To legalize, or not to legalize? When it comes to cannabis, it’s a question that has generated quite a buzz throughout North America over the last several years. Adding fuel to the fire is the recent legalization of marijuana south of the border where pot shops are now open for business across Colorado and Washington states. In Canada, the proven therapeutic benefits of marijuana, well documented by clinical research, have put pressure on law makers to regulate its sale, making the substance more widely available to prescription holders. And this month, the government has complied, developing new legislation that licenses.. READ MORE »
February 11, 2014
When we think about precious gems and beautiful fabrics, complex medical procedures are most likely the last thing that comes to mind. For researchers at the universities of Melbourne, Sydney and Tufts however, silk and diamonds have proven invaluable in a new drug delivery system. Nanodiamonds have been around for years, helping bring cancer-fighting therapies directly to tumours without hurting the surrounding tissues. They form clusters that bind to the injected drug, releasing it slowly, and keeping harmful side effects to a minimum. By targeting tumours more efficiently, nanodiamonds have helped reduce patient suffering. And now, researchers have discovered how.. READ MORE »
February 6, 2014
A recent assessment of Canada’s food safety procedures may prompt consumers to think twice about what’s for dinner. The audit, completed in 2012 but released only last month, evaluated the systems that process meat products being prepared for export to the United States. Inspectors with the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) visited two red-meat slaughterhouses, four meat-processing plants, an egg processing plant, five government offices including Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) headquarters, and two private laboratories between Oct. 22 and Nov. 9, 2012. In the end, FSIS deemed the facilities “adequate,” the lowest possible rating it could issue.. READ MORE »
February 4, 2014
Big Pharma is becoming adept at identifying new uses for old drugs. Companies are re-examining established therapies – conducting refocused clinical research within the relatively new context of genome mapping. With increasing clarity, we are able to see how drugs impact cell behavior and operations, and this ability is yielding promising results in the treatment of various forms of cancer. Recent research out of Boston has revealed that a 50 year old antipsychotic medication called perphenazine may be called back into active duty – this time to battle acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a particularly aggressive form of cancer. The research.. READ MORE »
January 30, 2014
We often turn to antibiotics as a kind of silver bullet; a bacterium-eradicator with the power to relieve whatever ails us. A wide variety of conditions are routinely treated with antibiotics, from common infections to more serious illnesses like tuberculosis. However, in our zeal to wipe out bacteria we have given the invaders precisely what they need to mutate and adapt – resulting in ever-more resistant strains that have rendered many of our stand-by drugs quite powerless. Antibiotic over-use has made bacteria stronger, while our ability to formulate more effective alternatives continues to decline. This is why Sanofi, partnered with.. READ MORE »
January 28, 2014
Each year in Canada and the US, thousands of babies are born with unknown diseases and rare conditions – medical mysteries that often go unsolved. At least, until now. At Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, geneticist Stephen Kingsmore is using genome mapping to shed new light on infant illness – and providing early intervention to conditions that clinical research alone could take years to address. The technology is becoming increasingly accessible. Just over a decade ago, it cost more than $2 billion to map a human genome, while today it costs Kingsmore $12,000 to complete and analyze a.. READ MORE »
January 23, 2014
Before we try a new product, we often search online or talk to other consumers to find out how well it works and if it lives up to manufacturer promises. We dig into its history and look for inconsistencies. Should we be any less vigilant when choosing a new medicine? In the U.K., lawmakers are demanding greater transparency from Big Pharma with regard to the results of clinical research and drug trials. The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee states that the methods and outcomes of tests should be available to the medical community and patients, so that they can.. READ MORE »
January 21, 2014
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly silent killers. It is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis and limited treatment options, and is highly resistant to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Most patients develop symptoms after the cancer has spread to other organs, and the chance of survival drastically reduced. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 4,700 Canadians will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year – and 4,300 will die from it. More effective treatment methods are desperately needed to increase shockingly low survival rates. New clinical research from scientists at the Universities of Manchester and Michigan may provide.. READ MORE »
January 16, 2014
Over the last decade, foodies, environmentalists, animal rights advocates and health officials have spoken out about the dangers of “unnatural” foods. The excessive use of pesticides, the unhealthy – even deadly – side effects of hormone injected cattle, and the implications of genetically modified produce; all reasons many of us have gone organic, willing to spend extra on free-range and all-natural. Last year, cattle producers joined the chorus, taking aim at pharma giant Merck when its growth stimulant Zilmax allegedly caused disastrous side effects. Merck denies there is any clinical research to validate the claims and is currently strategizing a.. READ MORE »
January 14, 2014
Patients diagnose with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive form of primary brain tumor, face a bleak survival rate of 3 to 9 months. Typically, patients are treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation – but these traditional techniques simply cannot keep up with an alarmingly fast rate of growth. GBM tumors are notoriously resistant to standard therapies, and remain one of the most dreaded diagnoses because despite treatment, they almost always come back. This is why clinical research in the field is so important, and why a new study from Northwestern Memorial Hospital is receiving positive attention. Using tumor.. READ MORE »
January 9, 2014
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