Public Health
Reports are coming in that the government of Australia has placed an order for 10 million vaccines against the novel H1N1 swine flu virus, following a press briefing from Health Minister Nicola
BioCis Pharma Ltd., a privately-held drug development company with its headquarters in Turku, Finland, has started Phase I clinical testing of ProtoCure(TM) intravesical instillation solution, a novel anti-cancer drug for urinary bladder cancer. ProtoCure is based on a new mechanism of action discovered and developed by BioCis Pharma which effectively prevents cancer growth and proliferation locally.
Supermarket shoppers may be encouraged to buy sugar-filled, calorie-rich drinks by discounts and promotions, according to New Zealand research.
QIAGEN (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) announced that it has entered into an agreement to supply molecular sample and assay technologies for a new national, PCR-based blood screening program for HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Brazil. QIAGEN will provide Bio-Manguinhos, the main provider of vaccines and diagnostics to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, with a significant volume of molecular testing solutions - sample and assay technologies, related instrumentation, operational know-how and training. Following the approval by the Brazilian patent authorities, the agreement will run for five years and contains options for subsequent extensions.
Pfizer Inc said that the United Kingdom"s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued its final appraisal document (FAD) recommending reimbursement for Sutent (sunitinib malate) as a second-line treatment for patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). This recommendation follows NICE"s recently published guidance recommending reimbursement for Sutent for the first-line treatment of advanced kidney cancer.
"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).
While Partners in Health co-founder Paul Farmer is still being considered for a senior role in the Obama administration, Farmer has been appointed chair of Harvard Medical School"s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine -- Jeffrey Flier, the medical school"s dean, said on Wednesday -- the Boston Globe reports. Flier said that Farmer will take a leave of absence from the medical school if he is offered a position with the administration. For now, Farmer is slated to succeed the current chair, Jim Kim, on July 1 (Smith, Boston Globe, 5/28). Foreign Policy"s "The Cable" reports that Farmer is "under consideration to head" USAID or "serve in a top administration international assistance post that would encompass it." An unnamed "international health activist" said that Farmer might be appointed USAID administrator "as an interim thing" and that he might go on to lead a new position focused on "global health in the process of foreign assistance reform over the coming year." Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is organizing efforts to reform the Foreign Assistance Act later this year. The act was originally written in 1961 (Rozen, "The Cable," Foreign Policy, 5/26).On Tuesday, Jack Lew, Deputy Secretary Of State for Management and Res, said that the government is considering ways to significantly improve coordination of various agencies that work with global health assistance. "We"re open to creative ideas about how to bring appropriate res to bear," Lew said, adding, "When we look at public-private partnerships and recruiting, we"re looking at how to cast the broadest net to bring in the right talent and commitment to address the challenge" (Boston Globe, 5/28). Partners in Health said it is pleased that Farmer is being considered along with other strong candidates. Wendy Sherman, an advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Aaron Williams, a former USAID official who is now with RTI International, are among some of the "[p]reviously rumored contenders for the USAID administrator job," according to "The Cable." Last week, Farmer had a meeting with Clinton, Partners in Health said. Andrew Marx, a spokesman for the group, said that one of the reasons why people are "excited about the idea of Paul is that he and Partners in Health in the past have been quite prepared to challenge the accepted wisdom." According to Marx, Farmer did not buy into the conventional approach to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in the 1990s, when WHO"s official policy was not to treat people who were diagnosed with the disease because it was complicated and the costs were high. When asked if Farmer would be interested in a USAID administrator position that has strong democracy and governance components, Marx said, "Good governance and democracy are important to us," adding that the group"s work focuses on building up countries" public health systems rather than creating independent health clinics. David Bryden, senior program policy officer for the Center for Global Health Policy, said, "There are many exciting things about Paul Farmer." According to Bryden, Farmer "has been a person with a very practical mindset, he knows how to get the job done, put aside conventional wisdom when it"s wrong. ... It"s really exciting" ("The Cable," Foreign Policy, 5/26).
