Public Health
Competitive Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Amex: CTT) announced today that CTT"s pain therapy medical device will be used by clinical investigators at the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center for a Phase II independent clinical study. The study will examine the ability of CTT"s U.S. FDA-cleared device to decrease pain associated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).
The criteria used to assess blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) and binge drinking behaviors in children and adolescents should be based on pediatric rather than adult physiology, according to a new University of Pittsburgh study in the June issue of Pediatrics.
Bayer HealthCare LLC., Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONXX), OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSIP) and Roche today announced the initiation of a Phase 3 trial examining Nexavar(R) (sorafenib) tablets in combination with Tarceva(R) (erlotinib) tablets as a potential new treatment option for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or primary liver cancer.
Though the growing shift toward oral chemotherapy agents offers cancer patients greater freedom and independence during their treatment, physicians say use of the new medications also poses more chances for patients to skip doses, miss prescription refills, and take their drugs in a dangerous way. An increasing number of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy now do so at home, with the click of a pill bottle each day rather than the drip of an IV medicine that must be delivered in a doctor"s office or hospital.
Cult skincare brand SKIN.NY(R) have issued legal proceedings against
"Building Momentum as Democrats Forge Health Care Reform," New England Journal of Medicine: In a perspective piece, John Iglehart, a national correspondent for NEJM, reviews recent action on health reform. He discusses industry and provider groups" pledge to reduce spending by $2 trillion over the next 10 years, noting that the groups" pledge was a "recognition that the pace of reform is quickening and they wanted to be a full participant in negotiations." He also addresses congressional action, including discussions of a public insurance option and how lawmakers are attempting to address the cost of reform (Iglehart, NEJM, 5/14).
Candela Corporation (NASDAQ: CLZR) announced that two studies have reported superior results on patients who benefited from the Candela Vbeam® laser treatments for bruising resulting from cosmetic procedures. The studies concluded that the Vbeam pulsed-dye laser significantly expedited the healing process, improved outcomes, and provided greater overall patient satisfaction.
Kevin Bruhn, PhD, is the winner of the third annual Liu Young Investigator Award, a $10,000 honor aimed at nurturing excellence and providing support for a young scientist on the LA BioMed campus.
International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), the first company to perfect a method of creating human "parthenogenetic" stem cells from unfertilized eggs, has received positive early results from animal trials designed to improve photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), a form of corrective laser eye surgery that offers an improved alternative to LASIK.
OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OGXI) announced today that the Company will hold a live webcast and conference call of presentations made at an OncoGenex hosted reception during the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO) on Saturday, May 30, 2009. The webcast will begin at 7:10 p.m. EDT.
- 0 confirmed cases in Wales.
Psychiatrist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist John, Lord Alderdice will apply a psychoanalytic perspective to the issues of fundamentalism, radicalization and terrorism at a lecture to be held at the Institute of Psychoanalysis on Friday 12 June 2009, 7.00pm.
Just as our world buzzes with distractions - from phone calls to e-mails to tweets - the neurons in our brain are bombarded with messages. Research has shown that when we pay attention, some of these neurons begin firing in unison, like a chorus rising above the noise. Now, a study in the May 29 issue of Science reveals the likely brain center that serves as the conductor of this neural chorus.
Oxidative stress has been linked to aging, cancer and other diseases in
A dog born with a deadly disease that prevents the body from using stored sugar has survived 20 months and is still healthy after receiving gene therapy at the University of Florida - putting scientists a step closer to finding a cure for the disorder in children.
Researchers based in Gabon and France report the discovery of a new
Tobacco is the only consumer product which is grown and available legally and is lethal for human beings. At the current rate, the number of smokers dying every year in the world is likely to reach (10 million) 1 crore by 2020.
Laughter is not only an effective stress-reliever, but can be heart-healthy, according to research presented at the American College of Sports Medicine"s 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle. Two separate studies examined the role of a good laugh as it relates to health.
