A research team has identified a wealth of bioactive compounds in red clover (Trifolium pratense ) seeds and their oil, positioning them as a promising source for functional ingredients in food and health care products.
Tag: Pharmaceuticals
Bias found when drug manufacturers fund clinical trials
Psychiatric drugs are reported to be about 50% more effective in clinical trials funded by the drug’s manufacturer than when trials of the same drug are sponsored by other groups, new research shows.
Decoding salvia miltiorrhiza: a molecular approach to boosting bioactive compounds
Salvia miltiorrhiza, known as Danshen, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. The medicinal properties of Danshen are primarily attributed to its two major bioactive compounds: tanshinones and phenolic acids.
Researchers create new chemical compound to solve 120-year-old problem
For the first time, chemists in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering have created a highly reactive chemical compound that has eluded scientists for more than 120 years. The discovery could lead to new drug treatments, safer agricultural products, and better electronics.
Biotechnology CEO and Inventor of SiriusXM Satellite Radio Martine Rothblatt to Deliver Graduation Address to the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s 215th Graduating Class
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today that Martine Rothblatt PhD, JD, MBA, Chairperson and CEO of United Therapeutics, and inventor of SiriusXM Satellite Radio, will deliver the keynote address for this year’s graduating medical student class. The UMSOM MD graduation ceremony will take place at the Hippodrome Theatre on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
Compounds in female ginseng could lead to new osteoporosis treatments
Drugs for treating osteoporosis can be expensive and have side effects. In the search for alternative drug candidates, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have discovered and fully replicated a compound from female ginseng that had potent anti-osteoporotic activity in cellular tests.
Pharmacology Expert Comments on RSV Vaccination Errors
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that some pregnant Americans may have been given the wrong RSV vaccine, and some young children received a vaccine approved for use in adults only. Now, a pharmacology expert at New York Institute…
Praedicare Leverages AI, Mathematical Models of Disease Progression and Mapping in World’s First In Silico Clinical Trial of Its Kind
The in silico trial demonstrated 2X the efficacy of the current treatment (>80% vs 39%); 3X shorter treatment time to cure (6 vs 18 months); 1 drug compared to a 3-drug combo for the standard of care; and preclinical results in shorter time than animal models.
Expert: Drug Store Closings Will Lead to Pharmacy Deserts
As major pharmacy retailers, including CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid, plan to close thousands of U.S. stores, a pharmacology expert from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) is sounding the alarm. “The closure of hundreds of…
Degrading viral RNA to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection
Researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have now developed a system that directly targets and degrades the SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA genome, reducing infection in mice. The method could be adapted to fight off many viruses, as well as treat various diseases.
ACS Spring 2023 Media Briefing Schedule
Recordings of media briefings will be posted by 10 a.m. Eastern Time on each day. Watch recorded media briefings at: www.acs.org/ACSSpring2023briefings.
A puff of air could deliver your next vaccine (video)
Needles are an uncomfortable but necessary aspect of vaccination. But today, scientists report steps toward an alternative, relatively painless method that can deliver biological materials to cells by “shooting” them in with air. They will present their results at ACS Spring 2023.
Degrading modified proteins could treat Alzheimer’s, other ‘undruggable’ diseases
A new technique that targets and breaks apart certain proteins — rather than just interfering with them — may offer a pathway toward treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have designed a compound that breaks down a protein closely associated with the disease.
COUR Pharmaceuticals Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug Application for Myasthenia Gravis
COUR Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel immune-modifying nanoparticles designed to reprogram the immune system for the treatment of autoimmune disorders (COUR NanoParticles or CNPs), today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a Phase 1b/2a proof-of-concept study of COUR’s investigational therapy, CNP-106.
Could monoclonal antibodies replace opioids for chronic pain?
During the pandemic, physicians used infusions of monoclonal antibodies to help patients fight off COVID-19 infections. Now, in response to the U.S. opioid crisis, researchers at UC Davis are trying to create monoclonal antibodies that can help fight chronic pain. The research is funded with a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s HEAL Initiative, an aggressive effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national’s opioid crisis.
Lupus pill shows promise in mice; clinical trial underway
There’s no cure for lupus, an autoimmune disease that attacks organs. But today, scientists report they have begun phase 2 clinical trials with a pill containing a compound that, in mice, reverses organ damage and prevents death. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2022.
Multiple sclerosis drug works in a surprising way
Drugs called interferon betas are common treatments for multiple sclerosis. Interferon beta, a protein known to contain a zinc-binding pocket, is thought to reduce proinflammatory molecules in MS patients. But researchers now report in ACS Chemical Neuroscience that the molecule reduces the binding of three components — zinc, C-peptide and albumin — to red blood cells.
