Oncology
The White House requested new funding for swine flu from Congress late Tuesday and also sought an additional $3.1 billion from the unspent stimulus funds in case of a pandemic emergency, according to various news s.
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and AstraZeneca announced that the companies have submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an investigational compound for the treatment of mixed dyslipidemia, a combination of two or more lipid abnormalities including high LDL- cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol), high triglycerides and low HDL-cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol). The NDA submission for this investigational compound, containing the active ingredients of CRESTOR(R) (rosuvastatin calcium) and TRILIPIX(R) (fenofibric acid), is supported by data from multiple studies, including efficacy and safety studies with the 5mg, 10mg and 20mg doses of rosuvastatin combined with fenofibric acid. Pending approval of the NDA, the treatment will be marketed as CERTRIAD(TM).
Capitol News Service reports that an estimated 50,000 additional uninsured children may receive medical coverage from legislation that Gov. Charlie Crist signed Tuesday. "The Kid Care program offers low cost insurance to children up to ages 19. But penalties and a lengthy application process have kept thousand of families out," Capitol News Service reports. "The legislation shortens the waiting time to enroll in the state"s Kid Care program and lessens the penalties for missing a premium payment." Children"s advocates have been pushing for the legislation for three years and call it a good start. The program enrolls 1.5 million children, but a lack of advertising money has hindered its ability to "spread the word" further (Ray, 6/2).
A Johnson & Johnson-run study found that its experimental drug TMC207 could make conventional tuberculosis treatment five times more effective against multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) because it cleared traces of the TB bacteria in the sputum of 48 percent of study volunteers after eight weeks, Reuters reports (Emery, Reuters, 6/3). The results were published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama"s nominee for the Supreme Court, on Thursday will hold a third round of private meetings with senators who will be voting on her confirmation, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports. The AP/Tribune reports that by Friday, Sotomayor will have met with more than one-quarter of the Senate and a majority of members on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will lead an as-yet-unscheduled set of hearings for her confirmation.The Judiciary Committee is expected to receive and examine a large collection of documents for the hearings -- including Sotomayor"s writings, speeches and unpublished rulings -- as part of a questionnaire response on personal and financial data, possible conflicts of interest and the procedure that led to her nomination. According to the AP/Tribune, the White House in recent days has been rallying support for Sotomayor, with first lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday talking about the nominee at a high school graduation (Hirschfeld Davis, AP/Chicago Tribune, 6/4).Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Wednesday failed to reach an agreement on a timeline for Sotomayor"s confirmation hearings and vote, CongressDaily reports. According to CongressDaily, Democrats and Republicans generally are "at odds" over the issue, particularly over when the confirmation hearings should start (Friedman, CongressDaily, 6/3). Leahy said that he would like hearings to begin next month, with the goal of scheduling a confirmation vote before the month-long congressional recess that begins in early August. Sessions has called for the process to be spread out over the summer to allow committee members to analyze the large volume of Sotomayor"s records, with hearings beginning in September (AP/Chicago Tribune, 6/4).Leahy -- who will have the final say on the start of the hearings -- on Tuesday said that "it would be irresponsible to leave [Sotomayor] hanging out there" until September (CongressDaily, 6/3).
Everyone checks their body to some extent, but many people with eating disorders repeatedly check their body and often in a way that"s unusual.
A unique research project into the highly sensitive problem of domestic violence towards older women is being carried out by researchers from The University of Nottingham"s Division of Nursing. 12 participants have already taken part since the project started last year for this valuable study aimed at helping those who have experienced abuse and health professionals deal with the problem.
Pfizer Animal Health today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first canine cancer therapy in the U.S. - PALLADIATM (toceranib phosphate) - which was developed by Pfizer to treat mast cell tumors in dogs. Pfizer made the announcement to veterinarians attending the 2009 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Convention.
Clinical investigators presented new data from three sub-studies in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) who received GATTEX™ (teduglutide) during a 24-week, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial. Results were presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week (DDW) Congress taking place in Chicago.
The body that represents anaesthetists in the UK and the Republic of Ireland has issued new
SRI International, an
Dr. Aileen Go of Loyola University Health System, who is studying treatment options for older leukemia and lymphoma patients, has won a prestigious Amgen Foundation Fellowship grant.
