A study of pharmaceutical sales visits found that almost half led to doctors intending to increase gabapentin prescriptions. Nearly 40% of visits discussed off-label uses not approved by the FDA.
A comprehensive study by University of California, Davis researchers found organically grown kiwifruit contain more health-promoting factors than conventionally grown counterparts. This increases antioxidant activity and vitamin C levels, suggesting potential benefits for heart health.
A recent study found that laws requiring disclosure of pharmaceutical company payments to physicians do not provide easy access to payment information and are of limited quality. The study analyzed publicly available data in Vermont and Minnesota, revealing substantial numbers of payments over $100 made to physicians.
Researchers from UNC and Dana Farber Cancer Institute found that industry-funded breast cancer trials are more likely to have positive outcomes compared to non-pharmaceutical funded studies. The study also revealed significant differences in clinical trial design and outcome between industry-supported and non-industry studies.
Chinese scientists develop heat and irradiation treatment to decrease levels of 'Pen a 1' allergen in prawns, reducing reactive proteins that cause seafood allergies. This non-GMO method may provide an alternative to genetic manipulation, suitable for those wary of genetically modified foods.
A new technique using ozone preserves grapes while boosting healthy compounds, potentially leading to hypoallergenic wines. The method shows promise for reducing sulphite use in winemaking, which can cause allergic reactions and affect the flavor of wine.
Purdue University researchers have developed a new class of tiny sensors that can measure gas flow on the scale of micrometers and nanometers. These sensors could be used in environmental protection to measure the leakage of hydrocarbon fumes from fuel tanks and in pharmaceutical preservation to test packages for gas leaks.
A study of 44 industry-initiated trials found that ghost authorship was present in 33 trials, with statisticians being the most common ghost authors. This practice undermines scientific integrity and highlights the need for stricter guidelines to prevent it.
Research published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture reveals cloudy apple juice contains four times the concentration of polyphenols as clear varieties. Polyphenols have anti-cancer activity and can help prevent heart disease, supporting a healthier diet.
Researchers apply slag to wheat growing in greenhouses, causing plants to grow spiky structures that repel rabbits, reducing grazing damage. The environmentally friendly method uses a plentiful byproduct of blast furnaces and could circumvent pesticide regulatory approval.
A new pesticide development with integrated sunscreen shields chemicals from UV light, increasing their effectiveness and reducing degradation. The technology has the potential to lower costs for farmers and minimize environmental impact.
Researchers identify barriers and opportunities in treating mental illness, proposing a new paradigm for CNS drug development. The study highlights the need for more effective treatments with fewer side effects, focusing on treatments that act on multiple molecular targets.
Researchers develop an alternative to animal testing by tricking ticks into setting up home on faux-cow hides. This method measures leg tremblings of ticks to observe early signs of pesticide toxicity.
A study found that feeding babies alcoholic milk may protect against some food allergies. Kefir's friendly bacteria block the pathway involved in allergic responses, reducing IgE levels and activating cells responsible for histamine release. The research suggests kefir could be a promising tool in preventing allergies.
Five experts recommend Congressional action to address eight major problems, including inadequate funding and expertise. They propose five key changes to strengthen FDA's ability to assure public safety.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new method to sort single-walled carbon nanotubes by their diameter and electronic structure, overcoming the problem of structural heterogeneity that has limited their widespread use. This method, which exploits subtle differences in buoyant densities, promises to enable the produ...
A US survey of obstetricians and gynecologists found that one in three doctors believe free drug samples impact their prescribing choices. More than half of respondents felt it was ethical to accept free samples or lucrative consultancy offers from pharmaceutical companies.
UCR researchers develop more stable carbene, a family of compounds used in pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals. The new molecule has a unique shape and size, potentially leading to even more powerful catalysts.
The UQ Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development is developing new tools to streamline the preclinical trials process. This will improve productivity across the pharmaceuticals industry and address a blockage in the drug production pipeline.
Renowned clinicians call for collaborative effort to revive clinical pharmacology in the UK. The Lancet experts advocate for joint action by medical schools, government bodies, and industry partners to bolster this crucial field.
The Yale guidelines ban faculty from receiving gifts, meals, and free drug samples from industry, setting standards for financial conflict of interest disclosure in educational programs. The guidelines aim to promote an effective and ethical partnership between medical schools and pharmaceutical companies.
