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Mabthera(R) (Rituximab) Available On NHS For UK's Most Common Leukaemia
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today issued its recommendation for the use of MabThera® (rituximab) in the UK"s most common form of leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL).1,2,3 NICE"s final guidance recommends rituximab in combination with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC) chemotherapy as an option for previously untreated patients with CLL.4 The addition of rituximab to FC chemotherapy has been proven to halt progression of the disease by 10.5 months longer than chemotherapy alone, and more than doubles the number of CLL patients achieving complete remission, compared to chemotherapy.5,6 More than 20,000 people in the UK are living with CLL and there are an estimated 3,700 new cases every year.7,8 Professor John Gribben, Consultant Haematologist and Medical Oncologist, Barts and The London NHS Trust, commented:

Medicare Revamps Competitive Bidding Program
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.
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Study Finds Association Between Sudden Death And Stimulant Medications Among Children And Adolescents
Researchers found support for an association between the use of stimulants and sudden unexplained death among children and adolescents, according to a study released today by The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Medical Devices

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Targets Hospitals Needing Cord Blood Storage

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc. (OTCBB:BMSN), a San Diego-based biotechnology company, announced today the launch of a national marketing program aimed at hospitals in need of storing umbilical cord blood specimens for future transplantation. The firm"s state-of-the-art 15,000 square foot cryogenic banking and processing facility serves a niche in the "storage" of adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood of patient donors" specimens. "As scientists are discovering the power of cord blood stem cells for transplantation, hospitals are housing new registries of public cord blood donation centers and are in need of specimen storage capabilities that meet rigid state and federal regulatory requirements. Stem cell treatments from umbilical cord blood are one of the fastest growing therapy groups, and proven clinically effective for treating cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma; various blood disorders, such as sickle-cell anemia; and severe immune system disorders," said David Koos, Chairman and CEO of BMSN. "BMSN is focused on bringing the life-saving potential of stem cells to patients who desperately require a donor match. Industry figures show that approximately 8,000 to 10,000 people die each year who could have been transplanted, or considered for a transplant," said Koos. Increasingly at hospitals, parents may choose to donate for free their newborn"s umbilical cord blood, which would otherwise be thrown away as medical waste. Cord blood is naturally rich in blood-producing cells, which can be used as an alternative to bone marrow stem cells, which are harder to extract for transplantation and the donor match must be exact. BMSN"s national marketing efforts to hospitals will showcase the facility that opened last year through a variety of vehicles, such as tours and Web casts with the company"s Scientific Advisory Board, so administrators can learn first-hand about the facility"s unique features: two secure cryogenic stem cell banks, three research laboratories, asceptic cellular/tissue class 10,000/100 processing lab, hematology, microbiology and flow cytometry laboratories. Bio-Matrix Scientific Group, Inc.


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