Health Insurance
Researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and the University of Liverpool will work with universities across Africa as part of a 30 million initiative to strengthen research into science and health on the continent.
The Archaea are single-celled organisms and a domain unto themselves, quite apart from the so called eukaryotes, being bacteria and higher organisms. Many species live under extreme conditions, and carry out unique biochemical processes shared neither with bacteria nor with eukaryotes. Methanogenic archaeans, for example, can produce methane gas out of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The underlying chemical reaction, a reduction, involves the cofactor known as F0 or F420 which is the tiny molecule deazaflavin. It has previously been found only in methanogenic bacteria, and has accordingly been considered the signature molecule for those species. A research group working with Professor Thomas Carell, however, has now shown that this cofactor is also common in eukaryotes, where it performs an entirely different function: deazaflavin is involved in DNA repair processes. (PNAS Early Edition online, 1 July 2009)
Sexist jokes (and all the variants of this kind of humour) favour the mental mechanisms which urge to violence and battering against women in individuals with macho attitudes. Those are the conclusions of a study carried out at the University of Granada, released in the framework of the world most renowned international symposium about humour and its scientific applications ("International Summer School and Symposium on Humour and Laughter: Theory, Research and Applications") that will be held in Granada.
Scientists at Singapore"s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) have made a novel discovery about how the gene, "Fas-apoptosis inhibitory molecule" (FAIM), protects both immune and liver cells from apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
Few people changed their behaviour in the early stages of the swine flu outbreak, finds a study published on bmj.com. But the results do support efforts to inform the public about specific actions that can reduce the risks from swine flu and to communicate about the government"s plans and res.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today proposed changes to policies and payment rates for services to be furnished during calendar year (CY 2010) by over 1 million physicians and nonphysician practitioners who are paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The MPFS sets payment rates for more than 7,000 types of services in physician offices, hospitals, and other settings.
Sorin Group, (MIL:SRN) (Reuters Code: SORN.MI), a global medical device company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) approval to market the FACIL™ and REPLY™ families of dual and single chamber rate responsive pacemakers.
Entangled in all the controversial drama surrounding the sudden death of Pop-Icon Michael Jackson is the issue of his three children"s paternity. With conflicting facts out there, many people are talking about the possibility that his children may have been born through embryo donation and adoption. This practice is not new. Many families are successfully birthing healthy babies from frozen embryos throughout the United States.
Although the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans has only 302 neurons in its entire nervous system, studies of this simple animal have significantly advanced our understanding of human brain function because it shares many genes and neurochemical signaling molecules with humans. Now MIT researchers have found novel C. elegans neurochemical receptors, the discovery of which could lead to new therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders if similar receptors are found in humans.
UCSF researchers have identified a new "feed-forward" pathway linking estrogen receptors in the membrane of the uterus to a process that increases local estrogen levels and promotes cell growth.
Medical students will be urged to look beyond our shores, as the Australian Medical Students" Association (AMSA) Global Health Conference explores the health issues and challenges facing developing countries.
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.
Video from portable cameras is analysed to calculate the distance of obstacles and predict the movements of people and cars. This information is then transformed and relayed to a blind person as a three-dimensional "picture" of sound.
More than 270,000 refugees who have fled war in Somalia are facing such alarming shortages of food, water, and adequate shelter in severely overcrowded camps in northern Kenya that many are considering returning to the Somali war zone, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) said today.
Research led by the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) has identified a new gene associated with diabetes, together with a mechanism that makes obese mice less susceptible to diabetes. A genomic fragment that occurs naturally in some mouse strains diminishes the activity of the risk gene Zfp69. The researchers also found that the corresponding human gene (ZNF642) is especially active in overweight individuals with diabetes. The results of the study, which also involved scientists from the University of Leipzig and the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, are published July 3 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) announced results of a study demonstrating that TYSABRI® (natalizumab) promoted regeneration and stabilization of damage done to the myelin sheath, as measured by advanced MRI technology. Damage to the myelin sheath causes the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Additional posters will also be presented during the Congress highlighting the ability of TYSABRI, in some patients, to improve physical function and patient reported outcomes on cognition, quality of life, and fatigue. TYSABRI is the first approved MS therapy with reported data suggesting that some of the signs of disease progression can be stopped. The strong efficacy profile demonstrated in clinical trials is enhanced further from these data and may help redefine success in MS.
