Public Health
Cardium Therapeutics (NYSE Amex: CXM) and its subsidiary Tissue Repair Company (TRC) announced a presentation entitled "Phase 2b Study of GAM501 (Ad5PDGF-B/Collagen) in the Treatment of Diabetic Ulcers" at the Late Stage Industry Clinical Trials Symposium at the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) Annual meeting in San Diego, California, on May 27, 2009. Dr. Barbara K. Sosnowski, Cardium"s Vice President of Biologics Development and the Chief Operating Officer of Cardium"s Tissue Repair Company Operating Unit, provided an update on TRC"s Phase 2b MATRIX clinical trial and the new formulation of the Excellarate(TM) product candidate, as well as an overview of the prior clinical study of Excellarate.
Several newspapers recently published editorials on President Obama"s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Summaries appear below.~ Boston Globe: "Some liberal activists hoped that Obama would seek a firebrand to counter [Supreme Court Justice] Antonin Scalia, the darling of the right," but "Sotomayor has made her reputation not on hot-button social issues but on matters ranging from environmental regulation to the baseball business," a Globe editorial states. It adds that while Sotomayor "presumably shares Obama"s support for abortion rights, she upheld the Bush administration"s restrictions on family-planning activities" by international groups that received U.S. funding. Now, "conservative groups have seized upon an offhand remark in 2005" when she described the "federal appeals courts as the place "where policy is made" ... as evidence that Sotomayor would legislate from the bench," the editorial states, adding. "The attack is disingenuous." The editorial concludes, "Short of any unexpected revelations about her record or her philosophy, though, the Senate should confirm Sonia Sotomayor," adding that in addition to her "intriguing" personal background she "also has the experience to make an excellent Supreme Court Justice" (Boston Globe, 5/27).~ Chicago Tribune: Sotomayor "has to bring more than diversity to the court," a Tribune editorial states, adding that the "evidence so far suggests that she is up to the job." One "would expect a nominee chosen by Obama to be on the liberal side of the judicial spectrum," but some of her rulings "suggest otherwise," according to the editorial. While Sotomayor "has stressed that the "duty of a judge is to follow the law, not to question its plain terms,"" on the bench, "she ruled against an abortion-rights group challenging" the Bush administration"s "global gag rule," the editorial notes, among other rulings that "could be characterized as "conservative decisions"." However, "the point is not that she"s a closet conservative -- it"s that ideology didn"t seem to determine her decisions," according to the editorial. The "Senate has a responsibility to undertake a thorough examination of her record and her thinking," the editorial states, concluding, "But for now, it looks as though her critics have a tough task ahead of them" (Chicago Tribune, 5/27).~ Los Angeles Times: "Sotomayor doesn"t possess the political experience that would be brought to the court"s cloistered chambers by Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) or Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano," but "she satisfies Obama"s other criteria: experience, erudition and, as he put it, "a common touch and a sense of compassion, an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live,"" a Times editorial states. Sotomayor"s "experiences as a Latina raised in a housing project who went on to excel at Princeton and Yale don"t in themselves qualify her for the court," but these facts do "complement her sterling credentials and equip her with perspectives that could illuminate legal issues that come before her," the editorial continues. Senate Republicans "should accord her the same respect [they] demanded for Bush"s nominees and end the tiresome tit-for-tat that has cheapened the confirmation of federal judges and deprived the bench of some of the nation"s most capable legal minds," the editorial concludes (Los Angeles Times, 5/27).~ Philadelphia Inquirer: "Sotomayor would bring to the court a diversity it has lacked for most of its history," an Inquirer editorial states. Although "[c]onservatives want to make an issue out of President Obama"s search for "empathy" in a nominee" and "criticize Sotomayor for a speech in 2001 in which she said that being a woman of color affects her decisions," neither comment "is sinister nor shocking," according to the editorial. It concludes, "The Senate has a duty to examine Sotomayor"s qualifications rigorously and fairly. But she appears to have the experience and the
UnitedHealth Group"s Center for Health Reform and Modernization on Wednesday suggested 15 steps that could be taken to save $540 billion in federal in health care costs over the next 10 years, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports (Werner, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 5/27). Simon Stevens, head of the center, said that the report "puts some flesh on the bones" of the pledge made by health care industry groups earlier this month to cut health care costs, noting that the recommendations already are being used by UnitedHealth to reduce costs and can be applied to Medicare (Reuters, 5/27).The recommended steps include:
Florida"s Miami-Dade County and BlueCross BlueShield of Florida on Tuesday announced a new low-cost health plan, called Miami-Dade Blue, aimed at helping the estimated 600,000 uninsured county residents, the Miami Herald reports. The plan -- which costs taxpayers nothing -- is a traditional PPO, with no pre-approvals or referrals and will cost a healthy 35-year-old male about $100 per month. Miami-Dade Blue has a $250 deductible and will cover 90% of in-network hospital costs and 100% of fees for in-network lab tests after the deductible is met. The copayment for generic drugs is $10 per prescription; the plan will not offer coverage for brand-name prescriptions.The plan is being offered to individuals younger than age 65 and to small employers with up to 50 workers. Businesses will be guaranteed coverage if 70% of employees take part in the plan and the owner pays at least 50% of the premiums; however, individuals with costly pre-existing health conditions likely will be denied coverage. The plan has an annual out-of-pocket limit of $2,500 and a lifetime benefit of $5 million. About 1,500 physicians agreed to be part of the Miami-Dade Blue network, while 20 clinics and seven hospitals are in the plan"s network (Dorschner, Miami Herald, 5/27).
