Debiopharm Group (Debiopharm), a global independent biopharmaceutical development specialist focusing on serious medical conditions, particularly oncology, presented positive efficacy results of a phase IIa study with Debio 025, a selective cyclophilin (Cyp) inhibitor with a potent in-vitro and in-vivo anti-hepatitis C (HCV) effect.

Botulinum neurotoxin — responsible for the deadly food poisoning disease botulism and for the beneficial effects of smoothing out facial wrinkles - can also be used as a dreaded biological weapon. When ingested or inhaled, less than a billionth of an ounce can cause muscle paralysis and eventual death.

A JDRF collaboration between Johns Hopkins researchers and Genentech has shown that a drug for the treatment of diabetic eye disease has performed better in clinical trials than the current standard treatment using laser surgery.

Adenoviral protein E1A binds to p400, stabilizing Myc, an oncoproteinUsing a common virus as a tool for investigating abnormal cell proliferation, a team led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has succeeded in clarifying an intricate series of biochemical steps that shed light on a way that cancer can begin.

Pneumonia, irregular heart beats, and obstructed blood flow to the heart are the the three main factors precipitating two out of three patients being admitted to hospital in the US for heart failure, said researchers.The investigation is published in the 28th April issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine and is the work of researchers and clinicians based at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and other research centres and clinics throughout the US.

A leading arthritis charity accused the government’s health rationing watchdog of ‘penny-pinching’ in its decision to refuse thousands of people the chance to try an alternative life-changing anti-TNF drug if a first does not work for them. ‘Anti-TNFs can slow down the progress of rheumatoid arthritis. We hear so much about NHS choice but patients and clinicians alike will be frustrated by the decision to limit treatment options in this way.

Cara Therapeutics, Inc announced that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of its long-acting peripheral kappa opioid receptor agonist, CR845. The Phase 1a single-center clinical trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic profile, and pharmacological activity of CR845 in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single escalating intravenous dose study in 58 healthy male and female volunteers.

VitalCare Diabetes Treatment Centers, Inc. (Pink Sheets:VDTI) a Nevada corporation, announced they have signed a letter of intent to establish a joint-venture relationship with South Valley Inpulse Center, LLC, an existing Diabetes Treatment Center in Draper, Utah. The center will be administering the FDA approved iCAT treatment for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients.

Cardinal Health, a global provider of products and services that improve the safety and productivity of health care, announced a new benchmarking tool from MedMined(TM) services that allows hospitals to compare risk adjusted infection rates in each unit of a hospital to peer units in similar hospitals to help identify best practices and areas for improvement.

People who are natives of Hawaii and New Zealand have higher mortalityrates for many types of cancer than do the European people who livethere. This could be improved by educational programs relatedto screening, diet, and smoking, according to the first in a series orReviews on worldwide cancer disparities released on April 28, 2008 inThe Lancet Oncology. Polynesia is a group of over 1,000 small islands in the Pacific Oceanicregion.