Cardiovascular
The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) announced they have released the 2009 updated Interventional Pain Management (IPM) guidelines.
Healthcare Advocates Will Present Congressmembers with "Happy Birthday Medicare" Cakes-And a Plea to Improve and Expand the Beloved Program
A new report finds nearly 10 percent of health care costs are due to obesity and per capita medical spending is significantly higher for obese people.
Farmers are once again being urged to vaccinate their livestock against the threat of bluetongue. The warning from the Joint Action against Bluetongue campaign (JAB) comes as the country enters the height of summer meaning midge activity is reaching a peak period and the risk of a bluetongue incursion increases on a daily basis.
In an open letter to Cambodia"s prime minister and health minister, more than 100 international HIV/AIDS advocates and human rights organizations "accused the Cambodian government of herding HIV-affected families into an "AIDS colony" outside the capital, Phnom Penh," the Guardian reports (McCurry, 7/28).
Victorian researchers have developed a wristwatch that continuously monitors the health status of people with Parkinson"s disease to help doctors manage their treatment, Victorian Minister for Innovation Gavin Jennings said today.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Appointments Commission are pleased to announce the re-appointment of the chairs to both the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), and the Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee (HMAC).
Researchers have identified MEK4 as a pro-invasion protein and the target for genistein, a dietary compound, in prostate cancer cells, according to a new study published online July 28 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Newly Designed Comprehensive Health Care Database May Advance Medical Research and Improve Patient Care
A national fellowship program focused on expanding the role of nurses to lead change in the U.S. health care system has been awarded to Elias Provencio-Vasquez, Ph.D., N.P., F.A.A.N., F.A.A.N.P., associate professor at the University of Miami (UM) School of Nursing and Health Studies. He is one of twenty nurses selected nationwide as a 2009 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation® (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellow.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer scientists have taken a significant step towards personalising cancer treatment by developing a method to predict a patient"s response to the drug Herceptin.
Retroviruses such as HIV that are already within cells are much more easily transmitted when they are next to uninfected cells than if they are floating free in the bloodstream.
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBIX) announced new six month safety and efficacy results from its fourth Phase II clinical trial using its proprietary, orally-active non-peptide Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist, elagolix, in patients with endometriosis. Consistent with previously reported six month (Petal Study) and three month (Lilac Petal Study) results, a favorable safety profile and clinically meaningful efficacy have again been confirmed through month six of the Lilac Petal Study. This newly available data also provides clinical confirmation of Neurocrine"s extensive pharmacologic modeling related to the elagolix dose-response continuum. The outcome of primary interest at month six was the impact of the elagolix 250 mg dose on bone mineral density (BMD) as measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning.
QuatRx Pharmaceuticals Company, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, announced positive top-line efficacy results from the first of two patient cohorts in its second pivotal Phase 3 trial of the investigational compound, Ophena(TM) (ospemifene tablets), for the treatment of postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA). The Company has also successfully completed two long term safety extension studies from its first pivotal Phase 3 studies. QuatRx intends to use these results in support of a New Drug Application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in early 2010 seeking approval for Ophena(TM), a new SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator) for the treatment of the symptoms of vulvovaginal atrophy. Ophena(TM) is the only non-estrogen therapy currently in late-stage development for the treatment of vaginal symptoms associated with menopause.
Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an independent, non-profit organization that advances the efficacy, efficiency and safety of bariatric and metabolic surgery, announced that the number of registered patients entered into its Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database™ (BOLD™) has now surpassed 120,000. BOLD, the world"s largest dedicated repository of bariatric surgery patient information, provides the mechanism for identifying risk factors and quality indicators, developing risk stratification guidelines, and enabling continuous quality improvement for bariatric surgery.
There is no evidence that organically produced foods are nutritionally superior to conventionally produced foodstuffs, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Scientists in New York and North Carolina are reporting assembly of the first functioning prototype of an artificial Golgi organelle. That key structure inside cells helps process and package hormones, enzymes, and other substances that allow the body to function normally. The lab-on-a-chip device could lead to a faster and safer method for producing heparin, the widely used anticoagulant or blood thinner, the researchers note. Their study is scheduled for the Aug. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication.
