— Scientists argue for increased openness by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in a BMJ commentary published yesterday. The authors write that secrecy over trial data, such as that submitted for the flu drug oseltamivir (better known as Tamiflu), “implies undue exploitation of the rights of doctors and patients participating in the studies,” and the data should be made public for outside analysis. (ScienceDaily)

— Amphastar Pharmaceuticals took a controversial approach toward ensuring one of its products would be approved: The company reportedly hired a private investigator to follow Janet Woodcock, director of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Believing she had conflicts of interest against their drug, Amphastar pursued Woodcock’s phone records and other public documents. In February, an FDA legal counsel said that Woodcock had no conflict of interest. (Pharmalot)

— The synthetic estrogen drug Raloxifene might help treat schizophrenia, according to preliminary research. A dosage study found that the drug, which is currently used for osteoporosis, significantly sped up recovery from schizophrenia symptoms among postmenopausal women. (ScienceDaily)

— Ronald McDonald might need a Happy Meal to improve his mood. A watchdog group, Corporate Accountability International (CAI), is asking McDonalds to retire the clown because he promotes unhealthy eating among children. Drawing on another famous mascot, CAI called Ronald a “deep-fried Joe Camel for [the] 21st century.” (CNN)

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— A US district judge rejected patents on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes yesterday. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued patent owner Myriad Genetics in May, and the judge agreed with ACLU claims, writing that the “isolated DNA is not markedly different from native DNA as it exists in nature” and the “sequences are abstract mental processes,” making them unpatentable. (Reuters)

— The UK government will soon add the ‘legal high’ mephedrone, which has been linked to several deaths in the country, to its list of illegal drugs. Following on a recommendation by the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs, UK home secretary Alan Johnson has decided to list mephedrone as Class B, on level with cannabis. (BBC)

— Scientists warn that the bacteria causing gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection, are rapidly developing resistance to the two antibiotics most frequently prescribed. With resistant strains seen in Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia, the World Health Organization is expected to discuss treatment strategies at a meeting next week. (Reuters)

— The efficacy of stroke treatments in animals might be overestimated, according to researchers. Because of publication bias, which selects for studies reporting positive findings, the study authors estimate that the 31% efficacy seen in reviewing published findings might be lowered to just 24% with unpublished data. In other research, scientists note that an imbalance toward using male mice is biasing research. (Science)

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— The health care protestor who was caught on video heckling a man with Parkinson’s disease (see our post here) apologized last week. Christopher Reichert, of Ohio, initially denied verbally assailing and throwing dollar bills at Robert Letcher, a former nuclear engineer who held a sign in support of health care reform. Reichert reportedly now admits, however, that he “snapped,” and vows to never attend another political rally. (Columbus Dispatch)

— Researchers have determined the structure of a key binding region in the insulin receptor. A previous study had yielded the overall conformation, but discovery of the insulin binding site might lead to diabetes treatments that better target the receptor. (ScienceDaily)

— Teva, the world’s largest generic drug maker, gave big pharma firms a run for their money during the year ending September 2009. The Israeli company was No. 1 in terms of rising revenues with a 12.3% growth rate; revenues surged to $15.7 billion, putting the company at No. 11 on the list of the world’s top drug makers (FiercePharma). For more on Teva, check out our Q&A with chief executive Shlomo Yanai in this month’s issue of Nature Medicine.

— If your phone makes you jump a little every time it rings, you may be surprised by the latest craze in Japan: therapeutic ring tones. The Japan Ringing Tone Laboratory claims its jingles can, for example, help those trying to diet, or dislodge pollen from the noses of allergy sufferers. For some science-minded folks, however, it may not hit all the right notes. (BBC)

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Before you head off for the weekend, let’s take a look back at a few of the stories we’ve covered recently, and give you a few updates:

— With the passage of US health care reform, you’re probably wondering which provisions actually made it through. Well, among the survivors is a $500 million National Institutes of Health program that will fund research on new therapies. The ‘Cure Accelerations Network’, which we highlighted in February, will distribute individual grants of up to $15 million a year, and work in close coordination with the US Food and Drug Administration to ensure that therapies make it to market sooner.

— A new initiative for comparative effectiveness research also came through in the health care bill. The $500 million institute will be created to oversee all such research, which compares one treatment to another, as well as determine how the results are applied to practice.

— Lastly among the health care updates, the legislation ended up allowing 12 years of data exclusivity for new biologics. Some had hoped these therapies, which are derived from living cells, would be given only five years of exclusivity before cheaper generics enter the market.

— Algae is blooming: Our February feature described how green algae can replace mammalian cells to produce therapeutic human proteins. Now, Stephen Mayfield, director of the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, reports that among seven proteins he derived from genetically modified algae, four proteins were produced at levels suitable for commercial use.

— In this month’s issue we feature new rat models of disease, as well as the battle over stem cell patents. Those two topics came together last week, when the UK Intellectual Property Office granted StemCells, Inc. a patent on rat pluripotent stem cells, as well as any genetically modified rats derived from those cells.

— Finally, the UK is looking to combat a downward trend in clinical trials, as we discussed in last month’s issue. And yesterday, the country’s secretary of state for health, Andrew Burnham, announced that the Academy of Medical Sciences would conduct a review of government regulations that might be hindering research.

Image by Speaker Pelosi via Flickr Creative Commons

— Ads soliciting US college egg donors are going too far with compensation, according to a new report. The researcher analyzed 105 student newspaper advertisements, finding that 23% offered more than $10,000. That amount violates guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, but in an accompanying editorial, an ASRM member argues that little can be done, by the professional group or US government, in terms of policing. (LATimes)

— China might now be the world leader in diabetes. A new survey estimates that 92 million Chinese are living with the disease, a rate of almost 1 in 10 for the world’s most populous country. Now in second place, India has an estimated 50 million diabetics. (Reuters)

— A breast cancer cure is just $20 — and a few years — away, according to Andrew Hessel, a former research manager with Amgen. Hessel has started the Pink Army Cooperative, an initiative to search for a personalized cure for breast cancer. Those who join the cooperative by purchasing a $20 share will be given access to the cure, if and when it comes. (NYTimes)

— Americans with chronic disease are more likely to participate in social networking sites, discussion forums, and blogs regarding health, according to a new report. Though they’re 19% less likely to have internet access, such patients seek out the comfort and advice of others (NYTimes). Doctors warn, however, against trusting online sources, noting that “[f]alsehoods are easily and rapidly propagated on the Internet” in an NEJM commentary published today. (ScienceDaily)

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— Bring in the enforcements: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) might soon have third-party inspectors monitoring Genzyme’s factory in Allston, Massachusetts. After a few manufacturing problems at the company, the FDA might issue a consent decree, establishing an inspectorate to oversee quality control. (FiercePharma)

— Are we there yet? No, wait a little longer. According to a review of clinical trials, those that are stopped early — often because the benefits of treatment are already seen — underestimate a given treatment’s risks. Study authors compared 91 shortened trials with more than 400 trials that ran their full course, and found that truncated trials underestimate relative risk by 29%, on average.

— Researchers have looked at stratified segments of the US population such as ‘black middle America’ and ‘Northland low-income rural whites’ to get a better picture of life expectancy. According to the study, southern rural blacks seem most affected by the four risk factors analyzed: smoking, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high body fat.

— A little test, come too late? The FDA has approved IntelligentMDx’s molecular diagnostic test for H1N1, which the company claims is the first of its kind to make it through. The approval, however, comes under emergency authorization, and the pandemic’s emergency status is set to expire April 26, according to the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company. (Xconomy)

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