The essential chromosomal protein complex cohesin has crucial roles in sister chromatid cohesion, DNA repair and transcriptional regulation. Despite its conserved function, cohesin"s disparate association patterns in different organisms did not quite add up. New research published in the open access journal Genome Biology works towards completing the cohesin puzzle, reconciling some of these differences.
Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have found a connection between DNA alterations on human chromosome 9 and aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma. The findings are reported in the current online issue of Nature Genetics.
In a discovery that rebuffs conventional scientific thinking, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have discovered a novel way to block the activity of the fusion protein responsible for Ewing"s sarcoma, a rare cancer found in children and young adults.
New research from the US and Japan showed that giving the caffeine equivalent of five cups of coffee a day to aged mice with symptoms of
UNICEF is deeply concerned about the condition of thousands of children who have been displaced by conflict, or who remain in affected areas, in north-western Pakistan. Nearly 50 per cent of the estimated 2 million displaced are children, many of whom are in urgent need of health and educational services, nutritional support, access to clean water and sanitation as well as protection. Their situation has been compounded by the harsh summer temperatures.
Alcon, Inc. (NYSE: ACL) and its partner, NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE-AMEX: NBY), announced that Alcon has begun treating patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial of NovaBay"s patented lead Aganocide® compound, NVC-422, for viral conjunctivitis, a type of "pink eye." Conjunctivitis is a pervasive and painful condition that affects both adults and children, leading to more than four million doctor and emergency room visits in the United States each year.
Children with sickle cell disease tend to have interrupted sleep many times during the night leaving them tired and irritable during the day.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Alimta (pemetrexed), the first drug available for maintenance therapy of advanced or metastatic lung cancer.
A study of elderly patients receiving CPR in the hospital shows that rates of survival did not improve from 1992 to 2005. During that period, the proportion of hospital deaths preceded by CPR rose, and the proportion of patients who were successfully resuscitated and later discharged home fell. The researchers found that 18.3 percent of the Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older who underwent in-hospital CPR survived to discharge.
Surgical removal of a tissue sample is now the standard for diagnosing cancer. Such procedures, known as biopsies, are accurate but only offer a snapshot of the tumor at a single moment in time.
ATS Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATSI), manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services, announced FDA clearance and the first implant of the ATS Simulus(R) Semi-Rigid Annuloplasty Band. The Simulus Semi-Rigid Annuloplasty Band was developed through the Company"s collaboration with Genesee BioMedical and represents the latest addition to the expanding portfolio of valve repair products.
Scientists at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have discovered that specialized complex sugar molecules (glycans) that anchor cells into place act as tumor suppressors in breast and prostate cancers. These glycans play a critical role in cell adhesion in normal cells, and their decrease or loss leads to increased cell migration by invasive cancer cells and metastasis. An increase in expression of the enzyme that produces these glycans, 3GnT1, resulted in a significant reduction in tumor activity. The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes expose smokers to similar levels of cancer-causing chemicals as manufactured cigarettes according to a new study by Cancer Research UK now published in Addiction Biology *.
"President Obama, strategizing... with congressional leaders about health-care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought to drop their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and devote their energy to promoting passage of comprehensive legislation," The Washington Post reports. "In a pre-holiday call with half a dozen top House and Senate Democrats, Obama expressed his concern over advertisements and online campaigns targeting moderate Democrats, whom they criticize for not being fully devoted to "true" health-care reform." In the call, "Obama said he is hoping left-leaning organizations that worked on his behalf in the presidential campaign will now rally support for "advancing legislation" that fulfills his goal of expanding coverage, controlling rising costs and modernizing the health system."
As President Barack Obama pushes to overhaul health care, many look to Europe for examples of government-run health care.
"A network of health insurance plans run by the customers they serve, proposed in the U.S. Congress to offset opposition to a government-run system, may take a generation to pay off, even with $10 billion in seed money," Bloomberg reports. The co-ops, according to Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., who first floated the idea last month could lower costs, cover more Americans, and gain bipartisan support. President Obama said in late June that he was "open" to the idea.