Since the implementation of the Massachusetts health insurance law in 2006, more residents have health coverage and increased access to care, but rising health care costs combined with the current economic recession could undermine some of the law"s successes, according to the third annual "Update on Health Reform in Massachusetts" report by the Urban Institute, the Boston Globe reports. The study was funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund, and published in the journal Health Affairs.For the report, Sharon Long of the Urban Institute and colleagues surveyed about 4,000 Massachusetts adults in 2007 and 2008 and compared their health care habits with those of residents surveyed in 2006 -- just after the law went into effect. Researchers found that although there were initial gains in health care affordability, there are now some signs that an increasing number of state residents are reporting problems paying for medical bills, and an increasing number of people -- especially lower-income residents -- not seeking care because of costs (Lazar, Boston Globe, 5/28). One in five adults reported being told in the past 12 months that a physician or clinic was not accepting new patients or would not see patients with their type of insurance (Sack, New York Times, 5/28). Lower-income residents had more difficulties finding a physician than higher-income residents, with 24% of residents enrolled in state-subsidized health plans, saying they were told that a physician did not accept their insurance, compared with 7% of residents with private coverage (Boston Globe, 5/28). Additional Findings
Low vitamin D levels in blacks could contribute to health gaps between white and black U.S. residents, Michael Holick, a professor at Boston University and a vitamin D researcher, said recently, the GNS/Chicago Sun-Times reports. According to Holick, blacks have lower levels of vitamin D than whites in part because the higher amount of pigment in their skin makes it harder for their body to absorb the nutrient, which is produced in response to sun exposure. Although scientists are debating optimum vitamin D levels, some scientists have said that vitamin D can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses. Holick added that some scientists believe blacks are more likely to have prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer and have more aggressive forms of the cancer because they have lower levels of vitamin D. John Flack, principal investigator at the Center for Urban and African American Health at Wayne State University, said lower vitamin D levels among blacks is "potentially a very important explanation for some of the differences, from hypertension to cancer to heart failure," adding, "The actual proof is not there, but it"s plausible." Flack added that many factors -- including decreased access to health care and differences in income and education -- contribute to the overall poorer health among blacks. The Institute of Medicine next year is expected to release new guidelines on recommended daily intake for vitamin D. "All Americans, but particularly people with darker skin, should pay attention" to the new guidelines, according to Adit Ginde, a researcher at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine who led a recent study that found vitamin D levels are decreasing in all racial groups and are particularly low in blacks (Painter, GNS/Chicago Sun-Times, 5/28).
Kevin Bruhn, PhD, is the winner of the third annual Liu Young Investigator Award, a $10,000 honor aimed at nurturing excellence and providing support for a young scientist on the LA BioMed campus.
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®.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced the initiation of a Phase 3 registration program for VX-770, an investigational Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) potentiator that targets the defective CFTR protein that causes cystic fibrosis (CF). The VX-770 registration program will consist of three clinical trials, including a primary 48-week Phase 3 trial that is currently open to enrollment of patients aged 12 years and older who carry the G551D mutation on at least one allele. Two additional trials will evaluate VX-770 in patients aged 6 to 11 years with the G551D mutation on at least one allele and in patients homozygous for the F508del mutation, respectively.
Two studies in the May 29th issue of Cell, a Cell Press publication, have taken advantage of new technological advances to search for and find previously unknown weaknesses in a hard to treat form of cancer. The discoveries lend new hope in the fight again tumors that are today considered "undruggable."
