Diagnostics
The New York Times reports that "The nation"s governors, Democrats as well as Republicans, voiced deep concern Sunday about the shape of the health care plan emerging from Congress, fearing that Washington was about to hand them expensive new Medicaid obligations without money to pay for them. The role of the states in a restructured health care system dominated the summer meeting of the National Governors Association here this weekend - with bipartisan animosity voiced against the plan during a closed-door luncheon on Saturday and in a private meeting on Sunday with the health and human services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius." After the meeting, Sebelius said "there"s a recognition that states don"t have cash right nowò€¦ i""s difficult to send states the bill if they don"t have the money."
London Bridge Hospital, part of the HCA hospitals group, has installed the first Siemens MAGNETOM® Essenza MRI in the UK. The 1.5 Tesla system will complement three other Siemens MRIs currently in use at London Bridge to provide a streamlined, coordinated imaging service.
The Inland Empire HIV Planning Council, an agency that makes HIV/AIDS policy in Riverside and San Bernardino counties in California, has begun a three-day summit, where they will determine how funds - primarily from HHS - will be spent, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. The council, which oversees spending of more than $7 million for HIV/AIDS care and treatment in the counties, said proposed cuts to HIV/AIDS programs and Medi-Cal at the state level "could affect funding and treatment priorities set by the agency," the article states. Joe Acosta, co-chair of the council said they are looking for ways to make up for the expected shortfalls. The council distributes money to about a half dozen agencies in San Bernardino and Riverside counties that provide services to more than 6,800 HIV/AIDS patients, Acosta said" (Hines, 7/18).
The NPHS influenza surveillance scheme, which records reports of diagnoses of flu from more than 300 GP practices across Wales, shows low but increasing levels of influenza activity across Wales. Further detail can be found on the NPHS website: click here.
In a first of its kind study, Scientific American cut through the marketing messages to take a hard look at what countries across the globe are doing to bolster biotech programs within their borders. Many rankings compare Europe, Asia, and the US -- the Scientific American Worldview: A Global Biotechnology Perspective digs deeper, examining all the elements that impact overall biotech innovation. You might be surprised by some of the results.
About one-fourth of patients with superficial vein thrombosis-clotting in blood vessels close to the skin-also may have the life-threatening condition deep vein thrombosis, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
TCGRx (TCG), an industry leader in automation and design services for pharmacy markets across the U.S., announced today the launch of the C-Ray Electronic Pill Counter in the retail pharmacy market.
Rhode Island Hospital is one of only four sites across the country to participate in a new clinical trial called the DIGNITY Study. The study will investigate the effectiveness of a chemotherapeutic agent, ThermoDox, used in conjunction with mild hyperthermia (a form of heat therapy) for treating recurrent chest wall breast cancer.
Two genes may contribute to chemotherapy resistance in drugs like 5-fluorouracil, which is used in liver cancer treatment, according to Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers.
The results of a new study of the pen and paper workarounds employed by healthcare providers who use an electronic medical record system may help make electronic medical records even more useful to health-care providers and the patients they serve.
Researchers at Brown University and the University of Arizona have determined that variations of three different genes in the brain (called single-nucleotide polymorphisms) may help predict a person"s tendency to make certain choices.
"Single-Shot" Vaccines May Protect Against H5N1 Influenza Virus
MYCAMINE (micafungin), the newest echinocandin, is now available in thirteen European markets: UK, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Nordic region*, Spain, Germany, Ireland and France following its EU approval in April 2008.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said earlier today, Tuesday, that countries should consider closing schools as a way to slow the spread of
Pharmalucence, Inc., a leading supplier of radiopharmaceutical products, announced that it received approval from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Generic Drugs for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) to manufacture and market its Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc-99m Sestamibi Injection. The FDA has determined that Pharmalucence"s Sestamibi Kit is therapeutically equivalent to Cardiolite® 1, an imaging agent used in evaluating myocardial function and to detect coronary artery disease by localizing myocardial ischemia and infarction. The agent is also for use in breast imaging as a second line diagnostic after mammography to assist in the evaluation of breast lesions.
The east coast states, particularly Queensland and New South Wales, are the first to feel the pressure from the burgeoning medical student "tsunami" and students nationwide will be anxiously looking to these states as an indication of things to come.
New imaging technology provides insight into abnormalities in the brain circuitry of patients with anorexia nervosa (commonly known as anorexia) that may contribute to the puzzling symptoms found in people with the eating disorder. In a review paper published on line in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Walter Kaye, MD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues describe dysfunction in certain neural circuits of the brain which may help explain why people develop anorexia in the first place, and behaviors such as the relentless pursuit of dieting and weight loss.
