What Is the Bioscience Industry Doing to Address the Ethical Issues It Faces?

Novas discusses the implications of a new study in PLoS Medicine, in which executives and senior managers from bioscience firms were asked what their companies were doing to promote ethical behaviour

Orphan Drugs, Patient Activism and Contemporary Healthcare

Cette contribution analyse les formes de militantisme politique et scientifique qui ont émergé autour des médicaments orphelins depuis la fin des années 70 jusqu’à aujourd’hui. Plus particulièrement, cet article présente le rôle de différents groupes de patients qui ont favorisé le passage de l’American Orphan Drug Act. Ensuite, il discute dans quelle mesure la législation a encouragé l’industrie pharmaceutique et biotechnologique à développer des traitements pour les maladies rares. Enfin, il analyse quelques unes des questions biopolitiques contemporaines posées par les drogues orphelines, notamment le problème du coût élevé de ces formes de thérapies qui limite l’accès du patient aux drogues orphelines.This paper examines the forms of political and scientific activism that have emerged around orphan drugs from the late 1970s to the contemporary present. This paper documents the role of a number of patient’s groups in fostering the passage of the American Orphan Drug Act. The paper then moves on to consider the extent to which this legislation has encouraged the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry to develop treatments for rare diseases. Lastly, the paper examines some of the contemporary biopolitical problems which orphan drugs pose in terms of the high cost of a number of these types of therapies which limits patient access to orphan drugs

Cattle parasitosis in the Zona da Mata Region of Minas Gerais, Brazil II.Seasonal incidence of lung nematodes

Para estudar a dinâmica populacional de larvas infectantes de Dictyocaulus viviparus na pastagem, foram realizadas necropsias mensais de dois bezerros traçadores, à razão de dois por mês, no período de outubro de 1980 a setembro de 1982, totalizando 48 animais. As condições climáticas da região permitiram o desenvolvimento e a sobrevivência de larvas na pastagem durante o ano todo, mas a maior incidência ocorreu durante o o inverno, quando média da temperatura mínima foi de 11°C. As infecções sofridas pelos bezerros a partir do início do outono aumentaram a incidência de larvas infectantes no inverno.In order to study the seasonal incidence of larvae of Dictyocaulus viviparus in pastures, during the period of October 1980 until September 1982, a total of 46 tracer calves were necropsied, at the rate of two per month. The climate of the region allowed development and survival of larvae throughout the year but the greatest incidence occurred during winter, when the average of minimum temperature was 11°C. The most significant factor was low temperature. Larvae ingested in autumm caused the outbreak of infective larvae in pastures in winter

A vertebrate assemblage of Las Curtiembres Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of northwestern Argentina

Aquí describimos una asociación de fósiles de vertebrados proveniente del Miembro Morales de la Formación Las Curtiembres (Campaniano) exhumada en la localidad de Puente Morales, provincia de Salta, Argentina. Esta asociación se encuentra conformada por peces teleósteos, anuros pipidos, tortugas pleurodiras, mesoeucrocodilidos, dinosaurios terópodos no avianos y aves Enantiornithes. Este registro de vertebrados se encuentra dominado por taxa de agua dulce. Con la excepción de los anuros pipidos, todos los demás taxa aquí descriptos constituyen nuevos registros para esta unidad sedimentaria. Entre ellos, el registro de tortugas resulta ser el primero para el Grupo Salta. Adicionalmente, el Enantiornithes Intiornis inexpectatus amplía la diversidad de aves cretácicas de América del Sur. Más allá de la naturaleza fragmentaria de algunos de los especímenes, la información proporcionada por esta asociación del Cretácico Superior aporta novedosa información acerca de la composición de la poco conocida fauna de vertebrados continentales de esta región de América del Sur.We describe an association of fossil vertebrates from the Morales Member of the Las Curtiembres Formation (Campanian) near Puente Morales, Salta Province, NW Argentina. The fossils include teleostean fishes, pipid frogs, pleurodiran turtles, mesoeucrocodylians, non-avian theropod dinosaurs, and enantiornithine birds. The vertebrate record is dominated by freshwater taxa. With the exception of pipid frogs, all taxa here described constitute new records for this sedimentary unit. Among them, the turtles are reported for the first time in the Cretaceous of northwestern Argentina (Salta Group). Additionally, the recently published small enantiornithine Intiornis inexpectatus enlarges the diversity of cretaceous birds from South America. Despite the fragmentary nature of the specimens, the information provided by this Late Cretaceous assemblage sheds new light on the composition of the continental vertebrate fauna in a paleontologically poorly known region of South America.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

A vertebrate assemblage of Las Curtiembres Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of northwestern Argentina

