Monday, June 11, 2012

Combination of vaccine and letrozole effectively improves survival from breast cancer

In continuation of my update on Letrozole

Combination of vaccine and letrozole effectively improves survival from breast cancer: A vaccine that targets cancer cells in combination with the drug letrozole, a standard hormonal therapy against breast cancer, significantly increased survival when tested in mice, a team of UC Davis investigators has found.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Pungent Ingredient, piperine, in Black Pepper Targets Fat Cells

A preliminary new study suggests that the pungent component in black pepper known as piperine fights fat by blocking the formation of new fat cells.
If further studies confirm these effects, researchers say black pepper may offer a natural alternative for the treatment of fat-related disorders like obesity.

"Our findings suggest that piperine (see above structure), a major component of black pepper, inhibits fat cell differentiation ... thus leading to its potential use in the treatment of obesity-related diseases," writes researcher Ui-Hyun Park of Sejong University in Seoul, Korea 
Black Pepper the Fat Fighter....

Researchers say the benefits of black pepper and the black pepper plant have been known for centuries in traditional Eastern medicine, in which it is used to treat cholera, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues.

In their study, researchers looked at the effects of piperine on gene expression in fat tissue in the lab and in computer models.

The results showed that piperine interfered with the activity of genes responsible for forming new fat cells.

Researchers say this benefit of black pepper sets up a chain reaction that helps keep the formation of fat in check in other ways as well.
"Overall, our results suggest that piperine could be a lead natural compound for the treatment of fat-related disorders," the researchers write.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Topical Gel (from Euphorbia peplus) Treats Precancerous Skin Condition, Actinic Keratosis


A new prescription gel may quickly treat a common precancerous skin condition called actinic keratosis, a new study shows.

The gel is derived from the sap of the Euphorbia peplus plant. This has long been used as a folk remedy for skin lesions.

The new gel, Picato (ingenol mebutate, see below structure), is applied once daily for two or three days, depending on the area being treated. Other available topical treatments must be used for several weeks, and often irritate the skin. Cryotherapy, or freezing the affected skin area, is also used but can sometimes leave a scar.

Because the new gel is only used for a few days, any irritation is usually short-lived. The short duration also makes people more likely to stay the course, another advantage, according to the study’s authors.

“The shorter application period is what makes ingenol mebutate a breakthrough in the treatment of actinic keratosis,” researcher Mark Lebwohl, MD, says in a news release. He is a professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Experimental cholesterol drug, REGN727 (PCSK9 inhibitor) results called ‘game changing

In continuation on my update on drug discovery in the class of  Monoclonal antibodies



Researchers have known for some time that when the protein PCSK9, (below structure) which stands for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9, binds to LDL receptors on the liver, it compromises the organ’s ability to filter the bad cholesterol from the blood.

Too much LDL cholesterol circulating in the blood can lead to the thickening of artery walls, making them less flexible and therefore impairing their function and increasing the risk of heart disease.

In a phase one clinical trial, which is designed to determine if a drug is safe, researchers found that using a monoclonal antibody (lab-produced protein) called REGN727, was not only safe, but effectively blocked PCSK9 and therefore signficantly reduced bad cholesterol in healthy patients as well as those also taking the popular cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor.


“Wars for PCSK9 are far bigger than the statin wars,” said Dr. Evan A Stein, lead author of the study and researcher at the Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. “This is a hot research area and everybody is so close together.”

The REGN727 study included three trial arms. Two arms used 72 healthy volunteers who were either injected with a single dose of the drug in increasing amounts to test for side effects, which is the purpose of a phase one clinical trial.  A third arm included 21 people with a family history of high cholesterol, and 30 people with nonfamilial high cholesterol. All of those subjects were also receiving treatment with the statin Lipitor.

A control group of subjects with nonfamilial high cholesterol was treated only with a special diet.  None of the subjects who received REGN727 discontinued the study because of adverse effects, and the subjects who received REGN727 had a striking reduction of 60 to 65%  in LDL cholesterol, according to Stein.

A PCSK9 inhibitor, Stein said, differs from statins “because it’s unlike any other drug. With statins you get toxicity – with these drugs we don’t see any side effects with the antibody.”

In an accompanying editorial, authors Dr. Stephen G. Young, and Loren G. Fong, Ph.D. write: “At this point, the status of PCSK9 therapeutics appears to be full speed ahead. Soon, we can expect more human trials in which investigators will dissect the properties of different PCSK9 antibodies and assess the effect of these agents.”

However, without long-term safety data and evidence that PCSK9 inhibitors truly help prevent heart disease, Young and Fong caution that it will remain unclear how important this class of drugs will be.

The cost of this drug will also play a role in determining which patients might use it, Fong and Young say.  But they also note that “patients who cannot tolerate statins could benefit greatly.”


Researchers also claim that,  the study methodology was thorough because it included people with high cholesterol as well as people with genetic familial high cholesterol, which is proven to be a result of impaired PCSK9 genetic function.

