Diagnostics
What"s Up, Docs? The Wall Street Journal
As the UK enters a summer of discontent, one company has a vision to make the outlook decidedly brighter - by looking at life through blue-tinted spectacles.
To control mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, researchers need to look
In a first of its kind study, Scientific American cut through the marketing messages to take a hard look at what countries across the globe are doing to bolster biotech programs within their borders. Many rankings compare Europe, Asia, and the US -- the Scientific American Worldview: A Global Biotechnology Perspective digs deeper, examining all the elements that impact overall biotech innovation. You might be surprised by some of the results.
In response to Food Standards Agency"s new guidelines on voluntary salt reduction targets, Alex Callaghan, Policy Officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said:
Merck & Co., Inc. issued the following statement in response to study results published today by the World Health Organization offering the first evidence that elimination of the tropical disease river blindness (onchocerciasis) in Africa is feasible with treatment with ivermectin (registered trademark Mectizan®). As the discoverer and manufacturer of Mectizan, Merck decided in 1987 to donate the drug to all who need it for as long as necessary until river blindness is eliminated as a public health problem. The Merck Mectizan Donation Program is one of the longest-running disease-specific drug donation and public/private partnership programs in history.
Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering students have demonstrated a practical way to embed a patient"s own adult stem cells in the surgical thread that doctors use to repair serious orthopedic injuries such as ruptured tendons. The goal, the students said, is to enhance healing and reduce the likelihood of re-injury without changing the surgical procedure itself.
Women in Somerset now have a new of expert information and advice available to them as soon as they know they are pregnant.
Research carried out at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has resulted in a promising approach to help treat Alzheimer"s disease in a significant proportion of the population that suffers from a particularly rapid development of this disease.
Compared with patients with moderately controlled glucose levels, diabetic patients who have heart failure and either too high or too low glucose levels may be at increased risk of death, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report published in the current issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Researchers at Brown University and the University of Arizona have determined that variations of three different genes in the brain (called single-nucleotide polymorphisms) may help predict a person"s tendency to make certain choices.
Obese people are four times as likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee as they are to develop high blood pressure or type-2 diabetes, according to a leading arthritis charity, launching a new online report on the subject. But whereas high blood pressure and diabetes may be substantially improved on losing weight and are relatively easy to control with therapy, the changes resulting from osteoarthritis are irreversible, as worn cartilage cannot currently be repaired.
The former Ghanaian president, John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, has
Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:RDEA) today announced that it has initiated a Phase 2b clinical trial of RDEA594, its lead product candidate in development for the management of hyperuricemia and gout. The Company also announced the selection of RDEA684, a next-generation URAT1 inhibitor, as a development candidate for the same indication.
LDR, a total spine solution company, announced that it has begun to market its ROI-C™ cervical cage following 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration. The ROI-C cage, when used with the company"s integrated VerteBRIDGE™ plating technology, offers a zero profile, stand-alone construct for fusion in the cervical spine. ROI-C addresses the growing interest within the market for stand-alone cervical fusion technology that reduces the need for thick cervical plates that may contribute to dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing.
The UK needs a national plan for dementia research or the country will pay the price, the UK"s top scientists are warning today.
Revised guidelines on when and how to induce labor in pregnant women were issued by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The guidelines provide physicians with guidance regarding which induction methods may be most appropriate under particular circumstances, as well as the safety requirements, and risks and benefits of the different methods. ACOG"s Practice Bulletin "Induction of Labor" is published in the August 2009 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The Kansas chapter of the National Organization for Women has formed its own political action committee to replace ProKanDo, a PAC founded in 2002 by abortion provider George Tiller that was closed after his murder in May, the AP/Hays Daily News reports. ProKanDo spent more than $1 million over the last four years to advocate for abortion rights, assist candidates who support abortion rights and oppose antiabortion-rights candidates. The organization had more than 6,400 contributors but received between one-third and one-half of its annual funding from Tiller, according to former Director Julie Burkhart.NOW has scheduled a conference in Wichita on July 25 to discuss legislative strategy and Kansas elections. Marla Patrick, coordinator of NOW"s Kansas chapter,÷ said that although the new PAC will not have the same financial support from Tiller that ProKanDo received, his death has invigorated grassroots support. She added, "I think that can be every bit as effective, if not more so, especially in light of all the recent events" (Hegeman, AP/Hays Daily News, 7/18).