Midwifery Regulators from eighteen European countries have met in London to discuss ways in which they can collaborate to enhance the safety of women and babies across the EU.
Scientists are reporting a potential solution to a problem that limits the human body"s ability to absorb and use medications for heart disease, Type-2 diabetes, cancer and other conditions. It is a "nano-hybrid microcapsule" that enables the stomach to absorb more of these so-called "poorly-soluble" medicines. Their study is scheduled for the June 1 issue of ACS" Molecular Pharmaceutics, a bi-monthly journal.
The vast majority of advanced colon cancer patients in a clinical trial were not concerned about the cost of prescription drugs for managing chemotherapy side effects, such as infection, pain and nausea and few adopted strategies to reduce drug cost burdens after joining the clinical trial, according to a study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Although few patients reported substantial worry about drug costs, still fewer reported discussing drug cost issues with their physicians, suggesting there are opportunities for improving how physicians integrate discussions about drug costs into clinical practice.
Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPRX) announced top-line results from its U.S. Phase II clinical trial to treat cocaine addiction. The data from the trial showed that CPP-109 did not demonstrate statistical significance in the primary endpoint -- that a significantly larger proportion of CPP-109-treated subjects than placebo-treated subjects were cocaine-free during the last two weeks of the treatment period (Weeks 11 and 12). The clinical trial did not reveal any unexpected "serious" adverse events.
Certain individuals have long been regarded as particularly susceptible to developing behavioural and emotional problems when they experience negative environmental conditions, due to the fact that they carry so-called "vulnerability genes". Existing research suggests, for instance, that such "genetically vulnerable" individuals are most likely to become impulsive and hyperactive if their mothers smoked while pregnant, to behave anti-socially if subjected to child abuse, and to become depressed if exposed to many negative life events (e.g., divorce, unemployment). But a new evaluation of existing gene-by-environment interaction (GXE) research highlighting such genetic vulnerability to adversity challenges this traditional interpretation of existing evidence. Research published in Molecular Psychiatry suggests that those carrying "vulnerability genes" are not only more likely than others to be adversely affected by negative experiences but to also benefit more than others from positive environments, making them more malleable or plastic, not just vulnerable. This novel interpretation of old and new findings suggests that "vulnerability genes" might be better conceptualised as "plasticity or malleability genes" because carriers are more affected, for better and for worse, by positive and negative environmental conditions.
The WHO (World Health Organization) reported yesterday evening that the total number of swine flu A(H1N1) confirmed human cases of infection has exceeded 15,510, including 99 deaths. The real figure is higher because there is a delay between local health authority reports and the WHO global report. The A(H1N1) influenza virus is nowhere near as virulent (aggressive, dangerous) as was originally feared. Experts say it is not more deadly than normal seasonal human influenza.
UroToday.com - This updated review of tadalafil (Cialis), one of the three available phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors that revolutionized the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), analyzes its latest clinical studies. Tadalafil"s most unique and identifying characteristic is its long half-life of 17.5 hours, compared with 4 hours for sildenafil (Viagra) and vardenafil (Levitra).
CAFFEINE SHOWN AS EFFECTIVE AT REDUCING EXERCISE-INDUCED ASTHMA SYMPTOMS AS AN ALBUTEROL INHALER
Results and updates from eight studies were presented during a late-breaking trials session at Heart Failure 2009. Reviewing them at a press conference, Professor John McMurray, President of the Heart Failure Association, described the trials" objectives and main implications.
Scientists at Singapore"s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), have identified the protein, WIP1, as the molecular "brake" that curbs severe inflammation in the body.
Members of a USC-led research team say they"ve made a big improvement in a new breed of electronic detectors for viruses and other biological materials - one that may be a valuable addition to the battle against epidemics.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have uncovered variation around two genes that are associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men, and its incidence among non-Hispanic Caucasian men has doubled in the last 40 years -- it now affects seven out of 100,000 white men in the United States each year. The discovery, published in the May 31, 2009 online issue of Nature Genetics, is the first step toward understanding which men are at high risk of disease.
