Public Health
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.
Results and additional analyses from the Phase II portion of a Phase II/III clinical trial of Corthera"s investigational drug relaxin for the treatment of acute heart failure will be presented at the Heart Failure Congress, the annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology in Nice, France.
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.
Scientists in Portugal and France managed to follow the patterns of gene expression in food-poisoning bacteria Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) live during infection for the first time. The work about to be published in PLoS Pathogens shows how the bacterial genome shifts to better adapt to infection by activating genes involved in virulence and subversion of the host defences, as well as adaptation to the host conditions. This is the first time that the molecular interactions between L. monocytogenes and its host, as they occur during the different steps of infection, are followed in real time paving the way, not only to the development of new therapies against this potentially lethal bacterium, but also for the study of other pathogen/host interactions.
The Department of Surgery, University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has invited noted Surgeon Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, Head of Surgery Department at Chhattrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University (CSMMU) to deliver a talk on haemorrhoids (piles).
Millions of Baby Boomers are struggling to care for their aging parents. Many don"t know where to turn or even what their options are in making important decisions about senior care facilities for their parents.
In research that could open new avenues of treatment for seasonal allergies, a team of Yale University scientists has discovered how a poorly understood component of the human immune system triggers - and sometimes worsens - allergic reactions. The research appears in the May 24 Advance Online Publication of Nature Immunology.
HeartCare Cardiovascular Specialists in Libertyville, IL has expanded their CVIS capabilities with a new DigiNet Pro system. This system will provide the site with web access enabling users to have full CVIS capability from anywhere at anytime.
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).
"Origins and Strategies for Addressing Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Pharmaceutical Therapy: The Health-Care System, the Provider, and the Patient," National Minority Quality Forum: The report -- by Richard Levy, a health care consultant and former vice president of the National Pharmaceutical Council; Robert Like, professor and director of the Center for Healthy Families and Cultural Diversity of the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Harry Shabsin, a private-practice psychologist -- looks at how appropriate medications for a variety of diseases often are under-prescribed, over-prescribed, or mis-prescribed among minorities. The report looks at disparities in treatment of minority patients with cardiovascular disease, asthma, psychiatric illness, pain and other conditions and finds disparities in access to medications through insurance programs, in the prescribing of medications and in adherence to medication regimens. The report offers ways to improve prescribing and use of medications among diverse communities (National Minority Quality Forum release, 5/12).
Contrary to what one might expect, it is not the sweaty armpit or fluffy bellybutton but the forearm that is home to the most diverse range of
Starting pregnancy at a healthy weight and gaining the right amount during pregnancy is critical to giving a baby a healthy start in life, the March of Dimes said today in response to new guidelines from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
Sipping wine, beer or spirits three to four times per week increases the risk of binge drinking, particularly among young men, according to a new study published in the journal Addiction. Researchers from the Universitçİ de Montrçİal and the University of Western Ontario analyzed the drinking habits of Canadians and found that frequent alcohol consumption can lead to binge drinking among all gender and all age groups.
In what could be a major pharmaceutical breakthrough, research published online in The FASEB Journal describes how scientists from St George"s, University of London have devised a one-two punch to stop HIV. First the report describes a new protein that can kill the virus when used as a microbicide. Then the report shows how it might be possible to manufacture this protein in quantities large enough to make it affordable for people in developing countries.
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.
Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) have been found in sewage sludge, a by-product of waste-water treatment frequently used as a fertilizer. Researchers writing in the open access journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica point out the danger of antibiotic resistance genes passing into the human food chain.
Once symptoms start, there"s only a tiny window of time for stroke victims to get life-saving treatment. Now, research from the Stanford University School of Medicine has cracked that window open a bit wider.
Oxidative stress has been linked to aging, cancer and other diseases in
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.
Gene Network Sciences, Inc. (GNS) announced that it has entered into a research collaboration with the University of California San Francisco Cancer Center (UCSF) aimed at accelerating cancer research and drug development across several therapeutic areas. This collaboration will combine the clinical and research oncology expertise of UCSF with the computational expertise and supercomputer-driven REFS(TM) platform of GNS. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and collaborators at Harvard Medical School have linked a specialized protein in human muscles to the process that clears glucose out of the bloodstream, shedding light on what goes wrong in type 2 diabetes on a cellular level.