The 1,450 registered nurses of Good Samaritan Hospital and San Jose Regional Medical Center voted overwhelming last night to ratify their new contract with the facility-and in so doing set new standards for patient safety at HCA, the nation"s largest hospital chain, announces the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee today.
On Tuesday, President Obama pitched Democrats" health reform plans to senior citizens and assured them that Medicare benefits would not be cut to pay for covering the uninsured, the New York Times reports. Meanwhile, members of Congress said they were "deluged" with constituent calls expressing concern over the future of their Medicare coverage.
Doctors are objecting to one possible provision of a reform bill - favored by the White House and Blue Dogs - that would give an independent commission more power over Medicare payments.
The Congressional Budget Office has so far "failed to attribute any savings to increased efforts to provide preventive efforts like stop-smoking programs," challenging the notion that preventive care saves money for the health care system, NPR reports. "Former CBO health analyst Joe Antos, now at the American Enterprise Institute, says preventive services often cost more than they save. In screening people for cancer, for example, he says, "you screen literally millions of people, sometimes at fairly high cost per screen. You"ll pick up some true positives, people who really have the disease. You"ll pick up some false positives." Then all those people have to be followed up by the medical system, which costs even more money."
High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted against the walls of the arteries as blood flows through them - if a person has high blood pressure it means that the walls of the arteries are receiving too much pressure repeatedly - the pressure needs to be chronically elevated for a diagnosis of hypertension to be confirmed. In medicine chronic means for a sustained period; persistent.
Commenting on figures released on Tuesday on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Scotland, Dr Charles Saunders, chairman of the BMA"s Scottish Consultants Committee, said:
Adults who use less salt in their diet can experience a slight reduction in their blood pressure in the medium term. However, whether in the long term this can also reduce the risk of late complications in people with sustained high blood pressure, otherwise known as essential hypertension, and whether in the long term their anti-hypertensive medication can be reduced remains unresolved. This is the conclusion of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) in its final report published in the form of a rapid report on 20 July 2009.
Diabetes affects nearly 24 million people in the United States. The most widespread form is type 2 diabetes, accounting for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
Malaria parasites in western Cambodia have become resistant to artemisinin-based therapies, the first-line treatment for malaria, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Resistance to the drugs makes them less effective and could eventually render them obsolete, putting millions of lives at risk.
People without health insurance will have another avenue for medical care beginning Aug. 1 when student volunteers at the Indiana University School of Medicine open the IU Student Outreach Clinic in a near eastside Indianapolis neighborhood.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has called for clarification of the responsible pharmacist requirements but will not be asking the Department of Health to amend the commencement date of the regulations.
Stem cell research promises remedies to many devastating diseases that are currently incurable, ranging from diabetes and Parkinson"s disease to paralysis. Totipotent embryonic stem cells have great potential for generating a wide range of different human cells that can be used to restore malfunctioning or damaged cells and tissues in patients. Recent studies have shown that pluripotent stem cells derived from adult bone marrow, the umbilical cord and the placenta could also be induced to differentiate into a variety of different tissues. In this issue, we have invited several scientists in China to summarize their pioneering works in the stem cell research field.
Many experimental studies have found that physical exercise can improve cholesterol levels and subsequently decrease the risks of cardiovascular disease; however, few of these studies have included enough participant diversity to provide ethnic breakdowns. Now, a long-term study of over 8,700 middle-aged men and women provides race- and gender- specific data on the cholesterol effects of physical activity, with the interesting result that women, particularly African-American women, experience greater benefits as a result of exercise than men.
[Association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and cognitive performance in middle-aged and older European men
U.S. Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) introduced a measure to create a collaborated system for researching, treating and eliminating Alzheimer"s disease. The proposal will create an Office of the National Alzheimer"s Project within the White House, and will coordinate all research, clinical care and service toward the prevention, care, and cure of Alzheimer"s. This office will produce a national strategic plan to help assure that the millions of Americans who now have Alzheimer"s and the millions of potentially at-risk Americans will have a coordinated effort to target the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.
VisEn Medical Inc., a leader in fluorescence in vivo imaging from research through medicine, announced that scientists reporting in the July 31 issue of SCIENCE have discovered a key disease-related biologic pathway using an integrated and innovative array of in vitro readouts and advanced in vivo imaging technologies. The newly reported biologic pathway relates to monocyte deployment from the spleen to inflammatory sites, including myocardial infarction. The findings are expected to open up new areas of research and potentially advance therapeutic approaches to key disease areas including inflammation and myocardial injury.
Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANDS) announced finalization of the protocol for the Company"s Phase II trial of ANA598 in combination with pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin in hepatitis C patients. Allowance of the protocol has been received from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and patient dosing is expected to commence within the next several weeks.
A new approach to statistical analysis may be better suited to study the relationship between higher "dose" of dialysis and survival time for patients with advanced kidney disease, according to an upcoming paper in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).
Doing something unusual, like knocking on wood or patting yourself on the head, while taking a daily dose of medicine may be an effective strategy to help seniors remember whether they"ve already taken their daily medications, suggests new research from Washington University in St. Louis.
Bronnie McNabb, 57, considers himself lucky. When his aggressive brain cancer returned after chemotherapy and radiation last winter, his UCLA doctor prescribed the off-label use of Avastin, a drug shown to quell cancers in the breast, colon and lung.
An Article published Online First (http://www.thelancet.com) and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet shows that pregnant women could be at increased risk for complications from H1N1 flu. Furthermore, the study, from the USA, shows that the rate of hospitalisation for pregnant women is more than four times that of the general population. Pregnant women with H1N1 flu should start antiviral treatment as soon as possible, while those who are well should be vaccinated once a vaccine becomes available. The Article is written by Dr Denise J Jamieson, Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA, and colleagues.
Doctors" leaders are warning that unless urgent action is taken to plug the gap in the shortage of middle grade doctors, the NHS in Wales could become unsafe both for staff and patients.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF), International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and World Heart Federation (WHF) issued a joint statement that calls on the international community to address urgently the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), responsible for 35 million deaths a year. The statement demands a substantial increase in funding for NCDs and greater availability of essential medicines, among other urgent responses, in a way to accelerate achievement of the health Millennium Development Goals.
A new study investigated the effectiveness of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) in the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or primary liver cancer. SAMe, a widely available nutritional supplement, with little known side effects, was found to be effective in preventing the formation of HCC in rats. However, high enough levels of SAMe were not attainable to successfully treat established HCC. The findings are available in the August issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
Alzheimer"s disease is a progressive neurologic disease of the brain leading to the irreversible loss of neurons and the loss of intellectual abilities, including memory and reasoning, which become severe enough to impede social or occupational functioning. Alzheimer"s disease is also known as simply Alzheimer"s, and Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (SDAT) .
Levels of flu in Wales increased sharply in the week ending 26 July. Current levels of flu in Wales would be considered normal in the winter. Swine flu usually leads to a mild illness although in a minority of cases it can be severe
House Republicans Wednesday unveiled their version of health reform legislation. It offers tax credits to help people buy insurance and doesn"t require individuals or businesses to carry coverage, The Associated Press reports. The plan costs $700 billion, less than current Democratic proposals in Congress.
Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced legislation to reform the Medicare payment system to reward hospitals for quality, efficient care. The Medicare Payment Fairness Act of 2009 would reform Medicare by paying hospitals for the quality, not quantity, of care. These changes would reduce the regional differences in Medicare spending by shifting the nation to a coordinated, integrated delivery system - like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other states. Studies have shown that more integrated care could save taxpayers an additional $100 billion a year.
The New York Times examines a Doctors Without Borders pilot program to fight drug-resistant tuberculosis in South Africa that allows patients to stay in their homes rather than be isolated in hospital during treatment. The program, which is supported by the city of Cape Town and the Western Cape Province, aims to "show that such patients can be successfully treated in an impoverished community ò€¦ even while they are still infectious," the New York Times writes.
The Canadian Lung Association expressed disappointment in federal Health Committee Chair Joy Smith"s stance on the issue of Air Canada and WestJet"s policy to allow pets to travel in the passenger cabin of airplanes. The Lung Association launched an online campaign for pet-free flights in July following the decision by Air Canada to join WestJet in offering pet-free flights, despite the serious risks it presents to passengers and crew with asthma, COPD and severe animal allergies.
Cold and flu remedies containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine will remain as pharmacy (P) medicines after tighter controls were found to minimise the misuse of these ingredients in the illegal manufacture of methylamphetamine (crystal meth).
