Scientists have expressed genes from snapdragon in tomatoes to grow purple tomatoes high in health-protecting anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are naturally occurring pigments found at particularly high levels in berries such as blackberry, cranberry and chokeberry. Scientists are investigating ways to increase…
Antisocial Behaviour In Kids Key To Alcohol Trouble In Teens, UK
It is not levels of underage drinking, but early signs of antisocial behaviour that best predict future alcohol-related trouble and continued alcohol use by young people. This conclusion is drawn from a study led by Robert Young of the Medical…
RTX Healthcare Receives FDA 510k Market Clearance For Telehealth Monitor
RTX Healthcare announced a 510k market clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to use the RTX3370 Telehealth Monitor in the US. The Telehealth Monitor is a wireless device designed specifically to improve the provision of healthcare to…
UK To Lead The Way With Picture Warnings On Tobacco Packets
Graphic images illustrating the devastating effects that tobacco can have on health will be printed on all tobacco packets from next year Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced last day. The 15 images to be used were chosen following a consultation…
Developmental Psychology Section Annual Conference 2007, UK
Various aspects of child development are to be explored by psychologists as they gather to hear the latest research in their field. The 2007 Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society’s Developmental Psychology Section held within the custom-built lecture halls…
Vital Options International, ASTRO Partner To Raise Awareness Of Cancer Survivorship, USA
As part of its continued effort to give back to the cancer communities in the cities visited during its annual scientific meeting, the Fairfax, Virginia-based American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) is partnering with Vital Options International to…
Inhaling Nitric Oxide Helps Liver Transplant Success
Administering inhaled nitric oxide (NO) during surgery helps protect liver transplant patients from organ failure, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The colorless gas improves post-surgical liver function by minimizing reperfusion…
Dia-B Achieves Major Clinical Milestone By Detecting Its Diabetes Drug Compound ISF402 In Blood
Dia-B Tech Limited (ASX:DIA) has achieved a major clinical milestone of its ISF402 diabetes drug development by confirming its detection in the bloodstream of trial patients. Peptides and proteins already existing in the bloodstream often mask small peptide drugs, making…
Web Adverts Not Clear To Children, UK
When viewing web pages children have difficulty telling the difference between adverts and non-adverts. This is the finding of Ms Moondale Ali and Dr Mark Blades from the University of Sheffield who presented their findings on Wednesday 29 August 2007,…
Society Launches Practice Based Commissioning Guide, UK
A new document, Practice based commissioning: A resource for community pharmacists in England, will be launched this week by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. The guide provides Local Pharmaceutical Committees and community pharmacists with the knowledge to effectively…
Countries Urged To Be More Vigilant About Food Safety
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WHO are urging all countries to strengthen their food safety systems and to be far more vigilant with food producers and traders. Recent food safety incidents — like the discovery of the industrial…
HealthDirect Australia Begins Operation
From 25 July 2007, people in the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Western Australia can call a 24 hours a day, seven days a week call centre for health advice. The number for the National Health Call Centre Network…
Australian Red Cross Blood Service Relocation
The Commonwealth Government will provide funding of up to $99 million to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) to help the service relocate and upgrade their blood processing and testing headquarters in Sydney. Commonwealth, state and territory governments have…
D.C. Denies Prostate Cancer Vaccine, Provenge: Dendreon (WA) Not FDA To Blame
Many in the prostate cancer community are still outraged over the FDA’s decision to deny approval for the immunotherapy drug Provenge. Some have even gone as far as to make threats against Howard I. Scher of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center…
National Breast Cancer Foundation Unveils Innovative Web Site For Survivors
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.(R) (NBCF) has launched an innovative new Web site, http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org, that inspires and educates, with the best online social network community available today for breast cancer patients, survivors and their families and friends. Since 1991 NBCF…