In response to industry demand, VIBevents is proud to announce the launch of the industry"s first virtual clinical trials event, ClinicalTrialsArena.com, which will bring together the leading decision makers within the pharma and biotech industries.
Incyte Corporation (Nasdaq:INCY) announced that based on recent input from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding Incyte"s request for a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for INCB18424 for patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (PPV-MF) and post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (PET-MF), it is clear that the most appropriate single primary endpoint for Incyte"s U.S. Phase III trial is the proportion of treated patients achieving a 35% reduction in spleen volume as compared to patients receiving placebo.
The European Medicines Agency has been formally notified by BioPartners GmbH of its decision to withdraw its application for Biferonex (interferon beta-1a), 6 million-international-unit solution for injection, prefilled syringes for subcutaneous administration.
Frequent air travelers, as well as people who fly only occasionally, are often inconvenienced by the effects of jet lag, according to research presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine"s 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle. Christopher Berger, Ph.D., Chair of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Task Force on Healthy Air Travel, "Exercise is Medicine™ On the Fly," explains that jet lag, medically called desynchronosis, is the physiological response to alterations to circadian rhythms.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Besivance (besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6 percent) for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis (non-viral), a contagious condition marked by irritation of the eyes and a discharge from the mucous membranes.
The SNM Clinical Trials Network, an initiative designed to address the need for streamlined drug discovery through the integration of imaging biomarkers into multi-center clinical trials, recently added Genentech, Inc. as a supporter.
The combination of chemotherapies 5FU and oxaliplatin compared to 5FU alone after surgery for colon cancer decreases colon cancer recurrence and promotes longer survival for patients under 70 -- but not for those who are older, according to Mayo Clinic and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists who presented their findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology"s (ASCO) annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
Spirus Medical, Inc., a leading developer of diagnostic and therapeutic advancement systems for gastroenterology, urology and gynecology, announced that physicians using its Endo-Ease(TM) line of devices have performed complete examinations of the small intestine, or pan-endoscopy. Spirus is presenting at Digestive Disease Week 2009 in Chicago, May 30 through June 4.
APS Healthcare, a leading provider of specialty healthcare solutions, has been selected by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Medical Assistance Programs, to manage its statewide Medicaid disease and medical care management programs. The integrated program will assist Oregon"s Medicaid and SCHIP fee-for-service clients to access healthcare, minimize catastrophic health events and improve health outcomes through education and interventions that help promote behavior change.
The popular belief that healthy eating starts at home and that parents" dietary choices help children establish their nutritional beliefs and behaviors may need rethinking, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An examination of dietary intakes and patterns among U.S. families found that the resemblance between children"s and their parents" eating habits is weak. The results are published in the May 25, 2009, issue of Social Science and Medicine.
Those in the United States living with HIV/AIDS are more likely to use marijuana than those in Kenya, South Africa or Puerto Rica to alleviate their symptoms, according to a new study published in Clinical Nursing Research, published by SAGE. Those who did use marijuana rate it as effective as prescribed or over the counter (OTC) medicines for the majority of common symptoms, once again raising the issue that therapeutic marijuana use merits further study and consideration among policy makers.
Drug-facilitated sexual crimes are increasing. The Bonn Institute for Forensic Medicine has recorded that the number of examinations on the use of intoxicants in sexual offences within their catchment area increased 10-fold between 1997 and 2006. In the current edition of Deutsches Arzteblatt International, Burkhard Madea and Frank Musshoff present the modes of action and the detection windows for the most frequent substances (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106 (20): 341-347).
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 Nevada Assembly last week voted to approve a bill (SB 229) that would authorize the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services to stop the exploitation of foreign physicians who have come to the state to provide care to residents in underserved areas, the Las Vegas Sun reports. The measure now goes to Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) for his approval (Allen, Las Vegas Sun, 5/28). A September 2007 Sun investigation of the J-1 visa program found that some foreign physicians were forced by their sponsors to work up to 100 hours per week, and were being "cheated out of their salaries" and "diverted from the patients" in underserved areas whom they were supposed to help (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/6/08).The legislation would make violations of the J-1 program more clearly punishable under state law and prosecutable by the attorney general"s office; charge J-1 physician sponsors a fee to cover the cost of enforcing the law; and protect whistle-blowers (Las Vegas Sun, 5/28).
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.
Private business in California saw health care premiums increase by 138
The reason deadly infections like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C never go away is because these viruses disarm the body"s defense system. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered that a key immunity protein must be present for this defense system to have a chance against chronic infection.
