Public Health
Reports are coming in that the government of Australia has placed an order for 10 million vaccines against the novel H1N1 swine flu virus, following a press briefing from Health Minister Nicola
After roughly a month of emergency response to the new H1N1 swine flu virus, US health authorities are taking stock, re-focusing and re-
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:
A recently released survey on stigma in Rwanda indicates that at least 74% of people in various segments of society who have experienced discrimination are HIV-positive, the New Times/AllAfrica.com reports. The discrimination often is in the form of isolation from family and physical harassment, according to the survey. The study was conducted by the Association of Vulnerable Widows Infected and Affected by HIV and AIDS in conjunction with the Network of People Living with HIV and UNAIDS Rwanda. It found that although 87% of respondents reported never having been denied health services, 88% reported being denied other social services, such as family planning, because of their HIV status. An estimated one-third of respondents reported that their rights had been abused because of their HIV-positive status. Chantal Nyiramanyana, AVVAIS president, said, "We conducted this survey as a way of providing basis for advocacy, policy change, and programmatic interventions by the government and other interested bodies to address stigma and discrimination related to HIV." The survey found that other groups experiencing stigma in the country include commercial sex workers and asylum seekers (Kwizera, New Times/AllAfrica.com, 5/27).
The fishing industry and some cultural practices in communities living around Africa"s Lake Victoria are contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections in the area, according to a panel of experts at a recent meeting in Kisumu, Kenya, The Citizen reports. According to the panel, cultural practices such as widow inheritance, commercial sex work for fish and the long-distance trucking industry have led to the spread of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS prevalence among women and people who live along the beaches of the lake is particularly high, the meeting participants noted.The four-day meeting was held by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and involved members of the East African Community and other officials. Meeting delegates were taken to cross-border control posts along the Kenya-Uganda border to interact with people living with HIV/AIDS, commercial sex workers, long-distance truck drivers and district government officials. Doreen Othero, HIV/AIDS technical specialist at the LVBC Secretariat, said that the group "managed to bring together organizations working in HIV/AIDS along transport corridors to share information, improve coordination and build synergy among the various programs so as to have maximum impact on the corridors" most at risk populations."Jean Claude Nsengiyumva, EAC deputy secretary general in charge of productive and social sectors, said that the fight against HIV/AIDS will be successful through a coordinated and collaborative effort among all stakeholders. He said that EAC has introduced a four-year Regional Multisectorial HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan, ending in 2012, that aims to address HIV/AIDS in the region. The region also is undergoing efforts to create more collaboration between regional, international and multisectorial organizations that have projects for HIV/AIDS education, care, treatment and testing. Othero said there are more than four million HIV-positive people and more than 3.5 million orphans and vulnerable children in EAC partner states (The Citizen, 5/27).
"Nearly 30 years after the discovery of HIV and AIDS, the epidemic is still ravaging black neighborhoods in Baltimore and across the nation," Kevin Fenton -- director of CDC"s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention -- writes in a Baltimore Sun opinion piece. Fenton writes that "complacency about HIV and the continued stigma associated with the disease are hindering progress by preventing too many African-Americans from seeking either HIV testing and treatment or support from their friends and family," adding that "this is a challenge that can be overcome."According to Fenton, the Obama administration last month "took an important step in confronting the United States" HIV epidemic" when CDC and White House officials announced a five-year campaign called Act Against AIDS, which is "designed to refocus the nation"s attention on the HIV crisis here at home." Fenton notes that 14 black civic organizations -- including the NAACP, the National Urban League, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the National Council of Negro Women -- are "joining the CDC to increase knowledge, awareness and action within black communities across the country." He adds that the campaign "will harness the strength and reach of these organizations by enhancing their ability to make HIV prevention a core component of their daily activities." "By raising the visibility of HIV and AIDS, the new campaign also aims to confront and overcome the fear and stigma that help keep HIV alive in black communities," Fenton says. He adds that he has "been encouraged in recent years to see black leaders, including black faith leaders, speak out more openly across the nation about the need to confront HIV and the stigma that persists surrounding this disease." Fenton writes that "[e]nding this epidemic will require not only frank and difficult discussions about HIV but also a shared sense of responsibility and commitment," concluding, "All of us can and must be part of the solution" (Fenton, Baltimore Sun, 5/27).
Sabrina Daneshvar, Ph.D., BCBA-D of Southern California-based Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST), participated in a panel discussion on generalization at the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Conference held in Phoenix, Arizona, May 22-26, 2009. The discussion addressed strategies for increasing generalization and focused on training approaches that increase success.
Academic Press, a division of Elsevier, would like to announce the publication of a new title in psychology; Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment by Peter Miller, PhD.
Brits taking advantage of last-minute credit crunch deals to tropical destinations could be seriously risking their health, according to a survey of over 1,000 UK travellers.1
A recent report released by Wolters Kluwer Health predicts that by the end of the year, nearly two-thirds of all drug prescriptions will be filled with generic drugs. This march to generics is fueled by several factors, which include the current economy, ever-increasing co-payment requirements for brand name drugs and pharmacies" desire to increase their profits by filling prescriptions with high margin generics versus lower margin brand name medicines.
Genome Institute of Singapore scientists, led by Christopher Wong, Ph.D., have developed a novel approach to uncover the complete sequence of any influenza A virus, including H1NI, with just a quick nasal swab or nasal pharyngeal wash from patients.
The health of our skin - one of the body"s first lines of defense against illness and injury - depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface. To better understand this balance, National Institutes of Health researchers have set out to explore the skin"s microbiome, which is all of the DNA, or genomes, of all of the microbes that inhabit human skin. Their initial analysis, published in the journal Science, reveals that our skin is home to a much wider array of bacteria than previously thought.
