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Drug War's dangerous side effects

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

This is an ugly story. It's tragic and damning of the War on Drugs. The story seems like the plot of a television detective series such as The Closer or Law and Order but it is sadly a true tale of law and disorder. Michelle "Shelley" Hilliard went missing in the early hours of Oct. 23. Nearly three weeks later, her burned, dismembered body was found near I-94 on Detroit's east side. Once the body was identified, the killing was at first considered a hate crime because Hilliard was transgendered and there had been a recent trend of attacks against gays where burning was involved. However, in the weeks that followed, a different scenario emerged. According to news reports, on Oct. 20, the 19-year-old Hilliard was busted with a small amount of marijuana in Madison Heights. As often happens in cases like this, Oakland County Drug Task Force officers made an offer of some type of leniency if Hilliard helped them reel in a bigger fish. Hilliard apparently agreed to help set up a sting against Qasim Raqib. She allegedly told Raqib she knew someone who wanted to buy $335 worth of cocaine and marijuana. They set up a meeting … Continue reading →

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Researcher hopes to reduce cancer side-effects

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

GEORGINA STYLIANOU The nasty side-effects of cancer treatment could be eliminated, a Canterbury University researcher has discovered. Associate Professor Richard Hartshorn has spent 10 years working on being able to target cells and trigger reactions using light. His breakthrough research has been published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal, Chemical Communications. "This could be a different way of treating cancer or a way of treating cancer that might minimise some of the side-effects," he told The Press. "Chemotherapy targets cancer cells that divide rapidly but there are other cell types that grow quickly or divide rapidly, such as the cells that line the gut or the cells involved with hair production." Treatment for cancer attacked these healthy cells as well, he said, leading to the common side-effects of nausea and hair loss. "We have found that we can trigger reactions of a special molecule using light." This molecule contained ruthenium and cobalt as well as a stand-in for an anti-cancer drug. The ruthenium ion acted as an antenna that absorbed light. "Light hits the ruthenium, which then throws an electron to the cobalt and that causes the cobalt to release the drug molecule. Link: Researcher hopes to reduce cancer … Continue reading →

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Taking control of our health

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

I wont take another prescription drug without first researching the side effects. My new cautious attitude was spurred on by a recent Health Canada safety alert related to the drug domperidone. A couple of weeks ago, Canadians were advised that the medication has been linked to causing serious abnormal heart rhythms and even death from sudden heart attack. Domperidone is approved to treat symptoms caused by some stomach and intestinal problems as well as nausea and vomiting associated with drugs taken to treat Parkinsons disease. Its also commonly taken by nursing mothers to increase milk supply, even though thats not its intended use. I was prescribed the drug not long ago to help with breastfeeding. I had taken it for several months with my first son and had planned on taking it with my second. Nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and headaches are among the listed potential side effects. As with all drugs, there is the secondary list of more serious symptoms, which supposedly only happen in some cases, and for domperidone this includes irregular heartbeat. In the past, I had never paid too much attention to the listed side effects, particularly to the ones sitting in the in some cases … Continue reading →

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Lawmakers probe pharmacy ties to drug shortages

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) questions witnesses during the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on ''Credit Rating Agencies and the Financial Crisis,'' on Capitol Hill in Washington October 22, 2008. Credit: Reuters/Mitch Dumke By Anna Yukhananov WASHINGTON | Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:16pm EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers are investigating three shadowy pharmacies in Maryland and North Carolina for diverting critical but scarce drugs from patients to wholesalers, who are then able to resell the medicine at sometimes big markups. Elijah Cummings, the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, began a probe in October to discover why certain companies were selling cancer drugs at more than a hundred times their normal cost. Shortages of hundreds of drugs including cisplatin, a highly effective treatment for testicular cancer, and fluorouracil for colon and other cancers have helped create a lucrative shadow market. The Food and Drug Administration has said the number of drugs in short supply, which also include anesthesiology and nutrition medications, had risen to 220 in 2011 from 56 in 2006. According to preliminary details of Cummings' investigation, made public on Wednesday, some wholesalers opened their own sham pharmacies to obtain drugs in short … Continue reading →

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NCPDP to Celebrate 35th Anniversary at Its 2012 Annual Conference

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwire -03/21/12)- In its 35th year, the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) will celebrate the transformation of the business of pharmacy and improvements in patient safety and care at its 2012 Annual Technology & Business Conference. The conference, which will be held May 6-10, 2012 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, is packed with a full agenda of educational sessions, work group meetings and networking opportunities. Attendees represent virtually all healthcare segments involved in delivering pharmacy services, including prescribers, pharmacists, pharmacy benefit management companies, government agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, long term care vendors and providers, database management organizations, healthcare consultants, wholesale drug distributors and more. Keep up on the latest issues and innovations Take advantage of accredited educational sessions on topics such as: Electronic Prior Authorization (ePA), Drug Pricing, Health Information Exchange (HIE), Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Market Trends, ePrescribing Controlled Substances, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), Patient Safety, and Privacy. NCPDP will apply for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for the Health IT Certification CPHIE, CPHIT and CPEHR programs. NCPDP will also apply for CEUs for pharmacists from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Make a difference in the delivery of pharmacy … Continue reading →

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TOWN HALL: New bill would improve drug laws (poll)