Final results from a phase II study presented at ASCO show that 25% of women with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer experienced significant shrinkage of their tumours, when treated with a first in class combination antibody called trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1). T-DM1 potentially represents another option for patients with metastatic disease, for which there is no cure.
An editorial and a case report on Disorders of Sexual Development (DSD) in the Medical Journal of Australia highlight the need for early diagnosis and effective risk management in these rare but potentially life threatening cases.
Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, announces that it has completed patient enrollment of CaRES (Contrast Echocardiography REgistry for Safety Surveillance), the first, multicenter Phase IV observational registry that evaluates the use of ultrasound imaging agents in routine clinical practice. The 1,060 patients who were enrolled at 15 sites in the U.S. were 18 years old or older and required DEFINITY® Vial for (Perflutren Lipid Microsphere) injectable suspension-enhanced echocardiography because of a previous suboptimal, unenhanced echocardiogram.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the world"s largest sports medicine and exercise organization, rang the closing bell at the NASDAQ stock market last week (Wednesday, May 6), using the international platform to promote the health benefits of physical activity, especially for businesses and employers in the U.S. and worldwide.
Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: HALO), announced publication of a Phase 1 study reporting an acceleration of insulin absorption and increased insulin effects within minutes after co-administration of its hyaluronidase (PH20) enzyme with two mealtime insulin products, Humulin® R (regular human insulin) and Humalog® (insulin lispro). A rapid and short-acting insulin profile would more closely mimic the mealtime insulin release that occurs in non-diabetics and could lead to improved treatment for diabetes patients. These results were published in the June 2009 issue of the journal Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics.
Sodexo (PARIS:SW) (OTCBB:SDXAY) received two awards at the inaugural Professional Training Evening held May 25 in Paris: the "Best Training Strategy" award and the Favorites Award for "Successful vocational rehabilitation." The culmination of a 75-company competition, the event was organized jointly by France"s National Association of Human Res Directors (ANDRH), Professional Training Federation (FFP) and Association of Trainers and Training Managers (GARF).
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).
Bursitis happens when the bursa is inflamed. The burse acts as a cushion between bones, tendons, joints and muscles - bursae are fluid-filled sacs (the plural of bursa is bursae). People with bursitis will feel pain at the site of inflammation. The medical word "bursa" comes from the Latin bursa, meaning a purse, which is what a bursa resembles. According to Medilexicon"s medical dictionary, bursitis is "inflammation of the bursa".
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.
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.
A report released by the consumer health organization Families USA spotlights a growing crisis among insured families, as rising health care costs devour a growing portion of their pre-tax income.
Urgent care centers (UCCs) are providing an alternative to emergency room treatment. A study published in the open access journal BMC Health Services Research has shown that UCCs tend to be open well outside of office hours and offer a wider range of services than primary care offices.
Unwed pregnant teens and twenty-somethings who attend or have graduated from private religious schools are more likely to obtain abortions than their peers from public schools, according to sociological research published in the June issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
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.
Monkeys playing a game similar to "Let"s Make A Deal" have revealed that their brains register missed opportunities and learn from their mistakes.
A new study examining treatment decision-making by older women with early stage breast cancer shows that 45 percent of women would choose to get chemotherapy after surgery -- a figure higher than the national average of women getting the additional treatment.
Health outcomes explored at DDW 2009
If having malodorous armpits (called osmidrosis) and goopy earwax isn"t bad enough, a discovery by Japanese scientists may add a more serious problem for women facing these cosmetic calamities. That"s because they"ve found that a gene responsible for breast cancer causes these physical symptoms. The report describing this finding is featured on the cover of The FASEB Journal"s June 2009 print issue, and should arm physicians with another clue for detecting breast cancer risk.
Causal inference is challenging in all non-experimental studies because of the possibility of hidden bias. Hidden bias may exist as a result of failure to control for unobservable factors, such as doctors" practice/prescription patterns.
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIOP) announced today that it presented positive data from both a Phase Ib clinical trial and preclinical dosing studies of orally administered indibulin (ZybulinTM or ZIO-301), the Company"s novel tubulin binding agent, at the 45th Annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting held in Orlando, FL, May 29th to June 2nd.
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).
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified a gene that may play a key role in regulating tumor progression in neuroblastoma, a form of cancer usually found in young children. Scientists hope the finding could lead to an effective therapy to inhibit the expression of this gene.