Sex-selective abortion among families in Vietnam with a cultural preference for boys has contributed to a sex ratio of 112 male infant births for every 100 female births in the country, according to a government official, the AP/Yahoo! News reports. According to the AP/Yahoo! News, many doctors in Vietnam do not comply with a 2003 law prohibiting the disclosure of a fetus" sex. Duong Quoc Trong, deputy director of the General Office for Population and Family Planning, said that the birth rate in 1999 was considered close to the natural rate, with about 107 boys born for every 100 girls. Since 2006, the ratio of boys to girls has steadily increased and approached a rate similar to China"s imbalance 20 years ago, he said.Trong added that the government intends to more strictly enforce the country"s ban on sex-selective abortion. The Ministry of Health recently confiscated more than 2,600 books that claim to describe ways to conceive a male child, such as special diets, MOH Deputy Chief Inspector Nguyen Dingh Bach said. He added that the ministry also ordered seven Web sites to remove articles describing such methods (AP/Yahoo! News, 7/2).
A new laser technique that could lead to bone disorders being diagnosed earlier is to be tested in a hospital for the first time. The study, which it"s hoped will pave the way for future clinical trials, will apply a revolutionary approach known as SORS (Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy), to examine specific substances in non see-through surfaces deeper than has previously been possible, without damaging the surface. The research team hope ultimately that the method can be used both to detect and screen for early signs of diseases such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has published a report on Genomic Medicine which argues that recent developments in genomic science stemming from the sequencing of the human genome represent a unique opportunity for real advances in medical care and that the Government and the NHS must take a range of steps to ensure that these advances are realised.
A new treatment for Type 2 diabetes has hit the headlines today. Liraglutide (Victoza), a once-daily injectable treatment for Type 2 diabetes, is pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk"s latest brain child.
Accelerating the development of discoveries and innovations and facilitating their adoption through free and open access to research findings. This is the aim of an important new initiative that will provide researchers and knowledge users free access to a vast digital archive of published health research at their desktop and connect them to an emerging international network of digital archives anchored in the United States.
The final analysis of the PATRICIA study shows that the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine (GlaxoSmithKline) has high efficacy against the precancerous cervical lesions that can eventually lead to cervical cancer. The vaccine also shows cross-protective efficacy against other oncogenic (cancer-causing) HPV types closely related to HPV-16/18. Furthermore, it also shows efficacy in the cohorts relevant to universal mass vaccination and catch-up programmes. The findings are reported in an Article Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, written by Dr Jorma Paavonen, University of Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues.
The way certain patients present in the post-acute hospital setting with delirium, a common, preventable but life-threatening acute confusional state, predicts mortality, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife.
Children who play an online game promoting healthy foods and beverages appear more likely to choose nutritious snacks than those who play a game promoting unhealthy products, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A University of Toronto pilot study that re-conceptualized the hospital labour room by removing the standard, clinical bed and adding relaxation-promoting equipment had a 28 per cent drop in infusions of artificial oxytocin, a powerful drug used to advance slow labours.
We"ve all been asked at routine visits to the doctor to record our family"s history with medical problems like cancer, diabetes or heart disease. But when it comes to mental disorders, usually mum"s the word.
Parents who value strenuous team sports are more likely to influence their children to join a team or at least participate in some kind of exercise, and spend less time in front of the TV or computer, a new study says.
The aggressiveness of tumors and their susceptibility to chemotherapy may become easier to predict based on a mathematical model developed at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
An article published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet reports that the rising rates of suicide and murders in the population are directly associated to the growing unemployment rates originated by the economic downturn. Another effect is the decline in road-traffic accidents. Active labor market programs aiming to maintain and reintegrate workers in jobs could tone down some of these unfavorable effects. The article is the work of Dr David Stuckler, of the University of Oxford, UK, and Professor Martin McKee, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, and their team.
The Canadian authorities have announced that a new strain of influenza A virus has been found in two pig farm workers in the Province of Saskatchewan
Family Drug Support"s Stepping Stones to Success program has won the 2009 National Drug and Alcohol Award for Excellence in Prevention and Community Education.
