Public Health
Women living with HER2 positive breast cancer now have a new treatment option for the first time in almost ten years. Health Canada has approved TykerbTM (lapatinib ditosylate) tablets for use in combination with an oral chemotherapy, capecitabine (Xeloda®), for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumours overexpress HER2 (ErbB2) and who have progressed following prior therapies including taxanes, anthracyclines and trastuzumab (Herceptin®). HER2 positive breast cancer is an aggressive form of the disease that affects approximately 20 per cent of breast cancer patients.[1]
Cases of type 1 diabetes in children under five years across Europe will double by 2020 (from 2005 levels) if present trends continue. Numbers in children older than five will also increase substantially. The findings are discussed in an Article published Online First and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet, written by Dr Chris Patterson, Queen"s University, Belfast, UK, and Prof Gyula Soltē©sz, Pē©cs University, Pē©cs, Hungary, and colleagues.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a total ankle replacement system for arthritic or deformed ankles that may preserve some range of motion in the joint.
The Scottish Government is launching Better Diabetes Care - a consultation to improve diabetes care over the next three years - Diabetes UK Scotland is encouraging everyone to take part.
InteKrin Therapeutics, Inc. announced it will present Phase 2a clinical data for INT131, a Selective PPAR Modulator (SPPARM), at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in New Orleans Saturday, June 6, 2009 during the "Novel Diabetes Therapies in Development in Humans" session at 4:00 pm CDT.
After roughly a month of emergency response to the new H1N1 swine flu virus, US health authorities are taking stock, re-focusing and re-
In research that could open new avenues of treatment for seasonal allergies, a team of Yale University scientists has discovered how a poorly understood component of the human immune system triggers - and sometimes worsens - allergic reactions. The research appears in the May 24 Advance Online Publication of Nature Immunology.
A mandate requiring all U.S. residents to purchase health coverage would not be considered a new form of federal taxation as long as people could choose from a wide variety of private plans and no government entity was responsible for collecting their premiums, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released on Wednesday, the Washington Post reports. CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf in his blog wrote, "In CBO"s view, the key consideration is whether a proposal would be making health insurance an essentially governmental program, tightly controlled by the federal government, ... or whether the system would provide significant flexibility in terms of the types, prices and number of private-sector sellers of insurance available to people." He continued, "The former -- a governmental program -- belongs in the federal budget (including all premiums paid by individuals and firms to private insurers), but the latter -- a largely private-sector system -- does not." Elmendorf wrote, "Premium income -- for a public plan (or plans) and for insurance purchased through exchanges or in the private market -- should be classified as federal revenues if there is an individual mandate and tight government control of the insurance market." However, income from premiums should not appear in the federal budget "if there is no mandate and no public plan, or there is an individual mandate and an active, loosely restricted private market, and if premiums are paid through nongovernmental exchanges or directly to insurers."CBO in 1994, when lawmakers were considering the Clinton administration"s health reform proposal, concluded that a proposed requirement that employers and employees make payments into government-run insurance pools would constitute a form of taxation and a major expansion of the federal government (Montgomery, Washington Post, 5/28).
At least six states have considered eliminating or reducing financial assistance for those enrolled in the Medicare prescription drug benefit program who are affected by the "doughnut hole," or gap in coverage, the AP/Boston Herald reports. According to the AP/Herald, the governors of Rhode Island and Vermont and lawmakers in South Carolina have proposed plans to eliminate such financial assistance programs, while Massachusetts has reduced funding for its program. Meanwhile, proposals in New York and Connecticut to limit financial help have been dismissed.Beneficiaries enrolled in the drug benefit have coverage until total spending reaches $2,700 and then must pay out-of-pocket for their medications until the total spending reaches $4,350, after coverage. At least 16 states provide financial help to beneficiaries who have reached the coverage gap (AP/Boston Herald, 5/27).
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).
Xiaoming, Xu, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of Biomaterials Research at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Dentistry, has been awarded a grant in the amount of $1.77 million over four years by the National Institutes of Health to develop new antibacterial, fluoride-releasing, and bioactive dental materials including dental composites, bonding agents, and sealants. Currently most dental fillings and cosmetic restorations, including bonding and veneers, are done with resin-based dental composites - tooth-colored, plastic, and glass materials. Dr. Xu is working to develop the next generation of dental materials designed to reduce the secondary cavities that often develop around dental resin-based composite fillings as they shrink, causing them to fail. The new materials are expected to reduce secondary cavities and to prolong the life of restorations.