Men with systolic chronic heart failure who have low or high levels of estradiol, a form of the hormone estrogen, have an increased risk of death compared with men with moderate levels of this hormone, according to a study in the May 13 issue of JAMA.
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.
Boehringer Ingelheim announced that it will become the founding sponsor of the World Stroke Academy, a novel training initiative for stroke professionals being developed by the World Stroke Organization ( WSO). This latest educational initiative from the WSO will bring together an international group of stroke experts - led by Professor Michael Brainin of the Danube University Krems, Austria - to provide information about stroke and knowledge for health professionals and medical doctors in order to improve prevention, therapy and management of stroke.
Also known as onychomycosis and tinea unguium, nail fungal infections are the most common diseases of the nails, making up about 50% of nail abnormalities. Both fingernails and toenails are susceptible to the infection, which usually manifests as discoloration and thickening of the nail and crumbling edges. The condition most commonly occurs in toenails.
Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that several studies evaluating the use of Leukine(R) (sargramostim) will be presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.
VION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (OTC Bulletin Board: VION) announced that an analysis of clinical data of its lead anticancer agent Onrigin (laromustine) Injection in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) would be presented in a poster at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Not yet convinced about keeping your healthy teeth, here"s another reason.
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.
Ethicon Endo-Surgery today announced that the Anesthesiology and Respiratory Therapy Devices Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted in favor of approval of the SEDASYS(R) System for use by physician/nurse teams to administer minimal-to-moderate propofol sedation during screening and diagnostic procedures for colorectal cancer (colonoscopy) and the upper gastrointestinal tract (EGD). The SEDASYS(R) System, the first computer-assisted personalized sedation (CAPS) system, integrates drug delivery and patient monitoring to enable propofol sedation personalized to each patient"s needs.
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
A new, international study found that the combination of two drugs delays disease progression for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results from the Phase III "ATLAS" trial were presented today by Dr. Vincent Miller of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
The Obama administration"s draft guidelines outlining criteria for federal funding of stem cell research "go only halfway toward freeing embryonic stem cell research" because "[s]ome of the most promising investigations will still be denied federal funding," syndicated columnist Froma Harrop writes in a Providence Journal opinion piece. Harrop writes that although "the public supports the research by more than two to one," there is "a vocal minority opposed to this work because it requires the destruction of embryos." According to Harrop, although Obama allowed research on embryos willingly donated by fertility clinic patients and lifted former President George W. Bush"s restrictions limiting federal funding to research on 21 existing stem cell lines, he "wouldn"t budge on the prohibition against funding research that allows for the creation of embryos out of human cells," known as therapeutic cloning. She notes that "therapeutic cloning has little to do with human cloning, which is about making new people and is illegal most everywhere. But say that cloning is being used in research, and many folks think they"re going to have a clone as a neighbor in a few years."Harrop continues, "[B]y allowing the use of embryos from fertility clinics and not those created by researchers, the administration lends credence to the view that embryos are full human beings." However, the "only difference between embryos in fertility clinics and the ones cloned for research is the motive of the people who created them." She concludes, "Obama"s timidity in rewriting the guidelines has slowed down important research and produced more confusion. And for Americans praying for cures from this science, the choice seems rather clear" (Harrop, Providence Journal, 5/28).
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 Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group recently called on the country to launch a comprehensive harm reduction program for injection drug users in an effort to help curb the spread of HIV, Thailand"s The Nation reports. According to the group, many IDUs are unable to access drug treatment and substation therapy because of the stigma surrounding drug use in the country. Karyn Kaplan, director of development and policy for the group, said, "Health care workers have denied many injecting drug users access to an antiviral drug and the use of methadone." Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai recently announced that the country"s harm reduction programs have helped to curb the spread of HIV among IDUs, adding that local substitution programs have reduced the number of HIV-positive IDUs and that the country needs increased support from UNAIDS for such efforts. TTAG called for the government to provide prevention and treatment options, such as substitution therapy and needle-exchange programs. The Nation reports that methadone treatment is offered at hospitals across the country as part of the national health care scheme, but many health care workers refuse to administer treatment. In addition, government treatment is offered for 45 days. Kaplan said that the government should revise its policy regarding treatment access for IDUs, as a majority of IDUs are incarcerated and living with HIV or hepatitis-C without treatment access. She called on the government to "implement the international standards of medical treatment for [IDUs], without discrimination and human rights violations" (The Nation, 5/27).
