Reflux Esophagitis Due To Immune Reaction, Not Acute Acid Burn

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171581.php

Contrary to current thinking, a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) might not develop as a direct result of acidic digestive juices burning the esophagus, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found in an animal study. Rather, gastroesophageal reflux spurs the esophageal cells to release chemicals called cytokines, which attract inflammatory cells to the esophagus.

Addex ADX10059 Monotherapy Is Effective On GERD Symptoms In Phase IIb Clinical Trial

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171047.php

Addex Pharmaceuticals (SWISS: ADXN), the allosteric modulation company, announced that it achieved statistically significant efficacy on the primary endpoint, increasing the number of symptom free days in the Phase IIb trial of ADX10059 as a monotherapy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the cause of heartburn and other symptoms.

Mylan Receives FDA Approval For Generic Version Of Prevacid® Through Its Subsidiary Matrix Laboratories

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170690.php

Mylan Inc. (NASDAQ: MYL) announced that its privately held Indian subsidiary, Matrix Laboratories Limited, has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Lansoprazole Delayed-release (DR) Capsules, 15 mg and 30 mg. This product is shipping immediately and will be sold under the Mylan Pharmaceuticals brand.

Open Wide: Incisionless Surgery To Treat GERD

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170524.php

Every day, more than 20 percent of the U.S. population experiences the painful burning symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). For these 20 million Americans, the first line of defense is medication. To find a long-term, permanent solution for this nagging condition, the Center for the Future of Surgery at UC San Diego Medical Center is leading a multicenter clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of a new incisionless GERD treatment.

FDA Approves New Salix Product Exclusively In Catalent's Zydis(R) Fast Dissolve Technology

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169848.php

Catalent Pharma Solutions, one of the leading advanced drug delivery technology providers to the pharmaceutical industry, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for Metozolv™ ODT (orally disintegrating tablets) metoclopramide HCL utilizing Catalent's Zydis® fast dissolve technology. Metozolv™ ODT was developed by Wilmington Pharmaceuticals and licensed to Salix Pharmaceuticals.

Unexpected Consequences Of Proton Pump Inhibitor Use In Reflux Disease

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169467.php

Despite being highly effective and beneficial for many patients, unexpected consequences are emerging in patients who are prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for reflux diseases. Physicians are warned to monitor these effects and prescribe these medications carefully, according to a new commentary published in the November 2009 issue of Otolaryngology -Head and Neck Surgery.

New Procedure For Acid Reflux/GERD

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168842.php

Boston Medical Center (BMC) surgeons are now offering patients an incisionless alternative to laparoscopic and traditional surgery for treatment of acid reflux or GERD. Using the new procedure known as EsophyX TIF (Transoral Incisionless Fundaplication), surgeons can repair or reconstruct the valve between the esophagus and stomach, effectively stopping GERD. BMC is the only hospital in New England offering this new treatment.

New Studies Explore Connection Between High Stress And High Exposure Jobs And GI Disorders

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168747.php

In two new studies, presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 74th Annual Scientific meeting in San Diego, researchers explored the connection between high stress, high exposure occupations and long-term gastrointestinal disorders.

New Study Results Analyzed The Use Of KAPIDEX(TM) (dexlansoprazole) For Nighttime Heartburn In Adults With Non-Erosive GERD

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168762.php

New data being presented at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego showed that treatment with KAPIDEX(TM) (dexlansoprazole) delayed release capsules over a four-week period resulted in a statistically significant greater percentage of nights without heartburn in subjects with non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), compared to placebo (p

Possible Weight-Gain From Long-Term Treatment With Proton Pump Inhibitor

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168636.php

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common esophageal disorder, and frequently encountered in the primary care setting. Accumulating evidence has confirmed the excellent efficacy and safety of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in patients with all grades of GERD, making these agents the mainstay of treatment. However, the possible impact of changes in body weight(BW) or body mass index (BMI) in reflux patients while on long-term PPI therapy has not been examined.

XenoPort Announces Initiation Of A Phase 2b Clinical Trial Of Arbaclofen Placarbil In Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168056.php

XenoPort, Inc. (Nasdaq:XNPT) announced today that it has initiated a Phase 2b clinical trial of arbaclofen placarbil (AP), also known as XP19986, in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who remain symptomatic despite treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). The trial is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to assess the efficacy and safety of AP as adjunctive therapy to PPIs. Ronald W. Barrett, Ph.D.

Heartburn Drugs Deemed Safe For Fetuses According To Ben-Gurion University Researchers

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166754.php

H2 Blocker drugs, such as Famotidine, Cimetidine and Ranitidine, approved in the U.S. for acid reflux (heartburn), pose no significant risks for the fetus according to a large collaborative cohort study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. The study published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology provides significant reassurance for the safety of the fetus when H2 blocker drugs are given to women to relieve acid reflux during pregnancy.