Thailand has set a goal of reducing by half the number of new HIV cases in the country by 2011, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Wednesday, TNA/MCOT English News reports. Abhisit was speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day 12th National Seminar on AIDS, which more than 2,500 HIV-positive people, students, and participants from Thai agencies, private sector groups and international organizations are expected to attend. The seminar will focus on the government"s plan to reduce new cases by 2011 and the national HIV/AIDS action plan."The government"s plan, if successful, will be the result of cooperation from all sides," Abhisit said. He added that statistics indicate that one in four new HIV infections occur among men who have sex with men. In addition, new cases among married women in the country have increased by 30% to 40%, according to Abhisit. He said that he will be involved in a campaign to promote fidelity among married couples in the country (TNA/MCOT English News, 5/27).
"Nearly 30 years after the discovery of HIV and AIDS, the epidemic is still ravaging black neighborhoods in Baltimore and across the nation," Kevin Fenton -- director of CDC"s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention -- writes in a Baltimore Sun opinion piece. Fenton writes that "complacency about HIV and the continued stigma associated with the disease are hindering progress by preventing too many African-Americans from seeking either HIV testing and treatment or support from their friends and family," adding that "this is a challenge that can be overcome."According to Fenton, the Obama administration last month "took an important step in confronting the United States" HIV epidemic" when CDC and White House officials announced a five-year campaign called Act Against AIDS, which is "designed to refocus the nation"s attention on the HIV crisis here at home." Fenton notes that 14 black civic organizations -- including the NAACP, the National Urban League, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the National Council of Negro Women -- are "joining the CDC to increase knowledge, awareness and action within black communities across the country." He adds that the campaign "will harness the strength and reach of these organizations by enhancing their ability to make HIV prevention a core component of their daily activities." "By raising the visibility of HIV and AIDS, the new campaign also aims to confront and overcome the fear and stigma that help keep HIV alive in black communities," Fenton says. He adds that he has "been encouraged in recent years to see black leaders, including black faith leaders, speak out more openly across the nation about the need to confront HIV and the stigma that persists surrounding this disease." Fenton writes that "[e]nding this epidemic will require not only frank and difficult discussions about HIV but also a shared sense of responsibility and commitment," concluding, "All of us can and must be part of the solution" (Fenton, Baltimore Sun, 5/27).
Clinipace, a digital clinical research organization, announced that Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has selected the company to manage and deploy two phase II studies for the ophthalmic prescription medicine, AzaSite®.
Viewing a video showing a patient with advanced dementia interacting with family and caregivers may help elderly patients plan for end-of-life care, according to a study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers. In their report in the journal BMJ, released online, the investigators find that participants who watched such a video in addition to listening to a verbal description of the condition were more likely to indicate they would choose only comfort care if they developed advanced dementia and also said they felt the video was helpful to their decision-making process.
Mothers who share cancer genetic test results with their children are more satisfied with their decision than those who decide not to tell, according to a new study by researchers at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center. The study also shows, for the first time, what role fathers play in disclosing mother"s test results. These findings will be presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando May 29 - June 2.
Oxoid, a world leading microbiology brand, has today announced the availability of two new chromogenic media in the Brilliance™ Resistant Screening Agar range. Brilliance ESBL Agar and Brilliance VRE Agar can be used as screening tests to rapidly identify patients colonised with problematic Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) producing organisms and vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE), allowing appropriate infection control and treatment to commence sooner for the best possible patient outcome.
We all know that vitamin D and calcium are good for bones, but research teams in Europe and USA have shown that both taken daily reduces the rate of hip fracture in older people by 20%.
Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers report that a combination of trastuzumab and neratinib (HKI-272) a novel small molecule inhibitor of the HER2 receptor (ErbB2) appears active in women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have progressed on previous trastuzumab based therapies. More than one-quarter of the women in a phase I/II trial had their tumors shrink on the combination therapy.
Sensory ataxic neuropathy (SAN) is a recently identified neurological
A call to action for more research to be undertaken into catheter ablation in the field of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) has been issued in a joint consensus document from the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the US Heart Rhythm Society (HRS). The consensus document - launched at Heart Rhythm 2009, the Heart Rhythm Society"s 30th Annual Scientific Sessions, being held 13 to 16 May in Boston - provides an up to date review of indications, techniques and outcomes of catheter ablation for treatment of ventricular arrhythmias, a technique now being offered to increasing numbers of patients.
The Radiology department at King"s College Hospital is now benefiting from enhanced ultrasound image quality and optimised workflow following the installation of an ACUSON S2000™ from Siemens Healthcare. The hospital also uses the S2000"s Virtual Touch™ application for Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging to assist with scanning the liver.
