Fish oil supplements may help fight against Type 2 diabetes

Widely-used fish oil supplements modestly increase amounts of a hormone that is associated with lower risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to a study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Vortioxetine, a new multimodal agent in development for the treatment of major depression

H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) has announced positive results from four pre-clinical animal studies with (vortioxetine, an investigational agent under review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and other health agencies for the treatment of major depression.

Research offers promising new approach to treatment of lung cancer

Researchers have developed a new drug delivery system that allows inhalation of chemotherapeutic drugs to help treat lung cancer, and in laboratory and animal tests it appears to reduce the systemic damage done to other organs while significantly improving the treatment of lung tumors.

Global recommendations on child medicine

Transparent information on the evidence supporting global recommendations on paediatric medicines should be easily accessible in order to help policy makers decides on what drugs to include in their national drug lists, according to international experts from Ghana and the UK writing in this week's PLOS Medicine.

Breakup of physician, drug company relationship could improve health care, cut cost

A new report suggests that improved health care and significant reductions in drug costs might be attained by breaking up the age-old relationship between physicians and drug company representatives who promote the newest, more costly and often unnecessary prescription drugs.

Nanotechnology could help fight diabetes

Injectable nanoparticles developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) may someday eliminate the need for patients with Type 1 diabetes to constantly monitor their blood-sugar levels and inject themselves with insulin. The nanoparticles were designed to sense glucose levels in the body and respond by secreting the appropriate amount of insulin, thereby replacing the function of pancreatic islet cells, which are destroyed in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

AstraZeneca issues update on accelerated oncology pipeline

AstraZeneca today announced that it will be moving three of its cancer compounds forward to Phase III clinical development. As set out at its Investor Day in March, oncology is one of the company's core therapy areas and accelerating the development of a number of new molecular entities in its pipeline is a strategic priority.

First prospective trial shows molecular profiling timely for tailoring therapy

A clinical trial has shown that patients, and their physicians, are eager to jump into next-era cancer care - analysis of an individual's tumor to find and target genetic mutations that drive the cancer. Results of the study, CUSTOM, are being presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology years before investigators thought they would be ready.

GSK and Save the Children form unique partnership to save the lives of one million children

An ambitious new partnership to save the lives of a million of the poorest children in the world has been launched by GSK and Save the Children. This unique collaboration will see the two organisations work together in a very different way, sharing expertise, resources, reach and influence to tackle some of the leading causes of childhood deaths.

Breakthrough in how pancreatic cancer cells ingest nutrients points to new drug target

In a landmark cancer study published online in Nature, researchers at NYU School of Medicine have unraveled a longstanding mystery about how pancreatic tumor cells feed themselves, opening up new therapeutic possibilities for a notoriously lethal disease with few treatment options. Pancreatic cancer kills nearly 38,000 Americans annually, making it a leading cause of cancer death. The life expectancy for most people diagnosed with it is less than a year.

Novartis drug Ilaris® approved by FDA to treat active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Novartis announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ilaris® (canakinumab) for the treatment of active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) in patients aged 2 years and older. Ilaris is the first interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) inhibitor approved for SJIA and the only treatment approved specifically for SJIA that is given as a once-monthly subcutaneous injection[1].

Amgen and Zhejiang Beta Pharma announce planned joint venture in China

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Zhejiang Beta Pharma Co., Ltd. (Zhejiang Beta Pharma) today announced that the companies have signed an agreement to form a joint venture to commercialize Amgen's Vectibix® (panitumumab) in the Chinese market. Together, Amgen and Zhejiang Beta Pharma aim to quickly and efficiently deliver Vectibix to patients in China.

Boehringer Ingelheim joins Structural Genomics Consortium

Boehringer Ingelheim has joined the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC). The consortium intends to promote research into protein structures and epigenetics that could pave the way for the development of novel therapies for previously uncurable diseases. As a member of the SGC, Boehringer Ingelheim will help fund precompetitive drug research aimed at bringing new, more effective medicines to patients faster.

Real-world data at ARVO highlight transformational outcomes seen with Lucentis®

Novartis has reported that new data with the eye drug Lucentis® (ranibizumab), first licensed in June 2006, is highlighted in a total of 209 abstracts at the 2013 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting this week.

New class of drug targets skin cancer

A new class of drug targeting skin cancer's genetic material has been successfully tested in humans for the first time, opening the way to new treatments for a range of conditions from skin cancers to eye diseases. The research involves the drug Dz13, a targeted molecular therapy, which was developed at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and has now been found to be safe in a clinical trial of patients with the common skin cancer, basal-cell carcinoma.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer announce publication of ARISTOTLE subanalysis in Circulation

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced that results from a prespecified subanalysis of the ARISTOTLE trial were published in Circulation, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. Results from this subanalysis showed that the reductions in stroke or systemic embolism, number of major bleeding events and mortality demonstrated with Eliquis® (apixaban) compared to warfarin in the ARISTOTLE trial were consistent across subgroups defined based on levels of International Normalized Ratio (INR) control in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Funding boost for GSK's open innovation research into diseases affecting the developing world

GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) announced a funding injection of up to £5m from the Wellcome Trust to support its open approach to discovering and developing urgently needed new treatments for diseases of the developing world. The funding will move early-stage research to the next level, to find new medicines for diseases such as TB, malaria, Leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness.

Study opens new prospects for developing new targeted therapies for breast cancer

A study led by prominent breast cancer experts from Europe and the US has revealed a number of potentially important prospects for targeted therapies, and brings opportunities of truly personalised therapy for breast cancer a step closer, researchers said at the 5th IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference in Brussels, Belgium.

Experts discuss ways to embed patient voices and values in clinical research

There is worldwide concern in the biomedical research community that enrollment in clinical trials is lagging, putting clinical research and consequent benefits to society in jeopardy. Experts explore ways to embed patient voices and values in clinical research in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Lundbeck is well on track to deliver on guidance for 2013

H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) reports first quarter revenue of DKK 4,576 million corresponding to an increase of 21%. Profit from operations (EBIT) in the quarter increased 73% to DKK 1,526 million corresponding to an EBIT margin of 33%. The quarter is positively impacted by non-recurring items from milestones and divestiture of the mature US product-portfolio.