A study led by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, has catapulted the field of regenerative medicine significantly forward, proving in principle that a human genetic disease can be cured using a combination of gene therapy and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology. The study, published in the May 31, 2009 early online edition of Nature, is a major milestone on the path from the laboratory to the clinic.
The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) announced the award of four new NSYCF-Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller Fellows. These New York-based post-doctoral scientists join 13 extraordinarily accomplished stem cell researchers from leading research institutions who have been supported by the fellowships program since 2006.
Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE: VAR) X-Ray Products, a world leader in X-ray tubes and supplier of the premier PaxScan® line of digital X-ray image detectors for filmless X-rays, has introduced their first digital imager specifically designed for interventional angiography procedures.
A University initiative to commercialise novel business ideas and inventions has secured its first two licensing agreements and attracted a further ÷£400,000 in funding.
Cook Medical has agreed to become the exclusive sponsor of the American Urological Association"s global exchange programme. Details of exchange sponsorship were announced at a press conference during the AUA annual meeting in Chicago. Jerry French, senior vice president and strategic business leader for Cook Medical"s urology division was joined by Dr. Joel Nelson, chair of the AUA/EAU Academic Fellowship Selection Committee and Dr. Ziya Kirkali, a past exchange participant from Turkey and upcoming chair of the AUA International Member Committee.
Sequel Systems says the Electronic Prescribe (E-Prescribe) program, in which paper-based health records would be converted to electronic health records (EHRs), would be beneficial to hospital-based and managed services organizations. This not only reduces medical errors made in the reading of written prescriptions - which results in increased liability - but also offers financial incentives by receiving increases in Medicare reimbursements to those organizations that adopt the program.
Genzyme Corporation (Nasdaq: GENZ) announced that the European Medicines Agency"s Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion on the marketing authorization application for Mozobil ® (plerixafor injection).
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) cells are present in the majority of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), aplastic anemia (AA), and other bone marrow failure syndromes (BMF), according to interim results from 5,285 patients enrolled in the EXPLORE trial. EXPLORE (EXamination of PNH, by Level Of CD59 on REd and white blood cells) is the first large multicenter study to determine the frequency of PNH cells in these patient populations using a central laboratory conducting a high sensitivity test for PNH cells. The findings from EXPLORE will be presented tomorrow at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The EXPLORE trial was sponsored by Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ALXN).
With more than 500,000 deaths each year, colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of deaths from cancer worldwide. Yet, despite a lack of evidence from randomised trials, many countries have launched large-scale colonoscopy screening programmes for the general population.
On May 13, health care professionals and health care activists gathered on Capitol Hill to demonstrate their support for Senator John Conyer"s HR 676.
Around one in five hospital patients who have trouble feeding themselves do not get help with meals, according to the survey released by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Researchers studying a difficult-to-treat form of childhood epilepsy called infantile spasms have developed a line of mice that experiences seizures with features closely resembling those occurring in patients with infantile seizures. These genetically engineered mice provide a new opportunity for scientists to test treatments that may benefit children.
Scientists have developed a new "risk index" that helps predict which individuals over the age of 65 may go on to develop dementia.
Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PVCT), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has announced interim data from the first 40 subjects in its Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. PV-10 treatment was well tolerated and caused selective tumor destruction in the majority of subjects. Additional data on untreated tumors corroborated observations of a possible bystander effect seen during earlier Phase 1 testing. These data were presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2009 Annual Meeting, Abstract #9060, entitled "Chemoablation of melanoma with intralesional rose bengal (PV-10)," in the General Poster Session.
Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRBN) announced the presentation of encouraging Phase 1 safety and efficacy results following administration of low doses of TRU-016 in heavily pre-treated patients with high-risk genomic factors and relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). TRU-016 is the Company"s proprietary anti-CD37 Small Modular ImmunoPharmaceutical (SMIP(TM)) product candidate.