Hispanics in Massachusetts are less likely than whites to have visited a physician in the last year, according to a survey that was funded by the Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Springfield Republican reports. The survey also found that Hispanics were about twice as likely as whites to visit an emergency department for a nonemergency condition. The survey, which was conducted last fall, included 4,041 adults ages 18 to 64 in Massachusetts. Overall, the survey found that people living in western Massachusetts had more difficulty accessing health services than people living in other areas of the state, in part because of a shortage of primary care physicians. While the survey found that nearly all state residents have health insurance, more than 25% of residents in four western counties reported that providers either would not accept their insurance or were not accepting new patients. The survey did not find significant differences across the state in the ability of residents to pay medical bills. In addition, the survey did not find any evidence that health care costs are more of a burden to Hispanics and blacks than to whites (McAuliffe, Springfield Republican, 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.
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
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is proud to announce a new recommendation issued by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Task Force on Standardized Pharmacy Technician Education and Training which encourages state boards of pharmacy to require certification by the PTCB.
Scottsdale Healthcare, through its strategic alliance with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), is one of three clinical research sites in the United States that will participate in a three-year investigation into new approaches to treating pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that a complex network of interactions between drugs and the proteins with which they bind can explain adverse drug effects. Their findings suggest that adverse drug effects might be minimized by using single or multiple drug therapies in order to fine-tune multiple off-target interactions.
The Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS), the world"s largest
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.
As the best drugs become increasingly resistant to superbugs, McMaster University researchers have discovered a completely different way of looking for a new antibiotic.
Devax, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has conditionally approved an Investigational Device Exemption ("IDE") for its AXXESS™ Biolimus A9® Eluting Bifurcation Stent System (AXXESS System), allowing the company to initiate a pivotal clinical trial (DIVERGE II) of the device in the United States.
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.
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).
The ANF calls on the Prime Minister to consult with nurses and other occupations that are most affected before implementing changes to the retirement age for pensions or superannuation.
Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah studied the events leading to colon cancer and found that an unexpected protein serves as the "spark" that triggers formation of colon polyps, the precursors to cancerous tumors.
What
A new surgical technique could allow surgeons to perform a radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer-with fewer complications, reduced morbidity, and a lower risk of local tumour recurrence than current surgical methods, according to an Article published Online first and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology.
Neurobiological Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTII) (NTI(R)) announced that Celtic Pharmaceutical Holdings L.P. (Celtic Pharma) has announced the results from its Phase 3 Clinical Program for XERECEPT(R) in patients with edema associated with brain tumors and from preclinical studies of XERECEPT in brain tumor models.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE: VRX) reported final results for its Phase IIb dose-finding clinical trial for taribavirin, a prodrug of ribavirin which is in development for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in conjunction with a pegylated interferon. The study in treatment naive genotype 1 infected subjects was of standard design, consisting of 48 weeks of treatment with a 24-week follow-up period. It explored three weight-based doses of taribavirin: 20 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg vs. ribavirin 800-1400 mg/day. Throughout the 72-week trial, all doses of taribavirin demonstrated comparable efficacy (sustained virologic response (SVR)) to ribavirin with consistently lower levels of anemia. In addition, relapse rates in the 25 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg arms were comparable with the ribavirin arm; supporting the premise that higher dose weight-based taribavirin may be as effective as weight based ribavirin. Valeant plans to present the full final data at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) later this year.
American Psychological Association 117th Annual Convention in Toronto, Canada, Aug. 6-9, 2009
When combined with standard chemotherapy, an international Phase III trial has shown that the oral targeted therapy vandetanib improves progression-free survival for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, according to research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
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.
The Pima County Health Department is releasing additional
About half of all people who have a major stroke following a warning stroke (a transient ischemic attack or mild stroke) have it within 24 hours of the first event, according to research published in the June 2, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
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.
