Asthma treatment

http://www.healasthma.com – . LOCAL Local Sepracor deal MARLBORO – Sepracor Inc. has signed a letter of intent to acquire New England Pharmaceuticals Inc. of North Easton, a company working on inhaling devices for respiratory medications. Sepracor, a developer of chemically improved pharmaceuticals, will acquire the technology and work-in-progress of the company in exchange for stock. The cost of the transaction, which could be completed by the end of the month, has not yet been disclosed. Sepracor reported that it plans… . New York Times, The COMPANY NEWS COPLEY PHARMACEUTICAL’S STOCK FALLS % Shares of Copley Pharmaceutical Inc. tumbled percent yesterday after it said it had been told by the United States Attorney’s Office that a Federal investigation of two recalled products could be broadened. Copley’s shares closed down . , at . , on Nasdaq. The company, based in Canton, Mass., has lost million in market capitalization since disclosing in that its antihistamine drug, Brompheril, was under investigation. Last month, Copley said the… . Copley Pharmaceutical’s nd recall targets antihistamine Copley recalls antihistamine In its second major recall of a drug in less than a year, Copley Pharmaceutical Inc. yesterday asked distributors and wholesalers of Brompheril to return shipments of the over-the-counter antihistimine used to treat hay fever. The Canton-based company also said it has received a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston for documents on the drug.Yesterday’s news raises a number of troubling questions about Copley, especially in light of last… . Chicago Tribune – ASTHMATICS WARNED OF DRUG`S RISKS People who overuse a common kind of inhaled drug used to relieve asthma attacks face a greatly increased risk of death, a study concludes. The researchers said they do not know whether the drugs, called beta agonists, are to blame. But they said asthmatics nearly triple their chance of death with each canister of the spray they use each month. The study found that the risk of death about doubled with each canister per month of a variety of beta agonist… . New York Times, The Using Asthma Inhalers, But Correctly In the wake of a new study that found that the overuse of asthma drugs might be hazardous, physicians are urging patients not to stop using them but to use them correctly.The Canadian study, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, a German drug company that makes the drugs, called beta- agonists, found that excessive use increased risks of a fatal asthma attack. But the study said more research is needed to determine if the drug, sold in inhalers, causes the attacks.Four such inhalers are… . ASTHMA SUFFERERS HAVE ALTERNATIVES Dear Dr. Gott — I have been diagnosed with asthma and suffer side effects from steroids. Is there any medication on the market for treatment other than steroids?DEAR READER — Indeed, there is. As a matter of fact, steroids (such as cortisone) should be reserved for severe cases that do not respond to non- steroid treatment.Asthma therapy was revolutionized by the introduction of aerosol bronchodilators, drugs that relax bronchial passages when inhaled in mist form. Primatene… . South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) – Asthma patients criticize new inhalers’ price and strength of spray New model is deemed better for environment, but price, strength of spray criticized Dec. –The new year will ring in a new era of green and efficient asthma inhalers, but some lung patients are mourning the end of the low-cost, trusty puffers they have used for years. As of Jan. , federal health officials are banning emergency-use inhalers with chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellant that harm the Earth’s ozone layer, raising the risk of skin damage and global warming. In their place come inhalers using ozone-friendlier hydrofluoroalkane (HFA).Lung… . McClatchy-Tribune Regional News (USA) – Asthma patients criticize new inhalers’ price and strength of spray New model is deemed better for environment, but price, strength of spray criticized Dec. The new year will ring in a new era of green and efficient asthma inhalers, but some lung patients are mourning the end of the low-cost, trusty puffers they have used for years.As of Jan. , federal health officials are banning emergency-use inhalers with chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellant that harm the Earth’s ozone layer, raising the risk of skin damage and global warming. In their place come inhalers using ozone-friendlier hydrofluoroalkane (HFA).Lung experts… SCANNING THE NATION CHICAGO Relative arrested in Hudson killings Police arrested the estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson on Monday in the shooting deaths of the entertainer’s mother, brother and young nephew, taking him from a prison where he had been held on a suspected parole violation. William Balfour, , was arrested at Stateville Correctional Center on a warrant accusing him of murdering the relatives of the singer and Oscar-winning actress, Chicago police… . FD (FAIR DISCLOSURE) WIRE – Sepracor at Cowen & Company Annual Health Care Conference – Final IAN SANDERSON, ANALYST, COWEN AND COMPANY Great. Well, we’re very pleased to have with us today Sepracor, and we’ve got a senior management team led by CEO Adrian Adams; the VP of R&D, Mark Corrigan; and Senior VP of Investor Relations, Jonae Barnes. And I think Adrian has done a terrific job here turning the focus at Sepracor back to the pipeline, and there are a lot of events coming up over this year and next that I think will bring enhanced visibility…. –