The MP Evan Harris is among a group of leading academics, publishers, journalists, performers, clinicians, and scientists backing science writer Simon Singh in his application to appeal against a libel judgment in the High Court today.
Patients with heart attacks and other forms of chest pain are three to five times more likely to experience serious complications after hospital admission when they are treated in a crowded emergency department (ED), according to a new study published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine. The authors say that this dramatic difference in rates of serious complications underscores the need for action on the part of hospital administrators, policymakers and emergency physicians to find solutions to what has been termed "a national public health problem." More than six million patients per year come to U.S. emergency departments with chest pain.
"Thanks to patients" champions in the House and Senate, the 2009 Texas Legislature passed bills to reform health insurance, increase access to health care, preserve the patient-physician relationship, and improve the health of all Texans.
InfoMedics, Inc., the patient feedback company, recently co-authored two posters detailing patients" experiences with the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX).
Nearly 2 in 3 U.S. adults (63%) think that it is important that dental coverage is part of an overall health reform package, and 40 percent say it is very important, according to a new public opinion survey commissioned by Oral Health America. The survey, sponsored by the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation, and conducted by Harris Interactive(R), was released today at the launch of National Smile Month, the largest independent international campaign promoting good dental care including brushing, regular dental visits, and healthy food choices as well as the need for effective oral healthcare policies.
The Extremadura Regional Government of Spain and IBM (NYSE: IBM) have launched an electronic prescription system in 680 pharmacies in Extremadura, where health centres and pharmacies are now computerised and able to prescribe and dispense prescription medications electronically.
In recent decades, there have been periodic reports of a worldwide decline in sperm count and quality. Male infertility has ostensibly been on the rise, accompanied by increases in testicular cancer and hypospadias -- a congenital defect in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside, rather than at the end, of the penis. Taken together, these three conditions have been termed testicular dysgenesis syndrome.
Both blood pressure and serum lipid levels have improved in Swedish middle-aged women during the past 30 years. Levels of perceived mental stress, however, have increased significantly. These are the of a thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
On the 4th June, the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Copenhagen will open the doors of its new research center, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research. The Center is the result of a historic donation from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, which in 2007 gave the University 80 million euros for its establishment.
Fox News host Bill O"Reilly is "being incredibly disingenuous when he claims that he bears no responsibility for others" actions in the killing of Dr. George Tiller on Sunday," Mary Alice Carr, vice president of communications for NARAL Pro-Choice New York, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece. "When you tell an audience of millions over and over again that someone is an executioner, you cannot feign surprise when someone executes that person," she continues, adding that "O"Reilly knew that people wanted Tiller dead, and he knew full well that many of those people were avid viewers of his show. Still, he fanned the flames."Carr writes that she has pledged to no longer appear on O"Reilly"s show because she realized that her appearance "would only legitimize his speech and that no good would come of my efforts." She adds that when a producer called her to come on the show following Tiller"s murder, she responded that, among other things, the community of abortion-rights supporters "hold[s] O"Reilly responsible for helping to create a climate in which hate was allowed to fester."Carr notes that following Tiller"s death, "O"Reilly had the opportunity to apologize for his words" and "say that this tragic outcome was something about which he felt sorry," but "[h]e didn"t." She adds, "When restraint and perspective were called for, he fanned the flames higher." Carr concludes that she will not appear on O"Reilly"s show because "if the murder of a man in a house of worship wasn"t enough to make Bill O"Reilly repent, what hope d[o] I have?" (Carr, Washington Post, 6/4).
"As the debate on how to fix health care picks up pace, so does discussion about one of the most lucrative ways to pay for it:" taxing employer-provided health benefits, CNN reports. The "tax-free arrangement" in which an employer"s contribution to employee health benefit "is treated as tax-free to the employee in terms of income tax and payroll tax," was "born during the days of wage control in 1943." According to Paul Fronstin, director of the health research program at the Employee Benefit Research Institute, employers were not allowed to "attract workers on the basis of better pay," so instead they offered the benefits "as a way to compete for the best talent." Over the past 66 years, employees have come to expect it. But "tax and health experts say it"s inequitable. High-income workers and those with the most expensive health insurance plans enjoy the biggest break as a result of the tax exclusion."
