Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Court throws out patent covering drug dosing
The US Supreme Court has said that medical tests that rely on correlations between drug doses and treatment cannot be patented
Nanoscale engineering of wound beds
A peptide that binds to the frayed collagen in wounds to anchor drug molecules to improve wound healing
Voluntary controls on antibiotics on US farms criticised
The US Food and Drug Administration has introduced guidelines to try to cut antibiotic use in livestock
Three pronged approach puts brakes on US breast cancer
US approval for anti-HER2 therapy Perjeta (pertuzumab) against breast cancer
Paper and plastic HIV test
A device to amplify HIV DNA so that infants can be tested in resource-poor areas
Good signs for Merck & Co insomnia pill
Suvorexant switches off wakefulness to help patients drop off quicker and stay asleep longer
ECHA finishes first combo review
The European Chemical Agency has looked at a group of phthalates as a combination when considering risks associated with exposure
Nanoparticles linked to rheumatoid arthritis
Enzyme activation results in altered proteins, bringing them to the attention of the immune system
FDA green lights new obesity drug
Agency approval for prescription only obesity drug is first for 13 years
Brazil hits BASF with worker payout
BASF and Shell have been ordered to pay BRL1 billion (£300 million) to compensate employees for damage to their health
Interview: EMA head Guido Rasi
Guido Rasi, head of the European Medicines Agency, wants to see greater transparency in drug development
GSK drug shines in HIV trial
HIV–Aids drug candidate dolutegravir outperformed Atripla tablets in Phase III
Nanosilver in consumer goods under the spotlight
Danish environment agency finds no evidence of a risk to the public from goods with antibacterial properties
First HIV drug approved as prevention
Truvada tablets can reduce the risk of infection for an HIV-negative person
US bans BPA in baby bottles
Food and drug agency’s new prohibition on bisphenol A in baby bottles and sippy cups is being labelled by some as too little to late
UK urged to clean up London air
Think tank says 'invisible' pollution is public health problem comparable to obesity and alcohol
Free generics for India's poor but big pharma misses out
India's healthcare plans will see a massive expansion in the use of generic drugs at the expense of branded medicines
Bleak outlook for Greek chemistry
Greece's financial troubles have already caused severe damage to academia and the chemical sciences
Improved drugs to treat malarial liver infection
New antimalarials are more effective than their clinical counterparts in in vitro tests
Elan spins off drug discovery
The new company will be called Neotope Biosciences and focus on chronic degenerative diseases
Fluoroborates without the etch
A simple, practical method for making popular trifluoroborate reagents without etching glassware or tedious purification procedures has been developed by chemists in the UK
Popcorn flavouring presents worker risk
A chemical that gives popcorn its buttery flavour has been found to cause similar respiratory problems as the flavouring it replaced
Trojan horse tuberculosis treatment
A modified version of a compound from the TB pathogen is sent back in carrying a lethal agent
Protecting patients at all costs
Suffering stagnant output, and beset by patent expiries and spiralling costs, drug discovery is in poor health. Simon Campbell prescribes a remedy
Myelofibrosis drug approved in EU
Jakavi (ruxolitinib) tablets are for the treatment of myelofibrosis, a rare disease affecting the bone marrow
Drug maker apologises for thalidomide tragedy
Fifty years after the event Grünenthal issues an apology as victims of the drug continue to press for compensation
EPA urged to rethink chemical risk evaluation process
Top scientists say EPA should ‘fundamentally alter’ how it assesses chemical risk as the current process threatens public health
Orphan drugs set for 'tremendous growth'
Drugs for rare diseases are rapidly becoming very profitable with growth predicted to outstrip non-orphan drugs