The University of Queensland is leading a world-first consortium to create an Australian Minerals Science Research Institute, funded by a $8.6 million ARC grant. The five-year research program will focus on sustainable mining and mineral processing, with potential applications in industries such as pharmaceuticals and food production.
Agnès Vignery, an expert in bone development, will conduct collaborative research at Pfizer's Global Research and Development. Her lab has developed a new technology to induce bone formation for fracture prevention, which is being refined in rodents for human translation.
University of Oregon chemist Jim Hutchison has developed a method to rapidly generate diverse libraries of functionalized gold particles with cores of 11 gold atoms. The new synthesis technique offers great promise for research and development at the nanoscale.
Researchers at Queen's University have developed switchable solvents that enhance chemical manufacturing processes while minimizing waste and emissions. This breakthrough enables more environmentally-friendly chemical production methods.
ERDITI, a collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers, aims to repurpose 'abandoned' compounds for rare diseases. The initiative, launched by Alain Fischer, could lead to discoveries of effective treatments and profitable new drugs.
Research by industry faces no high standard, enabling pharmaceuticals, tobacco, and other industries to make claims harder to challenge than government-funded research. The current imbalance can be seen in the FDA's increasing scrutiny, with a focus on
Bioethicists who accept funding from pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may be more likely to prescribe industry drugs, even if they believe it has no influence. Researchers argue that stronger measures are needed to ensure independence and credibility in bioethics scholarship.
Five high-profile medical whistleblowers share their accounts of practices in medicine and research that risk public health and safety. They reveal the 'pharma-FDA complex' may compromise drug development, prescribing, and safety monitoring, leading to potential disasters like Vioxx.
Medical schools have inconsistent standards for allowing industry sponsors to control research, including revising manuscripts, limiting investigator roles, and reviewing data. Some institutions prioritize public interest over sponsor interests, while others are more permissive, raising concerns about researchers' autonomy.
The Sapling Foundation grant will support OneWorld Health's efforts to develop new medicines for infectious diseases affecting the developing world. The Institute develops affordable treatments for diseases like visceral leishmaniasis, malaria, and diarrhea, with a focus on pre-clinical studies and clinical trials.
The production of sub-standard and fake drugs is a vast and under-reported problem that causes unnecessary deaths and illnesses. The authors argue that a multifaceted approach is needed to control the global epidemic of counterfeit and substandard drugs, including mandatory reporting by drug companies and governments.
The pharmaceutical industry is struggling with declining productivity and increasing R&D costs, prompting the need for innovative solutions. Personalized medicine offers a promising approach by targeting drugs to individuals likely to respond well, while regional development and cluster formation can foster collaboration and competitiv...
The conference will address patent regulations for genetically engineered organisms, regulatory challenges for new drugs developed through genetic investigations or stem-cell research, and public acceptance of these products. Experts with international reputations will discuss future pathways of innovation in the life sciences.
Pharmacogenomics has the potential to improve treatment successes and reduce adverse reactions by targeting specific drugs at specific patients. The industry is expected to bear a larger share of costs associated with drug-treatment failures as well-targeted therapies become more commonplace.
A Science magazine survey has identified top biopharma employers across two industries, with scientists in biotech and pharmaceuticals ranking highest for work-culture values alignment. The ranking takes into account 42 characteristics and attributes in seven categories, rating companies based on employee treatment, respect, and more.
The US postmarketing surveillance system requires major restructuring to effectively monitor drug safety. An independent agency would oversee the process, ensuring complete independence from pharmaceutical industry influence.
Clemson University receives a $600,000 NSF grant to support biomaterials research and the growth of an advanced materials industry cluster. The grant aims to facilitate technology transfer between academia and private industry, promoting economic development in South Carolina.
Norman, a morphine-free poppy variant, produces thebaine and oripavine compounds preferred by industry. CSIRO's Dr Phil Larkin and colleagues discovered genetic differences in Norman that facilitate its superior pain relief properties.
Researchers will develop tools for nano-scale manufacturing and apply them to biosensors for early disease detection and nanotube memory chips. The collaboration aims to create new products contributing 2 million jobs and $1 trillion in revenue by 2015.
