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Changes To HPA Pandemic Flu Media Updates, UK
Government"s announcement that the UK is moving to a new phase in the response to the current pandemic flu virus means there will be a change to the surveillance information that the Health Protection Agency will be able to provide to the media in future.

Women Who Quit Smoking Early In Pregnancy Reduce Risks Of Preterm Birth, Stunted Fetal Growth
Pregnant women who quit smoking during the first trimester and women who never smoked during pregnancy have a similar risk of delivering preterm or very small infants, according to a study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reuters reports. Premature delivery and stunted infant growth are the most well-documented side effects of smoking during pregnancy, and the risks increase for older women, according to study author Laura Polakowski of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and colleagues. For the study, the researchers analyzed 915,441 birth certificates for infants born in 2005 in 11 states that include information on whether the woman smoked during pregnancy.The study found that 10% of women who smoked for the entire pregnancy gave birth to "preterm but not too small for gestational age" infants, compared with 8% of women who quit during the first trimester. Fifteen percent of women who smoked the entire pregnancy gave birth to full-term infants who were small for their gestational age, while 2% gave birth to premature infants who were small for gestational age. Among women who quit smoking during the first trimester, these outcomes occurred 9% and 1% of the time, respectively.After adjusting for the women"s age, previous preterm births and other factors, the researchers found that women who quit smoking in the first trimester reduced their risk of giving birth to a preterm, normal-size infant by 31%. The risk of delivering a full-term, unusually small infant was cut by 55% and the risk for delivering a preterm, unusually small infant was reduced by 53%. The risks were also reduced for women who quit smoking during their second trimester, although less significantly. The researchers found that the risk reduction was particularly high for older women -- especially those older than age 40 -- who quit smoking during the first trimester. According to the study, the results indicate that the risk of delivering a preterm or small-for-gestational-age infant for pregnant women who quit smoking during the first trimester is "comparable to those who never smoke during pregnancy" (Reuters, 7/21).
News of the day
Scientists Discover New Strain Of HIV Closely Related To Simian Virus
Scientists have discovered a new strain of HIV in a 62-year-old woman from Cameroon that "differs from the three known strains ò€¦ and appears to be closely related to a form of simian virus recently discovered in wild gorillas" according to a study in today"s edition of the journal Nature Medicine, AP/Washington Times reports. The study was funded by the NIH and the Tietze Foundation (8/3). "The discovery of this novel HIV-1 lineage highlights the continuing need to watch closely for the emergence of new HIV variants, particularly in western central Africa, the origin of all existing HIV-1 groups," researchers note in the study (Reuters, 8/3). According to the AP/San Francisco Chronicle, the woman had no contact with gorillas or meat from wild animals and "currently shows no signs of AIDS and remains untreated, though she still carries the virus, the researchers said." The article adds, "How widespread this strain is remains to be determined. Researchers said it could be circulating unnoticed in Cameroon or elsewhere."
Public Health

New Market Research Study Shows Lung Cancer Treatments Differ Significantly By Both Age And Geography

There are striking differences in treatment regimens for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, based on both age and geography, according to a new market research study conducted by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, presented as a poster on Saturday at the 2009 ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) meeting in Orlando, Florida (Abstract no.: 8053; Poster no.: N15). Performed in conjunction with TNS Healthcare, the representative study shows that among patients with advanced NSCLC, monotherapy is used most often among those 70 or older, while combination therapies are administered most frequently to younger patients. Location also is a key factor in determining therapy choice, with a chemotherapy doublet plus a targeted agent far more common in the US than in Europe. "While chemotherapy doublets remain the standard regimen for first-line treatment of stage IIIB and IV NSCLC, there are substantial differences among regions in the doublets most often chosen and whether a targeted agent is concurrently administered," says J.F. Vansteenkiste, first author of the poster. "For example, the preferred doublet in Europe is platinum plus gemcitabine, used in 29% of patients. In contrast, in the US and Japan, platinum plus taxanes is predominant, used in more than a quarter of American and more than half of Japanese patients." "The most extensive use of doublets plus targeted agent is in the US, in contrast with Europe and Japan. Almost half of non-squamous cancer patients younger than 70 are being treated with these combinations in the US. Even among those older than 70, more than a quarter of patients are on chemotherapy doublets plus targeted agent." Randomized phase III studies have shown that adding targeted agents to standard first-line treatments can prolong overall survival. Almost 5,000 NSCLC Patients Monitored Merck KGaA already had presented at last year"s ASCO a landmark study for Erbitux in combination with standard 1st-line chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC which showed for the first time in 10 years a significant survival benefit in a broad patient population. In the current study Merck KGaA monitored 4,950 patients from May to mid-July 2008 across Western Europe (Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the UK), the US and Japan. TNS Healthcare recruited oncologists in the US, oncologists, radiotherapists and pulmonologists in Europe and pulmonologists and respiratory surgeons in Japan to participate. Physicians who contributed provided information through on-line patient record forms. About Merck Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total revenues of euro 7.6 billion in 2008, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by 32,700 employees in 60 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck"s operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since. About TNS Healthcare TNS Healthcare provides market research consulting to the worldwide pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries, as well as health-focused ad agencies, media and analysts. It offers globally consistent solutions and custom advisory services to support product introductions; brand, treatment and sales performance optimization; and physician and DTC promotional assessment. Informing decisions across the life cycle, TNS Healthcare offers action-ready insights for pre- launch landscaping, market and opportunity assessment, segmentation, positioning, message and campaign creation, pricing, forecasting, attitude and awareness measurement and post-launch tracking. It delivers information across stakeholders--including physicians, patients and consumers--to help companies anticipate and impact customers" behaviors. TNS Healthcare provides both qualitative and quantitative offerings, using traditional and on- line methodologies, combining worldwide reach with local expertise. TNS Healthcare


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