Medical Devices
Efforts by Massachusetts General Hospital to reduce health spending could be indicative of the difficulty the health industry faces in trying to reduce spending growth, the Boston Globe reports. Industry groups last week pledged to seek a 1.5% overall reduction in health care spending over the next 10 years.Massachusetts General"s program, which began in 2006, aims to reduce hospitalizations among the elderly by 15% to 20%, as well as to improve the quality of care the elderly receive. A study looking at 35 efforts to improve elderly care found that only six, including Massachusetts General"s program, saved money or covered their costs, the Globe reports. Massachusetts General"s program relies on nurses in primary care practices to be in regular contact with patients and provide assistance with nonmedical services. The program also uses electronic health records to coordinate care. The hospital spent $8 million to $9 million over the first three years of the program to provide enhanced services to patients. Hospital readmissions fell by 19%, admissions decreased by 17% and ED visits dropped by 15% between 2007 and 2008, according to preliminary research. The program saved enough by reducing hospital admissions and emergency department visits to cover its costs and also to generate savings of $7 million to $10 million. The overall cost for the program was about 5% less than for a group of other patients treated in a more traditional way.According to Harvard University health care economist David Cutler, improving care and reducing costs among the elderly is a necessary component of health reform. He said, "If we can"t do this, it doesn"t bode well for health reform." Eric Weil, a primary care physician and medical director of the program at Massachusetts General, said, "Medicare is looking for any and every way to save money," adding, "This is a population of patients who are sick and will get sicker over time. Any opportunity to demonstrate savings in this group of patients is good, and 5% is very good" (Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, 5/17).
A possible government rethink into the "flawed and expensive" private financing of NHS hospitals has been welcomed by Unite, the largest union in the country.
Some Senators "struggled" Wednesday with the possibility that the health reform overhaul could derail America"s tradition of employer insurance plans, The New York Times reports.
The recession is taking a toll on the hospital industry as "cash-strapped patients are skipping visits and under-compensated cases are increasing," Forbes reports. "As a result, a pattern of cost-cutting has emerged as hospitals have tried not to sacrifice quality, access and safety." In addition, "There has also been the elimination of entire departments as well as often subsidized services like mental health. Such cuts, which can translate into longer wait times, less up-to-date technology and fewer services, are bound to affect patients."
The shortage in primary care doctors is causing older doctors to stay on the job while young ones opt for specialties.
Fifty-three people were indicted in a major Medicare fraud crackdown in Detroit yesterday, just one day after eight were charged in a similar case in Miami.
A Lifeline For Primary Care The New England Journal of Medicine
Polk County, Fla., health officials have made educating the black community a top priority in addressing HIV/AIDS in the state, where blacks are disproportionately affected by the virus, the Lakeland Ledger reports. The Polk County Health Department has expanded its community outreach and testing efforts to different types of settings such as beauty salons, community centers and churches. County outreach workers hope that offering education and screening in such settings will encourage residents to get informed and tested for HIV (Williams Adams [1], Lakeland Ledger, 6/24). In addition, the Ledger examined the complex issues the black community faces with regard to HIV/AIDS and the barriers that need be addressed to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on minorities (Williams Adams, Lakeland Ledger, 6/25). The Ledger also profiled Bonnie Munson, a local resident who performs volunteer outreach efforts in her community, including distributing condoms and informational material to other residents (Williams Adams [2], Lakeland Ledger, 6/24).
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published final guidance on the use of lenalidomide for multiple myeloma in people who have received at least one prior therapy.
President Barack Obama"s signature on a bill this week to grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority over tobacco was historic, and represents a step in the march to eliminate tobacco use in this country by 2047, two national tobacco experts said recently (June 25).
In an article published in the June 25th edition of the journal Neuron, researchers at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, have found that synaptic plasticity, long implicated as a device for "change" in the brain, may also be essential for stability.
Using a "neurologger" specially designed to record the brain activity of pigeons in flight, researchers reporting online on June 25th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, have gained new insight into what goes through the birds" minds as they fly over familiar terrain. The study is the first to simultaneously record electrical brain activity integrated with large-scale navigational movements of free-flying birds, according to the researchers.
In primates including ourselves, the ability to register where others are looking is key in social circles. And, according to a new report published online on June 25th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, the way our brains process gaze-direction is much more sophisticated than a simple eyes-right versus eyes-left.
St. Joseph"s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix has partnered with Castle Biosciences, Inc. to provide the nation"s first genomics-based test for patients suffering from glioblastoma multiforme, the most deadly form of primary brain cancer. This new test is used to help doctors and patients consider various treatment options.
The Riley Safety Store at Riley Hospital for Children, the first of its kind in the nation, serves as a model for children"s hospitals across the nation. Recently expanded, the Riley Safety Store provides space to showcase safety products for children and families, as well as offer different "zones" that simulate home settings and provide families with the opportunity to practice installation and use of child safety products prior to purchase.
AcademyHealth and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have awarded ten scholarships to graduate students who demonstrate outstanding potential to contribute to the field of public health systems research (PHSR).
The new 4th generation rapid HIV diagnostic test - Determine® HIV 1/2 Ag/Ab Combo - from Inverness Medical is capable of detecting HIV infection several days earlier than HIV antibody only tests and is ideal to help diagnose and screen for early HIV infection. The ability of this test to enhance the diagnosis of those with acute HIV infection will provide additional benefits in HIV prevention programs and ultimately contribute to a reduction in the spread of HIV. Inverness Medical will be showcasing the new Determine Combo test at the International AIDS Society Conference 2009 in Capetown, South Africa, 19-22 July on stand #203.
