs’ attorneys in rofecoxib litigation. The terse disclosure statement seems at odds with JAMA’s stated policy in its Instructions for Authors that financial COI disclosure must be complete. Regardless, the information provided hardly conveyed that, as of January 2007, Krumholz had received more than $300,000 for his consulting from plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier (no relationship to Mayo Clinic Proceedings Editor-in-Chief William L. Lanier, MD), which only became public in a letter to the editor of BMJ that responded to a previous article critical of Merck by Krumholz et al.Krumholz’ remuneration seems substantial until it is compared to that of another coauthor of ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2765979 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:30:00 +0100 2765979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761824&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fpfizers-2300000000-settlement-no-longer.html Re the $2.3 billion dollar Pfizer settlement, in the headlines today...Health Care Renewal readers learned about it in February, here.At the time, we mentioned how little coverage the news had received, a manifestation of the anechoic effect.We said this about it then:We have posted about numerous settlements of charges of misbehavior by drug, device, insurance and other health care organizations. Stacking them all up suggests the magnitude of bad behavior by the leaders of health care organizations. Yet it's not clear that all these monetary penalties are discouraging bad behavior.In almost all cases, the monetary penalties accrue to the organization as a whole, not to the individuals whose behavior incited the settlement. And I have not so far ever heard of a case in which the organizati... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761824 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:40:00 +0100 2761824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442635&cid=t_103479_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2Fx58u0tz4mec%2Fanother-dimebon-phase-iii-clinical.html If you are taking cholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine you will not qualify for the Dimebon Connection study. However, there is another Dimebon clinical trial that has these inclusion criteria:Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease.MMSE 12-26 inclusive.If on existing anti-dementia therapy, have been on a stable dose of anti-dementia therapy (cholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine) for at least 60 days prior to dosing in study.If not taking existing anti-dementia therapy, have not received therapy with cholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine within 60 days prior to dosing in this study.The study is currently recruiting new participants. For all the specifics including locations go here.A Phase 3 Study To Evaluate The Safety And Tolerability Of Dimebon Patients With Mild To Moderate A... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442635 Sat, 23 May 2009 18:42:00 +0100 2442635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2399171&cid=t_103479_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FjDAMgPMhnJQ%2Fscientists-zero-in-on-alzheimers-gene.html This is interesting science and it should bring hope. However, its should be noted that,Dozens of genes are being studied as potential targets and cures for Alzheimer's disease.Drug manufacturers have developed a number of experimental HDAC inhibitor compounds but none specifically designed to target HDAC2 (the gene).The current research is being conducted on mice, and as a result, any potential cure is still years away from coming to the market."This gene and its protein are promising targets for treating memory impairment," Tsai said. "HDAC2 regulates the expression of a plethora of genes implicated in plasticity -- the brain's ability to change in response to experience -- and memory formation.A team led by researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory has now pinpoint... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2399171 Sat, 09 May 2009 14:53:56 +0100 2399171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2268014&cid=t_103479_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F03%2F15%2Fcan-fda-approved-hiv-drugs-treat-chemoresistant-ovarian-cancer%2F Two recent in vitro studies conducted in the U.S. and Europe raise a provocative question:  Can FDA-approved human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drugs be used to treat chemoresistant ovarian cancer?  Both studies were based upon the fact that HIV patients taking antiretroviral inhibitors have a lower incidence of infection-associated malignancies.  Based upon that fact, the researchers [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2268014 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:26:23 +0100 2268014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2212648&cid=t_103479_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F24%2Feuropean-researchers-find-estrogen-receptor-gene-amplification-occurs-rarely-in-ovarian-cancer%2F “… ESR1 [gene] amplification is an uncommon mechanism for estrogen receptor overexpression in ovarian cancer occurring in about 2.1% of the total number of ovarian cancers. In general, this frequency parallels the fraction of ovarian cancers reported to show complete response to antiestrogenic [anti-hormonal] therapies. Given the strong predictive power of ESR1 [gene] amplification for [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2212648 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:03:08 +0100 2212648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2152891&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fpfizer-settles-for-mere-2300000000.html Last week, in thee Wall Street Journal, Ron Winslow reported on this little item that slipped out at the time the giant Pfizer/ Wyeth merger was announced (see our previous post here):In a disclosure nearly drowned out by news of its $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth, Pfizer Inc. said it agreed to pay $2.3 billion to settle a federal investigation into its alleged off-label marketing of the now-withdrawn painkiller Bextra.The settlement, which requires the approval of a federal judge, would be the largest ever paid by a drug company to resolve alleged marketing missteps. It easily eclipses the $1.4 billion Eli Lilly & Co. agreed to pay earlier this month to settle similar charges related to its antipsychotic medicine Zyprexa.Pfizer mentioned the settlement in two sentences in a news rel... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2152891 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:20:00 +0100 2152891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1876476&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F419968738%2F An analysis of an infamous Vioxx study found the notorious painkiller does, indeed, double the risk of heart attacks and strokes, although the likelihood of a serious cardiovascular event lessened one year after people no longer took the pill. What’s more, other drugs in the same class, known as Cox-2 inhibitors, may pose the same risk, according to the analysis published in The Lancet. “The good news is the data suggests that the risk doesn’t persist forever. The risk goes back toward normal after a year of follow up,” Robert Bresalier of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, one of the study authors, tells Reuters. The original study, known as Approve, was funded by Merck and designed to determine whether Vioxx could prevent polyps that increas... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876476 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:59:26 +0100 1876476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1779682&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F386599231%2F Welcome to the working week. We hope your weekend was restful. Now, of course, the routine is settling in again as meetings and deadlines loom. So as you prepare, take a peek at a few items to help you get started. May your day go well… FDA Panel To Review Pfizer Osteoporosis Drug (The Wall Street Journal) Congress Likely To Delay Health Care Overhaul (Associated Press) Painkillers May Complicate Prostate Screening (Yahoo/Reuters) Bristol, AstraZeneca Diabetes Pill Results Reported (Yahoo/Reuters) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1779682 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:28:28 +0100 1779682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1730770&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F374196770%2F AIDS activists say the drugmaker’s magazine ads in the US are nothing more than thinly disguised attempts to scare patients away from trying new drug regimens, The Wall Street Journal reports. Bob Huff, antiretroviral project director at Treatment Action Group, an advocacy group in New York, tells the paper he complained to Glaxo a few months ago about an ad that shows shark-infested waters with the message: “Don’t take a chance - stick with the HIV medicine that’s working for you.” Huff calls the ad offensive and aimed at instilling fear in patients. The ads, by the way, carry Glaxo’s logo but don’t promote specific drugs. In another ad in Poz, a monthly magazine for AIDS patients, Glaxo promotes its protease inhibitor Lexiva and advises patients ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1730770 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:27:18 +0100 1730770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1720551&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F370269113%2F Despite Pfizer’s best efforts, the lawyers for the family of a woman who died four years ago after taking the Celebrex painkiller have succeeded in convincing a New Jersey state court judge that Fred should be deposed and his videotaped testimony shown in court this fall. Why does this matter? Well, Fred was ceo at Pharmacia, which Pfizer scooped up in order to gain the profits from the Celebrex painkiller. And Celebrex was a key pill for Pharmacia which, you may recall, furiously battled Merck for dominance of the nascent Cox-2 inhibitor market when both drugmakers nearly simultaneously launched their meds nearly a decade ago. Back in the day, Fred (who’s now the Schering-Plough ceo) was out there stumping for Celebrex, so his testimony can shed light on steps taken to ensure... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1720551 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:14:03 +0100 1720551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1727798&cid=t_103479_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F18%2Fworking-smarter-not-harder-anti-estrogen-therapy-to-battle-recurrent-ovarian-cancer%2F The Gynecologic Oncology department of the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center took a page out of the breast cancer treatment “playbook,” and conducted a single institution Phase II clinical trial using letrozole (Femara®) to treat recurrent, platinum and taxane resistant, high-grade cancer of the ovary and peritoneum. …The trial investigators concluded that 26% [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1727798 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:28:31 +0100 1727798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1683440&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F356571056%2F Seems simple, yes? And so a group of Duke University researchers developed a hypothetical model to estimate the expected incremental number of adverse drug events that could be avoided once a drug is widely available. The upshot: “Requiring larger preapproval databases could be a cost-effective means of reducing adverse events in post-approval populations,” they write in Health Affairs. As you may recall, most industry-sponsored clinical trials of new drugs are designed to determine efficacy in order to gain regulatory approval. But the researchers note that detecting adverse drug events is “rarely considered when sample-size calculations are undertaken for clinical trials.” Thus, the statistical power to find side effects is “inherently a by-product” of... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1683440 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:39:31 +0100 1683440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1466098&cid=t_103479_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F296835314%2Fflu_vaccine_may_be_impaired_by.html A new study by Dr. Luc B. S. Gelinck from Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands found that TNF inhibitors that are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis impairs the immune response to the influenza vaccine and may leave those patients who use the arthritis drugs more vulnerable to catching the flu.The study found that while the flu vaccine was still effective in patients using TNF inhibitors 4 weeks after the vaccination antibodies for the anti-TNF group were lower than for the group not taking the TNF inhibitors. Despite the differences, the study found that the protection rate was high amongst all groups of patients.The researchers concluded that an annual flu shot, as suggested by current guidelines, is the best protection against the flu for everyone including those takin... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1466098 Fri, 23 May 2008 16:00:03 +0100 1466098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1363856&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F267923559%2F Protease inhibitors are associated with higher levels of fibrinogen, a clotting factor linked to coronary artery disease, according to a study by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, who say the findings are the first to demonstrate a possible reason for the previously observed association between the meds and an increased risk of heart attacks. At the same time, the study also shows a link between another common HIV treatment, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), and lower fibrinogen levels. The study appears in the March 30, 2008 issue of AIDS. “Most of the patients we treat for HIV/AIDS are at low risk for heart disease,” says senior investigator Carl Grunfeld, a staff physician at SFVAMC and professor of medicine at the University of Californ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1363856 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:48:18 +0100 1363856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344579&cid=t_103479_109_f&fid=35671&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietyinsights.info%2Ftriple_reuptake_inhibitors_nextgeneration_antidepressants.htm This article presents the involvement of the dopaminergic neurotransmission underlying depressive symptoms, as well as preclinical and clinical trials of developing triple reuptake inhibitors. More... © 2008 Primary Psychiatry a Publication of MBL Communications (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info) Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344579 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:37:00 +0100 1344579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258589&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F241617423%2F That’s the conclusion in a piece in the latest issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. The only exception is naproxen, according to the authors, who reviewed a meta-analysis published two years ago in the British Medical Journal, 138 clinical trials and observational studies involving Merck’s Vioxx, Pfizer’s Celebrex and Bextra, and such widely used painkillers as ibuprofen and diclofenac. The upshot is that the Cox-2 inhibitors - the Merck and Pfizer drugs - didn’t post a statistically significant greater risk of cardiovascular disease than the other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. However, the Merck and Pfizer drugs did pose a greater risk than taking nothing, notes Charles Hennekens, a professor at Florida Atlantic University who ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258589 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:56:21 +0100 1258589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1187113&cid=t_103479_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2008%2F1%2F30%2Fin-praise-of-the-old-fashioned-diuretics-are-still-the-best.html By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DWhen I was a (relatively) young resident training in Internal Medicine we, the hot shot residents in an elite medical school, used to indulgingly sneer at our attending physicians when they would recommend some passé treatment, like the quaint diuretics ( for heaven’s sake!) for hypertension. Haven’t they heard of ACE inhibitors, or calcium channel inhibitors, or at the very least an old fashioned beta blocker? In fact, today’s hypertensives, especially those who also have the metabolic syndrome, are a walking pharmacopea-they take all of the above. Now, I am not arguing here that the other drug groups should not be used in the management of hypertension, especially the ones refractive to diuretics. But a study in the latest Archive of Inter... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1187113 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:00:04 +0100 1187113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1024364&cid=t_103479_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F184167964%2F Patients that deal with RA, rheumatoid arthritis, have something to celebrate. There has been a breakthrough in research that may prove to aid in the risk of heart attacks associated with the inflammatory disease, by 80%. Just what is RA you ask? Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and limitation in the motion and function of many joints. An estimated 2.1 million Americans have RA, most of them women. Although joints are the principal body parts affected by RA, inflammation can develop in other organs as well. Heart attacks, resulting from inflammation of the coronary vessels, are more common in RA sufferers. Researchers have been studying reducing the risk of heart attacks among patients by using a TNF-inhibitor in conjunction with the tried an... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1024364 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:40:11 +0100 1024364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1022141&cid=t_103479_117_f&fid=34612&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedoctorweighsin.com%2Fjournal%2F2007%2F11%2F13%2Fh-pylori-and-humans-an-ambivalent-relationship.html  By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.D Several months ago I received an alarming phone call from my nephew: he had terrific pain in his abdomen which caused him to double over. His stool was pitch black. It was obvious that he had an acute stomach ulcer, probably bleeding. What could cause this painful disease?Since the late 19th century doctors described the existence of bacteria in the stomach, but for a variety of reasons these reports did not gain traction, or were simply not believed. The bacterium, later named Helicobacter pylori was rediscovered in 1979 by Australian pathologist Robin Warren, who did further research on it with Barry Marshall beginning in 1981; they isolated the organisms from mucosal specimens from human stomachs and were the first to successfully cultu... The Doctor Weighs In blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1022141 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:21:20 +0100 