Viewing a video showing a patient with advanced dementia interacting with family and caregivers may help elderly patients plan for end-of-life care, according to a study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers. In their report in the journal BMJ, released online, the investigators find that participants who watched such a video in addition to listening to a verbal description of the condition were more likely to indicate they would choose only comfort care if they developed advanced dementia and also said they felt the video was helpful to their decision-making process.
Oxoid, a world leading microbiology brand, has today announced the availability of two new chromogenic media in the Brilliance™ Resistant Screening Agar range. Brilliance ESBL Agar and Brilliance VRE Agar can be used as screening tests to rapidly identify patients colonised with problematic Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) producing organisms and vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE), allowing appropriate infection control and treatment to commence sooner for the best possible patient outcome.
HRA Pharma, a privately-held,
We all know that vitamin D and calcium are good for bones, but research teams in Europe and USA have shown that both taken daily reduces the rate of hip fracture in older people by 20%.
A new study appearing in Congestive Heart Failure has found that the presence of anemia in patients with chronic heart failure is associated with a significantly increased risk of death. The findings also show that anemia is associated with a poorer degree of left ventricular function and a lower left ventricular ejection fraction, an objective measure of cardiac function.
New research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme will assess the benefits of different methods of managing tooth decay in children"s teeth. Dental decay is one of the most common childhood diseases, with over 40 per cent of children in the UK already experiencing obvious decay in their primary (baby) teeth by five years of age, and this statistic has remained largely unchanged for the past 20 years.
Informa Healthcare - one of the world"s leading medical and scientific publishers- has announced that its peer-reviewed medical titles will be joining the company"s pharmaceutical science titles to form one, united platform for drug discovery and clinical medicine on http://www.Informahealthcare.com.
The Centre for Epidemiological Studies into Sexually-Transmitted Diseases and AIDS in Catalonia (CEEISCAT) started a pioneering study in Spain in 2005 to look into the prevalence of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) among female sex workers (SWs). The objective was to monitor the rates of infection with both HIV and other diseases over time, as well as the prevalence of risky behaviour.
Mary McGrae McDermott, M.D., of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, and a contributing editor of JAMA, and Michael H. Criqui, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, write that more research is needed regarding the outcomes of aspirin use by patients with PAD.
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.
Genomic Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GHDX) today announced results from a study which summarized the gene signatures identified by the Oncotype DX(R) breast cancer test in a large number of male patients for whom the test was used to guide treatment with chemotherapy. The results, which will be presented in a poster presentation on Monday, June 1 (1:00 - 5:00 p.m. ET) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Orlando, demonstrated that breast cancer in men displays similar gene signatures to female breast cancer.
Many cases of age-related neurodegenerative disease fall into the gray zone between big, defined diseases - Alzheimer"s or Parkinson"s, for example. Their diagnostic accuracy is low, researchers agree. That"s a problem, because mixed disease is not only common, but also quite different in its course from pathologically "pure" disease. (Mixed disease is often worse.) But there"s also excitement and opportunity. The large overlap between established neurodegenerative diseases is ripe for scientific exploration, and recent advances at the genetic, clinico-pathologic, and molecular levels have turned it into a dynamic area of research. In particular, diseases such as Dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementias are drawing intense interest as biomarker development branches out beyond Amyloid beta and tau, holding out a future where molecular-based diagnoses can define the pathogenic proteins that together drive a given person"s individual disease.
The WHO (World Health Organization) reported yesterday evening that the total number of swine flu A(H1N1) confirmed human cases of infection has exceeded 15,510, including 99 deaths. The real figure is higher because there is a delay between local health authority reports and the WHO global report. The A(H1N1) influenza virus is nowhere near as virulent (aggressive, dangerous) as was originally feared. Experts say it is not more deadly than normal seasonal human influenza.
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
Today, acute heart failure represents the most common reason for hospitalisation in the over-65 population. Although hospital care improves symptoms in the first 24 hours after admission in around 50% of these patients, acute heart failure events still remain associated with a more than 50% mortality and rehospitalisation rate at 6-12 months. "Indeed," says Professor Marco Metra from the Cardiology Department of the University of Brescia, Italy, "it is the very rapid onset of symptoms and the need for urgent therapy which characterise the condition."1,2
The New York Times, Washington Post and Washington Times recently published opinion pieces on President Obama"s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Summaries appear below.~ David Brooks, New York Times: "Supreme Court justices, like all of us, are emotional intuitionists" because "they begin their decision-making processes with certain models in their heads," Times columnist Brooks writes, adding that "[t]hese are models of how the world works and should work, which have been idiosyncratically ingrained by genes, culture, education, parents and events," and which "shape the way judges perceive the world." Therefore, the "crucial question in evaluating a potential Supreme Court justice ... is not whether she relies on empathy or emotion, but how she does so," according to Brooks. He writes that Sotomayor "will be a good justice if she can empathize with the many types of people and actions involved in a case, but a bad justice if she can only empathize with one type, one ethnic group or one social class." He concludes, "It"s not whether judges rely on emotion and empathy, it"s how they educate their sentiments within the discipline of manners and morals, tradition and practice" (Brooks, New York Times, 5/29).~ Michael Gerson, Washington Post: By opposing Sotomayor"s confirmation, Republicans could be entering "a trap" by "further alienating Hispanic voters the GOP has recently driven away in droves," which might "confirm an image of Republicans as the party of the male and pale," columnist Gerson writes in a Post opinion piece. He continues, "Barring unforeseen ethical revelations, opposition to Sotomayor seems both politically risky and ultimately futile." However, "Republicans must still enter the trap -- with open eyes and no expectation of gain -- not to defeat a nominee but to maintain a principle" that the court "should be a place where all are judged impartially, as individuals," Gerson writes. He continues that the "Obama/Sotomayor doctrine of empathy challenges this long-established belief," and this "is not a minor matter." According to Gerson, "Concerns about the doctrine of empathy will not defeat Sotomayor -- and perhaps they should not defeat her." However, the "problems raised by selective empathy require a substantive (not harsh or personal) national debate -- and this requires Republicans to carefully, warily, enter Obama"s trap" (Gerson, Washington Post, 5/29).