Researchers have known for some time that when the protein PCSK9, which stands for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9, binds to LDL receptors on the liver, it compromises the organ’s ability to filter the bad cholesterol from the blood.

Researchers conclude that, In three phase 1 trials, a monoclonal antibody to PCSK9 significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels in healthy volunteers and in subjects with familial or nonfamilial hypercholesterolemia.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Soy Supplements Can Cool Hot Flashes



In continuation of my update on Soy...

Taking soy to relieve hot flashes has received mixed reviews over the years. Now, researchers who took another look at 19 published studies find that soy supplements may help, at least over time. Soy has been touted as an alternative treatment to hormone replacement therapy after HRT was linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

“For many women with symptoms and especially with concerns about hormone replacement therapy, trying soy for six to 12 weeks to see if it relieves their symptoms could be a first line of treatment,” says Melissa Melby, PhD, a professor of medical anthropology at the University of Delaware.
Researchers conclude that, Soy isoflavone supplements, derived by extraction or chemical synthesis, are significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Additional studies are needed to further address the complex array of factors that may affect efficacy, such as dose, isoflavone form, baseline hot flash frequency, and treatment duration.


Ref : http://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/publishahead/Extracted_or_synthesized_soybean_isoflavones.98844.aspx

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Lorcaserin Receives Positive Vote From FDA Advisory Committee

In continuation of my update on Lorcaserin

(FDA) Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 18 to 4, with one abstention, that the available data demonstrate that the potential benefits of lorcaserin outweigh the potential risks when used long-term in a population of overweight and obese individuals. Lorcaserin is an investigational drug candidate intended for weight management, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, in patients who are obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30) or patients who are overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 27) and have at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.
"The advisory committee's positive vote supports our belief in lorcaserin as a potential new treatment option for the medical management of overweight and obesity," said Jack Lief, Arena's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We will continue to work with the FDA as the agency completes its review of the lorcaserin new drug application."

Monday, June 4, 2012

Curry spice component may help slow prostate tumor growth

In continuation of my update on curcumin,,,,

Curcumin, an active component of the Indian curry spice turmeric, may help slow down tumor growth in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a study from researchers at Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center suggests. More

 Curry spice component may help slow prostate tumor growth

Sunday, June 3, 2012

2 Drugs Better Than 1 to Treat Youth With Type 2 Diabetes

2 Drugs Better Than 1 to Treat Youth With Type 2 DiabetesA combination of two diabetes drugs, metformin and rosiglitazone, was more effective in treating youth with recent-onset type 2 diabetes than metformin alone, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found. Adding an intensive lifestyle intervention to metformin provided no more benefit than metformin therapy alone.

The study also found that metformin therapy alone was not an effective treatment for many of these youth. In fact, metformin had a much higher failure rate in study participants than has been reported in studies of adults treated with metformin alone.
The study found that treatment with metformin alone was inadequate for maintaining acceptable, long-term, blood glucose control in 51.7 percent of youth over an average follow-up of 46 months. The failure rate was 38.6 percent in the metformin and rosiglitazone group, a 25.3 percent reduction from metformin alone. In the metformin plus lifestyle group the failure rate was 46.6 percent.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

A trial looking at curcumin and FOLFOX for advanced bowel cancer (CUFOX)

In continuation of  my update on curcumin
An upcoming clinical trial conducted by the Cancer Research UK and National Institute for Health Research Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) in Leicester, England will evaluate the effectiveness of curcumin, a compound that occurs in turmeric, as a means of improving the results of standard chemotherapy for metastatic colon cancer. The compound has been found to enhance chemotherapy's ability to kill colon cancer cells in previous research involving cell cultures. 

Doctors often treat bowel cancer that has spread with chemotherapy. The combination of chemotherapy they usually use is called FOLFOX. It is made up of the drugs folinic acid (leucovorin), fluorouracil (5FU) and oxaliplatin. But this doesn’t always work very well.  And it often causes side-effects such as numbness and tingling in hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy). This means the doctors sometimes need to lower the dose or even stop chemotherapy, so they are keen to improve treatment.

Curcumin is a plant extract found in the spice turmeric and is found in many everyday foods. We know from research that curcumin can help shrink tumours in the laboratory. It has also been used in several studies involving patients with a range of conditions, including cancer.



Friday, June 1, 2012

FDA AAC recommends approval of Pfizer’s tofacitinib for RA

In continuation of my update on  Tofacitinib...

FDA AAC recommends approval of Pfizer’s tofacitinib for RA: Pfizer Inc. the Arthritis Advisory Committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted 8-2 to recommend approval of the investigational agent tofacitinib for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The Committee's recommendation will be considered by the FDA in its review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for tofacitinib. The FDA has provided an anticipated Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date in August 2012. If approved by the FDA, tofacitinib would be the first new oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (or DMARD) for RA in more than 10 years and the first RA treatment in a new class of medicines known as Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors..