Medical Devices
Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:OCLS), a healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets a family of products based upon the Microcyn® Technology platform, which includes new formulations intended to reduce the use of antibiotics by preventing or treating infections including those caused by bacteria and viruses, has confirmed the effectiveness of Microcyn® Technology at inactivating the H1NI Swine Influenza A. In a virucidal time-kill suspension test conducted by an independent laboratory, BioScience Laboratories, Inc., the specific Microcyn Technology formulation reduced infectivity of the swine flu virus by 4.00log10 (99.99%) reduction after just 30-seconds exposure. BioScience Laboratories, working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, received formal approval to acquire, house and evaluate the specific swine influenza virus in April 2009.
The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson and the All Party Parliamentary Thrombosis Group are today holding a leadership summit on venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the NHS. Health Minister, Ann Keen, the All Party Chair, John Smith MP, and NHS Medical Director, Sir Bruce Keogh are among the speakers at event to raise awareness of the Department of Health"s prevention strategy for VTE. NHS senior managers will learn of the comprehensive and important drive to save lives from this important cause of avoidable death.
New exercise guidelines are being developed that will give cancer survivors a comprehensive plan on how to safely start or maintain a physical activity program - and, in turn, enjoy a higher quality of life after battling the disease.
"President Barack Obama on Wednesday rejected the idea of fully taxing Americans" employer-provided health insurance benefits, but suggested he might be persuaded to tax so-called Cadillac coverage ... in the interest of a compromise with Congress," McClatchy/The Star-Telegram reports. The President, speaking at a "town hall-style event" taped at the White House and aired on ABC News, "said he would prefer to pay for expanded coverage by eliminating some deductions for higher-earning taxpayers but that "there"s going to have to be some compromise." The President "said he understands Americans" trepidation about changing the system: "They know that they"re living with the devil, but the devil they know they think may be better than the devil they don"t." He said any reform would be phased in, not happen overnight" (Talev and Lightman, 6/24).
Staying ahead of the upcoming drive to sell electronic health records to hospitals and physicians may be difficult for smaller vendors, Pharmawire/Financial Times reports. General Electric announced a program last week to provide health care organizations with financing options to purchase health technology through its financial services arm even as it sells electronic records through its health care wing. Other large vendors like Cerner and McKesson will be able to keep up, but smaller producers will be left behind, industry experts said.
Taiwan
"Dr. Eric Goosby wasted no time starting his new job as the U.S. global AIDS coordinator. He flew from the Bay Area to Geneva hours after his confirmation by the Senate and was sworn in when he landed ņ¦ The ambassador is approaching his post with the urgency of a clinician who has spent more than 25 years fighting the disease," the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
The New York Times on Thursday examined the effects of maternal mortality on infants in Tanzania, many of whom live in village orphanages after their mothers" deaths. The article is the last in a three-part series on pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths in the country. The Times reports that 250,000 women die annually during pregnancy or childbirth in Africa as the result of bleeding, infection, high blood pressure, prolonged labor and botched abortions. Although many of these problems can be treated or prevented with basic obstetrical care, Tanzania has too few physicians, nurses and drugs -- and is short on equipment, ambulances and paved roads -- to address the issue. Women who die during pregnancy often are survived by their infants. The newborns do not have access to breastmilk, and formula and baby food are not widely available in the country. To avoid malnutrition and infection, the infants often are taken to orphanages that can provide basic care until they reach age two or three, and then they are returned to their extended families. The article profiled an innovative program at the Berega Orphanage that is being widely replicated in Africa. The "program is designed to meet the infants" emotional as well as physical needs," by having "teenage girls from their extended families living with [the infants] at the orphanage," the Times reports. The girls -- known as "bintis" in Swahili -- learn how to take care of the infants and are then better able to take care of them when they return to their villages. Ute Klatt, a German missionary and nurse who has been the director of the orphanage for 10 years, explains that "the families weren"t visiting, and it was hard to reintegrate the children." With the bintis, "the children grow up more normally, as they might at home," she said (Grady, New York Times, 6/25).
The North Carolina Senate on Tuesday voted 25-21 to approve a bill (S. 221) that would require public school systems in the state to offer a sex education curriculum that includes information on abstinence, contraceptives and sexually transmitted infections, the Winston-Salem Journal reports. Currently, only two public school systems in the state offer comprehensive sex education, with the rest teaching abstinence-only curricula. Under the bill, parents would be able to have their children removed from the comprehensive portions of the program (Romoser, Winston-Salem Journal, 6/24). The bill would apply to students in seventh through ninth grade (AP/Virginian-Pilot, 6/23).The bill includes several changes from an earlier version that was approved by the state House. The measure now returns to the House, where lawmakers will decide whether to approve the Senate"s changes (Winston-Salem Journal, 6/24).
The Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) has awarded its ninth annual Pinnacle Award for Quality and Patient Safety to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Winthrop-University Hospital, St. Mary"s Hospital at Amsterdam, and Stony Brook University Medical Center for their efforts in developing and implementing initiatives to improve care in each facility.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published final guidance on the use of lenalidomide for multiple myeloma in people who have received at least one prior therapy.
The drug, called olaparib, specifically targets hereditary cancer caused by faulty BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The small scale patient trial has shown remarkable benefit for patients with breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.
Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have demonstrated for the first time rhesus monkeys and humans share a specific perceptual mechanism, configural perception, for discriminating among the numerous faces they encounter daily. The study, reported in the June 25 online issue of Current Biology, provides insight into the evolution of the critical human social skill of facial recognition, which enables us to form relationships and interact appropriately with others.
Merck & Co., Inc. (Whitehouse Station, N.J., U.S.A.), which operates in many countries as Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), has received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency"s (EMEA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommending restricted first line use of "Januvia" (sitagliptin) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. With this positive opinion, the CHMP recommends that sitagliptin be indicated to improve glycaemic control when diet and exercise alone do not provide adequate glycaemic control and when metformin is inappropriate due to contraindications or intolerance. If this opinion is accepted by the European Commission, sitagliptin will be the only diabetes treatment in the DPP-4 inhibitor class to have a restricted first line indication.
Pieces in the complex autism inheritance puzzle are emerging in the latest study from a research team including geneticists from the University of
Joining a prestigious group including Anish Kapoor and Bernardo Bertolucci, acclaimed Shakespearean actor Simon Russell Beale was welcomed as an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Psychoanalysis at a presentation on Sunday 21 June 2009. The award was made in recognition of Russell Beale"s "contribution to psychoanalysis through his exceptionally thoughtful work as an actor, especially in major Shakespearean roles and through his reflections on them."
The new 4th generation rapid HIV diagnostic test - Determine® HIV 1/2 Ag/Ab Combo - from Inverness Medical is capable of detecting HIV infection several days earlier than HIV antibody only tests and is ideal to help diagnose and screen for early HIV infection. The ability of this test to enhance the diagnosis of those with acute HIV infection will provide additional benefits in HIV prevention programs and ultimately contribute to a reduction in the spread of HIV. Inverness Medical will be showcasing the new Determine Combo test at the International AIDS Society Conference 2009 in Capetown, South Africa, 19-22 July on stand #203.
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have identified a protein that marks the tumor suppressor p53 for destruction, providing a potential new avenue for restoring p53 in cancer cells.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality"s annual release of state-by-state quality data continues to give states mixed reviews for the quality of care they provide. As in previous years, AHRQ"s 2008 State Snapshots show that no state does well or poorly on all quality measures.