Understanding the molecular signals that guide early cells in the embryo to develop into different organs provides insight into ways that tissues regenerate and how stem cells can be used for new therapies. With regenerated cells, researchers hope to one day fill the acute shortage in pancreatic and liver tissue available for transplantation in cases of type I diabetes and acute liver failure.
According to the CDC"s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention"s) Friday evening weekly update, 27th June 2009, there have been 27,717 laboratory confirmed human cases including 127 deaths of Swine Flu or A(H1N1) influenza. Fortunately, so far the Swine Flu A(H1N1) virus appears to be no more virulent than ordinary seasonal human influenza. No reports have come in indicating that the virus may have mutated.
Women who have depression symptoms prior to becoming pregnant are at an increased risk for having preterm births, with the risk twice as high for black women as for white women, according to a study in the Journal of Women"s Health, Reuters reports. For the study, Amelia Gavin of the University of Washington and colleagues examined the links between race, preterm birth and pre-pregnancy depressive mood among 555 women. The study used data collected from 1990-1996 as part of a larger, long-term investigation of heart disease risk.Researchers determined that 18.1% of the 249 black women in the study gave birth prior to 37 weeks" gestation, compared with 8.5% of the 306 white women in the study. The study also found that 9.4% of black women had pre-pregnancy symptoms of depressive mood, compared with 7.2% of white women. After researchers accounted for other factors associated with preterm birth, such as body weight and sociodemographic characteristics, black women"s risk remained more than twice that of white women.Gavin said, "The black-white disparity in preterm birth may be in part a consequence of different exposures to depressive mood prior to pregnancy." She said, "Reproductive outcomes must be viewed in light of women"s health over the entire life-course, as well as during pregnancy," adding that the study"s results suggest that "the experience of cumulative health disadvantages or "weathering"" might play a role in increased risk for preterm birth (Hendry, Reuters, 6/25).
The Wall Street Journal reports that drug companies are increasingly using medical science liaisons: "Pharmaceutical companies are barred by the Food and Drug Administration from promoting unapproved drug uses, called off-label use, but they are using employees called "medical science liaisons," who are often physicians and pharmacists, as a legal way to discuss those uses. Medical science liaisons, who are considered medical rather than sales staff, have greater freedom than salespeople as they visit doctors offices to discuss the science behind a medicine, including unapproved uses." It notes: "The FDA requires traditional sales reps to refer information requests to their employers" medical or scientific staff, MSLs are usually on those staffs."
In malaria-endemic areas, vitamin A supplements - which cost about 2 U.S. cents each - can help reduce infections in children by one-third, according to a study published in the Malaria Journal, IRIN reports. The study analyzed results from previous studies conducted in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Papua New Guinea since 1995. It found that vitamin A supplements decreased malaria cases by one-third in Papua New Guinea and Burkina Faso.
"It"s getting harder to convince people of the urgency, that knowing your HIV status is better than not knowing, that this is still a serious problem," columnist Wendi Thomas writes in the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She writes that some people "assume being HIV positive is no big deal" because former National Basketball Association player Earvin "Magic" Johnson has lived with HIV since 1991 and appears to be healthy. "But if you are HIV positive and delay finding out, the virus could progress" to a point where it becomes "much more difficult to treat," Thomas adds (Thomas, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 6/25). Philadelphia Inquirer columnist George Curry today discussed HIV statistics and findings from a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey that looked at U.S. residents" views on HIV/AIDS. He said, "It"s time to refocus our attention on HIV and AIDS. And a good way to do that is by getting tested tomorrow" on National HIV Testing Day (Curry, Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/26).
A clinical trial of masitinib, a drug in development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, has shown it to be well tolerated and effective. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access journal Arthritis Research and Therapy have shown that treatment with masitinib significantly reduced the severity of active arthritis.
Gonorrhea (from Late Latin gonorrhoia where gonos means "seed" and rhoe means "flow") is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection that tends to attack the mucous membranes of the body. It is the second most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S.; the first being Chlamydia. The bacteria reside in the warm and moist body cavities of both men and women and are highly contagious. Gonorrhea is the most common cause of female infertility and is also known as "the clap" or "the drip". Only a fraction of women infected with the disease show any symptoms, leaving them unaware of their condition. If left untreated, gonorrhea patients can develop pelvic inflammatory disease or PID (women), or an inflammation of the epididymis, prostate gland, or urethral structure (men), all of which are far more difficult to treat.
AIDS Vaccine Day, May 18, marks the occasion in 1997 when U.S. President Bill Clinton challenged researchers to come up with an AIDS vaccine within the following decade, stating that such a vaccine was the only way to eliminate the threat of AIDS. Twelve years later, the goal of an effective HIV vaccine remains unfulfilled, but the need for one remains urgent. AIDS is the number four killer in the world and number one in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite education and prevention campaigns, every day 7,500 people become infected with HIV. Antiretroviral drugs can prolong the lives of those who are infected, but they are not cures, and because of their cost and logistical difficulties, they reach only a minority of those who need them. And for every two individuals who go on antiretroviral treatment, five become HIV infected. As with any major viral pandemic, a vaccine remains the best hope of ending, and not just mitigating, AIDS.
Janssen®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDAs) for the use of RISPERDAL® CONSTA® (risperidone) Long-Acting Treatment as both monotherapy and adjunctive therapy to lithium or valproate in the maintenance treatment of Bipolar I Disorder.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency, has adopted a positive opinion on the company"s Marketing Authorisation Application for aztreonam lysine 75 mg powder and solvent for nebuliser solution (aztreonam lysine) for the suppressive therapy of chronic pulmonary infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) aged 18 years and older. The opinion is for conditional approval, contingent on the successful completion of an ongoing study.