Physicians can and should play a leading role in achieving health care reform by working towards comprehensive reform of the way health care is paid for and delivered, helping achieve a guaranteed 1.5 percent annual savings in health care costs that would pay for covering all Americans, according to a New England Journal of Medicine Perspective piece published online.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies in Lancashire to ensure they carry out regular, simple checks to protect employees from Legionnaires" disease.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging companies to ensure that sufficient safety procedures and risk assessments are in place to properly protect staff.
Older breast cancer patients are not receiving a full range of treatment options, according to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Laboratory studies at Kansas State University and the work of a K-State researcher are making headway in the effort to control the pandemic H1N1 virus.
A study led by scientists in Austria suggests that kids as young as 9 years old can and should learn how to use CPR (cardiopulmonary
Recent questions about the death of Michael Jackson have focused media attention on the commonly used intravenous anesthetic propofol. In the April 2009 issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, the leading clinical journal for anesthesiologists, Robert R. Kirby, James M. Colaw and Michael M. Douglas reported on a 24-year-old woman whose 2005 death was attributed to propofol toxicity.
GSK announced that it has notified the European Medicines Agency of its decision to withdraw the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) in the EU for mepolizumab for the treatment of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES).
President Obama on Thursday issued a directive to federal agencies to begin following new NIH guidelines on federally funded embryonic stem cell research, Reuters/New York Times reports (Reuters/New York Times, 7/30). NIH announced the final guidelines earlier this month. The guidelines assess whether newly created embryonic stem cell lines can be used for federally funded research, as well as clarify how old lines will be evaluated (Daily Women"s Health Policy Report, 7/7).In March, Obama overturned President George W. Bush"s policy limiting federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. In a statement Thursday, Obama said, "I hereby direct the heads of executive departments and agencies that support and conduct stem cell research to adopt these guidelines, to the fullest extent practicable in light of legal authorities and obligations" (Reuters/New York Times, 7/30).
The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors and the Kaiser Family Foundation released a report that "provides the first, comprehensive inventory of HIV prevention efforts at the state and local levels" and is based on a survey of 65 state health departments, including all state and territorial jurisdictions and six U.S. cities. The report "is intended to offer a baseline picture of how HIV prevention is delivered across the country. ... " ("The National HIV Prevention Inventory: The State of HIV Prevention Across the U.S.," July 2009).
Adults who struggle with CPAP treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) should be considered candidates for reconstructive surgery on the upper airway, because it holds the same quality-of-life (QOL) benefits but with more permanence. This thesis is in new research published in the August 2009 edition of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
By searching millions of DNA variations in the genomes of thousands of women with and without ovarian cancer, scientists have discovered a
The Medical Defence Union (MDU) has recruited three new medico-legal advisers in Scotland, bringing its team of experts north of the border to nine - its biggest ever team in the country.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ONGLYZA™ (saxagliptin), a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor. ONGLYZA is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glycemic) control in adults for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. ONGLYZA once daily can be used in combination with commonly prescribed oral anti-diabetic medications - metformin, sulfonylureas or thiazolidinediones (TZD) - or as a monotherapy to significantly reduce glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) levels. ONGLYZA should not be used for the treatment of type 1 diabetes or for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis (high levels of certain acids, known as ketones, in the blood or urine). ONGLYZA has not been studied in combination with insulin.
Response Genetics Inc. (Nasdaq: RGDX), a company focused on the development and sale of molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, will announce the results of separate analyses of KRAS gene mutations and TS and RRM1 gene expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) during the 13th World Conference on Lung Cancer, which will be held July 31 to August 4. Results will provide insights into which patient subtypes are most likely to benefit from the commonly prescribed chemotherapies pemetrexed and gemcitabine.
If you"ve ever felt doomed to repeat your mistakes, researchers at MIT"s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory may have explained why: brain cells may only learn from experience when we do something right and not when we fail.
Oncothyreon Inc. (Nasdaq: ONTY) (TSX:ONY) (the "Company") announced that clinical data relating to long-term treatment with Stimuvax were presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer"s 13th World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco on August 1, 2009. The presentation by Dr. Glenwood Goss from the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, involved 16 patients who received treatment with Stimuvax for between 2 and 8.2 years as part of the Phase 2b trial in patients with stage IIIb/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The U.S. Census Bureau published 2006 estimates of health insurance coverage for each of the nation"s counties.