Catholic constitutional law professors Doug Kmiec of the Pepperdine University School of Law and Robert George of Princeton University on Thursday during a forum at the National Press Club debated the Obama administration"s abortion policies and whether opposing sides in the abortion-rights debate should work toward finding "common ground," the Washington Times reports. Kmiec -- a Republican who broke rank with many Catholics and supported President Obama"s run for the presidency -- stressed that the president is serious about reducing the need for abortion. However, George "challenged the administration to do something concrete," such as ban certain abortion procedures, according to the Times. He said that Obama "rejects what we and pro-lifers propose is common ground. ... He does not believe human beings acquire rights until after birth."Kmiec and George also debated the role of Catholics in politics, such as whether Catholics who support abortion rights should be denied Holy Communion or whether Catholic bishops should speak out against politicians who support abortion rights. In April 2008, a Los Angeles priest denied Kmiec Communion because of his support for Obama. Kmiec asked, "Are we as Catholics expected to sit on the sidelines aloof with the truth talking to ourselves or are we to engage our fellow citizens and offer that faith? The 2008 election was very much a test of that." He said that he does not believe that intimidation is the correct way to address abortion-rights issues, adding that the "denial of Communion is intimidation." Kmiec said that Catholic bishops" opposition to abortion-rights supporters who are Catholic "is not either an effective nor a Catholic approach. Nor is it a Catholic approach to endorse candidates. Yet certain bishops endorse candidates. Nor should churches allow materials in their vestibule saying it is a sin of the highest order to cast a vote for Barack Obama." He noted that 54% of Catholics voted for Obama.George opted to focus on Obama"s legislative record instead of the issue of Catholics in politics. He said, "Obama"s record as an activist, legislator and now as president is that an unborn baby possesses no rights. Throughout his career, he has denied every fundamental legislation that would discourage its practice or limit its liability" (Duin, Washington Times, 5/29).
DxS, a personalised medicine company, and Boehringer Ingelheim, a global group of pharmaceutical companies, headquartered in Germany, have entered into an agreement to provide a companion diagnostic test kit for Boehringer Ingelheim"s compound BIBW 2992 (Tovok™) to identify mutations of the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) in patients with non small cell lung cancer. Financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed.
Monkeys playing a game similar to "Let"s Make A Deal" have revealed that their brains register missed opportunities and learn from their mistakes.
Data presented at the 2009 American Transplant Congress
Health outcomes explored at DDW 2009
Daqing Li and colleagues, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, have identified in vitro and in mice a way to enhance the anticancer effects of the commonly used platinum-based drug cisplatin.
Tiny fluctuations in a fetus"s heartbeat can indicate distress, but currently there is no way to detect such subtle variations except during labor, when it could be too late to prevent serious or even fatal complications.
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.
In-growth and new generation of blood vessels, which must take place if a wound is to heal or a tumor is to grow, have been thought to occur through a branching and further growth of a vessel against a chemical gradient of growth factors. Now a research team at Uppsala University and its University Hospital has shown that mechanical forces are considerably more important than was previously thought. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, open up a new field for developing treatments.
The UK government would like to allow pharmaceutical companies to provide patients with more information about prescription drugs, according to an article published in Pulse. UK ministers view the European Commission"s proposals positively - these proposals would greatly extend the communication permitted between companies and patients. Currently, European Law limits such communication to patient safety leaflets.
The United Auto Workers" benefits plan is expected to receive a nearly 20 percent ownership stake in General Motors as a result of the automaker"s bankruptcy filing today and proposed restructuring, the Washington Post reports (Whoriskey, 6/1).
BioLineRx Ltd. (TASE:BLRX), a clinical stage drug development company, today announced positive preliminary results from the ongoing phase I/II clinical trial designed to assess the safety and feasibility of BL-1040, the first injectable device designed to address cardiac remodeling, in 20- 30 patients at several sites in Germany and Belgium. To date, 15 patients were successfully treated with BL-1040 with no complications. Moreover, six months follow up results from the first 5 patients show BL-1040"s efficacy in preventing cardiac remodeling and preserving cardiac function.
If your child needs to use a wheelchair, whether temporarily following illness or surgery or for longer-term disability, it is important they feel confident to move about safely. At this year"s national Mobility Roadshow that takes place at Kemble Airfield near Cirencester on 4, 5 and 6 June the Association of Wheelchair Children will be holding wheelchair skills workshops for children. In half hour sessions they will teach practical skills - ascending and descending kerbs, slopes, negotiating roads, moving backwards and forwards - empowering them with the ability to assess risk and to move safely and confidently about their homes and neighbourhoods. These sessions are equally useful for parents and carers.
Argos Therapeutics announced the presentation of new information on its soluble CD83 (sCD83) protein program in a poster session at the 2009 American Transplant Congress, held May 30-June 3 in Boston. The poster presentation, to be made on June 2 at 5:30pm by Argos" collaborating scientists from the University of Western Ontario, demonstrates that combination therapy with sCD83 can prolong kidney allograft survival in an animal model of transplantation, and that sCD83 attenuates pathological changes in kidney allografts, induces generation of T regulatory cells and inhibits dendritic cell maturation, all of which may contribute to immunosuppression and allograft tolerance.
