January 2010

In men with localized prostate cancer who are in their mid-70s or older, adding neoadjuvant hormone therapy (NHT) to brachytherapy significantly increases all-cause mortality, researchers report in the January 5th online issue of Cancer.

For the first time, a nano version of carboplatin, used in chemotherapy treatment has been developed, wherein unlike the existing molecule, a higher concentration of the drug will attack the cancerous cells and increase the chances of survival of a patient.

Singapore, Jan 15, 2010: InSightec, a privately held company announced that Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved its ExAblate MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) system for the treatment of women with uterine fibroids.

US FDA approvals of new biopharmaceutical products increased significantly in 2009, reversing a trend of low numbers and a decline in approvals in recent years. US FDA granted 19 full approvals for biopharmaceuticals in 2009. This was the highest number of new product approvals since 2005, and considerably more than the 11 and 10 approvals in 2008 and 2007, respectively.

Eisai Co, Ltd has submitted an application for approval of an additional indication of anti-arrhythmic agent Tambocor 50mg Tablets and Tambocor 100mg Tablets (generic name: flecainide acetate) for the treatment of tachyarrhythmia (paroxysmal atrial fibrillation/flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia) in paediatric patients in Japan.

The Path Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) has now entered into a new collaboration to initiate development towards a vaccine that could eventually help eliminate and eradicate malaria with the development of an AnAPN1 antigen. The collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) and the Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) marks MVI’s first investment in transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs). This vaccine approach aims to stop the malaria parasite from developing into mosquito, effectively blocking transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to humans.

<<BACK