Telesso Technologies Limited (ASX: TEO), a global healthcare company, has announced the FDA-approved guide wire-assisted peripheral IV catheter it is developing with Vascular Pathways, Inc., has been honored with the Popular Science Invention Award.
Contrary to what one might expect, it is not the sweaty armpit or fluffy bellybutton but the forearm that is home to the most diverse range of
OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OGXI) announced today that the Company will hold a live webcast and conference call of presentations made at an OncoGenex hosted reception during the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO) on Saturday, May 30, 2009. The webcast will begin at 7:10 p.m. EDT.
Mice carrying a "humanized version" of a gene believed to influence speech and language may not actually talk, but they nonetheless do have a lot to say about our evolutionary past, according to a report in the May 29th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication.
An analysis of previous studies indicates that among patients with peripheral artery disease, aspirin use is associated with a statistically nonsignificant decrease in the risk of a group of combined cardiovascular events (nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, and cardiovascular death), but is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of one of these events, nonfatal stroke, although the findings may be limited by the lack of a large study population, according to an article in the May 13 issue of JAMA.
Agios Pharmaceuticals today announced that Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a charitable initiative for new cancer treatments, has selected the Cancer Metabolism "dream team" led by Agios founder Dr. Craig Thompson and including Agios advisors Drs. Chi Dang and Joshua Rabinowitz. Cancer Metabolism is one of only five research areas chosen to share in $73.6 million in translational research funding, based on a rigorous selection process by independent scientific advisors assembled by SU2C"s scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Cancer metabolism is a new and exciting field of biology that represents a breakthrough understanding of how cancer cells become addicted to using more nutrients than normal cells to ensure their survival and growth. This new understanding of a fundamental mechanism of cancer represents a powerful Achilles" heel to target this deadly disease.
The European Medicines Agency has been formally notified by BioPartners GmbH of its decision to withdraw its application for Biferonex (interferon beta-1a), 6 million-international-unit solution for injection, prefilled syringes for subcutaneous administration.
Ballroom dancing has gained in popularity in recent years as an activity for health and fitness. According to research presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle, ballroom dances like the salsa and the tango contribute to health gains and may improve fitness for amateur adult dancers, as measured by heart rates and energy expenditure.
Amid concerns about a pandemic of swine flu, researchers from Nebraska report for the first time that poultry carcasses infected with another threat - the "bird flu" virus - can remain infectious in municipal landfills for almost 2 years. Their report is scheduled for the June 15 issue of ACS" semi-monthly journal Environmental Science & Technology.
A technique that "silences," or turns off, genes shows promise as a potential new treatment for liver fibrosis - the disease that leads to cirrhosis - scientists in Tennessee are reporting. Their study is scheduled for the June 1 issue of ACS" Molecular Pharmaceutics, a bi-monthly journal. Cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States.
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remains a clinical management problem after treatment with highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC)*. A study has shown that the addition of a third drug (casopitant mesylate/CM) to a conventional two-drug regimen (dexamethasone and ondansetron) causes a big reduction in CINV events. The findings are reported in an Article published Online First and in the June edition of The Lancet Oncology, written by Professor Steven Grunberg, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA, and colleagues.
Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center will present breakthrough research in a number of researchstudy areas at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.
Half a million people in the UK have undiagnosed coeliac disease
Congressman James McGovern, D-Massachusetts, has announced National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards for two researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute"s Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park.
Theta oscillations are a type of prominent brain rhythm that orchestrates neuronal activity in the hippocampus, a brain area critical for the formation of new memories. For several decades these oscillations were believed to be "in sync" across the hippocampus, timing the firing of neurons like a sort of central pacemaker. A new study conducted by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) argues that this long-held assumption needs to be revised. In a paper published in this week"s issue of the journal Nature, the researchers showed that instead of being in sync, theta oscillations actually sweep along the length of the hippocampus as traveling waves.
