Manure Management Reduces Levels of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Antibiotic resistance is a growing human health concern. Researchers around the globe have found antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals to be present in surface waters and sediments, municipal wastewater, animal manure lagoons, and underlying groundwater. In a recent article in the November-December issue of Journal of Environmental Quality, researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) describe a study to find out if animal waste contributes to the spread of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), and if they can be reduced by appropriate manure management practices.

Hospital superbugs now in nursing homes and the community

Hospital superbugs that can break down antibiotics are so widespread throughout Europe that doctors increasingly have to use the few remaining drugs that they reserve for emergencies. Now these hospital superbug strains have spread to nursing homes and into the community in Ireland, raising fears of wider antibiotic resistance, scientists heard today (Wednesday 28 November 2007) at the Federation of Infection Societies Conference 2007 at the University of Cardiff, UK, which runs from 28-30 November 2007.

Study shows endemic cholera can be controlled with oral vaccines

SEATTLE -- Endemic cholera, a potentially fatal diarrheal disease found in the world's most impoverished countries, could be effectively controlled by orally vaccinating half of the affected populations once every two years for only pennies per dose, according to new findings by an international team of researchers led by Ira M. Longini Jr., Ph.D., a biostatistician in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Longini and colleagues will report their findings online Nov. 27 in PLoS Medicine.

Penns Abramson Cancer Center part of major phase III study for myeloma

PHILADELPHIA - Researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania announced today that findings from two large, international clinical trials show unprecedented survival for patients with multiple myeloma, a cancer that occurs in the blood-making cells of bone marrow. The findings show that with the oral drug lenalidomide (REVLIMID®), in combination with the steroid dexamethasone, patients significantly improved by all measures where previous treatments had failed - including a median survival of nearly three years - the longest median survival known for this difficult to treat patient group. Edward A. Stadtmauer, MD, Director of the Abramson Cancer Center Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Program and lead investigator from Penn, was part of the U.S. study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine alongside a companion study from Europe showing similar results.

Oral Drug Sets a New Survival Standard for Bone Marrow Cancer

Findings from two large, international clinical trials show "unprecedented" survival for patients with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that occurs in the blood-making cells of bone marrow. The findings demonstrate that with Revlimid®, an oral cancer drug, all measures of myeloma showed significant improvement in patients where previous treatments had failed. Rush University Medical Center took part in the U.S. study. Results of the study were published November 21 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Cethromycin achieves all endpoints in second pivotal Phase III Trial for treatment for pneumonia

Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADLS), today announced positive results from Trial CL-05, the second of two pivotal phase III clinical trials designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of cethromycin, a novel once-a-day oral antibiotic for the treatment of mild-to-moderate community acquired pneumonia (CAP), the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The primary efficacy endpoint of statistical non-inferiority in the clinical cure rate at the test-of-cure visit was achieved. The study results showed that cethromycin cured 94.0% of patients with CAP, compared to Biaxin® (clarithromycin), a current standard of care treatment for CAP, which cured 93.8% of studied patients in the per protocol population. In the modified intent to treat population, cethromycin cured 83.1% of patients and Biaxin cured 81.1%. Cethromycin also demonstrated favorable safety results, with reported side effects similar to or less than those seen with Biaxin.

Tamiflu effective for treatment and prevention of influenza in children 1 year and older

Tamiflu (oseltamivir) significantly reduces illness severity and duration in children one year and older, particularly if given within 24 hours of symptom onset, according to new data presented at the World Society for Pediatric Infectious Disease (WISPID) meeting in Bangkok 15-18 November. The antiviral Tamiflu was also shown to reduce the incidence of respiratory tract infections, ear infections and antibiotic use. In addition this season smaller child sized Tamiflu (oseltamivir) capsules of 30 mg and 45 mg doses will be available to provide easier and more convenient dosing by parents.

Drug dosages often incorrect for obese patients

PORTLAND, Ore. - As if severely overweight people didn't already have enough health concerns, experts are raising another red flag - the possibility that some of their prescription medications, especially antibiotics, may not be prescribed at the appropriate dosage and could be ineffective.

Childrens Hospital studying drug with the potential to prevent-delay onset of type 1 diabetes

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC are participating in an international clinical trial currently underway to study the effectiveness of oral insulin in preventing or delaying the onset of type 1 diabetes in people at risk for the disease.

Drug slows prostate tumor growth by keeping vitamin A active

Findings from the AACR Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine: From Technology to Treatment Singapore, Nov. 4-8, 2007. SINGAPORE -- A novel compound that blocks the breakdown of retinoic acid, derived from vitamin A, is a surprisingly effective and "promiscuous" agent in treating animal models of human prostate cancer, say investigators from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).

Heart attacks-pneumonia falls short of national goals

An estimated 22,000 preventable deaths result. Emergency departments across the nation are failing to meet national goals in treating many heart attack and pneumonia patients, according to a study by Johns Hopkins researchers published in the October issue of Academic Emergency Medicine.

Study shows drug effective in treating preventing breast cancer

CORVALLIS, Ore. - A new study of an estrogen-derived drug shows promise as a treatment for breast cancer and breast cancer metastases to bone.The study, which was done in mice, appears on the cover of the November issue of Cancer Research.

Mayo Clinic study shows drug could effectively treat, prevent the spread of breast cancer

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A Mayo Clinic study of a drug that has shown promise in treating sarcoma, lung and brain cancers, demonstrates that the drug may also be effective in treating breast cancer, in particular the spread of breast cancer.

Scripps research team blocks bacterial communication system to prevent deadly staph infections

In hopes of combating the growing scourge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, in particular drug-resistant staph bacteria, a team of scientists from the Scripps Research Institute has designed a new type of vaccine that could one day be used in humans to block the onset of infection. The advantage of the new vaccine is that it would work not only on current bacterial resistant stains but also would not induce the potential for new bacterial resistance because, rather than killing bacterial cells, it blocks their communication system, preventing the shift from harmless to virulent, thus allowing the body's natural defenses to combat the bacteria.

Study finds multiple neglected tropical diseases effectively treated with drugs

Hebrew SeniorLife researcher says low-cost treatment could affect 1 billion worldwide. The neglected tropical diseases are a group of 13 infectious diseases, including elephantiasis, hookworm, African sleeping sickness and trachoma, which affect more than 1 billion people worldwide, most of whom live in extreme poverty. In a study published in the most recent Journal of the American Medical Association, Madhuri Reddy, M.D., M.Sc., a geriatrician at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, says that treating two or more of them simultaneously for only pennies per dose can facilitate treatment of these diseases.