PERSONALIZED MEDICINE: SRI AND PENTAX IN DEAL TO DEVELOP CANCER DIAGNOSTICS
Menlo Park, California-based SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, has entered into a multi-year collaboration with Pentax, the imaging company best know for its cameras, to launch a personalized medicine program to develop biomarkers for cancer. The ultimate goal is to develop medical diagnostic tools for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of cancer. As indicators of specific disease states, biomarkers offer the potential of early detection and treatment of serious medical conditions. The multi-year, multi-million-dollar collaboration provides research funding and research and development milestone payments from Pentax to SRI, as well as royalties on sales of products that may result. Biomarkers are new tools being used to accelerate drug development and guide therapy. The organizations believe the research initiative will accelerate early detection of certain cancers and encourage patients to select personalized treatment options.

LONELINESS: SOCIAL ISOLATION LINKED TO ALTERATIONS IN IMMUNE SYSTEM
People who experience chronically high levels of loneliness show gene-expression patterns that differ markedly from those of people who don't feel lonely, according to a new molecular analysis in the online open access journal Genome Biology. The findings suggest that feelings of social isolation are linked to alterations in immune system activity, which result in increased inflammatory signaling within the body. The study from researchers at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine and the University of Chicago is the first study to show an alteration in genome-wide transcriptional activity linked to a social epidemiological risk factor. It provides a molecular framework for understanding why social factors are linked to an increased risk of diseases where inflammation is thought to be a factor, such as heart disease, infection, and cancer.

HIV: SOCIOECONOMIC POSITION LINKED TO EFFECTIVENESS OF DRUGS
Socioeconomic position is a determinant of antiretroviral treatment effectiveness during initial therapy for HIV-1 infection, according to research published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research. The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford University Medical School, and the American Psychological Association. Scientific literature suggests that stress and emotional distress predict a faster decline in the immune system cells that can fight HIV progression. Previous studies have shown that people at lower socioeconomic positions often report chronic life stressors. The researchers wanted to examine whether socioeconomic position would influence immune functioning and response to antiretroviral treatments, even if patients adhered to their antiretroviral drugs. The researchers used the educational level of subjects as a measure for socioeconomic position. The researchers found that participants with lower levels of education reached initial regimen failure faster than participants with a college- or graduate-level degree.

STEM CELLS: UNIQUE POPULATION IN TENDONS COULD TREAT INJURIES
A consortium of scientists led by researchers at the University of Southern California have identified unique cells within the adult tendon that have stem-cell characteristics—including the ability to proliferate and self-renew. The research team was able to isolate these cells and regenerate tendon-like tissue in the animal model. The results, published online in Nature Medicine, hold promise for the treatment of tendon injuries caused by overuse and trauma.

ALCOHOL: FREQUENT DRINKING INCREASES CANCER RISK IN OLDER WOMEN
Postmenopausal women consuming two or more alcoholic beverages a day may double their risk of endometrial cancer, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Southern California. The study appears online in the International Journal of Cancer, and is the first prospective study to report a significant association between alcohol and endometrial cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system. It accounts for approximately 6 percent of all cancers in women.

LIVER CANCER: FDA GRANTS ORPHAN STATUS TO METABASIS DRUG
Metabasis Therapeutics said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted its product candidate for the treatment of primary liver cancer orphan drug status. Orphan drug designation provides financial incentives that lower the cost to develop and commercialize needed therapies, while providing a period of protection from competition upon marketing approval of these drugs. The Metabasis drug converts into its active form once it enters the liver tumor and works to inhibit proliferation of cancer cells and induce cell death in cancer cells. Primary liver cancer represents the fifth most common and third most deadly cancer worldwide. Approximately 1 million new cases of primary liver cancer are diagnosed annually worldwide.

CUSHING'S SYNDROME: FDA CLEARS WAY FOR CORCEPT CLINICAL TRIAL
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified Corcept Therapeutics that it can proceed with a clinical trial of its drug to treat Cushing's Syndrome. In July 2007, the company announced the receipt of orphan drug designation for Corlux for the treatment of the disorder, which is caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol. It can affect every organ in the body and be fatal if left untreated. Drugs that receive Orphan Drug Designation obtain seven years of marketing exclusivity from the date of drug approval as well as tax credits for clinical trial costs, marketing application filing fee waivers and assistance from the FDA in the drug development process. The FDA indicated in its notification to the company that a single study may provide a reasonable basis for the submission of a New Drug Application for Corlux for the treatment of Cushing's Syndrome.

PAIN: ANESIVA LAUNCHES MID-STAGE TRIAL OF ANALGESIC FOR KNEE SURGERY PATIENTS
South San Francisco, California-based Anesiva said it has started a new mid-stage trial of its drug Adlea for the relief of post-operative pain in patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery. Adlea is a long-acting, non-opiate analgesic drug designed to provide pain relief for weeks to months after a single local administration during the surgical procedure. Up to 80 percent of patients who undergo total knee replacement surgery experience moderate to severe pain following this surgery as well as the side effects associated with those pain medicines, such as vomiting, nausea, and sedation.