Trending News Today: Johnson & Johnson Invests in Prostate Cancer Drug

The compound cyclodextrin is currently being tested to treat a very rare genetic disease, but trial results have shown promise in treating heart disease as well, the Wall Street Journal reported. During a study, researchers found that cyclodextrin reduced plaque and dissolved cholesterol crystals in mice. The results were reported in Science Translational Medicine and led researchers to believe that it could play a role in atherosclerosis.

Johnson & Johnson will invest $50 million in Tesaro Inc to license an oral prostate cancer treatment, according to the Wall Street Journal. Niraparib is a once a day, oral treatment in late-stage clinical trials for breast and ovarian cancer. Johnson’s Janssen Biotech Inc will develop and commercialize Niraparib to treat patients suffering from prostate cancer.

Leapfrog Group conducted a survey that revealed 40% of potential harmful drugs were not flagged in hospital computer-based medication systems. It’s estimated that medical errors are the third highest cause of death in the United States, Kaiser Health News reported. The survey consisted of 1800 hospitals and found that although a majority of the hospitals had a computer-based medication system in place, the systems fell short when it came to catching drugs that may cause harm.