As the number of food and beverage products sweetened with stevia-based ingredients continues to grow in the United States and worldwide, the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention announces that new reference standards for Rebaudioside A and Stevioside are now available. The reference standards for these two ingredients complement the soon to be released written testing standard for high-purity Rebaudioside A in the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC), a collection of documentary standards for food ingredients that allow manufacturers to demonstrate the quality, and thus related aspects of safety, of the products they provide to consumers.
The damage that our modern living and working environment could be doing to our health will be investigated by a new ÷£5M MRC-HPA Centre for Environment and Health at Imperial College London and King"s College London.
PhotoMedex, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHMD), a leader in the development of proprietary excimer laser and fiber optic systems as well as other products for dermatological applications, announced the availability of its groundbreaking XTRAC Velocity™ Excimer Laser, a device expected to redefine laser treatment options for patients suffering from psoriasis and vitiligo.
Pakistan has obtained international support for its efforts to fight tuberculosis and lower infant and maternal mortality rates, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, the health minister, said recently after returning from the 62nd World Health Assembly (WHA), the International News reports.
The Los Angeles Times on Sunday examined how the recession is impacting people living with HIV in California. Brad Hare, medical director of University of California-San Francisco"s Positive Health Program at San Francisco General Hospital, said that people living with HIV who have lost their jobs and private health insurance are turning to public and nonprofit clinics for the first time and are responsible for a 12% increase this year in the clinic"s overall patient visits. He added that many of the patients he sees have gone months without receiving medical care. In addition, at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, which also provides HIV treatment, the number of new patients has doubled over the last year, Thomas Soule, a spokesperson for the center, said. The Times also profiled a client of the center (Lin, Los Angeles Times, 5/31).
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.
The friendship between "working moms" Kathleen Sebelius and Nancy-Ann DeParle "could pay big dividends for President Obama now," USA Today reports. The two have a lot in common in the policy world as well. Sebelius, the secretary of Health and Human Services, and DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform, "first met at the White House mess in 1997, during the battle for a patients" bill of rights to combat the constraints of managed care." Their relationship was then "built over a dozen years on topics ranging from the children"s health insurance program to raising their own children. Now, they are the "tag team for Obama"s most ambitious domestic policy goal: an overhaul of the nation"s health care system."
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.
Pennsylvania and Illinois are expanding health insurance options for for young adults.
The End Of Medical Miracles? - Wall Street Journal
- 0 confirmed cases in Wales.
In the run up to National Tackling Drugs Week (8th-12th June), drug and alcohol services in Liverpool have gathered together to host "Know more" an event which will showcase a range of services that offer advice and support to young people and their families.
Jamaica has already achieved some U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets and is "on track" to attain five more, according to a report that mapped the country"s progress toward the MDGs, the Jamaica Observer reports.
Dr Alexis Willett, Head of Policy & Involvement at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says:
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Friday appointed Cindy Mann, director of Georgetown University"s Center for Children and Families, to head the Center for Medicaid and State Operations, a division of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, BNA reports. Mann is a former director of the Family and Children"s Health Programs at CMSO from 1999 to 2001. Sebelius said Mann has been "instrumental in recent efforts to expand health care coverage in our country." She added that Mann"s "knowledge of health care issues and management experience will be a great asset to CMSO and to the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid" (BNA, 6/1).
