Alternative therapies: hurting HIV regimes

Two thirds of HIV patients are using therapies such as multivitamins and Chinese herbs. While this sounds innocuous, it could have serious consequences. Some patients are likely to experience adverse reactions between HAART drugs and alternative therapies - and if physicians are unaware the patient is using alternative medicine, they may diagnose these wrongly.

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Alza: effective Concerta is hard to swallow

A new study shows that Alza's Concerta, which is already indicated in low doses for ADHD, can also treat severe ADHD in high doses. However, the news is unlikely to change Alza's strategy, since patients find Alza's pill uncomfortably large in its current highest dose, the company is likely to keep focusing on smaller doses.

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Alzheimer's disease: an opportunity for expansion?

Alzheimer's disease is reaching epidemic proportions. However, less than half of those affected seek diagnosis, mistakenly believing that there are no effective treatments available. With the number of sufferers set to triple in the next 30-40 years, many drug companies are battling to grab a share of this lucrative market, but will they be able to develop drugs effective enough to capitalize?

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Alzheimer's disease: drug trial comes under fire

According to US group Public Citizen, the ADAPT trial is seriously flawed. This study is evaluating Pharmacia's Celebrex and Bayer's Aleve in Alzheimer's disease prevention - but Public Citizen believes existing scientific data shows that these drugs are not a worthwhile treatment. The future of NSAIDs in AD prevention is looking ever more bleak.

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Alzheimer's disease: increasing awareness is vital

The number of Alzheimer's disease sufferers is set to triple in the next 30-40 years, leaving drug companies battling to grab a share of this lucrative market. But although 'vaccines' show great promise, they are unlikely to be available before the end of the decade. The main challenge until then is to increase awareness of the disorder and available therapies.

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Alzheimer's disease: painkillers show promise

These results suggest a promising new area of research in the treatment of Alzheimer's, as current treatments have limited efficacy and there is little in the late stage pipeline. However, currently available NSAIDs are not suitable for treatment because of their side effects, and research into alternatives will not impact the market for many years.

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Amylin: promising atherosclerosis agent will have to wait

The new results on Amylin's AC3056 confirm the results of a 2000 study. But although novel lipid-lowering and anti-atherosclerotic drugs such as AC3056 could achieve blockbuster status due to the vast size of the market, Amylin needs to focus its short-term resources on developing two later-stage compounds. This will delay AC3056's development further.

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Anthrax vaccine in bananas: will there be a market?

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Anti-inflammatories: Cox-IIs may not live up to the hype

Bextra is aimed at addressing the cardiovascular and kidney complications associated with its predecessors Celebrex and Vioxx. But although Cox-II inhibitors have improved toxicities compared to older NSAIDS, recent studies into the physiological functions of Cox-II should caution physicians from uncritical use of these new drugs.

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Antibiotics: bad news for bacteria and pharma companies

Physicians frequently prescribe antibiotics for viral infections due to patient demands, even though they are unnecessary. Delaying the prescription avoids having to turn the patient down outright, but still reduces unnecessary use. Adopting this strategy could cut rates of resistance, saving healthcare providers money while making R&D in the antibacterials field less attractive.

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