Women who have depression symptoms prior to becoming pregnant are at an increased risk for having preterm births, with the risk twice as high for black women as for white women, according to a study in the Journal of Women"s Health, Reuters reports. For the study, Amelia Gavin of the University of Washington and colleagues examined the links between race, preterm birth and pre-pregnancy depressive mood among 555 women. The study used data collected from 1990-1996 as part of a larger, long-term investigation of heart disease risk.Researchers determined that 18.1% of the 249 black women in the study gave birth prior to 37 weeks" gestation, compared with 8.5% of the 306 white women in the study. The study also found that 9.4% of black women had pre-pregnancy symptoms of depressive mood, compared with 7.2% of white women. After researchers accounted for other factors associated with preterm birth, such as body weight and sociodemographic characteristics, black women"s risk remained more than twice that of white women.Gavin said, "The black-white disparity in preterm birth may be in part a consequence of different exposures to depressive mood prior to pregnancy." She said, "Reproductive outcomes must be viewed in light of women"s health over the entire life-course, as well as during pregnancy," adding that the study"s results suggest that "the experience of cumulative health disadvantages or "weathering"" might play a role in increased risk for preterm birth (Hendry, Reuters, 6/25).
Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Thursday emphasized the importance of developing countries having access to a vaccine that offers protection against the H1N1 (swine flu), "that has killed over 200 people and infected tens of thousands worldwide," AFP/MSN Philippine News reports.
Staphylococcus epidermidis is quite an opportunist. Commonly found on human skin, the bacteria pose little danger. But S. epidermidis is a leading cause of infections in hospitals. From catheters to prosthetics, the bacteria are known to hitch a ride on a range of medical devices implanted into patients.
Less than one-half of one percent (0.4%) of the 22 million people in the U.S. who are medically eligible for bariatric surgery actually get the surgery, and those who do are most likely to be white females with higher incomes and covered by private health insurance, according to a new study presented here at the 26th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
The American Public Health Association (APHA) applauds the House for today passing a comprehensive climate change bill that includes important provisions to protect the health of the public.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most prevalent chronic childhood motor disability with an estimated lifetime cost of nearly $1 million per individual. There is evidence that magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) can reduce the incidence of CP for very early preterm infants. Many thousands of pregnant women and their fetuses are exposed to MgSO4 every year in the United States for a variety of indications, and most obstetricians are comfortable with its use. Yet, there is still some controversy over whether magnesium sulfate is truly protective against CP. In three articles published in the June 2009 issue of theAmerican Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the authors shed some light on the debate.
Janssen®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDAs) for the use of RISPERDAL® CONSTA® (risperidone) Long-Acting Treatment as both monotherapy and adjunctive therapy to lithium or valproate in the maintenance treatment of Bipolar I Disorder.
Radiant Research, Inc. announced that it is actively recruiting subjects and establishing operational plans for upcoming H1N1 vaccine trials. The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 influenza outbreak a pandemic, and the CDC has shipped virus samples to several manufacturers with the hope of having vaccine available to the general public by the fall. Manufacturers will need to complete clinical trials prior to release of vaccine to the public.
Because tobacco use impairs military readiness, harms the health of soldiers and veterans, and imposes a substantial financial burden on the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, these agencies should implement a comprehensive strategy to achieve the Defense Department"s stated goal of a tobacco-free military, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. DOD should gradually phase in a ban on tobacco use in the military, starting at military academies and officer training programs and among new recruits, the report says. DOD should also stop selling tobacco products in Army and Air Force commissaries -- Navy and Marine Corps commissaries already do not sell them -- and should stop selling them at a discount in military exchanges and other stores. In addition, Congress should allow VA to establish tobacco-free medical centers.
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) House of Delegates elected officers, directors, and a member of the Nominating Committee during its annual meeting prior to PT 2009, June 10-13, in Baltimore.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging landlords and property agents to ensure that their gas appliances are serviced and maintained and that landlords" gas safety checks are completed. It follows the prosecution of a Tamworth man, after four people were taken to hospital suffering suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at a rented property.
Advance in detecting melamine-adulterated food
IDF, WHF and UICC join forces
A research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. This is believed to be the first study to investigate the effect of PBD in ampullary cancer. A team of gastroenterologists led by Dr Steven Joseph Mesenas and hepatobiliary surgeons at Singapore General Hospital divided 82 patients with ampullary cancer planned for surgical resection into those with PBD (n = 35) and those without (n = 47). The authors looked into various outcomes after surgery, such as pancreatic leakage, wound infection, bile leakage, infectious morbidity, intra-abdominal or gastrointestinal bleeding, intra-abdominal abscess, delayed gastric emptying and mortality. They found that the PBD group had a significantly reduced wound infection rate compared to the non-PBD group. More studies should be conducted to assess this benefit, especially in ampullary cancer patients.