Dietitians of Canada (DC) released a report today describing the integral role played by registered dietitians, as members of multi-disciplinary teams that contribute to promoting and supporting health among Canadians. The Role of Registered Dietitians in Primary Health Care: Moving Forward - A National Perspective presents evidence for the cost-effectiveness of nutrition services in the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart disease.
Vesselplasty, a new minimally invasive procedure, increases mobility and reduces pain and the need for pain killers in patients with vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), according to a study performed at the Hospital Universitario Doctor Peset, Valencia, Spain. Vesselplasty is a new alternative to vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty-two conventional VCF treatment methods. Vesselplasty solves the problem of leakage of cement out of the vertebral body which can happen during both vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty," said Lucia Flors, MD, lead author of the study.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci told delegates at the 5th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Cape Town, South Africa "that a bill to lift the ban on funding needle exchange programmes was working its way through Congress, and restrictions on HIV-infected people entering the U.S. were also almost certain to be lifted in the near future," Plus News/IRIN reports. Fauci added, "With regard to science and policy, we will stay on the right path." Eric Goosby, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, was also present at the conference and discussed U.S. policies related to global HIV/AIDS (7/20).
Timeframe before conception may be linked to disease later in life
Sol-Gel Technologies Ltd, a specialty pharmaceuticals company, announced today results from a comparative clinical study. The results demonstrate that the company"s two strength Anti-Acne kits achieved pronounced efficacy and markedly improved tolerability. The study will be presented at the 10th International Congress of Dermatology in Prague, May 20-23, 2009.
A pioneering University of Wolverhampton lecturer has won a ÷£25,000 grant to research the healing effect of sugar on cuts and wounds.
Schizophrenia is a severely debilitating psychiatric disease that is thought to have its roots in the development of the nervous system; however, major breakthroughs linking its genetics to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment are still unrealized. Jill Morris, PhD assistant professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University"s Feinberg School of Medicine and a researcher in the Human Molecular Genetics Program of Children"s Memorial Research Center studies a gene that is involved in susceptibility to schizophrenia, Disc1 (Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia 1). Two recent publications by Morris and colleagues focus on the role of Disc1 in development, particularly the migration of cells to their proper location in the brain and subsequent differentiation into their intended fate. During development, cells need to properly migrate to their final destination in order to develop into the appropriate cell-type, integrate into the corresponding network of cells and function properly. Disruption of cell migration can lead to inappropriate cell development and function, resulting in disease.
Increasing numbers of children around the world are suffering from respiratory problems - coughing, wheezing and asthma attacks. Although the key external causes of these diseases were identified a long time ago (traffic and industrial air pollution), it had not previously been possible to distinguish clearly between these two factors so as to have a targeted impact on them. Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the University of Leipzig carried out research in this area together with colleagues from the University of La Plata and can now confirm that air pollution caused by industry has even more grave effects than vehicle exhaust fumes.
Purdue University researchers have created magnetically responsive gold nanostars that may offer a new approach to biomedical imaging.
As we age, our ability to adequately respond to summer heat can become a serious problem. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has some advice for helping older people avoid heat-related illnesses, known collectively as hyperthermia, during the summer months.
Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) announced final selection of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine candidate that will be advanced into additional preclinical studies to support an Investigational New Drug (IND) application. As previously announced, Novavax has been evaluating a number of RSV vaccine candidates, all of which have successfully induced antibody responses in mice. Novavax scientists have now engineered a new vaccine candidate which has been shown to protect mice against RSV disease and can be produced at sufficient yields to allow commercial manufacture. This new candidate is directed against a protein on the surface of the virus, the "F" or "fusion" protein, which is the protein that the virus uses to infect and fuse with cells in the respiratory tract and cause disease.
Schering-Plough announced that a New Drug Application (NDA) for a fixed-dose combination of mometasone furoate and formoterol fumarate has been filed in the United States and accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Schering-Plough is seeking marketing approval from the FDA of the mometasone furoate/formoterol fumarate combination for the maintenance treatment of asthma in patients 12 years of age and older.
