Sexual Health
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) announced that it has submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its human monoclonal antibody drug ABthrax(TM) (raxibacumab) for the treatment of inhalation anthrax.
Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) announced the start of patient enrollment in the ORION clinical trial, which is designed to evaluate the Company"s EPIC(TM) Self-Expanding Nitinol Stent System for the treatment of iliac artery disease, a form of peripheral artery disease that impacts a patient"s lower extremities. The first U.S. patient was enrolled on May 14 by Nicolas W. Shammas, M.D., at Trinity Terrace Park Hospital in Bettendorf, Iowa.
Dialysis takes hours of kidney disease patients" time several days a week, so why not do it at night while sleeping? Overnight dialysis is more convenient for some patients and offers significant benefits over shorter daytime treatments, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that overnight dialysis is a viable alternative for patients with irreversible kidney disease, particularly in dialysis clinics where there are constraints on time and res.
A simple genetic test can determine a kidney transplant patient"s tolerance for a potent anti-rejection medication, according to an upcoming study in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The test could allow doctors to individualize each patient"s dose, optimizing the drug"s benefits and minimizing its side effects.
In studying the preventive effects of vitamin D, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, have proposed a new model of cancer development that hinges on a loss of cancer cells" ability to stick together. The model, dubbed DINOMIT, differs substantially from the current model of cancer development, which suggests genetic mutations as the earliest driving forces behind cancer.
A new study finds that nearly one in four African American women with late stage breast cancer refused chemotherapy and radiation therapy, potentially life saving therapies. Published in the July 1, 2009 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates that more efforts are needed to ensure that all women with breast cancer receive appropriate care.
The Washington Times recently published an opinion piece and an editorial discussing President Obama"s nomination of Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen to head the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department. Summaries appear below. ~ Mickey Edwards/William Sessions, Washington Times: The Senate should "act expeditiously to approve" Johnsen"s nomination because "her views on the limits of presidential power are precisely what the Constitution envisions and conservatives have long championed," Edwards, vice president of the Aspen Institute and author of "Reclaiming Conservatism," and Sessions, a partner at the law firm Holland & Knight, write in a Times opinion piece. According to the authors, Johnsen "made her views clear" on the limits of presidential power when she joined a bipartisan group of lawyers that declared that the Office of Legal Counsel should promote "presidential adherence to the rule of law." Edwards and Sessions write that Johnsen is being criticized for "being blunt, unserious and critical of presidential policies." However, these attacks are unwarranted, they write, noting that in the legal profession, "a little blunt talk to a client -- in this case, the president of the United States -- might be required." Edwards and Sessions continue, "What is needed in the Office of Legal Counsel is a person with the constitutional understanding to know that even presidents with whose politics she agrees must obey both the Constitution and federal statutes and who has the gumption to say so, even if the advice won"t be well received" (Edwards/Sessions, Washington Times, 5/21).~ Washington Times: The editorial states that Johnsen "is so radical" that 31 Republican Indiana state senators on Monday sent a letter to Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) asking them to oppose her confirmation. The Republican senators called Johnsen"s views supporting abortion rights "extremely radical" and said she often uses "harsh, sensationalizing rhetoric" in her writings on Supreme Court cases, the editorial states. According to the editorial, Johnsen"s "political advocacy shows a profound disregard for the courts" proper role" because she considers the courts "as making up just another political, policymaking branch of government, not as bodies restrained by the Constitution or existing laws." The editorial continues that Johnsen is "guilty" of "asking judges to impose their own policy preferences" in favor of abortion rights "against the dictates of existing constitutional law." The editorial concludes, "Someone with such contemptuous views of the Constitution should not be the Obama administration"s chief constitutional interpreter" (Washington Times, 5/21).
The Senate Finance Committee met Wednesday to discuss potential funding mechanisms for health reform legislation but indicated that no concrete decisions had been reached, The Hill reports. The meeting was the third of three scheduled to "walk through" various aspects of health reform. Previous talks focused on the care delivery system and coverage. Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has said that he hopes for a bill to be approved for full Senate consideration by the end of July. He said of the talks so far, "We"ve got a lot of work ahead of us," adding, "Soon we have a mark up, soon we have a bill, and that realization is forcing us to make decisions." He also said, "Nothing"s pushed off the table. We"re looking at it all." Funding mechanisms discussed Wednesday included taxes on sugary and alcoholic beverages, as well as a limit on the tax-exempt status of employer-provided health insurance (Young, The Hill, 5/20). One proposal would raise the federal alcohol excise tax by 145% for beer, 233% for wine and 20% for hard liquor (Hurt, New York Post, 5/21). The committee also mulled a three-cent tax per 12-ounce container of sugary drinks, which would raise an estimated $50 billion over 10 years (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Houston Chronicle, 5/21). Baucus said he supports placing a cap on the employer coverage tax exemption based on income or the cost of premiums, or both. Congress estimates that about $194.2 billion in revenue is passed up each year by forgoing taxes on the insurance plans. The committee also discussed decreasing Medicare spending on home care, durable medical equipment, medical imaging and prescription drugs, as well as addressing regional disparities in health care costs (The Hill, 5/20). Members also brought up the possibility of charging higher-income seniors higher premiums for the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Wayne, CQ Today, 5/20). Members also discussed introducing new standards for not-for-profit hospitals that would require them to provide more no-cost care and serve more low-income patients in order to keep their tax-exempt status. In addition, they discussed cutting special Medicare payments to teaching hospitals, as well as requiring drugmakers to give larger discounts to state Medicaid programs (Pear, New York Times, 5/21).Baucus noted "convergence" on some issues, such as the need to include complete funding in a reform package, as well as the need to establish insurance exchanges that would facilitate the purchase of public or private insurance (The Hill, 5/20). Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said, "There was a greater understanding of the issues we have," but there are "a lot of members who still want some more understanding." Grassley also said, "There"s just a lot of questions; there are -- I wouldn"t say misunderstandings, but there"s got to be a lot of understanding about what you"re talking about" (CQ Today, 5/20). Chances of Bipartisan Bill
"The Experts vs. The Public on Health Reform," Kaiser Family Foundation: In the column, Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman explores the "wide gulf on basic beliefs about what is behind the problems in the health care system and key elements of reform, especially delivery reform" between the public and experts. According to Altman, the differences "matter because key elements of health reform which elected officials expect to resonate with the public could get a decidedly less enthusiastic reception than expected if more is not done to close the gap in basic premises and beliefs between experts and the public." The column is the latest installment of a Foundation series, titled "Pulling It Together ... from Drew Altman" (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 5/19).