~ Michael Kinsley, Washington Post: "What conservative Republicans don"t like about the Supreme Court can be summarized as three, or maybe four, A"s: abortion, affirmative action and activism," columnist Kinsley writes in a Post opinion piece. He adds that "[r]ecent Republican platforms have pledged to appoint judges who not only will overturn Roe [v. Wade] but will make clear that fetuses have the same rights as people under the 14th Amendment"s guarantee of "equal protection of the laws."" Kinsley continues that supporters of Roe "clearly represent the "activist" side," while opponents of the decision "are right that Roe represents the highest tide of Warren Court activism." However, this "doesn"t mean the critics of Roe are right on the merits;" rather, it means that ""activism" is a near-worthless concept, and comparative activism is nonsense," Kinsley writes. He continues, "Although I am pro-choice, Roe makes me unhappy because it was poorly reasoned, not because it "went further" than other decisions." According to Kinsley, "many opponents of Roe would not be satisfied with merely seeing it overturned and the issue returned to the states," and, in fact, the GOP platform "effectively calls for a litmus test for judges: Will they rule abortion illegal in all 50 states no matter what the people want?" He continues, "Now that would be judicial activism with a vengeance" (Kinsley, Washington Post, 5/29).~ Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: The fact that Sotomayor "is a proud and accomplished Latina" apparently "drives some prominent Republicans into a s
USA Today: It is "gratifying" that Republicans last week introduced a health care proposal because "the simple fact that it exists might improve chances" for bipartisan negotiations, a USA Today editorial states. According to the editorial, the plan -- which would replace the current tax exemption of employer-provided insurance with a refundable tax credit for all families and individuals, regardless of their employment status -- is "no cure-all," but is a "serious proposal that merits serious consideration." The editorial states, "For all those who say the Republican Party is out of ideas, on the issue of health coverage, at least, its proposal is bolder than what the Democrats have offered." However, the editorial notes that both Republicans and Democrats "have identified more groundbreaking ideas, and they are not entirely incompatible." The editorial concludes, "[L]et the debate begin. The only unacceptable approach is the status quo" (USA Today, 5/29).
National HIV prevention strategies in at least five African countries are not reaching the groups most at risk of infection, according to a report from UNAIDS and the World Bank conducted in conjunction with the national HIV/AIDS authorities of Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland and Uganda, IRIN/PlusNews reports. The study was conducted between 2007 and 2008 to determine how and where most HIV cases were occurring in each country. It also aimed to examine whether prevention programs and spending aligned with those findings. According to the report, most prevention initiatives are not based on evidence of the behaviors that spread HIV in the five surveyed countries. For example, most new infections in Lesotho occur because of concurrent sexual partnerships, both before and after marriage. However, the country does not have any prevention strategies aimed at concurrent partnerships, or couples who are married or in long-term relationships. In addition, the report found that in Mozambique, an estimated 19% of new HIV infections were spread through commercial sex work, 3% from injection drug use and 5% among men who have sex with men. According to the report, few programs in the country target sex workers, while none are tailored to IDUs or MSM. According to the report, spending on HIV prevention often is low in the surveyed countries. Lesotho spends 13% of its national HIV/AIDS budget on prevention, while Uganda spends 34%. Director of the World Bank"s Global HIV/AIDS Unit Debrework Zewdie said that the economic downturn makes it important to maximize the impact of HIV prevention investments. "These syntheses use the growing amounts of data and information available to better understand each country"s epidemic and response and identify how prevention might be more effective," she said. The report includes recommendations on how the surveyed countries can better implement evidence-based prevention efforts. It said that Lesotho should revise its prevention messages to address multiple concurrent partnerships and integrate the subject into future initiatives. In addition, Mozambique should focus condom promotion on groups such as sex workers, the report said. According to IRIN/PlusNews, the five-country program aims to enhance capacity to ensure that the countries can conduct similar studies in the future (IRIN/PlusNews, 5/27).
Patients undergoing treatment for advanced head and neck cancers may respond well to the addition of gefinitib to chemotherapy, according to a study sponsored by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and chaired by Ethan Argiris, M.D., associate professor of medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and co-leader of the Head and Neck Cancer Program of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI). The results were disclosed at the 45th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) on May 30 in Orlando, Fla.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have recently demonstrated a breakthrough in the quantum control of photons, the energy quanta of light. This is a significant result in quantum computation, and could eventually have implications in banking, drug design, and other applications.
As long as there have been babies, adults have crooned lullabies to soothe them. But research suggests music might also help premature infants learn to suckle better and reduce their pain.
On Tuesday, May 26, 2009, the American Association of Kidney Patients" (AAKP) Executive Director Kim Buettner and members of the AAKP Board of Directors met with staff members of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the passage of the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) on chronic kidney disease (CKD) education. MIPPA provides for Medicare coverage of up to six sessions of education for individuals with CKD in stage 4. The education includes instructions on the management of co-morbidities, with the goal of delaying the need for dialysis and discussion on the treatment options available to patients for renal replacement therapy.
Following calls from the information commissioner for the NHS to improve its data security, after breaches involving the loss of thousands of personal medical records, Bill Gilliam, head of the health sector group at international law firm Eversheds comments:
The Alabama Department of Public Health has confirmed its first novel H1N1 influenza cases in
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 Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada"s Environment Minister, today announced the release of the draft screening assessments and risk management scope documents for 18 substances assessed in Batch 6 of the Chemicals Management Plan. The Government has reached the halfway point in its commitment to assess approximately 200 high-priority substances as part of the Chemicals Management Plan.