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

The war on drugs has ruined lives, packed our prisons and hurt our economy. Drugs abuse is a scourge on society, but our efforts at a remedy have failed and may be worse than the problem. Senate Bill 163, which enjoys bipartisan support of Republicans, Democrats, conservatives and liberals, would help move Colorado in the right direction. The bill is sponsored by conservative Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, and liberal Rep. Claire Levy, D-Boulder among others. It also has the enthusiastic support of the Independence Institute, Colorados renowned free-market public-policy think tank. This is not a right bill, a left bill, a Republican bill, a Democrat bill, a soft-on-crime bill or a tough-on-crime bill. It is a common sense bill that will improve society and reduce drug addiction. The bill, very simply, would reduce possession of four grams or less of any schedule 1 or II controlled substance, such as marijuana or cocaine, or two grams or less of methamphetamine (schedule II), from a felony to a misdemeanor. By reducing incarceration the bill would save money, which the bill would require state government to reinvest into substance-abuse treatment programs throughout Colorado. Research of a one-year period by Colorados Division of Criminal … Continue reading →

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Antibody Drugs: Technologies and Global Markets

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

NEW YORK, March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Antibody Drugs: Technologies and Global Markets http://www.reportlinker.com/p0801344/Antibody-Drugs-Technologies-and-Global-Markets.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Biopharmaceutical INTRODUCTION STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this report is to provide a range of informationfrom detailed analysis through industry trendsto quantify and qualify the rapidly growing market for therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs. Forecasts and trends are gleaned from industry sources, analyst reports, and company forecasts, as well as from assessment of available and emerging technologies. The report develops forecasts for sales of the mAb market by individual antibody, by therapeutic antibody target (epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR], cluster of differentiation [CD] 20, tumor necrosis factor [TNF] alpha, etc.), and by major disease applications from 2011 through 2016. Additionally, we examine strategies employed by biopharmaceutical firms to develop and market products in this explosive market sector. Our main objective is to present a comprehensive analysis of the current market for therapeutic mAb disease-modifying products and to forecast this market's future direction through 2016. REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY Therapeutic mAbs represent the largest and one of the fastest-growing classes of biopharmaceutical products by sales in the U.S. and throughout the world. … Continue reading →

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'Ophthalmic Drugs Market Will Reach $18.7 Billion in 2012' Visiongain Report Predicts

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

LONDON, March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- http://www.visiongain.com/Report/784/Ophthalmic-Drugs-World-Market-Prospects-2012-2022 A new report by visiongain predicts that the world market for ophthalmic drugs will reach $18.7 billion for 2012. That revenue forecast appears in Ophthalmic Drugs: World Market Prospects 2012-2022, published in March 2012. Visiongain is a business information provider based in London, UK. From 2012 to 2022, the pharmaceutical industry will improve treatment of ocular disorders and increase revenues from those products. The R&D pipeline for treating eye diseases is strong. Visiongain's study predicts that the world market for eye drugs will grow strongly from 2012 to 2022. It will be stimulated by increasing prevalence of eye disorders among aging populations worldwide. Sustained-release ocular implants, gene therapy and RNA interference technology will influence R&D in ophthalmology, as will neuroprotective agents for glaucoma. Many commercial opportunities for ophthalmic drugs exist, with high revenues possible this decade. Dr Syed Ahmed, a senior pharmaceutical industry analyst at visiongain, said, "The world market for ophthalmic drugs is an important segment of the pharma industry. The main causes of visual impairment and sight loss in developed countries are retinal diseases. These include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular oedema and macular oedema caused by retinal vein occlusion. … Continue reading →

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Next big cholesterol drugs in focus at meeting

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - A possible revolutionary way to fight cholesterol is expected to cause a big stir among thousands of heart doctors gathering in Chicago starting this weekend for the annual American College of Cardiology meeting. The new drugs in development by top pharmaceutical makers and up-and-coming biotechs are injectable medications that block a protein called PCSK9. They have shown promise in early clinical trials for slashing "bad" LDL cholesterol further than widely used statins can alone. Their biggest advocates say PCSK9 blockers have the potential to be the next multibillion-dollar class of heart drugs. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc last year disclosed that its product slashed levels of LDL cholesterol up to 65 percent beyond reductions seen alone with statins - pills like Pfizer Inc's Lipitor and AstraZeneca Plc's Crestor that are today's standard treatments. The company on Monday will unveil full trial results, including safety findings - giving a fuller picture of its potential and how widely it might be prescribed if approved. Wall Street has followed the drug, called REGN 727, as well as rival products from Amgen Inc, Merck & Co and other drugmakers that are nipping at its heels. But relatively few doctors know much about … Continue reading →

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Surveillance 'led to drugs find'

Posted: Published on March 22nd, 2012

21 March 2012 Last updated at 13:04 ET Police surveillance led to the seizure of drugs worth up to 180,000, the High Court has heard. Details emerged as bail was refused to Aidan Austin, 36, of Lever Park, Portstewart, who was one of five men arrested after the drugs were allegedly transported from Portstewart to Bangor. He is charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs. A judge said the drugs and cash found pointed to a "major trading operation". The drugs consignment is alleged to have included cocaine and amphetamines. The High Court was told on Wednesday that a dummy run had been carried out a week before the seizure was made last December. Mr Austin is allegedly linked to the operation through contact between his mobile phone and two brothers who are among the co-accused. A defence barrister stressed that the case against his client was based only on phone traffic. But Mr Justice McLaughlin told him it could potentially be compelling circumstantial evidence. More here: Surveillance 'led to drugs find' … Continue reading →

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