Drug companies "boosted their lobbying in Washington during the three months (that) ended June 30 amid a flurry of congressional action on health care," while overall, "Washington"s lobbying business continued to slump as the economy pinched budgets at some big companies and trade associations," The Wall Street Journal reports. "Drug manufacturers increased lobbying spending 13% to $68 million in the second quarter from a year earlier, according to the data ò€¦ Overall, the health-care sector reported a 5% increase in lobbying expenditures to $133 million, making it the single largest spender on lobbying of the 10 major industry sectors tracked by the Center for Responsive Politics. Health-insurance companies increased lobbying activity by 11% to $7.8 million, according to the data" (Mullins and Farnam, 8/3).
The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed an amendment to their broad health reform bill giving drug makers 12 years of exclusive rights to market new biologic drugs, "a setback" to the administration and consumer advocates who hoped to make generic drugs more widely available, the Wall Street Journal reports. The panel voted 47-11 on the measure, which "would also allow "evergreening," the practice by pharmaceutical companies of making minimal adjustments to their drugs, such as creating extended-release versions, as a way to lengthen their monopoly."
Scientists in Sydney and Boston believe they may have identified a gene that controls abnormal production of sugar in the liver, a very troublesome problem for people with diabetes.
A Wilmington News Journal editorial discussed the potential lifting of the ban on using federal funding for needle exchange programs. The editorial notes recent Congressional action and the restrictions in a House bill that prohibit needle exchanges to operate "within a 1,000 feet of day care centers, schools, parks, playgrounds, pools and youth centers." According to the News Journal, "This rule wipes out much of the flexibility many cities need in their fight to prevent the spread of HIV among intravenous drug users. The nation"s capital, where the rates of HIV and AIDS cases are considered epidemic, would be hit the hardest because no part of the District of Columbia would be eligible for the funding according to AIDS Action." The editorial adds, "Vans patrolling near vulnerable populations - specifically young, impressionable children - are an issue that must be addressed. But well-intentioned limits should not be allowed to hold up the rest of the program," according to the News Journal (8/1).
Survivors of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma are eight times more likely to have chronic health conditions, less likely to be married, and more likely to have lower incomes than their siblings, according to a study published online July 31 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Assisted dying laws do not mean that fewer people use palliative care, according to a study published on bmj.com today.
"Money can"t buy me love" the Beattles famously sang. And now a new paper by University of Notre Dame economist Kasey Buckles and colleagues suggests "money" or more precisely the price of marriage, can significantly affect the decision to marry.
Nearly two-thirds of parents reported they felt the need to watch over their child"s care to ensure that medical errors are not made during their hospital stay, according to a study led by Beth A. Tarini, M.D., M.S., assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School.
A new diagnostic tool developed by Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists has shown promising results when used with patients of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer due to the difficulty of diagnosing it in its early stages. The method, which studies carbohydrate structures in the bloodstream, could lead to the development of blood tests that can detect cancer more effectively.
Living in a three-generation household can significantly enhance the economic well-being of children, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
New recommendations to limit the work hours of medical residents could cost the nation"s teaching hospitals about $1.6 billion annually to hire substitute workers, according to a new report from the RAND Corporation and UCLA.
Middle aged people who smoke, have high blood pressure or diabetes are far more likely to develop dementia in later life, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
The Australian Medical Students" Association acknowledges the Australian Medical Association"s call for action concerning the difficulties that doctors face in maintaining involvement in teaching and research activities.
As a fetus does not mount an immune response to maternal proteins that cross the placenta, it has been assumed that a fetus would not reject non-genetically matched blood cells (specifically allogeneic blood cells) if they were transplanted while the fetus was in utero. The hope is that this procedure, which is known as IUHCT, could provide a viable approach for treating congenital blood disorders. However, studies using a mouse model of IUHCT indicate that most fetal recipients of allogeneic blood cells lose their transplanted cells 3-5 weeks after transplantation. Alan Flake and colleagues, at Children"s Hospital of Philadelphia, have now identified an immune mechanism responsible for graft failure in this model of IUHCT. Surprisingly, although fetal immune cells eliminated the transplanted allogeneic blood cells, they were triggered to do so by immune molecules known as alloantibodies that they obtained from their mother"s breast milk. The maternal alloantibodies were produced in response to IUHCT and so the authors conclude that in the absence of either a maternal immune response or transmission of the maternal alloantibodies to the fetus, transplanted blood cells should not be rejected, leaving open the door for IUHCT as a potential clinical strategy.