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.
bioTheranostics, a bioMerieux company that discovers, develops and commercializes new molecular diagnostic tests in oncology, announced that a recent study demonstrated the company"s THEROS CancerTYPE ID(R) molecular diagnostic test predicted cancer origin with 75 percent accuracy in patients whose primary cancer was initially "unknown" using traditional diagnostics. Findings were presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fl.
Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. ("Raptor" or the "Company") (OTC Bulletin Board: RPTP), announced that it has dosed the first patient in its Phase 2b clinical trial, conducted in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego ("UCSD"), to evaluate Raptor"s proprietary delayed-release cysteamine bitartrate ("DR Cysteamine") capsules in nephropathic cystinosis ("cystinosis"), a rare genetic lysosomal storage disease. Under Raptor"s open Investigational New Drug application ("IND"), UCSD is performing the Raptor-sponsored trial at its General Clinical Research Center.
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RIGL) announced that its oral Syk inhibitor, R788, is being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial funded, designed and implemented by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This open-label, single arm clinical trial will include patients with advanced colorectal, thyroid, non-small cell lung, hepatocellular, head and neck, or renal cell cancers who have failed to respond to at least one line of therapy.
People with the spine disease called degenerative spondylolisthesis -- who choose surgical treatment -- experience substantially greater relief from pain over time compared to those who do not have surgery, according to a study published in the June 2009 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). In the past, physicians had been uncertain whether surgery provided significantly greater relief for patients, but these results help to confirm the advantages to surgery.
Micromet, Inc. (Nasdaq: MITI), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel, proprietary antibodies for the treatment of cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases, presented data from a clinical trial investigating its anti-EpCAM human antibody adecatumumab (MT201) in combination with the chemotherapeutic docetaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) held in Orlando, Florida, USA(1).
The California Medical Association applauded the U.S. Senate Finance Committee today for producing a thoughtful analysis of ways to expand the nation"s health care coverage. The committee"s paper, titled "Expanding Health Care Coverage: Proposals to Provide Affordable Coverage to All Americans," includes certain market reforms that all participating health plans would be required to participate in.
Most of our cells possess an internal clock, a group of genes displaying a cyclic expression pattern that reaches a peak once a day. A large number of circadian genes are expressed by organs such as the liver, whose activity needs to be precisely regulated over the course of the day. A team of researchers of the National Centre of Competence in Research Frontiers in Genetics, based at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, reveals that an important regulator of this molecular oscillator is a specific microRNA. The latter belongs to a class of small RNA molecules that regulate the production of proteins in our cells. Thus far, little was known about their function within the circadian clockwork. The study by Ueli Schibler"s team, published in the 1st June edition of Genes & Development, fills in this important gap.
A dog born with a deadly disease that prevents the body from using stored sugar has survived 20 months and is still healthy after receiving gene therapy at the University of Florida - putting scientists a step closer to finding a cure for the disorder in children.
Infants and young toddlers with obstructive sleep apnea and sleep disordered breathing experience significant improvement following surgical treatment of the ailment, according to an invited article in the June 2009 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
The March of Washingtons - the first broad-based campaign to increase access
Dr Alexis Willett, Head of Policy & Involvement at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says:
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.
Many drugs commonly prescribed to older adults for a variety of common medical conditions including allergies, hypertension, asthma, and cardiovascular disease appear to negatively affect the aging brain causing immediate but possibly reversible cognitive impairment, including delirium, in older adults according to a clinical review now available online in the Journal of Clinical Interventions in Aging, a peer reviewed, open access publication.
ImmunoGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMGN), a biopharmaceutical company that develops targeted anticancer therapeutics, announced the presentation of encouraging trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) clinical data at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) taking place in Orlando, Florida.
Pfizer Inc announced the discontinuation of the SUN 1094 Phase 3 study that evaluated SUTENT® (sunitinib malate) plus paclitaxel versus bevacizumab plus paclitaxel for the first line treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer. The independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) found that treatment with sunitinib in combination with paclitaxel would be unable to meet the primary endpoint of superior progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the combination of bevacizumab and paclitaxel. No new safety issues were identified.
Solasia Pharma K.K., a developer of Western oncology pharmaceuticals in-licensed for commercialization in Asian markets, announced today the filing of clinical trial application (CTA) of SP-01 (long-acting transdermal granisetron patch; brand name: Sancuso®) to the China State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA). This represents the first regulatory-related filing in China made by Solasia. Upon SFDA approval of the application expected in the 1st quarter of 2010, Solasia will initiate Sancuso clinical trials in China through Excel PharmaStudies Inc. (http://www.excel-china.com), China"s largest Clinical Research Organization (CRO).
Researchers at Tulane University, in collaboration with Corgenix Medical Corporation, a worldwide developer and marketer of diagnostic test kits, have received a five-year $7,073,538 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for continued development of detection kits for Lassa viral hemorrhagic fever, a serious disease spread by contact with infected rodents. Viral hemorrhagic fevers are characterized by fever and bleeding disorders and can progress to high fever and shock. Lassa fever is estimated to infect 300,000 to 500,000 people per year across West Africa, resulting in approximately 5,000 deaths.
The damage that our modern living and working environment could be doing to our health will be investigated by a new ÷£5M MRC-HPA Centre for Environment and Health at Imperial College London and King"s College London.
Can-Fite BioPharma (TASE:CFBI), a biotechnology company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, has achieved yet another goal by completion of patients" enrollment in its phase II Psoriasis trial. Approximately 70 patients were enrolled to this study, randomized into 4 groups treated with 1, 2 and 4 mg of CF101 and placebo. Patients are taking the drug for 12 weeks plus 2 weeks of follow-up. The trial is being conducted in 10 sites in Israel and Europe. The company estimates to release study data on Q3 2009.