A team of University of Minnesota-Twin Cities students from a civil engineering class will head to India later this month to share their ideas and plans for helping bring clean water to thousands of residents living in the slums of Mumbai - the same impoverished area that provided the backdrop for the 2009 Oscar Award-winning movie, "Slumdog Millionaire."
Today, June 1, kicks off Sun Safety Week, and while the sun is a fundamental, life-fueling force, Health Net Inc. (NYSE:HNT) wants to remind everyone that it"s important to remember that this standout star also is responsible for thousands of deaths annually due to skin cancer and heat-related illnesses.
Health officials on Sunday said that a diarrhea outbreak has spread across Bangladesh"s southwest due to the effects of Cyclone Aila, which hit parts of Bangladesh and India on May 25, AFP/Google.com reports. Diarrhea broke out at an "alarming rate" because inundation and water logging have destroyed large amounts of land and supplies of drinking water near Sundarbans, the world"s largest mangrove forest, according to health workers.
The Santa Maria Times examines how California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger"s (R) plan to reduce state spending by more than $5 billion over the next two fiscal years, which includes millions of dollars in funding cuts to HIV prevention, education and treatment programs, could affect county residents (Womack, Santa Maria Times, 5/31). According to the Times, hundreds of residents in Santa Barbara County -- including more than 100 AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) clients -- would potentially be affected by the funding cuts (Santa Maria Times, 5/31). The proposal also would result in $1.8 million in cuts to programs for low-income residents living with HIV in Riverside County, the Desert Sun reports (Brambila, Desert Sun, 5/29). The plan, issued by Schwarzenegger last week, includes $55.5 million in cuts to California"s ADAP and other state Office of AIDS programs (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 5/27).
Several of the country"s largest liberal groups said they were prepared to spend $82 million to promote President Obama"s health care reform agenda, the Boston Globe reports. "Joining the effort are two major labor organizations, the AFL-CIO and Change to Win; Health Care for America Now, a coalition of healthcare providers, consumer groups, and activists; MoveOn.org, the massive online activist organization; and other groups that claim a total of 30 million members."
New long-term findings from the Phase 3b study of patients with moderately to severely active Crohn"s disease having inadequate response to conventional therapies, but naive to immunomodulators and biologic therapy, were presented at Digestive Disease Week today. Data from the SONIC study showed that a greater proportion of patients receiving REMICADE (infliximab) maintained steroid-free remission at one year, compared with patients receiving azathioprine alone.
When should a parent schedule a comprehensive eye assessment for a baby? Clinical research has shown that at 6 months, the average baby has reached a number of critical developmental milestones, making this an appropriate age for the first eye and vision assessment.
CQ HealthBeat reports on reactions to Cindy Mann"s appointment as Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations, noting that liberals are hailing her appointment and "saying she"ll counter steps taken by the Bush administration to tighten eligibility and alter benefits."
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.
Bayer Schering
Targeting the issue of low birth rates, the Taiwanese government implemented the Mega Warmth Social Welfare Program (MWSWP) in 2006 after its fertility rates dipped lower than most industrial nations.
The Washington, D.C. HIV/AIDS Administration (HAA) will increase its HIV-related media efforts targeting those at risk for the virus amid a recent finding by the agency that 3% of the district"s residents are living with HIV/AIDS, the Washington Post reports. Mayor Adrian Fenty recently committed $500,000 annually for a five-year marketing campaign, Shannon Hader, director of HAA said. Advertising experts say that millions more would be needed in order for the agency to have an "effective" campaign, or that local media, billboard companies and the district"s Metro system need to provide more free advertising space, according to the Post. Next month HAA plans to announce a campaign targeting heterosexual couples that will encourage HIV testing (Fears, Washington Post, 6/2).
Reclast® (zoledronic acid 5 mg) Injection* has been approved by
Roche and Plexxikon announced interim results from a phase I study with PLX4032 (R7204) a new, highly selective and potentially promising oral treatment for patients with advanced melanoma whose cancer harbours the BRAF mutation (known as mutation-positive). Patients treated with PLX4032 lived for a median of six months without their disease getting worse and more than half experienced significant shrinkage of their tumours; this included patients where the cancer had spread to the liver, lung and bone.1 Historically, less than 5% of metastatic melanoma patients are still alive five years after diagnosis.2
Older people in Britain are being drugged and robbed when they need care.
There are many reasons why health care costs in the US are spiraling out of control: ineffective use of res, unmanaged chronic conditions and infrequent implementations of proven prevention strategies all contribute. While it stands to reason that preventative actions are one solution, no one has yet quantified the value of investing in non-traditional prevention programs.