A major new study released today by Americans for Insurance Reform finds that premiums and claims for doctors both have dropped significantly in recent years while the medical malpractice insurance industry is enjoying remarkable profits in light of the global economic collapse. It concludes that further limiting the liability of negligent doctors and unsafe hospitals is not only unjustified, but also would have almost no impact lowering this country"s overall health care expenditures.
UK Advocates (UKA), a new charitable campaign group dedicated to helping the still suffering alcoholic achieve lasting sobriety, has welcomed the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Alcohol Misuse report published which calls for urgent action to address serious shortcomings in the treatment of alcohol dependents in England.
In an interview with CBS" "Evening News" on Tuesday, President Obama said that lawmakers should "not get distracted by the abortion debate" as they weigh health reform legislation. When asked by "Evening News" anchor Katie Couric if he would "favor a government option that would cover abortions," Obama replied that what he thinks is "important, at this stage, is not trying to micro-manage what benefits are covered." He added that his "main focus is making sure that people have the options of high-quality care at the lowest possible price." Obama also said, "As you know, I"m pro-choice. But I think we also have the tradition of, in this town, historically, of not financing abortions as part of government-funded health care." He continued that "[r]ather than wade into that issue at this point, I think it"s appropriate for us to figure out how to just deliver on the cost savings, and not get distracted by the abortion debate at this station" (Couric, "Evening News," CBS, 7/21).
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday postponed its vote on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor until July 28 at the request of Republican members who said they need one more week to review written answers she recently submitted to the panel, CongressDaily reports. Both Republicans and Democrats expect Sotomayor to be approved by the committee and confirmed by the Senate, CongressDaily reports (CongressDaily, 7/21).The delay came as Senate Republicans continued to weigh whether they would vote to confirm Sotomayor, the Wall Street Journal reports. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced plans to vote for Sotomayor and issued a statement calling the judge "committed to applying the law impartially without bias or favoritism." Four other moderate Republicans have said they will support Sotomayor, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) indicated that more might follow suit. "There are a number of Republicans who have announced they plan to vote for her," Leahy said, adding, "There are a number of others who"ve not made that announcement yet, but plan to vote for her" (Peterson, Wall Street Journal, 7/21). Leahy said he is confident that Sotomayor will be confirmed in time for the Supreme Court"s first meeting on Sept. 9.Some strong conservatives, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), have said they will oppose Sotomayor (Hirschfeld Davis, AP/Denver Post, 7/22). Among the Senate Republicans who have not announced their intentions are Sens. John Cornyn (Texas), who serves on the Judiciary Committee, and Judd Gregg (N.H.) (Wall Street Journal, 7/21).NARAL Endorses Sotomayor NARAL ProChoice America recently said that it will endorse Sotomayor, the AP/Seattle Times reports. The group said that Sotomayor"s testimony shows that she is a stronger supporter of privacy rights than the last two Supreme Court nominees -- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. Sotomayor said several times during her confirmation hearings that privacy rights include a woman"s right to have an abortion, NARAL said. According to the AP/Times, NARAL did not endorse Sotomayor until now because of uncertainty over her views on abortion rights (Hirschfeld Davis, AP/Seattle Times, 7/21).
Advocates are stepping up efforts to address the high pregnancy rate among teens in foster care programs, Time reports. Although teen pregnancy rates are rising nationwide after years of declines, the numbers in the foster care system are "truly epidemic," according to Time. A University of Chicago study showed that almost half of girls who have spent time in the foster system had been pregnant at least once before age 19, and almost one-fourth had multiple pregnancies in their teens. However, the problem has traditionally received scant attention from children"s health advocates. Last week, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy announced a new campaign to address pregnancy prevention for foster care teens. The groups plan to push the Obama administration to consider the issue as it develops strategies to prevent unintended pregnancies. Planned Parenthood is recruiting and training thousands of peer educators -- including many who are in foster care themselves -- to engage teens in medically accurate discussions about sex. A report released this week by the National Campaign shows that nearly half of the 500,000 children in foster care had sex for the first time before age 16, compared with 30% of all teens. Teens in foster care also were more likely to have had forced sex and less likely to have used contraception.National Campaign Senior Policy Director Andrea Kane said, "Foster parents already go through trainings -- the delivery system exists." She added, "[W]e have people who can teach them how to do this. We just need to put the two together." According to Time, foster parents might assume that children were taught about reproductive health while living with another family. Social workers might also be reluctant to discuss sex with foster children. Advocates say that intended pregnancy also should be addressed as part of prevention efforts. University of Chicago researcher Amy Dworsky said, "For some foster youth, having a child is a way to create a family that they don"t have, or to fill an emotional void" (Sullivan, Time, 7/22).