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas) sent a letter to President Obama yesterday accepting his invitation to "come over to the White House and go over line-by-line" the health care reform plan the President is pushing.
Researchers have pinpointed a specific gene variation that causes increased risk of urinary bladder cancer, according to a scientific team led by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
In a major step in spinal cord injury research, scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have demonstrated that regenerating axons can be guided to their correct targets and re-form connections after spinal cord injury. Their findings were published in the advance online edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience on August 2.
Over two-thirds of American families are "blended," which means they are made up of remarried adults and often stepchildren. Although it"s good news that many divorced people remarry, the bad news is that too many of them carry the animosities and negative behavior patterns of their former heartbreaks into their new situation.
Nile Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: NLTX), a company focused on the development of novel therapeutics for heart failure patients, today announced dosing of its first patient in a Phase 2 clinical study of its lead product, CD-NP, for the treatment of acute heart failure.
Ferring Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the trade name FIRMAGON(R) (degarelix for injection) for its prostate cancer treatment previously marketed under the generic name degarelix. FIRMAGON is a new injectable gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist indicated for patients with advanced prostate cancer. Since initial market introduction under the generic name degarelix, FIRMAGON has been used by more than 3,000 patients to fight their prostate cancer.
Kowa Research Institute (KRI) based in Morrisville, NC and Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. (KPA), a privately-held specialty pharmaceutical company headquartered in Montgomery, AL, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved LIVALO(R) (pitavastatin), a potent HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin), for the primary treatment of hypercholesterolemia and combined dyslipidemia.
Eczema is a chronic skin disorder characterized by dry, itchy, scaly skin and rashes. It is commonly known as "the itch that rashes." (1) While the exact cause of eczema is not known, it appears to result from a complex interaction of factors including personal and family genetics, immune response and environmental factors. (2)
Following a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report that over 1,000 of 1,154 people who have died worldwide from the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic were in the Americas, schools in the US brace themselves for a "nasty" flu season.
The full Senate on Tuesday is set to begin debate on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, who is widely expected to be confirmed by the end of the week, the Los Angeles Times reports (Savage/Oliphant, Los Angeles Times, 8/4).Six Republicans have announced that they will vote to confirm Sotomayor, while most are aligning with the party base to vote against her confirmation. No Democrats have announced that they will oppose her nomination. At the risk of alienating his state"s large Hispanic population, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Monday announced that he will oppose Sotomayor"s confirmation (AP/USA Today, 8/4). "An excellent resume and an inspiring life story are not enough to quality oneself for a lifetime of service on the Supreme Court," McCain said, adding, "I do not believe she shares my belief in judicial restraint" (Los Angeles Times, 8/4). Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), an advocate for gun-rights, had been under pressure to vote against her but on Monday said that he supports the nominee and will vote to confirm her. Nelson said that he believes Sotomayor has "a great respect for the law" (AP/USA Today, 8/4).
Today, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health in cooperation with Phoenix Elementary School District has closed Lowell Elementary School until May 26, 2009 due to a high rate of influenza like illness.
Over the weekend, a series of protests at Democratic events meant to promote health reform "organized by loose-knit coalition of conservative voters and advocacy groups, were a raucous start to what is expected to be weeks of political and ideological clashes over the health care overhaul," the New York Times reports. "Republicans said that the protests were just the beginning of spontaneous opposition to the health care proposals and that they would only gain momentum as Americans learn more about the legislation." But Democrats said they were only an effort to block discourse, and were anything but a grass-roots campaign. "This is a very coordinated effort," said one Democratic Congressman who was confronted by protestors at a grocery store (Herszenhorn and Stolberg, 8/3).