Drug-facilitated sexual crimes are increasing. The Bonn Institute for Forensic Medicine has recorded that the number of examinations on the use of intoxicants in sexual offences within their catchment area increased 10-fold between 1997 and 2006. In the current edition of Deutsches Arzteblatt International, Burkhard Madea and Frank Musshoff present the modes of action and the detection windows for the most frequent substances (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106 (20): 341-347).
The Nebraska Legislature on Wednesday voted to advance a bill (L.B. 675) that would require abortion providers who perform ultrasounds on women seeking the procedure to tell women that a view of the fetus will be available and display the screen in a way that the image can be easily seen, the AP/Lincoln Journal Star reports. The bill also would require the state to compile a list of clinics that offer no-cost ultrasound services. State Sen. Brenda Council (D) criticized that particular provision, saying it would force the state Department of Health and Human Services to spend more taxpayer money.Lawmakers advanced the bill by voice vote after approving an amendment to clarify language surrounding the qualifications of health professionals performing ultrasounds. Advocates for the bill claim it would provide more information to women seeking abortion procedures, while opponents of the bill argue that it would allow the government to interfere in a private procedure. The bill faces a final vote before going to Gov. Dave Heineman (R). If the bill becomes law, Nebraska would join more than a dozen states that have similar laws, the AP/Journal Star reports (Ortiz, AP/Lincoln Journal Star, 5/27).
The International Serious Adverse Events Consortium (SAEC) has announced initial results from its research designed to discover genetic markers that may predict individuals at risk for serious drug induced liver injury (DILI). The SAEC is a nonprofit research corporation, launched in the fall of 2007, comprised of and funded by 10 leading pharmaceutical companies and the Wellcome Trust. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also contributes to the scientific and strategic direction of this novel research effort. The collection and initial characterization of the DILI cases supporting these results was performed by the UK-based DILIGEN network, led by Professor Ann Daly and colleagues at Newcastle University, but also involving researchers at the University of Liverpool and at Queen"s Medical Centre, Nottingham.
A new study showed that the breast cancer drug Herceptin improved survival in patients with HER2-positive stomach cancer, an aggressive form
Patients with inflammatory arthritis completing a health-related quality of life questionnaire report levels of pain that result in their health being rated as "worse than death" by members of the general population.
First Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) Research Fellowships announced
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.
Poxel is a research integrated pharmaceutical Company (RIPCO),
Devax, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has conditionally approved an Investigational Device Exemption ("IDE") for its AXXESS™ Biolimus A9® Eluting Bifurcation Stent System (AXXESS System), allowing the company to initiate a pivotal clinical trial (DIVERGE II) of the device in the United States.
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.
The ANF calls on the Prime Minister to consult with nurses and other occupations that are most affected before implementing changes to the retirement age for pensions or superannuation.
In response to reports of an increase in the number of serious complaints to the Department of Health and Ageing"s Complaints Investigation Scheme (CIS), Ged Kearney, Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) Federal Secretary said the Australian government must make Australia"s nursing homes a priority.
A new national campaign aiming to reduce the number of undiagnosed heart conditions will visit 12 destinations in England throughout May and June. The CRY Philips Test My Heart Tour 09 is the first free tour of its kind in England and has been made possible by charity CRY, health and well-being company Philips, through the fundraising efforts of families whose lives have been affected by Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) or Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), and the Gwyneth Forrester Trust. The tour aims to test over 3,000 14-35 year olds hearts to identify heart conditions which could potentially prove fatal if left untreated. To book a free appointment at one of the 12 tour locations simply go to http://www.testmyheart.org
What
A new surgical technique could allow surgeons to perform a radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer-with fewer complications, reduced morbidity, and a lower risk of local tumour recurrence than current surgical methods, according to an Article published Online first and in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology.
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.
Mersana Therapeutics presented preliminary results of a Phase 1 clinical trial for its lead development candidate, XMT-1001, in a poster session at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando. XMT-1001 is a broad-spectrum cytotoxic, based on camptothecin (CPT), conjugated to Mersana"s biodegradable polymer platform, Fleximer(R).
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).
Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRBN) announced the presentation of encouraging Phase 1 safety and efficacy results following administration of low doses of TRU-016 in heavily pre-treated patients with high-risk genomic factors and relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). TRU-016 is the Company"s proprietary anti-CD37 Small Modular ImmunoPharmaceutical (SMIP(TM)) product candidate.