GI Dynamics, a leader in non-surgical treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity, today announced results from a pilot clinical study which demonstrated the substantially enhanced weight loss effects of combining the company"s EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner with a new EndoBarrier Flow Restrictor. The EndoBarrier Flow Restrictor provides an adjustable restriction at the outlet of the stomach and is designed to delay gastric emptying, an additional mechanism which adds to the therapeutic effects of the liner. The results were presented today at the 26th annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
Doctors will have greater clarity around releasing a patient"s full medical notes to insurance companies after the Privacy Commissioner concluded that the law allows insurers to collect only the information that they need to make insurance decisions.
A series of articles in the July/August 2009 issue of The Journal of Midwifery & Women"s Health (JMWH) focuses on midwives" participation in the education of medical students and residents. This issue includes the results of a new national survey by Edie McConaughey, CNM, MS and Elisabeth Howard, CNM, PhD, which found that the number of midwives involved in medical education in the United States has tripled in the past 10 years. More recently, the growth of this model has accelerated secondary to the mandated decrease in resident work hours.
Preregistration trainees and tutors in England, Scotland and Wales will be asked to take part in
Advance in detecting melamine-adulterated food
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) called for urgent assessment and responses from regulatory authorities into a possible link between the use of insulin glargine (an insulin analogue) and increased risk of cancer based on findings published on 26 June, 2009 in Diabetelogia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).
The expression and activity of Cystathionase is reduced in rodent models of liver injury, leading to hyper-homocysteinemia and impaired generation of hydrogen sulphide, two factors that contribute to endothelial dysfunction and increased intrahepatic resistance.
Frances E. Likis, DrPH, NP, CNM, of Nashville, TN, received the 2009 Kitty Ernst Award, one of the most prestigious honors awarded by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), during ACNM"s 54th Annual Meeting & Exposition in Seattle, WA.
UNISON and UNITE are calling on North Somerset Council to put a stop to plans to privatise transport services, warning that outsourcing could put vulnerable young children at risk.
Deterioration of renal function with CNI therapy has been widely reported in liver transplant recipients. Microproteinuria has been used to monitor the early changes of nephropathy in renal disease or cardiovascular events. However, whether microproteinuria could be used as an early and sensitive indicator to monitor CNI-related nephrotoxicity in liver transplant recipients has not been unequivocally addressed.
On June 26, 2009 several articles published online in Diabetologia by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes investigated the possible relationship between use of insulin glargine (Lantus, sanofi-aventis) and the development of certain malignancies. The authors themselves, and the accompanying editorial, cautioned against over-interpretation of their limited data and analyses, which precluded them from drawing any firm conclusions. For example, there were contradictory findings among the studies, patient populations were not always comparable, and the duration of observation was short. Nonetheless, since the relationship of type 2 diabetes to cancer is of critical importance, further study is warranted.
Preventative Treatment Against Malaria May be Less Effective in Malnourished Children
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM)-the flagship publication of SNM-has been ranked the top medical imaging journal worldwide, according to new data released in the 2008 Journal Citation Reports(c) published by Thomson Reuters. The top ranking recognizes JNM"s exceptional quality and increasing influence as an academic and professional re.
Roll Call reports that "several major industry stakeholders" will be "noticeably absent from the advertising airwaves over the July Fourth recess. Though they will continue to keep in touch with Members through meetings and grass roots, AARP, the American Medical Association, America"s Health Insurance Plans, the Federation of American Hospitals and AdvaMed all say they are sitting out this recess when it comes to advertising campaigns." Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and White House aides have "warned that any groups that run ads attacking reform efforts before the bills have been crafted would lose their seats at the bargaining table," but the "advocacy ad floodgates" may "open shortly." Until then, "groups are working in a lower-profile way to get their messages across to Members," such as planning in-district meetings with Members and activating grassroots networks.
Swedish researchers have discovered that babies born by Caesarean section
Americans with serious illnesses who must often choose between paying a mortgage or their health premiums and deductibles are often going broke, The Seattle Times reports.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday, June 29, that it had found E. coli O157:H7 in a sample of prepackaged Nestlç© Toll
NPR reports on a way to reduce national health care costs: "Getting doctors and hospitals in the parts of the country that spend the most on medical care now to bring that spending more in line with that of lower-spending regions." Researchers at The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care "have found two key points. First, it"s clear that patients who live in the lower spending areas do just as well as those where spending is higher. But just as important, more is not always better: Sometimes more spending can lead to worse outcomes." In lower-spending areas, "more care tends to be provided by primary care physicians, and patients in those areas are much less likely to spend time in the hospital for care that could be provided elsewhere." But "Patients in those higher spending communities are twice as likely to have 10 or more different physicians involved in their care. ò€¦ And it"s really hard for physicians to maintain effective communication when there are so many more of them involved in a patient"s care," says Elliott Fisher, principal investigator for the Dartmouth Atlas.
A new study uncovers a molecular mechanism that explains why joints fail to develop in embryos with paralyzed limbs. The research, published by Cell Press in the May issue of the journal Developmental Cell, answers a longstanding question about the influence of muscle activity on developing joints and underscores the critical contribution of movement to regulation of a signaling pathway that is important during development and beyond.
Newsweek Examines Efforts To Stop Disease Spread By Genetically Modifing Mosquitoes
The New York Times profiles the Comprehensive Disaster Relief Services (CDRS) hospital in Chikar, Pakistan, which was started by American Todd Shea after the 2005 earthquake in that country. The aspiring musician"s life was turned over to rescue efforts after September 11, when he used his van to "ferry meals to firefighters at Ground Zero," according to the New York Times.