If Judge Sonia Sotomayor is confirmed to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter, she would be the sixth Roman Catholic currently on the court, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, although Sotomayor was raised Catholic and attended a Catholic high school, she appears to be in line with the majority of U.S. Catholics who identify themselves with the faith but do not regularly go to Mass or become heavily involved in religious life. Several studies have shown that Catholics who rarely or never attend mass are more liberal on political and cultural issues than those who attend more regularly, the Times reports. For example, a Gallup poll released in March found that 52% of Catholics who do not attend church regularly say abortion is morally acceptable, compared with 24% of Catholics that are regular churchgoers. A White House spokesperson said that Sotomayor "currently does not belongs to a particular parish or church, but she attends church with family and friends for important occasions" (Goodstein, New York Times, 5/31).According to the Boston Globe, the number of Catholics on the court has increased sharply over the past two decades, a shift from earlier years when there generally was one "Catholic seat" on the bench. Although Supreme Court experts say that the increase in the number of Catholic justices reflects a fall in anti-Catholicism over the past half-century, they also note that Catholic justices" views have not always aligned with the Church"s teachings and that a judge"s faith is not necessarily an indicator of how he or she will rule on issues like abortion rights or gay marriage. Current Catholic Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts all are in favor of either overturning Roe v. Wade or returning the issue of abortion to the states, the Globe reports. However, there have been previous Catholic justices, such as Justice William Brennan, who were avid supporters of abortion rights (Paulson, Boston Globe, 5/30).Cathleen Kaveny, a professor of law and theology at the University of Notre Dame, said, "I don"t think there is any one Catholic stance on the law," adding, "You"ll have judges who are pro-life personally who are going to rule that [Roe] is the law of the land."Sotomayor "Formidable Counterweight" to Catholic Men on Court, Opinion Piece Says "If anyone should be worrying" about Sotomayor as the sixth Catholic on the Supreme Court, "it"s the five who are already there," former Catholics for Free Choice President Frances Kissling writes in a Salon opinion piece. Roberts, Alito, Kennedy, Scalia and Thomas "all seem cut from the same traditional Catholic (and Federalist Society conservative) mold," Kissling writes, noting that all five voted in Gonzales v. Carhart to uphold the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. If confirmed, Sotomayor"s experience with the other justices "is likely to change [her] as well -- and make her an even more formidable counterweight to the male Catholic bloc," according to Kissling. "There is nothing more likely to radicalize a "moderate" Catholic woman of even marginal religiosity than daily exposure to Catholic men who think women need to be protected from making money or making bad and sad abortion choices," Kissling contends (Kissling, Salon, 5/31).
As swine flu spread from Mexico to Texas and then fanned out farther in the United States, Americans began to alter their behavior. Families kept children home from school, postponed trips to the mall, and stayed home instead of eating out. In so doing, the American population may have inadvertently altered the behavior of the pathogen itself.
The first artificial organ for liver patients that uses immortalized human liver cells, the Extracorporeal Liver Assist Device, or ELAD®, is a bedside system that treats blood plasma, metabolizing toxins and synthesizing proteins just like a real liver does.
Scientists are reporting two findings that could influence the way researchers screen for, treat and assess prognosis for women with locally advanced breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease. One finding offers a critical message regarding treatment strategy, they say.
Nearly one percent of the population suffers from bleeding disorders, yet many women don"t know they have one because doctors aren"t looking for the condition, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.
Privately owned UK biotech company
Researchers unveiled data during Digestive Disease Week® (DDW®) 2009 examining the potential risks associated with two commonly-used treatments, particularly among the elderly: acid suppressors and antithrombotics. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the field of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) announced that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has implemented the harmonised Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPCs) for "Cozaar"® (losartan potassium) and "Cozaar"®-Comp (losartan potassium/ hydrochlorothiazide) into the U.K. Marketing Authorisation following a European Commission (EC) Decision.
Low antioxidant intake is associated with low reproductive capacity in semen. This is the finding of a new study carried out in two infertility centres in Alicante and Murcia, and which has been published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility.
Call it advanced warfare on the most elemental of levels.
Despite what some may think, people aren"t hiding their use of BOTOX® Cosmetic and hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. In fact, according to survey statistics released today by The Aesthetic Surgery Education & Research Foundation (ASERF), the research arm of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), nearly nine out of 10 respondents (87 percent) openly discuss their BOTOX® Cosmetic and hyaluronic acid dermal filler treatments with others, with seven out of ten (70 percent) receiving support from the people they told.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have created a line of fruit flies that may someday help shed light on the mechanisms that cause insomnia in humans. The flies, which only get a small fraction of the sleep of normal flies, resemble insomniac humans in several ways.
An international team of astronauts, including Canadian Dr. Robert Thirsk who launched into space on May 27, have just published an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) about the complex physiologic changes and psychological effects that occur in space. They draw upon first-hand experience as both physician-astronauts and crew medical officers on space missions and from NASA literature and peer-reviewed medical s.
Low-cost baked goods that have zero trans fat. Processed foods that taste salty but contain little salt. Biodegradable fabrics made from ecologically-friendly fibres. And an all-natural product that reduces the health risks associated with kidney disease. These are just some of the latest innovations in food, nutrition and bio-materials that will be unveiled at a leading scientific conference in Guelph later this month.