Maryland intensive care patients will now be connected by voice, video and data lines to specialized physicians and nurses at a tertiary care referral center 130 miles away. A year after announcing six, independent Maryland hospitals, with a $3 million grant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, were joining together to provide state-of-the-art critical care to their patients, the first hospital, Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick, Md., is fully online with the sophisticated care system.
The Pima County Health Department is releasing additional
AnaSpec has announced the launch of the industry"s first FRET-based thrombin assay - the SensoLyte 520 Thrombin Activity Assay Kit.
Since the 2004 election, issues relating to the economic recession and health care have replaced "moral values" as the most important political topics in the U.S., columnist E.J. Dionne writes in a Washington Post opinion piece. He cites a survey released in May by the Pew Research Center that offered respondents the same list of issues that appeared on the 2004 exit poll and found that the importance of moral values had decreased by more than half. Dionne writes that concern over the economy and jobs had more than doubled on the survey, while issues such as health care and education also had "gained substantial ground." According to the survey, "The drop in concern over moral values was particularly sharp among older working-class voters who have been trending Republican for years," Dionne writes.According to Dionne, "Conservative moral values voters have become the heart of the Republican coalition, and if their ranks are shrinking, so is the GOP"s base." He writes that it "is no accident that President Obama takes every opportunity to shift the public debate to issues -- the economy, health care and education -- that the populist conservatives ... find appealing."According to Dionne, "[f]ew recent survey findings are more enlightening about what"s happening in American politics -- and what is likely to happen to the debate over the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor." He adds that it is "striking that while some antiabortion groups issued stinging press releases against Sotomayor, her views on abortion remain a mystery -- to the consternation of abortion-rights supporters." According to Dionne, "Both sides in the abortion debate want to have a confrontation that Sotomayor may not give them the opportunity to stage." He adds that the "vast majority of Americans are not clamoring for this particular battle" (Dionne, Washington Post, 6/1).
Stem cells containing protective genes may provide permanent control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in infected individuals, according to research presented at the American Society of Gene Therapy 12th Annual Meeting, May 30.
Monkeys playing a game similar to "Let"s Make A Deal" have revealed that their brains register missed opportunities and learn from their mistakes.
A study in the June 1 issue of the journal SLEEP found that waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) are consistent, independent risk factors for all severity levels of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children, suggesting that as with adult SDB, metabolic factors are important risk factors for childhood SDB.
A blood-pressure medicine has been shown to reverse the effects of early-stage liver failure in some patients.
Athletes could be putting their lives at risk by doping themselves with powerful prescription drugs, a leading academic has warned.
The four-type (6,11,16,18) human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil®, has been chosen by the Norwegian authorities for the national vaccination programme after the assessment of a variety of criteria, including efficacy in the prevention of cervical cancer, safety and evidence of long-lasting protection. All available data was considered, including new data presented during the 25th International Papillomavirus Conference (IPC) in May in Malmē¶, Sweden.
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.
The editors of Disability & Rehabilitation and its sister publication, Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology have announced an annual award which will be given for the best review paper published in either of the two journals. Commencing in 2009, the Informa Best Review Paper Award will recognise valuable, high-impact research in the fields of disability, rehabilitation and assistive technology.
Bausch & Lomb, a world leader in eye health, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Besivance™ (besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension) 0.6% for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, commonly referred to as "pink eye." Besivance™ is a new topical ophthalmic anti-infective, administered via sterile ophthalmic drops, that treats a wide range of eye pathogens including those that most commonly cause bacterial conjunctivitis.4 Bacterial conjunctivitis is one of the most common ocular conditions worldwide. 2
Causal inference is challenging in all non-experimental studies because of the possibility of hidden bias. Hidden bias may exist as a result of failure to control for unobservable factors, such as doctors" practice/prescription patterns.
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.
Nonprofit hospitals will lobby Congress to keep hands off their charitable status - which grants large tax exemptions, costing the government revenue - as lawmakers plan a health care overhaul, the New York Times reports. The leading senators of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, are considering a requirement that hospitals must provide a set amount of free care to benefit from the tax perks.
