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Focuses on the use of Prist fuel system icing inhibitor from FBO Air Inc. to control ice formation in the fuel system of an airplane. Background on several aircraft accidents resulted from fuel icing; Features of the inhibitor; Reasons behind the formation of ice in the system.

The article reports on the Tulip Petal study or 703 study by Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. regarding usage of its proprietary, orally active nonpeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist, elagolix, in patients with endometriosis. Neurocrine has reported encouraging topline efficacy and safety results from the study. The preliminary data has confirmed that elagolix and leuprorelin are associated with reductions in dysmenorrhea and non-menstrual pelvic pain daily scores.

The article focuses on the termination of licensing agreement and collaboration between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Cytokinetics Inc., to be effective from February 28, 2010. It reports that Cytokinetics will retain the rights for protein inhibitor GSK-923295 after the contract ends, and mentions that GSK will be responsible for the costs of clinical trials on the protein inhibitor. Also given are views of Cytokinetics' chief medical officer Andrew Wolff on their future research plans.

The article reports that Genentech Inc. has granted a license to F Hoffmann-LaRoche ex-U.S. rights to GDC-0449, an orally-administered small molecule Hedgehog pathway inhibitor. GDC-0449 was discovered by Genentech and was jointly validated through a series of preclinical studies while Genentech and Roche collaborate on the clinical development and commercialization of the inhibitor. It is revealed that GDC-0449 is in Phase II testing in firstline metastatic colorectal cancer.

The article reports that Kalypsys Inc. has started the Phase IIa clinical trial of KD7040, an inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor as a topical gel for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia. The company will conduct a placebo-controlled trial with 50 patients enrolled at 12 to 15 centers. The endpoints of the trial include assessment of sleep, mood and function.

The article reports on the filing of an investigational new drug (IND) application by VGX Pharmaceuticals for Phase I clinical studies of VGX-1027 in healthy volunteers in the U.S. If the IND will be approved, VGX plans to conduct single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose Phase I studies on VGX-1027 in 2008. The main mechanism of action of VGX-1027 is to inhibit the NF-kB and the early transient inhibition of P38 MAP kinase signaling pathways.

The article reports on the announcement made by Telik Inc. that its small molecule proteasome inhibitor program has met a preclinical development through an anticancer activity in preclinical models of human leukemia. According to Telik, the inhibitors are orally active, non-peptide, non-boron based which may lead to a drug candidate. Telik vice president of biology James Keck noted that the compounds were achieved through the use of their Trap computational drug discovery technology.

The article reports on the announcement made by Merck & Co. Inc. on positive results of a new study in which its investigational selective cathepsin k inhibitor odanacatib reduced measures of bone turnover in women with breast cancer that has spread to the bones in Great Britain. The results revealed that treatment with oral odanacatib 5 milligrams once daily has reduced the level of urinary N-telopeptide by 77% from baseline levels over four weeks.

The article reports on the announcement made by SuperGen Inc. that its lead, oral PIM kinase inhibitor, SGI-1776, causes tumor regression in acute myologenous leukemia xenograft models in Great Britain. SGI-1776 was identified as an orally available, potent and selective inhibitor of the PIM kinases. It was found to induce cell cycle arrest, dose dependent apoptosis and a reduction in phospho-BAD levels in leukemia and lymphoma cell lines.

The article reports on the positive results announced by the Pharming Group NV from the ongoing open-label studies with recombinant human C1 inhibitor for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema. It mentions that the results assures Rhucin to be safe and effective in the repeat treatment of acute hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks at different dosage regimens. Moreover, the open-label treatment represents a substantial increase to the Rhucin clinical database.

The article focuses on the report that reveals the negative side of dark chocolate. It states that some chocolate manufacturers are removing flavanol, an antioxidant that is believed to help protect the heart, because of its bitter taste. The report probes the high content of fat, sugar, and calories in chocolate, which make it less healthy. It also presents the activities done by major chocolate manufacturers to enhance their dark chocolate portfolios for health purposes.

The article reports that CoMentis completed a clinical trial of small-molecule beta-secretase inhibitor CTS-21166. According to the author, the drug is being developed as a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Results from the study show that CTS-21166 is safe and well tolerated by the subjects of the trial.

The article reports that ExonHit Therapeutics has obtained regulatory approval to initiate a Phase II clinical trial of its therapeutic compound, EHT 0202, in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The clinical trial aims to identify the safety and tolerability of the product when it is administered orally for a three-month period in conjunction with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.

The article announces the launch of the second phase of the clinical testing for the HIV drug, GS 9137 from the biotechnology company, Gilead Sciences. GS 9137 is an oral HIV integrase inhibitor from Japan Tobacco, the development of which could offer further solutions against drug resistant HIV strains.

The article reports on the meeting of U.S. Food Drug Administration advisory committee and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products committee to discuss the risk to benefit ratio of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory sub-class of COX-II inhibitors. It has suggested restrictions and increased clinical requirements causing some companies to reconsider the financial implications of launching or continuing to market inhibitors.

The article reports on the decision of Celgene Corp. to stop the two pivotal Phase III trials examining lenalidomide drug Revlimid in previously multiple myeloma patients in the U.S. Revlimid will need to compete against other novel therapies such Millennium Pharmaceuticals' proteasome inhibitor Velcade. The drug belongs to a new class of novel immunomodulatory drugs.

The article reports on the discussion initiated by the European Medicines Agency concerning to all the companies affected by Merck & Co. Inc.'s withdrawal of Vioxx, a COX-2 inhibitor. The agency has investigated the cardiovascular side effects of the said drug. It has also included alternative therapies for COX-2 inhibitors.

Reports that Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals have begun in 2003 an international, multi-center phase III trial to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational drug BAY 43-9006, a novel signal transduction inhibitor, in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. Key issues of interest; Analysis of pertinent topics and relevant issues; Implications on cancer research.

Reports that Vion Pharmaceuticals has initiated a phase II trial of Triapine in combination with gemcitabine in patients with metastatic or advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Commencement of enrollment of patients at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Centre in Nashville, Tennessee; Preclinical studies supporting the combination of Triapine and gemcitabine.

Reports that the Femara drug from Novartis was shown to demonstrate survival advantage over tamoxifen in advanced breast cancer, according to a study which appeared in the "Journal of Clinical Oncology." Details of the study which evaluated tamoxifen and Femara, an aromatase inhibitor.