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Interim Study Results Presented At ADA 2009: Exenatide Not Associated With Increased Rate Of Acute Pancreatitis Compared To Other Antidiabetic Drugs
Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMLN) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced interim results from a retrospective study including nearly 260,000 patients that showed the risk of acute pancreatitis among patients initiating therapy with BYETTA(R) (exenatide) injection was not increased compared to patients initiating other antidiabetic therapies. These findings were presented at the 69th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in New Orleans.

Morning People And Night Owls Show Different Brain Function: University Of Alberta Study
Scientists at the University of Alberta have found that there are significant differences in the way our brains function depending on whether we"re early risers or night owls.
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Future Of Antiabortion-Rights Movement Uncertain In Wake Of Tiller Murder
The antiabortion-rights movement"s presence in Wichita, Kan., faces an uncertain future as its leaders re-examine their strategy after the shooting death of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, Wichita has been a center for the antiabortion-rights movement for almost two decades primarily because of the location of Tiller"s clinic, which is one of the few in the U.S. that performs abortions later in pregnancy. Most notably, thousands of protesters converged on the city in the summer of 1991, known as the "Summer of Mercy," and the city is known as a "hot spot" for groups opposed to abortion rights, the Times reports. Antiabortion-rights group Operation Rescue moved its headquarters to Wichita to focus on Tiller"s clinic, and there are five other operations in the city aimed at discouraging women from having abortions. However, many groups are concerned that interest in the antiabortion-rights movement and donations in support of the cause will drop without the presence of Tiller and his patients. Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, said that he does not "know what the future holds" and that it is "too early to say what comes next" for the movement. He added that Scott Roeder, the man charged with Tiller"s murder, "did more to damage the pro-life movement than you can imagine."According to the Times, the antiabortion-rights movement is facing increasing backlash related to the murder, with some abortion-rights supporters saying that abortion-rights opponents" inflammatory rhetoric helped incite the violence. Mark Gietzen, president of the Kansas Coalition for Life, said that there also is disagreement among antiabortion-rights groups over whether their leaders should have issued statements condemning the murder. Tiller"s clinic currently is closed, and no patients are being given appointments, although his family said in a recent statement that it would like to continue his work, according to the Times. David Gittrich, development director of Kansans for Life, said that although Tiller"s murder will "change things in the pro-life movement ... until abortion is illegal, unthinkable and unacceptable, there"s going to be plenty of things for pro-lifers to do" (Davey, New York Times, 6/8).Justice Department Launches Federal Probe of Murder Meanwhile, the Department of Justice on Friday began a federal investigation into Tiller"s murder and is seeking to determine whether more than one person was involved in the shooting, the Times reports. Federal officials will review evidence and look into possible violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, according to DOJ. The investigation will be conducted alongside Kansas" murder prosecution. A DOJ spokesperson would not comment on whether the investigation would affect the jurisdiction in which Roeder is eventually tried (Cullotta, New York Times, 6/6).Abortion Providers, Advocates Respond to Comments from Suspect In related news, abortion-rights providers and advocates responded to Roeder"s recent comments implying that more violence against abortion providers is planned, the AP/Google.com reports. In an interview with the Associated Press, Roeder said that there are "many other similar events planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal." Roeder refused to elaborate on his statement, and law enforcement officials said that they are not sure if his statement is legitimate. LeRoy Carhart, an abortion provider who practiced at Tiller"s clinic, noted that Tiller was not the first abortion provider to be murdered, adding, "There is more than one lunatic running loose in this country that can be influenced by the religious rhetoric." Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said she believes it is "imperative for anti-choice groups to tone down that rhetoric and keep the more extreme elements in their movement from copying" Roeder (Hegeman, AP/Google.com, 6/8).NPR Examines FACE Act, Antiabortion ViolenceNPR"s "Morning Edition" on Friday examined th
Sexual Health

First-Line Nab-Paclitaxel Is Superior To Docetaxel For Metastatic Breast Cancer

CHICAGO, May 26, 2009 - New data show that nab-paclitaxel (AbraxaneR for Injectable Suspension) prolongs investigator-assessed, median progression-free survival (PFS) by almost seven months versus the highest standard dose of docetaxel in women with metastatic breast cancer. Nab-paclitaxel is a novel albumin-bound paclitaxel, an established chemotherapy agent, combined with albumin, a very small naturally-occurring protein. The findings, from a phase 2 trial that enrolled 302 women with previously untreated metastatic breast cancer, were published online today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). "We believe that the results suggest that weekly nab-paclitaxel may be a suitable alternative to the taxane docetaxel given every three weeks for the first-line treatment of metastastic breast cancer," principal investigator William J. Gradishar, MD, Director of Breast Medical Oncology at Northwestern University"s Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, said. In prior research involving metastatic breast cancer patients, nab-paclitaxel had produced significantly higher anti-tumor activity than solvent-based paclitaxel. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy and safety of three nab-paclitaxel dosing regimens (weekly versus every three weeks) and to examine differences in safety and efficacy between these dosing regimens of nab-paclitaxel and docetaxel administered at the highest standard dose. Patients were randomized to receive nab-paclitaxel 300 mg/m2 every three weeks (q3w), 100 mg/m2 weekly, 150 mg/m2 weekly, or docetaxel 100 mg/m2 q3w. Results showed that patients treated with nab-paclitaxel 150 mg/m2 weekly had a significantly longer median PFS than docetaxel-treated patients when assessed by both the independent radiologists (12.9 versus 7.5 months, respectively, p=0.0065) and the investigator (14.6 months versus 7.8 months, respectively, p=0.012) using RECIST guidelines. The overall response rate (ORR) tended to be higher with both weekly nab-paclitaxel regimens than docetaxel by independent radiology review. The investigator assessment found that the difference in ORR between both weekly nab- paclitaxel doses and docetaxel was statistically significant. Review by both the investigator and the independent radiologist found a significantly higher disease control rate (DCR) in patients receiving either dose of weekly nab-paclitaxel compared to docetaxel. All nab-paclitaxel doses showed an overall superior safety and toxicity profile over docetaxel. Dr. Gradishar said that the results of this study bolster earlier data identifying a role for nab-paclitaxel as a suitable option to docetaxel for first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The study was sponsored by Abraxis BioScience, Inc. in Los Angeles, California. Written by Jill Stein Jill Stein is a Paris-based freelance medical writer. jillstein03(at)gmail.com Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today


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