A proposal to dramatically weaken intellectual property legislation could lead to the loss
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Diabetes Association next month plan to launch a joint campaign designed to raise awareness about pregnancy-related risks from diabetes, USA Today reports. An increasing number of women are either beginning pregnancies with existing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes -- known as pre-gestational diabetes -- or developing gestational diabetes, according to Sue Kirkman, vice president of clinical affairs for ADA. Kirkman said that diabetes increases the risk for miscarriage, delivery complications, maternal health problems and birth defects. However, these risks can be reduced through preconception counseling, controlling blood sugar and maintaining a healthy weight, she said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost five of every 1,000 women ages 18 to 44 have diabetes. The majority of these women have Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, USA Today reports. Denise Charron-Prochownik, an associate professor of health promotion at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center School of Nursing and Graduate School of Public Health, said that pre-conception education for women with existing diabetes should begin as early as age 13 but that "it"s not happening."Helain Landy, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Hospital, said that gestational diabetes occurs in about 4% of pregnant women. Landy said, "From an epidemiological standpoint, that is a lot." Florence Brown, co-director of the Joslin Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center"s Diabetes and Pregnancy Program, said that many women with gestational diabetes are unaware that they are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease later in life and have children who develop diabetes (Brophy Marcus, USA Today, 7/6).
Responding to the annual report from the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE), Dr. Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said:
"Health care overhaul legislation from President Barack Obama"s congressional allies would create a federal insurance czar with sweeping new powers to oversee medical plans nationwide, an idea already drawing fierce criticism," The Associated Press reports. "State insurance commissioners are objecting, saying it would duplicate what they now do without offering any better protection for consumers. Conservatives are calling it a textbook example of a big government mentality."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a regulation expected to prevent each year 79,000 cases of foodborne illness and 30 deaths caused by consumption of eggs contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis.
The G8 summit is scheduled to open Wednesday in L"Aquila, Italy. The World Food Program (WFP) on Tuesday issued a statement praising the G8 leaders" focus on food security and calling for support of its efforts to combat hunger among the world"s poorest people, Xinhua reports. In the statement, WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran recommended leaders take a "twin-track" approach to food security, which includes supporting long-term agricultural production along with immediate hunger assistance.
Economic Crisis Presents Opportunity To Reform Pharmaceutical Practices In Africa, Says UNAIDS Head
KPBS profiled San Diego"s "only clean syringe exchange program," a mobile van that twice weekly provides injection drug users with clean needles in exchange for used ones. The program also offers HIV and Hepatitis C tests and gives referrals to drug treatment programs. According to KPBS, "The concept behind syringe exchange is simple: people are going to shoot drugs. It"s crucial to make sure they have access to clean equipment, so they don"t spread blood-borne infections." However, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors is "adamantly opposed to the concept," and it is "illegal in San Diego for people to buy clean needles without a prescription," KPBS reports. In 2008, the privately-funded exchange program, which has the support of the mayor and the city council, collected more than 183,000 used syringes and handed out about 172,000 new ones (Goldberg, 7/7).
The Rosetta Stone of bacterial communication may have been found.
Fueling the debate over the controversial psychiatric disorder known as dissociative amnesia, or repressed memory, Brown University political scientist Ross Cheit is challenging claims by two Harvard University psychiatrists. At issue is how to prove whether the memories of trauma, such as childhood sexual abuse, can be repressed and then resurface later in life. Cheit"s paper, co-authored by Rachel E. Goldsmith of Reed College and Mary E. Wood of University of Oregon, appears in the current issue of Journal of Trauma & Dissociation.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the main cause of early death and disability in Europe, accounting each year for the loss of more than 2 million lives and costing the EU economy an estimated 192 billion euros. Top level stakeholders and EU and national policymakers are meeting in Brussels to assess current prevention programs and to develop a strategy for Cardiovascular Health.
A Monash University study has proven a critical link between obesity and the onset of Type 2 diabetes, a discovery which could lead to the design of a drug to prevent the disease.
Cardiva Medical, Inc. announced that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for its latest technology, the Cardiva Catalyst III, which is considered the first drug coated vessel closure device in the market.
As leaders at the G8 summit in L"Aquila gather to discuss global
Two London teaching hospitals have been chosen to take the lead in the fight against hospital bugs nationwide. They will try out new disinfection products for a three month period and if successful these may be used in other hospitals across the NHS. Barts and The London NHS Trust and the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust will now trial new technologies designed to combat infections.
