Alkermes' ALKS 5461 drug gets FDA Fast Track status for major depressive disorder

Alkermes' ALKS 5461 drug gets FDA Fast Track status for major depressive disorder

(ALKS 33 -see structure in a combination with buprenorphine -see 2nd structure right- called ALKS 5461)

Active ingredient of ipecac syrup inhibits growth of cancer cells

An old home remedy called ipecac syrup, once stocked in medicine cabinets in case of accidental poisoning, is showing promise as a new chemotherapy drug for bladder cancer.

Years ago, ipecac syrup was used to induce vomiting in poisoning cases. Now a Loyola University Medical Center study has found that the active ingredient of ipecac syrup effectively inhibits the growth of bladder cancer cells, especially when combined with a standard chemotherapy drug.

In the new study, Loyola researchers exposed cell lines of normal and cancerous bladder cells to emetine alone and to emetine plus cisplatin. (Cisplatin is the standard chemotherapy drug for advanced bladder cancer.)

• Emetine alone inhibits the proliferation of bladder cancer cell lines.
• Emetine acts synergistically with cisplatin to inhibit bladder cancer proliferation better than either drug does alone.
• Emetine has little effect on normal cells.

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and the 9th most common cancer in women. But even with aggressive surgery and chemotherapy, the five-year survival rate for patients with advanced Stage 4 bladder cancer is only 4 to 20 percent.

"There is an urgent need to develop new drug combinations," Dr. Gupta said. "Our study demonstrates that combining emetine with cisplatin is potentially beneficial, and merits further study in clinical trials."

Dr. Gupta is an assistant professor in the departments of Urology and Surgery and in the Oncology Research Institute of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Dr. Foreman is an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and the Oncology Research Institute. Other authors are John Jesse III, a Stritch student, and Paul Kuo, MD, FACS, chair of Loyola's Department of Surgery and director of the Oncology Research Institute.

Ref : http://loyolamedicine.org/newswire/news/familiar-remedy-shows-promise-new-chemo-drug-bladder-cancer

Active ingredient of ipecac syrup inhibits growth of cancer cells

FDA Approves Brintellix to Treat Major Depressive Disorder

We know that, Vortioxetine (vor-tye-ox-e-teen, trade name Brintellix, previously known as Lu AA21004) is a novel atypical antidepressant made byLundbeck and Takeda. On September 30, 2013, it was approved approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults.  Vortioxetine was also investigated as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Regulatory approval for the treatment of MDD for the European market has been filed in September 2012, for the United States in October 2012, and filing for Canada should follow. Filing for the Japanese market is expected in 2013.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Brintellix (vortioxetine) to treat adults with major depressive disorder.

FDA Approves Brintellix to Treat Major Depressive Disorder

FDA Approves Duavee to Treat Hot Flashes and Prevent Osteoporosis

Bazedoxifene is a third generation selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), under development by Pfizer following the completion of their takeover of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Pfizer are seeking approval for bazedoxifene in the prevention and treatment ofpostmenopausal osteoporosis. Bazedoxfiene is the result of an exclusive research collaboration between Wyeth Pharmaceuticalsand Ligand Pharmaceuticals.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Duavee (conjugated estrogens/bazedoxifene) for women who suffer from moderate-to-severe hot flashes (vasomotor symptoms) associated with menopause and to prevent osteoporosis after menopause....

FDA Approves Duavee to Treat Hot Flashes and Prevent Osteoporosis

Apple impregnated with tangerine juice reduces risk of cardiovascular disease in obese children

Apple impregnated with tangerine juice reduces risk of cardiovascular disease in obese children

"It is not a product that induces weight loss in children, but it would help improve their quality of life. The modification of oxidative stress in adipose tissue (or fat tissue) can help in the prevention of cardiovascular risk associated with childhood obesity and in the long term prevent diseases such as atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries caused by the accumulation of fat, cholesterol and other substances)," said Dr. Pilar Codoñer, head of the Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Doctor Peset and professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the Universitat de València.

To obtain the snack, researchers enriched apple slices with mandarin juice using a technology of impregnation developed and patented by the UPV team that allows incorporating additional ingredients to the structure of porous foods, as in the case of fruits and vegetables.

"After several years of work the product is ready to be marketed by private companies. Our snack has all the properties of two products as healthy as apples and tangerine and has no added ingredient. It is an alternative to snacks that exist in the market that contain oils and saturated fats and therefore are high in calories," says Noelia Betoret, principal researcher and professor at the School of Agricultural Engineering and Natural Environment.

