Forest Laboratories Inc antibiotic appears effective with risks similar to current options, U.S. drug reviewers said in an analysis that raised hopes for the medicine's approval.
Ceftaroline is an intravenous antibiotic developed to fight serious and possibly life-threatening infections including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus auereus (MRSA), a growing public health threat.
Link:http://www.reuters.com/article/idCNN3127328720100902?rpc=44
Source:Reuters

The publication of an article in the journal Blood describing the novel mechanism of action of MLN4924 through targeted pathway modulation in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)was announced. MLN4924 is a small molecule inhibitor of the NEDD8-Activating Enzyme (NAE), a key component of the protein homeostasis pathway.
Link:http://investor.millennium.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=80159&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1466436&highlight=
Source:Millennium

Cancer Research UK's Drug Development Office has launched a clinical trial* to test an experimental drug in patients with advanced (Stage IV) pancreatic cancer - one of the most difficult cancers to treat.
MK-0752 works by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth in a cell signalling pathway called Notch, which plays an important role in cell survival and cell movement.
Link:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/199754.php
Source:Medical News Today

The Swiss health authority Swissmedic has granted approval for Tasigna (nilotinib) 300 mg twice daily for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML) in chronic phase. Tasigna is the first new therapeutic option for newly diagnosed patients since the introduction of Glivec (imatinib), providing a major advance for patients with this blood cancer.
Link:http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/199724.php
Source:Medical News Today

The publication of an article online in Vaccine was announced.  The article describes the systematic identification of neutralizing and non-neutralizing B-cell epitopes on ricin toxin’s enzymatic A subunit (RTA). An inactivated form of RTA is the primary component of RiVax, the Company’s proprietary vaccine against ricin toxin.   RiVax is currently being evaluated in Phase 1 human safety and immunogenicity trials, as well as non-human primate trials for efficacy.
Link:http://www.soligenix.com/news.aspx?titleId=356
Source:Soligenix

Efficacy in a model of Alzheimer’s disease using a recently discovered orally-available drug-candidate has been observed. The proprietary molecule specifically inhibits a receptor subtype called the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) via negative allosteric modulation (NAM). An Addex mGluR2 NAM is scheduled to enter Phase I clinical testing in healthy volunteers during 2011.
Link:http://www.addexpharma.com/press-releases/press-release-details/article/addex-drug-candidate-effective-in-alzheimers-disease-model/
Source:Addex

Researchers have identified the molecular mechanism that makes omega-3 fatty acids so effective in reducing chronic inflammation and insulin resistance.
The scientists conducted their research using cell cultures and mice, some of the latter genetically modified to lack the GPR120 receptor. All of the mice were fed a high-fat diet with or without omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. The supplementation treatment inhibited inflammation and enhanced insulin sensitivity in ordinary obese mice, but had no effect in GPR120 knockout mice. A chemical agonist of omega-3 fatty acids produced similar results.
It is published in the advance online edition of the September 3 issue of the journal Cell.
Link:http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/uoc--wfo083010.php
Source:EurekAlert

Results of a study reported in the September issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggest that Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a greater risk for dementia than Veterans without PTSD, even those who suffered traumatic injuries during combat.
Link:http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/w-psf083110.php
Source:EurekAlert

In two closely related studies, two teams of Scripps Research Institute scientists have discovered the underlying mechanisms that activate a type of immune cell in the skin and other organs. The findings may lead to the development of new therapies to treat inflammation, wounds, asthma, and malignant tumors.
The results of the two companion studies were published in the September 3, 2010 issue of the prestigious journal Science. Together, the new research sheds light on γδ (pronounced "gamma delta") T cells, an immune cell found within epithelial tissues—the thin layer of cells that makes up the outermost layer of skin and organs like the intestines and lungs.
Link:http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/sri-sdt083110.php
Source:EurekAlert

Humans—males in particular—with a variant form of the immune receptor gene "Toll Like Receptor 7 (TLR7)" are at increased risk of developing the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). This breakthrough finding offers renewed hope for developing more targeted treatments.
The powerful finding recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) represents additional strong evidence from human cells—as opposed to mice or other animal cells-that alterations in the TLR7 gene can promote lupus.
Link:http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-09/lri-lri090110.php
Source:EurekAlert