American Indian teenagers become parents at twice the rate of other American teenagers. Many of these teens have greater environmental and behavioral challenges associated with living on reservations, including higher rates of poverty, increased rates of unemployment and school drop-out, higher rates of alcohol and drug abuse, impaired access to healthcare, as well as increased risk of domestic violence and suicide over the general population.
Young adults are facing tough times with limited job prospects and no health insurance. The Associated Press reports on recent college graduate Emily Weinstein as being representative of the many young uninsured Americans: "Like millions of other uninsured adults in their 20s, Weinstein is watching Congress as it advances legislation to overhaul health care. The recession has deepened young adults" career struggles. It has also sharpened their interest in health insurance. Already the least likely of any age group to have coverage, adults in their 20s face brutal job searches and more time uninsured because of the recession. Nearly 30 percent, 13.2 million, were uninsured in 2007, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based research center. Many young adults work entry-level jobs without insurance and, despite new laws in some states, they"re eventually too old to stay on their parents" policies."
Despite increasing danger posed by "al Qaeda-linked militants," U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said Tuesday U.N. aid workers "were not backing away" from the country, Reuters reports. "Intense fighting is making it increasingly difficult to deliver aid in the Horn of Africa country, where U.N. agencies are trying to combat cholera outbreaks and maintain food supplies to 3.5 million hungry people," the news service writes (Nebehay, 7/21).
In the first human trial of GlaxoSmithKline"s (GSK) experimental HIV drug S/GSK1349572, the drug was able to reduce HIV to undetectable levels in 70 percent of the 35 patients taking the treatment for 10 days, according to findings presented at the International AIDS Society"s conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Bloomberg reports. The drug decreased the virus in the body "without the signs of resistance linked to treatments from" Merck"s Isentress and Gilead Sciences" Elvitegravir, according to Bloomberg. GSK will begin a larger trial of the drug this month, Sherene Min, the director of clinical pharmacology discovery medicine for GSK, said. Michael Saag, director of the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Alabama, who is not affiliated with the study, said the scale of viral reduction was "spectacular," adding, "In 10 days to go to undetectable is pretty strong. This thing"s working" (Bennett, 7/21).
Bracing for an outbreak of 2009 H1N1 (swine-origin) flu that a Saint Louis University infectious diseases expert estimates could sicken one in five people this fall, scientists at eight Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are launching a series of clinical trials this summer to test vaccines to protect against the illness.
Employers will hire 22 percent fewer college graduates in 2009 than they did last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. That means thousands of Pennsylvania college students graduating this spring may be without health insurance coverage due to unemployment or time elapsing before starting a new job.
Feeling stressed? Then try savoring the scent of lemon, mango, lavender, or other fragrant plants. Scientists in Japan are reporting the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels. Their study appears in ACS" Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.
Scientists in India are reporting successful laboratory tests of a new and potentially safer alternative to silver-based gels applied to the skin of burn patients to treat infections. With names like silver sulfadiazine and silver nitrate, these germ-fighters save lives and speed healing. The researchers describe gel composed of silver nanoparticles - each 1/50,000th the width of a human hair - that appears more effective than these traditional gels. Their study is scheduled for the Aug. 3 issue of ACS" Molecular Pharmaceutics, a bi-monthly journal.
Findings from the largest study to date comparing the efficacy of competing treatments for chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) show that the regimens are similar when it comes to safety and their ability to provoke long-term viral eradication, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Still, subgroup analysis reveals provocative data suggesting some approaches might be better than others for women and minorities.