OraSure Donation Helps Project HOPE And Network Of Stigma-Free Services Launch An HIV Detection Campaign Using Rapid Oral Tests In Mexico City
The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and Project HOPE are the recipients of 2,000 HIV rapid detection test kits that will be distributed among members of a new stigma-free network of HIV/AIDS service providers in the Mexico City metropolitan area…
Junior Doctor Tells Of Job Application Despair, BMA News, UK
The junior doctor who heckled former secretary Patricia Hewitt on BBC1’s Question Time has told of his heartbreak over the failed recruitment process. London SHO in cardiology Philip Smith said his passionate and emotional heckling of Ms Hewitt last month…
Respiratory Ailments Leading Reasons Why ER Doctors Hospitalize Children And Teens, USA
About 3 of every 10 children and teens who are admitted to the hospital from the emergency room have asthma, pneumonia, acute bronchitis or another respiratory disorder, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research…
Clare Brown, Chief Executive Of Infertility Network UK Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Clare Brown, Chief Executive of the Infertility Network UK (I N UK) is to be presented with the World Fertility Awareness Month Lifetime Achievement Award at the occasion of the 23rd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction…
Food Safety Controls: Almost Half Of Rapid Alert System Notifications Concern Imports Rejected At EU Border
About 45% of notifications to the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) in 2006 concerned products from third countries which were blocked at the border by EU control authorities when the risks were identified. EU Health Commissioner…
General Optical Council – News From Council Meeting, 28 June 2007GOC Supports Early Move To Independent Adjudication Body
The General Optical Council recently gave its formal support to transferring responsibility for hearings to a new Independent Adjudication Body at the earliest opportunity. The new body will be set up as a result of recommendations in the Government’s White…
American Pharmacists Association Seeks Nominations For The Gloria Niemeyer Francke Leadership Mentor Award
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) announces that nominations are now being accepted for the Gloria Niemeyer Francke Leadership Mentor Award. The award will be presented at the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, California, March 14 – 17,…
Alcohol Related Hospital Admissions Doubled In Last 10 Years According To Latest Official Figures, UK
The latest compendium of figures issued recently by the independent provider of official health and social care statistics, the Information Centre (The IC) show how hospital admissions specifically related to alcohol consumption have more than doubled in the last 10…
BMA Granted Judicial Review Over GP Pensions,UK
The British Medical Association is taking the government to court to challenge the Secretary of State’s decision to cap the pensions of GPs. As the BMA met for its Annual Representatives Meeting (ARM) in Torquay, news came through that leave…
Streamlining The System For NHS Continuing Care, UK
Thousands of people in England are likely to receive more help towards their care costs, said Care Services Minister, Ivan Lewis, a few days ago. The new National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare, published recently, has been developed in close…
Rep. Serrano To Push For Removal Of Language That Prevents Washington, D.C., From Financing Needle-Exchange Programs
Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) said recently he will make it a priority to push for the removal of language from a Washington, D.C., appropriations bill that prevents the city from financing needle-exchange programs, the New York Times reports (Urbina, New…
Activity In Brain Synapses And Developmental Abnormalities Linked With Schizophrenia Gene
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) researchers have identified a function of neuregulin1 (NRG1), a gene previously linked to schizophrenia but whose role in the disease was unknown. “We found that when this gene or this pathway is impaired,” explained CSHL’s…
Wisconsin Joint Committee Approves Proposal To Expand Family Care To Additional Counties
The Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin Legislature on Thursday voted 15-1 to approve a proposal that would allocate $80.6 million over the next two years to fund an expansion of Family Care, a state program that provides long-term care…
HHS To Allocate $195M In Grants To Gulf Coast Clinics To Provide Primary Care To Uninsured Residents, Recruit Physicians