Dental and tissue engineering researchers at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts have harnessed the pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to generate complex, multilayer tissues that mimic human skin and the oral mucosa (the moist tissue that lines the inside of the mouth). The proof-of-concept study is published online in advance of print in Tissue Engineering Part A.
Secondhand smoke (SHS) is not only a nuisance, but a potential health concern for many college students, and administrators should be taking steps to reduce students" exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Reproductive health experts were "taken aback" by a recent study that found that the withdrawal method is nearly as effective as male condoms in preventing pregnancy, the New York Times reports. The paper -- published in the June issue of the journal Contraception -- found that 4% of couples will become pregnant over a one-year period if they consistently use the withdrawal method, compared with about 2% of couples that consistently use condoms. According to the study"s authors, a more significant finding was that the rate of "typical use" for withdrawal leads to pregnancy 18% of the time, compared with 17% of the time for typical use of condoms. They wrote in the study that "it is unfortunate that some couples do not realize they are substantially reducing their risk of pregnancy when using withdrawal, as these misperceptions may cause unnecessary levels of anxiety. More speculatively, if more people realized that correct and consistent use of withdrawal substantially reduced the risk of pregnancy, they might use it more effectively." Although the authors said the goal of the paper was to encourage discussion, some experts are concerned that spreading a message that withdrawal is effective could lead young people to have unprotected sex, potentially exposing themselves to sexually transmitted infections that can be prevented through condom use, the Times reports. Melissa Gilliam, chief of family planning and contraceptive research at the University of Chicago"s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a board member of the Guttmacher Institute, said the study"s data "don"t necessarily translate to youth today." She added, "In terms of a reliable method used over and over again, the risk of failure is quite high."Rachel Jones, the lead author of the study and a senior research associate at Guttmacher, said that dismissing the withdrawal method as a "legitimate" form of contraception is "counterproductive for the prevention of pregnancy and also discourages academic inquiry into this frequently used and reasonably effective method." She also said that health educators and providers "should discuss withdrawal as a legitimate, if slightly less effective, contraceptive method in the same way they do condoms and diaphragms." She noted that "most women have used withdrawal at some point in their lives."The study"s authors decided to examine the issue after noticing that many researchers and providers "just kind of dismiss withdrawal and don"t seem to realize that it can prevent pregnancy," according to Jones. She added, "Most people seem to be under the impression that you might as well do nothing." Martha Kempner, vice president for information and communications at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, said the results of the study have "made some classroom teachers nervous to give out the truth in this instance, but we do have to tell the truth." She added, "People, kids in particular, they"re using it. It is better than nothing, and it is always available" (Belluck, New York Times, 7/21).
Health companies and their employees gave Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., nearly $1.5 million in 2007 and 2008, just as the Senator was readying the Senate Finance Committee to consider health reform, The Washington Post reports.
Dietitians of Canada (DC) released a report today describing the integral role played by registered dietitians, as members of multi-disciplinary teams that contribute to promoting and supporting health among Canadians. The Role of Registered Dietitians in Primary Health Care: Moving Forward - A National Perspective presents evidence for the cost-effectiveness of nutrition services in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart disease.
Nigeria on Monday signed on to receive a $100 million loan from the World Bank for malaria control activities, Leadership Nigeria reports. The states of Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano and Rivers will receive part of the funding for malaria control activities (Nduwugwe, 7/21).World Bank Country Director for Nigeria Onno Ruhl signed the agreement on behalf of the bank and Nigerian Finance Minister Sarki Muhtar signed on behalf of the federal government. Ruhl said the World Bank is "confident" in Nigeria"s ability to fight malaria, This Day writes. Ruhl pointed out that during President Barack Obama"s recent trip to Ghana, he "commended" Nigeria"s interfaith efforts for fighting malaria.
Five organizations representing the nation"s experts in infectious diseases medicine, infection prevention in healthcare settings, and public health and disease prevention announced their support for a provision requiring national reporting of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates, which is contained within the healthcare reform bill introduced by leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Purdue University researchers have created magnetically responsive gold nanostars that may offer a new approach to biomedical imaging.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has helped many couples conceive healthy children and is generally considered a safe practice. However, a new long-term analysis of PGD in mice suggests that this procedure may increase risks of weight gain and memory decline in adulthood.