President Obama on Saturday released a statement marking National HIV Testing Day that urged U.S. residents to get tested for HIV and work toward reducing the spread of the virus, Bloomberg/Arizona Daily Star reports (Bloomberg/Arizona Daily Star, 6/28). Obama said in the statement, "Each of us must take responsibility for reducing our risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV and for supporting affected individuals and communities. This means getting tested for HIV and working to end the stigma and discrimination people living with HIV face." The White House also released a video message with Obama"s statement (White House release, 6/27).
Fireworks are a traditional part of America"s celebration of Independence Day on July 4.
It could mean the end of animal testing and eventually even clinical patient drug trials. The Virtual Physiological Human is a 21st century pan-European project that"s gaining momentum and takes a major step forward this week at The University of Nottingham. http://www.vph-noe.eu/
Biovail Corporation (NYSE: BVF)(TSX: BVF) announced that the Company has received the 2009 Corporate Award from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) for the development of Xenazine® for the treatment of chorea in association with Huntington"s disease. The Award was presented last night at NORD"s Partners in Progress Gala in Washington D.C.
An article in Science magazine this month highlights several promising new CF therapies, including VX-770 and VX-809 developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, as part of a look back at key moments in CF research since the discovery of the CF gene 20 years ago.
Achaogen, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company addressing the issue of multi-drug resistant bacterial infections through the discovery and development of innovative broad-spectrum antibiotics, announced today the presentation of research on aminoglycoside (AG) resistance trends and comparative AG toxicities at the 19th Annual European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), being held May 16-19, 2009 in Helsinki, Finland.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Appointments Commission are pleased to announce two new appointments and two reappointments of non-executive directors to the Agency Board.
"Epidemiology is always important and topical, though sometimes unsung," says Professor Johan Giesecke, Chief Scientist at ECDC, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, "but the third applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology Conference in Stockholm in October this year will be an opportunity to put Epidemiology and infectious disease prevention and control into the spotlight; delegates will have the opportunity to discuss and share information on current and emerging infectious diseases, including influenza A (H1N1)v. The call for abstracts closes on July 3rd so there is no time to lose."
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., (NYSE: VAR) announced it has acquired the assets of Houston-based IKOEmed and IKOEtech, privately-owned suppliers of software used in the planning of radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatments. The acquisition enables Varian to offer hospitals and clinics an additional software tool to automate and accelerate the most time-consuming portion of the treatment planning process. Varian is paying approximately $2.2 million plus an additional amount based on achievement of specified milestones to acquire the IKOE assets.
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has found E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that can cause serious food borne illness) in a sample of prepackaged Nestlç© Toll House refrigerated cookie dough currently under recall by the manufacturer and marketer, Nestlç© USA. The contaminated sample was collected at Nestlç©"s facility in Danville, Va. on June 25, 2009.
Pancreatitis is often a fatal condition, in which the pancreas digests itself and surrounding tissue. Scientists have previously found that alcohol can trigger the condition by combining with fatty acids in the pancreas, which leads to an excessive release of stored calcium ions. Once calcium ions enter cell fluid in the pancreas it activates digestive enzymes and damages the cells.
Research at the University of Leicester will be breaking new ground in the search for a simple blood test that could tell whether a patient with melanoma has the condition in an aggressive form. Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Staging, which involves determining the size of the tumour and its extent of spread, is the best predictor of whether a patient will succumb to disease or survive.
Commenting on new figures published yesterday which show that one in 20 deaths are attributable to alcohol, Dr Peter Terry, Chairman of the BMA in Scotland, said:
The current H1N1 swine flu strain has genetic roots in an illness that sickened pigs at the 1918 Cedar Rapids Swine Show in Iowa, report infectious disease experts at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in the New England Journal of Medicine. Their paper, published online and slated for the July 16 print issue, describes H1N1"s nearly century-long and often convoluted journey, which may include the accidental resurrection of an extinct strain.
Physicians have been strongly reminded by the World Medical Association
New pooled clinical data presented at the 28th International Epilepsy Congress (IEC) in Budapest, Hungary showed that VIMPAT® (lacosamide), a new antiepileptic drug (AED) with a novel mode of action,1,2 significantly improved seizure control, increased seizure freedom rates during the maintenance phase and enhanced quality of life and patient function, when used as adjunctive therapy in adult patients with uncontrolled partial-onset seizures.2,3
Roche, the maker of ACCU-CHEK blood glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps, announced today the latest component of its Behavior Change through Patient Engagement (sm) program. Creative Coaching is an advanced educational program that fights the growing epidemic of diabetes by improving dialogue between diabetes educators and their patients.
Children and young adults love the thrill of skateboarding. They learn to master their skills of "riding the rail" and "catching air." But according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), such tricks, while fun, can be physically demanding and cause serious foot and ankle injuries.
While screening for possible pulmonary emboli using pulmonary CT angiography, a new study shows that radiologists can effectively lower the patient radiation dose by approximately 44% and improve vascular enhancement without deterioration of image quality, according to a study performed at Brigham and Women"s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation named 4 new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators at its April 2009 Clinical Investigator Award Committee review. The recipients of this prestigious, three-year award are outstanding early career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research at major research centers under the mentorship of the nation"s leading scientists and clinicians. Each will receive $450,000 to support the development of his cancer research program.
