Research in HIV therapies -A review- The global community has made significant strides forward in its mission to eradicate the HIV epidemic

 

Over the last 30 years, the face of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has changed from one largely associated with homosexuality, drug addicts, prejudice, fear and rejection without much hope of a future, to one involving innocent children born of mothers living with HIV for whom it is hoped the disease will be curable and even eradicated. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS, 34 million people were living with HIV worldwide in 2011. Sub-Saharan Africa was, and still is, the most severely affected area. Approximately 5 per cent of adults in this region live with HIV, representing almost 70 per cent of the global HIV-infected population. On a positive note, the number of newly infected people has declined by approximately 25 per cent over the past ten years and, importantly, over the past two years, half of the reductions in HIV infections has been in children.

Treatment and prevention
The approach to, and success of, HIV treatment and prevention has.....................cont

read all at

 http://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/research_in_hiv_therapies_488697
THE NAMES OF DRUGS USED ARE LISTED HERE, PLEASE READ IT

 

 article by
Wendy McNeely

Adis International (Springer Healthcare), using data derived from Adis R&D Insight and Clinical Trials Insight. For further information on Adis services, please contact Daniela Ranzani on +39 02 423 4562 or email her Daniela.Ranzani@springer.com

Role of computers in drug design1

allow slideshare to load...........

Role of computers in drug design1 from Educationcareer,authorstream




 

PROSTRATE CANCER

ALLOW SLIDESHARE TO LOAD...........................

Prostate cancer from morwenna2

Vical's Allovectin Phase III Trial Results: Consider The Possibilities

Vical's Allovectin Phase III Trial Results: Consider The Possibilities ... Cohen: We saw that happen last year when JNJ prematurely unblinded the pre- chemo Phase III study for the prostate cancer drug Zytiga. The trial achieved ... http://seekingalpha.com/article/1538852-vical-s-allovectin-phase-iii-trial-results-consider-the-possibilities Allovectin-7 is a substance that is being studied as a gene therapy agent in the treatment of cancer, such as malignant melanoma. It is a plasmid/lipid complex containing the DNA sequences encoding HLA-B7 and ß2 microglobulin - two components of major histocompatibility complex (MHC, class I). It increases the ability of the immune system to recognize cancer cells and kill them. In 1999, FDA granted Allovectin-7 orphan drug designation for the treatment of invasive and metastatic melanoma. Allovectin-7 entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms

University of East Anglia scientists make major advance important for cancer research

Above: EB2 (green) expressed in stem cell region of gut with microtubules in red (credit: Deborah Goldspink) 

University of East Anglia scientists make major advance important for cancer research

Dr Mette Mogensen’s lab from UEA's School of Biological Sciences has made a major advancement in understanding tissue development that has important implications for cancer. Findings published today in the Journal of Cell Science show how the protein EB2 is a key regulator of tube-like...

Read More About University of East Anglia scientists make major advance important for cancer research»

http://www.uea.ac.uk/mac/comm/media/press/2013/June/cancer-research-microtubules

Garlic in India

 

 

Garlic in India

The ancient Indians had varying views on garlic; but, for the most part, it was considered to be highly beneficial to the body. Ancient Sanskrit writings, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago, described the healing properties of garlic. In fact, the ancient medical practice of Ayurveda, which is still practised today, promoted garlic as one of the most important herbs. It recommends garlic in over 100 formulations for treating stomach, liver, tumor, asthma and other similar problems.

The Charaka Samhita is the oldest surviving Ayurvedic text, dating back to 200 BCE to 200 CE (AD), and suggests using garlic for alleviating:

• worms
• piles
• leukoderma
• leprosy
• epilepsy
• heart disease
• fainting
• arthritis
• rheumatism
• chronic rhinitis
• baldness.

 It was also included in the diet of nursing mothers to encourage milk secretion in nursing mothers and was hung to protect against evil spirits.

