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Valeant Pharmaceuticals Reports Encouraging Final Results With Taribavirin Phase IIb Study
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE: VRX) reported final results for its Phase IIb dose-finding clinical trial for taribavirin, a prodrug of ribavirin which is in development for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in conjunction with a pegylated interferon. The study in treatment naive genotype 1 infected subjects was of standard design, consisting of 48 weeks of treatment with a 24-week follow-up period. It explored three weight-based doses of taribavirin: 20 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg vs. ribavirin 800-1400 mg/day. Throughout the 72-week trial, all doses of taribavirin demonstrated comparable efficacy (sustained virologic response (SVR)) to ribavirin with consistently lower levels of anemia. In addition, relapse rates in the 25 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg arms were comparable with the ribavirin arm; supporting the premise that higher dose weight-based taribavirin may be as effective as weight based ribavirin. Valeant plans to present the full final data at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) later this year.
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GM, UAW Nearing Deal To Use Company Stock For Half Of VEBA Obligation, s Say
General Motors and the United Auto Workers are close to finalizing a deal that would reduce the automaker"s cash obligation to a retiree health care trust fund, according to people with knowledge of the matter, the Wall Street Journal reports. UAW in 2007 agreed to establish the voluntary employees" beneficiary association, totaling $35 billion, that would cover health care costs of retired GM workers and their spouses starting in 2010. GM has paid about $15 billion into the fund, but under the deal now being discussed, the remaining $20 billion obligation could be paid using about $10 billion in cash and a 39% equity stake in the restructured GM that will be formed under the Treasury Department"s "controlled bankruptcy" plan for the firm. The deal would be subject to approval by UAW"s 60,000 GM members, who likely would face "steep cuts" in pay and benefits as a result, as well as 20,000 additional layoffs, according to the Journal. Union officials also have expressed concern that the GM stock making up the equity stake is "illiquid and hard to value, posing a big risk for UAW members," the Journal reports. GM and UAW could agree to a final version of the deal "as early as next week," according to the Journal (Stoll, Wall Street Journal, 5/15). Chrysler
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Nearly Half Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Sufferers Feel Early Treatment Would Have Given Them More Independence
A UK survey of 575 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers highlights the importance of maintaining independence and the significant impact that early diagnosis and treatment can have. Over 94% of those surveyed claimed that their independence was compromised in some way, with over 60% saying it was compromised significantly. With earlier treatment of their disease, nearly half of the respondents felt that they would have been more independent today, making it vital that people are aware of the significance of early intervention.
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Healthcare Locums Sees Demand Rocket As Trusts Prepare For European Working Time Directive

Healthcare Locums (HCL), the UK"s largest specialist health and social care agency, says it is seeing rocketing demand for locum and permanent placement doctors from Trusts struggling to prepare for the European Working Time Directive, which limits the number of hours trainee doctors can work to 48 per week. The Directive, which is due to come into force on 1 August 2009, poses another challenge for an already over-stretched healthcare workforce only a few months after the Government imposed stringent new qualification requirements on overseas doctors working in the UK. Changes to the Highly Skilled Migration Programme, introduced earlier this year, means that only those who have a master"s degree can apply for a visa to work in the UK, in a move which has been heavily criticised by the British Medical Association. HCL echoes the BMA"s concerns as it believes that greater emphasis on international recruitment drives for doctors outside the UK is the only way to address the staffing squeeze which will result from imposing strict limits on doctors" working hours. Kate Bleasdale, HCL"s Executive Vice Chairman, said: "The European Working Time Directive is intended to regulate the working hours of all workers in the European Union, which, while laudable in its aims, does not take into account the realities of working in a hospital, especially in an emergency care environment. You cannot make an emergency situation conform to a 48 hour per week rota limit. "This is a huge concern for our clients, and we are seeing accelerating demand for locum staff in the run-up to 1 August as some Trusts anticipate a big staffing shortfall once the Directive kicks in. "In our permanent placement division, we have seen demand rise by as much as 30%. "We are even receiving orders from the NHS Deaneries who are not able to find enough doctors to fill all the six and twelve month posts which will become available in August - something we are seeing for the first time." She added: "The obvious solution is to drive international recruitment programmes to appropriately qualified medical professionals from overseas, and at HCL, with our networks spanning the Middle East, United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, that is exactly what we are doing. But since the changes to skilled migration legislation, which make it harder for overseas doctors to work in the UK, this is also a big challenge. "Of course no one wants a return to the days of junior doctors working 120-plus hour weeks - patients should always be seen by an alert and well-rested doctor. But we also must ensure that there are enough medical professionals to meet patients" needs and get them the highest quality of treatment. There is a very real possibility that we will see a drastic shortage of available hospital doctors after 1 August, which could have serious implications for patients. In order to address this, we must be able to go easily beyond the confines of the UK to find highly skilled and qualified doctors who want to come and work here." Healthcare Locums


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