U.N. officials on Thursday expressed growing concern about potential disease outbreaks among the two million displaced Pakistanis and warned that aid money is running out, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 6/4). According to the U.N., more than two million Pakistanis have been driven from their homes in the past month because of a government-led offensive against the Taliban, "in addition to the 400,000 already displaced in fighting last year," Environment News Service reports (ENS, 6/4).
In the battle against cancer, allies can come from unexpected s. Research at The Jackson Laboratory has yielded a new approach to treating leukemia, one that targets leukemia-proliferating cells with drugs that are already on the market.
Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOMX), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the in-licensing, development and commercialization of proprietary branded pharmaceutical products and late-stage product candidates for the treatment of diseases and disorders in the central nervous system therapeutic area, today announced that it has resubmitted its New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Silenor® (doxepin) for the treatment of insomnia.
Avexa Limited (ASX:AVX) announced that the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) met today to review the 16 week data from Avexa"s apricitabine (ATC) Phase III clinical trial. The DSMB reviewed the data and recommended continuation of the study with the 800mg dose. Patients taking the 1200mg dose will be transitioned to the optimum 800mg dose to continue their therapy.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning employers to ensure the effective management of the safe movement of pedestrians and vehicles around the workplace, after a man was reversed over by a forklift truck at the new ÷£22.5m shopping complex at Willow Place, Corby.
Merck & Co., Inc. said that preliminary results for the pivotal Phase III study of rolofylline (MK-7418), the Company"s investigational medicine for the treatment of acute heart failure, show that rolofylline did not meet the primary or secondary efficacy endpoints. While Merck will continue to analyze the data with outside experts, the Company will not file applications for regulatory approval this year. The results from this study will be presented at a medical meeting later this year.
Two organizations that admire the powerful influence of women as healthcare consumers have announced a new venture to provide trustworthy, accessible and actionable cancer care information to women. Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), a national network of cancer specialty hospitals that provides a comprehensive, fully integrated cancer treatment experience, and EmpowHer , the home of women"s health online, today announced a partnership that combines EmpowHer"s multi-media content and community with simple access to CTCA"s innovative patient-centered cancer care model.
Commenting on the appointment of Andy Burnham as the new Secretary of State for Health, The King"s Fund chief executive, Niall Dickson, said:
The Hawai"i Tumor Registry (HTR), jointly operated by the Cancer
New results from a one-year Phase III study have confirmed that the investigational biological therapy Ilaris® (canakinumab, formerly ACZ885)[1] produced rapid and sustained remission of symptoms in the majority of children and adults with a rare and potentially life-threatening auto-inflammatory disease called cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS)1,2,3.
On Wednesday 3 June 2009 the situation in the UK was as follows:
Results of the long-awaited Rosiglitazone Evaluated for Cardiac Outcomes and Regulation of Glycaemia in Diabetes (RECORD) study were presented here in a symposium at the American Diabetes Association"s 69th Scientific Sessions. The results are being simultaneously published online in The Lancet.
Diamyd Medical reported that the company has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include children with type 1 diabetes from 10 years of age in the company"s Phase III study with the diabetes vaccine Diamyd(R).
New Phase II data presented at the American Diabetes Association 69th Scientific Sessions in New Orleans show that the investigational type 2 diabetes treatment Syncria(R) (albiglutide) significantly reduced blood glucose levels and provided weight loss across weekly, biweekly and monthly dosing. Reducing blood sugar is a key part of managing type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects over 250 million people worldwide.
Amgen Inc. (Nasdaq: AMGN) today released the results of a new study comparing Nplate(R) (romiplostim) to the medical standard of care (SOC) in non-splenectomised adult patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Chronic ITP is a serious autoimmune disorder characterised by low platelet counts in the blood (thrombocytopenia), which can lead to serious bleeding events. The study results show Nplate significantly reduced the incidences of splenectomy and treatment failures in non-splenectomised adult patients with chronic ITP when compared to medical SOC. The results were presented today as an oral presentation at the 14th congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA abstract #1672).
Patient-provider communication influences quality of care, but black and Asian patients were more likely than white patients to report communication difficulties with their doctors in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
BioVex Inc, a company developing next generation biologics for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease, announced that the results from a Phase I/II combination study in previously untreated patients with head and neck cancer will be presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, which will take place May 29, 2009 - June 2, 2009 in Orlando, FL.