An analysis of previous studies indicates that among patients with peripheral artery disease, aspirin use is associated with a statistically nonsignificant decrease in the risk of a group of combined cardiovascular events (nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, and cardiovascular death), but is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of one of these events, nonfatal stroke, although the findings may be limited by the lack of a large study population, according to an article in the May 13 issue of JAMA.
Agios Pharmaceuticals today announced that Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a charitable initiative for new cancer treatments, has selected the Cancer Metabolism "dream team" led by Agios founder Dr. Craig Thompson and including Agios advisors Drs. Chi Dang and Joshua Rabinowitz. Cancer Metabolism is one of only five research areas chosen to share in $73.6 million in translational research funding, based on a rigorous selection process by independent scientific advisors assembled by SU2C"s scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Cancer metabolism is a new and exciting field of biology that represents a breakthrough understanding of how cancer cells become addicted to using more nutrients than normal cells to ensure their survival and growth. This new understanding of a fundamental mechanism of cancer represents a powerful Achilles" heel to target this deadly disease.
The New England School of Acupuncture announces the launch of its Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certification Program (SMAC) beginning in September 2009. This unique program teaches both Eastern and Western methods of orthopedic medicine, giving students a fully integrated, one-of-a-kind education in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western orthopedics.
UK researchers who reviewed pooled clinical trial data covering 95,000 people concluded that there was no net benefit to healthy people taking
The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) welcomed today"s Budget which reaffirms the Government"s commitment to solving our long term health workforce problems.
Women over age 30 who regularly exercise decrease their chances of breast cancer, according to a study presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine"s 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle.
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.
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.
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center physician-scientists are presenting exciting new research at the 2009 American Transplant Congress in Boston from May 30 to June 3.
CAFFEINE SHOWN AS EFFECTIVE AT REDUCING EXERCISE-INDUCED ASTHMA SYMPTOMS AS AN ALBUTEROL INHALER
The individualised management programme of France"s "Réseau Respecti-coeur" makes quality of life the first objective for heart failure patients, and one of the network"s dieticians, Mme Hélène Guibert, explained that the heart-healthy eating recommended in the programme need not be a of frustration or misery - even for a Frenchman. "For many old people," she told Heart Failure Congress 2009, "meals are important occasions, and it"s our aim to bring together at these times health and pleasure."1,2
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) have identified eight genes that help predict a melanoma patient"s response to treatment. The new findings are being presented at the 45th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), May 29 to June 2, in Orlando, Fla.
Theta oscillations are a type of prominent brain rhythm that orchestrates neuronal activity in the hippocampus, a brain area critical for the formation of new memories. For several decades these oscillations were believed to be "in sync" across the hippocampus, timing the firing of neurons like a sort of central pacemaker. A new study conducted by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) argues that this long-held assumption needs to be revised. In a paper published in this week"s issue of the journal Nature, the researchers showed that instead of being in sync, theta oscillations actually sweep along the length of the hippocampus as traveling waves.
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is circulating an outline of health care overhaul legislation that includes a requirement that all individuals obtain coverage and requires contributions from employers, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, the legislation "closely resembles" the Massachusetts health insurance law enacted in 2006, the Post reports. According to the draft summary, the bill calls for a public, government-sponsored health insurance option that would compete with private insurers. The measure also would expand Medicaid eligibility, according to the Post. Kennedy spokesperson Anthony Coley said that the outline is not yet finalized. He said, "We are still actively negotiating with members" of the Senate HELP Committee. According to a top White House official, Kennedy is expected to introduce his measure on Monday. A timetable released by Kennedy"s office calls for Senate HELP Committee Democrats to meet June 2 (Connolly, Washington Post, 5/29). A bipartisan walk-through of Kennedy"s bill is scheduled for June 5 and June 9. Hearings on the bill would then take place on June 10 or June 11. The mark up of the bill is scheduled from June 16 through June 25 (Bogardus, The Hill, 5/28). If Kennedy holds to the schedule, he will be ahead of other congressional Democrats, including Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.), on proposing overhaul legislation (Washington Post, 5/29). Coley said, "These are target dates that are not set in stone." Although Senate Democrats are hoping to pass health care reform legislation before the August recess, several senators have questioned whether that timeline is feasible (The Hill, 5/28). Reform Supporters Call For Removal of Ad
The following highlights efforts that seek to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.
