Novartis drug Afinitor® approved by FDA as first medication to treat patients with non-cancerous kidney tumors associated with TSC

In continuation of my update on AFINITOR^®(everolimus)...

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation ("Novartis") announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Afinitor® (everolimus) tablets* for the treatment of adult patients with kidney tumors known as renal angiomyolipomas and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), who do not require immediate surgery. This marks the first approval of a medical treatment in this patient population......

Media Release...

Ref : http://www.novartisoncology.com/media/press-releases.jsp?id=1606656&year=2012&page=1

Pistachio Intake May Endorse a Valuable Gut Environment

Pistachio Intake May Endorse a Valuable Gut Environment: 

Eating pistachios can help adjust levels of potentially valuable bacteria in the gut, a finding that holds promise for supporting digestive health counsels a preliminary 16-person study. The research, presented as an abstract this week at the Experimental Biology conference, is the first study of pistachios and almonds and their modulating role on the gut microbiota composition.

"Gut microbiota, or the microbial environment in the gastrointestinal tract, provides ...

Re: FDA Approves Votrient for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma...

In continuation of my update on Pazopanib..


U.S. Food and Drug Administration, approved Votrient (pazopanib) to treat patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma who have previously received chemotherapy. Soft tissue sarcoma is a cancer that begins in the muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, and other tissues.

Votrient is a pill that works by interfering with angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels needed for solid tumors to grow and survive.


A rare cancer with many subtypes, soft tissue sarcoma occurs in about 10,000 cases annually in the United States. More than 20 subtypes of sarcoma were included in the clinical trial leading to approval of Votrient. The drug is not approved for patients with adipocytic soft tissue sarcoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

"Soft tissue sarcomas are a diverse group of tumors and the approval of Votrient for this general class of tumors is the first in decades," said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Drug development for sarcomas has been especially challenging because of the limited number of patients and multiple subtypes of sarcomas."

The safety and effectiveness of Votrient was evaluated in a single clinical study in 369 patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma who had received prior chemotherapy. Patients were randomly selected to receive Votrient or a placebo. The study was designed to measure the length of time a patient lived without the cancer progressing (progression-free survival). The disease did not progress for a median of 4.6 months for patients receiving Votrient, compared with 1.6 months for those receiving the placebo.

The most common side effects in Votrient-treated patients were fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, weight loss, high blood pressure, decreased appetite, vomiting, tumor and muscle pain, hair color changes, headache, a distorted sense of taste, shortness of breath, and skin discoloration.

Votrient carries a boxed warning alerting patients and health care professionals to the potential risk of liver damage (hepatotoxicity), which can be fatal. Patients should be monitored for liver function and treatment should be discontinued if liver function declines.

Ref : http://www.gsk.com/media/pressreleases/2009/2009_pressrelease_10113.htm

Gabapentin drug helps people to quit cannabis..

We know that, Gabapentin (see structure; brand names Fanatrex, Gabarone, Gralise, Neurontin, Nupentin) is a pharmaceutical drug, specifically a GABA analogue. It was originally developed for the treatment of epilepsy, and currently is also used to relieve neuropathic pain. 

Now Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found clinical evidence that the drug gabapentin, currently on the market to treat neuropathic pain and epilepsy, helps people to quit smoking marijuana (cannabis). Unlike traditional addiction treatments, gabapentin targets stress systems in the brain that are activated by drug withdrawal.

In a 12-week trial of 50 treatment-seeking cannabis users, those who took gabapentin used less cannabis, experienced fewer withdrawal symptoms such as sleeplessness, and scored higher on tests of attention, impulse-control, and other cognitive skills, compared to patients who received a placebo. If these results are confirmed by ongoing larger trials, gabapentin could become the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatment for cannabis dependence.

"A lot of other drugs have been tested for their ability to decrease cannabis use and withdrawal, but this is the first to show these key effects in a controlled treatment study," said Barbara J. Mason, the Pearson Family Chair and Co-Director of the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research at Scripps Research. "The other nice thing about gabapentin is that it is already widely prescribed, so its safety is less likely to be an issue."

Ref : http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/npp201214a.html 

Seeking HIV treatment clues in the neem tree

Seeking HIV treatment clues in the neem tree

Soy protein alleviates symptoms of fatty liver disease, study suggests

In continuation of my update on Soy

Soy protein alleviates symptoms of fatty liver disease, study suggests

Forty-year-old Fourier transform mass spectrometry phasing problem solved

Forty-year-old Fourier transform mass spectrometry phasing problem solved: Scientists have developed a computation which simultaneously doubles the resolution, sensitivity and mass accuracy of Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (FTMS) at no extra cost.

Liquorice root found to contain anti-diabetic substance

In continuation of my update on Liquorice roots

Liquorice root found to contain anti-diabetic substance

Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking

In continuation of my update on Omega-3-fatty acids...

Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking: Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking, according to a new study.

Experts share top 5 springtime fruits and vegetables that fight cancer

Experts share top 5 springtime fruits and vegetables that fight cancer: The price of springtime fruits and vegetables seems to increase each year. But when buyers break this expense down to cents, they realize stocking up on these cancer-fighting foods still makes economical sense, say experts from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.