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Thursday said the department will allocate $195 million in a one-time round of grants to Gulf Coast health services, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. About $100 million of the grant money will go to clinics…
Mexico Supreme Court Accepts Petition To Review Mexico City Law Legalizing Abortion During First Three Months’ Gestation
The Mexico Supreme Court on Friday announced that it has accepted a petition, filed by the National Human Right’s Commission, to review the constitutionality of a Mexico City law that allows pregnant women to obtain an abortion during the first…
Choice And Motivation Means Success For Smokers Who Want To Quit
Smokers who have a say in how they quit are more likely to try kicking the habit and are more successful, according to new research at the University of Rochester. Rochester researcher Dr. Geoffrey Williams associate professor of medicine at…
U.S. Health Care System ‘Slowly Bankrupting Us,’ Opinion Piece States
“Let’s take a look at the health care news that’s transpired” in the past four weeks, Atul Gawande, a general surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a staff writer at the New Yorker, writes in a New York Times…
Medical Workers In Libyan HIV Infection Case Acquitted On Slander Charges
A Libyan court on Sunday acquitted of slander charges five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian doctor sentenced to death for allegedly intentionally infecting hundreds of Libyan children with HIV, the New York Times reports (Brunwasser, New York Times, 5/28). The…
CQ’s Carey Examines War Spending Bill With SCHIP Funding, House Measures To Expand Veterans Health Care, Medical Malpractice Legislation
Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, discusses SCHIP funds included in the fiscal year 2007 supplemental war appropriations bill, House approval of veterans’ health care legislation and the introduction of bicameral measures that would provide funds for states…
Nanotechnology Provides For A ‘Green’ Future
As products made with nanometer-scale materials and devices spread to more industries and markets, there is a growing opportunity and responsibility to leverage nanotechnology to reduce pollution, conserve resources and, ultimately, build a “clean” economy, advises a new report from…
California Governor Does Not Plan To Submit Health Care Proposal To Legislature Until Possibly Later This Session
Advisers to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) say his health care expansion proposal will not be introduced as legislation because they do not want it to be dissected in legislative hearings, the AP/Los Angeles Daily News reports. Instead, the administration…
Study Shows No Link Between Self-Weighing And Depression In Women
Frequent self-weighing is not associated with depression in women, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. A study being published in a recent issue of Preventive Medicine found no strong evidence linking frequent scale stepping…
Research Group Gets $7 Million To Pursue New Antibiotic Agents
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $7 million to a team of researchers from the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin to discover, engineer and produce a promising – yet little explored – class of antibiotic agents.…
Possible Therapy Target For Friedreich’s Ataxia
Friedreich’s ataxia is one of those diseases few have heard of unless you know someone with the condition. For that individual — usually a child or teenager — it is devastating. Symptoms are mild at first: muscle weakness in the…
Smoking Common During Pregnancy
While pregnancy may be considered an effective motivator for smoking cessation, results of a new study by researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health indicate that pregnant U.S. women commonly smoke, placing themselves and their unborn children at risk…
Washington Governor Expected To Sign Health Care Coverage Expansion Bill
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) is expected to sign a bill that would expand health insurance coverage and reduce health care costs in the state, the AP/Takoma News Tribune reports. The state House on Friday voted 63-35 to approve the…
Racial Disparities In Colorectal Cancer Survival Driven By Social Factors Not Genetics
Correcting social, economic and healthcare inequalities may have the most significant impact in reducing survival differences in colorectal cancer (CRC) between African Americans and Caucasians, according to a new study. Published in the June 1, 2007 issue of CANCER, a…
Incentives For Prescription Drug Tests In Children Should Continue, According To Op-Ed
“The question is not whether we should study the safety of drugs for children, but how we make that research happen,” and the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, which will expire this year, “has generated more clinical information for the…
Value Of Stent-coating Drugs Questioned