A research consortium based at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has been awarded $15 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to investigate how the hepatitis C virus (HCV) resists suppression and clearance by the immune system. The five-year grant will support a Cooperative Center for Translational Research in Human Immunology, which also will focus on how some individuals successfully recover from HCV while the infection becomes chronic in most of those infected, with a special emphasis on immunological events in the liver as the site of HCV replication.
Current research suggests that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent one of the leading causes of legal blindness among the elderly. The related report by Tuo et al, "A high omega-3 fatty acid diet reduces retinal lesions in a murine model of macular degeneration," appears in the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.
Health Minister Edwina Hart is reminding people that Wales will not be part of the National Pandemic Flu Service (NPHS) when it goes live in England.
Ten years ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) sounded the alarm about the widespread toll of medical errors in a groundbreaking report call "To Err is Human." The report prompted a rush of congressional hearings and promises of reform. But in the decade since the report was published, little progress has been made implementing key reforms recommended by the IOM to improve patient safety, according to Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.
The American Lung Association applauds the Food and Drug Administration for its announcement about e-cigarettes. FDA"s preliminary findings show e-cigarettes contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals, including ingredients found in antifreeze.
The UK will play a leading role in coordinated European action to tackle dementia from.
The androgen receptor a protein ignition switch for prostate cancer cell growth and division is a master of adaptability. When drug therapy deprives the receptor of androgen hormones, thereby halting cell proliferation, the receptor manages to find an alternate growth route. A new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Ohio State University scientists demonstrates how.
Most cancers are rare in people with Down syndrome, whose overall cancer mortality is below 10 percent of that in the general population. Since they have an extra copy of chromosome 21, it"s been proposed that people with Down syndrome may be getting an extra dose of one or more cancer-protective genes. The late cancer researcher Judah Folkman, MD, founder of the Vascular Biology Program at Children"s Hospital Boston, popularized the notion that they might be benefiting from a gene that blocks angiogenesis, the development of blood vessels essential for cancer"s growth, since their incidence of other angiogenesis-related diseases like macular degeneration is also lower. A study from Children"s confirms this idea in mice and human cells and identifies specific new therapeutic targets for treating cancer.
A small study published in this week"s Veterinary Record reports that veterinarians do not receive adequate training in order to deal with the growing "customer care" expectations of dog-owners.
A new study by scientists at the University of Iowa shows why muscle membranes don"t rupture when healthy people exercise.
Responding to data in Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England, 2008 that suggests the likelihood of a pupil drinking alcohol increases with the number of drinkers per household, Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians said:
The risk of developing deep vein thrombosis during a long flight is often overestimated. According to the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), this condition is very unlikely in healthy travellers. When people wear a cast or splint after a sports accident, on the other hand, many are not aware that they have an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis in their leg and pelvic area. This is emphasised in information published on IQWiG"s website Informed Health Online.
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).
The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) welcomes the Federal Government"s announcement of funding to upgrade the skills of workers in aged care.
The Medicare rebate system should be reformed to enable General Practitioners to spend more time helping patients to avoid preventable health problems, the AMA said today.
Police detectives searched the offices of one of Michael Jackson"s doctors for evidence of manslaughter on Wednesday, according to various US
Inter Press Service examines how "[f]ailure to sustain funding for HIV/AIDS treatment programmes could lead to a rising number of deaths, particularly in Africa." Examples cited by the news service include: "The Tanzanian government ̣€¦ had to reduce its HIV budget by a quarter, while Swaziland lowered its 2011 treatment coverage target from 60 percent to 50 percent, which will affect about 40,000 HIV-positive people." In Uganda, "some PEPFAR-funded non-governmental organizations" were "instructed to stop enrolment in treatment," and "Malawi is expecting national drug shortages and in the process of putting into place an emergency plan."
A study conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) finds that different interpretations of the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule can result in significant delays or abandonment of important clinical cancer research projects. The study also outlines measures that research sites can undertake to resolve these differences and speed the pace of research. The study results were published online today by the Journal of Clinical Oncology in an ASCO special article, "The Impact of the Privacy Rule on Cancer Research: Variations in Attitudes and Application of Regulatory Standards".