Genta Incorporated (OTCBB: GNTA.OB) announced preliminary results from its ongoing clinical study of tesetaxel, a leading oral taxane in the Company"s investigational drug portfolio. The new data show a favorable safety profile with a low incidence of serious adverse events, along with objective responses that have been observed at less than the maximally tolerated dose (MTD). The data are featured in a presentation today at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, FL.
Pakistan has obtained international support for its efforts to fight tuberculosis and lower infant and maternal mortality rates, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, the health minister, said recently after returning from the 62nd World Health Assembly (WHA), the International News reports.
Michelle Obama Can Highlight "Disproportionate Impact" of HIV/AIDS on Women, Girls During Africa Visit
PharmAthene, Inc. (NYSE Amex: PIP), a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, announced that it has submitted a proposal to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in response to a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA-BARDA-09-34) for advanced research and development of medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. PharmAthene has requested funding to further develop Valortim(R), a fully human monoclonal antibody, for the prevention and treatment of anthrax infection. To date, the Company has received funding commitments from the U. S. government totaling up to $24 million to advance the development of Valortim(R).
Cordex Pharma, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CDXP) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the design of pivotal, Phase 2b/3 clinical trials evaluating its lead product ATPace(TM) as an antiarrhytmic drug for the acute treatment of patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) under the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process.
CuraGen Corporation (Nasdaq: CRGN) reported three data presentations from its ongoing clinical trials of CR011-vcMMAE, an antibody-drug conjugate that targets GPNMB, in patients with advanced breast cancer and melanoma at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Florida.
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.
The friendship between "working moms" Kathleen Sebelius and Nancy-Ann DeParle "could pay big dividends for President Obama now," USA Today reports. The two have a lot in common in the policy world as well. Sebelius, the secretary of Health and Human Services, and DeParle, director of the White House Office of Health Reform, "first met at the White House mess in 1997, during the battle for a patients" bill of rights to combat the constraints of managed care." Their relationship was then "built over a dozen years on topics ranging from the children"s health insurance program to raising their own children. Now, they are the "tag team for Obama"s most ambitious domestic policy goal: an overhaul of the nation"s health care system."
Reuters reports that, due to the difficulties in getting or paying for health insurance, "countless workers in the United States are trapped in jobs they would like to leave ... calcifying innovation and mobility in the world"s largest economy." Reuters notes that when he was head of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, "Todd Stottlemeyer frequently encountered would-be entrepreneurs who let their ideas go stale and their products languish on the workbench because they did not want to shoulder their own health care costs. "
A New York City health information technology project could provide a model for the implementation of stimulus-funded electronic health records in hospitals and doctors offices around the country, reports Government Health IT, a publication of an e-health lobbying group. "The Primary Care Information Project (PCIP), a program started in 2007 by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, supports the adoption of health IT among primary care providers who tend to the city"s underserved populations," the report explains.
Pennsylvania and Illinois are expanding health insurance options for for young adults.
The End Of Medical Miracles? - Wall Street Journal
- 0 confirmed cases in Wales.
Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) will be demonstrating its full range of brachytherapy cancer treatment equipment and software at the American Brachytherapy Society meeting in Toronto, Canada, from May 31 to June 2. Varian"s exhibit will include the new BrachyVision™ Acuros™ system, which offers a significantly more accurate* way of calculating the dosimetry of cancer treatments.
Data from the ToGA study presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida showed that adding trastuzumab to standard chemotherapy (capecitabine [Xeloda®] or intravenous 5-FU and cisplatin) prolongs the lives of patients with this aggressive cancer on average by nearly 2.7 months to 13.8 months, a 26% increase in survival. Advanced gastric (stomach) cancer is associated with a poor prognosis; the median survival time after diagnosis is approximately 10 months with currently available therapies.[i]
The Nigerian government believes that by 2013 malaria will cease to be a major public health problem in the country because families will have universal access to prevention and treatment, which will ultimately lead to malaria eradication in Nigeria, according to a document prepared by the National Malaria Control Program of the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja, Nigeria, Xinhua reports.
Nigeria To Conduct Drug-Resistant TB Survey With Stop TB Partnership, USAID
Researchers at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City believe that they have made a breakthrough connection between atrial fibrillation, a fairly common heart rhythm disorder, and Alzheimer"s disease, the leading form of dementia among Americans.
Research from a survey by Tesco Dental Insurance has revealed Brits are finding it increasingly difficulty to find an NHS dentist. The results also show that rising dental costs are putting people off visiting the dentist.
Two opinion pieces recently responded to criticisms of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama"s nominee to the Supreme Court.~ Raina Kelley, Newsweek: The "discussions about whether ... Sotomayor was chosen just because she is a Hispanic woman drive me nuts," Newsweek columnist Kelley writes. She continues, "Yes, the fact that she"s a Latina makes a difference in what she brings to the bench, but let"s not overlook the fact that she"d be qualified for the job even if she were a white man." Citing Sotomayor"s experience as a Second Circuit Court of Appeals judge for more than a decade and her educational qualifications as a graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, Kelley writes that "we can assume that she has at least some of the appropriate skills to be a Supreme Court justice." She adds, "But when she sits down for those hearings in front of the cameras and the country, the lingering question will still be, "Did she get into all those great schools just because of her race?"" Kelley writes, "It"s infuriating to me that a woman as competent as Sotomayor will have to prove she deserves her nomination while a white-male colleague with the same resume can skip that step and go straight to his judicial philosophy." According to Kelley, "It is time for our hallowed institutions to look like the country" they serve. She notes that "white males have gotten the jobs over at the Supreme Court 96% of the time," concluding that "the assumption that they"re naturally the best candidate for everything, and we"re doing anyone else a favor if we give them a desirable job, is a bit much" (Kelley, Newsweek, 5/29).~ Kathleen Parker, Washington Post: "Even without the help of all those foot soldiers who blast out late-night memos, any sentient being could have predicted the reaction" last week to the nomination of Sotomayor, syndicated columnist Parker writes. She adds, "Within minutes" of the announcement, "a dozen other e-mails tumbled through the hatch enumerating all the reasons Sotomayor was a terrible pick: affirmative action, identity politics, the Ricci [v. DeStefano] case, double standards, racism, sexism." She continues, "Although her judicial record has raised some legitimate concerns, Sotomayor isn"t so easily characterized as the radical liberal that some on the right have suggested. She has ruled favorably toward abortion protesters and unfavorably toward minority plaintiffs." In reference to Sotomayor"s 2001 comments that her experiences as a Hispanic woman might help her reach a ""better conclusion than a white male who hasn"t lived that life,"" Parker asks, "Could a white man get away with saying something comparable about a Latina? Of course not. After Latinas have run the world for 2,000 years, they won"t be able to say it ever again either." Parker continues, "For now, the hot winds of punditry could use a little chill," concluding, "Calling Sotomayor a sexist and racist, far from being fair, is an irrational rush to judgment unbecoming ladies, gentlemen, scoundrels and scholars" (Parker, Washington Post, 5/31).