Addex Completes Enrollment Of First Mid-Stage Clinical GERD Trial

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/165416.php

Addex Pharmaceuticals (SWISS: ADXN), the allosteric modulation company, announced the completion of enrollment in the Phase IIb trial of ADX10059 as a monotherapy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the cause of heartburn and other symptoms. ADX10059 is a first-in-class reflux inhibitor that works by reducing activation of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) through negative allosteric modulation (NAM).

Mayo Clinic Researchers Lead National Clinical Trial Testing New Treatment For Chronic, Severe Indigestion

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/164343.php

Could medicines used for depression also treat chronic, severe indigestion? Scientists at Mayo Clinic suspect they can and, backed by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), they are testing that premise in a nationwide clinical trial. "Nerve cells are found throughout the body, and just as their dysfunction in the brain can cause depression, we suspect overly sensitive nerves in the gut can produce this very uncomfortable indigestion," says Nicholas Talley, M.D., Ph.

Popular Stomach Acid Reducer Triples Risk Of Developing Pneumonia

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163911.php

A popular stomach-acid reducer used to prevent stress ulcers in critically ill patients needing breathing machine support increases the risk of those patients contracting pneumonia threefold, according to researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is the leading cause of infection-related deaths in critically ill patients. It increases hospital stays by an average of seven to nine days, cost of care, and the risk of other complications.

Jefferson First In Philadelphia To Offer New, Incisionless Surgical Treatment For Acid Reflux Disease

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163907.php

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is the first hospital in Philadelphia, and the Delaware Valley, offering endoluminal fundoplication (ELF) an incisionless surgical treatment option to provide long-term elimination of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases affecting hundreds of thousands of people, in which the esophagus becomes inflamed by digestive acid backing up from the stomach, resulting in heartburn.

7 Million Babies And Children And 6 Million Hispanics In The U.S. Have Acid Reflux

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163859.php

The Pediatric Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux (PAGER) Association has been helping families learn about acid reflux since 1992. The medical name for the disease is gastroesophageal reflux. It means stomach + esophagus + backwash. "Acid reflux in children is often overlooked," says Beth Pulsifer-Anderson, Director of PAGER Association.

Cancer Safety Fears Of Most Common Heartburn Treatment Rejected By Major Clinical Study

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163497.php

Fears about the cancer causing effects of the second most prescribed group of drugs in the Western world have been put to rest, following the largest ever study into their use. 'Proton pump inhibitors' (PPI) are the most commonly used treatment for chronic acid reflux, or 'heartburn', a painful burning sensation in the chest, neck and throat which is experienced by almost a third of people in developed countries.

What Is Dyspepsia? What Is Indigestion? What Is Upset Stomach?

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163484.php

Dyspepsia, also known as indigestion or upset stomach, is a term that describes discomfort or pain in the upper abdomen. It is not a disease. Dyspepsia is a group of symptoms which often include bloating, nausea and burping. Indigestion is usually caused by stomach acid coming into contact with the mucosa of the digestive system - the sensitive protective lining of the digestive system.

'Upper-GI Symptoms' Associated With Care-Seeking Behavior

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163367.php

Patients with upper gastrointestinal (GI) complaints visit their general practitioner (GP) more often than patients with other conditions. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Family Practice found that people with dyspepsia, heartburn, epigastric discomfort and other upper-abdominal complaints had almost twice as many GP contacts, which were ultimately associated with problems in all organ systems.

News From The September Issue Of Chest

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163239.php

PEDIATRIC CHRONIC COUGH LINKED TO REFLUX AND ALLERGIES New research shows that chronic cough in children is most often caused by gastroesophageal reflux and allergies. Researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, evaluated 40 patients aged 5 to 12 years with chronic cough (> 8 weeks in duration) with no obvious cause. Each patient underwent extensive multispecialty testing.

Sleep Quality Negatively Impacted By GERD, Results In Considerable Economic Burden

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162691.php

There has been much debate about the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep. Three new studies in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology explore GERD's effect on sleep quality and the health-care system as well as how a widely prescribed sleeping pill may mask the disease. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology is the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

Characteristic Pathological Findings In Reflux Esophagitis

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160365.php

Recently, the number of patients with GERD has increased in Japan. However, there have been few reports about the pathological findings in the esophageal squamous epithelium, and there are differing opinions among pathologists about the findings considered characteristic of chronic reflux esophagitis.　 Dr.

Indiana's First Incisionless Surgery To Treat Heartburn Performed At Goshen Health System

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160159.php

Surgery without an incision is now possible. Yesterday Goshen General Hospital and Drs. Mark Ranzinger and Norbert Schwer, of Gerig Surgical Associates and medical staff at Goshen General Hospital, became the first hospital and surgeons in Indiana to perform an incisionless surgery to treat heartburn.

Altered Micriobiome Prevalent In The Diseased Esophagus: Findings Of NYU Langone Medical Center Researchers

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 PST
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159594.php

Gastroesophageal reflux diseases , or GERD, affects about 10 million people in the United States, yet the cause and an unexpected increase in its prevalence over the last three decades remains unexplainable. Now, researchers have discovered that GERD is associated with global alteration of the microbiome in the esophagus.