Scientists have discovered that cells use a very simple phase transition -- similar to water vapor condensing into dew -- to assemble and localize subcellular structures that are involved in formation of the embryo.
Bovie Medical Corporation (the "Company") (NYSE-AMEX Symbol: BVX), a manufacturer and marketer of electrosurgical products, announced a 510K submission to the FDA seeking pre-market clearance for a laparoscopic SEER device for solid organ resection. The laparoscopic SEER is a line extension of the Saline Enhance Electrosurgical Resection (SEER) device that Bovie launched earlier this year and will address the growing market of minimally invasive liver resection.
In a few weeks, Delaware Valley Institute of Fertility & Genetics (DVIF&G) will celebrate our first successful birth as a result of our SEEDS® program.
Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRBN) announced the acceptance of three data presentations on its proprietary product candidate, TRU-016, that will be given at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting May 29 through June 2 in Orlando, Fla. The presentations will include positive data from a Phase 1 clinical trial of TRU-016 for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a preclinical study demonstrating the additive or synergistic effects of TRU-016 in combination with other therapeutic drugs for the treatment of non-Hodgkin"s lymphoma (NHL), and a preclinical study evaluating the effect of TRU-016 on direct apoptosis in CLL cells.
New advice to help people with respiratory problems cope in a heatwave is published by the Department of Health.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved Samsca (tolvaptan), in tablet form, for the treatment of hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is when levels of sodium in the blood are abnormally low - it is associated with dehydration.
According to the Health Protection Agency (HPA), UK, there were five new confirmed cases of swine flu (H1N1), bringing the total to 117. The HPA"s laboratories carry out all testing of swine flu virus. The five new cases include two adults from London, two adults from South East England, and a child from the West Midlands. Two of them returned from a country where swine flu exists, while another is linked to a previously confirmed case in England - the s of the other two are still being investigated, the HPA reported. Nobody in the UK has died from swine flu.
Results of a phase I clinical trial of a novel herb-based therapeutic called Zyflamend have demonstrated that the therapy is associated with minimal toxicity and no serious adverse events in men at high-risk for developing prostate cancer.
The Senate on Thursday voted 86-3 to approve a $91.3 billion fiscal year 2009 supplemental war appropriations bill (HR 2346) that includes $1.5 billion for influenza pandemic preparedness, the AP/Detroit Free Press reports (Taylor, AP/Detroit Free Press, 5/21). The House already has approved a $96.7 billion version of the measure (H Res 434) (Sanchez, CongressDaily, 5/22). A conference committee to reconcile the two bills will not meet until after lawmakers return from the Memorial Day recess (Stanton/Dennis, Roll Call, 5/21). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said, "There are very few things that need to be worked out in conference" before the measure is passed (CongressDaily, 5/22).
In just two weeks from the time the first patient virus samples were made available, Singapore scientists report an evolutionary analysis of a critical protein produced by the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus strain.
The latest special issue of Science in China Series C: Life Sciences focuses on the recent progress in the H5N1-related research field.
Today Macmillan Cancer Support has released shocking new statistics from its survey to launch its Sex and Cancer campaign that aims to break the silence surrounding the impact cancer has on sexual relationships. The surprising and funny viral featuring sex guru, Sabina Pleasure, is a way to get people talking about this really difficult issue. It accompanies the Sex and Cancer campaign which encourages people to talk about the impact of cancer on their sexual relationships.
Women who are at risk for heart disease and who are also experiencing menopause symptoms now have an added re - a highly specialized clinic in the Division of Cardiology at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute. The Advanced Preventive Women"s Clinic at the Women"s Heart Center recently opened and is offering comprehensive cardiac risk assessments designed specifically for women who are in menopause. The clinic also offers menopausal patients state-of-the-art screenings, as well as personalized medicine therapies and counseling, including high-risk hormone counseling.