Patients undergoing treatment for advanced head and neck cancers may respond well to the addition of gefinitib to chemotherapy, according to a study sponsored by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and chaired by Ethan Argiris, M.D., associate professor of medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and co-leader of the Head and Neck Cancer Program of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI). The results were disclosed at the 45th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) on May 30 in Orlando, Fla.
A leading expert has warned that the UK can expect to be hit by a swine flu pandemic in the autumn when students go back to school and
Boehringer Ingelheim will present new data on the company"s two lead oncology compounds, BIBW 2992* and BIBF 1120** at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the company announced today. Two studies in the LUX-Lung clinical development programme for BIBW 2992 and a Phase II study of BIBF 1120 in ovarian cancer patients will be presented.
As the best drugs become increasingly resistant to superbugs, McMaster University researchers have discovered a completely different way of looking for a new antibiotic.
XClinical, a European vendor of innovative software products for eClinical trials, is presenting CDISC based tools for an End-To-End clinical process at the 45th DIA Annual Meeting in San Diego, USA.
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.
Poniard announced positive Phase II data from its two trials in CRC and CRPC with picoplatin this morning, including efficacy that was comparable to the current standard of care, with a significantly improved safety profile. We believe that these data provide further evidence of picoplatin"s favorable efficacy and safety profile in two more large oncology markets, in addition to SCLC, and position picoplatin as a platform treatment that can provide solutions in multiple oncology settings. We believe that given these data from CRC and CRPC, in addition to the anticipated Phase III SPEAR data in SCLC, will attract the interest of multiple players and we expect that Poniard will be able to at least secure a large pharma partnership sometime this summer, unless a company like Sanofi (SNY Not Rated), Takeda (TKD Not rated), or Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY Not Rated) decide to step in and acquire the whole company, for rights to both the IV and oral version of picoplatin.
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).
New data presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncologist (ASCO) Annual Meeting support the use of a laboratory test, ChemoFX(R), to help physicians predetermine the effectiveness of chemotherapy in treating a woman"s endometrial cancer. Investigators found a significant correlation between the test results from 405 patient specimens analyzed using ChemoFx and published patient response rates for each chemotherapeutic regimen, suggesting less effective therapies could be eliminated prior to patient administration. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer among women in the United States.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, Nasdaq: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, presented the results of a 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) persistency analysis entitled, "Twelve-month Persistence with 5-aminosalicylic Acid Therapy: Results from a Large Pharmacy Database," at Digestive Disease Week, on May 31, 2009. Results showed that after 12 months of therapy for continuing patients, 20 percent of Lialda patients were continually persistent, 9 percent of Asacol(R) (mesalamine) patients, 7 percent (250mg) and 10 percent (500mg) of Pentasa(R) (mesalamine) patients, 10 percent of balsalazide [combined results from generic balsalazide disodium and Colazal(R) (balsalazide disodium)] patients, and 10 percent (500mg) of Dipentum(R) (olsalazine sodium) patients were persistent. Continually persistent patients were defined as those who refilled their prescription within a period of up to twice the duration of the prescription that preceded the refill. Lialda is an FDA-approved, once-daily oral medication for the induction of remission in patients with active, mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (UC). Safety and effectiveness of Lialda beyond eight weeks have not been established.
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) announced that its oral Syk inhibitor, R788, is being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial funded, designed and implemented by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This open-label, single arm clinical trial will include patients with advanced colorectal, thyroid, non-small cell lung, hepatocellular, head and neck, or renal cell cancers who have failed to respond to at least one line of therapy.
Physicians who treat patients with multiple health problems will fare well under pay-for-performance, which bases physician reimbursement on the quality of care provided, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston in a report in the current issue of the journal Circulation.
Linking genetic material microRNAs with cells that regulate the immune system could one day lead to new therapies for treating cancer, infections and autoimmune diseases, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
AnaSpec has announced the launch of the industry"s first FRET-based thrombin assay - the SensoLyte 520 Thrombin Activity Assay Kit.
A study in the June 1 issue of the journal SLEEP found that waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) are consistent, independent risk factors for all severity levels of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children, suggesting that as with adult SDB, metabolic factors are important risk factors for childhood SDB.