Larry Wackett and Michael Sadowsky, members of the University of Minnesota"s BioTechnology Institute, developed an enzyme that is used in Bioo Scientific"s new MaxDiscovery™ Melamine Test kit, which simplifies the detection of melamine contamination in food. Melamine is an industrial chemical that killed six Chinese children and hospitalized 150,000 last year after it was added to milk to increase its apparent protein content. Some children may have life-long chronic kidney problems resulting from melamine exposure.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) highlighted results from a study known as DART (Development of Anti-Retroviral Treatment in Africa), which evaluated the need for routine laboratory monitoring in adults taking antiretroviral therapy in Africa. The DART trial was an open-label, randomized study comparing clinical and laboratory monitoring to clinical monitoring alone for efficacy and toxicity. In this study, 74 percent of patients were on a treatment regimen containing Viread® (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate). At baseline, more than 50 percent of patients had reduced renal function. The results indicated that Viread was well tolerated and that the incidence of renal adverse events was low. DART researchers concluded that renal function test results were similar in both arms of the trial for up to five years, suggesting that routine monitoring of Viread may not be necessary in re-limited settings when using the product as part of a first-line HIV treatment regimen. The results of the study were presented today at the 5th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2009) in Cape Town, South Africa.
W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the most up-to-date design for the GORE VIABAHN® Endoprosthesis for device diameters 9 - 13 mm. The next generation of the large diameter product enables streamlined deployment on the same 0.035" guidewire and TIP to HUB direction as the 5 - 8 mm sizes. Additional modifications to the large diameter GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis include radial device expansion, a contoured proximal edge and a lower profile that is now available for most sizes.
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGM: SPPI) and Allergan, Inc. (NYSE:AGN) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track Designation for the investigation of apaziquone (EOquin®) for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, a form of bladder cancer localized in the surface layers of the bladder that has not spread to the deeper muscle layer. Approximately 70% of all newly diagnosed patients with bladder cancer have non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.1 More than one million patients in the United States and Europe are estimated to be affected by the disease.2
Women who have premature menopause because of medical interventions are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Cancer. The startling link was made by epidemiologists from the Universitç© de Montrç©al, the Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de l"Universitç© de Montrç©al and the INRS - Institut Armand-Frappier.
SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development organization, has announced that SRI"s Center for Cancer Research was selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for a leading role in the newly-formed "Chemical Biology Consortium" (CBC), a collaborative drug discovery partnership focused on advancing new cancer therapeutics active against novel molecular and genetic cancer targets. Based on its track record of cancer drug discovery and development, SRI was chosen to lead three of the CBC"s research and development centers: Comprehensive Chemical Biology Screening, Chemical Diversity, and Specialized Applications.
Purdue University researchers have created magnetically responsive gold nanostars that may offer a new approach to biomedical imaging.
Blindness, heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney failure are not the only complications facing the nation"s estimated 24 million people with diabetes. Although not widely known, those with the disease face up to double the risk of developing Alzheimer"s disease (AD) than non-diabetics, according to an article scheduled for the May 18 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS" weekly newsmagazine.
The nation"s major safety net health plans today announced their endorsement of the health care reform legislation now moving through the U.S. House of Representatives. In a letter to congressional leaders, the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) said the bill "will expand coverage to more Americans, protect the interests of low-income and medically needy people, and preserve vital safety net programs."
The National Neutropenia Network (NNN) and the Severe Chronic Neutropenia International Registry (SCNIR) will host the 9th Annual Neutropenia Family Conference in Ann Arbor, Mich., on July 24-26, at the Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest.
The Diabetes UK Media Relations Team has been shortlisted as one of five finalists for The Third Sector Excellence Awards in the category of Communications Team.
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), announced that its Endeavor drug-eluting stent (DES) is the first and only coronary stent to have received CE (Conformité Européene) Mark approval for treating patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which includes unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction (AMI), commonly known as heart attack.
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced positive results from its first Phase 2 clinical study evaluating the functionality of the handheld device component of its ARX-01 Sufentanil NanoTab(TM) PCA System for management of acute post-operative pain in patients requiring opioid analgesia during hospitalization. Patients reliably self-administered sufentanil NanoTabs repeatedly over the 12-hour study without any ARX-01 System failures or dosing errors of any kind.