Data presented at this year"s American Thoracic Society (ATS) congress, demonstrated that SYMBICORT® (budesonide/formoterol-TURBUHALER®, a dry powder inhaler) added to SpirivaTM (tiotropium) provided greater clinical improvements than tiotropium alone over a 12-week treatment period.1,2
Researchers are zeroing in on the genetic abnormalities predisposing to vesicoureteric reflux (VUR), one of the most common causes of urinary tract infections and kidney failure in children, reports a study in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). "In this study, we accomplished a very critical step towards the identification of the VUR gene," says Ali G. Gharavi, MD (Columbia University, New York).
Almirall announces today that the file for a regulatory submission for Sativex® for the treatment of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis has been submitted in UK and Spain under the European decentralised procedure. The UK regulatory authority, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), is acting as Reference Member State and has validated the application.
First year pharmacy students from Brighton University have completed the NPA "University" Interact course. Students, who received 93% or over on the Interact course, were awarded with certificates at a prize ceremony on Monday 18 May.
Only slightly more than half of the 18 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes had their blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure under optimum control in 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Cancer Research UK scientists have tamed a virus so that it attacks and destroys cancer cells but does not harm healthy cells, according to a paper published in PLoS Pathogens*.
People with diabetes who were prescribed the cholesterol-lowering drug fenofibrate reduced their risk of minor amputations by 36 per cent, according to new research.
The GMC is proposing to extend the types of cases that can be concluded by "consensual disposal" instead of being referred to a full fitness to practise hearing.
There are many ways to deal with the pain of giving birth, but women and their obstetricians can always benefit from having another choice. A Cochrane review has concluded that women in labor should have the option of using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) a non-drug method of pain management.
A full third of American adults, 69 million men and women over age 40, are up to 12 times more likely to have a serious fall because they have some form of inner-ear dysfunction that throws them off balance and makes them dizzy, according to Johns Hopkins experts.
Since 2000, nearly 1,000 "retail clinics" -- offering routine care like sports physicals and immunizations and treatment for minor illnesses like strep throat -- have opened their doors inside pharmacies and grocery stores across the United States. Retail chain operators proposed that the new clinics would improve access to medical care among uninsured or underserved populations. However, these clinics have been opened more often in higher-income areas that are less likely to be classified as medically underserved, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine published in the May 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
UroToday.com - In the online edition of the British Journal of Cancer, Dr. J. Nilsson and an international team of investigators report on a new biomarker methodology for prostate cancer (CaP). The authors explain that prostatic secretions contain two types of microvesicles; prostasomes (150-500nm) are produced by prostatic ductal epithelial cells that are a normal component of seminal fluid and participate in male fertility and exosomes which are specialized nanovesicles (30-100nm) with cup-shaped morphology and are actively secreted by normal and tumor cells.
UroToday.com - You pass what you eat! If you eat wisely, passage shouldn"t be painful. This may be especially true for stone formers. To be sure, high fluid intake resulting in a urine output of > 2 liters per day is key; however, what is eaten also plays a role. In this study among 56 hyperoxaluric patients on a low oxalate diet, the institution of a low salt (4-5 grams/day), low animal protein (approximately 20 grams per day vs. a norm of 50 grams per day), and normal calcium diet over a 3 month period, resulted in a statistically significant drop in 24 hour urine calcium (364 to 263 mg/d) and oxalate (50 to 35 mg/d).
An advance in solving the mysterious machine-workers" disease
Dr Hamish Meldrum, Chairman of BMA Council, has written to the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, to request that he intervenes to ensure that the UK does not lose further doctors as a result of recent changes to the immigration system. The changes restrict international medical students, who are studying in the UK, from continuing with their medical training beyond the two-year postgraduate Foundation Programme.
Health Canada is advising expectant mothers and breastfeeding women not to take the vitamin-mineral supplements Maxum Matragen or Maxum Multi-Vite by Seroyal International Inc. Maxum Multi-Vite has been approved as a vitamin-mineral supplement for only the general public but lacks the required cautionary statement on the label regarding pregnant and/or breast feeding women. The product Maxum Matragen is being promoted by the company as a prenatal supplement; however, neither product has been authorized for sale by Health Canada for use by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
A heart muscle protein can replace its missing skeletal muscle counterpart to give mice with myopathy a long and active life, show Nowak et al. The findings were published online on May 25, 2009 (http://www.jcb.org) and will appear in the June 1, 2009 print issue of the Journal of Cell Biology.
According to a new position statement from the National Athletic Trainers" Association (NATA), proper management of acute spinal injuries on the athletic playing field is crucial, given that sports participation constitutes the second most common cause of spinal cord injuries for Americans age 30 and younger. Sports medicine providers and others on the sidelines need to be familiar with the appropriate acute-management guidelines for athletes with cervical-spine injuries. Published in this month"s Journal of Athletic Training, NATA"s scientific publication, the position statement provides detailed guidelines for the immediate treatment and transport of athletes who are injured on the playing field.
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) says two country doctors" skills last Friday-in saving
American climber Lori Schneider of the US State of Wisconsin has become what is believed to be the first person with diagnosed multiple sclerosis to get to the top of Mt Everest. Lori Schneider, aged 52, reached the top of the world in the early hours of Saturday morning London time, carrying with her a banner celebrating the upcoming World MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Day on Wednesday 27 May (http://www.worldmsday.org). The banner reads: "Join the Global Movement. End MS!" (Note to picture editors: photo will be available as soon as Lori Schneider descends).