A blood-pressure medicine has been shown to reverse the effects of early-stage liver failure in some patients.
The latest advances in polyp detection, assessment of colorectal cancer risk, and patient sedation during colonoscopy will be presented today at Digestive Disease Week® 2009 (DDW®). Research regarding the size and type of polyps detected during colonoscopy and the risk associated with developing colon cancer offers new insight into the recommended frequency of follow-up preventive colonoscopy. New research also examines the risk of perforation during colonoscopy and new tools allowing physicians to more closely examine polyps during colonoscopy including optical biopsy and deep sedation of the patient will be presented. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
The Royal College of Anaesthetists, the professional body representing anaesthesia in the UK, is introducing an interactive e-Learning re to support training and professional development in anaesthesia. The programme will be launched by the President of the College, Dr Judith Hulf, at its annual College Tutors conference on 11 June, 2009.
IMMUNOLOGY: Chronic prostatitis is an autoimmune condition
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.
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 fastest-growing group of patients initiating dialysis is patients 75 years old and older; providing the best care for this group of patients presents significant challenges. The American Society of Nephrology (ASN) introduces the first-ever online curriculum to address aging and the kidney. The curriculum, based on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)"s six core competences of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice, answers questions about the management of elderly patients.
Insurance companies, "the industry that gets credit for helping to kill the Clinton administration"s health care overhaul 15 years ago," are now "striking a conciliatory tone as it faces the most serious attempt to overhaul the system since that effort collapsed," CQ Politics reports. With low favorability ratings and Democrats in control of the federal government, "insurers know they aren"t in a good bargaining position" this time around. They have already offered concessions, including providing "insurance in the individual markets to everyone, without regard to who is sick," and not "charging people who are ill higher rates and cut health care costs." But they"ve also been ""careful to structure their offers in such a way that appears significant but does not overpromise." An individual mandate for all Americans and an end to health screening for applicants could offer "a win-win outcome, one that will benefit not just patients but potentially the profits of the industry as well." But "perhaps the biggest motivation for insurers to deal now is that they fear what might happen if they don"t" - the "creation of a government-run plan that would be more attractive to the public and siphon off customers" (Adams, 6/1).
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.
The Association of British Clinical Diabetologists cautioned against indiscriminate use of new classes of medication for Britain"s increasing number of people with diabetes.
Depomed, Inc. (NASDAQ:DEPO) announced that it has completed enrollment of the Phase 3 clinical trial of DM-1796 for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia.
We want our husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles and grandfathers, all indispensable parts of our families, to live long, healthy lives. Reliv International nutritional supplements can help them do just that. Distributors of Reliv supplements are honoring National Men"s Health Week, June 15th to June 21st, by offering tips on how men can step up their healthy defenses.
After drug dealing, trafficking of humans is tied with arms dealing as the second largest criminal industry in the world, and it is the fastest growing, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Recently, HHS awarded more than $2 million in grants to state and local organizations, including the University of Missouri, to identify and help victims of human trafficking.
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.
ARCA biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq:ABIO) announced that it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, or the Agency) for its New Drug Application (NDA) seeking approval for GencaroTM (bucindolol hydrochloride) for the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure.
Michelle Obama Can Highlight "Disproportionate Impact" of HIV/AIDS on Women, Girls During Africa Visit
Plexxikon Inc. today announced preliminary data from a Phase 1 clinical study investigating PLX4032 (R7204). PLX4032 is a novel, oral and highly selective drug that targets the BRAFV600E cancer-causing mutation that occurs in most melanomas and about eight percent of all solid tumors. In patients whose cancer harbors this mutation and who were treated with therapeutic doses of PLX4032, tumor shrinkage and extended progression-free survival have been observed. Currently, two extension studies are being conducted in mutation-positive melanoma and colorectal cancer patients. Following the initial positive findings announced today, larger clinical trials to support a registration program for product approval are targeted to start later in 2009. Plexxikon and Roche are co-developing PLX4032 under their 2006 license and collaboration agreement.
Democrats and Republicans are looking for support in their own parties as health care reform promises to dominate the legislative agenda for the rest of the year, The Hill reports.