Some women take a short break from using postmenopausal hormone therapy before getting their breasts screened for cancer with mammography. They hope to lower their risk of being called back afterward for unnecessary extra breast imaging. But taking a short break from hormones doesn"t actually work for this purpose, according to the first large-scale randomized controlled trial to address the question. The READ (Radiological Evaluation and Breast Density) trial of more than 1,700 Group Health women is in the June 2, 2009 Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers have identified a gene that is overexpressed in up to 20 percent of breast cancers and that could be blocked in the lab by a currently available blood pressure drug, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The June issue of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, includes new insights on why some corneal transplants fail, why some patients skip their glaucoma medications, and why preventing infections after LASIK is a growing concern.
The world"s largest ear, nose, and throat professional medical association, the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), has released a manual detailing best practices for the creation of new clinical practice guidelines. The manual is published as a supplement to the June issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
Athletes could be putting their lives at risk by doping themselves with powerful prescription drugs, a leading academic has warned.
The Alabama Department of Public Health has identified 14 new cases of novel H1N1 influenza,
- 0 confirmed cases in Wales.
Four risk factors that help predict how long men may survive with metastatic prostate cancer could help doctors choose more effective treatments, according to a study led by researchers in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The editors of Disability & Rehabilitation and its sister publication, Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology have announced an annual award which will be given for the best review paper published in either of the two journals. Commencing in 2009, the Informa Best Review Paper Award will recognise valuable, high-impact research in the fields of disability, rehabilitation and assistive technology.
A study published in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology determined several predictors of a positive lung cancer diagnosis after having an abnormal chest x-ray. Dr. Martin Carl Tammemagi of Brock University in Ontario and his team of US researchers examined the chest radiographs of 12,314 individuals obtained through the National Cancer Institute"s Prostate Lung Colorectal Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO). They found that older age, lower education levels and a longer smoking history were all associated with a "true positive" diagnosis for lung cancer in those individuals with an abnormal screening chest radiograph.
In-growth and new generation of blood vessels, which must take place if a wound is to heal or a tumor is to grow, have been thought to occur through a branching and further growth of a vessel against a chemical gradient of growth factors. Now a research team at Uppsala University and its University Hospital has shown that mechanical forces are considerably more important than was previously thought. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, open up a new field for developing treatments.
Soccer players and exercise enthusiasts now have another reason to reach for lowfat chocolate milk after a hard workout, suggests a new study from James Madison University presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting. Post-exercise consumption of lowfat chocolate milk was found to provide equal or possibly superior muscle recovery compared to a high-carbohydrate recovery beverage with the same amount of calories.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, affects almost three percent of people over age 65. RA patients experience pain, functional limitations and two forms of disabling bone disease: focal erosions and osteoporosis. After five years of disease, up to 50 percent of RA patients show evidence of focal erosions and RA doubles the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. A new study examined the relationship between these two RA-related processes, in the hopes of providing insight into the underlying pathophysiology of RA-related bone disease. The study was published in the June issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
While the majority of patients with common vision problems can find glasses or contact lenses fairly easily, others who suffer from diseases of the eye that affect the focus of light have more limited options and may simply have to learn to live with poor vision.
BioLineRx Ltd. (TASE:BLRX), a clinical stage drug development company, today announced positive preliminary results from the ongoing phase I/II clinical trial designed to assess the safety and feasibility of BL-1040, the first injectable device designed to address cardiac remodeling, in 20- 30 patients at several sites in Germany and Belgium. To date, 15 patients were successfully treated with BL-1040 with no complications. Moreover, six months follow up results from the first 5 patients show BL-1040"s efficacy in preventing cardiac remodeling and preserving cardiac function.