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has today published a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending the use of the drug cetuximab (Erbitux®) in combination with chemotherapy as a 1st-line treatment for patients with metastatic (advanced) colorectal cancer (mCRC) who have met specific additional criteria1* - presenting the possibility of potentially curative surgery.2 The treatment is recommended for patients in whom the cancer has spread only to the liver and who have "wild-type" (unmutated) KRASò€¡ tumours.1 Up to 65% of patients have wild-type KRAS tumours.3
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced that the European Medicines Agency"s (EMEA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion for the use of ALIMTA® (pemetrexed for injection) as monotherapy for the maintenance treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with other than predominantly squamous cell histology in patients whose disease has not progressed immediately following platinum-based chemotherapy.
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.
The Health Care Professionals Council has today struck off Arts Therapist Derek Gale following wide ranging incidents of misconduct and abuse towards patients in his care. However, Gale has only been banned from practicing as an arts therapist, and under current legislation, can continue to practice as a psychotherapist or counsellor (1). Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, supported by Jonathan Coe, Chief Executive of WITNESS, said:
As America"s drive for healthcare reforms heats up, the lobbying group for health insurers will meet this week in San Diego-and will be greeted by an impassioned demonstration organized by nurses, doctors, and patients supporting single-payer healthcare reforms.
Laurence I. Barsh, DMD is the Founder of Snoring Isn"t Sexy, LLC and has been involved with sleep medicine since 1992. He now devotes full time to educating the public about dentistry"s role and responsibility in the recognition and management of snoring and sleep apnea.
Data from the Phase III ZODIAC1 study in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients, with the investigational drug vandetanib, were presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Orlando. Results show that the study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that the addition of vandetanib to docetaxel resulted in a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS), the length of time a patient lives without their cancer growing (hazard ratio [HR] 0.79, 97.58% CI 0.70-0.90; PAbout vandetanib
New research led by the University of Leicester and published this week in the British Journal of Psychiatry reveals that people with mental health problems are receiving inferior care for their medical needs.
Data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 meeting, in Orlando, Florida, show that bevacizumab (Avastin®) plus commonly used chemotherapies increases the chance of the patient living without the disease worsening by up to 36% compared to chemotherapies alone, in women receiving first-line therapy for advanced HER2-negative breast cancer. The Phase III RIBBON-1 study combined bevacizumab with chemotherapies, including capecitabine (Xeloda®), taxanes and anthracyclines and measured progression-free survival (PFS).1 No new safety signals for bevacizumab were observed in the study.
A University of Michigan study has identified a likely reason: feeling emotionally close to a friend increases levels of the hormone progesterone, helping to boost well-being and reduce anxiety and stress.
As part of its community outreach, Breast Cancer Help, Inc. attended the annual National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) conference, which was held May 2-5 at Washington, D.C. Representatives of Breast Cancer Help, along with hundreds of other activists, met at the nation"s capital to meet with elected officials who are responsible for the majority of the funding for breast cancer research. The conference was held to challenge the newly elected leaders in Washington to create the changes necessary to ensure the much-needed funding for research and access to quality care.
Scientists around the world are accelerating their efforts to develop a vaccine against the H1N1 influenza virus (Swine flu) as rapidly as possible, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN). The need for such a vaccine received a strong impetus from the World Health Organization, which has issued a Phase 5 pandemic alert, a strong signal that the WHO believes a pandemic is imminent, according to the June 1 issue of GEN (http://www.genengnews.com/articles/chitem.aspx?aid=2938).
Call it advanced warfare on the most elemental of levels.
The scientific and medical publisher, BMJ Group, is to publish additional themed editions of the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), it was announced today.
While most nutrition experts agree that school lunches should include more whole-grain products, a new study from the University of Minnesota finds that food-service workers lack understanding and the res to meet that goal.
Infertility Network Scotland has welcomed the announcement by the Public Health Minister, Shona Robison, that over the next three years the Scottish Government will provide funding to Infertility Network Scotland to work with Health Boards to help them to address the inequity of access that has existed in Scotland for too many years. We also welcomed the news that an expert advisory group will be established this summer to consider an action plan on infertility services.
Sunwin International Neutraceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: SUWN), a leader in the production and distribution of Chinese herbs, veterinary medicines and one of the world"s leading producers of all natural, zero calorie Stevia in China, announced today that the company has increased the availability of two veterinary medicines, Huangqiduotang vaccine and Jinfang Detoxification Powder to treat swine flu that has recently spread in North America and other parts of the world. These products, currently used for controlling various types of influenza in China, have demonstrated effectiveness in controlling swine flu outbreaks among livestock.