In an effort to help families and school administrators fight the epidemic of obesity among children, a Yale-led team of researchers has developed a practical coding system to evaluate school wellness policies, which are required of all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. This coding system was introduced in the July 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Pioneering medical device company Signostics announced it has secured clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its palm-sized personal ultrasound device, the "Signos".
Eisai Corporation of North America announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the company"s supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for an alternative five-day dosing regimen for Dacogen(R) (decitabine for injection) to treat patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). MDS is a potentially life-threatening group of bone marrow diseases that limit the production of functional blood cells.
The following is a statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:
Dr. David Steenblock of Mission Viejo, California, a pioneer in clinical applications of stem cells, is pleased to report the results of a 16 year old girl who suffered from cerebral palsy. The patient had right side paralysis and spasticity since birth. The procedure consisted of removing 300 milliliters of bone marrow from her hip and giving it back to her intravenously. Five hours after the raw bone marrow infusion, E.H. was able to move her right toe for the first time in her life. That evening, she was able to walk, stepping heel to toe on her right foot. By the next day, she was able to straighten out and use her right arm and wrist for the first time. Within three weeks, she was also able to move her fingers on her right hand and hold a cup for the first time.
The British Association of Dermatology annual meeting sees the launch of the first topical calcineurin inhibitor to be approved for the maintenance treatment of moderate to severe atopic eczema to prevent flares and prolong flare-free intervals. PROTOPIC ointment (tacrolimus monohydrate) is already licensed to treat moderate and severe eczema (atopic dermatitis), often involving the treatment of flares as and when they occur.* It is now also approved for twice-weekly application to previously affected skin to prevent these exacerbations and prolong flare-free periods in PROTOPIC-responsive patients. Clinical studies have shown that this new approach brings significant benefits with over 40% of patients with moderate to severe eczema remaining flare-free for at least a year.1 Flares are known to place an enormous burden on patients. The International Study of Life with Atopic Eczema (ISOLATE) found that about 55% of these patients worried about the onset of their next exacerbation and that they spent on average over a third of the year (136 days) with their eczema in flare.2
Police, teachers and other public sector workers should be trained in spotting signs of mental ill-health as a new report from a coalition of mental health groups sets out its vision for mental health services that spans across public services.
AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., issued the following statement on the agreement reached by the hospital community, the Obama administration, and the Senate Finance Committee in support of health care reform:
The White House announced that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan will host an all-day H1N1 Flu Preparedness Summit with states to further prepare this nation for the possibility of a more severe outbreak of H1N1 flu. The Summit will be held on July 9, 2009 at the Natcher Conference Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
An ultimatum against using federal money for abortion procedures could reopen the politically treacherous rift over the issue, creating yet another obstacle for congressional Democrats to overcome if they are to achieve their health reform goals, Time reports. "While current versions of the [health reform] legislation do not address the abortion issue at all, late last month 19 anti-abortion Democrats in the House sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, warning "we cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan.""
A new Medicare rule limiting payments for oxygen providers is prompting an aggressive lobbying campaign by the industry, and unintended consequences for patients, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:
"Adverse working conditions for primary care doctors, including time pressures and an unfavorable organizational culture, may lead to stress, burnout, and ultimately to lower quality patient care, a new study found," MedPage Today reports. The study, published in the July 7 issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine, found that "53.1% of primary care physicians reported time pressure during physical examinations, while 48.1% reported chaotic working environments. Only 23.7% felt that quality was strongly emphasized in their practices. ... Moreover, 48.8% described their jobs as moderately or highly stressful, while 26.5% reported burnout, and 30.1% said they were at least moderately likely to leave their practices within two years." The authors wrote that the findings "are disturbing at a time when recruitment and retention in primary care are of major concern."
The American Lung Association and The CHEST Foundation are partnering to further clinical research to benefit the estimated 22.9 million of Americans living with asthma.
The doctor"s mouth opens, and "medicalese" pours forth: words like "pyrosis" and "myocardial infarction." The patient"s eyes glaze over. If only the doctor said "heartburn" or "heart attack," the patient could learn what caused the chest pain.
