A common heart disease drug may have the unusual side effect of combating racism, a new study suggests. Volunteers given the beta-blocker, used to treat chest pains and lower heart rates, scored lower on a standard psychological test of "implicit" racist attitudes. They appeared to be less racially prejudiced at a subconscious level than another group treated with a "dummy" placebo pill. Scientists believe the discovery can be explained by the fact that racism is fundamentally founded on fear. Propranolol acts both on nerve circuits that govern automatic functions such as heart rate and the part of the brain involved in fear and emotional responses. The drug is also used to treat anxiety and panic. Experimental psychologist Dr Sylvia Terbeck, from Oxford University, who led the study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, said: "Our results offer new evidence about the processes in the brain that shape implicit racial bias. "Implicit racial bias can occur even in people with a sincere belief in equality. Given the key role that such implicit attitudes appear to play in discrimination against other ethnic groups, and the widespread use of propranolol for medical purposes, our findings are also of considerable ethical interest." Two groups of … Continue reading →

The product liability and dangerous drug lawyers of Watts Guerra Craft LLP have filed the first three federal Pradaxa injury and death cases in the country. Mikal C. Watts and Ryan L. Thompson are proud to handle what is believed to be the largest Pradaxa injury and wrongful death docket in the United States. San Antonio, TX (PRWEB) March 06, 2012 Watts, known internationally for his handling of vehicle rollover cases and the BP Multidistrict Litigation (MDL No. 2179), and his Pradaxa team of nearly 60 dedicated pharmaceutical defect staff members, all led by Thompson, are closely watching the ongoing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation into Pradaxa and its potentially deadly side effects. The FDA is now investigating post-marketing reports of serious bleeding events and deaths in patients taking Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate). Pradaxa was approved in October 2010 by the FDA for the prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm condition in the world. Patients with this condition typically require blood-thinning medications such as the well-known warfarin. Pradaxa was the first alternative to warfarin approved in nearly 60 years. Problems were quick to follow. In November 2011, Boehringer … Continue reading →

Alonso Krangle LLP is now evaluating lawsuits on behalf of Actos side effect victims who have been diagnosed with bladder cancer that may be related to their use of Actos. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned last year that use of Actos may increase the risk of bladder cancer in people who use the type 2 diabetes medication for more than one year. Melville, NY (PRWEB) March 06, 2012 Actos Lawsuit Claims and What to Do Alonso Krangle LLP is now offering free Actos lawsuit evaluations to anyone who believes they developed bladder cancer side effects because of Actos or a related drug, including Actoplus Met, Actoplus Met XR and Duetact. To discuss a potential Actos bladder cancer lawsuit claim with one of the experienced and compassionate Actos lawyers at Alonso Krangle LLP, please contact us at 1-800-403-6191 or visit our website, http://www.FightForVictims.com. Actos Bladder Cancer Side Effects Actos, known generically as pioglitazone, is an oral diabetes medication marketed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Actos was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1999, and has since become the best-selling type 2 diabetes medications in the world. [bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-31/takeda-suits-on-actos-diabetes-drug-combined-in-one-louisiana-court.html]. Pioglitazone, the active ingredient in Actos is also sold … Continue reading →

London, Mar 7 (ANI): Scientists including two of Indian origin have developed a hybrid aspirin that has much better cancer-fighting ability than either of its forebears and might even reduce the harmful side effects of taking aspirin daily. The new form is named NOSH-aspirin, as it releases nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Khosrow Kashfi, Ravinder Kodela and Mitali Chattopadhyay point out that NO and H2S are signalling substances produced in the body that relax blood vessels, reduce inflammation and have a variety of other effects. Scientists previously developed designer aspirin that releases NO in an effort to reduce aspirin's potential adverse effects in causing bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. Another designer aspirin that releases H2S was developed which also has anti-inflammatory properties and appears safe to the stomach. Since NO and H2S are gases with physiological relevance, and Kashfi's group had previously shown beneficial effects with both NO- and H2S-aspirins, they postulated that a new hybrid that incorporated both of these entities might be even more potent and effective than either one alone. Their hypothesis has proved to be correct. They found indications that the new hybrid inhibits the growth of breast, colon, pancreas, lung, prostate and some … Continue reading →

The first trial in humans of an injectable, once-a-month formulation of an HIV drug has found that drug levels were maintained at a level that should in theory be high enough to protect recipients against infection, and that the drug has so far produced very few side effects. The research was presented at the 19th Conference on Opportunistic Infections (CROI), in Seattle. The small trial at the St Stephens AIDS Trust (SSAT) at Londons Chelsea and Westminster Hospital gave 27 women and six men a single injection of the long-acting formulation of the drug rilpivirine, which was licensed as an oral HIV treatment last year as Edurant and is also in the tenofovir/FTC/rilpivirine pill Complera. Rilpivirine is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) drug and is especially suitable to be turned into a long-lasting injectable form because the daily dose of it required to suppress HIV is very small. No other HIV drugs are currently in a usable long-lasting injectable form, which will limit the use of long-acting rilpivirine (RPV-LA) in combination therapy, but it could conceivably make an ideal candidate as a prevention drug, as people would not need to remember to take it every day. Other preventative drugs … Continue reading →