If your child needs to use a wheelchair, whether temporarily following illness or surgery or for longer-term disability, it is important they feel confident to move about safely. At this year"s national Mobility Roadshow that takes place at Kemble Airfield near Cirencester on 4, 5 and 6 June the Association of Wheelchair Children will be holding wheelchair skills workshops for children. In half hour sessions they will teach practical skills - ascending and descending kerbs, slopes, negotiating roads, moving backwards and forwards - empowering them with the ability to assess risk and to move safely and confidently about their homes and neighbourhoods. These sessions are equally useful for parents and carers.
Biovest International, Inc. (Other OTC: BVTI), a majority-owned subsidiary of Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Other OTC: ABPIQ) announced that an eight year pivotal, randomized, multi-center, double-blind, controlled Phase III clinical study has shown that BiovaxID® (personalized therapeutic anti-cancer vaccine) significantly prolonged disease-free survival in follicular non-Hodgkin"s lymphoma. The study, which is being featured at today"s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting Plenary Session, found that patients who received BiovaxID experienced a median disease-free survival of 44.2 months compared to 30.6 months for those who received a control vaccine - an increase of 47 percent. In the study, with a median follow-up of 4.7 years, patients receiving BiovaxID experienced a 38% lower risk of disease recurrence compared to patients receiving the control vaccine. BiovaxID is the first ever vaccine targeting lymphoma to demonstrate such a disease-free survival benefit.
A protein abundant in embryonic stem cells is now shown to be important in cancer, and offers a possible new target for drug development, report researchers from the Stem Cell Program at Children"s Hospital Boston.
Israel"s largest institute for brain research will be launched this week at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The new $130 million Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (or ELSC), will be announced in the presence of Mrs. Lily Safra.
Can-Fite BioPharma (TASE:CFBI), a biotechnology company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, has achieved yet another goal by completion of patients" enrollment in its phase II Psoriasis trial. Approximately 70 patients were enrolled to this study, randomized into 4 groups treated with 1, 2 and 4 mg of CF101 and placebo. Patients are taking the drug for 12 weeks plus 2 weeks of follow-up. The trial is being conducted in 10 sites in Israel and Europe. The company estimates to release study data on Q3 2009.
A team of University of Minnesota-Twin Cities students from a civil engineering class will head to India later this month to share their ideas and plans for helping bring clean water to thousands of residents living in the slums of Mumbai - the same impoverished area that provided the backdrop for the 2009 Oscar Award-winning movie, "Slumdog Millionaire."
In an effort to increase the public"s awareness of the health consequences of cigarettes, the WHO on Friday called on international governments to require that cigarette packages feature images of the harmful effects smoking can have on the body, the AP/Google.com reports (Klapper, AP/Google.com, 5/29).
Health officials on Sunday said that a diarrhea outbreak has spread across Bangladesh"s southwest due to the effects of Cyclone Aila, which hit parts of Bangladesh and India on May 25, AFP/Google.com reports. Diarrhea broke out at an "alarming rate" because inundation and water logging have destroyed large amounts of land and supplies of drinking water near Sundarbans, the world"s largest mangrove forest, according to health workers.
Nigeria Releases 57M Polio Vaccines, Aims To Increase Vaccine Coverage
New long-term findings from the Phase 3b study of patients with moderately to severely active Crohn"s disease having inadequate response to conventional therapies, but naive to immunomodulators and biologic therapy, were presented at Digestive Disease Week today. Data from the SONIC study showed that a greater proportion of patients receiving REMICADE (infliximab) maintained steroid-free remission at one year, compared with patients receiving azathioprine alone.
Patients are a step closer to getting more say over their healthcare services as plans for a national pilot project reach the next stage, the Department of Health announced.
Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARNA) announced that a late-breaking abstract of its lorcaserin Phase 3 BLOOM (Behavioral modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management) trial has been accepted for a poster presentation at the American Diabetes Association"s 69th Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana. The abstract, titled "Lorcaserin Reduces Body Weight in Obese and Overweight Subjects: Behavioral Modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management, the BLOOM Trial," will be displayed from June 6, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) until June 8, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. CDT in the Morial Convention Center, Hall E. The poster has been assigned presentation number 96-LB in category 20-B Obesity - Clinical Treatment.