Congressional Democrats are preparing the message to go with their sweeping health reform in both the House and the Senate, after Sen. Edward Kennedy"s draft reform bill was circulated, CNN.com reports.
Industry groups reacted "warily" this weekend to a draft of the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee"s health overhaul plan. The first details emerged late Friday and lobbyists began speaking up, USA Today reports:
BioVex Inc, a company developing new generation biologics for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease, announced that updated survival data from its Phase II study in metastatic melanoma will be presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, taking place from May 29, 2009 - June 2, 2009 in Orlando, FL.
Consumer concern over the swine influenza outbreak has reinforced the
DrugScope has welcomed the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse"s announcement of an extra ÷£11.8m government investment in drug treatment.
According to a research abstrac presented on Monday, June 8, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, white Americans are more likely to report experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) more days per month than Asians, African Americans and Hispanics, but African Americans experience more severe EDS.
PanGenetics B.V. announced that the Competent Authority of the Netherlands has approved the Clinical Trials Application for a first-in-man study with antibody PG110. This humanized antibody is a member of the class of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) inhibitors which represent a promising novel approach in the treatment of chronic pain. PG110 will be evaluated in patients suffering from pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA). The clinical trial is designed as a double blind, placebo controlled study and will be conducted in a single site in Utrecht, the Netherlands, in collaboration with Kendle International.
Hemophilia A is an inherited bleeding disease caused by a lack of the blood clotting protein Factor VIII. It had been hoped that gene therapy would provide a breakthrough in treatment, but the most common gene therapy approach has had little clinical success. However, a team of researchers, at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, has now developed a new approach to target genes specifically to mouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (the cells that are the main of Factor VIII) and used it to provide long-term expression of Factor VIII in hemophilia A mice, markedly reducing their disease. They hope that their data might prove to be a step toward successful human clinical trials in individuals with hemophilia A.
Violence, sexual abuse, harassment, appalling living conditions, and a serious lack of access to essential healthcare define the desperate lives of thousands of Zimbabweans in South Africa, warned the international medical humanitarian aid organization, Doctors Without Borders/Mçİdecins Sans Frontiç¨res (MSF).
Scientists have pinpointed an enzyme responsible for breaking down and inactivating a key childhood leukaemia drug, which could help to explain why around 20 per cent of patients do not respond to therapy. Their findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation * today (Monday).
According to a research abstract presented on June 8 at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, in the presence of free access to food, sleep restricted subjects reported decrease in appetite, food cravings and food consumption; however, they gained weight over the course of the study. Thus, the finding suggests that energy intake exceeded energy expenditure during the sleep restriction
Primary care pediatricians may be under-diagnosing sleep disorders in children and teens, according to a research abstract presented on June 8 at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Entries are invited for the 2009 NHS Alliance Acorn Awards. This year, the awards, which recognise excellence in primary care, have nine categories. Since last year, the NHS Alliance introduced a new category, Pharmaceutical Services Commissioning, which has been designed to showcase Primary Care Trusts which are excelling at world class commissioning of pharmaceutical services.
Alzheimer"s disease and its precursor, mild cognitive impairment, appear to be associated with an increased risk of death among both white and African American older adults according to a new, long-term research study by neurological experts at the Alzheimer"s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center. The study findings are published in the June issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Research conducted under the direction of Melinda Sothern, PhD, Professor and Director of Health Promotion at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, showing early signs of diabetes in healthy children as young as seven years old was presented at the American Diabetes Association 2009 Annual Scientific Session Meeting in New Orleans. Dr. Sothern"s group is the first to document previously unknown markers for obesity, heart disease and diabetes, collectively called the Metabolic Syndrome, in children this young. Posters were presented on June 6, 2009, and Brian Bennett, a Research Associate in Dr. Melinda Sothern"s laboratory made the oral presentation, Early Markers for the Metabolic Syndrome in Youth, on June 8, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 343. Dr. Sothern was there for the presentation.
A majority of high-risk stroke patients are less likely to meet clinical treatment targets to prevent repeat stroke or heart attacks compared to those with heart disease, suggesting the need to examine new therapeutic strategies, according to a study led by St. Michael"s Hospital neurologist Dr. Gustavo Saposnik. What"s more, medical procedures or ongoing specialty care may improve patients" awareness and consequent treatment success.