NeurogesX, Inc. (Nasdaq: NGSX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel pain management therapies, announced that the Office of Orphan Product Development (OOPD) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation for Qutenza(TM) (formerly NGX-4010), a high concentration capsaicin dermal patch for the management of neuropathic pain in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
Prometheus Laboratories Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic company, announced new findings regarding a correlation between an important serologic marker used in the detection of Crohn"s disease and particular genetic markers in patients at risk for celiac disease. In an oral presentation yesterday at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in Chicago, Prometheus reported a statistically significant correlation between antibodies to the flagellin CBir1 and HLA haplotypes DQ2.5 and DQ8 in a study of 5,406 patients at risk for celiac disease who are EMA positive. Blood and serum samples were analyzed using PROMETHEUS(R) Celiac PLUS and PROMETHEUS(R) IBD Serology 7 diagnostic tests.
Clinical trial results presented at the Digestive Disease Week in Chicago reveal that endoscopic radiofrequency ablation performed in a community practice setting is safe and effective for eradicating a pre-cancerous esophageal condition known as Barrett"s esophagus. The study is entitled, "Radiofrequency Ablation of Barrett Esophagus: Outcomes of 429 Patients from a Multi-center Community Practice Registry" and was presented today by Ronald E. Pruitt, M.D., Nashville, TN, at a scientific session sponsored by the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Innovia LLC, a privately held biomaterials-based medical device company, announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the InnoPort(TM) to facilitate single port access laparoscopy.
From 1 June 2009, HbA1c (long term blood glucose levels) in all people with diabetes will be measured in millimoles per mol as well as by percentage, the Department of Health said today.
A New York City health information technology project could provide a model for the implementation of stimulus-funded electronic health records in hospitals and doctors offices around the country, reports Government Health IT, a publication of an e-health lobbying group. "The Primary Care Information Project (PCIP), a program started in 2007 by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, supports the adoption of health IT among primary care providers who tend to the city"s underserved populations," the report explains.
Pennsylvania and Illinois are expanding health insurance options for for young adults.
An independent large study conducted by MEDCO Health Solutions Inc. found
International development charity Teaching-aids At Low Cost (TALC) has launched the 10th edition of its e-TALC CD.
Reclast® (zoledronic acid 5 mg) Injection* has been approved by
The British Dental Association (BDA) has given a broad welcome to today"s announcement of the award of a tender for 38 new dentists in Northern Ireland as part of the solution to the problems some patients face accessing care. But the BDA has also warned that this is not the whole solution to the problems facing Health Service dentistry. Also required, says the BDA, are full support for the more than 800 dentists already working in Northern Ireland and a new contract that allows dentists to provide the kind of modern, preventive care they are trained to do.
Dr. Dev GnanaDev, president of the California Medical Association, issued the following statement after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called on the state Legislature to swiftly enact his proposed budget cuts.
Monoclonal antibodies can be safely and successfully used for the treatment of several gastroenterological disorders according to data being presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW®) 2009. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the field of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
The
External beam partial breast irradiation (EB-PBI) is the most cost-effective method for treating postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer based on utilities, recurrence risks and costs when compared to whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) and brachytherapy partial breast irradiation (brachy-PBI), according to a study in the June 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
An infectious disease striking a large city may seem like a disastrous scenario -- millions of people sharing apartment buildings, crammed on buses and trains and brushing past one another on crowded sidewalks.
Dr Peter O"Meara, Associate Professor in Pre-hospital Care at Charles Sturt University in Australia, is the first non-UK paramedic to be appointed to a three year visiting Professor post in the UK in the subject of Pre-Hospital Care.
New research findings published by Dr Metin Basoglu, Head of Section of Trauma Studies at King"s College London and the Istanbul Centre for Behaviour Research and Therapy, examines the psychological impact of war captivity, "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment" (CIDT) and physical torture. Findings revealed that being held captive in a hostile and life-threatening environment, deprivation of basic needs, sexual torture, psychological manipulations, humiliation, exposure to extreme temperatures, isolation, and forced stress positions appear to cause more psychological damage than physical torture.
New research led by the University of Leicester and published this week in the British Journal of Psychiatry reveals that people with mental health problems are receiving inferior care for their medical needs.
Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH) today announced that NUVIGIL® (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV], a longer-lasting formulation of modafinil, is now available. NUVIGIL is indicated to improve wakefulness throughout the day for the millions of patients who struggle with excessive sleepiness associated with treated obstructive sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder, also known as shift work disorder, and narcolepsy. Cephalon has finalized the commercialization plans for NUVIGIL and, beginning today, any patient with a NUVIGIL prescription should be able to obtain the medication from their pharmacy or have it filled within 24 hours.