MedImmune continues to advance its commitment to pediatric research with today"s announcement of the first observational prospective study designed to assess the burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among preterm infants 32-to-35 weeks gestational age (GA) in outpatient settings during their first year of life.
On June 26, 2009 several articles published online in Diabetologia by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes investigated the possible relationship between use of insulin glargine (Lantus, sanofi-aventis) and the development of certain malignancies. The authors themselves, and the accompanying editorial, cautioned against over-interpretation of their limited data and analyses, which precluded them from drawing any firm conclusions. For example, there were contradictory findings among the studies, patient populations were not always comparable, and the duration of observation was short. Nonetheless, since the relationship of type 2 diabetes to cancer is of critical importance, further study is warranted.
Medicare beneficiaries" activities of daily living (ADL) improved in their first year of the Medicare Part D senior prescription drug plan, according to a ground-breaking study presented at the Annual AcademyHealth meetings in Chicago today.
The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) is looking into four recently
Black gay men have less choice when it comes to sexual partners than other groups and, as a result, their sexual networks are closely knit. These tightly interconnected networks make the rapid spread of HIV more likely. In a study1) looking at social and sexual mixing between ethnic groups in men who have sex with men, H. Fisher Raymond and Willi McFarland, from the San Francisco Department of Public Health in the US, show that social barriers faced by Black gay men may have a serious impact on their health and well-being. Their findings are published in Springer"s journal AIDS and Behavior.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday, June 29, that it had found E. coli O157:H7 in a sample of prepackaged Nestlē© Toll
A survey by The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) has confirmed that there are marked
MicroRNAs are small RNA molecules of 20-25 nucleotides length, regulating gene expression by inhibition of transcription or translation of proteins. High levels of miR-196a, a microRNA suppressing the expression of specific homebox genes that are of high relevance for the development of the human embryo, activated oncogenic pathways inside human tumor cells and induced tumor cell dissemination. miR-196a increased the chemosensitivity towards platin derivatives such as cisplatin and oxaliplatin and might be a useful biomarker.
A Chinese scientist group working in College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, has shown that, as mammalian Igf2 CpG island, goldfish Igf2 CpG island has a parental differentially methylated region (DMR). These results indicate that the evolutionary foundation of genomic imprinting exists in lower vertebrates and genomic imprinting should not be considered as a unique evolutionary event of mammals. The study is reported in volume 54 (Issue 8, April, 2009) of Chinese Science Bulletin.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq updated Canadians on the H1NI flu virus response and reemphasized the Government of Canada"s ongoing collaboration with its national and international partners to manage the spread of this virus. The Minister and Canada"s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones will be participating in an international meeting on the global response to H1N1 flu virus in Cancun, Mexico from July 1-3.
Amarillo Biosciences, Inc. (ABI) (OTCBB: AMAR) and CytoPharm, Inc. today jointly announced the start of enrollment for a study of ABI"s oral interferon-alpha lozenges for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The aim of the trial is to reduce the virologic relapse rate for those patients who have completed the standard combination therapy, which consists of high dose injectable interferon-alpha and Ribavirin. Although most patients respond to the standard therapy, up to 50% of those with certain "high-risk" viral genotypes relapse after treatment.
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., (NYSE: VAR) announced it has acquired the assets of Houston-based IKOEmed and IKOEtech, privately-owned suppliers of software used in the planning of radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatments. The acquisition enables Varian to offer hospitals and clinics an additional software tool to automate and accelerate the most time-consuming portion of the treatment planning process. Varian is paying approximately $2.2 million plus an additional amount based on achievement of specified milestones to acquire the IKOE assets.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the administration will rescind all or part of three Medicaid regulations that were previously issued and delay the enforcement of a fourth regulation. Each of these rules, in whole or in part, had been subject to Congressional moratoria set to expire on July 1, 2009.