The Supreme Court"s 5-4 reversal of a decision endorsed by a three-judge appellate panel that included Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is attracting criticism from the judge"s conservative opponents but is not expected to have a significant effect on delaying her confirmation, the Washington Post reports. The appellate panel in 2008 upheld New Haven, Conn."s decision to discard a promotion test for firefighters after no blacks and only two Hispanics qualified for advancement after taking the test (Markon/Kane, Washington Post, 6/30). The panel"s ruling affirmed a lower court"s decision that the city had a right to discard the test based on a segment of civil rights law involving actions that have a "disparate impact" on minorities. A group of white and Hispanic firefighters who would have received promotions under the test sued, alleging reverse discrimination. Democrats and legal analysts said that Sotomayor was following legal precedent in the 2008 ruling and that it was the Supreme Court, which has the ability to exercise more discretion, that chose to make law by reversing the decision (Friedman, CongressDaily, 6/29). The Supreme Court typically reverses about 75% of the cases it reviews, according to legal experts. The court previously has reversed four of Sotomayor"s rulings and upheld three of her decisions, the Post reports. Tom Goldstein, a lawyer and founder of the SCOTUSblog Web site, said, "I don"t think it will persuade anybody who is inclined one way or another to change their views about Sotomayor" (Washington Post, 6/30). Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, "The main charge against Sotomayor is that she will be an activist judge, but this decision clearly shows that she won"t." He said that the results of the case "won"t change things a wit," adding that "in fact, it bolsters (the claim) that she is mainstream" (CongressDaily, 6/29). Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the New Haven case "sharpens our focus on [Sotomayor"s] troubling speeches and writings" that "indicate ... that personal experiences and political views should influence a judge"s decisions." He added that the issue "will clearly be the subject of questioning" at Sotomayor"s confirmation hearing, which is scheduled to begin on Monday (Phillips, "The Caucus," New York Times, 6/29).
Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABII), an integrated biotechnology company, announced the listing of ABRAXANE® for Injectable Suspension (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) 100 mg in Quebec for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer with a recommendation from the Quebec Conseil du Mç©dicament and approval from the Quebec Ministry of Health. ABRAXANE is approved and commercially available in Canada for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, including first-line disease. The listing of ABRAXANE in Quebec offers an important new treatment option to Quebec women with advanced breast cancer.
Two recent advancements in ovarian transplant techniques could potentially expand the availability of the procedure for women seeking to avoid fertility problems as they age, researchers reported Monday at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. According to the AP/Yahoo! News, ovary transplants traditionally have been performed on women with cancer as a method of preserving fertility after chemotherapy or other treatments that can affect the reproductive system. The procedure involves removing the ovaries before treatment and re-implanting them after treatment is complete. Because only a handful of these procedures have been successful, ovarian transplants have been an option only for women with serious diseases. However, as more women delay having children until their 30s or 40s, researchers say the new techniques, in theory, could make it simpler for healthy younger women to have an ovary removed, frozen and then re-implanted later in life when they are ready to have children.The first study examined how many eggs were lost or preserved in fresh and frozen ovarian tissue of 15 young women prior to the start of cancer treatment. According to the study, there was no difference in the quantity of eggs in the fresh tissue and in the ovaries frozen using a new ultra-fast technique. The study found that about 50% of a woman"s eggs were lost using the traditional, slow-freezing methods of preserving the ovaries.The second study reported on a new surgical technique to restore an ovary"s function after transplantation. For the study, Pascal Piver of Limoges University Hospital and colleagues divided the transplant process into two separate procedures in an attempt to more quickly re-establish blood and hormone supplies to the ovary. In the first procedure, the researchers performed a graft of small pieces of ovarian tissue to prompt blood vessels to grow. They performed the ovary transplant three days later. The technique was successful in a woman who lost fertility because of treatment for sickle cell anemia.Sherman Silber, director of the St. Louis Infertility Center in Missouri and a researcher for the first study, said the new techniques "could dramatically expand our reproductive life span." He added, "This is not an experimental procedure for cancer patients anymore. The question is whether more women should be able to have this option" (Cheng, AP/Yahoo! News, 6/29).
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries. ~ "Just Released: Gains and Losses for Women in 2008-09 Supreme Court Decisions," National Women"s Law Center"s "Womenstake": The Supreme Court"s 2008-2009 term, which concluded Monday, included "several crucial decisions that demonstrate the impact of the court on women"s lives," according to the blog post, which summarizes a new analysis from NWLC on the cases. For example, the blog post says that the rulings in Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Committee and Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tenn., increased employees" protections against discrimination in the workplace. However, the rulings in Ricci v. DeStetano -- which overturned an appellate court"s anti-discrimination ruling -- and AT&T Corp. v. Hulteen -- which "permitted AT&T to pay women lower pension benefits for the rest of their lives" -- were "not as positive," the blog entry says. NWLC Co-President Marcia Greenberger said that the Supreme Court "ignored the realities of the workplace and the intent of Congress and ruled against female workers" in AT&T v. Hulteen. Greenberger also said that such cases "underscore why every seat on the Supreme Court is of paramount importance to women," adding that it is "absolutely critical" that Supreme Court nominees have "a strong commitment to upholding and enforcing women"s basic legal rights and protections" ("Womenstake," National Women"s Law Center, 6/29).~ "Waldman and Saletan: Oh What a Fine Bromance!" Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: In a recent bloggingheads.tv chat on "common ground" in the abortion-rights debate, Slate columnist Will Saletan and Beliefnet Editor-in-Chief Steve Waldman "spent as much time as possible complimenting each other"s work" and "as little as possible on any real substance regarding reproductive health and choice issues," Jacobson writes. It is "clear that the Obama administration"s stated intention to create "a common ground platform"" on abortion rights has become "a full employment program for both Waldman and Saletan," she writes. Jacobson continues, "So perhaps the most striking thing about the conversation was that, in the end, they both effectively concluded that the common ground enterprise was a "just for show" political strategy," and that the "real strategies" necessary to reduce the need for abortion "are the very prevention programs least likely to be supported by the far right. (Revelation!)." She adds, "However, they came to this conclusion through the same faux-expert uninformed arguments that characterize their columns." During the "Will-interviews-Steve format," Saletan "revealed once again that there is no core philosophy or framework underlying his ever-shifting positions on choice and abortion," according to Jacobson. She adds that "Waldman, for his part, several times underscored what is clear from reading his work": that he "just throws things "out there" without considered thought" about what "might be good versus bad data, not understanding how to read evidence," and "oblivious or uncaring about the effects his free-form moralistic misinformation and opinions might actually have on an already polarized debate." According to Jacobson, "Public policies affecting sexual and reproductive health issues" should be "based first and foremost on public health and on promoting individual rights balanced by individual responsibilities," but "as anyone living on Planet Earth knows, sex and reproduction have become the front in a war waged by ultra-conservative religious and political forces for which Waldman serves as a paid flacky." She continues, "In fact, Waldman himself stated during the program: "I have a corporate interest in injecting religion into every debate."" Jacobson states, "Reading and watching this duo is like buying the OK! magazine version of the culture wars at the grocery store; they put whatever sells on the front cover, no matter the truth or consequences.