The research highlights the importance of natural organohalogens, which are found in various organisms, including plants, animals, and insects. These compounds have medicinal properties, such as treating cancer, bacterial infection, and HIV, and serve vital purposes like hormones, pheromones, repellents, and natural pesticides.
The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards have honored scientists who develop innovative chemistry to lower pollution. Two winners in 2004 developed "tunable" benign solvents from water and CO2 that host chemical reactions more cleanly and efficiently.
The Canadian Medical Association recommends a national review of pharmacy prescription records confidentiality, calling for Health Canada to establish standards. The pharmaceutical industry should not be responsible for managing the issue.
A study of 332 randomized trials found industry-funded trials more likely to yield statistically significant pro-industry findings. Pharmaceutical companies prioritize trials with higher potential for positive results. This bias affects not only medical treatments but also new surgical interventions.
A Thai court case ruled in favor of patients with HIV-1, increasing access to essential antiretroviral drugs. Civil society groups played a crucial role in challenging multinational pharmaceutical industry practices, leading to improved treatment outcomes and increased self-image confidence among people living with HIV/AIDS.
A study by Michigan Medicine and Harvard University found that FDA review fees for drug companies haven't led to faster approvals. The researchers analyzed data from 843 new drugs submitted between 1977 and 2000 and found that staffing levels, not fee-based system, were responsible for the decline in approval times.
A researcher is developing photochemistry techniques that could help produce gasoline more efficiently and create new sensors for detecting pollutants. His work also has the potential to enhance the quality of microcircuitry and improve the aerospace and automobile industries.
The project aims to design microchannel reactors for on-site production of hydrogen peroxide, addressing transportation, storage, and dilution costs. The grant also supports the development of microchannel reactors for catalytic hydrogenation reactions in the pharmaceutical industry.
A new annotated compound library has been developed to speed up drug discovery, identifying 85 compounds that can inhibit tumor cell growth. The library's potential becomes clear as it can be expanded indefinitely and contains about 90% of all controlled substances and 50% of all drugs approved for use in the US.
A renowned chemist has won a prestigious award for his groundbreaking work on creating molecules found in nature, including lapidilectine B. He developed a new method to build nitrogen ring structures and successfully recreated the molecule step-by-step in the laboratory.
Researchers create experimental model of a non-equilibrium system to test the soundness of temperature in a continuously shaken container of tiny beads. They find that temperature follows the expected rules, suggesting that essential information can be extracted from disordered motion in dissipative systems.
Weizmann Institute scientists found that around 50 genes are optional, affecting a person's unique pattern of active olfactory receptors. This high level of genetic variation impacts how thousands of aromas and flavors are perceived. The study also shows varying levels of obliteration among different ethnic groups.
The Lancet appoints Dr. Tobias to a $15 billion programme tackling AIDS in African and Caribbean countries most devastated by the pandemic. Critics argue that his lack of knowledge about Africa and connections to the pharmaceutical industry may compromise his credibility.
A clinical trial found that early treatment with Atacand significantly reduced 12-month mortality and vascular events in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. The study also showed a comparable tolerability profile to placebo.
Researchers at UC Berkeley created a microbial factory that can produce artemisinin, an effective antimalarial drug, using yeast, wormwood, and bacterial genes. The process reduces the production of artemisinin to just a few chemical alterations, making it cost-effective for global use.
The University of Minnesota is leading a new initiative to create standardized safety protocols for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the agricultural biotechnology industry. This effort aims to address concerns about GMO safety and reduce regulatory stalemates.
Manzer has led the development of commercially viable replacements for CFCs, including HFC 134A in automobile air conditioners. He also designed catalysts that can make polycarbonate without generating another ozone-depleting compound as a byproduct.
Graham Dukes argues that the pharmaceutical industry prioritizes shareholder interests over global public health. He criticizes the industry's practices, including excessive pricing and promotional activities, which do not account for societal needs.
The pharmaceutical industry's focus on high-income markets is hindering access to essential drugs in less-developed countries, where millions lack access to life-saving medications. Voluntary licensing arrangements and freer trade could improve access to patented drugs, according to experts.
The pharmaceutical industry's political power can hinder effective drug regulation, leading to unsafe and ineffective drugs. A robust regulatory system is necessary to protect public health from the interests of the industry.