2010 marks the centenary of the International Psychoanalytical Association, the worldwide accrediting and regulatory body for psychoanalysis which was founded by Sigmund Freud and colleagues in 1910. Freud also established a number of free clinics in Europe, and one of those still in operation today is the London Clinic of Psychoanalysis.
Leading UK maternity charity, MIDIRS, has launched a new e-update facility designed to assist health care professionals and student midwives with their continuing professional development. Registration to the service is free and available NOW!
Sunwin International Neutraceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: SUWN), a leader in the production and distribution of Chinese herbs, veterinary medicines and one of the world"s leading producers of all natural, zero calorie Stevia in China, announced today that the company has increased the availability of two veterinary medicines, Huangqiduotang vaccine and Jinfang Detoxification Powder to treat swine flu that has recently spread in North America and other parts of the world. These products, currently used for controlling various types of influenza in China, have demonstrated effectiveness in controlling swine flu outbreaks among livestock.
Diabetes UK launches its national Measure Up Roadshow today to tackle the diabetes epidemic, as it reveals that more than 1.7 million people in the UK could have avoided developing Type 2 diabetes.
Medical schools nationwide struggle to recruit minority physicians, but Temple has met that challenge head on and has the record to prove its success.
Traumatic brain injury - not heart disease, stroke or cancer - is the number one cause of death and disability in people under 45. Each year, some 1.5 million Americans, including soldiers, athletes, the elderly and children, sustain head injuries, and nearly half of them will be hospitalized and treated in an emergency room or intensive care unit.
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.
Cell Therapeutics, Inc. ("CTI") (Nasdaq and MTA: CTIC) announced that, in a study released from Brown University at the 2009 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, patients with cancer of the lower esophagus had evidence of a high pathological complete response ("CR") rate when given OPAXIO, a biologically enhanced paclitaxel, in addition to cisplatin and full-course radiotherapy.
In response to the need for expanded monitoring and reporting of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) today announced its support for the use of automated surveillance technologies in the healthcare setting as an essential part of infection prevention and control activities. The recommendations are published in the APIC position paper, "The Importance of Surveillance Technologies in the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)."
Traumatic brain injury not heart disease, stroke or cancer is the number one cause of death and disability in people under 45. Each year, some 1.5 million Americans, including soldiers, athletes, the elderly and children, sustain head injuries, and nearly half of them will be hospitalized and treated in an emergency room or intensive care unit.
The Institute for Health Research, the research body for the School of Health Science, is proud to announce that Swansea University has given approval for the establishment of a new research centre with a strategic focus on the management of long-term and chronic conditions.
The recent murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller has increased tensions between groups on both sides of the abortion debate at a time when the White House is advocating a move toward "common ground" on the issue, the Los Angeles Times reports. Tiller, one of the few doctors who performed abortions later in pregnancy, was shot to death in his church on Sunday. According to the Times, some advocates feel that the murder will further complicate the Obama administration"s efforts to find areas for agreement in the abortion-rights debate. Abortion-rights advocate Cristina Page -- an author and blogger who attended initial White House meetings on forming effective reproductive health policies -- called Tiller"s death a "massive setback" to the idea of finding common ground with abortion-rights opponents. She added that it is "sort of like having a family member murdered and then being asked to make nice with the assassin"s family. It"s unnatural." However, some antiabortion-rights groups say that President Obama"s policy moves, such as his proposal to rescind the Bush administration"s provider "conscience" rule, have undercut his calls for compromise. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said, "It is very hard to find common ground when none of your policies overlap with the people you are trying to find common ground with."The Obama administration in the coming months plans to continue meetings with advocates on both sides of the abortion debate as it drafts policy proposals aimed at preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing the need for abortion, the Times reports. According to the Times, one area of debate that arose after the first meeting was the White House"s distinction between reducing the need for abortion versus some antiabortion-rights advocates" focus on reducing the number of abortions. After the meeting, Wendy Wright, president of the antiabortion-group Concerned Women for America, blogged that she disagreed with abortion-rights advocates" objections to the phrase "reducing abortions." Page said that Wright seemed to aim to start a fight over words to impede discussion. "We"ve gotten dragged very quickly, by [Wright], back to the same debate that we"ve all suffered through for 36 years," Page said. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said that the "issue should be reducing the number of unintended pregnancies." Melody Barnes, head of Obama"s Domestic Policy Council, said in an interview in May that the White House"s "goal is to reduce the need for abortions.÷ ... If people have better access to contraception, that"s a way of addressing the issue at its root, rather than do a tally of abortions" (Wallsten/Abcarian, Los Angeles Times, 6/3).