Four well-known risk factors for heart attack significantly increased the size of the heart"s left ventricle, a key precursor of heart failure, according to a study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
MDRNA, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) announced that it has obtained full U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for generic calcitonin-salmon nasal spray for the treatment of osteoporosis and that Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. (NYSE: PAR) has launched the product.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has published a new collection of essays, "Using Imaging to Identify Deceit: Scientific and Ethical Questions," examining the scientific support for using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to recognize deception.
A clinical trial has demonstrated that HIV-infected adults in a re-limited setting are more likely to survive if they start antiretroviral therapy (ART) before their immune systems are severely compromised.
Grabbing a quick nap may not only be refreshing but may also increase your ability to solve problems creatively, according to US researchers who
This statement updates Members on the swine flu outbreak and the latest developments in Wales and across the UK.
A CT scan stands for Computed Tomography scan. It is also known as a CAT (Computer Axial Tomography) scan. It is a medical imaging method that employs tomography. Tomography is the process of generating a two-dimensional image of a slice or section through a 3-dimensional object (a tomogram). The medical device (the machine) is called a CTG scanner; it is a large machine and uses X-rays. It used to be called an EMI scan, because it was developed by the company EMI. Undergoing a CT scan is a painless procedure.
Israeli researchers have developed a technique that could produce a more effective blend of tumor-fighting immune cells used to treat cancers such as metastatic melanoma.
A veterinarian at Kansas State University"s College of Veterinary Medicine has advice for pet owners who want to consider how pets fit into their own household emergency plans -- especially if that includes evacuating.
Mental Health America, celebrating its 100th Anniversary as the founder of the organized mental health movement, will honor Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Pete Domenici for their legendary work on behalf of individuals with mental health conditions at its Centennial Gala on Thursday, June 11, in Washington, D.C.
The Escambia County Health Department established a mosquito control program in 2008 that
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has downgraded its Travel Health Warning that recommended against non-essential travel to Mexico to a "Travel Health Precaution". The CDC says it has been monitoring the swine flu (H1N1) outbreak in Mexico together with Mexican authorities, and now has a more comprehensive picture of the current behavior of the outbreak.
On Monday, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D- N.Y., told reporters that the House bill will include a new public insurance plan, Reuters/The Boston Globe reports. "Similar to legislation being developed in the Senate, the House bill would establish an insurance exchange to help people without employer-sponsored insurance find medical coverage." The government-sponsored public insurance plan would be "one of the options available, lawmakers said." The bill would also establish a mandate that would "require individuals and businesses to obtain coverage."
Low blood glucose levels do not explain the excess deaths seen in the intensive control group of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, according to a report presented here today at the American Diabetes Association"s 69th Scientific Sessions.
The Oregon House of Representatives passed two health reform bills that a leading Democratic lawmakers says will help Oregon "fit into whatever happens on the national scale," the Portland Oregonian reports. One bill would tax insurers and hospitals more than $300 million over two years to provide coverage to an additional 115,000 Oregonians. These funds would "leverage nearly $1 billion in federal Medicaid matching money." The second measure would create an Oregon Health Authority to replace an existing Department of Human Services, but with a broader mandate to track health care claims data and harness consolidated purchasing power to "pressure insurers and hospitals to use evidence based care." State officials say the measure "would create an estimated 3,600 high-paying jobs in hospitals, medical clinics and other areas" (Graves, 6/8).
A New York City law that will go into effect in July could make it easier for antiabortion-rights protesters to be arrested for restricting access to abortion clinics or harassing people trying to enter the facilities, the New York Times reports. Current law allows authorities to make arrests only if the person directly affected, such as a woman entering a clinic, is willing to press charges. However, the new law would allow third parties, such as clinic workers, to press charges if they witnessed the activity, the Times reports. New York City"s Dr. Emily"s Women"s Health Center and NARAL Pro-Choice New York spearheaded efforts to pass the legislation in response to antiabortion-rights demonstrators who target women on their way to clinics and attempt to persuade them to carry their pregnancies to term. Clinic workers report that the protesters also have harassed women as they left the subway or surrounded them as they walked to the clinic. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed the law in April. Joan Malin, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City, said the group is "not against people demonstrating. But there is a line between freedom of speech and harassment and bullying" (Bosman, New York Times, 6/6).