How much disease costs Australia will be the focus of a keynote address by UQ"s Professor Theo Vos at today"s Public Health Association of Australia Queensland State Conference.
Dog breeds selected to work in visual contact with humans, such as sheep dogs and gun dogs, are better able to comprehend a pointing gesture than those breeds that usually work without direct supervision. A series of tests, described in BioMed Central"s open access journal Behavioral and Brain Functions, should caution researchers against making simple generalizations about the effects of domestication and on dog-wolf differences in the utilization of human visual signals.
Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN) announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ACUVAIL™ (ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution) 0.45%, an advanced, preservative-free formulation of ketorolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indicated for the treatment of pain and inflammation following cataract surgery. Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness among older adults and cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the United States, with more than 3 million procedures performed each year.1
A study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reveals how late-stage, hormone-independent prostate tumors gain the ability to grow without need of hormones.
Scientists from The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Sangamo Biosciences, Inc., (NASDAQ: SGMO), Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (NASDAQ: SIAL), Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. (OMT) and INSERM today announced the creation of the first genetically modified mammals developed using zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology.
Scientists at Glasgow have made a significant discovery in the study of a rare form of diabetes which predominantly affects men. Hereditary Diabetes Insipidus is, according to experts, the most common genetic disease known in medicine. It causes serious kidney malfunction and can, if untreated, be fatal. There are an estimated to be around 9000 Heredirary DI patients in the UK.
As part of its continuing engagement in global health issues, Yale University"s Global Health Leadership Institute is partnering with Tsinghua University to launch a four-year leadership development program in healthcare management for women in China. The effort is part of the 10,000 Women initiative, a program launched by Goldman Sachs to provide business and management education to women around the world. The program is based on research from Goldman Sachs, the World Bank, and others which found that investments in women can lead to significant economic and social returns.
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), has adopted a negative opinion for the use of Erbitux® (cetuximab) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-expressing, advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Merck KGaA is evaluating potential appeal options requesting that the CHMP re-examine data demonstrating clinical relevant benefits to patients.
Persons with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness have a lower risk of all-cause death and coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease compared to persons with lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, according to an analysis of previous studies appearing in the May 20 issue of JAMA.
Roche announced that the European Union"s Committee on Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) has issued a positive recommendation for the use of MabThera (rituximab) in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Physicians will soon be able to prescribe MabThera, the first monoclonal antibody therapy approved for previously untreated CLL, in combination with chemotherapy to patients who have been treated for the disease but whose cancer has returned or have not appropriately responded to therapy.
Health authorities in the United States have voiced concern that 40% of the country"s whole population could be infected with the swine flu (H1N1) virus over the next 24 months. The estimates are based on data gleaned from the 1957 flu pandemic which killed nearly 70,000 people in the country. That pandemic was not as severe as the 1918-1919 Spanish flu one. If one hundred and twenty million people caught swine flu this time round, and vaccine campaigns were not successful, the eventual death toll could be in the hundreds of thousands.
Nearly 40 years after the Supreme Court"s decision in Roe v. Wade, the "incendiary debate over abortion rights endures" and continues to manifest itself in a number of ways, USA Today reports. According to a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll, 78% of U.S. residents want abortion to be legal under at least some circumstances, with 21% saying it should be legal under any circumstance. According to the poll, 18% of respondents said that they want abortion always to be illegal. The poll also found that 46% of U.S. residents self-identify as "pro-choice," while 47% self-identify as "pro-life."Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said, "The enduring divide represents the reality that there are fundamental religious differences on the issue of abortion that do not exist on, say, campaign finance or even on health care." Americans United for Life President Charmaine Yoest said that abortion-rights opponents are mobilizing to urge congressional lawmakers to exclude abortion coverage and funding from any federal health reform legislation.During the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, the judge said that she does not believe previous court rulings on abortion rights have ended the national controversy surrounding the issue. According to USA Today, Sotomayor, who has never ruled on the issue, declined to reveal her personal position on abortion rights. Several antiabortion-rights advocates also protested during Sotomayor"s hearings (Biskupic, USA Today, 7/24).In addition, the Center for Reproductive Rights this week released a report that found physicians and employees of health care clinics providing abortion services in six states -- Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Texas -- face an increasing level of harassment and death threats. The report was based on a four-month investigation (AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/23). The report was tied to the murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller (USA Today, 7/24). Operation Save America Director the Rev. Flip Benham, whose group is mentioned in the report, said the center is trying to limit the free-speech rights of abortion-rights opponents (AP/Houston Chronicle, 7/23).