In a study published online by the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, UC Davis researchers report that it takes at least a year for former methamphetamine users to regain impulse control. The results tell recovering substance abusers, their families and drug-treatment specialists that it can take an extended period of time for the brain functions critical to recovery to improve.
The July issue of European Urology, the official journal of the European Association of Urology, features an editorial by Lars Holmberg comparing the results from the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) with the results from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) In the editorial, Professor Holmberg writes that "The studies illustrate that the price to pay for 20% reduction in prostate cancer deaths is high; overdiagnosis and overtreatment are great problems. The answers lie in improving the PSA test or finding biomarkers that effectively separate aggressive cancers from slow-growing ones. We identify some priorities in the discussion about PSA testing."
A new scientific system developed by a St. Michael"s Hospital physician, designed to rapidly evaluate the world"s air traffic patterns, accurately predicted how the H1N1 virus would spread around the world, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Exercise requires the integrated activity of every organ and tissue in the body, and understanding how these respond to the decreased oxygen levels present at moderate to high altitude is the focus of the current special issue of High Altitude Medicine & Biology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The entire issue is available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/ham Guest Editor Peter D. Wagner, MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine & Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego, presents six review articles written by expert researchers in the field of high altitude medicine that explore various aspects of exercise at altitude, including muscle and nerve function, metabolic responses, and changes that occur at the cellular level.
Doctors have warned that the NHS is not prepared for the introduction of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) limit on working hours in August this year. Although figures published today show that 99.8% of doctors in training do not exceed the maximum average of 56 contracted hours per week, data from the end of May showed that 38% of posts were still not compliant with the 48 hour working week. In light of these figures, BMA Scotland is concerned that, with just over one month to go, the implementation of a 48 hour week will see a massive rise in the number of junior doctors working in non-compliant posts.
New data from an economic analysis presented today at this year"s European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) congress showed that, within the parameters of the simulation model used, the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment MENOPUR (highly-purified human menopausal gonatropin or HP-hMG) offered considerable cost-savings over recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH).1 The cost-effectiveness of HP-hMG compared with rFSH suggested by this data could make it a more attractive choice for use in infertility treatment within a fixed healthcare budget.
Doctors at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute announced today the completion of the first procedure in which a patient"s own heart tissue was used to grow specialized heart stem cells that were then injected back into the patient"s heart in an effort to repair and re-grow healthy muscle in a heart that had been injured by a heart attack. The minimally-invasive procedure was completed on the first patient on Friday, June 26.
New pooled clinical data presented at the 28th International Epilepsy Congress (IEC) in Budapest, Hungary showed that VIMPAT® (lacosamide), a new antiepileptic drug (AED) with a novel mode of action,1,2 significantly improved seizure control, increased seizure freedom rates during the maintenance phase and enhanced quality of life and patient function, when used as adjunctive therapy in adult patients with uncontrolled partial-onset seizures.2,3
In two recent COPD studies sponsored by DEY LP, PARI"s LC Plus nebulizer and PRONEB compressors (Ultra and Ultra II) were used to show that nebulized formoterol fumarate (Perforomist, DEY LP, Mylan Inc.) improves pulmonary function.
The General Optical Council (GOC) is today reminding all optical businesses, students and supervisors to ensure their current arrangements for professional supervision of students meet the requirements outlined by the GOC, and examination or assessment bodies. This follows the recent Fitness to Practise (FTP) hearing involving Boots Opticians Ltd (a GOC-registered business); Trevor Burgess, a registered student dispensing optician; and Richard Simmons, a registered dispensing optician.
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation named 4 new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators at its April 2009 Clinical Investigator Award Committee review. The recipients of this prestigious, three-year award are outstanding early career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research at major research centers under the mentorship of the nation"s leading scientists and clinicians. Each will receive $450,000 to support the development of his cancer research program.
