The rapidly growing field of nanotechnology and its future use in cosmetic products holds both enormous potential and potential concern for consumers. Currently, major cosmetic manufacturers have imposed a voluntary ban on the use of nanoparticles in products while they await a ruling from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the safety of this technology. However, these manufacturers know that when ingredients in products such as sunscreens and anti-aging products are converted into nanosized particles, the end product displays unique properties that can benefit the skin in ways that otherwise could not be achieved using larger-sized particles.
Speaking today at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), dermatologist Adnan Nasir, MD, PhD, FAAD, clinical assistant professor in the department of dermatology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, presented an overview of nanotechnology and how nanoparticles may eventually be used in cosmetic products.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic version of Flomax Capsules 0.4 mg (tamsulosin hydrochloride) to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition in which an enlarged prostate gland causes problems with urination.
The most common symptoms of BPH include a weak stream during urination, urgency, leaking or dribbling, as well as more frequent urination, especially at night.
BPH is common among older men. According to the National Institutes of Health, it rarely causes symptoms before age 40, but more than half of men in their 60s and as many as 90 percent of men older than 70 have BPH symptoms.
The prescribing information and safety warnings for the generic version of tamsulosin are the same as those for Flomax Capsules. Generic tamsulosin capsules are manufactured by IMPAX Laboratories Inc. of Haywood, Calif. Information about the marketing and availability of this generic drug can be obtained from the manufacturer.
St. Jude Medical, Inc. announced today that a 62-year-old man from Shenzhen, Guangdong province has become the first patient in China to be implanted with the Eon neurostimulator, a rechargeable device used to help manage chronic pain. Despite prior back surgeries, the patient suffered from chronic back pain for more than a decade.
The Eon neurostimulator, which is the first rechargeable spinal cord stimulator to be approved for use in China, was recently approved by the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) for the management of chronic low back pain and pain from back surgeries that have failed.
“Chronic pain is a serious health issue in China,” said Professor Zhang De Ren, M.D., an interventional pain physician at the Shenzhen Nanshan Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong province who performed the procedure. “We are excited to be able to provide an advanced therapy such as neurostimulation in order to improve patient outcomes.”
The Eon neurostimulator is designed to provide spinal cord stimulation therapy. Similar to a cardiac pacemaker, this “pacemaker for pain” delivers mild electrical pulses to a lead or leads that are placed in the epidural space near the spine to interrupt or mask the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Once activated, the system’s programs are adjusted and fine-tuned to best manage the patient’s pain.
King Pharmaceuticalstoday announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved EMBEDA (morphine sulfate and naltrexone hydrochloride) Extended Release Capsules for oral use, a long-acting Schedule II opioid analgesic for the management of moderate to severe pain when a continuous, around-the-clock opioid analgesic is needed for an extended period of time. EMBEDA is the first FDA-approved long-acting opioid that is designed to reduce drug liking and euphoria when tampered with by crushing or chewing.
Utilizing King’s proprietary technology, EMBEDA contains extended-release morphine pellets, each with an inner core of naltrexone hydrochloride, an opioid receptor antagonist. If taken as directed, the morphine relieves pain while the sequestered naltrexone hydrochloride passes through the body with no intended clinical effect. If EMBEDA is crushed or chewed, the naltrexone is released and absorbed with the morphine, reversing the morphine’s subjective and analgesic effects. The clinical significance of the degree of this reduction has not been established, and there is no evidence that the naltrexone in EMBEDA reduces the abuse liability of EMBEDA.
A buzz has begun in response to research released this week about the benefits of organic food. The study showed that organic food does not actually contain more nutrients than non-organically grown food. Measurements for nutritional benefit were based on the amount of compounds such as phosphorous, zinc, copper, and Vitamin C. Acidity content and nitrogenous compound content were other factors measured in the comparison. It was found that between organically grown foods and those that aren’t organically grown, the only difference is nitrogen content and relative acidity. These results were not taken lightly by the food administration, which claimed the study has no foundation; they say that the researchers used data from as far back as 1958, used outdated techniques, and failed to explain why nearly all other studies comparing organically grown versus non-organically grown food showed significantly more nutrients in organic food.
This is an interesting study, and one that to me sounds like the researchers were set out to prove a point rather than to execute a well-thought out research project.As others have claimed in response to this study, the compounds that were measured were not compounds that the food administration has ever argued are more present in organic foods.Organic foods have more antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds, than non-organically grown foods, and having more antioxidants is significantly more important than having more or less zinc or copper.
In my opinion, the most important caveat to this study is that the whole idea of eating organic foods is to avoid the chemicals. Sure, it’s sometimes advertised that organic foods have more nutrients, but in most cases the advertising is telling you that organic food is more nutritious. Key difference.More nutritious meaning there are no pesticides, antibiotics, and various other chemicals that have been swimming around in our food for so long. They missed the point.Multiple studies to date have showed significant evidence that organic foods have far less chemicals than non-organic food; and thus, don’t be deterred by this “data.” Eat those organic foods, but at the same time, don’t pay $6 for an orange either.
Keppra has improved on its dosage, unveiling the Once-daily Keppra XR extended-release tablets which are now available in a new dosage strength, 750 mg. This enables doctors to simplify patients’ treatment plans by decreasing the number of tablets they take each day.
According to studies published in Epilepsy & Behavior and Neurology, patients are more likely to adhere to their medication regimen when it is taken once daily, and therefore may be more likely to reach the goal of epilepsy therapy–seizure freedom with minimal side effects.
Keppra XR was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on data from an international clinical study of 158 epilepsy patients with partial-onset seizures who added 1,000 mg of Keppra XR or placebo to their other epilepsy medications once daily. The study consisted of an 8-week baseline period followed by a 12-week treatment period.
The study showed that 10.1 percent of Keppra XR(TM) patients experienced complete partial-onset seizure freedom vs. 1.3 percent in the placebo group over the treatment period.
Keppra XR patients experienced a 46.1 median percent reduction in weekly partial-onset seizure frequency versus 33.4 percent in the placebo group.
Keppra XR is also available in 500 mg tablet strength. Data presented at last year’s American Epilepsy Society meeting demonstrated that taking two 750 mg levetiracetam extended-release tablets is the same as taking three 500 mg extended-release tablets.
Treatment with Keppra XR should be initiated with a dose of 1,000 mg once daily. The daily dosage may be adjusted in increments of 1,000 mg every two weeks, to a maximum recommended dose of 3,000 mg per day.
St. Jude Medical, Inc. announced today that a 62-year-old man from Shenzhen, Guangdong province has become the first patient in China to be implanted with the Eon neurostimulator, a rechargeable device used to help manage chronic pain. Despite prior back surgeries, the patient suffered from chronic back pain for more than a decade.
A buzz has begun in response to research released this week about the benefits of organic 