NPR interviewed Robert Reich, professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley and former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, on the steps President Barack Obama needs to take to successfully reform health care. Recently, Reich sent Obama a memo "outlining six things the president must to do save universal health care." Reich told NPR that "health care is stalling in the Senate," and Obama must "fire people up" and "be tough" to counter the medical industry, which has "some of the most formidable lobbies in the country." Reich said that Obama is only going to succeed if he "counts noses, cajoles, twists arms, threatens - and I think he does have it in him." He adds that while "bipartisanship is a noble aspiration," "we"re getting to the point where the president has got to say if I do not get your votes on this, Republicans, I"m going to go through reconciliation. I"m going to do it without you" (Martin, 6/29).
Dr. Gary D. Kao testified Monday about botched prostate cancer treatment he gave to patients at a Veterans Affairs hospital run by the University of Pennsylvania. The New York Times reports: "The radiation oncologist whom regulators accuse of mishandling scores of radioactive seed implants at the Philadelphia veterans" hospital told a Congressional panel on Monday that while he "could have done better" with some implants, his patients over all received effective treatment for their prostrate cancer."
Pharmacists Need A Place At The Health Reform Table The Baltimore Sun
A recent study carried out by the Health Protection Agency and LACORS (Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services) has revealed the presence of Salmonella and E. coli bacteria in a small number of samples of ready-to-eat shelled nuts.
Researchers have found evidence that chronic disease in either a mother or father can create unfavourable conditions in the womb that are associated with the development of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in daughters. In another study, researchers found that brothers of women with PCOS and insulin resistance are themselves at greater risk of developing insulin resistance or diabetes, suggesting that factors associated with the condition can be passed down to sons as well as daughters.
It is based on detecting short, repetitive DNA segments in the genome of bacteria. Every single bacterial strain has such characteristic repeats. "With this method we are able to identify bacterial strains as well as clarify their genetic relationships. Furthermore, we can show how new pathogenic variants develop," says Manfred Hç¶fle, researcher at the HZI. The results have now been published in the current issue of the scientific journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. The work is part of the two European Union funded projects "Healthy Water" and "AQUA-chip". Manfred Hç¶fle is coordinator of both projects that deal with various aspects of the microbiological safety of both, drinking water and sea water.
A major new trial recently published in the journal Fertility and Sterility shows that for couples beginning infertility treatments, an accelerated path to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) can offer a shorter time to pregnancy, cost savings of nearly $10,000, and a lowered risk of multiple births.
Even at very high doses, gadolinium-based contrast agents alone are not sufficient to cause nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with kidney problems, according to a study performed at the Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL. NSF is a rare and serious syndrome that leads to fibrosis of the skin, joints and even internal organs. Some research indicates NSF is caused by gadolinium-based contrast agents that are commonly used today during MR procedures.
Researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum MÃønchen and the Technische Universität MÃønchen are using a combination of light and ultrasound to visualize fluorescent proteins that are seated several centimeters deep into living tissue. In the past, even modern technologies have failed to produce high-resolution fluorescence images from this depth because of the strong scattering of light. In the Nature Photonics journal, the Munich researchers describe how they can reveal genetic expression within live fly larvae and fish by "listening to light". In the future this technology may facilitate the examination of tumors or coronary vessels in humans.
A team of researchers from the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH) has shown scientifically that human beings can develop echolocation, the system of acoustic signals used by dolphins and bats to explore their surroundings. Producing certain kinds of tongue clicks helps people to identify objects around them without needing to see them, something which would be especially useful for the blind.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced results from a Phase 3b study that found VYVANSE® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) CII demonstrated significant efficacy at 14 hours after administration during a simulated workplace environment study in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). VYVANSE is the first approved stimulant for adults with ADHD to be evaluated in this setting, and these data were presented today at the 49th annual New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit meeting in Hollywood, FL. VYVANSE is currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ADHD in children age 6 to 12 years and in adults with ADHD.
Researchers in Berlin, Germany have ameliorated inflammation of the brain in mice caused by immune cells.
The results of the first Welsh GP patient survey have been published recently.
Homeshare International is bringing together programme coordinators, academics and policy makers from around the world. They offer participants a fantastic opportunity to learn more about running a successful Homeshare programme and also present the growing evidence base for the effectiveness of Homeshare as a policy option.