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).
Free clinics throughout the Washington area report a surge in patients, a trend that is "expected to continue in the worsening economy," The Washington Post reports. At the Arlington Free Clinic, for example, "applications to see a doctor have more than doubled in a year. In Reston, a similar clinic has seen 40 percent more patients in 10 months."
"Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and city labor officials announced a tentative agreement Tuesday to amend health benefits for more than 550,000 current and retired city employees, guaranteeing the city $400 million in savings over the next two fiscal years," The New York Times reports. The arrangement imposes "$50 to $100 co-payments for about one-fifth of current and retired city employees, and eliminates coverage for preventive dental care at certain offices." The paper adds, "For most other city employees, the plan would restrict certain hospital, ambulatory and hemodialysis coverage to network providers and would implement several other administrative cost-saving measures." The agreement requires union approval.
Low Medicare reimbursement rates are not keeping up with costs at hospitals in Iowa and California while a grant helps boost Medicare enrollment in Missouri.
June 1, 2009: Citalopram (Celexa), a medication commonly prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), was no more effective than a placebo at reducing repetitive behaviors, according to a multi-site clinical trial guided by lead author Bryan H. King, MD, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Seattle Children"s Hospital and professor and vice chair of psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Because citalopram is also prescribed for patients with obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD), these study results may challenge the widely held premise that repetitive behaviors in children with ASD are similar to repetitive behaviors often found in cases of OCD. The study "Lack of Efficacy of Citalopram in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and High Levels of Repetitive Behavior" was published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
New findings throw light on how the brain heals itself and may change the way we think about treating chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson"s and Alzheimer"s.
Indonesia To Host International Congress On AIDS
BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPAX), which is developing a testosterone gel (LibiGel®) for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in menopausal women, today commented on a paper published in the May 15, 2009 issue of AIDS, the Journal of the International AIDS Society, on the effect of testosterone in women infected with HIV. The peer-reviewed journal reported results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of testosterone in HIV-infected women indicating that long-term testosterone administration was well tolerated in HIV-infected women and resulted in significant improvement in body composition, bone mineral density (BMD), and quality of life indices.
New Phase III study results presented for the first time today at the ninth annual American Transplant Congress 2009 (ATC) demonstrate that doubling the duration of preventive therapy ("prophylaxis") with Valcyte (oral valganciclovir), significantly reduces the incidence of CMV disease by 56% in high-risk kidney transplant patients within the first year post-transplant.(1)
A new study appearing in Neurology and Urodynamics evaluates the use of a daytime diaper that uses a musical "wetting alarm" for children in day-care centers. The findings show that wetting alarm diaper training is an effective option for toilet training in a child-friendly way.
Ray Berkelbach is taking long walks three times a day just a couple weeks after having lung surgery. The 68-year-old retiree from Punta Gorda underwent robotic surgery at Moffitt Cancer Center to remove a cancerous part of his lung. His was the first lung procedure in the Tampa Bay area that used the robot-assisted da Vinci surgical system.
This paper investigates 26 patients with painful metal-on-metal resurfacing arthroplasties and describes three tests for the investigation of the phenomenon. The tests are metal artefact-reduction MRI, 3-D CT measurement of the position of the component and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
A study published provides results which challenge the current NICE guidelines (set in April 2007) relating to the use of low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) rather than aspirin as a thromboprophylaxis following orthopaedic surgery.
The long term success of the Charnley low-frictional arthroplasty has been demonstrated today with a follow-up study of patients 30 to 40 years after treatment. Overall, 90% of the hips were free from pain and activity was reported as normal in 58% of patients.
Infants born extremely preterm are surviving at a high rate, with about 70 percent of infants born alive between 22 and 26 weeks of gestation in Sweden surviving at least one year, with high rates of interventions being used to improve survival, according to a study in the June 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on child and adolescent health.
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.
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.
According to the American Cancer
When added to the mix, a new experimental drug known as TMC207 appeared to make a cocktail of background drugs five times more powerful
Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) and the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) have signed an agreement to cooperate in the evaluation of a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine candidate against the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. Novavax has produced influenza A (H1N1) VLP vaccine against the strain recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).