Europe approves high-price gene therapy 
November 2nd, 2012
By Ben Hirschler LONDON | Fri Nov 2, 2012 7:59am EDT LONDON (Reuters) – European officials have approved the Western world’s first gene therapy drug from a small Dutch biotech company, in a milestone for the novel medical technology that fixes faulty genes.
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Weak Prevnar vaccine, emerging market sales hit Pfizer
November 1st, 2012
People walk past the Pfizer World headquarters in New York, February 3, 2010. Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid By Ransdell Pierson Thu Nov 1, 2012 9:19am EDT (Reuters) – Pfizer Inc reported on Thursday quarterly revenue well below Wall Street expectations, on disappointing sales of its Prevnar pediatric vaccine and a sharp pullback in emerging market revenue. Results were also hurt by weaker-than-expected sales of Pfizer’s Lipitor cholesterol fighter, which has been facing cheaper generics since late last year
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Top medical innovations treat headaches, diabetes
October 31st, 2012
An Autonomic Technologies Inc. (ATI) Neurostimulator, an almond-size device that is implanted in the mouth to relief severe headaches, is pictured in this undated handout photo. The best medical innovations for next year include the device and a hand-held scanner resembling a blow dryer that detects skin cancer, the Cleveland Clinic said on October 31, 2012
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UCB’s next generation drugs take over after blockbuster expiry
October 29th, 2012
BRUSSELS | Mon Oct 29, 2012 2:39am EDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgian pharmaceuticals group UCB said on Monday that sales of its three new main products had for the first time overtaken those of its expiring blockbuster epilepsy treatment Keppra and retained its full-year guidance. UCB, which makes drugs targeted at diseases of the immune and central nervous systems, said on Monday sales of Cimzia, Neupro and Vimpat rose 50 percent to 665 million euros over the first nine months and were now treating about 382,000 patients.
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Meds a good "first step" for treating alcoholism
October 26th, 2012
By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK | Fri Oct 26, 2012 10:16am EDT NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Two drugs commonly used to treat alcoholism may be appropriate for people in different stages of recovery, a new analysis confirms – likely because they work differently in the brain. The drugs, acamprosate (marketed as Campral) and naltrexone (ReVia), are both non-addictive themselves and don’t make users sick when mixed with alcohol. So they’re a good first option for people struggling with alcohol dependence who are motivated to stop drinking but would like to avoid an inpatient program, researchers said
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Meningitis outbreak spreads to 18 states with South Carolina case
October 25th, 2012
Tweet Share this Email Print A sample of Cladosporium species, one of the fungi diagnosed in the fungal meningitis outbreak sweeping the United States, in Nashville, Tennessee on October 19, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Harrison McClary Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:34pm EDT (Reuters) – The deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis tied to tainted steroid medications from a Massachusetts company expanded to 18 states on Thursday with South Carolina reporting its first probable case of the disease
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Acupuncture may ease dry mouth after cancer
October 24th, 2012
By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK | Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:39am EDT NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People with chronic dry mouth related to cancer treatment reported some improvement in symptoms like sticky saliva and dry lips after eight weeks of group acupuncture, in a new study from the UK. It’s not clear how much of that benefit could have been a result of patients’ expectations that acupuncture would help them or the effect of a therapeutic relationship with their acupuncturist – rather than the actual needles – researchers said.
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Insight: In vulnerable Greece, mosquitoes bite back
October 22nd, 2012
1 of 6. A Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito on a human finger in this undated handout photograph from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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ThromboGenics says main drug cleared for U.S. launch
October 18th, 2012
BRUSSELS | Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:20am EDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) – ThromboGenics said on Thursday that U.S. health regulators had approved the use of its main drug, eye treatment Jetrea, clearing the way for the Belgian biotech company to start making profits. The company said the U.S
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Cholesterol levels declining in U.S
October 16th, 2012
By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK | Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:47pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The cholesterol levels of U.S. adults have been dropping since the late 1980′s, a new study suggests – and not just because of the increased popularity of lipid-lowering drugs
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