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.
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.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a change to the prescribing information for its once-daily Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) treatment VYVANSE® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) CII, to include supplemental data that demonstrated significant ADHD symptom control in children aged 6 to 12 from the first time point measured (1.5 hours) through 13 hours postdose. VYVANSE is now the first and only oral ADHD stimulant treatment to have 13-hour postdose efficacy data for pediatric patients included in its product labeling.
Novartis has received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) supporting European Union (EU) approval of everolimus for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)3, the most common type of kidney cancer4.
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.
The BMA is stepping up its activity to publicise its concerns about government reforms that have created a market in healthcare and allowed commercially run firms to provide NHS care.
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.
On World No Tobacco Day, World Lung Foundation is partnering with government health ministries in China and India to launch new tobacco counter-marketing campaigns in those countries, where the largest populations of smokers in the world reside. WLF also completed an online video for the World Health Organization, which will be disseminated globally.
Patients who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for a prolonged period have an increased risk of developing Barrett"s esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition where the tissue lining the esophagus becomes damaged by stomach acid and transformed into something like the inside of the stomach. New research finds that radiofrequency ablation -- an endoscopic procedure involving targeted thermal energy -- was very successful at restoring the esophagus and reducing risk for cancer.
Smoke Alarm, a new not for profit Community Interest Company, is launching a series of nationwide seminars to help Smoking Cessation Therapists understand more about the addictive interdependency of cannabis and tobacco.
- 1 confirmed case in Wales (a 31 year old male from the Caerphilly local authority area. He has had mild flu symptoms, has been offered antivirals and is recovering at home).
New research published by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme has found that while ibuprofen and paracetamol is more effective when used together when treating fever in pre-school children, ibuprofen should be used first as this will reduce the temperature quicker.
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.
Results from a number of clinical trials were presented during the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) in Chicago this week, revealing new outcomes data related to endoscopic radiofrequency ablation using the HALO ablation system for eradicating a pre-cancerous esophageal condition known as Barrett"s esophagus. Among them, reports included durability outcomes from a randomized sham-controlled trial, safety and efficacy outcomes from a large U.S. registry of 429 patients, a randomized trial comparing ablation to endoscopic resection, and the largest European series to date in patients with high-grade dysplasia and early cancer.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced
In children with the rare disease Pfeiffer syndrome, craniofacial surgery to correct skull defects is followed by a distinct pattern of increases in body temperature, reports a study in the January Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.
Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SLXP) announced on Monday the presentation of new data from its Phase III pivotal clinical trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of rifaximin - a non-absorbed (O144. The Effect of Prognostic Factors on the Maintenance of Remission in Hepatic Encephalopathy Patients Treated with Rifaximin
Some liberal journalists and bloggers are criticizing Fox News host Bill O"Reilly for the language he has used when discussing abortion provider George Tiller, with some suggesting that his harsh rhetoric incites violence, the New York Times reports. Tiller, who was one of a small number of U.S. doctors who performed abortions later in pregnancy, was shot and killed on Sunday while serving as an usher in his local church. On Monday, O"Reilly said that "clear-thinking Americans should condemn" the murder but also defended his past remarks about Tiller. O"Reilly said that "every single thing we said about Tiller was true, and my analysis was based on those facts."Salon within nine hours of Tiller"s death had posted video clips of 29 on-air references that O"Reilly had made about Tiller on past programs. O"Reilly has said that Tiller and other abortion providers conduct the "business of destruction" and that he "wouldn"t want to be these people if there is a Judgment Day." Media Matters for America on its site published a 2006 clip in which O"Reilly said, "If I could get my hands on Tiller," adding, "Well, you know. Can"t be vigilantes. Can"t do that. It"s just a figure of speech."According to the Times, O"Reilly often draws particular attention because his cable news show has held a No. 1 rating for the past seven years. Burt Neuborne, a New York University law professor and a former legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union, said that a commentator"s language, regardless of its severity, usually cannot be treated as an incitement of violence unless it includes direct instructions to individuals. He added, "It"s important not to allow that to happen. It would have a dramatic effect on the ability to speak vigorously" (Stelter, New York Times, 6/2).
Esomeprazole significantly reduced the occurrence of gastric and duodenal ulcers and upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in patients taking low-dose aspirin for risk reduction of adverse cardiovascular (CV) events[i], such as myocardial infarction (MI) and ischaemic stroke, according to new data presented today at the Digestive Diseases Week annual meeting (DDW, 30thMay - 4th June, Chicago).