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Thursday said the Senate will be unable to pass health care reform before it leaves for its August recess, which will likely result in changes to the shape of the final bill, The Washington Post reports.
New regulations seek to crack down on a little known form of identity theft -- medical identity theft, according to Kaiser Health News. "Armed with as little as a stolen name, Social Security number and date of birth, an imposter can walk into a doctor"s office or hospital and receive services billed to the victim or the insurance provider. Although few statistics are available, the Federal Trade Commission reports that medical identity theft accounts for 1.3 percent to 3 percent of all identity theft crime -- about 250,000 cases each year."
The U.N. Development Program (UNDP) will help fund a three-year program in response to the increase in HIV/AIDS cases in the Philippines, the Manila Bulletin reports. The program aims to help the country combat the spread of the disease and reach the related U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. "The program has five components that aim to develop intervention packages, especially among vulnerable and at-risk groups in rural areas," writes the Manila Bulletin (Sabater, 7/23).
Lancet Commends U.K. All-Parliamentary Group on AIDS Call For HIV Drug Patent Pool
Researchers in Israel and Kenya have shown that the contribution of variable degrees of immune suppression, either due to existing chronic infections such as parasitemias and/or nutrition, in different populations may influence and prolong the serological-diagnostic window period of HIV. However, the immunosuppression can be overcome, by in-vitro enhancement of antibody production (termed- Stimmunology). The results, which appear in the August 2009 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, show that pre-treating the whole blood sample in the SMARTube™ containing immune potentiating agents promoted the synthesis and release of antibodies against HIV-1 prior to their detection in corresponding plasma samples in a group of donors who would otherwise be classified as HIV-1 seronegative blood donors. The identification of techniques that can lead to detection of HIV infection during this window period is of obvious public health importance especially in re poor settings highlighting the importance of these findings. Overcoming the suppression, in-vitro, led to the production of detectable levels of anti-HIV antibodies in the whole blood sample and to the detection of potentially infectious blood units which were missed by regular HIV serology. Interestingly, the ratio of missed infections among the total HIV infected blood donors was higher among the younger (high-school) donors versus adult donors.
Overall prognosis for gallbladder cancer appears to be improving, although many patients still have incurable disease and poor survival rates, according to a report in the May issue ofArchives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Experts in intensive care and anaesthesia have predicted that the current swine flu pandemic could overwhelm critical care beds and ventilators in England, with hospitals on the South East Coast, and in the South West, East of England and East Midlands, being worst hit.
Roofing companies in Greater Manchester are being urged to make safety one of their top priorities after a man fell through the roof of a Swinton factory.
MEDEC - Canada"s Medical Technology Companies - applauds the Ontario Government for its recent decision to add Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Technology to the services covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) thereby ensuring that Ontarians have access to PET technology.
With just $399 and a bit of saliva in a cup, consumers can learn about their genetic risk for diseases from breast cancer to Alzheimer"s. Now, thanks to social networking sites set up by personal genomics companies, they can also share that information with family, friends and even strangers on the Internet.
Staff working in UK veterinary practices lack access to good occupational health advice warns a new study published in the scientific journal, Occupational Medicine. The research, the first published benchmark of occupational health risk management by vet practices in the UK, showed that despite veterinary surgeons and nurses being exposed to many occupational hazards less than a third of practices had trained staff in health and safety and only 14% sought advice from occupational health professionals.
An Article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet concludes that radiotherapy plus chemotherapy, with or without surgery, are both treatment options for patients with stage IIIA (N2) non-small-cell lung cancer. The Article is written by Dr Kathy Albain, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Maywood, IL, USA, and colleagues.
