Sunday, October 17, 2004

Health Headlines - October 17

Pfizer to Fund Study of Celebrex as Heart Aid

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. will announce plans for a large-scale clinical trial of the ability of blockbuster drug Celebrex to prevent heart attacks and strokes in patients with cardiovascular disease, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Lilly Antidepressant Effective in Treating Pain
Eli Lilly and Co.'s new antidepressant Cymbalta was shown in a small clinical trial to be effective in reducing pain in women suffering from fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder that causes widespread pain in the muscles and soft tissues, researchers said.

Bristol-Myers Arthritis Drug Promising in Trial

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said on Sunday its experimental drug for rheumatoid arthritis showed highly promising results in two late-stage clinical trials.

Merck's Arcoxia Appears Safe Medium Term

Drug firm Merck & Co. will present data this week showing that an experimental arthritis drug, Arcoxia, a treatment in the same class as its recently withdrawn Vioxx, showed no significant difference in the number of serious side effects than those treated with a common medicine called diclofenac.

UN Urged to Ignore Bush Plea for Human Cloning Ban

Britain's national academy of science urged the United Nations on Monday to ignore a call by President Bush to ban all forms of human cloning.

Pilates Promoter Praises Exercise

She's often seen in a ubiquitous infomercial peddling Pilates videos, but Mari Winsor's lean and sinewy body may be the best walking advertisement of the exercise phenomenon.

Kerry Talks Stem Cells in Radio Address

Sen. John Kerry said he would reverse President Bush's restrictions on embryonic stem cell research as he remembered the late actor Christopher Reeve, a quadriplegic, as a hero and a friend in the Democrats' radio address Sunday.

Jury Still Out on Testosterone Therapy

In older men, flagging sexual prowess, decreased muscle mass, a tendency to pack on pounds, and a general lack of energy may all point to what some call "male menopause."

The Need for Light in Darker Seasons

The shorter days of fall and winter mean that millions of Americans with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) need to find ways to get enough light to fight off symptoms of depression.

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