Schering-Plough announced that a New Drug Application (NDA) for a fixed-dose combination of mometasone furoate and formoterol fumarate has been filed in the United States and accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Schering-Plough is seeking marketing approval from the FDA of the mometasone furoate/formoterol fumarate combination for the maintenance treatment of asthma in patients 12 years of age and older.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons"(AAOS) Board of Directors approved a new clinical practice guideline for the treatment of pediatric diaphyseal femur fractures. Diaphyseal (the shaft of a long bone) fracture of the femur (the bone in the thigh) is a very common childhood injury.
The United States will start human trials of an experimental vaccine for preventing the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in August; the first
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and our landmark 2007 AICR/WCRF expert report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, have been drawn into a controversy over the link between processed meat and cancer risk.
Your favourite painting could reveal a lot about your personality, this is a conclusion of a study published today, 23rd July 2009 in the British Journal of Psychology, which found that people"s preferences for painting genres is linked to key personality traits.
UK Advocates (UKA), a new charitable campaign group dedicated to helping the still suffering alcoholic achieve lasting sobriety, has welcomed the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Alcohol Misuse report published which calls for urgent action to address serious shortcomings in the treatment of alcohol dependents in England.
Patients with possible appendicitis are typically evaluated using a standard-dose contrast enhanced CT, but a low-dose unenhanced CT that delivers approximately 50% less radiation is just as effective, according to a study performed at the Seoul National University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea. The standard-dose enhanced CT scan delivers approximately 8.0 mSv of radiation; the low-dose unenhanced CT scan delivers approximately 4.2 mSv of radiation.
Insurers sometimes cherry-pick facts to make their case against certain aspects of reform efforts, including a public plan, The Washington Post reports.
Despite increasing danger posed by "al Qaeda-linked militants," U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said Tuesday U.N. aid workers "were not backing away" from the country, Reuters reports. "Intense fighting is making it increasingly difficult to deliver aid in the Horn of Africa country, where U.N. agencies are trying to combat cholera outbreaks and maintain food supplies to 3.5 million hungry people," the news service writes (Nebehay, 7/21).
Rush University Medical Center and surgical robotics company Prosurgics announce the completion of the first colorectal surgeries in the U.S. using the FreeHand® laparoscopic camera controller.
Eleven Baltimore churches on Tuesday provided HIV testing to local residents as part of a larger effort by the JACQUES Initiative, a program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine"s Institute of Human Virology, the Baltimore Sun reports. The JACQUES Initiative launched Project SHALEM in partnership with the Maryland AIDS Administration and several local faith-based and community organizations, according to the Sun. Derek Spencer, the executive director of the JACQUES Initiative, said, "The ultimate goal is to make churches, mosques and synagogues a safe place where people can receive HIV support. We are no longer going to wait for people to come into our academic centers for help." He said organizers hoped to test 1,000 people, noting that at one of the testing sites, within the first hour, four people tested positive with the rapid oral swab tests. Angela Wakhweya, deputy director of the Maryland AIDS Administration, said the goal of the project is to eliminate new HIV cases in the state (Bass, 7/22).
Miltenyi Biotec announces the worldwide and exclusive release of Myelin Removal Beads. Myelin is a specialized membrane which ensheathes and insulates axons in the peripheral and central nervous system. During preparation of single-cell suspensions, myelin membrane fragments represent the major contaminant. "When dissociating adult neural tissue, usually less than 5 percent of the cell suspension consists of cells. The rest corresponds to cell debris", explains Dr. Rebecca Biloune, Product Manager for Neural Research Products at Miltenyi Biotec. "Removal of myelin leads to higher purity and recovery of target cells."
Fecal incontinence (FI) is a normal part of aging, or the perception that no treatment is available. Doctors may fail to comprehend patient hints about diarrhea and FI or may be reluctant to ask about fecal leakage, perhaps because of their own embarrassment or the perception that FI is a trivial concern.
Bracing for an outbreak of 2009 H1N1 (swine-origin) flu that a Saint Louis University infectious diseases expert estimates could sicken one in five people this fall, scientists at eight Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are launching a series of clinical trials this summer to test vaccines to protect against the illness.
Chicago high school students interested in science and health care will get a chance to learn about diagnostic tests and the laboratory professionals who perform them during the American Association for Clinical Chemistry"s 2009 Clinical Lab Expo on July 21 and 22.
The American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) has released its position regarding HB 3200, the health care reform bill proposed by the Obama administration. While ACAM believes healthcare reform is vital and necessary for America, it is our position that integrative medicine principles be included to yield the desired result of creating a more efficient, wellness-centered approach to healthcare.