The European Society of Cardiology Congress 2009, the world"s biggest international meeting in Cardiology will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from 29 August to 2 September.
The Gamida Cell-Teva Joint Venture have today that five prestigious cord blood transplantation centers in Spain, three in Barcelona and two in Valencia, have joined the ExCell study.
The House Ear Institute, HEI, established Family Camp 24 years ago as a comfortable, open forum where parents raising a child with hearing loss could share their experiences and exchange information and varying philosophies with one another.
Researchers from the Brigham and Women"s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston have released a 22-year study that reports Hispanic patients have poorer outcomes following infrainguinal bypass grafting for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Results showed that of all the study participants, Hispanics had a higher rate of bypass graft failure and amputation after revascularization compared to Caucasians. In an analysis that accounted for a myriad of important variables affecting limb salvage after bypass, Hispanic ethnicity was found to be independently predictive of eventual amputation. Details of the study appear in the Society for Vascular Surgery"s(R) June 2009 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery(R).
Today, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced the results of a Phase III study demonstrating that pazopanib reduced the risk of tumour progression or death by 54% compared to placebo.1
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Tuesday met individually with 10 senators in an initial round of closed-door meetings in preparation for her confirmation hearing, which is yet to be scheduled, the New York Times reports. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said that during his meeting with Sotomayor she expressed her belief that ""ultimately and completely" a judge has to follow the law no matter what their upbringing has been" (Herszenhorn/Hulse, New York Times, 6/3). Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who also met with Sotomayor, said that she believes that Sotomayor would not vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. Feinstein added that Sotomayor "is a woman who is well-steeped in law and well-steeped in precedent. I believe that she has a real respect for precedent and that she was not just saying that" (Isenstadt, Politico, 6/2). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said of Sotomayor, "We have the whole package here," adding, "We could not have anyone more qualified" (New York Times, 6/3).However, Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who also met with Sotomayor, said that he is concerned about whether Sotomayor would be an "activist" judge who believes her role is to create policy rather than to judge matters in accordance with it. Sessions said that "the question is, what is the law? How does a judge find the law, and what approach to statutory construction do they utilize?" (Hirschfield Davis, AP/Washington Times, 6/2). According to the Times, because Republicans likely do not have the votes to use a filibuster to block Sotomayor"s confirmation, their strategy "seems to be to play for time," in the hope that "something unexpected" will surface as a threat to her confirmation. Democrats currently have 59 of the 60 votes needed to stop a filibuster, and seven Republicans voted to confirm Sotomayor to the appeals court (New York Times, 6/3). The Judicial Confirmation Network, a conservative judicial group, on Tuesday sent a letter to every senator criticizing Sotomayor"s judicial record and saying that she "challenges the belief that the law needs to be knowable and predictable." JCN Director Gary Marx said that the organization does not agree with other conservative groups that have called for a filibuster but that it supports "a long and vigorous and thorough, healthy debate" (Palmer, Roll Call, 6/2). Leahy, Sessions To Discuss Hearing Schedule Leahy said that he and Sessions will meet Wednesday to discuss a schedule for Sotomayor"s confirmation hearing, specifically with regard to whether it will come before or after the August congressional recess. Leahy said that he favors holding the hearing in July. However, Sessions and other Republicans are asking that the hearing be conducted after the break, citing the need to read through the approximately 3,000 opinions Sotomayor wrote as an appellate court judge (Friedman, CongressDaily, 6/2). Meanwhile, Sotomayor on Wednesday will meet with 10 more senators, including seven Democrats and three Republicans (Koffler, Roll Call, 6/2). Poll Shows Public SupportFifty-four percent of U.S. residents would like to see Sotomayor confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday. The poll shows that 28% of those surveyed opposed the confirmation and 19% had no opinion. The poll was conducted between Friday and Sunday, questioning 1,015 adults (Silva, Los Angeles Times, 6/2).Broadcast CoverageNPR"s "All Things Considered" on Tuesday reported on Sotomayor"s meetings with senators. The segment includes comments from Leahy (Seabrook, "All Things Considered," NPR, 6/3).
Merck"s human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, was 90% effective in preventing infection with the virus and cervical disease in women ages 24 to 45, according to a study published Monday in the medical journal Lancet, Reuters reports (Fox, Reuters, 6/1). In the U.S., the vaccine currently is FDA-approved for girls and women ages nine to 26. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend routine three-dose vaccination of girls ages 11 and 12 and for girls and women ages 13 to 26 who have not yet been vaccinated (CDC fact sheet, June 2008). It is designed to protect against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of all cervical cancer cases, and HPV types 6 and 11, which cause genital warts.The new study, led by Nubia Munoz of the National Institute of Cancer in Bogota, Colombia, and funded by Merck, involved women ages 24 to 45 with no history of cervical disease or genital warts who either received the vaccine or a placebo injection. The study found that women who received the vaccine were significantly less likely to be infected with certain strains of HPV than those who received placebo shots. According to the researchers, four women out of 1,900 who received the vaccine developed HPV or cervical disease after two years, compared with 41 women out of 1,900 in the placebo group.Reuters reports that the results of the study could help Merck as it seeks approval for marketing Gardasil for use in older women. The researchers said in the study that older women might be at risk for HPV infection as "[c]hanges in sexual behavior during the past 30 years ... have led to more widespread premarital sexual intercourse and acquisition of new sexual partners around middle age." They added, "As the potential for HPV infection and disease exists in women in their third, fourth and fifth decades of life, these women could benefit from prophylactic HPV vaccination." According to Reuters, a mathematical model published in October 2005 showed that vaccinating older women could cut rates of cervical cancer in women through age 45 by half. Merck also has released data showing the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing genital lesions in men.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide, and about 20 million U.S. residents are infected with it. The virus is the leading cause of cervical cancer, which causes about 3,870 deaths in the U.S. and 300,000 deaths globally every year, and it also can cause anal, penile, mouth and neck cancer (Reuters, 6/1).