"House liberals are offended that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) mocked their threats to oppose a Democratic healthcare bill, saying leaders are underestimating their frustration over a deal cut with centrist Blue Dogs," The Hill reports. "Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), co-chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, on Monday expressed outrage at the comments and said her group is being "laughed at." Woolsey is the author of a letter signed by 60 fellow House liberals vowing to vote against a deal cut with the Blue Dogs ... Woolsey said the signers of the letter plan to "remind leadership" of the group"s support for a "robust public option." "Robust" to liberals generally means similar to Medicare. Liberals are irritated leaders granted Blue Dogs" concessions that prevent the public option from using Medicare rates for reimbursement. They believe that will make care too expensive for many people" (Soraghan and Allen, 8/3).
Major groups are promising that the August recess will be filled with advertising wars trying to manage the message of the health care reform debate, Politico reports.
Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) announces that the journal Lung Cancer has published the results of a single-arm phase II trial of ASA404 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The trial included patients with both major histological forms of NSCLC: squamous and non-squamous. Positive data from this trial supported the progress of ASA404 into phase III trials in patients with NSCLC of all histologies.
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is leading a project to provide technical assistance to the Libyan government to finalise the development of a national HIV strategy and programme of support. The project is supported by a 1 million euro grant from the Delegation of the European Commission to Libya.
When you feel you are being touched, usually someone or something is
Professor Declan Murphy and colleagues Dr Michael Craig and Dr Marco Catani from the Institute of Psychiatry at King"s College London have found differences in the brain which may provide a biological explanation for psychopathy. The results of their study are outlined in the paper "Altered connections on the road to psychopathy", published in Molecular Psychiatry.
The active ingredient in many insect repellents, deet, has been found to be toxic to the central nervous system. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology say that more investigations are urgently needed to confirm or dismiss any potential neurotoxicity to humans, especially when deet-based repellents are used in combination with other neurotoxic insecticides.
Specific changes in brain pathways may counteract genetic mutations for the movement disorder dystonia, according to new research in the August 5 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Few people who inherit dystonia genes display symptoms - namely sustained muscle contractions and involuntary gestures - and the study provides a possible explanation. This result could lead to new treatments for the estimated 500,000 North Americans diagnosed with dystonia.
Statistics released yesterday by the NHS Information Centre reflect a year when dentists were working hard to make the new dental contract of 2006 work, according to the British Dental Association (BDA). The Dental Earnings and Expenses, England and Wales, 2007/08 report, which considers the earnings of dentists who undertook NHS work in England or Wales in the second year of the new contract, paints a picture of earnings settling after a transitional year in 2006/07.
Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE Amex: INO), a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today new data representing what Inovio believes to be the first demonstration of a significantly increased and persistent level of antibody response generated by a DNA vaccine delivered using electroporation.
AlburtyLab released a report on its comprehensive evaluation of health risks for workers in pharmacies using air pressure-activated drug dispensing machines. The study tested pharmacy workers wearing personal exposure monitors (PEMs) while using the two leading types of air pressure-activated dispensing technologies - the McKesson/Parata Max and the McKesson/Parata RDS. This is the third major study conducted by AlburtyLab examining the issues relating to pharmacy worker exposure.
Two pharmacists, and one non-pharmacist, have been recognised by the Council of the Royal
Cancer Centers of North Carolina, an affiliate of US Oncology, Inc., continues to offer cutting-edge treatment options to its patients through the addition of High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy. This latest advance in brachytherapy allows physicians to deliver precise radiation treatment to a patient"s cancerous tumor and is rapidly becoming the treatment of choice for certain types of cancer.
Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) announced it has manufactured a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate against the H1N1 pandemic influenza virus under current good-manufacturing practices (cGMP) at its new vaccine manufacturing facility in Rockville, MD. This milestone was accomplished in only 11 weeks after receiving the gene sequence for the H1N1 strain from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The Company was able to reach this manufacturing goal by employing proprietary, novel production technology which is not dependent on growing influenza virus in eggs. Chicken eggs are used to produce almost all of the world"s influenza vaccine supply. In addition, Novavax has produced essential reagents for measuring vaccine potency. The Company also has plans to produce additional batches of the pandemic H1N1 VLP vaccine to support human clinical studies and stands ready to assist with additional public health needs in the US as well as foreign countries.