Over the last four years, heart specialists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center have implanted an innovative aortic heart valve replacement using a catheter-based approach that does not require open-heart surgery in a total of 100 patients -- the most of any U.S. medical center to date.
The term Cnidophobia may be uncommon but what it describes is not. Cnidophobia is the fear of insect stings. Although a "phobia" may seem to be an overreaction to what some consider nuisance pests, homeowners must recognize the health threats associated with stinging insects. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) reports more than half million people are sent to the emergency room every year due to stinging insects, which is why these summer pests must be addressed efficiently and effectively.
CytoDyn, Inc. (Pink Sheets:CYDY) has completed safety testing of its current inventory of Cytolin®, the Company"s immune-system modulator for managing HIV disease and the public health crisis afflicting communities where the infection is spreading due to unprotected sex and the other risk factors for AIDS. Tests for specific adventitious agents and other quality parameters following purification were performed by the manufacturing facility, Vista Biologicals Corporation of Carlsbad, California. The other safety tests, including in vivo general safety using two animal species, were performed by WuXi AppTec, a fully integrated pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical-device company with facilities in St. Paul, Minnesota. WuXi AppTec provides R&D services to the biotechnology industry. Since the product is intended for use in a clinical trial, the tests conducted were those required for each new batch of a biologic agent manufactured for use in human research. The Company believes that the test results satisfy the current safety standards for the manufacturing of drugs belonging to the class of biologics. The results are summarized in the table below.
Music, rather than electromechanical valves, can drive experimental samples through a lab-on-a-chip in a new system developed at the University of Michigan. This development could significantly simplify the process of conducting experiments in microfluidic devices.
Foot & Ankle Specialist (FAS), published by SAGE, has been accepted for inclusion in MEDLINE, the premier bibliographic database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), containing more than 16 million journal article citations.
Psychopharmaceutical use has risen over recent years. This is fact, but what is not clear is the reason why. Researchers from four Madrid-based health centres have shown that family conflict is not a significant factor. However, the results published in the journal AtenciÃön Primaria are striking: in Spain, 24% of women take antidepressants and more than 30% take tranquillisers.
In a new study published today in the July issue of the journal Cell Host & Microbe, UC Davis researchers report that both amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer"s patients and structures made by some gut bacteria likely elicit the same response by human immune cells.
The UK will play a leading role in coordinated European action to tackle dementia from.
Dr Sam Cartwright-Hatton from the University of Manchester has won this year"s May Davidson Award. The award is made each year by the British Psychological Society"s Division of Clinical Psychology to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of clinical psychology within the first 10 years of their career.
Bioheart, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BHRT) a company committed to delivering intelligent devices and biologics that help monitor, diagnose and treat heart failure and cardiovascular diseases announced today acceptance of MARVEL-1 data for presentation at the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Meeting September 13-16th, 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts.
A small study published in this week"s Veterinary Record reports that veterinarians do not receive adequate training in order to deal with the growing "customer care" expectations of dog-owners.
Almost everyone who lives a long life will develop cataracts at some point. As more Americans live into their 70s and beyond, we all need to know a few cataract basics: risks and symptoms, tips that may delay onset, and how to decide when it is time for surgery, so good vision can be restored.
Employers around the country are split on supporting or opposing health reform "reducing the force of an opposition push," just as business lobbying heats up in the fight, The Washington Post reports.
A new study finds more seniors are covered by a Medicare drug plan and report greater savings, but gaps in coverage and other problems still persist.
Congress is starting to tackle long-term care through a measure for a national long-term insurance program, according to the New York Times The New Old Age blog.
"You hear the pitch in drug ads all the time: "Ask your doctor if this medication is right for you,"" reports MSNBC. However, evidence to show whether a treatment is appropriate for a given patient is often scarce. Matching therapies to patients is further complicated by vast difference in how people respond to medicines. However, a national push for so-called comparative effectiveness research could make that job easier. The economic stimulus package includes $1 billion to support the research.
Take A Look At The Swiss Answer To Health Care Roll Call
Police detectives searched the offices of one of Michael Jackson"s doctors for evidence of manslaughter on Wednesday, according to various US
Researchers appear to have a new way to fix a broken heart. They have devised a method to coax heart muscle cells into reentering the cell cycle, allowing the differentiated adult cells to divide and regenerate healthy heart tissue after a heart attack, according to studies in mice and rats reported in the July 24th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication. The key ingredient is a growth factor known as neuregulin1 (NRG1 for short), and the researchers suggest that the factor might one day be used to treat failing human hearts.
