10 September 2012 | last updated at 08:17AM By CHUAH BEE KIM AND BEN TAN | news@nst.com.my 0 comments Police cordoning off the apartment in Jalan Junid, Muar, where drugs worth RM20 million were found hidden in several rooms. Pic by Shaiffulazhar Misri MUAR: POLICE on a routine narcotics bust stumbled onto a drug laboratory and seized drugs worth RM20 million at a posh apartment yesterday, making it the state's biggest haul this year. Officers from Johor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department, who took part in the pre-dawn raid, found drugs, including syabu, heroin, Ecstasy and Eramin 5 pills, hidden in the apartment in Jalan Junid here. Several drug processing equipment and packing material were also seized. Police also arrested three people, including a couple, aged between 20 and 50. It was learnt that the couple had been leading a jet-set lifestyle for several months from their ill-gotten gains before the arrest. Sources close to the investigation said they believed the apartment unit was used to process drugs before they were packed and distributed for consumption in Johor, and other neighbouring states. "Investigators believe the suspects had been operating for several months and the tight security features of the high-end apartment … Continue reading →

The first large and comprehensive study of the genetics of a common lung cancer finds that more than half the tumors from that cancer have mutations that might be treated by new drugs that are already in the pipeline or that could be easily developed. For the tens of thousands of patients with that cancer squamous-cell lung cancer the results are promising because they could foretell a new type of treatment in which drugs are tailored to match the genetic abnormality in each patient, researchers say. "This is a disease where there are no targeted therapies," said Dr. Matthew Meyerson of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, referring to modern drugs that attack genetic abnormalities. He is a lead author of the paper, with more than 300 authors, that was published online Sunday in the journal Nature. "What we found will change the landscape for squamous-cell carcinoma. I think it gives hope to patients," he said. The study is part of the Cancer Genome Atlas, a large project by the National Institutes of Health to examine genetic abnormalities in cancer. The study of squamous-cell lung cancer is the second genetic analysis of a common cancer, coming on the heels of a study … Continue reading →

Enlarge Toronto International Film Festival Curtis Jackson, also known as rapper 50 Cent, is one of the many people who speaks in the documentary How To Make Money Selling Drugs. Curtis Jackson, also known as rapper 50 Cent, is one of the many people who speaks in the documentary How To Make Money Selling Drugs. It takes a certain kind of verve to call your documentary How To Make Money Selling Drugs and really mean it. Because the title doesn't lie: that is, in fact, what How To Make Money Selling Drugs is about. It's structured for about the first half of its running time as a satirical instructional film about how to get your own drug cartel by working your way up from small-time dealer to local distributor to kingpin and beyond. It talks to a wide variety of dealers, cops and experts about the relationships between different parts of the drug business, about what makes kids want to sell drugs instead of working for minimum wage, and about the risks of jail and violence. It explains how people in the drug business beat criminal charges and avoid arrest, as well as explaining jail as a cost of doing … Continue reading →

Published: Monday, September 10, 2012, 12:01 a.m. Emergency crews worry the constant switch-ups could lead to a paramedic making a mistake that could cause a patient pain, injuries or even death. Without careful planning, they also potentially could run out of the drugs they need to help people as they're taken to the hospital. "In the meantime, we're just having to really be on our toes and adjust on the fly," said Scott Dorsey, acting deputy chief and medical services administrator for Snohomish County Fire District 7 in Clearview. Drugs commonly administered by paramedics that have been affected by shortages include medicines for people having seizures or who are suffering from cardiac or respiratory trouble. In addition to treating pain, paramedics often need to sedate or anesthetize patients as well. In Snohomish County, fire departments and their medical supervisors are working to find solutions while they wait for a federal fix, they said. "Our personnel are having to rethink what they do on a real routine basis," Monroe fire Capt. Cindy Coker said. Drug shortages have been making national headlines for about two years now. Hospitals and emergency rooms have faced similar issues with shortages, as have cancer treatment centers. … Continue reading →