Patients admitted to the hospital with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are often treated with a catheter-based procedure known as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), during which a stent is inserted into an occluded or narrowed coronary artery to restore blood flow…
Pediatricians Raise Concerns About Childhood Immunization Cost
The New York Times on Saturday examined the “soaring cost and rising number of new vaccines” for children, a problem that pediatricians maintain will “make it increasingly difficult … to buy the shots they give their patients.” The cost of…
Drug Does Not Reduce Risk Of Death For Heart Attack Patients With Refractory Shock
The medication tilarginine, a drug that was believed could be beneficial for patients who develop cardiogenic shock (low blood pressure due to impaired cardiac function) after a heart attack, did not reduce the risk of death up to six months…
MRI Scan Improves Detection Rate Of Breast Cancer In Second Breast New Study Says
MRI scans can vastly improve detection rates of breast cancer in the other breast for women who have been recently diagnosed with it in the first breast, a new Canadian and US study suggests. Following the study the American Cancer…
Drug-Eluting And Bare-Metal Stents Equal In Risk Of Blood Clots, Heart Attacks And Death
Although the use of stents to treat coronary artery disease has soared during the past decade thanks to novel equipment and new implant techniques, clinical data has recently raised concerns around the safety of drug-eluting stents (DES) and their risk…
Zinc Found To Be A Link In Age-Related Macular Degeneration
An international research team including scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and the Galveston-based spinoff Neurobiotex, Inc. has found high levels of zinc in deposits in the eye that are an indication of age-related macular…
Inhibiting Blood To Save The Brain
A fibrous protein called fibrinogen, found in circulating blood and important in blood clotting, can promote multiple sclerosis (MS) when it leaks from the blood into the brain, triggering inflammation that leads to MS-related nerve damage. Researchers at the University…
Life Cycle Assessment Essential To Nanotech Commercial Development
Life cycle assessment (LCA) – a cradle-to-grave look at the health and environmental impact of a material, chemical, or product – is an essential tool for ensuring the safe, responsible, and sustainable commercialization of nanotechnology, U.S. and European experts conclude…
Pfizer’s Sutent Receives FDA Approval To Include New First-Line Advanced Kidney Cancer Data In Label
Pfizer Inc said today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved new labeling of Sutent(R) (sunitinib malate) which includes first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a type of advanced kidney cancer, based on results of…
Advanced BioHealing Enrolls First Patient In Celaderm(TM) Pilot Venous Leg Ulcer Clinical Trial
Advanced BioHealing, Inc. (ABH) announced today that it has enrolled the first patient in its initial Celaderm(TM) pilot study. The study, whose primary purpose is to evaluate the safety of Celaderm in humans, will also assess the potential for Celaderm…
Prevalence Of Overactive Bladder Is Overestimated
According to the International Continence Society, overactive bladder is a symptom-defined condition characterized by urinary urgency, with or without urgency incontinence, usually with urinary frequency and nocturia (night-time urination). The term overactive bladder is appropriate if there is no proven…
Statin Therapy Associated With Regression Of Coronary Atherosclerosis With Key Lipid Level Changes
An analysis of data from four clinical trials suggests that statin therapy is associated with regression of coronary atherosclerosis when low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C or “bad” cholesterol) is substantially reduced and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C or “good” cholesterol) is increased,…
Senate Finance Committee Leaders ‘Stop Short’ Of Endorsing Norwalk As Permanent CMS Administrator
The leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, which would conduct confirmation hearings on nominations for a permanent CMS administrator, on Tuesday “stopped short” of endorsing acting agency administrator Leslie Norwalk for the position, CQ HealthBeat reports. Committee Chair Max Baucus…
EPG Patient Direct – A Portal Enabling The Millions Of Patients Seeking Knowledge And Information About Personal Care And Health
IMR International Limited, developers of e-communication and clinical information solutions, today announced that it will launch EPG Patient Direct in June 2007. The service, designed specifically for public and patient use, will provide visitors with access to a vast range…
Wal-Mart, SEIU, Others To Launch Campaign Seeking Universal Health Coverage, Shared Responsibility
