CSHL scientists identify new drug target against virulent type of breast cancer

Enzyme target, Brk, is shown to be an accelerator of HER2-positive tumors

27-Aug-2008 - Tumor cells in a particular subset of breast cancer patients churn out too much of a protein called ErbB2 - also often called HER2 - which drives the cells to proliferate unchecked. Patients unlucky enough to be in this group - about one in four - have poorer prognoses and clinical outcomes than ...

FDA Grants Fast Track Designation for OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals' Lead Product Candidate OGX-011

26-Aug-2008 - OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals announced that OGX-011, also known as custirsen sodium, received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in combination with docetaxel for progressive metastatic prostate cancer. OGX-011 is currently completing five Phase 2 clinical studies ...

BioAlliance Pharma Announces the Grant of Its Main Patent on The Lauriad Technology in Europe

The patent has been validated in the main European countries and the opposition period has now expired

26-Aug-2008 - BioAlliance Pharma SA announced the grant of its main patent on the Lauriad® technology in Europe. The patent describes and protects a muco-adhesive tablet for various applications in the field of opportunistic infections associated with AIDS and cancer. It has been validated in the main ...

PregLem starts Phase III trials of PGL4001 in Uterine Myoma

20-Aug-2008 - PregLem SA announced the start of an international Phase III clinical trial program for PGL4001 (ulipristal) in symptomatic uterine myoma, a common benign solid tumor of the genital tract in women of reproductive age. PGL4001, an orally active, selective progesterone receptor modulator, was shown ...

Hydrogels provide scaffolding for growth of bone cells

19-Aug-2008 - Hyaluronic hydrogels developed by Carnegie Mellon University researchers may provide a suitable scaffolding to enable bone regeneration. The hydrogels, created by Newell Washburn, Krzysztof Matyjaszewski and Jeffrey Hollinger, have proven to encourage the growth of preosteoblast cells, cells that ...

Evidence of activity seen in new data from ASA404 prostate cancer trial

18-Aug-2008 - Antisoma plc announced survival data from its phase II study of ASA404 in hormone-refractory prostate cancer, in which patients were randomised to receive either 1200 mg/m2 ASA404 plus the chemotherapy drug docetaxel or a control treatment of docetaxel alone. The hazard ratio expressing the ...

Dr. Andrew Zhu Joins Chemokine Therapeutics' Clinical Advisory Board

15-Aug-2008 - Chemokine Therapeutics Corp. announced that Dr. Andrew Zhu has joined the Company's Oncology Clinical Advisory Board. The Advisory Board plays an important role in guiding the CTCE-9908 clinical development program. Dr. Andrew Zhu is an attending oncologist as well as the director of Liver ...

Algeta begins first US clinical trial of Alpharadin in men with advanced prostate cancer

14-Aug-2008 - Algeta ASA has started the first US clinical trial for its lead product Alpharadin in men with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) that has metastasized to the skeleton. The new US trial (BC1-08) will be a phase I open label, ascending dose study of Alpharadin (radium-223 chloride) in up ...

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. Completes Dose Escalation in Combination REOLYSIN/Docetaxel Trial

13-Aug-2008 - Oncolytics Biotech Inc. has completed patient enrolment in the dose escalation portion of its U.K. clinical trial to evaluate the anti-tumour effects of systemic administration of REOLYSIN(R) in combination with docetaxel (Taxotere(R)) in patients with advanced cancers including bladder, ...

Fat metabolizing hormone studied in humans

11-Aug-2008 - The endogenous substance FGF21 has beneficial effects on blood lipids and glucose levels in rodents and monkeys, and is an interesting candidate for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Scientists at Karolinska Institutet have now examined if FGF21 has a similar function in humans. Disorders of fat ...