cancer

5 U.S. Businesses That Ought to Be Ashamed of Themselves

In contrast to the many U.S. companies we should view with pride, some have behaved in ways that are downright evil. For their exploitative behaviors, these companies (and one whole industry) have earned their seats on the corporate netherworld's board of shame.

Cigarette Warning Labels Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

New research shows that forcing smokers to look at scary warning labels doesn't make them less likely to buy cigarettes. In fact, it may make them more likely to. Are anti-tobacco advocates wasting their money and effort on a pointless campaign?

Ruling on Cigarette Warnings Stirs Free Speech Debate

A court ruling Monday stubbed out an FDA attempt to plaster extremely graphic warning labels on cigarette packs. The decision has reignited a debate over which right trumps which: The right of the government to warn Americans about the health risks of smoking, or the First Amendment rights of tobacco companies.

Six Reasons Businesses Can't Live Without Gold

The majority of gold demand these days goes to jewelry and investors, but the precious metal is good for more than looking pretty and providing a hard asset: Industrial and technological uses for gold are growing.

Should Smokers Pay More for Health Insurance?

Last week, Dallas County in Texas joined the growing ranks of employers that charge employees who smoke a higher monthly health insurance premium than employees who don't. It's an idea that's gaining momentum across the country -- but will it work to reduce smoking, or just to penalize the nicotine-addicted?

Will Spray Nicotine Be the Next Quit-Smoking Fad?

Tobacco giant Philip Morris International has just bought the rights to a new technology for delivering nicotine in a aerosol spray. The upside: Nicotine addicts get their fix without all the toxins associated with smoking. The downside: It'll be at least three years before it hits the market.

Radiation Risk to U.S. Very Low, Top Expert Explains

As the crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant continues, some worry that radiation from the damaged reactors will reach U.S. shores. Dr. Edward Maher, president of the Health Physics Society, and an environmental science expert at Harvard, explains why we should breathe easy.

Why Samsung Electronics Should Say No to Drugs

Samsung Electronics is known for its smartphones, TVs and memory chips. Now it wants to tackle biopharmaceuticals, on Friday announcing a new joint venture to produce drugs to treat cancer and arthritis. Here's why the move could prove an ill-needed distraction for the electronics giant.

Big Pharma Looks Beyond Drugs to Smartphone Apps

Pharmaceutical companies looking for fresh sources of profit are increasingly investing in a range of health care innovations that aren't drugs at all, from smartphone apps and educational websites to social media platforms and wireless devices, reports Ernst & Young.

Two Drugs Found to Fight Steve Jobs' Rare Cancer Type

Pfizer's cancer drug Sutent and Novartis's drug Afinitor have both been found to be effective against the rare form of pancreatic cancer that Apple CEO Steve Jobs was diagnosed with in 2004, according to two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Problem with Fast-Tracking Drug Approvals: Pharmas Fail to Follow Up

To get potentially lifesaving drugs to patients faster, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowed to approve some drugs -- those that address unmet medical needs -- based on fewer trials than usual. But it turns out that many of the pharmaceutical companies fail to conduct follow-up trials to prove the drugs work.

Another Cancer-Drug Failure Highlights Difficulties Facing Pharmas

Sanofi-Aventis announced its cancer drug candidate iniparib failed in a late-stage clinical trial. Other pharmaceutical companies have also experienced recent setbacks as they scramble to bolster their pipelines ahead of the patent cliff, when they will be forced to compete with cheaper generics.

What Pfizer Sees in Lpath's Innovative Blindness Drugs

Lpath focuses on developing therapeutics that target bioactive lipids for treating a range of human diseases, including cancer and diseases that cause blindness. Its promising drugs have attracted attention -- and lots of money -- from Pfizer. More of both could be coming.

A Judge Snuffs Out New York City's Gruesome Antismoking Ads

A New York City health code regulation set to go into effect on Jan. 1 would have added some disturbing images to the Big Apple's glittering background of advertising: Hideously accurate ads depicting the results of smoking. But a federal judge this week killed the city's anti-smoking campaign before it could begin.

Genzyme Talks Up Possible Sales of Its New MS Drug

The U.S. biotech is holding an analyst and investor meeting focused on the commercial potential of its multiple sclerosis drug Campath. The goal: to convince Paris-based Sanofi-Aventis to raise its hostile takeover offer in a battle that has now gone on for five months.

Treating Pet Cancer: What Are You Prepared to Pay?

As pet cancer increases and pricier treatments become available, the cost of keeping a pet healthy is on the rise. DailyFinance writer Jonathan Berr shares the story of his family dog Ruby's bout with cancer. How much are you willing to spend on your best friend?

Wyeth Loses Appeal Over Hormone Replacement Drugs

Wyeth Pharmecuticals on Wednesday lost its appeal of a decision that awarded $58 million in damages to three women who claimed the company's hormone-replacement drugs caused their breast cancer. The news could bode badly for the Pfizer-owned company, which has thousands of such cases pending.

The Allure of Delcath's Highly Targeted Chemotherapy

Traditional chemotherapy for cancer patients is as dreaded as the disease itself. But Delcath's "Chemosaturation System," which is doing well so far in tests, promises to deliver treatments far more precisely, thus limiting side effects.

Is This Tiny Aussie Biotech the Next Dendreon?

Dendreon's Provenge, which targets prostate cancer, catapulted that company's stock to record highs recently. Prima Biomed's CVac works similarly, but it has the potential to target multiple forms of cancer, giving the company an intriguing future.

Roche Strikes $1.1 Billion Deal With Aileron

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche has struck a deal with Aileron Therapeutics worth up to $1.1 billion to gain access to a new class of drugs called stapled peptide therapeutics. This could yield new ways to attack hard-to-reach disease targets.