As the U.S. prepares for a resurgence of H1N1 influenza this fall, much can be learned from looking at a previous pandemic that had similar patterns. In an article published today in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, researchers at the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) examined historical documents, published material, and newspaper coverage related to the 1957-58 influenza pandemic to compare the progress and severity of that outbreak with the current one. The simple, practical actions taken in 1957 allowed the country to continue functioning with minimal disruption.
The structure of an entire HIV genome has been decoded for the first time by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The results have widespread implications for understanding the strategies that viruses, like the one that causes AIDS, use to infect humans.
HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is joining forces with other local HIV organisations to remind visitors to Birmingham Pride (23 - 24 May) not to put their sexual health at risk by getting carried away with the party mood.
The "tension" between the Roman Catholic Church"s commitment to caring for the poor and its opposition to abortion has "resonated" with many Catholics across the U.S., as they consider health reform legislation in Congress and how it fits in with Catholic teachings, the Wall Street Journal reports.Although most Catholic groups that have weighed in on the health-reform debate agree that the U.S. system needs to be changed to provide more health care for the poor, they are conflicted over whether they can support a plan that they believe would expand access to abortion services. There is also concern that reform legislation would result in requirements on Catholic hospitals serving patients who are covered by health insurance purchased through an exchange to offer referrals for abortion services, a situation that
Worldwide collaborative ties among researchers investigating the debilitating neurological condition multiple sclerosis (MS) have been strengthened thanks to the introduction of the first UK and Australian Fellowship Exchange programme.
"As if hedging their bets on health reform, Democrats are emphasizing smaller but still significant health-related investments this year, from food safety and community health centers to a greater emphasis on rooting out abuses in Medicare and Medicaid," Politico reports. "It"s a far cry from the more ambitious government-backed insurance option proposed by President Barack Obama and House Democrats. But it does add up to a major expansion of the government"s role in public health - and one that shows a greater willingness to add personnel to regulate and administer programs."
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends the human papillomavirus vaccination for all 11- and 12-year-old girls, but results of a recent survey showed that more than half of Texas physicians do not follow these recommendations.
Malaria Cases, Deaths In Cambodia Increase
The British Veterinary Association has welcomed the publication of Professor Lowe"s report "Unlocking Potential: a report on veterinary expertise in food animal production" aiming to tackle some of the concerns raised by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee inquiry into vets and veterinary services in 2003.
Many women at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer are choosing to undergo surgery as a precautionary measure to decrease their cancer risk, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
According to the latest data in a clinical study supported by St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ), deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy for depression may provide sustainable improvement in depression symptoms among patients with major depressive disorder. Study results will be presented at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) meeting in San Francisco.
"You"ll feel better after a good night"s sleep." We"ve all heard those words, but have we ever stopped to wonder about the mental health of people who just aren"t able to sleep well? Rachel Manber has, and the Stanford University School of Medicine researcher is trying to identify the best way to treat patients suffering from both depression and insomnia.
Victoria, Australia researchers have developed a wristwatch that continuously monitors the health status of people with Parkinson"s disease to help doctors manage their treatment, Victorian Minister for Innovation Gavin Jennings said today.
Altair Therapeutics, Inc., a privately-held, biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for respiratory diseases, reported results from its phase I study evaluating the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of its lead product, once-weekly inhaled AIR645, in healthy volunteers. AIR645 is a non-steroidal dual inhibitor of cellular responses to interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, cytokines that play a critical role in development and progression of asthma, rhinitis and other allergic disorders. Results presented today at the 2009 International Conference of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) within the Mini-Symposium "New Treatment Approaches for Asthma and Allergy" showed that inhaled AIR645 was safe, well tolerated and had dose-dependent exposure in the airways. These results demonstrate the potential of AIR645 as a convenient once-weekly treatment for asthma and other respiratory disorders. Later this year, Altair plans to initiate a phase II efficacy study in patients with asthma.
ViraCor Laboratories, the leader in molecular diagnostic testing for infectious diseases, announced the launch of a new ultrasensitive molecular test to detect JC Virus in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The second JCV test to be developed in ViraCor"s laboratories, the ultrasensitive JCV PCR test can accurately detect the virus in a patient sample with as few as 25 viral copies per milliliter of sample.