New research, publishedin the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that a woman"s risk of having a child with a neural tube defect (NTD), such as Spina Bifida, is not linked to folic acid related auto-antibodies. The findings refute a well publicised study in 2004, which had indicated a link between the presence of these auto-antibodies in the circulation of mothers who had children with Spina Bifida compared to those who did not.
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement today praising President Barack Obama"s nomination of Francis S. Collins as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
Using a combination of sensory, genetic, and in vitro approaches, researchers from the Monell Center confirm that the T1R1-T1R3 taste receptor plays a role in human umami (amino acid) taste.
Bisphenol A, a chemical widely used in plastics and known to cause reproductive problems in the offspring of pregnant mice exposed to it, also has been found to retard the growth of follicles of adult mice and hinder their production of steroid hormones, researchers report.
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted PEGylated interferon beta-1a (BIIB017) Fast Track designation for relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). Biogen Idec is currently enrolling patients in a global Phase III study evaluating the efficacy and safety of either bi-weekly or once-monthly injections of PEGylated interferon beta-1a in this patient population.
Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as NNR Therapeutics (TM), announced that AstraZeneca has informed Targacept that it plans to conduct further development of AZD3480 (TC-1734) for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and has agreed to make a $10 million milestone payment to Targacept.
John Csernansky wants to take your measurements. Not the circumference of your chest, waist and hips. No, this doctor wants to stretch a tape measure around your hippocampus, thalamus and prefrontal cortex.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY) announced that Alnylam will contribute more than 1500 issued or pending patents on its RNA interference (RNAi) technology patent estate to the patent pool established by GSK earlier this year.
Researchers conclude in a paper just published on bmj.com that one in three breast cancers detected in a population with a public breast screening program is overdiagnosed.
Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) announced that Schering-Plough K.K., the company"s country operation in Japan, has received marketing approval for ASMANEX TWISTHALER (mometasone furoate dry powder inhaler) for the treatment of bronchial asthma in adults.(1)
Echo Therapeutics, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ECTE), a diabetes management company developing the needle-free Symphony(TM) tCGM System as a non-invasive, wireless, transdermal continuous glucose monitoring (tCGM) system, announced that Patrick T. Mooney, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will present at the "Innovations in Diabetes" Conference on, Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 5:30 pm ET. The presentation will occur live and will be held at The Pier V Hotel at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore.
Health Canada is informing Canadians of an ongoing safety review of the potential association between the diabetes drug Lantus (insulin glargine) and an increased risk of developing cancer.
The GMC and PMETB have announced that the fees for trainee doctors completing specialty/GP training - and those seeking certification via the equivalence routes - will be frozen at the current levels for 2010/11.
Connecticut: The Associated Press/Hartford Courant reports, "Gov. M. Jodi Rell has vetoed two health insurance bills he said were "well-intentioned" but "would cost the state billions of dollars before any economic recovery is complete." Unions and health care advocates had pressured the Republican governor to sign the measures. "[O]ne of the bills opens the state"s health insurance plan to municipalities, small businesses and nonprofit agencies. The second bill creates a new public authority to develop a plan to extend coverage to the state"s uninsured." It"s not yet clear if Democrats, who have a veto-proof majority in the General Assembly, will try to override Rell"s action (7/8).
Giovanni Parmigiani, PhD, a noted leader in applying bioinformatics tools to cancer studies and medical decision-making, has been appointed professor of biostatistics at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and as chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
WHO Launches International Network To Take On Noncommunicable Disease
UT Southwestern Medical Center and UT Arlington have reached an agreement with Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. to develop a groundbreaking toolbox of magnetically controlled surgical instruments for minimally invasive surgery.
Starting in October 2009, Springer will publish The HUGO Journal in cooperation with the Human Genome Organisation (HUGO). Formerly published at Springer as Genomic Medicine, The HUGO Journal has a new design, new features and a new editorial team. Members of HUGO will receive free access to the journal online and be able to purchase print subscriptions at discounted rates.
Stroke in children costs at least $42 million annually in the United States, researchers report in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Using a nicotine patch before quitting smoking can double success rates, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers. They say their latest data suggest changes should be made to nicotine patch labeling.