Wal-Mart Stores and the Service Employees International Union on Wednesday in a joint news conference will announce “a major new campaign with a focus on health care,” according to a news release issued Tuesday, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (AP/Houston Chronicle,…
Recommendations For Diagnosis And Management Of Venous Thromboembolism
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and American College of Physicians (ACP) has released new clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Key elements of the diagnosis guideline include the use of clinical prediction…
Physicians Worry Poor Breast Cancer Drug Compliance Could Lead To Recurrence, Reduced Chance Of Survival, Los Angeles Times Reports
Some physicians are concerned by recent research that showed as many as one-third of women taking breast cancer drugs developed in the past 10 years do not complete their recommended five-year course, which could lead to a recurrence of the…
Editorials, Opinion Pieces Address Bill To Require HHS Secretary To Negotiate Medicare Prescription Drug Prices
Several recent editorials and opinion pieces addressed entitlement spending, including a bill passed last week by the House that would require the HHS secretary to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies on prices for medications under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.…
Mayo Clinic Research Shows 35 Percent Of 49 Young People Who Died Suddenly And Inexplicably Had Genetic Heart Defects
In 49 young people who died suddenly and inexplicably at an average age of 14, conventional autopsies found no cause of death. But when Mayo Clinic researchers conducted a sophisticated form of postmortem genetic testing — known as a molecular…
World’s First Users Meeting On Endoluminal Surgery Unites Leading Digestive Surgeons And Gastroenterologists Throughout Europe
EndoGastric Solutions, Inc. (EGS), the world leader in endoluminal intragastric surgery, announces that over 120 surgeons and gastroenterologists from more than 50 hospitals across Europe came together to discuss the evolution of incisionless transoral digestive surgery for the treatment of…
FDA Approves NovoLog(R) Category Change For Use In Pregnant Women With Type 1 Diabetes
Novo Nordisk announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved NovoLog(R) (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) for pregnancy Category B rating, further validating NovoLog(R) as a safe and effective treatment for pregnant women with Type…
Imaging Technique Is Highly Accurate In Diagnosing, Locating Pancreas Defects In Newborns
The noninvasive imaging technology called positron-emission tomography (PET scan) is extremely accurate in diagnosing a type of congenital hyperinsulinism (HI), a rare but severe imbalance of insulin levels in newborns. When that disease is confined to a limited section of…
Computer Factory Workers At Increased Risk Of Cancer, Large Study Shows
Workers at computer factories are at increased risk of dying of cancer. The largest study of its kind published 18 Oct. 2006 in the open access journal Environmental Health (http://www.ehjournal.net/ looks at over 30,000 deaths of workers who had been…
CIMZIATM (Certolizumab Pegol) Maintained Response And Remission In Crohn’s Patients Previously Treated With Infliximab
New data from a post hoc analysis of the PRECiSE clinical trial program demonstrated that the anti-TNF CIMZIATM (certolizumab pegol) maintained response and remission in patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease, regardless of whether or not they had been…
Cancer Survivors Recognized For Helping Philadelphia-Area Patients
The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) has named Rita Davis-Goldsberry of Newark, Del., as the 2006 Survivor Circle Award Winner and Barbara Knight-Meyers, Ph.D., as the 2006 Distinguished Honoree. Ms. Davis-Goldsberry will be presented with her award…
Survey Rates Hospital Safety, NEJM Examines Trend To Seek Medical Care Abroad
* “Leapfrog Hospital Quality and Safety Survey,” The Leapfrog Group: The survey evaluated 1,200 hospitals nationwide to determine the state of health care quality and safety in U.S. hospitals. Using the survey results, Leapfrog named 59 participating hospitals to the…
Cypher® Sirolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent Outperformed Taxus Stent In Long Coronary Lesions, New Trial
Results from a multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial indicate that the CYPHER® Stent performed better than the Taxus Stent in procedures involving long coronary lesions, which are considered some of the most complex blockages to treat with balloon angioplasty. The…
National Kidney Foundation Distributes Unique Survivor’s Kit For Katrina Survivors