Diabetics undergoing total joint replacement often are at a higher risk of experiencing complications after surgery due to various pre-existing health conditions. According to a new study published in the July 2009 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), those complications are less likely to occur when a diabetic patient has glucose levels under control.
A new study of obese adolescents has shown that laparoscopic gastric banding surgery -- the "Lap-Band" procedure -- not only helps them achieve significant weight loss but can also improve and even reverse metabolic syndrome, reducing their risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The Guardia Pro Protective Embryo Transfer Catheteris uniquely engineered to protect and guide embryos through cervical mucus and blood and to eliminate the need for cervical flushing or aspiration prior to transfer.
During today"s White House online town hall on health care, a question was submitted by Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus. Following President Obama"s response to the question on medical liability reform, Congressman Burgess issued the following statement:
Researchers at Radboud University Medical Centre, together with UK
HIV-Positive Babies More Likely To Contract Deadly TB If Given BCG
Inter Press Service News Agency examines the prevalence of obstetric fistula in the southern region of Senegal. According to state reproductive health officials in the town of Kolda, 58 percent of births take place at home without medical assistance. "Women in the region suffer from exceptionally high rates of fistula," which "occurs when extended pressure damages the soft tissue in a woman"s pelvis during the process of giving birth" and can lead to debilitating complications and ostracization from their families, IPS writes.
Just about one-third of people seeking malaria treatment in Kenya received the recommended artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) and some people are being treated with ineffective drugs like chloroquine, which was phased out almost 10 years ago, according to the recently launched 2007 Kenya Malaria Indicator Survey - the country"s "first ever comprehensive malaria study," the Daily Nation reports (Gathura/Cheboi, 6/30).
There is growing evidence that a procedure for identifying chromosomal abnormalities in embryos prior to in vitro fertilization is ineffective at helping older women become pregnant, the Wall Street Journal reports. The procedure -- known as pre-implantation genetic screening, or PGS -- is performed in dozen of U.S. fertility clinics and sometimes marketed to older women as a way to increase the odds of a healthy live birth. PGS involves extracting a single cell from a six-cell embryo and inspecting it for chromosomal abnormalities known as aneuploidies; unaffected embryos can then be implanted through IVF. Women older than age 35 have a higher risk of aneuploidies, in which embryos have fewer or more than the usual number of 23 pairs of chromosomes. Aneuploidies can trigger early miscarriage or certain genetics conditions, such as Down syndrome. Most medical experts agree that embryo screening is capable of significantly reducing the risk of Down syndrome and other serious chromosome-related illnesses. However, evidence from several studies increasingly suggests that the procedure does not increase older women"s chances of healthy live births. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine released an initial opinion about PGS in 2007, saying that available evidence does not support the use of embryo screening to increase live birth rates in older women. Andrew La Barbera, scientific director of the society, said, "Since that time, there have been several more trials that have reached the same conclusion." Another shortcoming is that most clinics can only test for fewer than half of the 23 chromosomes, meaning that many defects can go undetected. However, medical experts say that the use of PGS has increased in the two years since ASRM issued its recommendations. According to the Journal, PGS can add more than $2,000 to the roughly $10,000 cost of one IVF cycle. Very few health insurers cover PGS, though some pay for IVF. Some experts contend that studies showing a lack of clinical benefit from PGS do not use more efficient biopsy techniques that can prevent damage to the embryo. Santiago Munne, scientific director for Reprogenetics, said that the treatment is "effective." In a 2007 study, Munne and colleagues used PGS to reduce the rate at which patients miscarried. However, the chances of a woman getting pregnant largely were unchanged, which the authors said could be attributed to the small number of study participants (Naik, Wall Street Journal, 6/1).
Now that the warm weather has arrived, there"s nothing like swimming to help cool you off on a hot summer day. The American Red Cross urges everyone to make water safety a priority over the holiday weekend, whether you are taking a dip in the pool, or spending the day at the beach:
Comparative-Effectiveness Research - Implications of the Federal Coordinating Council"s Report The New England Journal Of Medicine
"Siblings are Special," a pilot prevention program targeting fifth graders and their younger siblings, recently received $1.45 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse as part of the National Institutes of Health"s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. The award is for two years.
Janet Davison Rowley, MD, a founder in the field of cancer cytogenetics and a renowned leader in molecular oncology, will receive the 2009 Genetics Prize of The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation. She is being honored with the prestigious international award for discoveries of recurrent chromosomal abnormalities in leukemias and lymphomas - discoveries that have revolutionized how cancer is understood and treated. Currently the Blum-Riese Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, Rowley is also being honored for her critical national and international leadership in the biomedical research community. The Prize will be presented in Honolulu, Hawaii, on October 23 at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics.
The NHS Chief Executive has recently warned that the NHS could have to
Selected highlights from a new study on immigration, health and gender roles:
The Texas Department of State Health Services is reminding swimmers and skiers to take precautions to avoid infection from Naegleria fowleri, an ameba assumed to be present in all rivers, lakes, ponds, tanks and streams.
Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: PVCT), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has completed patient accrual for its Phase 2 study of PH-10 for atopic dermatitis. PH-10 is the Company"s topical drug for the treatment of dermatologic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition that includes some forms of eczema. The Phase 2 study was designed to evaluate safety and efficacy of PH-10 in at least twenty subjects with mild to severe forms of the disease.
HCL plc, the UK"s largest health and social care recruitment agency, said the Government"s proposals to reform the NHS by devolving power to frontline professionals and patients will mean a greater need for flexible staffing and more collaboration between the public and private sectors.