"Facing difficult economic times and the uncertainties of national health care reform, some Maryland hospitals are choosing to be swallowed up by larger medical systems, with an unusual string of mergers over the past 16 months and more likely on the way," The Baltimore Sun reports. The consolidations could offer benefits to all those involved. Small hospitals gain "the hope of safe harbor from whatever financial storms are on the horizon, hospital chains "get footholds in new areas, where they can build market share and increase the number of patients they serve," and patients may "gain access to large networks of top-notch doctors, even if the patients live many miles from a major medical institution."
ZymoGenetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZGEN) announced positive final results from a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients receiving 2nd or 3rd line therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma with the combination of recombinant Interleukin 21 (IL-21) and Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets. The combination demonstrated considerable clinical benefit, with an overall response rate (as assessed by an independent review) of 21%, a disease control rate of 82%, and progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.7 months in this heavily pretreated population. Results were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.
If your child needs to use a wheelchair, whether temporarily following illness or surgery or for longer-term disability, it is important they feel confident to move about safely. At this year"s national Mobility Roadshow that takes place at Kemble Airfield near Cirencester on 4, 5 and 6 June the Association of Wheelchair Children will be holding wheelchair skills workshops for children. In half hour sessions they will teach practical skills - ascending and descending kerbs, slopes, negotiating roads, moving backwards and forwards - empowering them with the ability to assess risk and to move safely and confidently about their homes and neighbourhoods. These sessions are equally useful for parents and carers.
High-throughput whole-genome analysis is becoming a standard laboratory approach for investigating cellular processes. Next-generation sequencing is replacing microarrays as the technique of choice for genome-scale analysis, because it offers advantages in both sensitivity and scale. The June issue of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols features "Native Chromatin Preparation and Illumina/Solexa Library Construction" from Keji Zhao and colleagues at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The article describes sample preparation for sequencing of chromatin-immunoprecipitated DNA (ChIP-Seq) to analyze histone modification patterns using native chromatin and the Solexa/Illumina Genome Analyzer. Step-by-step instructions are given for purification of human CD4+ T cells from lymphocytes and chromatin fragmentation using micrococcal nuclease (MNase) digestion, followed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and construction of a library for sequencing. The article is freely available on the website for Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (http://cshprotocols.cshlp.org/cgi/content/full/2009/6/pdb.prot5237).
A protein abundant in embryonic stem cells is now shown to be important in cancer, and offers a possible new target for drug development, report researchers from the Stem Cell Program at Children"s Hospital Boston.
Implementing measures to improve nutrition, indoor air pollution, immunization coverage and the management of pneumonia cases could be cost-effective and significantly reduce child mortality from pneumonia, according to a study led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers found that these strategies combined could reduce total child mortality by 17 percent and could reduce pneumonia deaths by more than 90 percent. Pneumonia is a leading cause of death of infants in many developing countries, resulting in 2.2 million deaths each year. The study is published in the June 2009 issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
In a new study, young children and their adult caregivers uttered fewer vocalizations, used fewer words and engaged in fewer conversations when in the presence of audible television. The population-based study is the first of its kind completed in the home environment, guided by lead researcher Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children"s Research Institute and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "Audible Television and Decreased Adult Words, Infant Vocalizations, and Conversational Turns" was published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a change to the prescribing information for its once-daily Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) treatment VYVANSE® (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) CII, to include supplemental data that demonstrated significant ADHD symptom control in children aged 6 to 12 from the first time point measured (1.5 hours) through 13 hours postdose. VYVANSE is now the first and only oral ADHD stimulant treatment to have 13-hour postdose efficacy data for pediatric patients included in its product labeling.
National Allergy Week 11-15 May 2009
Health officials on Sunday said that a diarrhea outbreak has spread across Bangladesh"s southwest due to the effects of Cyclone Aila, which hit parts of Bangladesh and India on May 25, AFP/Google.com reports. Diarrhea broke out at an "alarming rate" because inundation and water logging have destroyed large amounts of land and supplies of drinking water near Sundarbans, the world"s largest mangrove forest, according to health workers.
A health workers" strike has caused Benin to indefinitely delay a polio vaccination campaign, part of a regional effort taking place in several West African countries, IRIN reports. The Benin campaign was due to start on May 29.