Although Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor"s confirmation hearings are more than a month away, "it"s easy to predict how they will go," New York Times columnist Ross Douthat writes. Douthat predicts that Senate Judiciary Committee members "will attempt to divine Sotomayor"s position on a variety of controversial topics," such as abortion rights, and in "a series of polite, evasive answers, the nominee will feign a studious neutrality on almost every issue that could come before her during what"s likely to be decades as one of the most powerful women in the world." According to Douthat, the "deeper stakes" that likely will be ignored are that "Sotomayor will be joining a high court that"s gradually become a kind of extra legislative body." He cites research from Harvard Law School professor Jed Shugerman showing that the court over roughly the past 50 years has invalidated both state and federal statutes at an unprecedented rate. Douthat also points to data from Evan Caminker of the University of Michigan showing that in one eight-year period, the court invalidated 16 federal laws in 5-4 votes, something that occurred only 25 times in the previous two centuries. Douthat writes that "settling so many vexing controversies with 5-to-4 votes -- effectively making Anthony Kennedy the nation"s philosopher king -- is an awfully poor way to run a republic."Douthat continues that the "modern court"s most enduringly controversial power grabs -- with Roe v. Wade leading the way -- were usually the work of liberal justices" but that "in practice, the main divide between liberal and conservative judges tends to be over the responsibilities of the federal government, not judicial activism per se." He writes, "There are bipartisan ways that the Court could be reined in, and the legislative branch reinvigorated," including the idea of a supermajority rule that would require a 6-3 vote to overturn federal legislation. This idea "might spur the court toward greater consensus, and perhaps greater modesty as well," according to Douthat. Another possibility would be to implement 12-year term limits, he says. Douthat concludes that these suggestions would not "reduce the Supreme Court"s power directly, but it would help us see the court for what it has become -- a deeply political institution, as fallible as any other, and answerable, when all is said and done, to us" (Douthat, New York Times, 6/2).
UCLA scientists have linked for the first time intestinal inflammation with systemic chromosome damage in mice, a finding that may lead to the early identification and treatment of human inflammatory disorders, some of which increase risk for several types of cancer.
Free clinics throughout the Washington area report a surge in patients, a trend that is "expected to continue in the worsening economy," The Washington Post reports. At the Arlington Free Clinic, for example, "applications to see a doctor have more than doubled in a year. In Reston, a similar clinic has seen 40 percent more patients in 10 months."
Low Medicare reimbursement rates are not keeping up with costs at hospitals in Iowa and California while a grant helps boost Medicare enrollment in Missouri.
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 Premier healthcare alliance applauds the healthcare stakeholders group for their commitment to achieve up to $2 trillion in savings over the next decade.
Navajo County Public Health Services District officials announced today the first case of 2009 H1N1 in Navajo County. The Arizona Department of Health Services Lab confirmed that an 18 year old patient at Little Colorado Medical Center tested positive for the illness. The patient has subsequently been treated and released.
New findings throw light on how the brain heals itself and may change the way we think about treating chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson"s and Alzheimer"s.
More than 17 percent of gay men in Chicago have HIV, and 39 percent went untested in the last 12 months because of fear of the results, according to a study of nearly 600 gay men in the city by the Chicago Department of Health, the Chi-Town Daily News reports. The study also found that gay black men had an infection rate that was more than twice the rates of gay white and Hispanic men. Jim Pickett, director of advocacy for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, said the findings indicate that, "We need to incorporate HIV into a broader or more holistic framework (covering) gay men"s health needs from top to toe." The city will formally release the study"s results next week (Parker, Chi-Town Daily News, 6/2).
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.
In a review of more than 2,000 patients coded for Barrett"s esophagus, electronic diagnosis overestimated the prevalence of the disease according to researchers in California. They found that only 61.9 percent of patients assigned a billing diagnosis code for Barrett"s esophagus actually had Barrett"s esophagus after a manual record review. The study evaluated the accuracy of diagnostic codes for Barrett"s esophagus by contrasting codes from electronic databases with diagnoses from a detailed medical record review. Researchers also evaluated the reproducibility of a pathologic diagnosis of Barrett"s esophagus between two pathologists and between a single pathologist on two different occasions. The study appears in the May issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).
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.
The demand for more user-friendly healthcare IT professional services has been increasing across Europe. Companies that have delivered the right blend of 360 degree consulting, easier and shorter training sessions and exceptional operational services along with round-the-clock support and maintenance services have been displaying market leadership in terms of revenues and number of installed bases.
Australia"s regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited (ASX:MSB)(PINK:MBLTY), announced positive three-month interim efficacy results from the first 20 patients enrolled in the Phase 2 heart failure trial of the proprietary allogeneic, or "off-the-shelf", adult stem cell product Revascor(TM).
SANE Australia is pleased to announce the 2009 SANE Book of the Year is Back From The Brink Too: Supporting Your Loved One In Overcoming Depression by Graeme Cowan.
Government warnings about suicidality among children taking antidepressants appear to be associated with unintended and persistent changes in the diagnosis and treatment of depression in children and adults, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Preventing vascular congestion is an important mediator in heart failure, reports a study in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiac Failure, published by Elsevier.
In the face of rising health care costs, a new study has found that older adults were less likely to identify the plan that minimized their total annual cost and were likely to mistakenly think they had chosen the lowest-cost plan. The study, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation® Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research, is currently available online, and will be published in the August 2009 issue of Health Services Research.
A rare, deadly developmental disorder of the lungs called alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACD/MPV) that usually kills the infants born with it within the first month of life results from deletions or mutations in the FOXF1 transcription factor gene, said a consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in a report that appears in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
A number of news outlets are highlighting players in the health reform debate today.