China Sky One Medical, Inc. ("China Sky One Medical" or "the Company") (Nasdaq: CSKI), a leading fully integrated pharmaceutical company producing over-the-counter drugs in the People"s Republic of China ("PRC"), announced that it obtained approval from the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) in China for the production of Diclofenac Sodium eye drops. The document number for the drug is 2009S02063.
For many years, it has been known that aspirin is beneficial to patients suffering heart attacks and near-heart attacks. But which of the many different types of aspirin is likely to help the most?
The End Of Medical Miracles? - Wall Street Journal
Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) will be demonstrating its full range of brachytherapy cancer treatment equipment and software at the American Brachytherapy Society meeting in Toronto, Canada, from May 31 to June 2. Varian"s exhibit will include the new BrachyVision™ Acuros™ system, which offers a significantly more accurate* way of calculating the dosimetry of cancer treatments.
Early results of a trial found that a new drug that targets a genetic mutation found in over half of melanoma cases and some other cancers caused
Declining private and public financial support has forced Vital Life Services, an Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit that provided support, case management, mental health counseling and other services to roughly 400 low-income and homeless clients with HIV, to shut down, the Oakland Tribune reports. According to the Tribune, the 25-year-old center -- which also provided "unique" services such as daily meals and emergency housing assistance -- "has become a victim of the recession" (Burt, Oakland Tribune, 5/30).
The World Medical Association has urged the President of Sri Lanka to intervene on behalf of three government employed doctors, two of whom have been detained and the third taken to an unknown destination, after working in the conflict zone in Sri Lanka.
Roche and Plexxikon announced interim results from a phase I study with PLX4032 (R7204) a new, highly selective and potentially promising oral treatment for patients with advanced melanoma whose cancer harbours the BRAF mutation (known as mutation-positive). Patients treated with PLX4032 lived for a median of six months without their disease getting worse and more than half experienced significant shrinkage of their tumours; this included patients where the cancer had spread to the liver, lung and bone.1 Historically, less than 5% of metastatic melanoma patients are still alive five years after diagnosis.2
Factors that lead to emergency department overcrowdings, ambulance diversions and other incidents that endanger patient safety have been revealed. A study published in BioMed Central"s open access Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine has shown that reductions in the number of hospital beds and downsizing or closure of emergency departments may create a dangerous loss of "surge capacity".
Registration forms for the prereg trainee pharmacist programme 2009/10 are now available to download on the NPA members" website. The NPA is also providing training on 26 June 2009 for prereg tutors that have enrolled their prereg on to the NPA"s programme.
Mice lacking the fat hormone leptin or the ability to respond to it become morbidly obese and severely diabetic - not to mention downright sluggish. Now, a new study in the June Cell Metabolism shows that blood sugar control in those animals can be completely restored by returning leptin sensitivity to a single class of neurons in the brain, which account for only a small fraction of those that normally carry the hormone receptors.
As policymakers consider ways to cut health costs as a part of health reform, a new national survey of physician practices finds that physicians on average are spending the equivalent of three work weeks annually on administrative tasks required by health plans. According to the study by Lawrence P. Casalino, M.D., Ph.D., of Weill Cornell Medical College and colleagues, physician practices report that overall the costs of interacting with insurance plans is $31 billion annually and 6.9 percent of all U.S. expenditures for physician and clinical services. The study, published in the online issue of Health Affairs, was co-funded by The Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation"s Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization (HCFO) Initiative.
Fast and affordable genome sequencing has moved a step closer with a new solid-state nanopore sensor being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois.
Patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin"s lymphoma who become resistant to standard therapies may have a new treatment option. Scientists in the Lymphoma Translational Research Laboratory at Roswell Park Cancer Institute analyzed the mechanisms to overcome treatment resistance, including a new drug combination. Francisco J. Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD , Departments of Medicine and Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), will present the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 annual meeting, May 29 - June 2, in Orlando, FL.
