Eculizumab proves effective in treating atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome

ECULIZUMAB


A new treatment for patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome ( aHUS) was tested by researchers at Emory University. According to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it seems that eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody, is effective in the management of this life-threatening inflammatory disease.
 
Hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is a thrombotic microangiopathy that causes blood clots in small vessels, is characterized by thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia and uremia. It mostly affects children up to 7 years old and is the most common cause of acute renal failure in children. The hemolytic uremic syndrome is often associated with enteric infections (E. coli, Shigella, Salmonella, etc.), but it can occur in other situations such as after certain drugs, tumors, after transplantation, etc..

Read more: http://www.doctortipster.com/14800-eculizumab-proves-effective-in-treating-atypical-hemolytic-uremic-syndrome.html















Site of action of eculizumab. a Complement C5 is split by C5 convertase into C5a and C5b. C5a increases the permeability of blood vessels and attracts inflammatory cells by chemotaxis. C5b binds to other complement components (C6, C7, and C8). The C5b-8 complex is expanded with C9 to form the MAC. MAC binds and permeabilizes bacterial walls (e.g. Neisseria), thereby killing the microorganism. b Eculizumab is a long-acting humanized monoclonal antibody targeted against complement C5. It inhibits the cleavage of C5 into C5a and C5b and hence inhibits deployment of the terminal complement system including the formation of MAC
 

Brain makes its own version of Valium, Stanford scientists discover

Brain makes its own version of Valium, Stanford scientists discover

June 5, 2013

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that a naturally occurring protein secreted only in discrete areas of the mammalian brain may act as a Valium-like brake on certain types of epileptic seizures. The protein is known as diazepam binding inhibitor, or DBI. It calms the rhythms of a key brain circuit … more…

read all at

http://www.kurzweilai.net/brain-makes-its-own-version-of-valium-stanford-scientists-discover?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=2190041b5c-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-2190041b5c-282116853

by WORLD DRUG TRACKER
DR ANTHONY

New method of mass-producing high-quality DNA molecules

New method of mass-producing high-quality DNA molecules

A new method of manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules can solve many of the problems associated with current production methods. The new method can be of value to development of drugs consisting of DNA fragments and to DNA nanotechnology research. The novel technique for manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules — or oligonucleotides — has been … more…

http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-method-of-mass-producing-high-quality-dna-molecules?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=2190041b5c-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6de721fb33-2190041b5c-282116853

by WORLD DRUG TRACKER
DR ANTHONY

ARTEMETHER, THE ANTIMALARIAL

Artemether (INN) is an antimalarial for the treatment of multi-drug resistant strains offalciparum malaria. It's combination (co-formulation) with Lumefantrine has first been marketed by Novartis under the brand names Riamet and Coartem. 
Today, this combination therapy is available as generic from several manufacturers.
It is a methyl ether derivative of artemisinin, which is a peroxide lactone isolated from theChinese antimalarial plant, Artemisia annua. It is also known as dihydroartemisinin methyl ether, but its correct chemical nomenclature is (+)-(3-alpha,5a-beta,6-beta,8a-beta, 9-alpha,12-beta,12aR)-decahydro-10-methoxy-3,6,9-trimethyl-3,12-epoxy-12H-pyrano(4,3-j)-1,2-benzodioxepin. It is a relatively lipophilic and unstable drug.

Artemether is highly effective against the blood schizonts of both malarial parasites P. falciparum and P. vivax. It is available as mono-therapy but usually applied in combination with lumefantrine in clinical treatments of malaria. World Health Organization guidelines for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria recommend the use of this artemisinin-based combination therapy, and approved by Swissmedic in December 2008 and recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Zambia was the first African country to adopt artemether/lumefantrine (commonly called Coartem) as first-line therapy in national malaria treatment guidelines in 2002. Clinical records show that by 2008, the rates of in-patient malaria cases and deaths decreased by 61% and 66%, respectively, compared with the 2001-2002 reference period. In South Africa also the number of malaria-related outpatient cases and hospital admissions to each fall by 99% from 2001 to 2003, and malaria-related deaths decreased by 97% over the same period.^[2] The efficacy of the six-dose regimen of Coartem has been confirmed in many different patient populations around the world, consistently achieving 28-day polymerase chain reaction-corrected cure rates of >95% in the evaluable population, rapidly clearing parasitaemia and fever, and demonstrating a significant gametocidal effect, even in areas of widespread parasite resistance to other antimalarials. Coartem is much more effective than quinine, the classical antimalarial. Randomised clinical trial in Uganda shows cure rate of malaria as high as 96% in the Coartem-treated group compared with 64% for the quinine group. For Plasmodium vivax infection, combination withpiperaquine is more effective than Coartem.

