Breast cancer drug palbociclib gets expedited approval in United States The US Food and Drug Administration has approved palbociclib (Ibrance; Pfizer) for advanced (metastatic) breast cancer under its accelerated approval programme.…
Removing items from children’s noses Removing objects from young children’s noses can be challenging. ‘Watch and wait’ and the ‘parent’s kiss’ are two techniques available.…
Shark attack on cancer cellsSmall simple chain antibodies from sharks may be used to generate lead compounds in inflammatory disease and cancer.…
Flu vaccine provides only 3% effectiveness, says public health body This season’s influenza vaccine has only been 3.4% effective, leading to large outbreaks of influenza in UK care homes, according to research from Public Health England.…
Ebola vaccine tested in 60 volunteers shows immune response An Ebola vaccine being developed by GlaxoSmithKline and the US National Institutes of Health is well tolerated and generates an immune response, according to initial testing of the vaccine in 60 healthy volunteers.…
A decade of smoking cessation in Europe The continent with the worst smoking habit is gradually giving it up. A range of anti-smoking policies and new cessation products has led to reduced rates of smoking in most countries, which will eventually impact on smoking-related deaths.…
Rolling out hepatitis C treatments will be costly The new generation of heptatitis C antivirals is highly effective, but the drugs’ expense will put pressure on healthcare providers.…
Oral contraceptives linked with increased risk of brain tumours Women who have ever used oral contraceptives have an increased risk of developing glioma – a rare brain tumour – compared with the general population, according to new research.…
A tax on junk food is the way to fight the childhood obesity crisis Foods high in salt, sugar and fat should be taxed to discourage unhealthy eating and slow rates of childhood obesity, says Colin Michie.…
Research challenges ‘cytokine storm’ hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease Interleukin-10 – an anti-inflammatory cytokine – has detrimental effects in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), challenging the “cytokine storm” hypothesis of AD progression.…