Thursday, May 3, 2007

Behind The Curtain: Lilly Discloses Grants

In a long overdue move, Lilly today will release a report detailing the grant money given to non-profit groups and educational institutions. In this year's first quarter, for instance, the drugmaker gave $11.8 million to universities, foundations devoted to disease research and awareness, and companies that are in the continuing education business.

For instance, the largest single grant was $825,000 to Massachusetts General Hospital's psychiatry department for a year-long educational program with more than 150,000 registrants. And the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, an advocacy group for patients, received $544,500. Of that, $450,000 went to fund a project called "Campaign for the Mind of America."

READ MORE @ Pharmalot

Antidepressant Warnings, Health Benefits in Coffee

NPR's News & Notes kicks off a regular, Thursday conversation on health, medicine and the black community. This week, Dr. Ivan Walks, former Chief Health Officer of the District of Columbia, talks to Tony Cox about new warnings about antidepressants, as well as the possible benefits of a morning cup of coffee.

LISTEN @ NPR's News & Notes

Puzzle of antipsychotic drug weight gain solved

Researchers said on Monday they have pinpointed the reason some drugs used to treat mental illnesses like schizophrenia cause patients to gain a lot of weight, raising hope for developing drugs without this side effect.

Antipsychotic medications such as Zyprexa, made by Eli Lilly and Co., increase the activity of an enzyme called AMPK in cells in the part of the brain that regulates eating behavior, according to research in mice led by scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.


READ MORE @ Reuters