Aquí describimos una asociación de fósiles de vertebrados proveniente del Miembro Morales de la Formación Las Curtiembres (Campaniano) exhumada en la localidad de Puente Morales, provincia de Salta, Argentina. Esta asociación se encuentra conformada por peces teleósteos, anuros pipidos, tortugas pleurodiras, mesoeucrocodilidos, dinosaurios terópodos no avianos y aves Enantiornithes. Este registro de vertebrados se encuentra dominado por taxa de agua dulce. Con la excepción de los anuros pipidos, todos los demás taxa aquí descriptos constituyen nuevos registros para esta unidad sedimentaria. Entre ellos, el registro de tortugas resulta ser el primero para el Grupo Salta. Adicionalmente, el Enantiornithes Intiornis inexpectatus amplía la diversidad de aves cretácicas de América del Sur. Más allá de la naturaleza fragmentaria de algunos de los especímenes, la información proporcionada por esta asociación del Cretácico Superior aporta novedosa información acerca de la composición de la poco conocida fauna de vertebrados continentales de esta región de América del Sur.We describe an association of fossil vertebrates from the Morales Member of the Las Curtiembres Formation (Campanian) near Puente Morales, Salta Province, NW Argentina. The fossils include teleostean fishes, pipid frogs, pleurodiran turtles, mesoeucrocodylians, non-avian theropod dinosaurs, and enantiornithine birds. The vertebrate record is dominated by freshwater taxa. With the exception of pipid frogs, all taxa here described constitute new records for this sedimentary unit. Among them, the turtles are reported for the first time in the Cretaceous of northwestern Argentina (Salta Group). Additionally, the recently published small enantiornithine Intiornis inexpectatus enlarges the diversity of cretaceous birds from South America. Despite the fragmentary nature of the specimens, the information provided by this Late Cretaceous assemblage sheds new light on the composition of the continental vertebrate fauna in a paleontologically poorly known region of South America.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

A vertebrate assemblage of Las Curtiembres Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of northwestern Argentina

Aquí describimos una asociación de fósiles de vertebrados proveniente del Miembro Morales de la Formación Las Curtiembres (Campaniano) exhumada en la localidad de Puente Morales, provincia de Salta, Argentina. Esta asociación se encuentra conformada por peces teleósteos, anuros pipidos, tortugas pleurodiras, mesoeucrocodilidos, dinosaurios terópodos no avianos y aves Enantiornithes. Este registro de vertebrados se encuentra dominado por taxa de agua dulce. Con la excepción de los anuros pipidos, todos los demás taxa aquí descriptos constituyen nuevos registros para esta unidad sedimentaria. Entre ellos, el registro de tortugas resulta ser el primero para el Grupo Salta. Adicionalmente, el Enantiornithes Intiornis inexpectatus amplía la diversidad de aves cretácicas de América del Sur. Más allá de la naturaleza fragmentaria de algunos de los especímenes, la información proporcionada por esta asociación del Cretácico Superior aporta novedosa información acerca de la composición de la poco conocida fauna de vertebrados continentales de esta región de América del Sur.We describe an association of fossil vertebrates from the Morales Member of the Las Curtiembres Formation (Campanian) near Puente Morales, Salta Province, NW Argentina. The fossils include teleostean fishes, pipid frogs, pleurodiran turtles, mesoeucrocodylians, non-avian theropod dinosaurs, and enantiornithine birds. The vertebrate record is dominated by freshwater taxa. With the exception of pipid frogs, all taxa here described constitute new records for this sedimentary unit. Among them, the turtles are reported for the first time in the Cretaceous of northwestern Argentina (Salta Group). Additionally, the recently published small enantiornithine Intiornis inexpectatus enlarges the diversity of cretaceous birds from South America. Despite the fragmentary nature of the specimens, the information provided by this Late Cretaceous assemblage sheds new light on the composition of the continental vertebrate fauna in a paleontologically poorly known region of South America.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Efeito da aplicação do ICI 80996 em diferentes fases do ciclo estral sobre a sincronização do cio em novilhas

