Pharma News

Hic! Comet Lovejoy is living up to its name by releasing large amounts of alcohol - as much as 500 bottles of wine every second - into space, scientists have found. The discovery marks the first time ethyl alcohol, the same type in alcoholic beverages, has been observed in a comet, researchers said.

When 49-year-old Veena Gandhi came to Dr Tarun Mittal, a laparoscopic and obesity surgeon at Sir Gangaram Hospital in the capital, she had difficulty walking with shortness of breath and acute pain in her joints. The culprit: obesity.

In a major advancement towards therapies for patients with liver damage, scientists have developed a new technique for growing liver cells from stem cells that is cost-effective and could be adapted for mass production of clinical grade cells.

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the Board of Directors has increased the company’s quarterly dividend to $0.46 per outstanding share of the company’s common stock, up $0.01 from $0.45 per outstanding share paid last quarter. Payment will be made on Jan. 8, 2016, to stockholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 15, 2015.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new indication for BioThrax (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) to prevent disease following suspected or confirmed exposure to Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax disease. The vaccine’s new use is approved for people 18 through 65 years of age in conjunction with recommended antibiotic treatment. BioThrax was initially approved by the FDA in 1970 for the prevention of anthrax disease in persons at high risk of exposure.

Amgen  announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted conditional marketing authorization for BLINCYTO® (blinatumomab) for the treatment of adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) relapsed or refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

AstraZeneca  announced that it has entered into an agreement with Perrigo Company plc for the divestment of US rights to Entocort® (budesonide), a gastroenterology medicine for patients with mild to moderate Crohn’s disease, an area of medicine outside AstraZeneca’s strategic focus.

The widespread misuse of skin creams and lotions that contain steroids in India is harmful and out of control, warns a Gujarat-based dermatologist.

Scientists have discovered a new compound that shows promise for treating deadly skin cancers like melanoma that are resistant or unresponsive to leading therapies today.

Japanese scientists have discovered a protein, found in humans, that has inhibitory effects on the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV), the media reported on Wednesday.