Scientists at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology uncover how an important cancer gene, BRCA1, works by increasing the accuracy with which broken DNA is repaired. Women who inherit a faulty version of the BRCA1 gene are at a higher risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.
Researchers long ago rejected the theory that vaccines cause autism, yet
A proposal by a team of UC Davis scientists to develop the world"s first electron microscope capable of filming live biological processes has been awarded a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Patients living with migraine have strong reason for new optimism concerning a positive future. Two review articles and an accompanying editorial, "The Future of Migraine: Beyond Just Another Pill," in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, are the basis for an ironic premise.
Restricting carbohydrates, regardless of weight loss, appears to slow the growth of prostate tumors, according to an animal study being published this week by researchers in the Duke Prostate Center.
Two-thirds of American teenagers have sex by the time they"re 18. A new longitudinal study finds that when adolescents engage in risky sexual activity, fathers respond by increasing their efforts to supervise and monitor their children.
MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAPP) announced that the efficacy portion of its first Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its novel LEVADEX(TM) orally inhaled migraine therapy met all four primary endpoints. Additional endpoints showed that LEVADEX provided rapid and sustained pain relief for up to 48 hours after dosing.
United Therapeutics Corporation (Nasdaq: UTHR) announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ADCIRCA(TM) (tadalafil) tablets for oral administration, with a recommended dose of 40 mg, as the first once-daily phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). ADCIRCA is indicated to improve exercise ability in WHO Group I PAH patients, which encompasses patients with multiple forms of PAH including etiologies such as idiopathic and familial PAH as well as PAH associated with scleroderma and congenital heart disease.
A new study demonstrates why parents need to know how their teenage girls present themselves online.
The American Association for Homecare supports expanded anti-fraud efforts announced today by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) designed to curb fraud and abuse in Medicare. The two agencies outlined plans for expanding anti-fraud strike forces to Houston and Detroit and creating a new Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team.
Young children learn how to speak and understand language from the words parents speak at home and teachers speak in preschool. A new longitudinal study has found that their preschool classmates also play a part.
Today sees the European launch of the first topical calcineurin inhibitor to be approved for the maintenance treatment of eczema to prevent flares and prolong flare-free intervals. PROTOPIC ointment (tacrolimus monohydrate) is already licensed to treat moderate and severe eczema (atopic dermatitis), often involving the treatment of flares as and when they occur.* It is now also approved for twice-weekly application to previously affected skin to prevent these exacerbations and prolong flare-free periods in PROTOPIC-responsive patients.ò€ Clinical studies have shown that this new approach brings significant benefits with over 40% of patients with moderate to severe eczema remaining flare-free for at least a year.1 Flares are known to place an enormous burden on patients. The International Study of Life with Atopic Eczema (ISOLATE) found that about 55% of these patients worried about the onset of their next exacerbation and that they spent on average over a third of the year (136 days) with their eczema in flare.2
Eastman Kodak Company announced that St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has installed an electronic document management system (EDMS), using C-Cube software from OITUK and Kodak i660 and i780 scanners, to radically change the way health records are distributed around its various outpatient facilities in Merseyside.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced results of a European survey that found a child"s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms at school were a key concern for parents, yet outside of school their child"s ADHD also had significant impact on parents" personal time.1 The survey also revealed key findings surrounding parents" role in assessment and treatment for their child.1 Additionally, the survey suggested that informational needs may not be met adequately for these children with ADHD and their families.1 Conducted in partnership with ADHD advocacy groups in four EU countries, the survey analysed parental impressions surrounding the impact of ADHD on their child, themselves and their family, as well as their child"s ADHD treatment plan.
President Obama this morning announced Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals as his nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter, the New York Times" "The Caucus" reports. Sotomayor, if confirmed, would be the first Hispanic to serve on the court and, with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, bring the number of female justices currently on the court to two. White House officials said the president made his decision over the Memorial Day weekend after narrowing his list of candidates to four. s close to the selection process said the other candidates included Federal Appeals Judge Diane Wood, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Solicitor General Elena Kagan (Zeleny, "The Caucus," New York Times, 5/26). According to the Washington Post, Obama has set a deadline of having Sotomayor confirmed before the Senate"s five-week recess that begins Aug. 7 (Shear et al., Washington Post, 5/26). Sotomayor, a graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, joined the federal district court in 1992 after being nominated by former President George H.W. Bush. Former President Clinton nominated her to the appeals court in 1997, and she was confirmed in 1998 (Baker/Zeleny, New York Times, 5/26). The Post reports that many analysts considered Sotomayor a likely pick to replace Souter, who announced his retirement earlier this month (Washington Post, 5/26). According to the Times, Sotomayor"s past statements that her ethnicity and gender are important factors in serving as a judge "could generate debate" during the nomination process. In a 2002 lecture, Sotomayor said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn"t lived that life" (New York Times, 5/26). Both liberal and conservative advocates were quick to release statements on the selection after the announcement this morning. Doug Kendall, president of the liberal Constitution Accountability Center, said, "We already know that she is a brilliant lawyer who is committed to ruling based on the Constitution and the law, not on her own personal political views." Wendy Long, counsel to the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network, said in an e-mail to reporters that Sotomayor "is a liberal judicial activist of the first order who thinks her own personal political agenda is more important than the law as written. She thinks that judges should dictate policy, and that one"s sex, race and ethnicity ought to affect the decisions