Scientists around the world are accelerating their efforts to develop a vaccine against the H1N1 influenza virus (Swine flu) as rapidly as possible, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN). The need for such a vaccine received a strong impetus from the World Health Organization, which has issued a Phase 5 pandemic alert, a strong signal that the WHO believes a pandemic is imminent, according to the June 1 issue of GEN (http://www.genengnews.com/articles/chitem.aspx?aid=2938).
Working with a population of individuals at risk for gastrointestinal cancers, researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have learned that many people misjudge their actual degree of cancer risk and, therefore, their true need for prevention support. Strategies for accurately assessing cancer risk are critical for appropriately targeting educational, counseling, and diagnostic res to prevent cancer in as many individuals as possible, the investigators say.
Novartis has received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) supporting European Union (EU) approval of everolimus for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)3, the most common type of kidney cancer4.
A new study published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reveals that one of the most common conditions caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is best treated surgically, sooner rather than later. Patients with RA frequently experience a debilitating condition known as metacarpophalangeal joint disease, which is usually treated by replacing the knuckle joints with solid silicone joints. However, this treatment (and others like it) has spurred great disagreement between hand surgeons and rheumatologists regarding the indications, timing and perceived outcomes of the procedure; rheumatologists tend to refer late-stage patients for surgery whereas hand surgeons believe that earlier intervention can yield more positive outcomes.
America"s chain restaurants are making Americans fatter and sicker say consumer watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) who
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) today (Monday) launched a consultation on guidance outlining what health and adult social care services will need to do to meet new legally enforceable registration standards.
New research published by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme has found that while ibuprofen and paracetamol is more effective when used together when treating fever in pre-school children, ibuprofen should be used first as this will reduce the temperature quicker.
Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ADLS) announced that the FDA"s Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committee voted in the majority that Restanza(TM) (cethromycin) demonstrated safety for the outpatient treatment of adults with mild-to-moderate community acquired pneumonia (CAP) (11 positive, 3 negative, 1 abstaining). However, the committee voted that Restanza did not demonstrate efficacy in the treatment of CAP (3 positive, 11 negative, 1 abstaining).
As projected, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) has resubmitted its supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Cymbalta(R) (duloxetine HCl) for the management of chronic pain to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Lilly"s resubmission is based on a recently completed study in chronic pain due to osteoarthritis, the extension phase of a chronic low back pain study and previously completed studies in pain due to osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain. The application is supported by studies in diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) and fibromyalgia.
Researchers from the Brigham and Women"s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston have released a 22-year study that reports Hispanic patients have poorer outcomes following infrainguinal bypass grafting for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Results showed that of all the study participants, Hispanics had a higher rate of bypass graft failure and amputation after revascularization compared to Caucasians. In an analysis that accounted for a myriad of important variables affecting limb salvage after bypass, Hispanic ethnicity was found to be independently predictive of eventual amputation. Details of the study appear in the Society for Vascular Surgery"s(R) June 2009 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery(R).