PLANT

Artemether has been assigned to category C by the FDA on the basis of animal data which shows an association with fetal-loss and deformity. However, clinical data appears to show that artemether is safe in pregnancy. A meta-analysis of 14 clinical trials that looked at artemether use in a total of 945 pregnant women did not find evidence of harm, and a clinical trial of artemether-lumefantrine designed to look at this question found fewer adverse events in the 138 pregnant women treated with artemther-lumefantrine than women treated with quinine.

DRUG SYNTHESIS PORTALS ON THE NET

DRUG SYNTHEIS PORTALS ON THE NET

READ ALL AT

http://newdrugapprovals.wordpress.com/drug-synthesis/

Fast flu mapping without the sequencing

Fast flu mapping without the sequencing
	New protein-based approach could build evolutionary trees faster than sequencing

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2013/05/fast-flu-mapping-protein-mass-spec

Malaria breakthrough triggers hope for new vaccine

Malaria breakthrough triggers hope for new vaccine 

Scientists in Scotland say they have found a link to various strains of a malaria parasite, potentially paving the way for the next-generation malaria drug or vaccine development. 


http://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/newsmalaria-breakthrough-triggers-hope-for-new-vaccine?WT.mc_id=DN_News

DRUGS-Using FTIR and NIR spectroscopy in process control

http://www.manufacturingchemist.com/technical/article_page/Using_FTIR_and_NIR_spectroscopy_in_process_control/88634




BY WORLD DRUG TRACKER
DR ANTHONY CRASTO

Improving Compound Extraction Efficiency Novel Method for Skin Tissues Allows Higher-Throughput Sample Processing

READ ALL AT
http://www.genengnews.com/gen-articles/improving-compound-extraction-efficiency/4888/





BY WORLD DRUG TRACKER
DR ANTHONY CRASTO

ASCO '13: Amgen's Cancer-Killing Virus Shows Skin-Cancer Survival Trend (Update)

ASCO '13: Amgen's Cancer-Killing Virus Shows Skin-Cancer Survival Trend 

TheStreet.com 
PD-1 refers to the drugs being developed by Bristol-Myers, Merck and Roche. "We're doing early safety studies, it's too early to comment but the interest in pursuing this approach is much higher today." In the Amgen phase III trial, more than 400 ... 

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11938587/1/asco-13-amgens-cancer-killing-virus-shows-skin-cancer-survival-trend.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN


by world drug tracker
DR ANTHONY MELVIN CRASTO

Analysis Revealed that Glaxo Drugs Can Prolong Lives of Ovarian Cancer Patients up to 17 Months

Analysis Revealed that Glaxo Drugs Can Prolong Lives of Ovarian Cancer Patients up to 17 Months

Analysis Revealed that Glaxo Drugs Can Prolong Lives of Ovarian Cancer ... 
Headlines & Global NewsThe researchers conducted a large-scale Phase 3 trial on women with advanced ovarian cancer. The test was successful as it prolonged the lives of the patients without getting their disease worse for an average of 5.6 months. The American Society ... 

http://www.hngn.com/articles/4251/20130601/analysis-revealed-glaxo-drugs-prolong-lives-ovarian-cancer-patients-up.htm

According to the study presented last Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, the oral drug Votrient- with generic name pazopanib formulated to block tumor growth- may be used as a maintenance drug by ovarian cancer patients after the surgery and chemotherapy

Phase 3 DECISION Trial Investigating the Use of Nexavar® (sorafenib)

Phase 3 DECISION Trial Investigating the Use of Nexavar® (sorafenib ...Sacramento BeeThe Phase 3 DECISION data will form the basis for regulatory submissions of sorafenib for the treatment of RAI-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. Submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) in the United States is planned for mid ...

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/02/5464658/phase-3-decision-trial-investigating.html

Japan launches $100m initiative to develop drugs for poorest nations

 http://www.pharmatimes.com/Article/13-05-31/Japan_launches_100m_initiative_to_develop_drugs_for_poorest_nations.aspx

Novel isocitrate dehydrogenases 1 and 2 inhibitors prevent the growth of brain and blood tumors

 read at

http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/news/4742571/Silencing_a_Tumorigenic_Catalyst.html

14 May 2013

Silencing a Tumorigenic Catalyst

Novel isocitrate dehydrogenases 1 and 2 inhibitors prevent the growth of brain and blood tumors
Read more