one renders from the bench" (Washington Post, 5/26). According to Politico, of the nominees Obama was considering, Sotomayor was the one that Republicans indicated "they would complain most loudly about." However, the Democratic control of the Senate makes it unlikely that Republicans could block her confirmation, Politico reports (Allen/Martin, Politico, 5/26). Over the weekend, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that senators from both parties "reserve the right to not only oppose a nomination, but also prevent the vote on a nomination" (Wilson, The Hill, 5/25). Kyl also said that although the GOP likely does not have enough votes for a filibuster, he would attempt to delay the nomination if Obama chose someone outside what he considers the mainstream. He said, "We will distinguish between a liberal judge on one side and one who doesn"t decide cases on the merits but, rather, on the basis of his or her preconceived ideas" (Washington Times, 5/25). Obama Discusses Nomination in C-SPAN InterviewIn an interview on Friday with C-SPAN, Obama said he would like to choose a Supreme Court justice who has "a little bit of a common touch" and a "practical sense of how the world works," the Post reports. Obama added that he "continue[s] to believe" that "empathy" is an important quality in a justice, despite Republican criticism that his emphasis on the quality means that he seeks a judge with an "activist" agenda, the Post reports
Specialty clinics that provide family planning services in Texas have seen a significant decrease in state funding over the past four years because lawmakers have redirected millions of dollars to expand family planning at community health centers, the Dallas Morning News reports. The funding changes began in 2005, when lawmakers said they were shifting funding to community health centers because they offered more comprehensive health care to low-income patients. Advocates for the family planning clinics argue that the policy is an attempt by antiabortion-rights advocates to shut the clinics down. Although clinics that receive state funding are prohibited from offering abortion services, some conservative lawmakers believe that limiting the funding will hurt groups like Planned Parenthood, which offers abortion services at other locations, according to some family planning advocates. The Morning News reports that state lawmakers might return some of the funding to the specialty clinics during the current legislative session; however, the funding only would equal any money left unused by the community health centers.The most significant funding change occurred in 2005, when almost 25% of the state"s $45 million annual family planning budget was set aside for "federally qualified health centers" -- community health centers that offer services to uninsured and underserved people. Advocates for family planning clinics say that the number of patients receiving state-funded reproductive services declined by nearly 22%, from 326,000 patients in 2005 to 255,000 in the last fiscal year. They also note that the community health centers have an unused surplus of more than $11.5 million since 2005, which they say the family planning clinics could have used.According to the Morning News, many public health experts believe that specialty clinics that have family planning services offer more efficient and effective reproductive care than community health centers. David Warner, a health care finance and policy expert at the University of Texas Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, said the specialty clinics are "very targeted" and "don"t have a lot of overhead," whereas the community clinics have "limited enrollment and can be a lot less accessible." He added, "Continuing to starve those clinics means that you"re not going to be reaching the number of people you could be reaching with family planning services." Family planning clinics in Texas offer more than a dozen services ranging from birth control prescriptions to breast and cervical cancer screening and sexually transmitted infection testing. However, reproductive health advocates say many people often associate the clinics with abortion services, which gives antiabortion-rights lawmakers an incentive to shut down the clinics by withholding funding. Fran Hagerty, CEO of the Women"s Health and Family Planning Association of Texas, said, "Some lawmakers believe if they can prevent Planned Parenthood from participating in the state"s family planning program, then they"ve accomplished their goal."Supporters of community health centers say that billing issues and other administrative problems have distorted their data on how many reproductive health patients they are treating. Many women receive care at the community centers for family planning services along with treatment of other health problems, so they often are not recorded as reproductive health patients, according to the centers (Ramshaw, Dallas Morning News, 5/22).
Preliminary results from a double-blind, randomised, multicentre trial among 660 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) show that budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort®: AstraZeneca) plus tiotropium (Spiriva™: Boehringer Ingelheim Limited) significantly improves disease control and patients" quality of life.1,2
Research from the National Osteoporosis Society has revealed that almost half (49%)* of young people do not know that there are steps they can take to keep their bones healthy. This knowledge gap puts them at risk of osteoporosis and fractures in later life.
Synosia Therapeutics announced today that it has started a Phase I clinical trial of SYN-120, its new generation 5-HT6 antagonist under development for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer"s and schizophrenia. The study will assess the safety and tolerability of single ascending doses of SYN-120 in healthy volunteers.
CHICAGO, May 26, 2009 - New data show that nab-paclitaxel (AbraxaneR for Injectable Suspension) prolongs investigator-assessed, median progression-free survival (PFS) by almost seven months versus the highest standard dose of docetaxel in women with metastatic breast cancer.
Providing girls in rural Africa with a deworming drug could help reduce the spread of HIV, according to a study recently published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the New York Times reports. The drug, called praziquantel, costs about 32 cents per pediatric dose and prevents schistosomiasis, a worm disease that starts as a urinary tract infection. If untreated, schistosomiasis can lead to female genital sores that can facilitate HIV infection. Because the drug can kill the worms but cannot cure genital sores, girls should be protected before they reach sexual maturity, according to the Times. "For this relatively small investment, the reproductive health of young women would be improved," the authors from the Sabin Vaccine Institute, Imperial College London and Oslo University wrote, adding that "there is a reasonable chance that HIV/AIDS transmission can be reduced." There are about 207 million schistosomiasis cases worldwide, 90% of which occur in Africa, where humans are exposed usually through snail-infested water. According to a pilot program conducted in Burkina Faso, all 70 million cases among young children in Africa could be treated for $22 million, and repeating universal treatment every two years for 10 years would cost $112 million (McNeil, New York Times, 5/26).
