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Pfizer And Medivation Initiate Phase 3 Trial Of Dimebon In Patients With Huntington Disease
Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) and Medivation, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDVN) announced the initiation of a Phase 3 trial of the investigational drug dimebon (latrepirdine) in patients with Huntington disease. The international safety and efficacy trial, known as HORIZON, is designed to evaluate the potential benefits of dimebon on cognition (thinking and memory) in patients with Huntington disease. The companies also announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to dimebon for the treatment of Huntington disease.
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Older Cancer Patients Have More Frailty Than Other Seniors
Older people with a history of cancer are more likely to have disabilities and be frail and vulnerable than older adults who have not had cancer, according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, published online July 29.
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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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UCLA Study Discovers Enzyme That Controls 'Bad' Cholesterol

BACKGROUND: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the so-called "bad cholesterol" often linked to medical problems like heart disease and clogged arteries. Cells in the liver produce a specific receptor that sticks to LDL and removes it from the blood, lowering cholesterol levels. Statin drugs also reduce LDL cholesterol levels by boosting cells" production of the receptor. FINDINGS: Using a mouse model, UCLA scientists discovered a new mechanism that controls cells" production of LDL receptor. The team identified an enzyme called Idol that destroys the receptor, permitting more LDL cholesterol to circulate in the blood. In blocking Idol"s activity, the researchers triggered cells to make more receptor and absorb more cholesterol from the body. "We only know of three pathways that regulate the LDL receptor. The first two are already targeted by existing drugs," explained Dr. Peter Tontonoz, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "Idol is the first mechanism discovered in several years that may lead to a new medication designed to control cholesterol levels." IMPACT: The findings suggest that development of a drug that interferes with Idol"s activity could influence cholesterol metabolism and lower levels of bad cholesterol. Doctors could prescribe the new medication in conjunction with statin drugs, which also cut cholesterol levels by targeting a different enzyme linked to the LDL receptor. This could benefit patients that cannot tolerate statin-related side effects. AUTHORS: Tontonoz collaborated with Noam Zelcer, Cynthia Hong and Rima Boyadjian. The research was funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Tontonoz and Zelcer have filed a patent related to the research findings. JOURNAL: The research appears in the June 11 online edition of the journal Science. Elaine Schmidt University of California - Los Angeles


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