U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved once-daily XIGDUO™ XR (dapagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride extended-release) for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes. It is already approved in Australia
XIGDUO XR combines two anti-hyperglycemic agents with complementary mechanisms of action, dapagliflozin (trade name in the U.S. FARXIGA™), an inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), and metformin hydrochloride (HCl) extended-release, a biguanide, in a once-daily oral…
Celiac disease is a relatively new health disorder in India and experts claim that only a handful of patients are diagnosed. Majority of patients are still undiagnosed. In its press statement, Department of Biotechnology (DoB) said almost one per cent of north Indian population is suffering from the disease in which the inner lining of the small intestine (where food is digested and absorbed) gets damaged and food is not absorbed properly. Non-absorption of food leads to weight loss, prolonged…
Harvard stem cell researchers today announced that they have made a giant leap forward in the quest to find a truly effective treatment for type 1 diabetes, a condition that affects an estimated 3 million Americans at a cost of about $15 billion annually. With human embryonic stem cells as a starting point, the scientists are for the first time able to produce, in the kind of massive quantities needed for cell transplantation and pharmaceutical purposes, human insulin-producing…
Pictures taken by a little-known photographer between the 1930s and 1960s have found a new use helping to trigger memories and reminiscences among people with dementia. "In the dementia care world reminiscence is up there as one of the leading groups of therapeutic approaches," explains Prof Bob Woods, an expert in the clinical psychology of older people at Bangor University. "Essentially it's a good way of facilitating communication, and so it helps people to feel more socially integrated and…
Cancer Institute chairperson Dr V Shanta expressed concern over underreporting of cancer among children, especially in rural areas. Advances in oncology over the past six decades have ensured that up to 75 % of all paediatric cancers can be cured. While it is possible to treat all pediatric cases in the country, there is a need to increase affordability and accessibility for the same," she said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Chennai/Parents-deny-girls-cancer-treatment-say-doctors…
In a study that followed more than 2,200 obese women during pregnancy, scientists found that some simple interventions can help prevent high birth weights in newborns. This is important because previous studies have shown that infants with a high birth weight have a greater risk of becoming obese as children or adults. Professor Jodie Dodd summarizes the results: "Infants born to women who received lifestyle advice were 18% less likely to have a high birth weight compared to infants born to…
Women with breast cancer tumors that overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) may benefit from a novel vaccine to prevent recurrence A new breast cancer vaccine candidate, (GP2), provides further evidence of the potential of immunotherapy in preventing disease recurrence. One of only a few vaccines of its kind in development, GP2 has been shown to be safe and effective for breast cancer patients, reducing recurrence rates by 57%. Further, women with the highest overexpression…
According to reports from clinical trials, Roche’s breast cancer drug Perjeta displays “unprecedented” life-extending effects, helping patients live an average of 15.7 months longer than they would on chemotherapy and an older drug. 15.7 months is a significant amount of time for metastatic breast cancer patients, who are, on average, given two to three years to live after their diagnosis. Perjeta, then, has the capacity to increase that time by 50 to 75 percent. http://www…
The U.S. FDA today approved Trulicity (dulaglutide), a once-weekly subcutaneous injection to improve glycemic control (blood sugar levels), along with diet and exercise, in adults with type 2 diabetes. "Type 2 diabetes is a serious chronic condition that causes blood glucose levels to rise higher than normal,” said Mary Parks, M.D., deputy director of the Office of Drug Evaluation II in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Trulicity is a new treatment option, which can be used…