BioOut is a strategic partner for several of the world"s leading vaccine manufacturers. As such, BioOut is currently working with partners on projects to develop vaccines against Pandemic Influenza (Swine Flu and Avian Flu).
Expectant mothers who are obese are much more likely to suffer from minor complications such as heart burn and chest infections during pregnancy, a study suggests.
Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) announced that its investigational agent SAPHRIS(R) (asenapine) met the primary endpoint over one year of treatment in an extension study in patients with predominant, persistent negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Good vision can be directly correlated with a child"s learning ability. As much as 80% of the learning a child does occurs through his eyes and approximately 1 in 4 school-age children have some type of vision impairment.
Bayer HealthCare AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that their first cooperative group-sponsored randomized Phase II trial in advanced metastatic breast cancer met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival. The study evaluated Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets in combination with the oral chemotherapeutic, capecitabine, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic HER-2 negative breast cancer. Study findings demonstrated that the median progression-free survival was extended in patients treated with Nexavar and capecitabine compared to patients receiving capecitabine and placebo. These results were statistically significant (p-value = 0.0006). In this trial, the safety and tolerability of the combination was as expected and did not show any new or unexpected toxicities. A complete data analysis from this study is expected to be presented at an upcoming scientific meeting.
The biotechnology medicine Ilaris® (canakinumab) has passed another major milestone with a recommendation for approval in the European Union to treat patients with a life-long and potentially fatal auto-inflammatory disease called cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS). When approved, Ilaris will be the only treatment in the EU indicated for CAPS patients aged four years and older[1].
Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced that following the review of the available evidence on Lantus® (insulin glargine [rDNA] injection), the European Medicines Agency"s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) confirmed the product"s safety and concluded that changes to the prescribing advice are not necessary. The EMEA issued a press-release stating that they have re-confirmed their initial assessment, based on an
Sleep apnea has long been known to be associated with obesity. But a new study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care finds that the disorder is widely undiagnosed among obese individuals with type 2 diabetes - nearly 87 percent of participants reported symptoms, but were never diagnosed.
Type 1 diabetes is the most common chronic childhood disease. The management of this serious medical condition includes regular fingerstick glucose measurements, multiple daily injections of insulin, and frequent insulin dose adjustments. Because children spend a great deal of their time in school, school nurses often supervise medical decisions and diabetes care. Some researchers believe that the use of telecommunication technology may make diabetes care easier for some children. A new study soon to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics explores the effectiveness of telemedicine in helping school nurses and children manage diabetes care.
Two leaflets from Britain"s National Health Service have provoked controversy over government messages on sexuality among teenagers and the elderly, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, the leaflet for teens, titled "Pleasure," says that daily sex "keeps the doctor away." It also states, "Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and [vegetables] a day and 30 minutes physical activity three times a week." It suggests that some form of sexual activity "twice a week" could have health benefits as well. The leaflet was issued by NHS in Sheffield, England, and is available to parents, youth workers and teachers nationwide. The leaflet for the elderly says that it is "never too late to experiment" sexually and offers information on dating services and contraception. The leaflet is available online, and 2,000 copies have been distributed to doctors" offices, health centers and libraries.Britain has the highest teen pregnancy rate in Western Europe, and the government has prioritized prevention-related policy measures by spending millions of dollars on awareness and contraception campaigns, the Post reports. The country also plans to make sex education mandatory in all public schools starting in 2010.After the teen leaflet appeared, "dismayed parents lit up message boards," and some educators argued that it "encouraged promiscuity," the Post reports. However, others said the leaflets are a welcome departure from traditional forms of sex education that focus on biology and disease prevention, rather than personal relationships. Hilary Pannack, CEO of the teen pregnancy not-for-profit Straight Talking, said that talking with teens about sexual pleasure "should be done with extreme caution" but that, in general, the leaflet is a "big turnaround for Britain." She added, "British people are very, very embarrassed talking to kids about sex."Steve Slack, the director of NHS" Center for HIV and Sexual Health in Sheffield and a co-author of the leaflet, said one of the objectives was to encourage teens to delay intercourse until they are ready and feel that they will enjoy it. He added that some of the leaflet"s ideas were inspired by the Netherlands, a country that is frequently referenced in British sex education debates because of its liberal attitudes toward discussing sex and its low teen pregnancy rates (Adam, Washington Post, 7/23).
Insurers are testing a concept called "medical home" that uses electronic records and coordinates care, and could transform the delivery of health care. Advocates say such medical homes could save consumers time and money and insurers back the idea. Meanwhile, skeptics say financial savings still need to be proven and incentives need to put into the system to encourage such care.