Replacing a joint in any part of the body often leads to a long recovery process and the possibility of not being able to return to a sport or activity. However, a new study presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine"s (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado, (July 9-12) presents findings that even an older individual who receives a total shoulder joint replacement can return to full participation within approximately six months of surgery.
Strasbourg University and North Carolina State University, both leading academic institutions in the field of bioproduction, have entered into an agreement to collaborate on a unique set of training capabilities for industry. The Alsace Biovalley cluster has played and will continue to play a key role in the program by bringing together industry players in support of the project, ensuring that training programs meet industry needs, structuring the financial engineering required and securing funding for the infrastructures.
A new rapid test can confirm quickly and accurately that breast cancer has most likely not spread into adjacent lymph nodes, offering reassurance to patients and reducing the need for a second operation.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine identified a novel link between ITCH, a gene known to regulate inflammation in the body and NOD2, a gene which causes the majority of genetic Crohn"s Disease diagnoses. ITCH, when malfunctioning, causes widespread inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, gastritis, uncontrolled skin inflammation, and pulmonary pneumonitis. Derek Abbott, M.D., Ph.D., and his team of researchers found that ITCH also influences NOD2-induced inflammation. These findings, published in the August 11th issue of Current Biology, suggest a common pathophysiology exists between multiple inflammatory diseases. The unexpected finding of the interaction between these genes offers the possibility of a new drug target, which would be effective in treating Crohn"s disease - a chronic disorder causing inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Although the fact that we generate new brain cells throughout life is no longer disputed, their purpose has been the topic of much debate. Now, an international collaboration of researchers made a big leap forward in understanding what all these newborn neurons might actually do. Their study, published in the July 10, 2009, issue of the journal Science, illustrates how these young cells improve our ability to navigate our environment.
An alcoholic is a person who suffers from alcoholism - the body is dependent on alcohol. An alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. Alcoholism is a chronic (long-term) disease. People who suffer from alcoholism are obsessed with alcohol and cannot control how much they consume, even if it is causing serious problems at home, work and financially. Alcohol abuse generally refers to people who do not display the characteristics of alcoholism but still have a problem with it - these people are not as dependent on alcohol as an alcoholic is; they have not yet completely lost their control over its consumption.
CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE Amex: CVM), a late stage cancer immunotherapy company, announced that Dr. Eyal Talor, CEL-SCI"s Senior Vice President of Research and Manufacturing, has been invited to present to the NIH, NCI"s Clinical Center and the Center for Human Immunology, NERD (New Research and Development) Seminar Series, which will take place on Friday July 10, 2009 at the NIH"s Clinical Center located at the main NIH campus, on 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD. The title of Dr. Talor"s presentation is: "Multikine: Cancer Immunotherapy; how to make immunotherapy for cancer work".
Dharma Therapeutics, Inc., ("Dharma") Seattle, WA (a subsidiary of the Transcu Group Limited, a company listed on the Singapore Exchange Limited) announced that its improved active transdermal delivery technology, which administers lidocaine and epinephrine through the skin via a mild electric current, has demonstrated safety and efficacy in a Phase 2 clinical trial.
Uganda was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to register a drop in adult national prevalence in HIV. The epidemic, however, remains serious as approximately one million Ugandans are HIV positive. Experts in the field have begun promoting a low cost and powerful weapon against new HIV infections: voluntary medical male circumcision.
Students from Michigan Technological University have designed and developed a breakthrough in medical care that could save lives in a heartbeat.
Nine-year-old Martha sits in front of a poster that depicts a single chocolate chip sitting on top of five pounds of grapes. After several weeks participating in a University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing research program on healthy eating and weight management the message is not lost on her. The chocolate chip has the same amount of fat grams as the grapes.
Different types of work site exercise programs have multiple benefits, including reduced neck and shoulder pain for employees who do all-around exercise and lowered heart disease and stroke risk factors for those who do strength training, reports a study in the July Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Medical information of more than 35 million persons from the general European population will be studied with the goal of better guiding clinicians how to balance the risk of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular events when prescribing NSAIDs.
