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In Postpartum Women, Poor Sleep Is Independently Associated With Depression
A study in the July 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests that postpartum depression may aggravate an already impaired sleep quality, as experiencing difficulties with sleep is a symptom of depression. Twenty-one percent of depressed postpartum women included in the study reported having also been depressed during pregnancy and 46 percent reported at least one previous depressive episode prior to conception, suggesting that new mothers diagnosed with postpartum depression are not merely reporting symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation.
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Yale Researchers Find Tools Needed To Build A Cellular Shredder
Yale University researchers have discovered a set of cellular chaperones needed to assemble a proteasome, the cellular workhorse that recycles proteins and is crucial for the existence of all eukaryotic cells.
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Pfizer To Give Away 70 Of Its Most Widely Prescribed Drugs To Those Who Lost Jobs
Pfizer on Thursday announced a new program that would provide some of its existing customers access to more than 70 types of medications at no cost if they have recently been laid off or lost their prescription drug coverage, USA Today reports. The program -- called MAINTAIN, or Medicines Assistance for Those who Are in Need -- will begin July 1. To receive the drugs, individuals must show that they have been unemployed since Jan. 1 and that they no longer have prescription drug insurance. They also must prove that they cannot pay for their medications and that they were taking a medication listed under the program for at least three months prior to losing their jobs. Those who meet the eligibility requirements would receive their medications at no cost for up to one year, or until they have insurance coverage. Pfizer will accept applications through Dec. 31 (Petrecca, USA Today, 5/15).According to the AP/Detroit News, medications listed for the new patient drug-assistance program include some of Pfizer"s "top money makers," such as the anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor, the painkiller Celebrex, the fibromyalgia treatment Lyrica and the impotency treatment Viagra (Johnson, AP/Detroit News, 5/14).Ray Kerins, a spokesperson for Pfizer, declined to reveal how much the program would cost the pharmaceutical company or how many potential customers might benefit from it (Bloomberg/Miami Herald, 5/15).According to the AP/News, the program "could earn Pfizer some goodwill" after "long being a target of critics of drug industry prices and sales practices" (AP/Detroit News, 5/14). Scott Morgan, president of ad agency Brunner, said, "It goes beyond goodwill. There"s definitely a marketing strategy behind this about defending against generics and maintaining your consumer base. ... It"s a pretty savvy move" (USA Today, 5/15).
Public Health

Roswell Park Researchers Evaluate Promising Drug For Intolerant Or Resistant CML

Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) scientists are investigating a promising drug for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients who have become intolerant or resistant to standard therapies. Meir Wetzler, MD, Department of Medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, analyzed the effectiveness of omacetaxine (OM) in an ongoing phase II clinical study and will present the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 annual meeting, May 29 - June 2, in Orlando, FL. "Subcutaneous Omacetaxine Mepesuccinate in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) Patients Resistant or Intolerant to Two or More Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs): Data from an Ongoing Phase II Trial" Friday, May 29 - 5 pm EST Level 2, West Hall F1 Cancer therapies that target specific proteins have become standard treatment for patients diagnosed with chromic myeloid leukemia. A protein, BCR-ABL, causes CML cells to grow and reproduce out of control. Drugs that target BCR-ABL are known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Roswell Park investigators, under the direction of Dr. Wetzler, evaluated omacetaxine in 60 patients who had failed at least two TKIs. Sixty-five CML patients participated in this phase II clinical study. Dr. Wetzler and colleagues report patients experienced treatment responses in both the white blood cells (hematologic) and the marrow cells (cytogenetic). Eighty percent of the chronic-phase patients experienced a complete hematologic response (CHR) rate and no disease progression for a median of 7.5 months. In this same group, 20% had a major cytogenetic response rate, and median response to disease progression was 2.7 months. For study patients in the accelerated phase, a 60% CHR rate was observed, with a median of 8.9 months without disease progression; and for blast phase patients, a CHR rate was 40%, with a median duration of 5.7 months. Dr. Wetzler reports that omacetaxine is generally well tolerated and that most side effects are reversible. "Targeted therapies have changed the treatment approach and improved survival rates for patients diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. However, patients who develop resistance to these therapies have few options. Omacetaxine is among the next generation of novel therapies that may offer hope for those patients," said Dr. Wetzler. Roswell Park Cancer Institute


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