"Three years into its experiment with near-universal health care, Massachusetts has some "dos and don"ts" for the nation as it grapples with the best way to cover tens of millions of uninsured Americans," the Associated Press reports. "Do require that virtually everyone have health insurance, the overriding goal in Massachusetts. Don"t ignore rising costs, the single greatest threat to the law"s long-term affordability."
Delay Vacation, Not Health-Care Reform The Des Moines Register
The U.N. Development Program (UNDP) will help fund a three-year program in response to the increase in HIV/AIDS cases in the Philippines, the Manila Bulletin reports. The program aims to help the country combat the spread of the disease and reach the related U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. "The program has five components that aim to develop intervention packages, especially among vulnerable and at-risk groups in rural areas," writes the Manila Bulletin (Sabater, 7/23).
Bell"s palsy is either weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face due to malfunction of the facial nerve. It usually starts suddenly - somebody can wake up in the morning and find that one side of the face does not move. Sometimes one eyelid may be affected, meaning that the patient is unable to blink properly from one eye.
The British Psychological Society has welcomed the publication, of New Horizons, the government"s new plan for the development of mental health services.
Kristen Parker, a former Rose Medical Center surgery "scrub" technician, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver, announced David Gaouette, Acting U.S. Attorney, Stephen Holt, Special Agent in Charge of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office, and Jeffrey Sweetin, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Denver Division. Parker, age 26, of Elizabeth, Colorado, was named in a 42 count indictment charging product tampering and obtaining controlled substances by deceit. She remains in federal custody, being held without bond pending a resolution of her case.
Researchers are hoping that cells from pigs from a remote group of islands 300 miles from New Zealand could lead to a new treatment for Type 1 diabetes.
Writers of a new report found "limited or suggestive evidence" that exposure to Agent Orange and other chemicals used in the Vietnam War is
Roofing companies in Greater Manchester are being urged to make safety one of their top priorities after a man fell through the roof of a Swinton factory.
With just $399 and a bit of saliva in a cup, consumers can learn about their genetic risk for diseases from breast cancer to Alzheimer"s. Now, thanks to social networking sites set up by personal genomics companies, they can also share that information with family, friends and even strangers on the Internet.
Staff working in UK veterinary practices lack access to good occupational health advice warns a new study published in the scientific journal, Occupational Medicine. The research, the first published benchmark of occupational health risk management by vet practices in the UK, showed that despite veterinary surgeons and nurses being exposed to many occupational hazards less than a third of practices had trained staff in health and safety and only 14% sought advice from occupational health professionals.
In an article published in the June issue of The Physician and Sportsmedicine entitled "Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport - The Third International Conference on Concussion in Sport Held in Zurich, November 2008," new information and guidelines on the definition and treatment of concussions in athletes are presented. This is a revised and updated statement of the recommendations developed following the 1st (Vienna) and 2nd (Prague) International Symposia on Concussion in Sport. By developing core questions on how to treat concussions and best "return-to-play" recommendations, the conference members worked to improve the current recommendations as well as aiming to make this information readily available to health care professionals.
Using ultrasound imaging, UQ physiotherapist Dr Julie Hides is helping a world-champion cyclist ride her bike pain free.
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will next week publish a short report on UK preparedness and pandemic influenza.
A shocking 1 in 10 people say they have had unprotected sex because they were too embarrassed to buy condoms from a pharmacy.
Tranzyme Pharma announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for the Company"s oral gastrointestinal (GI) prokinetic drug candidate TZP-102, for the treatment of gastroparesis in diabetic patients. According to the FDA, gastroparesis is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus that affects approximately 30-60% of diabetic patients.
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley"s Office has reached an agreement with pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly & Co. ("Lilly"), resolving allegations that the company engaged in the improper marketing of its atypical antipsychotic drug, Zyprexa. Under the terms of the settlement, Lilly has paid $22,499,433.04 to the Massachusetts Medicaid Program, which provides funds for health care products and services to eligible low-income individuals, including people with disabilities, children and elder citizens.
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and BioMS Medical Corp. (TSX: MS) announced that dirucotide did not meet the primary endpoint of delaying disease progression, as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), during the two-year MAESTRO-01 Phase III trial in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). In addition, there were no statistically significant differences between dirucotide and placebo on the secondary endpoints of the study.