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA) and its partner, Antares Pharma, Inc. (NYSE Amex: AIS) announced the approval of a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA), which added "needle-free injection" to its Tev-Tropin® [somatropin (rDNA) for injection] brand human growth hormone (hGH) drug label. Teva will market the Antares needle-free device as the Tev-Tropin Tjet Injector system.
HHS this week will issue proposed regulations to remove HIV from the list of "communicable diseases of public health significance," effectively lifting the ban on HIV-positive foreign residents from entering the country, Newsday reports (Reddy, 6/29). Last year, then-President George W. Bush signed into law a provision to remove HIV from the HHS list, the Washington Post"s blog, "44," reports. The proposed rule has to be published in the Federal Register, and then undergo a 45-day comment period before becoming finalized (Hsu, 6/29).
The British Medical Journal examines the outcome of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, last week. More than 200 international health experts came together to discuss finding therapies for such diseases as visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and sleeping sickness. "Current treatments are often toxic, prohibitively expensive, or difficult to administer in countries with limited res," and "[d]rug companies have little incentive to develop treatments for neglected diseases that mainly affect poor people," the journal writes.
Australia"s premier research centre for all aspects of oral health will be established at the University of Adelaide thanks to a $2.4 million Federal Government grant.
Celiac disease, an immune system reaction to gluten in the diet, is over four times more common today than it was 50 years ago, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this month in the journal Gastroenterology.
As scientists continue to decode the human genome and the information becomes publicly available, private companies that offer online genetic testing are multiplying. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health were concerned that perhaps these tests posed a risk.
The equipment used for biomedical research is shrinking, but the physical properties of the fluids under investigation are not changing. This creates a problem: the reservoirs that hold the liquid are now so small that forces between molecules on the liquid"s surface dominate, and one can no longer shake the container to mix two fluids. Instead, researchers must bide their time and wait for diffusion to occur.
It is well documented that police officers have a higher risk of developing heart disease: The question is why.
A new neuropsychological memory test is helping to uncover how Parkinson"s disease can alter people"s ability to learn about the consequences of the choices they make. The test was developed by Dr. Mark Gluck, professor of neuroscience at the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University, Newark, working with co-researchers at Rutgers, New York University, and in Hungary.
Commenting on the news announced today by ESHRE"s European IVF monitoring consortium on the improvements in the quality, safety and efficacy of ART, Clare Lewis-Jones MBE, Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK said "We are angry that although the UK pioneered infertility treatment, we are still among the lowest providers in Europe of NHS treatment, and these figures show that availability in the UK is less than one third of that in Denmark. Recent measures announced by the Government to encourage implementation of the NICE Guideline have led to an improvement in the provision in some areas but more needs to be done by Primary Care Trusts in England to ensure that patients have equal and timely access to the full range of treatment recommended by NICE, and to tackle the ongoing variations in provision that exist across the country.
The results of the first Welsh GP patient survey have been published recently.
There appears to be a link between sleep and weight control, with some studies indicating that sleep disruption can increase weight gain and others that diet affects sleep. Victor Uebele and colleagues, at Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, have now provided further evidence to support this association by showing that T-type calcium channels regulate body weight maintenance and sleep in mice. These data suggest that sleep and circadian treatment approaches may be of benefit in the fight against obesity.
Many low-income women are failing to take the hormonal therapy prescribed as part of their breast cancer treatment, possibly lowering their survival rates, according to a study led by a researcher in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Because females carry two copies of the X chromosome to males" one X and one Y, they harbor a potentially toxic double dose of the over 1000 genes that reside on the X chromosome.
What is done when the elderly lodge complaints about their services? elderly care? Why is it that staff describe complaints made by the elderly as "trivialities"? In two recent studies, Tove Persson, doctoral student at the School of Health Sciences, shows that staff, as well as social services directors in local administrations often trivialize complaints from the elderly, which in turn makes it difficult for the elderly to influence their everyday lives.
A new study examining the evolution of maternal mortality rates in Spain since 1996 shows a 17% increase in deaths. This trend is linked to the widespread increase in maternal age. The highest death rates are among foreign women and those who live in the province of Malaga.