John P. Cogswell, PhD, has been chosen as the recipient of the 2009 Alzheimer Award presented by the Journal of Alzheimer"s Disease in recognition of his outstanding work, "Identification of miRNA changes in Alzheimer"s disease brain and CSF yields putative biomarkers and insights into disease pathways" (J Alzheimers Dis 14: 27-41, 2008) by J.P. Cogswell et al.
Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: SGYP.OB SGY PNews), a developer of new drugs to treat gastrointestinal disorders and diseases, announced today that clinical data from the Phase I healthy volunteer study of SP-304, a new member of a class of investigational drugs for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC), will be presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) annual meeting to be held in Chicago, IL from May 30 through June 4, 2009.
High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) carries a high predictive value for future diagnosis of prostate cancer. Research published in the open access journal BMC Urology has shown that 41.8% of patients whose extended core biopsy led to an initial diagnosis of HGPIN were subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today announced publication of data showing that following a vaccine- induced immune response, adjuvant interleukin-7 (IL-7) improves anti-tumor responses and survival in an animal model. The study was conducted by an international team of researchers at the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
Researchers have discovered a novel molecular path that predisposes patients to develop primary biliary cirrhosis, a disease that mainly affects women and slowly destroys their livers. Primary biliary cirrhosis has no known cause.
An editorial published on bmj.com reports that better legal protection, support from regulatory groups and most importantly, a change in culture are required to promote whistleblowing in order to defend patients and clinicians.
Kristen L. Billiar, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to work at the National University of Ireland Galway on research and education related to tissue engineering. Billiar, who will be in Ireland for the 2009-10 academic year, is the 14th member of the current WPI faculty to be awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant.
President Obama on Tuesday in his official announcement of his nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court emphasized what he called her "extraordinary journey" from a modest background to the top of the judiciary, launching a "confirmation battle that he hopes to wage over biography more than ideology," the New York Times reports. If confirmed, Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the court, as well as the sixth of the court"s current members with a Roman Catholic background, the Times reports (Baker/Zeleny, New York Times, 5/27). Sotomayor would replace retiring Justice David Souter, who typically is a liberal vote on social issues, the Wall Street Journal reports. Therefore, the addition of Sotomayor would not likely change the ideological balance of the court (Bravin/Koppel, Wall Street Journal, 5/27). The Washington Post reports Obama in his remarks cast Sotomayor "as the embodiment of the qualities he seeks in a judge," including superior intelligence, an understanding of the limited role of the judiciary and what he called "an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live" (Barnes/Fletcher, Washington Post, 5/27). The president said he wants Sotomayor to be confirmed before the Senate leaves in August for its summer recess, so she can join the court in time for its September review of potential cases. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the Senate has "ample time" to complete the confirmation process, as the average time span is 72 days and there are 74 until the recess (Koffler, Roll Call, 5/26). Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) praised Obama"s decision, calling Sotomayor"s record "exemplary" and her nomination "historic." Leahy noted that both former President George H.W. Bush and former President Clinton nominated Sotomayor to federal judgeships, adding, "She has been nominated by both Democratic and Republican presidents, and she was twice confirmed by the Senate with strong, bipartisan support" (Stanton, Roll Call, 5/26).Rulings on Abortion Rights Throughout her career as a federal judge, Sotomayor has not issued what are considered major decisions regarding abortion rights, although her record on cases involving civil and social rights issues appear "more liberal than not," according to the New York Times (Liptak, New York Times, 5/27). Politico reports that Sotomayor has ruled in favor of antiabortion-rights groups in two cases. The first case occurred in 2002 when she sided with the Bush administration in its efforts to implement the "global gag rule," which banned federal funding for international family planning groups that offer abortion services or information with their own funds. Sotomayor ruled that the government had the right to decide how to spend its funding. In 2004, Sotomayor ruled in favor of antiabortion-rights protesters who alleged that they were brutalized while being arrested in West Hartford, Conn. (Gerstein/Javers, Politico, 5/26). Gibbs said that Obama did not ask Sotomayor about issues related to abortion during her vetting and there was "no litmus test" on abortion-rights issues (Koffler, Roll Call, 5/26).Obama"s announcement was well-received by many groups that support abortion rights. NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan said the group is anticipating more information about Sotomayor"s views on abortion rights and the right to privacy. She added that the group is "encouraged by the strong support she receives from her peers and other legal scholars and the fact that the Senate has twice confirmed her for federal judgeships" (Posner, Congress Daily, 5/26). Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization of Women, said that Sotomayor "brings a lifelong commitment to equality, justice and opportunity, as well as the respect of her peers, unassailable integrity and a keen intellect informed by experience." Gandy added that Obama "said he wanted a justice with "towering intellect" and a "common to
The New York Times on Sunday examined maternal mortality in Tanzania, in the opening of a three-part series on maternal mortality in Africa. According to the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, the country has a maternal death rate of 578 per 100,000 births, though the World Health Organization puts the count at 950 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. Roughly 13,000 Tanzanian women die of pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes annually, giving it "neither the best nor the worst record in Africa," the Times reports. Tanzania is one of the world"s poorest countries and faces shortages in several areas -- including health workers, drugs, equipment and infrastructure -- that contribute to maternal mortality.The Times profiled obstetrical care at a rural hospital in Berega, Tanzania, that typifies efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Africa. Facing a shortage of doctors and nurses, the hospital has been training "assistant medical officers" to perform caesarean sections and other procedures. Meanwhile, the government also is attempting to train more assistants and midwives, build more clinics and nursing schools, offer housing to attract health workers to rural areas and provide places for pregnant women to stay closer to hospitals.According to the Times, many women who die in childbirth are young and healthy, and most maternal deaths are preventable with basic obstetrical care. The five leading causes of maternal death are bleeding, infection, high blood pressure, prolonged labor and complications resulting from abortions, the Times reports. In discussing maternal mortality, experts often refer to what are known as "the three delays": a woman"s delay in going to the hospital, the time spent traveling there and the hospital"s delay in starting treatment upon the woman"s arrival. Although only around 15% of births have dangerous complications, the problems are almost impossible to predict, and seemingly normal labors can quickly progress into serious emergencies. Worldwide, more than 536,000 women die annually from pregnancy or childbirth, according to WHO (Grady, New York Times, 5/24).