1022141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1005423&cid=t_103479_136_f&fid=36051&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FCancerCommentary%2F%7E3%2F180330117%2F In older women with early stage lung cancer, UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have discovered a novel mechanism to predict their survival. Higher levels of aromatase (an enzyme that naturally makes estrogen from another hormone called androgen) have, for the first time, been linked to more aggressive disease and lower survival rates in women over 65 with Stage 1 or 2 lung cancer. Such findings do not only provide possible need tool in predicting survival but also new target for therapy using aromatase inhibitors. According to the study’s senior author, Lee Goodglick, an associate professor in the UCLA Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher: “All indications suggest that this is a very powerful prognosti... Cancer Commentary blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1005423 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:56:30 +0100 1005423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=928095&cid=t_103479_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F165211711%2F That’s the take-away from reading the latest data alert issued by Medco Health Solutions, the big pharmacy benefits manager that helps clients find ways to cut back on prescription-drug spending. This time, Medco reviewed claims of more than 575,000 insured children and found the number of kids taking meds to treat tummyaches has soared in the past five years - up 56 percent between 2002 and 2006. Usage among school-age kids between 5 and 11 years old rose 31 percent during that time. Among youngsters between 12 and 18, the increase was only 6 percent. Biggest problems cited: heartburn and GERD, or acid reflux. And so the amount spent on GI meds rose 50 percent during the same stretch. The reason: higher usage of meds and more expensive proton pump inhibitors coming to market. Last ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=928095 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:36:15 +0100 928095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510404&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F09%2F07%2Fwhy-vioxx-is-so-dangerous%2F This study was not considered conclusive, but if you have questions or concerns about medications you're currently taking speak with your doctor.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cardio Blog) The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510404 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:00:00 +0100 2510404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=736361&cid=t_103479_129_f&fid=35709&url=http%3A%2F%2Falphagirls.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fpreeclampsia-and-alpha-1-antitrypsin.html About 3 years ago on a lark, I looked up the location of the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency gene on the human genome web site. To my surprise, I had an "aha" moment when I noticed that a different gene for hypertension (that I have) was startlingly close to the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency gene on the distal long arm of chromosome 14.I've always wondered about this:* I have the M2Z genotype for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.* Both of my children have ZZ Alpha-1, a severely deficient genotype.* Plus the fact that I have a form of hypertension that responds to an ACE inhibitor.Did these facts contribute to the development of my severe preeclampsia??? It seems someone else (a smarter medical research team than I am) has indeed wondered the same thing.Today, someone found my blog by doing a... Unique But Not Alone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=736361 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 03:10:00 +0100 736361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=733646&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=34866&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecardioblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F13%2Fis-viagra-good-for-the-heart%2F Filed under: Men Heart HealthHere's some uplifting news: The men in those Viagra commercials have another reason to be happy -- they're doing something good for their heart by taking the drug. In fact, a study at the University of Alberta has even found that patients with a potentially fatal condition, a failing right ventricle of the heart, can improve by taking the drug. The magic heart-healthy ingredient in Viagra and other erectile-dysfunction drugs is phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, although I suspect that the extra 'activity' that comes with taking Viagra probably has a healthy effect on the heart too.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cardio Blog) The Cardio Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=733646 Fri, 13 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 733646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=480944&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F18%2Fblood-pressure-treatment-helps-shrink-lung-cancer-tumors%2F This study, published in the journal Cancer Research, is the first demonstration of the effect in animals.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cancer Blog) The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=480944 Sun, 18 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 480944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486636&cid=t_103479_87_f&fid=35047&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ideasforwomen.com%2Fnews%2Fwomens-health%2Fbreast-cancer%2F2007%2F02%2F12%2F116%2F A team led by Angela Cox of Sheffield University Medical School in the UK recently published in Nature Genetics the discovery of a gene that appears to decrease the chance of getting breast cancer in women of European descent by around 13%. The utilized data collected from 14 studies involving around 33,000 women. The gene is called CASP8 and is a member of the cysteine-aspartic acid protease family of genes also known as caspases. Caspases are involved in apoptosis, which is the programmed death of certain cells. Many cancers involve mutations in genes that are involved with apoptosis resulting in cancerous cells remaining alive despite having mutations that should have resulted in their dying through apoptosis. Recently the FDA approved a test that can help predict whether or not women w... Ideas For Women News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486636 Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:34:58 +0100 486636