"Employer-provided medical insurance remains the bedrock of the nation"s health care system. And yet, while most big employers still provide health benefits, soaring premiums have meant many small businesses can no longer afford to cover their workers," the New York Times reports. Some are concerned that many such businesses, those with fewer than 100 workers and which employ 40 percent of the labor force, will be left out of the health reform plan incubating in Congress. While insurers have offered key concessions to make it easier for individuals to buy insurance, saying they"ll "sell policies even to people with pre-existing medical conditions, and to stop basing prices on how healthy or sick someone is," the companies appear unwilling to give small employers the same break.
June 1, 2009: In a new study, young children and their adult caregivers uttered fewer vocalizations, used fewer words and engaged in fewer conversations when in the presence of audible television. The population-based study is the first of its kind completed in the home environment, guided by lead researcher Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children"s Research Institute and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "Audible Television and Decreased Adult Words, Infant Vocalizations, and Conversational Turns" was published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) are recruiting participants for a national clinical study of medication that could slow the progression of Parkinson"s disease. The study, referred to as "QE3," will examine the effectiveness of the research medication Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ). During the study, investigators will administer high doses of CoQ to participants 30 years of age or older with early stage Parkinson"s disease to reduce the speed of their physical decline. The research is sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and will be conducted by the Parkinson Study Group, an international council of physicians and researchers experienced in caring for Parkinson"s patients and studying the disease.
The new H1N1 swine flu virus claimed the life of a 20-year old Chicago woman on Saturday, one day after giving birth to a baby via Cesarean
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").
GameStop (NYSE: GME) teamed with the National Women"s Health Re Center (NWHRC) to provide five key practical health tips for women in their 20s. The national video game retailer also asked 20-something celebrities Cote de Pablo (NCIS) and Michelle Trachtenberg (17 Again) to share their personal fitness tips as well. These tips and more health and fitness information can be found at http://www.gamestop.com/fitatanyage.
While the number of new cases of HIV in Wisconsin has stabilized over the last decade, women now represent more of the overall number of cases, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports (AP/Chicago Tribune, 6/2). According to Mike Gifford, CEO of the AIDS Re Center of Wisconsin (ARCW), 21 percent of new infections are women, compared with 16 percent in the 1990s and 6 percent in the1980s. Gifford says that women need to be better informed about their risk of contracting HIV. Christina Colon, ARCW"s associate director of prevention, said the organization is targeting women"s health fairs to raise awareness (Simonson, Wisconsin Public Radio, 6/1).
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.
When you were a kid your mom poured it on your scraped finger to stave off infection. When you got older you might have even used it to bleach your hair. Now there"s another possible function for this over-the-counter colorless liquid: your body might be using hydrogen peroxide as an envoy that marshals troops of healing cells to wounded tissue.
Over the past 20 years, the health care system has made tremendous progress in reducing the use of physical restraints among hospitalized elderly patients, a positive change that has had numerous numerous ripple effects, improving outcomes, maintaining mobility and preserving dignity and independence for these individuals.
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.
On Wednesday the BMA called on the Scottish Parliament Health Committee to support Government plans to remove the ability for commercial companies to provide NHS general practice services to patients.
Adolescents at an increased risk of depression who participated in a group cognitive behavioral intervention significantly reduced their symptoms and episodes of depression compared to teens who received usual care, although this effect was not seen for adolescents with a parent with current depression, according to a study in the June 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on child and adolescent health.
At the ends of chromosome are special pieces of DNA called telomeres. Think of it as the little tip that caps off a shoelace. The telomeres send signals to the cells to let them know it"s the end point, not a break that should be repaired.
According to the American Cancer
It"s been a decade since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first total ankle-replacement system for patients with severe ankle arthritis.
After a vaccination or an infection, the human immune system remembers to keep protecting against invaders it has already encountered, with the aid of specialized B-cells and T-cells. Immunological memory has long been the subject of intense study, but the underlying cellular mechanisms regulating the generation and persistence of long-lived memory T cells remain largely undefined. Now, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers have found that a common anti-diabetic drug might enhance the effectiveness of vaccines. The findings are described this week in an advanced online publication of Nature.
By applying cutting-edge techniques in single-molecule manipulation, researchers at Harvard University have uncovered a fundamental feedback mechanism that the body uses to regulate the clotting of blood. The finding, which could lead to a new physical, quantitative, and predictive model of how the body works to respond to injury, has implications for the treatment of bleeding disorders.