The Des Moines Register on Friday profiled Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, which marks its 75th anniversary this year. Established in 1934 as the Iowa Maternal Health League, PPGI now includes 17 clinics offering a range of reproductive health services, as well as an education and re center. The organization originally was founded by four women with a mission of providing birth control for low-income married women. Over the years, it frequently "has been on the forefront of advances in reproductive history," according to the Register. For example, in the early 1960s, PPGI became the first provider in the Midwest to offer the oral contraceptive Ortho-Novum, leading to a more than 350% increase in its number of patients.Although antiabortion-rights advocates often discuss Planned Parenthood in relation to abortion services, the vast majority of its services are not abortion-related. Jill June, president and CEO of PPGI, said that although the organization"s services have greatly expanded since its founding, the "needs people have for the services we provide and the challenges we face in meeting those needs haven"t changed." She added, "People still face unintended pregnancies despite great technological advances in birth control and efforts to make contraception more available and to normalize contraception use" (Challender, Des Moines Register, 5/22).
People who no longer have health insurance because of a job loss, voluntary retirement or other reasons have begun obtaining health coverage through the "little-known" option of group coverage, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the Journal, the option is especially beneficial for people with pre-existing conditions to whom some insurers deny coverage. Federal law requires group policies to cover pre-existing conditions provided a person has not been uninsured for more than 63 days.To qualify for group coverage, an individual, a couple or a small group of people must provide evidence of ownership of an actual business, which could include freelance, contract or consulting work. Industry experts note that rules vary between states. In addition, group coverage could cost more than individual coverage, according to the Journal. The Journal reports that insurance companies might add extra fees for smaller groups. The smallest groups, sometimes of two or three people, can face surcharges of about 30% more than what larger groups pay, according to insurance broker Rick Martin.According to the Journal, it is unclear how many business owners currently are eligible for group coverage. Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicate that about one-third of the four million uninsured U.S. residents between ages 55 and 64 are self-employed, the Journal reports (Greene, Wall Street Journal, 5/27).
Nearly 1,200 community health centers nationwide have received a boost of funding from the federal economic stimulus package, which is helping some of the facilities that were on the verge of closing remain open and continue treating low-income and uninsured patients, PBS" "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" reports. More people are seeking care at such facilities as they lose their jobs and employer-sponsored health insurance as a result of the economic recession. At the same time, funding for the centers has dropped because of cutbacks in state and local funding and lower not-for-profit donations and grants. The stimulus package provides a total of $20 billion for clinics to maintain and increase services. "NewsHour" profiles community health centers in Lorain, Ohio, which likely would have closed without the additional funds from the economic stimulus package (Bowser, "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," PBS, 5/26).
A recent estimate from the World Health Organization says that the number of HIV cases in the Solomon Islands could reach at least 350 by 2010, the Solomon Star News reports. The Star News reports that 12 new HIV cases were confirmed in 2008, although the actual number of new cases could be higher because of unreported cases. Of the 12 cases reported in 2008, eight were among women and four were among men, according to a health report.In addition, sexually transmitted infections, particularly syphilis and chlamydia, are prevalent among pregnant women in the country and overall condom use is low, indicating that people could be at a high risk for HIV, according to the report. The most at-risk populations include mobile workers, commercial sex workers, students and men who have sex with men. Twelve facilities in the country currently offer HIV tests, and a relatively low number of tests are conducted, according to the Star News. The Ministry of Health has partnered with various groups and agencies to address HIV/AIDS in the country, the Star News reports (Carter, Solomon Star News, 5/26).
As H1N1 (swine) flu continues to spread, it"s clear that the worldwide outbreak of this new virus remains a rigorous test for science and public health. Regardless of whether the outbreak reaches pandemic levels, H1N1 has much to teach us about the evolving nature of such viruses and how to better prepare for future global outbreaks.