KP is a genetic skin condition that affects 40 percent of the world"s population, often resulting in patches of dry skin, and little red bumps, on the arms and legs. KP is most prevalent in the teenage years but may continue throughout adulthood. There is no cure for Keratosis Pilaris.(1, 2)
Striking differences in the risk factors for developing heart failure (HF) and patient prognosis exist between men and women. Men and women may also respond differently to treatment, raising concerns about whether current practices provide the best care and reinforcing the urgency for sex-specific clinical trials for HF, according to a review article published in the August 4, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
"Health care groups working feverishly to shape -- or kill -- an industry-wide reform bill are lavishing campaign cash on the politicians at the center of the debate," The Salt Lake (Utah) Tribune reports. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Max Baucus, both major health reform players on the Senate Finance Committee, are among those benefiting form the uptick in contributions. One lobbyist for the watchdog group Public Citizen said, "A person can reach no other conclusion than this is quid pro quo activity" (Canham, 7/27).
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) - long at the forefront of quality initiatives - is taking a leading role in health care reform. In partnership with patients, lawmakers and payers, the ACC is setting a new standard for health care delivery, one that centers on increasing the quality of care and ensuring greater patient access and value.
Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who receive an additional 20 or 40mg tadalafil to their first-line bosentan therapy demonstrated a trend towards a positive 23m improvement during the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) test, a measure of symptom severity and functioning, according to the PHIRST study data [1] presented at the 2009 American Thoracic Society (ATS) conference today.
Men with early stages of prostate cancer who delay radical treatment in favor of an approach of "expectant management" do not have high levels of anxiety and distress. That is the conclusion of a new study published in the September 1, 2009 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study"s results suggest that living with untreated cancer is not upsetting for many patients with early prostate cancer.
Dr Gedis Grudzinskas the UK-based fertility expert issued the following statement in response to the statement by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority:
Health Minister Edwina Hart announced the allocation of ÷£4million Assembly Government funding for hospices and palliative care services across Wales.
Not satisfied with simply thwarting its host"s defensive maneuvers, HIV actually twists one to its advantage, based on new findings from Kyei et al. in the July 27, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology. Vojo Deretic and colleagues suggest that autophagy - a stress response process - helps HIV to proliferate and that conversely, blocking autophagy lessens HIV production.
Biotronics3D has worked with The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) to develop and launch new software to significantly improve the accuracy of MRI scan analysis. Called 3D Net Perfusion, the system extracts data from images of tumours and transforms it into usable information.
AVI BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVII), a developer of RNA-based drugs, and Action Duchenne, a leading UK charity dedicated to increasing awareness, engendering action and raising funds to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), today announced a collaboration to support the acceleration of research and development for AVI"s exon skipping candidate drugs for the treatment of DMD.
It is known that Retroviruses, such as HIV, that are already within cells
For the 29,000 patients in the United States with metastatic colorectal cancer, chemotherapy with irinotecan is a standard treatment that has been shown to improve survival. But for more than one in 10 of these patients, a variation in their DNA means that this treatment could result in a severe reduction in their white blood cell count, leading to a high risk of bacterial infection and possible subsequent death. A new genetic test can identify those with the variation in order to lower the treatment dose - however, it has been unclear whether the testing is worthwhile.
Ovarian cancer kills approximately 15,000 women in the United States every
Health care experts at the University of California, San Francisco highlight in a new report the hidden risks and complexities that compromise patient safety for ambulatory patients with chronic disease.
Patients and physicians "need to know not just whether a new drug outperforms a placebo, but whether it"s a real advance on what"s already on the market," Richard Friedman, a professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, writes in a New York Times opinion piece. According to Friedman, "Doctors and patients alike are inundated by drug company marketing." Friedman states he has seen "scores of patients" who are "eager to get the latest antidepressant or mood stabilizer that promised them tranquility on their TV screens." He continues that these new treatments are not necessarily better than older, proven treatments. Comparative effectiveness research would allow "head-to-head trials comparing new and standard treatments," which is why the practice has "provoked strong resistance from the makers of drugs and devices who fear that their fancy new products may not be any better than current ones," according to Friedman. He concludes, "I"d opt for an old drug with a known track record of efficacy and safety over an expensive newcomer with no added benefit -- any day of the week" (Friedman, New York Times, 5/19).
Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. reported that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for its Abbreviated New Drug Application ("ANDA") for cetirizine hydrochloride tablets (OTC), 5 mg and 10 mg ("Cetirizine Tablets"). The product will be marketed by Taro"s U.S. affiliate, Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.