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.
Actinic keratoses are sun-damaged rough patches or lesions on the skin - often pink and scaly - that doctors have long believed can turn into a form of skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma.
A study of targeted educational initiatives between the clinical staff at Fox Chase Cancer Center and the hospitals within their Partners program suggest that educational interventions by academic cancer centers can improve quality of care for cancer patients at community hospitals. The study, to be presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, looked specifically at the number of lymph nodes that were surgically removed in colorectal cancer patients at Fox Chase"s partner hospitals and the impact that educational initiatives by clinical staff had on improving the number of nodes removed.
People with lower back pain are better off exercising more, not less.
Three patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center were among the first in the United States to be implanted with a next-generation artificial heart pump called the DuraHeart™ Left-Ventricular Assist System. The surgeries took place earlier this year. NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia is one of only three centers in the U.S. currently enrolling patients in a clinical trial studying the device.
GPC Biotech AG (FRANKFURT: GPC) (XETRA: GPC) announced that data from the double- blind, randomized satraplatin Phase 3 trial, the SPARC trial (Satraplatin and Prednisone Against Refractory Cancer), were presented at the 2009 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The SPARC trial evaluated satraplatin plus prednisone versus placebo plus prednisone in 950 patients with castrate-refractory prostate cancer (CRPC) who had progressed after initial chemotherapy. The data presented are retrospective analyses of the SPARC trial evaluating correlations between overall survival (OS) and pain at baseline, pain progression, and progression-free survival (PFS) at three months.
An over-the-counter prostate cancer test kit could be coming to a pharmacy near you, thanks to the collaborative work of a University of Central Florida chemist and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando researchers.
Research from the Johns Hopkins Children"s Center reveals that the drug most commonly used in type 2 diabetics who don"t need insulin works on a much more basic level than once thought, treating persistently elevated blood sugar - the hallmark of type 2 diabetes - by regulating the genes that control its production.
An electronic diagnostic tool called the SmartPill is swallowed by patients in order to take measurements as it travels through the gastrointestinal tract. A new study by physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center used the device in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (UC), determining that they have significantly more acidic pH in their colons, compared with the average person -- a finding that may impact treatment strategy.
On the same day President Obama expressed the urgent need for health care reform, he also met with two dozen Senate Democrats and suggested that he is open to considering taxing employer-provided health benefits to pay for health care reform, The Washington Post reports.
A new study shows that - in the words of Jon Gabel, its lead author - "American families with employer-based [health] coverage were worse off in 2007 than they were in 2004," the Wall Street Journal reports. The study, published in Health Affairs, found that out-of-pocket costs, such as co-pays and deductibles, increased 34 percent between those years. "The main reason for rising out-of-pocket costs was the growth in overall health spending," the Journal reports (Gerencher, 6/3).
The popular Nintendo Wii videogame system is helping radiology students reach new levels! Faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College have coupled the motion-sensitive Wii remote with the same computers used to analyze scans, and have found that the Wii remote makes examining CT and MRI images more ergonomic, heightens the interactivity during classes, and may potentially improve the ability to interpret scans.
"Advocates for the elderly in California say recent budget cuts are dramatically affecting the ability of social service programs to keep up with demand" at a time when "the state"s elderly population - and the incidents of elder abuse - are exploding," NPR reports. One example is Contra Costa County, where the Aging and Adult Services Program laid off two-thirds of the staff who "investigate abuse complaints of elderly and dependent adults." The county is now "turning over virtually all of its self-neglect cases to some other agency - often, the police." The Contra Costa situation is "so severe that the county grand jury recently concluded that Adult Protective Services no longer has the res to carry out its legal mandate to investigate physical and financial abuse complaints." This comes at a time when complaints of elder abuse are on the rise. According to "national studies," only "1 in 5 elder abuse cases is reported" (Siler, 6/3).
Joseph F. Finn, Jr., C.P.A. ("Finn"), announced today that there has been promising initial interest from pharma companies in the intellectual property of Prospect Therapeutics, Inc. ("Prospect").