Other Ayurvedic teachings recommend garlic for:

• arteriosclerosis
• pain
• cholera
• dysentery
• indigestion
• constipation
• appetite loss
• fatigue
• typhoid
• tuberculosis
• cough
• fractures. 

It is also advocated for improving eyesight, intelligence, sexual debility, and impotency.

On the other hand, the ancient Indians believed garlic was a natural aphrodisiac that inspired lust and stimulated passions and, as a result, holy men, monks, widows, adolescents, and fasting persons were forbidden from consuming garlic. In addition, it was considered to be rajasic food; which meant it had unsettling effects on the body and devotees on the path to spiritual enlightenment were advised against eating it. The Buddists, Jains, Greeks and Romans also shared these sentiments; however, some believe the mild irritation garlic caused in the genitourinary tract may have resulted in its aphrodisiac and rajasic status.

References:

1. Charaka Samhita (Handbook on Ayurveda), edited by G. Van Loon (2002)

Chocolate as medicine: a quest over the centuries

The rehabilitation of chocolate has occurred only in recent times. The pages of scientific magazines have been positively recaptured and chocolate’s reputation is being restored to the value that Carl Linnaeus credited to this food, when he named the generous plant Theobroma cacao, the food of the gods
read all at
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/07/chocolate-medicine-wilson-hurst

Verona Pharma Plc Peer-Reviewed Paper Suggests RPL554 With Glycopyrrolate, Or Other Muscarinic Receptor Antagonists, Produces Synergistic Bronchodilation

RPL554

Verona Pharma Plc ("Verona Pharma" Or The "Company") Peer-Reviewed ...

Wall Street Journal
Verona Pharma is developing first-in-class drugs to treat respiratory disease, such as COPD, asthma and chronic, severe cough. The Company has three drug programmes, two of which are in Phase II. The lead programme, RPL554, is an innovative dual ...
read all at
http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130701-900428.html?mod=googlenews_wsj



RPL-554 (LS-193,855) is a drug which acts as a long-acting inhibitor of the phosphodiesterase enzymes PDE-3 and PDE-4, producing both bronchodilator and antiinflammatory effects.^[1] It is being developed by Verona Pharma as a potential treatment for asthma and hay fever, and is currently in clinical trials.^[2][3]

1.  Boswell-Smith V, Spina D, Oxford AW, Comer MB, Seeds EA, Page CP. The Pharmacology of Two Novel Long-Acting Phosphodiesterase 3/4 Inhibitors, RPL554 (9,10-Dimethoxy-2-(2,4,6-trimethylphenylimino)-3-(N-carbamoyl-2-aminoethyl) -3,4,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-pyrimido(6,1-a)isoquinolin-4-one) and RPL565 (6,7-Dihydro-2-(2,6-diisopropylphenoxy)-9,10-dimethoxy-4H-pyrimido(6,1-a)isoquinolin-4-one). Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 2006; 318(2):840-848.
2.  Verona Pharma Plc - Lead Drug RPL554
3.  Asthma and hay fever drug tested. BBC News, Wednesday 10 September 2008

WORLD DRUG TRACKER | join LinkedIn Group

WORLD DRUG TRACKER | LinkedIn

in.linkedin.com/groups/WORLD-DRUG-TRACKER-5055643‎

Jun 7, 2013 – To track information on drugs on worldwide basis, all aspects covered, A group by DR ANTHONY MELVIN CRASTO Ph.D.

WORLD DRUG TRACKER | LinkedIn

WORLD DRUG TRACKER | LinkedIn

WORLD DRUG TRACKER | LinkedIn click here

Alexion’s Soliris® (eculizumab) Receives Orphan Drug Designation for the Treatment of Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO)

Structure of eculizumab. Eculizumab was engineered to reduce immunogenicity and eliminate effector function. Human IgG2 and IgG4 heavy-chain sequences were combined to form a hybrid constant region that is unable to bind Fc receptors or to activate the complement cascade. Eculizumab exhibits high affinity for human C5, effectively blocking its cleavage and downstream proinflammatory and cell lytic properties. Reprinted from Rother et al with permission.  

