Now, a Viagra for women? Nov 18, 2009
A total of 1,946 pre-menopausal women aged 18 and older were randomised to receive either flibanserin or placebo for 24 weeks, with four weeks of pre-treatment and four weeks of post-treatment follow-up. These results were presented Monday at the Congress of the European Society for Sexual Medicine in Lyon, France. (India Times, India)
Folic Acid Fortification Might Boost Cancer Risk Nov 18, 2009
In the studies, patients were randomly assigned to receive folic acid plus vitamins B12 and B6, folic acid plus B12, or B6 alone, or a placebo. These trials ran from 1998 to 2005, and were followed through the end of 2007. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Alkermes higher on Vivitrol optimism Nov 17, 2009
Subjects injected with Vivitrol once per month were more likely to pass a urine test than patients who received a placebo, Alkermes said. The drug also met secondary goals; subjects reported a lower craving for drugs, and half were clean in at least 90 percent of their drug tests. (Boston Globe)
Viagra for Women? Drug Developed as Antidepressant Effective in Treating Low Libido Nov 17, 2009
Drug developed as antidepressant effective in treating low libido. Drug Developed as Antidepressant Effective in Treating Low Libido. (Science Daily)
Renewed Hope for an AIDS Vaccine Nov 17, 2009
Specifically, 74 people who had received the placebo became infected with HIV in the trial period, compared with the 51 people who became infected after receiving the vaccine, which makes for a protective effect of 31 ... By including, however, the seven people who turned out to have had HIV at the start of the trial (two in the placebo group and five in the vaccine group), the effectiveness drops to 26. (Scientific American)
A Viagra For Women? New Drug Shows Promise Nov 17, 2009
The Phase III placebo-controlled studies on flibanserin also raise questions about whether HSDD is a legitimate medical condition or another pharmaceutical company invention to sell drugs ... There was also a very strong placebo effect among the women. (ABC News)
Laser Therapy Helps Neck Pain Nov 17, 2009
In five trials, patients given LLLT were around four times likelier to have reduced pain compared with a placebo, the paper found. In the 11 other trials, for which there was a detailed analysis of pain symptoms, LLLT patients reported reductions of chronic pain by around 20 points on a scale of 100 points. (Newsmax)
New Drug Appears to Fire Up Female Sex Drive Nov 17, 2009
In the control group on placebo the rate rose to 3 ... Women on the drug also reported a higher level of sexual desire and less distress from sexual dysfunction than those on placebo ... This prompted about one in seven participants on flibanserin to drop out of the therapy, while the drop-out rate was roughly one in 14 in the placebo group, the data show. (Fox News)
Abbott's Niaspan Works Better Than Merck's Zetia in Artery Clearing Study Nov 16, 2009
Data presented in July 2008, in a trial called SEAS, found more patients taking Vytorin developed cancer than those on a placebo, a finding later contradicted in another study. Merck Study. (Bloomberg -- US)
Study says drug does little, proving need for more testing Nov 16, 2009
Aranesp did no better than a placebo in preventing heart disease, reduced fatigue only modestly, and nearly doubled a patient s risk of a stroke ... Until now, no researchers had measured Aranesp against a placebo for such patients ... Pfeffer s study showed not only that the drug did not prevent heart attacks or deaths, but those taking it suffered 101 fatal or nonfatal strokes, compared with 53 taking the placebo. (Boston Globe)
Quitters get a shot in the arm with smoking vaccine Nov 16, 2009
In early October in the Archives of General Psychiatry, scientists reported the results of a cocaine vaccine study, the first successful placebo-controlled trial of a vaccine against an illicit drug of abuse ... As in most clinical trials, Ballou was not told whether he was getting the real thing or a placebo ... But, he says, after the first shot, "I knew instantly that I was not getting the placebo. I was overjoyed." How could he tell. (USA Today)
Honey May be Best Cough Medicine Nov 15, 2009
This study s results showed that DM was no more effective than the placebo (no treatment) at treating cough. Some subjects in the placebo group and the DM group reported an improvement in symptoms, and this might be due to the natural course of an upper respiratory infection. (Suite101.com)
Seizure Drug Helps Women with Hot Flashes Sleep Nov 15, 2009
The subjects took either 300 milligrams of gabapentin three times a day or a placebo. Based on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index -- a well-known and validated sleep questionnaire, they found that women who took gabapentin reported better quality sleep than those who took placebo. (MEDLINEplus)
Dopamine Enhances Expectation of Pleasure Nov 15, 2009