In a development aimed at improving patient outcomes, physicians treating thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) will now experience a new level of control while placing endografts during thoracic endovascular repair procedures. With the launch of Cook Medical"s new Z-TRAK PLUS™ Introduction System, physicians are provided with improved maneuverability for controllable device orientation and deployment of the Zenith® TX2™ TAA Endovascular Stent Graft compared to earlier Cook delivery systems.
Researchers at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that a widely used anti-diabetic drug can boost the immune system and increase the potency of vaccines and cancer treatments. Their findings will be published June 3 in the journal Nature.
It has been linked to learning impairment, stroke and premature death. Now UNSW research has found that snoring associated with sleep apnoea may impair brain function more than previously thought.
Medical problems contributed to nearly two-thirds (62.1 percent) of all bankruptcies in 2007, according to a study in the August issue of the American Journal of Medicine that will be published online Thursday. The data were collected prior to the current economic downturn and hence likely understate the current burden of financial suffering. Between 2001 and 2007, the proportion of all bankruptcies attributable to medical problems rose by 49.6 percent. The authors" previous 2001 findings have been widely cited by policy leaders, including President Obama.
In a review of more than 2,000 patients coded for Barrett"s esophagus, electronic diagnosis overestimated the prevalence of the disease according to researchers in California. They found that only 61.9 percent of patients assigned a billing diagnosis code for Barrett"s esophagus actually had Barrett"s esophagus after a manual record review. The study evaluated the accuracy of diagnostic codes for Barrett"s esophagus by contrasting codes from electronic databases with diagnoses from a detailed medical record review. Researchers also evaluated the reproducibility of a pathologic diagnosis of Barrett"s esophagus between two pathologists and between a single pathologist on two different occasions. The study appears in the May issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).
Cancer develops when cells known as cancer stem cells begin to divide in
Research indicates that physical and mental stress in childhood may have life-long adverse health effects and policy initiatives are needed to emphasize the importance of starting health promotion and disease prevention early in life, according to an article in the June 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on child and adolescent health.
With children having easier access to media and a wider variety of content, the possible negative influence on health issues such as sex, drugs, obesity and eating disorders is increased, and warrants monitoring usage and limiting access if necessary, according to a commentary in the June 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on child and adolescent health.
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.
MRSA is a major problem in nursing homes with one in four residents carrying the bacteria, a study by Queen"s University Belfast and Antrim Area Hospital has found.
Latent HIV genes can be "smoked out" of human cells. The so-called "shock and kill" technique, described in a preclinical study in BioMed Central"s open access journal Retrovirology, might represent a new milestone along the way to the discovery of a cure for HIV/AIDS.
Preventing vascular congestion is an important mediator in heart failure, reports a study in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiac Failure, published by Elsevier.
Cellulitis and cellulite are two completely different things. Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the dermis - the deep layer of skin - as well as the subcutaneous tissues (fat and soft tissue layer) that are under the skin. While cellulite is caused by fatty deposits under the skin that give it an orange peel or cottage cheese look. This article is about the bacterial infection - cellulitis.
The discovery that adult skin cells can be "reprogrammed" to behave like stem cells has been a major scientific boon, providing a way to tap the potential of embryonic stem cells without the associated ethical quandaries. Now, in a study appearing online in JBC, researchers have created a line of such reprogrammed stem cells from adult pigs. As pigs are large animals with a physiology very similar to humans, this work provides a valuable model to study the therapeutic potential of this new "induced pluripotent stem cell" (iPS) technology.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has released a new online learning activity designed to support general practitioners and other members of the general practice team in developing high quality care plans for people with intellectual disability, and in understanding eligibility requirements for Medicare-funded care plans.
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION: A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY?
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in US women of childbearing age, and is common in pregnant women. BV occurs when the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria. Because having BV puts a woman at increased risk for a variety of complications, such as preterm delivery, there is great interest in understanding how it can be prevented. Vitamin D may play a role in BV because it exerts influence over a number of aspects of the immune system. This hypothesis is circumstantially supported by the fact that BV is far more common in black than white women, and vitamin D status is substantially lower in black than white women. This relation, however, has not been rigorously studied. To assess whether poor vitamin D status may play a role in predisposing a woman to BV, Bodnar and coworkers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Magee-Womens Research Institute studied 469 pregnant women. The results of their investigation are published in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
A number of news outlets are highlighting players in the health reform debate today.