Alexion's Soliris® (eculizumab) Receives Orphan Drug Designation for the ...

Fort Mills Times
In a Phase 2 study presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA), Soliris treatment was associated with a significant reduction in the frequency of relapses (recurring attacks) in patients with severe, relapsing ...

http://www.fortmilltimes.com/2013/06/27/2789656/alexions-soliris-eculizumab-receives.html


Eculizumab (INN and USAN; trade name Soliris) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that is a first-in-class terminal complement inhibitor and the first therapy approved for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare, progressive, and sometimes life-threatening disease characterized by excessive destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis). It costs £400,000 (US$600,000) per year per patient

Eculizumab also is the first agent approved for the treatment of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), an ultra-rare genetic disease that causes abnormal blood clots to form in small blood vessels throughout the body, leading to kidney failure, damage to other vital organs and premature death.

In clinical trials in patients with PNH, eculizumab was associated with reductions in chronic hemolysis, thromboembolic events, and transfusion requirements, as well as improvements in PNH symptoms, quality of life, and survival.Clinical trials in patients with aHUS demonstrated inhibition of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA),the formation of blood clots in small blood vessels throughout the body, including normalization of platelets and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well as maintenance or improvement in renal function.

Eculizumab was discovered and developed by Alexion Pharmaceuticals and is manufactured by Alexion. It was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 16, 2007 for the treatment of PNH, and on September 23, 2011 for the treatment of aHUS. It was approved by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of PNH on June 20, 2007, and on November 24, 2011 for the treatment of aHUS. Eculizumab is currently being investigated as a potential treatment for other severe, ultra-rare disorders.

Celgene buys MophoSys for myeloma antibody development

Celgene buys MophoSys for myeloma antibody development
German biopharmaceutical company MorphoSys will jointly develop an antibody for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) and leukaemia with Celgene Corporation. 

http://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/newscelegene-buys-mophosys-for-myeloma-antibody-development?WT.mc_id=DN_News

Preventing Dangerous Liaisons

A new peptidomimetic inhibits prostate cancer’s growth by preventing the androgen receptor from binding to its cofactor
Read more

http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/news/4884471/Preventing_Dangerous_Liaisons.html

Ambrx partners with Zhejiang for breast cancer antibody drug conjugate development

Ambrx has partnered with Zhejiang Medicine for the development and commercialization of ARX788, its antibody drug conjugate (ADC) for breast cancer... Targeting Her2-positive breast cancer, ARX788 is developed by the clinical stage biopharmaceutical company Ambrx as site-specific ADC.

http://contractresearch.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/news/ambrx-partners-with-zhejiang-for-breast-cancer-antibody-drug-conjugate-development-170613

HANDBOOK OF MEDICINAL HERBS-by DOCSTOC

Handbook of Medicinal Herbs (PDF)

Incyte Drug Jakafi ® (ruxolitinib) Improved Overall Survival in Phase III Trial of Patients with Myelofibrosis

ruxolitinib Incyte Drug Jakafi®ruxolitinib Improved Overall Survival in Phase ... Incyte Drug Jakafi®ruxolitinib Improved Overall Survival in Phase III Trial of Patients with Myel. by Business Wirevia The Motley Fool Jun 16th 2013 220AM ... http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/16/incyte-drug-jakafi-ruxolitinib-improved-overall-su/ Ruxolitinib (trade names Jakafi and Jakavi, by Incyte Pharmaceuticals and Novartis) is a drug for the treatment of intermediate or high-risk myelofibrosis, a type of bone marrow cancer. It is also being investigated for the treatment of other types of cancer (such as lymphomas and pancreatic cancer), for polycythemia vera, and for plaque psoriasis. The phase III Controlled Myelofibrosis Study with Oral JAK Inhibitor-I (COMFORT-I) and COMFORT-II trials showed significant benefits by reducing spleen size, relieving debilitating symptoms, and improving overall survival

Pharma-Execs-2012-Pipeline-Report

 
Just days before this article went to press, FDA approved the first of a new kind of oral enzyme treatment that mediates cellular response, Incyte/Novartis' Jakafi, for a rare bone marrow disease called myelofibrosis. The next JAK inhibitor, Pfizer's toficitinib, could hit the market late next year, meaning a lot of rheumatoid arthritis patients will never again have to sit in a hospital for a couple of hours to get an anti-TNF infusion. Many innovative drugs, long out of the gate, are closing in on the finish line; science is back, and a better understanding of the way genomics shapes disease is bringing about better outcomes, and sometimes faster approvals.

read all at

http://www.pharmexec.com/pharmexec/Deals/Pharm-Execs-2012-Pipeline-Report/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/752361?contextCategoryId=48159

Amgen, Cytokinetics expand collaboration

Omecamtiv mecarbil

Omecamtiv mecarbil

Omecamtiv mecarbil

Omecamtiv mecarbil

Omecamtiv mecarbil
Amgen, Cytokinetics expand collaboration

Thursday, June 13, 2013 01:30 PM

Amgen and Cytokinetics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, have expanded their strategic collaboration to include Japan. In 2006, Cytokinetics and Amgen entered into a collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize novel small-molecule therapeutics that activate cardiac muscle contractility for potential applications in the treatment of heart failure. Omecamtiv mecarbil is the most advanced drug candidate in this collaboration.

- See more at:
 http://www.centerwatch.com//news-online/article/4852/amgen-cytokinetics-expand-collaboration

 Omecamtiv mecarbil , previously codenamed CK-1827452, is a cardiac specific myosin activator. It is clinically tested for its role in the treatment of left ventricular systolic heart failure. Systolic heart failure is characterised as a decreased cardiac output (<40% ejection fraction), due to decreased stroke volume, resulting in the inability to meet the metabolic demands of the body. The loss of contraction is caused by a reduced number of effective actin-myosin cross bridges in the left ventricular myocytes. One possible underlying mechanism is altered signal transduction that interferes with excitation-contraction coupling. A decreased cardiac output causes peripheral hypotension and activation of the sympathetic nervous system. This in turn stimulates the cardiac myocytes excessively, eventually leading to left ventricular hypertrophy, characteristic of chronic heart failure. Some symptoms of systolic heart failure are fatigue, peripheral oedema, dyspnoea, exercise intolerance and breathlessness. Current inotropic drug therapies such as dobutamine, are palliative and not a cure. They also cause many adverse effects including arrhythmias related to increased myocardical oxygen consumption, desensitization of adrenergic receptors and altering intracellular calcium levels. Thus systolic heart failure is considered malignant, however the novel mechanism of Omecamtiv Mecarbil is a hopeful long-term resolution.

DRUG SCALEUP AND MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL BY DR ANTHONY MELVIN CRASTO, WORLD DRUG TRACKER

http://drug-scaleup-and-manufacturing.webnode.com/news/my-website-on-scaleup-of-organic-compounds/

AstraZeneca buys Pearl Therapeutics in $1.15bn deal

AstraZeneca buys Pearl Therapeutics in $1.15bn deal


The UK's second largest drug company, AstraZeneca, has announced that it will buy US based lung disease drug specialist, Pearl Therapeutics, in a deal worth up to $1.15bn (£742m).

 http://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/newsastrazeneca-buys-pearl-therapeutics-in-115bn-deal?WT.mc_id=DN_News














 

PFIZER, MERCK, SANOFI --Does This Pipeline Promise Tomorrow's Blockbuster Sales?

Does This Pipeline Promise Tomorrow's Blockbuster Sales?

Motley Fool
Pfizer's future looks strong with its robust pipeline that boasts 74 total drugs in development, and at least in late-stage candidates, Merck looks strong as well, with another 23 therapies in phase 2 development. However, it's the quality, not the ...


read all at
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/06/12/does-this-pipeline-promise-tomorrows-blockbuster-s.aspx