The devastation unleashed by Hurricane Katrina caused the death of nearly 2,000 people in the Gulf area, and reminders of the disaster are widespread. For survivors of the storm, the mental and emotional costs continue to exact a toll. Now…
Leptin Has Powerful Effect On Reward Center In The Brain
Leptin, a hormone critical for normal food intake and metabolism, exerts a strong effect on appetite by acting in the mid-brain region as well as in the hypothalamus, according to a Yale School of Medicine study in Neuron. “Finding that…
The Thermo-expandable Metallic Stent For Managing Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Systematic Review
The surgical management of LUTS or urinary retention secondary to BPH is not without risks, especially in the older patient or those with significant co-morbidities. The urethral stent was developed for these patients as an alternative to long-term urethral or…
Women Given Liver Transplants Outlive Male Recipients By Around 4 Years
Female liver transplant recipients outlive men given the same procedure by an average of 4.5 years, suggests research published ahead of print in Gut. And while younger people tend to live longest of all, they also stand to lose more…
Risk Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Increased by Restricted Fetal Growth
Babies weighing less than the standard weight seem to be at significantly greater risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, suggests research published ahead of print in the journal Gut. The Norwegian authors base their findings on 3334 twin…
AACR CEO Margaret Foti Receives Cancer Service Award
American Association for Cancer Research Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.) will receive the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Distinguished Service Award for her outstanding contributions to progress in cancer research. The award will be presented during…
Unprecedented Cross Institute Collaboration On Behalf Of Patients With Tourette Syndrome
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is an often disabling hereditary condition characterized by motor and phonic tics that today affects approximately 200,000 children and adults in the U.S. and Canada. In a meeting jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders…
Human Genome Sciences Reports Positive Results Of Phase 1 Clinical Trial Of CCR5 MAb In Patients Infected With HIV-1
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) today announced that the results of a Phase 1 clinical trial of HGS004 (CCR5 mAb) demonstrate that it was well tolerated and exhibited antiviral activity in patients who are infected with HIV-1, the retrovirus…
Heart Disease Patients Have Arteries 40 Years Older Than Their Real Age
Scientists from Cambridge University, UK, have found that people with advanced heart disease have arteries with the DNA damage of people 40 years older. In other words, the arteries of a patient with advanced heart disease are biologically 40 years…
Health Care Proxy Selections Often Unexpected, Study Finds
The selection of a designated health care “proxy” often is unexpected, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the Detroit Free Press reports. A proxy, or “durable power of attorney for…
American College Of Physicians Expresses Support For Executive Order On Health Care Transparency
The American College of Physicians (ACP) today expressed its support for the goals of the executive order signed by President Bush, noting that the ACP has provided the White House with detailed recommendations on introducing transparency in health care decision-making…
University Of Manchester Researchers Say HIV Drug Could Be Used To Prevent Cervical Cancer
Researchers at the University of Manchester are developing a topical treatment against the human papilloma virus (HPV) which is responsible for pre-cancerous and cancerous disease of the cervix as well as other genital malignancies. In the UK many thousands of…
Some Sex Workers In Kenya Might Carry Gene That Protects Them From HIV, Study Finds
Some commercial sex workers in Kenya who apparently are immune to HIV might be carrying a gene that protects them from contracting the virus, according to a study presented last week at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, the…
Kenyan Parliament To Debate Changes In Patent Law, Could Decrease Generic Drug Access, Advocates, Officials Say
Kenya’s Parliament on Thursday is scheduled to debate proposed amendments to its patent law, some of which are opposed by some HIV/AIDS advocates because they say the amendments could decrease access to antiretroviral drugs, Reuters South Africa reports (Kanina, Reuters…
Conservative Democratic Lawmakers Seek To Block Pennsylvania Funding For Embryonic Stem Cell Research
A group of self-described “pro-life Democrats” in Pennsylvania convened a hearing on Tuesday to rally efforts to block state funding for embryonic stem cell research, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. According to the Inquirer, Democrat-sponsored state legislation that would finance stem…
