Tag: Drug

Antifungal drug eliminates sleeping bowel cancer cells in mice

An antifungal medication, commonly prescribed for toenail infections, could help eliminate dormant cells within bowel tumours, according to new research funded by Cancer Research UK and published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine today. Researchers at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute have shown in laboratory studies in mice, that itraconazole effectively halts the growth

US regulators approve the first migraine-prevention drug

New once-a-month drug offers hope to millions with severe migraines (and it will be available next week) The injected medication Aimovig is due to be available within the next week Unlike other migraine drugs, it does not cause side effects like weight gain Side effects can be worse than migraines, with up to 86% stopping

Experimental drug targets prostate cancer’s chief weakness

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimate that 164,690 people will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. They suggest that more than 11 percent of men will receive this diagnosis at some point during their lifetime. Treatments for prostate cancer can include radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy. But unfortunately, in many cases, tumors that

Drug may reverse imbalance linked to autism symptoms

An FDA-approved drug can reverse an ionic imbalance in neurons that leads to hyper-excitability in mice modeling an autism-related genetic disorder, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Molecular Psychiatry. These findings suggest that the sensory hypersensitivity experienced by patients with fragile X syndrome, a syndromic autism, may be caused by elevated intracellular chloride

Drug duo approved for aggressive thyroid cancer

(HealthDay)—Two anti-cancer drugs administered together have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat an inherited form of thyroid cancer. Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib) combined have been approved to treat anaplastic thyroid cancer caused by an abnormal BRAF V600E gene, the agency said Friday in a news release. Anaplastic thyroid cancer

Fifteen percent of osteoporosis patients who take ‘drug holidays’ suffer bone fractures

Patients who take osteoporosis drugs for long periods typically are advised to temporarily discontinue the drugs to prevent rare but serious side effects to the jaw and thighs. A Loyola Medicine study has found that 15.4 percent of patients who take so-called “drug holidays” from osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates experienced bone fractures. During a six-year

Prescribing guidelines not always followed for patients on cholesterol-lowering drug

New Zealand prescribers do not always follow guidelines when prescribing other medicines to patients taking simvastatin, according to University of Otago researchers from the Pharmacoepidemiology Research Network. Simvastatin is a cholesterol-lowering drug that is widely used in New Zealand to prevent major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and stroke. However, some medicines can inhibit

Simple drug packaging change could save toddlers’ lives

(HealthDay)—As America’s opioid crisis continues, too many toddlers are accidentally overdosing on narcotic medicines. But a new study suggests that better packaging might curb the problem. Among kids under the age of 6, single-dose packaging prompted a 79 percent decrease in the number of unintentional exposures to a narcotic called buprenorphine. The medication is given

Cancer drug helps treat tuberculosis by restoring leaky blood vessels

Biomedical engineers have discovered an unlikely potential ally in the global fight against tuberculosis—an FDA-approved drug originally designed to treat cancer. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are naturally produced by animals to break down connective tissue for a wide array of biological processes such as wound repair, growth and tissue development. Many diseases, however, can hijack these

‘Drug sanctuaries’ offer hope for a post-antibiotic world

We are at risk of entering a post-antibiotic era. Each year since 2013, a major global institution —including the World Economic Forum, the World Health Organization and the United Nations General Assembly —has issued this grave warning to the world. A post-antibiotic future is daunting. When the drugs don’t work, we get sicker more often.