Analysts say many in America take jobs they otherwise wouldn"t simply for the health insurance coverage, Reuters/Boston Globe reports. "It is a situation most Europeans, Canadians and others who enjoy national health services would find bewildering if not appalling and is one factor fueling the drive to reform the hugely expensive U.S. healthcare system. U.S. company healthcare plans are usually subsidized by the employer. They are much more affordable and comprehensive than private plans that can exceed a $1,000 a month for a family, a huge burden for most households."
CNN reports on Alfonso Torress-Cook and his efforts to eliminate fatal infections at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach, California: "Torress-Cook is part of a growing movement in medicine that no longer accepts hospital-acquired infections as inevitable complications. Every year, such infections sicken 1.7 million and kill 99,000 people in the United States."
"All 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children will stay open, but some eventually might become outpatient-only surgery facilities, the system that offers free specialty pediatric care said Thursday," CNN reports. "The system, which has covered all costs of its patients" care throughout its 87-year history, eventually will accept insurance from patients who have it, members of the Shriners fraternity decided in their annual convention in San Antonio, Texas. Accepting money from insurers and finding other ways to cut costs will help Shriners retain their presence in all 22 locations, said Doug Maxwell, the new president and CEO of Shriners Hospitals."
The Washington Post reports: "Leaders of the world"s major economies pledged Friday to raise $20 billion over the next three years for food and agricultural aid to the world"s most impoverished countries." According to Obama administration officials, "the U.S. will contribute at least $3.5 billion over the next three years to the worldwide effort," which in addition to the funding, "hopes to better coordinate global food aid efforts and work through initiatives already in place in poor countries around the world, rather than creating new plans," the Washington Post reports (Fletcher, 7/10).
Twenty-six people representing a coalition of five HIV/AIDS groups from Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York were arrested on Thursday for unlawfully demonstrating in the Capitol rotunda, the AP/Washington Post reports (7/9). According to Politico, the protestors were demanding "congressional action on three AIDS priorities: the end of the federal ban on syringe exchange, increased housing funding for [people living with AIDS] and significant increases in U.S. international AIDS contributions" (McGrane, 7/9). The group contends that the Obama "administration"s budget proposal "essentially flatlines global AIDS funding,"" CNN.com reports. In a statement, Omolola Adele-Oso of DC Fights Back, said, "HIV is not in recession. So why are we bailing out the bankers with $9 trillion, but breaking promises to fund life-saving AIDS programs in the U.S. and around the world at a fraction of that cost?" (7/9).
President Obama is expected to arrive in Accra, Ghana, Friday night, the AP/Google.com reports. White House adviser Michelle Gavin said the president chose to travel to Ghana "because it"s such an admirable example of strong, democratic governance, vibrant civil society" (Babington, 7/10). The following are opinion pieces reflecting on his trip and Africa policy:
Boost Fitness announced that it has created a special exercise program for obese youths as part of the Healthy Eating Lifestyle Program (HELP) created by Pediatrics West.
Benjamin tenOever, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, has been selected by the United States government for a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The White House announced the 100 honorees on July 9 and will host them at a reception with President Barack Obama.
Partnering with local physicians, working with local clinics, and conducting educational seminars and health fairs were found to be the most effective tools in recruiting people for Alzheimer"s clinical studies, according to new research reported at the Alzheimer"s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna.
A new Mayo Clinic study may help physicians differentially diagnose three common neurodegenerative disorders in the future. The study was presented at the Alzheimer"s Association International Conference on Alzheimer"s Disease on July 11 in Vienna.
Marking a unique milestone in prostate cancer surgery, the director of urologic oncology at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) has completed his 500th robotic prostatectomy at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), the Flagship Hospital of CINJ, which is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
The destructive cellular pathways activated in Alzheimer"s disease are also triggered following traumatic brain injury, say researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC). They say this finding suggests that novel therapy might successfully target both conditions.
NHS Employers has today released an England-wide guide to help primary care trusts (PCTs) produce "pharmaceutical needs assessments" (PNAs). NHS Employers supports the Department of Health in its drive for more PCTs to develop and update their PNAs, which aim to help enhance the commissioning of quality pharmaceutical services, and this new guide will help make the complex process of producing PNAs more manageable.
The number of suicides in England are at an all-time low, Care Services Minister Phil Hope announced as he published the latest annual report on suicide prevention.