This is a great example of the positive power of clinical trials… A vaccine for swine flu – which the World Health Organization has recently deemed a worldwide pandemic – is being tested in clinical trials by Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis. If things go well, the vaccine could be available for use in four months. Other great news today is about the success of a potential cancer vaccine as well as improvements for a gout treatment…

AFP – Swine flu vaccine ready for clinical trials – AFP – Swiss drugs firm Novartis says it has completed a first batch of vaccine for pre-clinical trials and aims to make a version available in about four months. … See all stories on this topic

Working to Improve on Allopurinol, the Standard for Gout – New York Times – United States – But there were signs in the clinical trials that the drug, also known as pegloticase, raised the risk of heart problems. It also caused sometimes severe … See all stories on this topic

St. Jude Medical Announces Leading Sponsorship of Landmark … WELT ONLINE – Berlin, Germany – “Supporting clinical trials like CABANA is an important part of our mission of advancing the practice of medicine through medical technology to help improve … See all stories on this topic

WIVB – Cancer vaccines do well – WIVB – Buffalo, NY, USA – Calling the trial a “qualified success,” Dr. Levy said other clinical trials will be needed to establish the best use of the vaccine in follicular lymphoma … See all stories on this topic

Novartis says A/H1N1 vaccine ready for clinical trials – Xinhua – China – The company plans to start clinical trials with that vaccine in July and expects licensure in the autumn of 2009. The World Health Organization (WHO) on … See all stories on this topic

Asthma Drugs Get ‘Precaution’ Labeling for Possible Psychiatric … Forbes – NY, USA – The agency, which began its review of the data in March 2008, said clinical trial data submitted by the manufacturers of Singulair, Accolate and Zyflo … See all stories on this topic

Biosense Webster to Support Landmark Clinical Trial of Atrial … WELT ONLINE – Berlin, Germany – The results from the CABANA trial will add to the growing body of clinical evidence comparing catheter ablation to drug therapy for AFib and is designed to … See all stories on this topic

Human Genome Sciences shares jump on test results — Bizjournals.com – Charlotte, NC, USA – In March, California-based Genentech Inc. and Massachusetts-based Biogen Idec racked up one of the most recent failures in third-stage clinical trials for a … See all stories on this topic