For the first time, scientists have shown that chromosomal abnormalities are present in more than 90% of IVF embryos, even those produced by young, fertile couples. Ms Evelyne Vanneste, a PhD student in the Centre for Human Genetics and the University Fertility Center, Leuven University, Belgium, told the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Wednesday July 1), that the surprising finding meant that current techniques used in preimplantation genetic screening (PGS), where embryos are screened genetically in order to select the best embryo for transfer, do nothing to improve pregnancy and live birth rates. Indeed, it can lead to potentially viable embryos being discarded, she said.
In the coming summer months it is estimated that 200,000 young people in Europe will become infected with Chlamydia and most of them won"t know that they are infected. Chlamydia trachomatis, the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in Europe, continues to increase in many countries. It affects mostly young adults under 25. The true occurrence of Chlamydia is most likely much higher than the official figures because the majority of the infected do not have clinical symptoms. Surveys in European countries have shown an estimated population prevalence of 5 to 10 % in young people.
POZEN Inc. (NASDAQ:POZN), announced the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the marketing approval of VIMOVO™ (PN 400), the combination of enteric coated (EC) naproxen and immediate release esomeprazole. POZEN and AstraZeneca entered into a global co-development agreement for VIMOVO in August 2006. Pending regulatory approval, the proposed trade name is VIMOVO and the proposed indications are for the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in patients who are at risk for developing NSAID-associated ulcers.
XenoPort, Inc. (Nasdaq:XNPT) announced positive preliminary results from a Phase 2 clinical trial of arbaclofen placarbil (AP), also known as XP19986, for the treatment of patients with spasticity due to spinal cord injury (SCI). Doses of 20 and 30 mg of AP, given twice daily (BID), demonstrated statistically significant improvements compared to placebo for the primary endpoint of the study. AP was well tolerated during the trial.
The White House sought the help of actor Ashton Kutcher to promote National HIV Testing Day on June 27, through his Twitter page, Politico reports. Kutcher has over 2.5 million followers on Twitter, where he recently posted a link to a White House blog post and video commemorating the day. Reid Cherlin, White House assistant press secretary, said, "As technology impacts how and where people are communicating online, we are constantly looking for new ways to engage with the public," adding, "Our efforts to promote National HIV Testing Day included participation from popular users of Twitter, as well as broad social media engagement by agencies across the government." The White House also used Twitter to help connect people to HIV testing sites (Gavin, 6/29).
Sepracor Inc. (Nasdaq: SEPR) announced that it has completed the analysis and validation of the preliminary results of a Phase II, 514-patient study evaluating the efficacy and safety of SEP-225289 for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder, including patients with melancholic and atypical features. Sepracor determined that SEP-225289 did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint, which was a reduction in symptoms of depression following eight weeks of treatment, as assessed using the clinician-rated, 17-item HAM-D scale (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, a standard scale used to assess depression in clinical trials and consisting of a list of symptoms commonly associated with depression). The positive control in the study (venlafaxine extended-release) did achieve separation from placebo that was statistically significant on the primary endpoint.
Sucampo Pharma Americas, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCMP), today reported top-line results from its phase 2 clinical trial of orally administered cobiprostone for the prevention of gastric ulcers and other gastrointestinal injuries in patients treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disease, thought to be caused by the interaction of both genetic and environmental factors. Because there is no biochemical test that can identify the disorder, physicians rely upon the recognition of its symptoms - which can include auditory hallucinations and paranoia - in order to make their diagnosis.
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have played a major role in an international effort that has shown, for the first time, that modern genetic technologies can solve the riddle of how gene variations lead to schizophrenia.
Some patients who suffer from recurrent cancer at the chest wall now have another option. The Radiation Oncology Department at Saint Barnabas Medical Center is one of a few hospitals nationwide to participate in a study which combines the use of the heat-sensitive chemotherapeutic agent ThermoDox® with microwave hyperthermia, or heat.