Young heterosexual men are falling prey to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia just as much as women and gay men - and their numbers are increasing, a leading specialist has warned.
The NAO today published a major report, "Supporting people with autism through adulthood". HOPE, the charity for adults with autism and learning disabilities, sees this important report as a blueprint for improving the lives of people with autism.
Boys who carry a particular variation of the gene Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), sometimes called the "warrior gene," are more likely not only to join gangs but also to be among the most violent members and to use weapons, according to a new study from The Florida State University that is the first to confirm an MAOA link specifically to gangs and guns.
Brookdale Care, the specialist provider of care services for
Abbott announced the EAS® Myoplex® Strength Formula nutrition shake designed to help active people on the go refuel after physical activity. The ready-to-drink sports nutrition shakes come in a new, reclosable 14 fluid ounce plastic bottle.
Abbott and AstraZeneca announced today that they have entered into an agreement for AstraZeneca to co-promote Abbott"s TRILIPIX® (fenofibric acid), a medication for use alone or in combination with a statin to treat certain lipid disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will obtain the non-exclusive right to co-promote TRILIPIX alongside Abbott in the United States, excluding Puerto Rico. Specific financial terms were not disclosed.
UroToday.com - Stone size is of key importance in making treatment decisions, especially for ureteral calculi. Earlier studies revealed that stone size on CT could at times be underestimated by as much as 1-2 mm; for ureteral calculi this could be the difference between initiating medical expulsive therapy versus an invasive ureteroscopic procedure. However, there are many ways to "view" a CT scan and by moving from the standard soft tissue view to a "bone" window view, different characteristics of tissue or foreign bodies can be appreciated. Such was first brought to the attention of many urologists when Dr. Stephen Dretler and colleagues reported the use of bone windows to distinguish ureteral stents from denser stone fragments.
The British Dental Association has welcomed the appointment of Andy Burnham as the new Secretary of State for Health. Mr Burnham replaces Alan Johnson, who has accepted the role of Home Secretary.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of nearly $200 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support student loan repayments for primary care medical, dental and mental health clinicians who want to work at National Health Service Corps (NHSC) sites. In exchange for the loan repayments, clinicians serve for two years with the Corps. The new funds are expected to double the number of Corps clinicians and make 3,300 awards to clinicians that serve in health centers, rural health clinics and other health care facilities that care for uninsured and underserved people. Secretary Sebelius made the announcement prior to touring the Tufts Floating Children"s Hospital in Boston, Mass., where she was joined by members of the National Health Service Corps. Following the tour, Sebelius held a discussion with health care experts and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on the importance of health reform.
Addiction scientists are calling for tighter regulation of alcohol advertising, as new research shows that self-regulation by the alcohol industry does not protect impressionable children and youth from exposure.
A research abstract presented on June 9, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, is the first demonstration of a specific neurochemical abnormality in adults with primary insomnia (PI), providing greater insight to the limited understanding of the condition"s pathology.
Patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have an increased prevalence of parasomnia symptoms compared with the prevalence rates of individual parasomnias, according to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Three pseudo kinases of the Tribbles family have been recently recognized, which include TRB1, TRB2 and TRB3. Recent research has found that the expression of hepatic TRB3 increased in a rat model of diabetes. TRB3 could block the insulin signaling pathway through inhibiting Akt activation, which contributes to insulin resistance.
First year to be offered live and online
New research from Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience (JHN) may redefine how Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) is diagnosed. Eduardo De Sousa, M.D., assistant professor of Neurology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, and director of the Electrodiagnostic Neuromuscular Lab at JHN, led the study which looked at the number of demyelinating features that are needed to differentiate between CIDP, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig"s disease) and diabetic neuropathy. His research suggests a minimum number of three demyelinating features can be used to positively identify CIDP in a patient. CIDP is a neurological disorder characterized by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the legs and arms. It affects about 50,000 people in the United States. The study, available in the current edition of the Journal of Clinical Neuromuscular Disease, may help doctors more effectively diagnose and treat CIDP.