They were then given L-DOPA or a placebo and asked to imagine holidaying in those destinations. The following day participants had to pick between a series of paired destinations that they had initially assigned with equal ratings, one member of the pair was imagined under L-DOPA the day before and the other under placebo. (Science Daily)
Laser Therapy Seems to Relieve Neck Pain Nov 14, 2009
Those who received low-level laser therapy, in which a beam of focused radiation in the infrared to visual light portion of the spectrum is aimed at the painful area of the neck, were 70 percent more likely to report reduced pain than those given placebo treatment with a beam of ordinary light, the report said. Five trials with people suffering chronic, persistent neck pain found that those who got laser treatment were four times more likely to have reduced pain compared with placebo ... "Such a... (MEDLINEplus)
Lexicon shares climb on trial results Nov 14, 2009
Lexicon (NASDAQ: LXRX) said patients who took one gram of LX1031 four times daily during the four-week study had less pain and discomfort than patients who took a placebo. Lexicon shares ended Friday's session up 13 cents, about 9 percent, to close at $1. (Houston Business Journal, TX)
Experts: Placebo effect behind many 'natural' cures Nov 14, 2009
The placebo effect is the ability of a dummy pill or a faked treatment to make people feel better, just because they expect that it will ... It's the placebo effect the ability of a dummy pill or a faked treatment to make people feel better, just because they expect that it will ... In just the past few weeks, the placebo effect has demonstrated its healing powers. (USA Today -- News)
Lexicon says IBS drug met mid-stage study goal Nov 14, 2009
The company said patients who took 1,000 milligrams of LX1031 four times per day had significantly less pain and discomfort from irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, compared to patients who took a placebo ... The company said side effects were similar for patients who took LX1031 and patients who took a placebo. (Yahoo News -- Pharmaceutical Industry News)
Less HRT, Fewer Cases of Possible Breast Cancer Precursor Nov 14, 2009
The Women's Health Initiative was halted in July of 2002 after researchers found higher risks of heart attacks and breast cancer in women taking the hormone supplements compared with placebo. Since that time, use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has experienced a precipitous decline. (MEDLINEplus)
Fish Oil Supplements Don't Help Depressed Heart Patients Nov 14, 2009
For this study, 122 patients with major depression and coronary heart disease took 50 milligrams of Zoloft a day, then were randomized to receive either 2 grams a day of omega-3 acid ethyl esters or a corn-oil placebo capsule ... "It's definitely better than placebo, better than doing nothing. We're trying to find a treatment or combination of treatments that's going to significantly improve the depression outcome." ... GlaxoSmithKline Inc. provided both omega-3 and placebo capsules, while... (MEDLINEplus)
SURVEY: Half of doctors prescribe placebos Nov 14, 2009
Half of doctors prescribe placebos, survey shows - USATODAY.com ... Half of doctors prescribe placebos, survey shows ... In a National Institutes of Health survey, 62% of doctors said they believe using a placebo treatment is ethically acceptable. (USA Today -- News)
It's official: Love also breeds jealousy Nov 13, 2009
The present study comprised 56 volunteers, half of whom inhaled the synthetic form of the hormone in the first session and were then given a placebo (a dummy drug) in the second session. Others were given a placebo first and Oxytocin later. (India Times, India)
How to stay healthy during flu season Nov 13, 2009
Yogurt: Shift workers who consumed a drink containing Lactobacillus reuteri, a probiotic that appears to stimulate infection-fighting white blood cells, were 33 percent less likely to take sick days than those who took a placebo, according to an 80-day Swedish study published in Environmental Health. But beware, says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of 10 books on nutrition: "Some companies make up probiotic names to put on their label." She suggests looking for yogurt that contains Lactobacillus... (MSNBC -- Health)
Female Desire Drug Sparking Libido May Prove Sex Really Is All in Her Head Nov 13, 2009
Berner said his patients were largely professionals in their early 30s to mid-40s, and most chose to continue in the trial in a subsequent phase that ensured they would get the real drug instead of a placebo. Boehringer is recruiting older women for a follow-up study. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Drug Ads Can Hurt Health, Study Says Nov 13, 2009
He also called for precise information about the possible benefits and how it compares to a placebo or other treatments. The same goes for the risks. (KIRO TV, WA)
