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Join Dr Philip Wright, Director of Science at the ABPI live online to find out.
Medicines wants to know:"Why has there been a decline in interest in science, maths and technology?"   Dr Philip Wright said: Well there's not really any single explanation about why there's been a decline what we're most concerned about actually are chemistry courses and attracting young people to take part. In part because somehow we're missing the excitement of practical science that's the thing that attracted me to science. In chemistry we're seeing a situation where over 70% of GCSE chemistry classes are taken by teachers without a chemistry degree. Which is a bit worrying. Somehow we have to attract students to do chemistry degrees and then some of those graduates need to teaching. Sasha wan…

This edition of Emerging Drug Discovery Targets features MBD2 inhibitors as a selective strategy for reducing tumor growth; NicOx's NO-ASA cancer candidate, NCX 4040, MIF as a target for atherogenesis; expanding indications for COX-2 inhibitors; and a dual MMP and TACE inhibitor as a treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This edition also sees a new section "TherapyUpdate" which this month focuses on Osteoporosis. As usual we also provide updates on industrial advances and licensing opportunities a
Emerging Drug Discovery Targets from LeadDiscovery 6th May 2004 to view this alert on line please go to http://www.leaddiscovery.co.uk/TherapeuticAdvances%20Archive/May%206th%20emerging%20targets.htm ************************************** "Emerging Drug Discovery Targets" provides a twice monthly su…

DailyUpdates 5th May: As the battle lines are drawn up between gabapentin and its generic equivalents, research published by Turkish researchers suggests that the first-line use of these therapeutics in the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury will represent one battle in the war between Pfizer and its competitors.
DailyUpdates 5th May: As the battle lines are drawn up between gabapentin and its generic equivalents, research published by Turkish researchers suggests that the first-line use of these therapeutics in the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury will represent one battle in the war between Pfizer and its competitors. Approximately 26 million patients worldwide (10 million in the ) suffer from some form of neuropathic pain…

DailyUpdates 29th April: Cancer pain affects over 3 million people in the US alone. The treatment of this condition, whether it is due to bone metastasis or a result of the use of cytotoxic therapies is challenging. Researchers from McGill University have now demonstrated that ethosuximide, an anti-epileptic and relatively selective T-type calcium channel blocker, is highly effective in reversing neuropathic pain caused by the commonly employed cytotoxics paclitaxel or vincristine. This contr

DailyUpdates 22nd April: Phase III studies have previously shown Merkle’s first in the class COX/LOX inhibitor, Licofelone, to be equally effective to standard treatments of osteoarthritis. Moreover, gastrointestinal adverse events tended to be less frequent in patients treated with licofelone as compared to naproxen. In this month’s edition of the American Journal of Gastroenterology new data is published showing clear cut advantages of licofelone arising from the dramatic reduction in incide
DailyUpdates 22nd April: Phase III studies have previously shown Merkle’s first in the class COX/LOX inhibitor, Licofelone, to be equally effective to standard treatments of osteoarthritis.  Moreover, gastrointestinal adverse events tended to be less frequent in patients treated with licof…

DailyUpdates 20th April: An estimated 5 million individuals suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in the Western world. CB1 cannabinoid receptor ligands are in development as candidate treatments of this disease due to their analgesic properties. Now researchers from the Hebrew University and the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology in London have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory, disease modifying efficacy of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, HU-320 in a model of rheumatoid arthritis.
DailyUpdates 20th April: An estimated 5 million individuals suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in the Western world.  CB1 cannabinoid receptor ligands are in development as candidate treatments of this disease due to their analgesic properties.  Now researchers from the Hebrew University and the Ken…

DailyUpdates 19th April: NSAIDs have shown promising activity in the prevention and possible treatment of cancer. The French pharmaceutical NicOx has successfully improved both the safety and efficacy of NSAIDs by attaching a nitric oxide donor group to various NSAIDs. In a recent study nitrosulindac has been demonstrated to act as an effective and selective cytotoxic and antiproliferative agent against bladder cancer cells. The efficacy of nitrosulindac was considerable better than sulindac.
DailyUpdates 19th April: NSAIDs have shown promising activity in the prevention and possible treatment of cancer.  The French pharmaceutical NicOx has successfully improved both the safety and efficacy of NSAIDs by attaching a nitric oxide donor group to various NSAIDs.  In a recent s…