People are likely being exposed to the commonly used chemical bisphenol A (BPA) at levels much higher than the recommended safe daily dose, according to a new study in monkeys. The results will be presented Thursday at The Endocrine Society"s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Though it looks like a tiny purple blowtorch, a pencil-sized plume of plasma on the tip of a small probe remains at room temperature as it swiftly dismantles tough bacterial colonies deep inside a human tooth. But it"s not another futuristic product of George Lucas" imagination. It"s the exciting work of USC School of Dentistry and Viterbi School of Engineering researchers looking for new ways to safely fight tenacious biofilm infections in patients - and it could revolutionize many facets of medicine.
Sysmex America, Inc. announced that a study titled "Day-to-Day, Week-to-Week, and Day-of-the-Week Variations in Tests of Anemia and Iron Status in Hemodialysis Patients" has identified Sysmex"s Reticulocyte Hemoglobin Equivalent (RET-He) parameter result as key input used by physicians to assist in Anemia treatment decisions in ESRD patients on hemodialysis. David Van Wyck, M.D., Vice President of Clinical Affairs at DaVita Inc., and Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, in Tucson et. al followed five hematologic parameters in 30 patients undergoing hemodialysis three times a week. The patients were followed for 12 consecutive treatment days. The parameters studied were Hb, Hct, reticulocyte Hb (RET He or CHr), TSAT and ferritin levels.
NeurogesX, Inc. (Nasdaq: NGSX) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed to its proposed study to evaluate Qutenza(TM) in patients with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) following pretreatment with an FDA-approved topical anesthetic. As part of its ongoing new drug application (NDA) review, the FDA wants to determine whether pretreatment with an FDA-approved topical anesthetic would provide similar tolerability to the topical agent used as a pretreatment in the clinical development program.
InteKrin Therapeutics Inc presented Phase 2a clinical study results at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in New Orleans demonstrating that once a day oral treatment with INT131 provides anti-diabetic efficacy consistent with maximal dose thiazolidinedione (TZD) therapy but with less hematocrit reduction and weight gain.
President Obama"s choice for the State Department"s global AIDS coordinator position, Eric Goosby, testified on Tuesday at a confirmation hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, VOA News reports. Goosby would work to continue PEPFAR"s success, and "says he will emphasize prevention if he is confirmed by the Senate," VOA News writes.
House Democrats on Tuesday released an outline of their proposal to reform the health care system that would require that all Americans have insurance and that employers provide coverage or pay a penalty, The Associated Press reports. The bill also emphasized preventive care but omitted details about how to cover the costs.
Democratic leaders have begun moving the rank and file closer to acceptance of basic tenets of health reform proposals, but concerns remain among the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats on how it will be paid for, Politico reports.
The first detailed health reform proposal "got off to a rocky start Tuesday," as "even moderate Republicans" attacked a draft bill by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Democrats from his Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Los Angeles Times reports. Many of the proposals goals are "broadly shared by lawmakers of both parties," but GOP legislators complained they were excluded from the drafting process and that the Democrats are rushing reform.
Havel"s Incorporated, a Cincinnati-based distributor of unique needle devices, has partnered with CHS, Canadian Hospital Specialties, which will become the exclusive distributor of Havel"s EchoStim(R) and EchoBlock(R) Ultrasound Needles throughout Canada.
Good decision-making helps us to achieve our goals in a complicated world. Understanding which decisions are successful and which ones fail is important, and learning how other people make decisions is an important way of refining this ability. What happens in the brain when this useful information is withheld? Brain imaging researchers from Royal Holloway University of London (UK) investigated activity in the human brain at the time that volunteers interpreted the successes and failures of their own decisions, or the successes and failures of others" decisions. Crucially, when this important information was withheld, a region of the brain called the Anterior Cingulate Cortex became active in different ways depending on whether the information withheld related to decisions of the person in the scanner, or whether it related to the person that they were monitoring during the experiment. This tells us that this area works in different ways depending on whether gaps in important information relate to ourselves, or whether they relate to others".
The Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission on Wednesday unanimously voted to approve a 1.77% increase in the amount hospitals can charge patients, the Baltimore Sun reports. The new rate is expected to bring approximately $260 million in increased revenue to state hospitals. The Maryland Hospital Association last month had sought a 3.25% increase, while commission staff members had recommended a 1.27% increase.A coalition of state officials, hospital leaders and insurers on Wednesday recommended a last-minute compromise of 2.12%, but the commission lowered it to 1.77%. The rate increase will take effect July 1 and applies for one year to 47 hospitals. The commission approved a 4.5% increase in hospital rates for fiscal year 2009 (Gunts, Baltimore Sun, 5/13).