University of Minnesota Medical School researcher Michael Mauer, M.D., has found a treatment that significantly slows the progression of eye injury in people with type 1 diabetes, a common complication caused by this disease. By administering an antihypertensive, medication commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure, Mauer and colleagues were able to slow progression of diabetic eye damage in more than 65 percent of participants involved in the study.
Doctors attending the BMA"s annual conference in Liverpool have today (Thursday 2 July 2009) backed calls to introduce a minimum price for a unit of alcohol. Proposing a motion which also included calls for clearer labelling and a total ban on alcohol advertising, Dr Chandra Mohan from Barking, Havering and Brentwood, said:
A study in the July 1 issue of the journal SLEEP identified a distinct ECG-derived spectrographic phenotype, designated as narrow-band elevated low frequency coupling (e-LFCNB), that is associated with prevalent hypertension, stroke, greater severity of sleep disordered breathing and sleep fragmentation in patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have played a major role in an international effort that has shown, for the first time, that modern genetic technologies can solve the riddle of how gene variations lead to schizophrenia.
A team of Penn State scientists has shed light on the processes that lead to certain human DNA mutations that are implicated in hundreds of inherited diseases such as tuberous sclerosis and neurofibromatosis type 1. The results one day could influence the way couples who seek to have children receive genetic counseling. The team, led by Kateryna Makova, an associate professor of biology, also includes Erika Kvikstad, a graduate student in the Department of Biology, and Francesca Chiaromonte, an associate professor of statistics. Their findings will be published in the July 2009 issue of the journal Genome Research.
An advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted on Tuesday to recommend new restrictions on the popular pain
As many as five to ten million males in the U.S. struggle quietly with an eating disorder because they"re ashamed to admit they have the illness, reports Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating and Anxiety Disorders. Healthcare professionals, family members and close friends often are unaware of the high-risk behaviors in males that may signify an eating disorder. Therefore, effective intervention is often not available to the male population.
A newly published document, titled "Health Survey of American Indians of Alabama 2008:
Politico"s blog "Under the Radar" explores HHS" recent decision to revise documents submitted to the Federal Register regarding a change in HIV-related immigration policy. The blog looks at differences between the original document sent to the Federal Register on Monday compared to the version slated to be resubmitted by HHS Thursday, noting that while "the proposed rule was pulled from publication in Tuesday"s edition at the request of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius" late Monday because it was ""incomplete," it was actually 12 pages longer than the replacement," with "different data than the original" that "could ease sticker shock." Politico compares the two proposals - one which estimates the number of immigrants living in the U.S. with HIV after five years; the other which estimates the number after 20 years. The blog notes, CDC, the agency responsible for the documents, did not comment on the changes when asked. The blog has links to both versions of the Federal Register documents (McGarr, 7/1).
As President Barack Obama calls for streamlining heath care by fully converting to electronic medical records and as Congress prepares to debate issues of patient privacy, one question has largely gone unasked: What do patients want?
Before taking her job as the White House health reform director, Nancy-Ann DeParle earned more than $6 million serving on the boards of major health care corporations, some of which were accused of fraud, mismanagement and regulatory violations during her tenure, the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University reports on MSNBC.com. Some critics say the corporate relationships could be a conflict of interest for DeParle. Also, while there"s no evidence DeParle was involved in or aware of allegedly fraudulent activities, in three cases, she served on board committees overseeing the companies" legal and regulatory compliance.
Democrats on a key Senate committee are readying a plan that has a government-run insurance option and a $750-per-worker annual fee on larger companies that do not offer coverage to its employees, The Associated Press reports.
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) submitted comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology"s (ONC) request for feedback on determining criteria for the term "meaningful use" of electronic records (EHRs), prepared by ONC"s HIT Policy Committee.
Women with breast cancer who receive chemotherapy appear more likely than those treated with radiation therapy to experience a major change in work status, according to a study published in the journal Cancer, Reuters reports. For the study, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researcher Michael Hassett and colleagues used a large health insurance claims database to identify 3,233 women who were first diagnosed with breast cancer between 1998 and 2002. All of the women were younger than age 64, insured, and working full time or part time as of diagnosis. About 54% of the women received chemotherapy, and 58% received radiation therapy.Hassett said that most of the women did "not experience a significant change in their employment after cancer diagnosis and treatment." However, of the 6.6% who experienced such a change, those who received chemotherapy had a 1.8-fold greater risk of leaving work, retiring or going on long-term disability leave in the subsequent year. Sixty-seven percent of women who experienced a change went from full-time employment to early retirement, while the rest went from full-time employment to long-term disability or retirement, or their status was unknown. Although the study looked at many factors, only chemotherapy and older age were associated with an increased likelihood of a change in employment. Hassett said that most of the participants in the study worked for large employers that offered health insurance. He added that further research is needed to evaluate the effect of cancer diagnosis and treatment on work status for women who are self-employed or work for smaller companies (Hendry, Reuters, 6/30).
Skin from a factory - this has long been the dream of pharmacologists, chemists and doctors. Research has an urgent need for large quantities of "skin models", which can be used to determine if products such as creams and soaps, cleaning agents, medicines and adhesive bandages are compatible with skin, or if they instead will lead to irritation or allergic reactions for the consumer. Such test results are seen as more meaningful than those from animal experiments, and can even make such experiments largely superfluous.
We swim in a sea of information, but filter out most of what we see or hear. New analysis of data from dozens of studies sheds new light on how we choose what we do and do not hear. The study found that while people tend to avoid information that contradicts what they already think or believe, certain factors can cause them to seek out, or at least consider, other points of view.