With the objective of studying The efficiency of the synthetic prostaglandin analogue F2α ICI 80996 on heat synchronization, a study using 44 heifers was conducted. The synchronizing agent was applied by intramuscular injection at a dose of 0.5 mg/animal, in a system of two doses at an interval of eleven days. The heifers were divided into four groups of 11, where group A received the first dose on the second day of the cycle, B on the fourth, C on the eighth and D on the fourteenth day of the oestrus cycle. Following the application of the first dose, 0, 9.1, 100.0 and 100.0% of the animals of groups A, B, C and D respectively responded to treatment. The mean intervals between the application of the treatment and the start of heat were 64.4 and 72.6 hour respectively for groups C and D. Following application of the second dose, the total percentage of animals in heat was 93.2%, with a 100% response for groups A, C and 72.7% in group B. The mean interval between treatment and heat initiation for the four groups combined was 80.2 hours. Difference between groups was nonsignificant in relation to his interval and means were 80.9; 65.3; 87.3 and 83.3 hours respectively for groups A, B, C and D.Com o objetivo de estudar a eficiência do análogo sintétito da prostaglandina F2α ICI 80996, na sincronização do cio, 44 novilhas foram utilizadas. O agente sincronizante foi aplicado por via intramuscular, na dose de 0.5 mg por animal, em um esquema de duas doses com intervalo de onze dias. As novilhas foram divididas em quatro grupos de onze, onde o grupo A recebeu a primeira dose no segundo dia do ciclo, o B no quarto dia do ciclo, o C no oitavo dia do ciclo e o D no 14ª dia do ciclo estral. Após a aplicação da primeira dose, 0,0%, 9,1%, 100,0% e 100,0% dos animais pertencentes aos grupos A, B, C e D, respectivamente, responderam ao tratamento. Os intervalos médios entre o tratamento e o início do cio foram de 64,4 e 72,6 horas, respectivamente, para os grupos C e D. Após a aplicação da segunda dose, a percentagem total de animais em cio foi de 93,2%, com 100,0% de resposta nos grupos A, C e D, e 72,7% no grupo B. O intervalo médio entre o tratamento e o início do cio, para os quatro grupos conjuntamente, foi de 80,2 horas. Não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos, em relação a esse intervalo, e as médias foram de 80,9; 65,3; 87,3 e 83,3 horas respectivamente para os grupos A, B, C e D

Outcomes and effect of somatic mutations after erythropoiesis stimulating agents in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes

Background: Erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) are the first-line therapy in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS). Some predictive factors for ESAs response have been identified. Type and number of somatic mutations have been associated with prognosis and response to therapies in MDS patients.Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the outcomes after ESAs in patients with LR-MDS and to address the potential predictive value of somatic mutations in ESAs-treated patients.Design: Multi-center retrospective study of a cohort of 722 patients with LR-MDS included in the SPRESAS (Spanish Registry of Erythropoietic Stimulating Agents Study) study. Retrospective analysis of 65 patients with next generation sequencing (NGS) data from diagnosis.Methods: ESAs' efficacy and safety were evaluated in patients receiving ESAs and best supportive care (BSC). To assess the potential prognostic value of somatic mutations in erythroid response (ER) rate and outcome, NGS was performed in responders and non-responders.Results: ER rate for ESAs-treated patients was 65%. Serum erythropoietin (EPO) level = 3; p = 0.170). The presence of >= 3 mutated genes was also significantly associated with worse OS (hazard ratio, 2.8; p= 0.015), even in responders. A higher cumulative incidence of acute myeloid leukemia progression at 5 years was also observed in patients with >= 3 mutated genes versus<3 (33.3% and 10.7%, respectively; p< 0.001).Conclusion: This large study confirms the beneficial effect of ESAs and the adverse effect of somatic mutations in patients with LR-MDS

The Democratic Biopolitics of PrEP

PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a relatively new drug-based HIV prevention technique and an important means to lower the HIV risk of gay men who are especially vulnerable to HIV. From the perspective of biopolitics, PrEP inscribes itself in a larger trend of medicalization and the rise of pharmapower. This article reconstructs and evaluates contemporary literature on biopolitical theory as it applies to PrEP, by bringing it in a dialogue with a mapping of the political debate on PrEP. As PrEP changes sexual norms and subjectification, for example condom use and its meaning for gay subjectivity, it is highly contested. The article shows that the debate on PrEP can be best described with the concepts ‘sexual-somatic ethics’ and ‘democratic biopolitics’, which I develop based on the biopolitical approach of Nikolas Rose and Paul Rabinow. In contrast, interpretations of PrEP which are following governmentality studies or Italian Theory amount to either farfetched or trivial positions on PrEP, when seen in light of the political debate. Furthermore, the article is a contribution to the scholarship on gay subjectivity, highlighting how homophobia and homonormativity haunts gay sex even in liberal environments, and how PrEP can serve as an entry point for the destigmatization of gay sexuality and transformation of gay subjectivity. ‘Biopolitical democratization’ entails making explicit how medical technology and health care relates to sexual subjectification and ethics, to strengthen the voice of (potential) PrEP users in health politics, and to renegotiate the profit and power of Big Pharma