Physicians treating breast cancer first look to lymph nodes in a patient"s armpit to see whether cancer is spreading elsewhere in the body - but they may not be evaluating the nodes in the most effective way.
Can $167 million in provincial funding make a difference to Ontario"s community mental health system? According to the results from the Systems Enhancement Evaluation Initiative (SEEI), the answer is yes. Ontarians now have access to more appropriate community mental health services. But, the research also highlights the system"s limited res to serve all those in need.
According to a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, sleep selectively preservers memories that are emotionally salient and relevant to future goals when sleep follows soon after learning. Effects persist for as long as four months after the memory is created.
AVI BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVII), a developer of RNA-based drugs, announced that Patrick Iversen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliances, will present at the upcoming 7th Annual Biodefense Vaccines & Therapeutics conference taking place in Washington, D.C.
Scientists have identified for the first time a mechanism by which nanoparticles cause lung damage and have demonstrated that it can be combated by blocking the process involved, taking a step toward addressing the growing concerns over the safety of nanotechnology.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has announced that, following consultation with stakeholders on the economic model that underpinned NICE"s 2006 guidance on the use of drugs to treat Alzheimer"s disease, the resulting draft guidance remains unchanged.
The following statistics were released by the Department of Health: Report on the experience of patients in Black and Minority Ethnic groups, based on data up to and including 2008 patient surveys. This report produced by the Department of Health with input and advice from the Care Quality Commission, examines variations in the self-reported views of NHS patients from different ethnic groups. Results are presented from the 2008/09 adult inpatient, 2008/09 emergency department, 2007/08 primary care services and 2007/08 community mental health patient surveys. These findings give us insight into the areas of NHS service provision where experience of the service looks different to patients from different ethnic groups. Results are based on data from the National Patient Survey programme, led by the Care Quality Commission.
New data show for the first time that a course of 2 infusions of MabThera 1000mg (rituximab, known as Rituxan within the United States) given every 24 weeks as the patient"s first biologic can significantly slow down joint damage following 1 year of treatment, with virtually no progression of joint damage seen from six months1.
OCD-UK, the leading national charity for people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with the support of a grant from Comic Relief has announced a year long research project to understand and evaluate if treatment guidelines have had a positive impact on providing treatment for people with OCD across the UK.
A free, online lifestyle self-assessment service to help teenagers improve their health and wellbeing is being rolled out nationally by the Department of Health today.
U.S. researchers have reversed multiple sclerosis symptoms in early stage patients by using bone marrow stem cell transplants to reset the immune system.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) announced that its flagship product, BioThrax® (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed), has been granted a shelf life extension from 3 to 4 years by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Based on this approval, Emergent has achieved a contract milestone warranting a payment of approximately $30 million for doses previously delivered to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) under the terms of the company"s existing BioThrax procurement contracts with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This amount is expected to be recognized as revenue in the second quarter of 2009. In addition, FDA approval of 4-year expiry dating results in an immediate price increase for the future delivery of BioThrax doses under the current contract as well as under the follow-on multi-year contract, valued at $405 million, for the delivery of 14.5 million doses of BioThrax.
COPENHAGEN - The interleukin (IL)-6 receptor inhibitor tocilizumab (ActemraR) combined with methotrexate is more effective than methotrexate monotherapy in inhibiting the progression of structural joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients, according to results released at the 10th Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2009.
Cecal volvulus is axial twisting that occurs involving the cecum, terminal ileum, and ascending colon. Rarely, it may take the form of upward and anterior folding of the ascending colon ("cecal bascule").
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancy worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been associated with HCC. However, the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and the underlying liver cirrhosis, and the effects of antidiabetic therapy on HCC risk have not yet been fully evaluated.
The Group of Eight (G8) industrial nations are "collectively off course in delivering on a 2005 pact to more than double aid to Africa through 2010," according to an annual report released Thursday by the One Campaign, Reuters/Washington Post reports (Wroughton, Reuters/Washington Post, 6/11).