Pharmaceutical Education Associates is proud to present: The Inaugural Prodrugs: Effective Solutions for Solubility, Permeability, and Targeting Challenges Conference, June 28-29, 2004 at The Union League, Philadelphia, PA. . Please visit http://www.pharmedassociates.com/ for more details, or call 800-686-2276.
Pharmaceutical Education Associates is proud to present: The Inaugural  Prodrugs: Effective Solutions for Solubility, Permeability, and Targeting Challenges Conference,   at The Union League, Addressing the most pressing issues in prodrug and drug delivery technology today. We’ve put together a wide diversity of speakers, all at the top of their field and talking on issues of wide current interest, to broaden the perspective of a typical pharmaceutical conference. Our e…

DailyUpdates 16th April: RNA interference is emerging as a major tool to help researchers identify new therapeutic targets. Novartis researchers have recently used this technology to underline the role that the ligand activated cation-channel, P2X3 plays in neuropathic pain. This study also demonstrates the therapeutic potential of P2X3 gene silencing in the treatment of this major unmet area of analgesia.
DailyUpdates 16th April: RNA interference is emerging as a major tool to help researchers identify new therapeutic targets.  Novartis researchers have recently used this technology to underline the role that the ligand activated cation-channel, P2X3 plays in neuropathic pain.  This study also demonstrates the therapeutic potential of P2X3 gene silencing in t…

DailyUpdates 14th April: Neuropathic pain affects 26 million patients including a sub-population of cancer patients being treated with cytotoxics. McGill researchers have published the results of a study looking at neuropathic pain in various strains of mice. These data show that neuropathic pain has a genetic component suggested to be equally relevant to paclitaxel and surgically-induced pain. The study also advances the use of paclitaxel-induced hyperalgesia as a model for the development o
DailyUpdates 14th April: Neuropathic pain affects 26 million patients including a sub-population of cancer patients being treated with cytotoxics.  McGill researchers have published the results of a study looking at neuropathic pain in various strains of mice.  These data show that ne…

DailyUpdates 13th April: According to WHO, there are some 130 million diagnosed diabetics in the world, a figure that is predicted to increase to 300 million by 2025. Approximately 10-15% of these patients suffer type 1 diabetes. Novo Nordisk have shown that their Kir6.2/SUR1 channel opener, NN414 is able to preserve beta-cell function and reduction of insulitis presumable through the induction of "beta-cell rest".
DailyUpdates 13th April: According to WHO, there are some 130 million diagnosed diabetics in the world, a figure that is predicted to increase to 300 million by 2025. Approximately 10-15% of these patients suffer type 1 diabetes. Novo Nordisk have shown that their Kir6.2/SUR1 channel opener, NN414 is able to preserve beta-cell function and reduction of insulitis presumable…

DailyUpdates 8th April: An estimated 5 million individuals suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in the Western world. Corticosteroids are the most dramatically effective short-term anti-inflammatory drugs; however, their clinical benefit for rheumatoid arthritis often diminishes with time. This, the severe rebounds observed following the withdrawal of corticosteroids, and long-term systemic side effects associated with corticosteroids limits their use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Rese
DailyUpdates 8th April: An estimated 5 million individuals suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in the Western world.  Corticosteroids are the most dramatically effective short-term anti-inflammatory drugs; however, their clinical benefit for rheumatoid arthritis often diminishes with time.&nb…

DailyUpdates 7th April: A recent survey of community-dwelling women in France, Germany, Spain and the UK found that 35% women suffer urinary incontinence, the most prevalent form of which was stress urinary incontinence. The findings also revealed that two-thirds of women affected with urinary incontinence never consulted a health care professional for treatment. The perceived and real lack of pharmaceutical options for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence is a major factor contributing
DailyUpdates 7th April: A recent survey of community-dwelling women in France, Germany, Spain and the UK found that 35% women suffer urinary incontinence, the most prevalent form of which was stress urinary incontinence. The findings also revealed that two-thirds of women af…

