Medicines impact the lives of millions of people and strengthen their well-being, but there are risks involved in their use. Scientists agree that risk assessment during drug development should be carried out rigorously, but identifying safety concerns during clinical trials is complex. Pharmacovigilance is a field of science dedicated to the understanding and prevention of the adverse effects of medicines.
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SonoDrugs project to develop image-guided localized drug delivery technologies
Royal Philips Electronics today announced that it is leading a major new European project to develop drug delivery technologies that could significantly impact the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease. By allowing drugs to be delivered to disease sites via the patient's bloodstream and then activated by focused ultrasound pulses, the SonoDrugs project aims to maximize the therapeutic efficiency and minimize the side effects of drug treatments for cancer and cardiovascular disease.
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European Physician Tech Tools of the Trade - Wikipedia and Social Networking?
Manhattan Research, a global healthcare and pharmaceutical market research company, today announced the release of Taking the Pulse® Europe v8.0, its European physician study and strategic advisory service. It offers in-depth market data and analysis of how physicians across Western Europe integrate the Internet and technology into their practises. Taking the Pulse® Europe also looks at key trends in pharma company/sales rep interactions and electronic detailing.
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New partnership combines clinical support with ePrescribing
A new partnership will enable healthcare professionals to have access to clinical noting, patient management, drug data and electronic prescribing from a single application. Clinical Solutions has signed a three-year deal with leading primary healthcare supplier EMIS, to integrate the Mentor Drug Database Module into its IntefleCS™ Face to Face software.
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Scientists identify mutation linked to common form of epilepsy
A team of EU-funded scientists has discovered that a mutation on chromosome 15 is linked to a common form of epilepsy. The findings, which are published in the journal Nature Genetics, add to our understanding of the underlying causes of epilepsy and could eventually lead to the development of new drugs to treat the condition.
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Study uncovers potential new drug target for arthritis treatments
EU-funded researchers in the UK have found that the joint damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis may be partly due to antibodies produced within joints themselves. Their findings shed light on why drugs that clear antibody-producing B cells from the bloodstream do not always lead to improvements in rheumatoid arthritis, and point to an enzyme called 'activation-induced cytidine deaminase' (AID) as a potential target for the development of drugs to treat this debilitating disease.
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EU Launches Project to Improve In-Vitro Diagnostics
The European Union launched a new research project targeting to expand the potentials and utility of in-vitro diagnostics through the creation of new standards for the collection, handling and processing of blood, tissue, tumor and other sample materials. Under the 7th Framework Programme, the European Commission approved the initiative's funding and scope to develop corresponding standards, tools and quality assurance schemes.
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