New drug candidate fights off more than 300 drug-resistant bacteria
Urinary tract infections are common, yet can be tough to treat as the bacteria that cause them become resistant to many antibiotics. In ACS Central Science, researchers report a new molecule that inhibits drug-resistant bacteria in lab experiments, as well as in mice with pneumonia and UTIs.
People respond differently to psychedelic drugs — genetics could be the reason
Psychedelic drugs have shown benefits as treatments for cluster headaches, anxiety and depression in clinical studies, but not for everyone. Now, in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, researchers report that one reason could be common genetic variations in one serotonin receptor.
Speeding up the search for the next COVID-19 antiviral
To develop new COVID-19 medications, researchers are working to target nsp13, a protein coronaviruses need to replicate. In ACS Infectious Diseases, researchers describe a new approach to identifying molecules that interfere with this protein, a step toward developing pan-coronavirus antivirals.
New delivery method allows slow-release of broader array of peptide drugs in the body
A new study from the University of Michigan describes one of the first entirely new drug delivery microencapsulation approaches in decades.
Science snapshots from Berkeley Lab
New Berkeley Lab breakthroughs: engineering chemical-producing microbes; watching enzyme reactions in real time; capturing the first image of ‘electron ice’; revealing how skyrmions really move
UAH’s Baudry Lab part of half-million-dollar efforts to target COVID with drug therapies
Two different strategies to discover and perfect pharmaceuticals active against the COVID-19 virus have attracted a half million dollars in research funding to support five institutions, including the Baudry Lab at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).
Equity and Vaccine Allocation: Beyond Ethics in Prioritization to Equitable Production, Distribution, and Consumption
In a new paper in Ethics & International Affairs, Binghamton University Professor of Philosophy Nicole Hassoun first considers existing proposals for equitable vaccine allocation focusing on the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility. She then argues that to better promote…
WHO ‘needs to act’ on suicides caused by pesticides
Scientists are calling for more stringent pesticide bans to lower deaths caused by deliberately ingesting toxic agricultural chemicals, which account for one fifth of global suicides.
More than 1,000 SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Protein 3D Structures Available
New Brunswick, N.J. (March 3, 2021) – The 3D structures of more than 1,000 SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus proteins are freely available from the RCSB Protein Data Bank headquartered at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. The data bank reached the milestone this week, with 1,018 proteins as…
Common Bacteria Modified To Make Designer Sugar-Based Drug
Envisioning an animal-free drug supply, scientists have — for the first time — reprogrammed a common bacterium to make a designer polysaccharide molecule used in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
Harnessing the Power of Proteins in our Cells to Combat Disease
A lab on UNLV’s campus has been a hub of activity in recent years, playing a significant role in a new realm of drug discovery — one that could potentially provide a solution for patients who have run out of options.
Pills face harshest space test yet
A batch of pills will be on its way into space where they will be placed on the outside of the International Space Station (ISS) to test how they withstand the full effects of zero gravity, extreme temperatures and some of the highest levels of radiation found beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
Cone Snail Venom Shows Potential for Treating Severe Malaria
Using venom from the Conus nux, a sea snail, a first-of-its-kind study suggests these conotoxins could potentially treat malaria. The study provides important leads toward the development of new and cost-effective anti-adhesion or blockade-therapy drugs aimed at counteracting the pathology of severe malaria. Similarly, mitigation of emerging diseases like COVID-19 also could benefit from conotoxins as potential inhibitors of protein-protein interactions as treatment. Venom peptides from cone snails has the potential to treat myriad diseases using blockage therapies.
Public Health Researchers Call for New Measures to Protect Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
Shortages of many essential drugs amid the COVID-19 crisis reveal serious vulnerabilities in the systems for supplying and distributing pharmaceuticals in the United States.
Nephron Announces FDA Approval of Ketorolac, Signaling New Phase of Growth
Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation is celebrating another milestone.
UNC Charlotte Research Shows Price Pharmaceutical Firms Pay for Illegal Practices
Large pharmaceutical firms paid over $33 billion in penalties over the past 13 years for illegal practices, according to new research from a UNC Charlotte researcher. The study, published in today’s Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), found that 85%…
Why are US drug prices so high? What should a presidential policy to lower drug costs include?
The high price of prescription drugs is an important issue for voters, and in the past 50 years, Congress and the president have made little headway in restraining costs.
Alzheimer’s Association should reveal financial conflict of interest in urging FDA to approve Biogen drug, says Dr. Leslie Norins, CEO of Alzheimer’s Germ Quest
Biogen tried, and failed, to win FDA committee approval for its anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s drug. The Alzheimer’s Association supported the application but did not reveal significant monies received from the firm.