How to Save Billions On Health Care Now Nov 13, 2009
Aside from data showing that elective angioplasties don't save lives, a recent study found that vertebroplasty, a common procedure to treat pain from back fractures, was than a placebo treatment with a shot to temporarily numb the area. Ultimately, insurers will try to change behavior by refusing to cover services that have performed poorly in comparative effectiveness research. (CBS News)
New Diet Pills Show Promise for Weight Loss Nov 13, 2009
"I really thought I was on the placebo for a long time because I didn't have any side effects," Evans said. "I did finally realize that I didn't have any hunger pains.". (ABC News)
Despite some benefit, drug ads can be harmful to your health Nov 12, 2009
The ads should state how this drug compared to placebo or other available treatments, including generic drugs. Ads should provide specific quantitative information about the potential risks associated with drugs without other visual or audio distractions, so consumers can better understand the risks associated with the prescription drugs. (EurekAlert!)
Nerve myelination and ascorbic acid Nov 12, 2009
Oral high dose ascorbic acid treatment for one year in young CMT1A patients: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II trial ... Patients below age 25 years were randomly assigned to receive placebo or ascorbic acid (one gram twice daily) in a double-blind fashion during one year ... There were no significant differences between the six placebo-treated (median age 16 years, range 13 to 24) and the five ascorbic acid-treated (19, 14 to 24) patients in change in motor nerve... (BioMed Central)
Belief Powers Natural Meds, Experts Say Nov 12, 2009
Placebo Effect Not Necessarily Bad, Some Say ... It's the placebo effect -- the ability of a dummy pill or a faked treatment to make people feel better, just because they expect that it will ... In just the past few weeks, the placebo effect has demonstrated its healing powers. (KIRO TV, WA)
Kids popping pills that can kill Nov 12, 2009
Experts: Placebo power behind many natural cures. EDITOR'S NOTE: Ten years and $2. (Fresno Bee -- Lifestyle)
Low cholesterol may prevent some prostate cancers Nov 12, 2009
She led the first study, which looked at 5,586 men aged 55 and older who were in the placebo group of a big federal cancer prevention study done in the 1990s. Cholesterol levels made no difference in the odds of getting prostate cancer except for the 60 men who developed high-grade tumors, the type that grow and spread fast. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Diamyd's European Phase III Study Fully Recruited Nov 12, 2009
320 children and adolescents between 10 and 20 years of age and recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes have now been identified and included in the company's European Phase III study and have received their first injection of the Diamyd(R) vaccine or placebo. The study is thus fully recruited. (Primezone Releases)
Some Malignant Tumors Can Be Shut Down After All Nov 11, 2009
Once the tumors formed, a "mouse clinic" was set up: half of the "patients" were treated with doxycycline to induce TAp63 production, whereas the other half received a placebo. Tumor growth continued in the placebo group, with the tumors becoming five times larger within a week. (Science Daily)
Diabetes Drug May Boost Weight Loss in Obese Patients Nov 11, 2009
4 milligrams or 3 milligrams) or a placebo once a day, or 120 milligrams of orlistat three times a day ... 8 kilograms (6 pounds)with placebo ... Weight loss of more than 5 percent occurred in 76 percent of patients taking 3 milligrams of liraglutide, 44 percent of patients taking orlistat, and 30 percent of patients in the placebo group, the researchers found. (MEDLINEplus)
Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) For Fibro... Nov 10, 2009
Interestingly, it was actually better tolerated than placebo. The researchers have announced a upcoming clinical trial of LDN in children with fibromyalgia (juvenile fibromyalgia). (Suite101.com)
Drug may help smokers kick butts Nov 10, 2009
In the Phase II trials, Nabi reported that 30 percent to 35 percent of those given NicVAX were able to remain smoke-free over the long term, compared with only 10 percent of those receiving the placebo. "In addition, those participants that continued to smoke but showed a high antibody response to NicVAX significantly reduced the number of cigarettes smoked over the full 12-month period from a baseline of 20 cigarettes per day to 10 cigarettes per day," Nabi reported. (CNN)
Once-daily INTUNIV (guanfacine) extended release tablets now available in US pharmacies Nov 10, 2009