Although Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor"s confirmation hearings are more than a month away, "it"s easy to predict how they will go," New York Times columnist Ross Douthat writes. Douthat predicts that Senate Judiciary Committee members "will attempt to divine Sotomayor"s position on a variety of controversial topics," such as abortion rights, and in "a series of polite, evasive answers, the nominee will feign a studious neutrality on almost every issue that could come before her during what"s likely to be decades as one of the most powerful women in the world." According to Douthat, the "deeper stakes" that likely will be ignored are that "Sotomayor will be joining a high court that"s gradually become a kind of extra legislative body." He cites research from Harvard Law School professor Jed Shugerman showing that the court over roughly the past 50 years has invalidated both state and federal statutes at an unprecedented rate. Douthat also points to data from Evan Caminker of the University of Michigan showing that in one eight-year period, the court invalidated 16 federal laws in 5-4 votes, something that occurred only 25 times in the previous two centuries. Douthat writes that "settling so many vexing controversies with 5-to-4 votes -- effectively making Anthony Kennedy the nation"s philosopher king -- is an awfully poor way to run a republic."Douthat continues that the "modern court"s most enduringly controversial power grabs -- with Roe v. Wade leading the way -- were usually the work of liberal justices" but that "in practice, the main divide between liberal and conservative judges tends to be over the responsibilities of the federal government, not judicial activism per se." He writes, "There are bipartisan ways that the Court could be reined in, and the legislative branch reinvigorated," including the idea of a supermajority rule that would require a 6-3 vote to overturn federal legislation. This idea "might spur the court toward greater consensus, and perhaps greater modesty as well," according to Douthat. Another possibility would be to implement 12-year term limits, he says. Douthat concludes that these suggestions would not "reduce the Supreme Court"s power directly, but it would help us see the court for what it has become -- a deeply political institution, as fallible as any other, and answerable, when all is said and done, to us" (Douthat, New York Times, 6/2).
Terrence Higgins Trust is using this year"s National Condom Week (18-24 May) as an opportunity to promote safer sex. The aim of the initiative is to raise awareness of the importance of condom use to prevent sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies.
UCLA scientists have linked for the first time intestinal inflammation with systemic chromosome damage in mice, a finding that may lead to the early identification and treatment of human inflammatory disorders, some of which increase risk for several types of cancer.
Vietnam recently published a report tracking its progress towards the U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets, which outlines the health ministry"s work with other government and international agencies, Vietnam News reports.
Pfizer Inc announced today that Toviaz™ (fesoterodine fumarate) extended release tablets and the YourWay™ plan (http://www.ToviazYourWay.com), a comprehensive, customizable support plan for overactive bladder patients, are available in the United States. Toviaz is a once-daily prescription treatment for patients with symptoms of overactive bladder, which include frequent and sudden urges to urinate and wetting accidents. Toviaz works by helping to calm the bladder muscle that causes frequent, sudden urges to urinate.
In an ambitious effort to further Yale University"s engagement in global health, President Richard C. Levin announced today the launch of the Yale Global Health Initiative. This is the first endeavor of the University"s new Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, which was announced in April. The purpose of the new initiative is to unite the many global health efforts across campus, foster innovative educational programs to address the growing student interest in global health, and stimulate and support faculty research to enhance healthcare around the world.
Results from a Phase III study presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida today show that patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received erlotinib (Tarceva®) as first-line maintenance treatment benefited from a significant (29%) improvement in the time they lived without the disease advancing, compared with those who received placebo1. Patients in the global multicentre SATURN trial, which included patients from the UK, received maintenance treatment with erlotinib if their cancer had not progressed on initial chemotherapy. The data showed a significant improvement in the length of time patients lived without their disease getting worse, and without the need for further chemotherapy. 1 The improvement was seen in both of the main types of NSCLC (squamous cell as well as non-squamous cell) and these results form the basis of a submission for regulatory approval of erlotinib to be used in the first-line maintenance setting. 1 Erlotinib is not currently licensed for first line maintenance treatment in NSCLC lung cancer in the UK.
Call it a Breathalyzer for the hands.
Data from 7 prucalopride trials are being presented at the Digestive
On Wednesday the BMA called on the Scottish Parliament Health Committee to support Government plans to remove the ability for commercial companies to provide NHS general practice services to patients.
The antidepressant citalopram does not appear to reduce the occurrence of repetitive behaviors in children and teens with autism spectrum disorders, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Danish children who move frequently appear to have an increased risk of attempted or completed suicide between ages 11 and 17, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A new study has identified a specific class of pharmaceutical drugs that could be effective in treating babies vulnerable to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), because their mothers smoked during pregnancy.
It"s been a decade since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first total ankle-replacement system for patients with severe ankle arthritis.
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION: A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY?