Archive for the 'Cardiovascular' Category
July 27th, 2010 by admin
Oncologics, lipid regulators, respiratory agents, antidiabetics and anti-ulcerants are the five largest drug classes by sales. But annual sales are only half the story. Which drug classes are booming, and which have plateaued–or even dropped? IMS Health has released top-line industry data revealing the 15 largest drug classes, and we’ve crunched the numbers to take a closer look at the average sales growth of the 15 largest therapeutic classes over the last five years.
Continue reading ‘Fastest Growing Therapeutic Classes (by Sales)’
April 14th, 2010 by admin
Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have found in animals that infusing cardiac-derived stem cells with micro-size particles of iron and then using a magnet to guide those stem cells to the area of the heart damaged in a heart attack boosts the heart’s retention of those cells and could increase the therapeutic benefit of stem cell therapy for heart disease.
Continue reading ‘Magnetic Attraction of Stem Cells Creates More Potent Treatment for Heart Attack’
February 3rd, 2010 by admin
Many different cell types can be cultivated in a petri dish. Unfortunately, turning them into organs is substantially more difficult. It also tends to be difficult to cultivate cells that will function in a way that is similar to normal tissue function. This is an especially critical issue when it comes to heart cells. Recently, researchers at Johns Hopkins in conjunction with researchers in South Korea found a way to use special grooves in nanochips to encourage heart cells to stimulate growing cardiac tissue.
Continue reading ‘Nanotechnology Improves Laboratory Based Heart Cell Growth’
February 2nd, 2010 by admin
As pharmaceutical companies looked to wrap up 2009, there were a number of interesting deals being made. In particular, Novartis has agreed to buy Corthera, a San Mateo, CA based company for $120 million. This purchase gives them control of a promising new heart drug called Relaxin. Novartis has also committed to spending up to $500 million to continue development of Relaxin. As may be expected, the funding for this drug will be divided into milestones that must be achieved before Relaxin becomes available for consumer use.
Continue reading ‘Novartis Pays 120M to Buyout Corthera’
October 8th, 2009 by admin
In a new study, scientists have found that heart cells are capable of regenerating themselves. This negates the conventional wisdom that the human body is not able to replace damaged heart cells. This study on heart cell regeneration has been hailed as important for allowing for the prevention and treatment of heart diseases. Read more about Heart Failure – When Drugs Do Not Work: Stakeholder Opinions
Continue reading ‘Heart Cells Automatically Regenerated at 1% Annually’
September 17th, 2009 by admin
Accessory signaling molecules modulate cell-cell interaction by transmission of activation signals and by stimulation of the release of cytokines and chemokines. By these effects, accessory signaling molecules may induce or propagate an inflammatory response. Read more about Transforming Drug Discovery through Genomics and Proteomics
Continue reading ‘Accessory Signaling Molecules’
May 28th, 2009 by admin
In response to the United States Supreme Court ruling in Riegel v. Medtronic, representative, Frank Pallone (D. New Jersey) introduced the Medical Device Safety Act of 2009. If enacted, the Act would roll back federal preemption by overturning the Court’s ruling in Riegel.
Continue reading ‘The Medical Device Safety Act of 2009′
May 7th, 2009 by admin
Coumadin (Warfarin) is a widely used anticoagulant that has been under much scrutiny for its serious potential to cause fatal internal bleeding in patients. A review of these increased risks has required US health officials to have the drug maker, Bristol-Myers Squibb add a black box warning to the drug’s label. The warning comes after the agency identified that the most potentially fatal bleeding risks have shown to be potentiated with the concomitant use of the drug in patients that are more susceptible as a result of their increased age (65 and older) or, gastrointestinal bleeding, hypertension or heart disease risks.
Continue reading ‘Warfarin Black Box Warning, Causes Many To Weigh the Drug’s Risks Over It’s Benefits’
May 6th, 2009 by admin
The pharmaceutical industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing drugs, medicines and related products for human or animal use. Establishments in this industry may undertake one or more of several processes, including basic processes, such as chemical synthesis; fermentation; distillation and solvent extraction; grading, grinding and milling; and packaging in forms suitable for internal and external use, such as tablets, vials, ampoules and ointments.
Continue reading ‘Rise of the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry’
April 20th, 2009 by admin
Plaque rupture is a dangerous condition in which a formation of plaque within an artery ruptures, releasing fatty particles and other non-soluble material into the bloodstream. There are several dangerous situations that may result from this event. After the rupture, the site of the rupture could seal over with an overlying clot, causing a potentially larger blockage in the artery. Also, the fatty particles may become lodged (as embolisms) further downstream in the artery. In either case, the result may be a heart attack or stroke.
Continue reading ‘Plaque Rupture and Thrombus Formation’