The efficacy of INTUNIV in the treatment of ADHD was established in two, similarly designed, placebo-controlled clinical trials in children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) criteria for ADHD. Statistically significant improvements were reported by investigators, parents, and teachers. The first pivotal trial was a phase III, double-blind, parallel-group trial, in which investigators randomized 345 children aged 6 to 17... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Raising 'Good' Cholesterol Levels May Benefit Clogged Arteries Nov 9, 2009
71 patients, all with existing vascular disease, low levels of good cholesterol, and taking statins as prescribed by their GPs, were randomised to receive either 2 g of nicotinic acid or placebo for 1 year ... After a year, the size of the carotid artery walls in patients who had received nicotinic acid was reduced compared with placebo ... 1 sq mm, while those receiving a placebo saw an average increase in the carotid artery wall of 1. (Science Daily)
New hope for osteoporosis sufferers (6) Nov 9, 2009
It also reported that there were no significant differences in the number of serious side effects between the supplement and placebo. In addition, strontium ranelate has been approved for the treatment of osteoporosis in the United Kingdom under the name Protelos. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Making medical decisions Nov 9, 2009
This is also known as the placebo or nocebo effect ... Randomised controlled trials involve patients being randomly given the treatment being tested or a placebo. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Pfizer Broke Law by Promoting Drugs for Wrong Uses In Violation of Pledge Nov 9, 2009
In five company-sponsored clinical trials, 31 people out of 1,184 participants died after taking the drug for dementia -- twice the death rate for those taking a placebo ... Schering-Plough representatives said Temodar compared favorably to a placebo in clinical trials for the off-label uses and was approved by the FDA for first-line use in treating brain tumors. (Bloomberg)
Cause Of Common Chronic Diarrhea Revealed In New Research Nov 7, 2009
6, 2009) A common type of chronic diarrhea may be caused by a hormone deficiency, according to new research published in the November issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The authors of the paper, from Imperial College London, with collaborators from King's College London and the University of Edinburgh, say their results could help more doctors recognise this type of diarrheal illness, and may lead to the development of more effective tests and treatments to help improve the lives... (Science Daily)
Green tea helps fight oral cancer Nov 6, 2009
During the study, 41oral leukoplakia patients were randomized to receive either green tea extract or placebo ... 2 percent in the placebo arm. (India Times, India)
Some vitamins may be harmful Nov 6, 2009
Indeed, an editorial in the March 18, 2009, Journal of the National Cancer Institute said, "The prospects for cancer prevention through micronutrient supplementation have never looked worse. Several large, randomized cancer prevention trials have recently reported no reduced risk from micronutrient supplementation, and the short report by Figueiredo et al. in this issue of the Journal adds to a growing body of evidence that micronutrient supplementation may be harmful." Jane Figueiredo of... (Honolulu Advertiser)
Green Tea May Help Prevent Oral Cancer Nov 6, 2009
Other participants took a placebo. The study found that about 59 percent of people taking the highest dose of the green tea extract showed a clinical response, compared with 18 percent of those who took a placebo. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Obesity Can Further Complicate H1N1 Nov 6, 2009
The results of a recent study on vitamin D show that those taking 800 IU of D3 per day had far fewer colds and flu than those taking a placebo while those taking 2000 IU of D3 per day had zero incidence of colds and flu in winter, spring and autumn and the same incidence as the 800 IU group in summer with both vitamin D groups having a lower incidence than the placebo group. In the winter those taking a placebo had about 12 times as much flu as those taking 800 IUs of D3 and 23 times more than... (CBS News -- Health)
Postmenopausal Women With Higher Testosterone May Have Greater Heart Disease Risk Nov 6, 2009
(May 2, 2007) Increasing the testosterone levels of female cancer survivors using testosterone cream did not improve their libido more than a placebo, according to a randomized controlled clinical trial in the. (July 30, 2008) As testosterone progressively dominates the hormonal milieu during the menopausal transition, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases according to a new study by researchers at Rush University. (Science Daily)
Green tea shows promise as chemoprevention agent for oral cancer, M. D. Anderson study finds Nov 5, 2009
In the Phase II dose-finding study, 41 M. D. Anderson oral leukoplakia patients were randomized between August 2002 and March 2008 to receive either green tea extract or placebo ... 2 percent in the placebo arm. (EurekAlert!)
Does green tea prevent cancer? Evidence continues to brew, but questions remain Nov 5, 2009
2 percent among those taking placebo. They also observed a trend toward improved histology, and a trend towards improvement in a handful of biomarkers that may be important in predicting cancer development. (EurekAlert!)
Estrogen And Stroke Risk: Long Period Of Estrogen Deprivation Can Lead To Loss Of Sensitivity And Protective Effects In The Brain Nov 5, 2009
Rats whose ovaries had been removed were used for the study and received either placebo or 17 -estradiol after the ovaries were removed in an attempt to mimic the progression of estrogen loss during menopause ... Group 2 was induced with stroke and immediately received a faux drug (placebo) ... Group 4 rats received either estrogen or placebo ten weeks after being ovariectomized and one week later stroke was induced. (Science Daily)
Coffee And Nighttime Jobs Don't Mix, Study Finds Nov 5, 2009
Both participant groups had to take a pill three hours before sleeping; either 200 milligrams of caffeine or a lactose-based placebo. All subjects who consumed caffeine pills had their sleep affected, especially older participants who slept 50 percent less than usual. (Science Daily)
Early Results Of Nitric Oxide Therapy For Preemies Not Sustained, Study Finds Nov 5, 2009
Babies received five parts per million of iNO or a placebo within the first two days of birth and continuing for 21 days (or until the patient was taken off a ventilator). Of the 590 babies with complete survival data, 77 percent survived to one year of age (79 percent of those receiving iNO and 75 percent of those receiving placebo) ... In all, nearly 45 percent of patients from the study had died, were on oxygen, or had neurologic impairment, and there were no significant differences between... (Science Daily)
Treating Depression in Teens Has Lasting Benefits Nov 5, 2009
TADS is a randomized, controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of three common treatments for adolescents with depression: the antidepressant Prozac (also called fluoxetine); "talk therapy," also called cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT); their combination (Prozac plus CBT), and, where appropriate, management with a placebo pill (used as a control condition). A total of 327 depressed teens who participated in the study received active treatment for 36 weeks and were then followed for 1 year. (MEDLINEplus)
Injectable Vaccines More Effective for Adult Flu Than Nasal Sprays Nov 5, 2009
Researchers gave 1,952 adults aged 18 to 49 either an injected flu vaccine, a placebo injection, a flu vaccine nasal spray or a placebo nasal spray during the 2007-2008 flu season ... Among those who got sick, participants who'd received the injected flu vaccine were 68 percent less likely to have the flu compared to those who'd received a placebo, according to the study ... Participants who'd received the nasal spray vaccine were 36 percent less likely to get the flu than those who'd received a... (MEDLINEplus)
Nicotine Patch Plus Lozenge Most Effective Nov 4, 2009
Participants were randomly assigned to one of six treatment groups: nicotine lozenge alone, nicotine patch alone, bupropion alone, patch plus nicotine lozenge, bupropion plus nicotine lozenge or placebo ... When all the treatments were compared at the six-month point, only the individuals in the patch plus nicotine lozenge group were more successful in quitting than those taking placebo ... The lozenge, though effective with the patch, did not appear to work any better than placebo when used... (Newsmax)
Osiris banks $15M milestone payment Nov 4, 2009
The latest was in September when preliminary results for two phase III trials evaluating Prochymal for the treatment of acute graft versus host disease showed no statistical difference between the drug and a placebo in either trial ... In March, the company halted enrollment in a final stage trial of Prochymal as a treatment for Crohn s disease after noting significantly higher than expected placebo response rates. (Baltimore Business Journal, MD)
MediciNova Announces Initiation of a Phase Ib Clinical Trial for MN-221 in Patients With Stable, Moderate to Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Nov 4, 2009
This randomized, placebo-controlled, dose escalation Phase Ib clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety of MN-221 for the treatment of COPD exacerbations will involve approximately 48 stable, moderate to severe COPD patients. Each patient will receive a one-hour intravenous infusion of MN-221 at one of three escalating dose levels or placebo ... 0001), compared to placebo in stable mild-to-moderate asthma patients (MN-221-CL-004). (Primezone Releases)
Human Genome reports positive data on lupus drug Nov 4, 2009
The anticipated study data, from a clinical program called Bliss-76, showed a 10-milligram dose of Benlysta, plus therapy with steroids, prompted an improvement in 43 percent of patients, compared with an improvement in only 33 percent of patients on the placebo end of the study. The Bliss-76 results confirm our view that Benlysta has the potential to become the first new approved drug in decades for people living with systemic lupus,'' said Human Genome President and CEO H. Thomas Watkins, in a... (India Times, India)
Nicotine Patch Plus Lozenge Best for Quitting Smoking Nov 4, 2009
In fact, coupling the patch with the lozenge was the only intervention that performed better than a placebo, reported the study, which appears in the November issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry ... "As each medication comes out, it is tested against a placebo," but not against other methods, Piper explained ... For this study, 1,504 adults who had smoked at least half a pack a day for the past six months and wanted to quit were randomly assigned to a placebo or one of five different... (MEDLINEplus)
Live healthy, avoid diabetes for a decade Nov 3, 2009
After three years, the results showed that rigorous lifestyle changes reduced the rate for developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent compared with placebo, while oral diabetes drug metformin reduced the rate of developing diabetes by 31 percent compared with placebo. Over the period of 10 years, the diabetes incidence in the lifestyle group was reduced by 34 percent. (India Times, India)
Lupus drug passes important second test Nov 3, 2009
8 percent of those taking a placebo in addition to standard care. Most of the patients were not able to reduce their steroid use, but that is not likely to prevent approval of the drug. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Can testosterone therapy aid older men? Nov 3, 2009
It will recruit 800 men over age 65 who have especially low levels of testosterone, and will give half of them testosterone gel treatments, and other half a placebo ointment. The men will be tracked for two years to see if the group getting testosterone has significant improvement in vitality and well-being, said Dr. Peter Snyder, principal investigator and an endocrinology researcher at Penn. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Anemia Drug May Raise Stroke Risk in Kidney Patients Nov 3, 2009
For the study, Pfeffer's team randomly assigned more than 4,000 patients with diabetes, chronic kidney disease and anemia to receive Aranesp or placebo. During the study, 632 patients receiving Aranesp died or suffered a cardiovascular event, compared to 602 of the patients receiving placebo ... As well, 101 patients taking Aranesp had a fatal or non-fatal stroke compared with 53 of the placebo patients, the researchers found. (MEDLINEplus)
Smokers May Need Multiple Cessation Products Nov 3, 2009
In the study, more than 1,500 heavy smokers who were motivated to quit were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of treatment with one or a combination of the following: nicotine patch, nicotine lozenge, bupropion-an antidepressant that reduces nicotine withdrawal symptoms, or a placebo ... Researchers found that pairing nicotine lozenges with the nicotine patch was the only treatment they tested which worked better than a placebo at six months. (KERO 23, CA)