Ref : https://webges.uv.es/public/uvRecullWeb/2013/09/20130924_19787.jpg

New class of antidepressants appears potentially effective in combating deadly form of lung cancer

Jahchan tested the effect of a tricyclic antidepressant called imipramine  (see structure)  on human small-cell lung cancer cells grown in the laboratory and growing as tumors in laboratory mice. She found that the drug was able to potently activate a self-destruction pathway in the cancer cells and to slow or block metastases in the animals. The drug maintained its effectiveness regardless of whether the cancer cells had previously been exposed, and become resistant, to traditional chemotherapy treatments. Another drug, an antihistamine called promethazine, identified by the bioinformatics screen, also exhibited cancer-cell-killing abilities.

Although imipramine did not affect cells from another main type of lung cancer called non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma, it did inhibit the growth of cells from other neuroendocrine tumors, including pancreatic neuroendocrine cancers, an aggressive skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma, and a pediatric cancer called neuroblastoma. (Neuroendocrine cells receive signals from the nervous system and secrete hormoneslike adrenaline into the blood to affect the body's function.)

Further investigation showed that the drugs appear to work through a class of molecule on the cancer cells' surfaces called G-protein-coupled receptors, but the researchers are continuing to investigate exactly how the drugs specifically kill neuroendocrine cancer cells.

"Our collaboration with the Butte lab allowed us to move very quickly from the initial idea to very convincing results," Sage said. "It was less than 20 months from the time of our first discussion to a clinical trial because the bioinformatics approach had been established and the drugs are FDA-approved. By focusing on diseases with little hope for the patient, it's easier to go forward fast."

Ref : http://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2013/09/16/2159-8290.CD-13-0183.abstract

New class of antidepressants appears potentially effective in combating deadly form of lung cancer

Addition of walnuts to diet can protect against diabetes and heart disease in at-risk individuals

Addition of walnuts to diet can protect against diabetes and heart disease in at-risk individuals

The research found that daily intake of 56g of walnuts improves endothelial function in overweight adults with visceral adiposity. The addition of walnuts to the diet does not lead to weight gain. Further study on the topic is still suggested. "The primary outcome measure was the change in flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery," wrote the research group. "Secondary measures included serum lipid panel, fasting glucose and insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance values, blood pressure, and anthropometric measures. FMD improved significantly from baseline when subjects consumed a walnut-enriched diet as compared with the control diet. Beneficial trends in systolic blood pressure reduction were seen, and maintenance of the baseline anthropometric values was also observed. Other measures were unaltered."

Ref : http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07315724.2012.10720468#.UkFcg4ZkPng

Apple impregnated with tangerine juice reduces risk of cardiovascular disease in obese children

Apple impregnated with tangerine juice reduces risk of cardiovascular disease in obese children

"It is not a product that induces weight loss in children, but it would help improve their quality of life. The modification of oxidative stress in adipose tissue (or fat tissue) can help in the prevention of cardiovascular risk associated with childhood obesity and in the long term prevent diseases such as atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries caused by the accumulation of fat, cholesterol and other substances)," said Dr. Pilar Codoñer, head of the Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Doctor Peset and professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the Universitat de València.

To obtain the snack, researchers enriched apple slices with mandarin juice using a technology of impregnation developed and patented by the UPV team that allows incorporating additional ingredients to the structure of porous foods, as in the case of fruits and vegetables.

"After several years of work the product is ready to be marketed by private companies. Our snack has all the properties of two products as healthy as apples and tangerine and has no added ingredient. It is an alternative to snacks that exist in the market that contain oils and saturated fats and therefore are high in calories," says Noelia Betoret, principal researcher and professor at the School of Agricultural Engineering and Natural Environment.

Ref : https://webges.uv.es/public/uvRecullWeb/2013/09/20130924_19787.jpg

Cisplatin plus radiotherapy and HDRB proves beneficial in stage IIIB cervical cancer

In continuation of my update on cis-platin

Cisplatin plus radiotherapy and HDRB proves beneficial in stage IIIB cervical cancer

Phase III EINSTEIN trial program: XARELTO reduces risk of DVT and PE

In continuation of my update on Rivaroxaban

The EINSTEIN-PE study was an open-label, randomized, non-inferiority trial. The trial compared oral rivaroxaban – 15 mg twice daily for three weeks, followed by 20 mg once daily – with the current standard of care (enoxaparin followed by a Vitamin K Antagonist [VKA]) in subjects with acute symptomatic PE with or without symptomatic DVT. Patients received treatment for six or 12 months. EINSTEIN-PE enrolled 4,833 participants and is the largest study ever conducted in the acute treatment of PE. 

Read more...

Phase III EINSTEIN trial program: XARELTO reduces risk of DVT and PE