In The Interests Of Patients, Roche Will Consider All Options Following CHMP Opinion On Tarceva In Pancreatic Cancer
Roche announced today that its cancer medicine Tarceva (erlotinib) has received a negative opinion from the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for use in combination with gemcitabine chemotherapy for the first line treatment of advanced pancreatic…
Psychosocial Stimulation In Early Childhood Helps Stunted Children
Psychosocial stimulation in early childhood has long term benefits for stunted children’s emotional outcomes and attention, finds a sixteen-year study published on bmj.com today. Growth retardation or stunting affects 30% of children under 5 years globally and is associated with…
“Price Transparency” Provision Removed From House Health Care Information Technology Bill
House leaders on Wednesday removed a provision that would have required hospitals to make public some price information from a health care information technology bill (HR 4157), CQ Today reports (Crowley, CQ Today, 7/26). The legislation, sponsored by Reps. Nancy…
New Molecular Approach To Early Cancer Detection Developed By Scientist
Scientists have pioneered a new approach to detecting cancer cells, one that could eventually allow doctors to discover many malignancies earlier than currently possible. The scientists at the University of Florida have successfully tested the technique to find leukemia cells…
Society For Urodynamics And Female Urology Meeting
UroToday.com – The annual Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology meeting was held on Saturday May 20 at the Omni Hotel adjacent to the Georgia World Congress Center. The theme of the 3 hour meeting was “The Urethra” with the…
Former Memphis Resident Needs Life-Saving Double Lung Transplant
Pam Miles, a public relations executive who lived in Memphis for 13 years, has Cystic Fibrosis and must undergo a complete lung transplant within the next six months in order to live. A corps of volunteers, led by members of…
Major Grant To IU School Of Medicine Will Expand HIV/AIDS Programs In Kenya
The Indiana University School of Medicine has been awarded a $8.9 million federal grant to expand its highly regarded HIV/AIDS programs in Kenya, tripling the number of patients who will be receiving anti-retroviral drug treatments. The grant, from the President’s…
The Surrey Ion Beam Centre In Collaboration With The Gray Cancer Institute To Build The World’s First Vertical Nanobeam To Enable Cancer Care To Be In
The University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre (IBC) in collaboration with the Gray Cancer Institute is working on a £1.2M project which is underpinned by a prestigious grant of £800k from the Wolfson Foundation. The funding will be used to…
Opening Of Tayside Children’s Hospital
The £10 million Tayside Children’s Hospital at Ninewells in Dundee was formally opened on Wednesday June 7th by TV and radio personality Fred MacAulay. Fred, a former Rector of the University of Dundee, was involved in the fundraising campaign to…
California To Delay Enforcement Of Federal Rule Requiring Proof Of Citizenship For Medicaid Eligibility
California health officials on Tuesday said they are postponing the enforcement of a new federal law that will require Medicaid enrollees and applicants to show proof of U.S. citizenship, the Los Angeles Times reports (Lin, Los Angeles Times, 6/7). Under…
Spending On Specialty Drugs On The Rise, Expected To Double By 2009, Express Scripts Says
Spending on specialty drugs — a category that includes many biotech treatments for chronic conditions — increased 17.5% in 2005, while spending on traditional medications increased 10%, according to a study released on Wednesday by Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit…
MUHC Announces A Transplant First In Quebec
Doctors at the MUHC have announced Quebec’s first successful combined heart/liver transplant. The patient, Patrice Dionne, age 54 years, was transferred from the Institut de cardiologie de Quebec (l’hopital Laval) to the MUHC. The patient received his new heart and…
Tufts Senior VP Appointed By Romney Administration To Head Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, USA
As expected, Jon Kingsdale, a senior vice president of policy development at Tufts Health Plan was appointed by the Romney administration as head of the Common Health Insurance Connector Authority, the Boston Globe reports (Krasner, Boston Globe, 5/26). Under the…
High-Deductible Health Plans Growing In Popularity Among Large Companies, USA
The Detroit Free Press on Tuesday examined health savings accounts and how many automakers and other large U.S. companies are offering employees the option of high-deductible health plans with HSAs. According to America’s Health Insurance Plans, 3.2 million U.S. employees…