UB spinoff Cytocybernetics receives funding to accelerate COVID-19 drug screening
University at Buffalo spinoff Cytocybernetics is developing a high-tech tool called CyberQ to rapidly assess whether or not investigational COVID-19 drugs have arrhythmogenic properties that can result in sudden cardiac death.
Harrington Discovery Institute Announces Award Recipients in New UK Rare Disease Program
Announcement of the 2021 Harrington UK Rare Disease Scholar Award recipients, their organizations and fields of research:
Pietro Fratta, MD, PhD – University College London
Gene Therapy for Kennedy’s Disease, a rare neuromuscular disease
Angela Russell, DPhil – University of Oxford
New Drugs for the Treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Helen Waller-Evans, DPhil – Cardiff University
Novel Inhibitors to Treat Multiple Lysomal Storage Disorders, causes of widespread organ damage
Wyatt Yue, PhD – University of Oxford
Inhibitors of Primary Hyperoxaluria, a cause of kidney failure
Haiyan Zhou, MD, PhD – University College London
Novel Therapy for SPTLC1-Related Hereditary Sensory Neuropathy, a cause of shooting pain
Antipsychotics for Treating Adult Depression Linked with Higher Mortality
Rutgers researchers have reported an increased mortality risk in adults with depression who initiated augmentation with newer antipsychotic medications compared to a control group that initiated augmentation with a second antidepressant.
Testing time for pills in space
Pills are being sent into space to test how they cope with the rigours of one of the harshest environments known.
The University of Adelaide is studying how exposure to microgravity and space radiation affects the stability of pharmaceutical tablet formulations. Two separate missions will send science payloads into orbit around Earth: the first will test how tablets cope with the environment inside the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. The second mission scheduled for early 2021, will test how tablets cope outside the ISS.
Patients taking long-term opioids produce antibodies against the drugs
University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists have discovered that a majority of back-pain patients they tested who were taking opioid painkillers produced anti-opioid antibodies. These antibodies may contribute to some of the negative side effects of long-term opioid use.
RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. licenses drug development compounds from UWM Research Foundation
The newly licensed compounds, developed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, act on a particular neurotransmitter receptor in the brain, which has shown promise for treatment of epilepsy and other convulsant disorders.
Infectious Diseases Society of America Foundation to Collaborate with Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS to Host the 2020 IDea Incubator Pitch Competition
For a third consecutive year, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Foundation will showcase the IDea Incubator Pitch Competition, aimed to support entrepreneurs and researchers working in the area of infectious diseases during IDWeek 2020, October 21-25.
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health expert available for comment on White House plans for an executive order directing the federal government to buy certain drugs solely from American factories.
William S. Comanor is Professor of Health Policy and Management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and director of the Research Program on Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy and also organizes a Seminar by the same name. From 1991…
New book examines human right to health, pushes for rating system for pharmaceutical companies
Every human being has the right to health and new initiatives should be put in place to encourage pharmaceutical companies to ensure that everyone has access to essential medicine, according to a new book from Nicole Hassoun, professor of philosophy at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
What Is the World Doing to Create a COVID-19 Vaccine?
The race to find a vaccine for the new coronavirus is well underway. Governments and researchers are aiming to provide billions of people with immunity in eighteen months or less, which would be unprecedented.
Turning alcohol into key ingredients for new medicines
Chemists have found a way to turn alcohol into amino acids, the building blocks of life.
Global Summit on Interventional Pharmacoeconomics
The University of Chicago Medicine’s Center for Personalized Therapeutics is hosting a virtual summit from June 9 to July 1 to discuss interventional pharmacoeconomics.
Midlands Medictech company Medherant in partnership to develop multiple new products with tech developed at University of Warwick
Midlands Medictech company Medherant has just this month (May 2020) signed a partnership agreement with Cambridge based Cycle Pharmaceuticals to develop multiple new products using Medherant technology developed by University of Warwick chemistry researchers.
New STM technique with super sharp frozen carbon monoxide needle points way to new and purer pharmaceuticals
Using an ultra-thin and sharp needle tipped with a single carbon monoxide molecule frozen to minus 266 degrees centigrade, researchers from the University of Warwick and Cardiff identified and mapped the location of every molecular bond on the surface of a material
Study describes cocktail of pharmaceuticals in waters in Bangladesh
An analysis revealed that water samples held a cocktail of pharmaceuticals and other compounds, including antibiotics, antifungals, anticonvulsants, anesthetics, antihypertensive drugs, pesticides, flame retardants and more. Not all chemicals were found at every test site.