An additional 30 million bed nets, the development of life-saving new treatments and new funding to increase access to anti-malarial drugs are announced today in a package of measures by International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander, as the UK continues its fight to rid the world of malaria.
A UK survey of 575 rheumatoid arthritis sufferers highlights the importance of maintaining independence and the significant impact that early diagnosis and treatment can have. Over 94% of those surveyed claimed that their independence was compromised in some way, with over 60% saying it was compromised significantly. With earlier treatment of their disease, nearly half of the respondents felt that they would have been more independent today, making it vital that people are aware of the significance of early intervention.
HIV-infected infants risk contracting a deadly form of tuberculosis from the bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, instead of receiving protection against the disease, according to research published today in the international public health journal, the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
Cancer experts at Johns Hopkins say a study tracking 774 prostate cancer patients for a median of eight years has shown that a three-way combination of measurements has the best chance yet of predicting disease metastasis.
An otherwise effective treatment for cystic fibrosis places patients at a high risk of sensorineural hearing loss, according to new research published in the July edition of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have played a major role in an international effort that has shown, for the first time, that modern genetic technologies can solve the riddle of how gene variations lead to schizophrenia.
After enrolling in Medicare Part D, seniors who previously had limited or no drug coverage spent more on prescriptions and less on other medical care services such as hospitalizations and visits to the doctor"s office, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study. Published in the July 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the study also found that seniors who had relatively good drug benefits prior to enrolling in Medicare Part D spent somewhat more on prescriptions and, at the same time, increased their spending on other medical care services.
Charles Darwin and his contemporaries postulated that food consumption in birds and mammals was limited by re levels, that is, animals would eat as much as they could while food was plentiful and produce as many offspring as this would allow them to. However, recent research has shown that, even when food is abundant, energy intake reaches a limit, even in animals with high nutrient demands, such as lactating females. Scientists at the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology in Vienna suggest that this is due to active control of maternal investment in offspring in order to maintain long-term reproductive fitness.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is requiring manufacturers to put a Boxed Warning on the prescribing information for the smoking cessation drugs Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion). The warning will highlight the risk of serious mental health events including changes in behavior, depressed mood, hostility, and suicidal thoughts when taking these drugs.
A Decade-Long campaign by the British Psychological Society to have statutory regulation for practitioner psychologists comes to fruition.
Before taking her job as the White House health reform director, Nancy-Ann DeParle earned more than $6 million serving on the boards of major health care corporations, some of which were accused of fraud, mismanagement and regulatory violations during her tenure, the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University reports on MSNBC.com. Some critics say the corporate relationships could be a conflict of interest for DeParle. Also, while there"s no evidence DeParle was involved in or aware of allegedly fraudulent activities, in three cases, she served on board committees overseeing the companies" legal and regulatory compliance.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a member of the key Senate Finance Committee and advocate for a government-run health insurance plan, said yesterday he would abandon all other possible compromises in favor of immediately creating a public plan that "would operate on "a level playing field" with private insurers," CongressDaily reports. Other proposals have included a plan that would establish health insurance co-ops with government seed money or "trigger" the creation of a public plan only if private insurers fail to meet certain targets for containing costs and improving access.
The excitement of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs will inspire young players and weekend warriors to hit the ice. But, traveling up to 30 miles an hour on a quarter inch blade of steel and stopping instantly will put anyone at risk for injury. According to American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) spokesperson Mark Mortland, PT, ATC, team physical therapist of the Pittsburgh Penguins, there are special precautions one can take to help avoid the multiple injuries that can occur in this high-speed, high-impact sport.
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) submitted comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology"s (ONC) request for feedback on determining criteria for the term "meaningful use" of electronic records (EHRs), prepared by ONC"s HIT Policy Committee.
The American Society of Radiologic Technologists announced it has released the first in a series of interactive learning modules focusing on computed tomography. CT Basics: Module 1 - Fundamentals provides in-depth information about the modality and its equipment and also offers radiologic technologists information about careers in CT. The first of 10 modules, the program features colorful images with easy-to-understand animations that engage participants in the learning process.