DailyUpdates 6th April: According to WHO, there are some 130 million diagnosed diabetics in the world and the long term consequences of diabetes such as diabetic nephropathy are becoming increasingly frequent and unmet components of diabetes care. In a recent study Glasgow Royal Infirmary researchers report that intensive treatment slowed progression of renal disease within 2 years in patients with established diabetic nephropathy and predict that this approach may delay the onset of dialysis b
New data shows that intensive treatment of diabetes may lower coexistent hypertension and delay renal dialysis by up to 20 years   DailyUpdates 6th April: According to WHO, there are some 130 million diagnosed diabetics in the world and the long term consequences of diabetes such as diabetic n…

DailyUpdates 5th April: There is growing evidence of a link between type-2 diabetes/obesity and Alzheimer disease. Researchers now report that diet-induced insulin resistance increases beta amyloid generation, amyloid plaque burden in the brain and behavioural impairment in a model of Alzheimer disease.
DailyUpdates 5th April: There is growing evidence of a link between type-2 diabetes/obesity and Alzheimer disease.  Researchers now report that diet-induced insulin resistance increases beta amyloid generation,  amyloid plaque burden in the brain and behavioural impairment in a model of Alzheimer disease.  The aging population will contribute to an expansion of the already $30 billion neurodegenerative market. The market for Alzheimer disease therapy i…

DailyUpdates 2nd April: There is growing evidence that type-2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer disease. In their April American Journal of Pathology article Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers add further evidence to support defects in insulin-degrading enzyme activity as a potential cause of this phenomenon. This and similar data argues for the development of cross-indication treatments of type-2 diabetes and Alzheimer disease and GSK-3 inhibitors may fit the bill.
DailyUpdates 2nd April: There is growing evidence that type-2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer disease.  In their April American Journal of Pathology article Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers add further evidence to support defects in insulin-degrading enzyme activity as a potential cause…

DailyUpdates 1st April: Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is estimated to affect over 73 million people in the seven major pharmaceutical markets. Disease modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) currently represent the ‘holy grail’ in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The Group for the Respect of Ethics and Excellence in Science (GREES) have now published recommendations on the clinical development of DMOADs.
GREES publish new recommendations on the clinical development of disease modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) DailyUpdates 1st April: Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is estimated to affect over 73 million people in the seven major pharmaceutical markets. Disease modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) currently represent the ‘ho…

DailyUpdates 31st March: Bipolar disorder affects over 2 million people in the US alone. Lithium, which inhibits inositol monophosphatase, has long been a first line mood stabilizer used in the treatment of this condition. Merck & Co have now developed a new cell-based HTS assay to identify novel inositol monophosphatase inhibitors which will hopefully lead to improved treatments of bipolar disorder.
DailyUpdates 31st March: Bipolar disorder affects over 2 million people in the US alone.  Lithium, which inhibits inositol monophosphatase, has long been a first line mood stabilizer used in the treatment of this condition.  Merck & Co have now developed a new cell-based HTS assay to identify novel inositol monophosphatase inhibitors which will hopefully lead to i…

DailyUpdates 30th March: According to WHO, there are some 130 million diagnosed diabetics in the world and the long term consequences of diabetes such as diabetic nephropathy are becoming increasingly frequent and unmet components of diabetes care. Intensive glycemic control prevents or retards microalbuminuria, an early sign of nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes and in a recent study Japanese researchers compare two different classes of oral antidiabetic drugs with respect to their e
DailyUpdates 30th March: According to WHO, there are some 130 million diagnosed diabetics in the world and the long term consequences of diabetes such as diabetic nephropathy are becoming increasingly frequent and unmet components of diabetes care.  Intensive glycemic control p…

Overactive bladder, a condition associated with a variety of other pathologies affects over 17 million Americans and costs the US over $12 billion per year. Current treatments focus on the muscarinic receptor antagonists such as tolterodine and oxybutanin with further examples from this class expected on the market. Therapeutics from novel pharmacological classes are expected to offer further improvements and in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics Uni
New data published on KW-7158, a novel treatment of overactive bladder   DailyUpdates 29th March: Overactive bladder, a condition associated with a variety of other pathologies affects over 17 million Americans and costs the US over $12 billion per year.  Current treatments focus…