Eli Lilly and Company continues to lead the way in advancing lung cancer treatment. On the heels of new FDA and European Commission approvals for ALIMTA((R)) (pemetrexed for injection) as a treatment for nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the maintenance setting, the company will release findings from more than 30 lung cancer studies at the 13th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in San Francisco, Calif., from July 31 to Aug. 4, 2009. WCLC is sponsored by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Data will feature Lilly"s ALIMTA and GEMZAR((R)) (gemcitabine HCl for injection).
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and BioMS Medical Corp. (TSX: MS) announced that dirucotide did not meet the primary endpoint of delaying disease progression, as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), during the two-year MAESTRO-01 Phase III trial in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). In addition, there were no statistically significant differences between dirucotide and placebo on the secondary endpoints of the study.
Childhood obesity causes lifelong illness, leads to serious health complications in young adults and can lead to premature death in adulthood due to medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. In addition to its significant human toll, childhood obesity alone costs the nation"s health care system some $14 billion annually.
Age Concern and Help the Aged has welcomed the long-awaited publication of the Government"s Green Paper on reform of the care and support system.
Crack open the latest medical textbook to the chapter on type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes, and you"ll be hard pressed to find the term "immunology" anywhere. This is because metabolic conditions and immunologic conditions are, with a few exceptions, distant cousins.
The AP/KTVZ.com examines how after years of strained relationships between the "military-run nation" of Myanmar and international donors that led to a large reduction in HIV/AIDS funding, donors are considering reinvesting in the country"s HIV/AIDS programs. According to AP/KTVZ.com, "Myanmar receives only about $3 per capita in aid, compared with $23 for Vietnam and $50 for Laos."
A team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have solved the mystery of why some children are more susceptible to malaria infection and anemia. These novel findings suggest that some children who are exposed to Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) malaria before birth become tolerant to the malaria parasites, or their soluble products. This tolerance, which persists into childhood, reduces the ability of the immune system to attack and destroy parasites and increases the susceptibility of these children to develop a malaria infection. It also increases their risk for anemia. The study, published in this week"s issue of the open access journal, PLoS Medicine, is led by Indu Malhotra, Ph.D., and Christopher King, M.D., Ph.D., professor of international health, medicine, and pathology, with their colleagues at the Center for Global Health and Diseases at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and their Kenyan colleagues at the Kenya Medical Research Institute and Division of Vector Borne Diseases.
Following the announcement that Diabetes UK and NHS Diabetes have joined forces to deliver an innovative project that will support three PCTs in England to develop effective user involvement approaches in diabetes care, the charity has received an excellent response from PCTs wanting to get involved.
A lack of sunlight is associated with reduced cognitive function among depressed people. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access journal Environmental Health used weather data from NASA satellites to measure sunlight exposure across the United States and linked this information to the prevalence of cognitive impairment in depressed people.
It is known that Retroviruses, such as HIV, that are already within cells
People who are rewarded for making correct decisions learn quickly. While
Switching off a key DNA repair system in the developing nervous system is linked to smaller brain size as well as problems in brain structures vital to movement, memory and emotion, according to new research led by St. Jude Children"s Research Hospital scientists.
Some babies who are exposed to malaria before birth develop a tolerant
We"ve all experienced it after long hours driving, the eyelids getting heavy, a deep yawn, neck muscles relaxing, the urge to sleep, the head nodding down... But, you"re hands are still on the wheel and you only just stopped yourself nodding off in time to avoid the oncoming traffic.
Nanoparticles are being developed to perform a wide range of medical uses -- imaging tumors, carrying drugs, delivering pulses of heat. Rather than settling for just one of these, researchers at the University of Washington have combined two nanoparticles in one tiny package.
A St. Louis-based team of plant and physician-scientists with a vision of eradicating malnutrition throughout the developing world today announced the formation of the Global Harvest Alliance (GHA), a humanitarian effort involving St. Louis Children"s Hospital, The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and Washington University School of Medicine. Though they share a commonality of purpose, each institution brings unique strengths and world-class leadership within their respective fields to bear on this global challenge.
Sunshine Heart (ASX: SHC), a global medical device company focused on innovative heart assist technologies, announced that the first two patients implanted with the C-Pulse device in April 2009 at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio have successfully completed their 3 month follow-up evaluation.