GTx, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTXI) announced the presentation of data demonstrating that toremifene 80 mg treatment compared to placebo increased bone mineral density (BMD) in multiple clinically relevant subpopulations of men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The data, an analysis of results of the recent Phase III clinical trial evaluating toremifene 80 mg for the prevention of bone fractures and treatment of other estrogen deficiency side effects of androgen deprivation therapy in men with prostate cancer, were presented yesterday at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Patients are a step closer to getting more say over their healthcare services as plans for a national pilot project reach the next stage, the Department of Health announced.
Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARNA) announced that a late-breaking abstract of its lorcaserin Phase 3 BLOOM (Behavioral modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management) trial has been accepted for a poster presentation at the American Diabetes Association"s 69th Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana. The abstract, titled "Lorcaserin Reduces Body Weight in Obese and Overweight Subjects: Behavioral Modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management, the BLOOM Trial," will be displayed from June 6, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) until June 8, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. CDT in the Morial Convention Center, Hall E. The poster has been assigned presentation number 96-LB in category 20-B Obesity - Clinical Treatment.
Innovia LLC, a privately held biomaterials-based medical device company, announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the InnoPort(TM) to facilitate single port access laparoscopy.
The End Of Medical Miracles? - Wall Street Journal
New research from the UC Davis Center for
Targeting the issue of low birth rates, the Taiwanese government implemented the Mega Warmth Social Welfare Program (MWSWP) in 2006 after its fertility rates dipped lower than most industrial nations.
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries.~ "The Murder of Dr. Tiller, a Foreshadowing," Cristina Page, Birth Control Watch: Page writes, "For those who would like to think" that the "murder in church of Dr. George Tiller ... is an isolated incident, here"s the horrifying news: You are wrong." She continues, "The pattern is clear and frightening." According to Page, there were several murders of abortion providers and even more attempted murders during the administration of former President Clinton, the first president to support abortion rights. However, during the Bush administration, "not only were there no murders, there were no attempted murders," save for a single bombing of an abortion clinic, according to Page. She writes that Tiller"s murder occurred five months into the administration of President Obama, the nation"s second president who supports abortion rights. Page adds, "One can only conclude that like terrorist sleeper cells, these extremists have now been set in motion. Indeed the evidence is already there. The chatter, the threats, the hate-filled rhetoric, are abundant." According to Page, "The pro-choice movement, specifically our abortion providers, are in the greatest danger of violence when we take power." She adds, "The murder of Dr. Tiller suggests that violence against abortion providers may be far more linked to the power, or lack thereof, antiabortion groups have politically than to laws designed to increase penalties against such acts." Page continues that abortion-rights opponents "will put out carefully worded press statements condemning the murder of Dr. Tiller, as became routine for them during the Clinton years." Page concludes, "But unless the rhetoric they choose from now on becomes careful too -- they may be the enablers of murder and terror" (Page, Birth Control Watch, 5/31).~ "Where Will Women Go Now?" Kate Harding, Salon"s "Broadsheet": "If any good can come of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, ... perhaps it"s the opportunity to have a conversation about the reality of termination in the second and third trimesters," Harding writes. She adds, "Anti-choice activists often cast late-term abortions as the murder of a viable baby at the whim of a woman who doesn"t wish to be inconvenienced, carried out by a doctor who looks at her and sees only cartoon dollar signs." According to Harding, "such misinformation and outright lies about procedures that are in fact rare and only performed when medically necessary are what led anti-choice activists to call Tiller "America"s Doctor of Death" and accuse him of running a "murder mill."" The "reality" is that Tiller helped "women in absolutely desperate circumstances, when almost no one else would," Harding writes, adding, "Since the news of Dr. Tiller"s murder broke, personal narratives from people who used his services have been appearing around the Web." Harding talked to Susan Hill, president of the National Women"s Health Foundation, which referred girls and women to his clinic. Hill said, "We always sent the really tragic cases to Tiller." Harding reports that these included "women diagnosed with cancer who needed abortions to qualify for chemotherapy, women who learned late in their pregnancies that their wanted babies had fatal illnesses and rape victims so young they didn"t realize they were pregnant for months." According to Harding, "The trauma of receiving such a diagnosis is only compounded by the difficulty of obtaining a late-term abortion." Harding asked Hill "where women who need late-term abortions can go now," and says that Hill"s "response was bleak." Hill added that she doesn"t know where she will send "those really tragic cases"(Harding, "Broadsheet," Salon, 6/1). ~ "How I (and Other "Pro-Life" Leaders) Contributed to Dr. Tiller"s Murder," Frank Schaeffer, Huffington Post blogs: "My late father and I share the blame (with many others) for the murder of Dr. George Tiller," Schaeffer writes, adding, "Until I got out of the r
As swine flu spread from Mexico to Texas and then fanned out farther in the United States, Americans began to alter their behavior. Families kept children home from school, postponed trips to the mall, and stayed home instead of eating out. In so doing, the American population may have inadvertently altered the behavior of the pathogen itself.
