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Rheumatoid arthritis Enbrel in combination with methotrexate is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adults when the response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, including methotrexate (unless contraindicated), has been inadequate. Difflam Oral Rinse is a locally acting analgesic and anti-inflammatory treatment for the relief of painful inflammatory conditions of the mouth and throat including: Traumatic conditions: Pharyngitis following tonsillectomy or the use of a naso-gastric tube. SUSTIVA is indicated in antiviral combination treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infected adults, adolescents and children 3 years of age and older.

Latest Drug News

NX 1207 (Recordati/Nymox) starts Phase III trial for BPH - 21-02-2012
Recordati and Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation announced the start of activities aimed to the preparation of a European Phase III clinical trial for NX-1207, following the successful completion of a Scientific Advice meeting with the European Medicines Agency. NX-1207, is a Phase III investigational drug from Nymox and is currently in clinical development in the United States for the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). The pivotal controlled clinical trial will assess the efficacy and safety of a single TRUS-guided intraprostatic injection of NX-1207 in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with BPH not adequately controlled by medical therapy.The drug is injected by a urologist in an office setting directly into the zone of the prostate where the enlargement occurs and involves little or no pain or discomfort. NX-1207 has successfully completed a series of blinded controlled multi-center U.S. clinical trials where a single dose of NX-1207 has been found to improve the signs and symptoms of BPH, with improvements about double those reported for currently approved BPH drugs, and without the side effects associated with those drugs, which can include sexual problems and blood pressure changes. Follow-up studies have shown evidence of long lasting benefit with a significant proportion of men reporting maintained improvement in BPH symptoms without other treatments for up to 7½ years.
Zelboraf (Daiichi Sankyo/Roche) is EU approved for BRAFV600 mutation Metastatic Melanoma - 20-02-2012
Plexxikon Inc., a member of Daiichi Sankyo Group,has announced that the European Commission has approved Zelboraf (vemurafenib) for the monotherapy treatment of adult patients with BRAFV600 mutation-positive unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma. The cobas 4800 BRAF V600 Mutation Test, a companion diagnostic used to identify patients with the BRAF mutation, is CE marked and commercially available in Europe. Zelboraf is designed to selectively inhibit the BRAF mutation that occurs in about half of all cases of melanoma. Zelboraf and its companion diagnostic have already been approved in the United States, Switzerland, Israel, Brazil, New Zealand and Canada. In the United States, Zelboraf is being co-promoted by Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. Roche promotes Zelboraf outside of the United States.

Latest Social Media

... my blood boil, a bit. I am not sure if its an 'urban legend' or if it's true that, the Twin Towers might have not fallen so soon if health ...

... CCTV cameras make you more likely to wash your hands? Oh, surely that's an urban myth, Pat?The asbestos was sprayed onto the steel structure ...

... d get in serious trouble if bay 4 was left till last again...As to whether that meant bay 4 got better or worse care - now that's seperate question ...

Latest Clinical Trials

To induce cellular and humoral immunity in allogeneic stem cell donors and recipients against the unique idiotype expressed by the recipient's myeloma. To determine whether antigen-specific immunity, induced in the stem cell donor, can be passively transferred to the allogeneic SCT recipient in the setting of a non-myeloablative conditioning regimen.
The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of transplanting StemEx® in patients with certain hematological malignancies. For these patients, it is suggested that StemEx® can improve upon the outcome of transplanting a single, unmanipulated cord blood unit by significantly increasing the number of stem/progenitor cells available to the patient.

Latest Journal Publications

The Athlete Blood Passport is the most recent tool adopted by anti-doping authorities to detect athletes using performance-enhancing drugs such as recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). This strategy relies on detecting abnormal variations in haematological variables caused by doping, against a background of biological and analytical variability. Ten subjects were given twice weekly intravenous injections of rhEPO for up to 12 weeks. Full blood counts were measured using a Sysmex XE-2100 automated haematology analyser, and total haemoglobin mass via a carbon monoxide rebreathing test. The sensitivity of the passport to flag abnormal deviations in blood values was evaluated using dedicated Athlete Blood Passport software. Our treatment regimen elicited a 10% increase in total haemoglobin mass equivalent to approximately two bags of reinfused blood. The passport software did not flag any subjects as being suspicious of doping whilst they were receiving rhEPO. We conclude that it is possible for athletes to use rhEPO without eliciting abnormal changes in the blood variables currently monitored by the Athlete Blood Passport.
Aim: To detect early nerve fibre layer (NFL) changes around the optic disc and macula in diabetic patients using Cirrus HD-optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: Forty normal patients without any optic nerve or retinal disease, 37 patients with diabetes with no diabetic retinopathy (NDR) and 89 patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) of differing severity were enrolled. The NFL thickness around the optic disc was measured using Cirrus HD-OCT. The NFL thickness at the macula was also determined by scanning the macula with the optic disc scanning technique. Results: The NFL thickness around the optic disc differed statistically among all groups and tended to become thinner as the degree of DR progressed. The mean, superior and inferior peripapillary NFL thickness differed among groups. As the severity of DR progressed, the mean, superior, temporal, inferior and nasal macular NFL thickness tended to become thinner. However, only the macular NFL thickness of the superior sector differed significantly among the groups and especially between the control and NDR groups. Conclusion: The difference in NFL was first detected in the superior macular region, which differed significantly between the control group and diabetic group without clinical DR. This could be detected simply by modifying the Cirrus HD-OCT scan technique to detect the NFL thickness in the macular area.

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