Timothy J. Bartness, Regents" Professor of Biology at Georgia State University, has received a multi-million dollar award from the National Institutes of Health to further research into the biological mechanisms of obesity.
Effective 1 July 2009, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish nine new Collaborative Research Centres. This decision has just been made by the responsible Grants Committee of the DFG at its spring session in Bonn. The new centres will initially be funded for four years with a total of 73.6 million euros. In addition to this, the DFG will also provide 20 percent overhead funding for each centre for indirect costs incurred by the research projects.
ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc. (IVT), a Canadian vaccine development
New UK research confirms the groundbreaking cancer drug abiraterone provides significant benefit for up to two-thirds of men with advanced and aggressive prostate cancer, according to a study published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
New guidelines designed to standardize and optimize the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC), an uncommon and challenging form of thyroid cancer, have been developed by the American Thyroid Association and published online ahead of print in Thyroid, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The guidelines are available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/thy.
For thousands of years ginger has been treasured for its reputed health benefits, in particular for treating digestive problems including nausea.
A generation of DNA-like compounds, class R inhibitory oligonucleotides (INH-ODNs), have been shown to effectively inhibit cells responsible for the chronic autoimmune condition lupus. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of the INH-ODNs in both in vitro and mouse experiments.
"Maximising Health Gain Through Community Pharmacy" is the title of two jointly badged publications from pharmacy organisations CCA, NPA, RPSGB, PSNC and AIMp. The documents, which were produced in collaboration with the NHS Alliance, were launched to the NHS this week, as part of a strategy to promote the role of pharmacists to commissioners, managers, general practitioners and others in primary care. The documents also seek to influence the commissioning of pharmacy services by PCTs under World Class Commissioning and the integration of pharmacy into Practice Based Commissioning (PBC).
The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday will meet to discuss the inclusion of a public insurance plan in its health care reform legislation, the Des Moines Register reports (Beaumont, Des Moines Register, 5/14). Supporters of the public plan say it would allow middle-income workers a choice between their employer coverage and coverage offered by the government. The insurance industry and Republican lawmakers oppose such a plan.The Finance Committee will consider a plan similar to Medicare but that would feature slightly higher reimbursement rates for providers. The plan would either be operated by the government or government-contracted private firms. Another option would allow each state to develop and oversee its own public coverage plan. The committee also will consider a proposal from Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) that would allow a new public plan to compete with private insurers by requiring that the public plan be financed by premiums rather than tax dollars, that it follow the same solvency rules that apply to private firms and that it keep a reserve fund to cover liabilities. Schumer"s plan also would allow doctors and hospitals the choice of participating. The public plan also would be required to follow the same consumer protection rules as private firms (Alonso-Zaldivar/Werner, AP/Contra Costa Times, 5/14). The panel also is expected to discuss employer or individual mandates (Edney, CongressDaily, 5/14).Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who has said he believes a public plan would eventually eliminate private insurance and force U.S. residents out of their employer-sponsored plans, said the committee meeting will reveal the likelihood of Republicans uniting against a public option. "We will have an idea how controversial it is and how strong people feel about it on both sides," Grassley said. He added, "I think before I would write it off completely, I would want to look at what those possible compromises are" (Des Moines Register, 5/14). House Energy and Commerce Committee
Celleron Therapeutics Ltd, the Oxford UK based specialist in the development of individually targeted cancer medicines, has secured exclusive rights to AstraZeneca plc"s lead histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor (AZD 9468), for global development in conjunction with its proprietary "CancerNav" predictive biomarker platform. "CancerNav" specifically identifies those tumours which are most likely to respond to an individual cancer drug, thereby enabling a highly focussed clinical development and commercialisation programme, based on a closely linked diagnostic and therapeutic "personalised medicine" approach.
PerkinElmer, Inc., a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment, announced the introduction of four new products leveraging the Company"s innovative infrared sensing (IR) and photon detection technologies. Aimed at a range of OEM applications including energy conservation, enhanced home security, and clinical diagnostics applications, the new products will be showcased at the 16th annual Sensor + Test Fair taking place this week in NÃørnberg, Germany.
Agendia, a world leader in molecular cancer diagnostics,
A new instrument for improving patient understanding and acceptance of long-acting injectable antipsychotic therapy (LAT) has been published in the April edition of Psychiatry 2009.1 This novel, psychosocial approach encompasses Goal setting, Action planning, Initiating treatment, and Nurturing motivation (GAIN) through the use of a clinical discussion tool.
Fast and secure access to patient files whilst on the move will be just one of the benefits IGEL Technology will be demonstrating using thin clients at Smart Healthcare Live in Earls Court, London, from June 9-10. Using IGEL Universal Desktops with integrated smartcard devices, healthcare professionals can securely log-in to any IGEL device and access patient records in under 10 seconds.
Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust has "gone-live" with Horizon Enterprise Visibility; a visual control system designed specifically for hospitals, from healthcare IT solutions and services specialists, McKesson. Via real-time access to patient information, Walsall will be using Horizon Enterprise Visibility to improve re efficiency and bed utilisation to reduce costs and improve the quality of patient care.
MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAPP) announced that the efficacy portion of its first Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its novel LEVADEX™ orally inhaled migraine therapy met all four primary endpoints. Additional endpoints showed that LEVADEX provided rapid and sustained pain relief for up to 48 hours after dosing.