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.
The British Dental Association (BDA) has given a broad welcome to today"s announcement of the award of a tender for 38 new dentists in Northern Ireland as part of the solution to the problems some patients face accessing care. But the BDA has also warned that this is not the whole solution to the problems facing Health Service dentistry. Also required, says the BDA, are full support for the more than 800 dentists already working in Northern Ireland and a new contract that allows dentists to provide the kind of modern, preventive care they are trained to do.
Privately owned UK biotech company
Monoclonal antibodies can be safely and successfully used for the treatment of several gastroenterological disorders according to data being presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW®) 2009. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the field of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
Fast and affordable genome sequencing has moved a step closer with a new solid-state nanopore sensor being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois.
New research findings published by Dr Metin Basoglu, Head of Section of Trauma Studies at King"s College London and the Istanbul Centre for Behaviour Research and Therapy, examines the psychological impact of war captivity, "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment" (CIDT) and physical torture. Findings revealed that being held captive in a hostile and life-threatening environment, deprivation of basic needs, sexual torture, psychological manipulations, humiliation, exposure to extreme temperatures, isolation, and forced stress positions appear to cause more psychological damage than physical torture.
Patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin"s lymphoma who become resistant to standard therapies may have a new treatment option. Scientists in the Lymphoma Translational Research Laboratory at Roswell Park Cancer Institute analyzed the mechanisms to overcome treatment resistance, including a new drug combination. Francisco J. Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD , Departments of Medicine and Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), will present the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 annual meeting, May 29 - June 2, in Orlando, FL.
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.
The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) has announced that it is working with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Public Patent Foundation to bring a lawsuit charging that patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer are unconstitutional and should be invalidated. Individuals with certain mutations along these two genes, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2, are at a significantly higher risk for developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.
A new study published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reveals that one of the most common conditions caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is best treated surgically, sooner rather than later. Patients with RA frequently experience a debilitating condition known as metacarpophalangeal joint disease, which is usually treated by replacing the knuckle joints with solid silicone joints. However, this treatment (and others like it) has spurred great disagreement between hand surgeons and rheumatologists regarding the indications, timing and perceived outcomes of the procedure; rheumatologists tend to refer late-stage patients for surgery whereas hand surgeons believe that earlier intervention can yield more positive outcomes.
Traumatic brain injury - not heart disease, stroke or cancer - is the number one cause of death and disability in people under 45. Each year, some 1.5 million Americans, including soldiers, athletes, the elderly and children, sustain head injuries, and nearly half of them will be hospitalized and treated in an emergency room or intensive care unit.
A national Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) study led by a Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center physician at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee has found that a course of radiation therapy to the brain after treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer reduced the risk of metastases to the brain within the first year after treatment. The study was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Orlando, June 1.
Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., (DSP) announced that positive results from a phase 2 clinical trial for lurasidone in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia have been published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. This six-week, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial, involving 180 patients with acute schizophrenia, evaluated a single fixed dose of lurasidone 80 mg/day versus placebo. Lurasidone 80 mg/day produced statistically significant improvement versus placebo in both primary and secondary efficacy assessments at all study visits starting at day 3. In addition, lurasidone was generally well-tolerated and was associated with weight and metabolic changes that were similar to placebo.
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
Two recent studies by researchers at the University of Cincinnati bring to light interesting findings about the diagnosis of the rare lung disease Lymphangioleiomyomatosis ( LAM) and the reasons LAM patients participate in research studies.
Lee Scott MP for Ilford North who has been campaigning in the House of Commons for parents, carers, children and adults with Asperger"s Syndrome is calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Government to increase the carer"s allowance for possibly over a million carers who are looking after children and adults with autism and Asperger"s Syndrome in the United Kingdom.
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).
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., will meet with supporters of a single-payer health system Wednesday to discuss their ideas on health reform.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is preparing to revive competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment that industry members helped sink last summer when it was originally scheduled to take effect, CQ HealthBeat reports. The agency had anticipated a 26 percent savings for wheelchairs, oxygen tanks and other pieces of equipment through the program. But a lobbying group for the suppliers, the American Association for Homecare, successfully urged Congress to shut down the program before it went into effect.
University of Queensland scholarship recipient Alex Ridley is using his mathematical and communication skills to improve future public health.
A study by neuroscientist Heather Rupp and her team found that a woman"s partner status influenced her interest in the opposite sex. In the studyĀš, published in the March issue of Human Nature, women both with and without sexual partners showed little difference in their subjective ratings of photos of men when considering such measures as masculinity and attractiveness. However, the women who did not have sexual partners spent more time evaluating photos of men, demonstrating a greater interest in the photos. No such difference was found between men who had sexual partners and those who did not.
A simple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test involving breathing oxygen might help oncologists determine the best treatment for some cancer patients, report researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Enzo Biochem, Inc. (NYSE: ENZ), a biotechnology company specializing in gene identification and genetic and immune regulation technologies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications and laboratory services, announced that data from a Phase II clinical trial was presented today at Digestive Disease Week, the largest international gathering of academic researchers and practicing physicians in gastrointestinal medicine, held this year in Chicago. The data indicate that Alequel™, the Company"s investigational individualized oral immune regulation preparation, may be effective for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Crohn"s disease.
Results from a Phase III study presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida today show that patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received erlotinib (Tarceva®) as first-line maintenance treatment benefited from a significant (29%) improvement in the time they lived without the disease advancing, compared with those who received placebo1. Patients in the global multicentre SATURN trial, which included patients from the UK, received maintenance treatment with erlotinib if their cancer had not progressed on initial chemotherapy. The data showed a significant improvement in the length of time patients lived without their disease getting worse, and without the need for further chemotherapy. 1 The improvement was seen in both of the main types of NSCLC (squamous cell as well as non-squamous cell) and these results form the basis of a submission for regulatory approval of erlotinib to be used in the first-line maintenance setting. 1 Erlotinib is not currently licensed for first line maintenance treatment in NSCLC lung cancer in the UK.
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.
This study examined the 20-year follow-up of the cemented Anatomical Graduated Component total knee replacement carried out between 1983 and 2004. The results showed that the overall survival rate at 20 years was 97.8% with revision of the tibial or femoral component as the endpoint. The survival rate at 20 years of the tibial component was 98.3% and the femoral component was 99.4%. None of the 36 implants at the 20 year follow-up had been revised for polyethylene wear or osteolysis, which may be a reflection of the use of a non-modular, compression-moulded polyethylene implant, since other studies have found polyethylene wear to be a leading cause of failure leading to revision.
A study published provides results which challenge the current NICE guidelines (set in April 2007) relating to the use of low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) rather than aspirin as a thromboprophylaxis following orthopaedic surgery.
Informing men that a new vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) would also help protect their female partners against developing cervical cancer from the sexually transmitted infection did not increase their interest in getting the vaccine, according to a new Florida State University study.
With children having easier access to media and a wider variety of content, the possible negative influence on health issues such as sex, drugs, obesity and eating disorders is increased, and warrants monitoring usage and limiting access if necessary, according to a commentary in the June 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on child and adolescent health.
A University of Toronto study provides the first direct evidence that our mood literally changes the way our visual system filters our perceptual experience suggesting that seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses is more biological reality than metaphor.
Scientists at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa have discovered a powerful new way to stimulate muscle regeneration, paving the way for new treatments for debilitating conditions such as muscular dystrophy.
A number of news outlets are highlighting players in the health reform debate today.