Public Health
Celladon Corporation presented today Phase 1 data from the Calcium Up-Regulation by Percutaneous Administration of Gene Therapy in Cardiac Disease (CUPID), a First-in-Human Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial, in a scientific symposium at the 12th Annual American Society of Gene Therapy Meeting.
Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PARD), a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative oncology therapies, today announced updated clinical data from its randomized, controlled Phase 2 trial of picoplatin in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The new data demonstrated that picoplatin, given once every four weeks in combination with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in the FOLPI regimen, and oxaliplatin, given in combination with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in the modified FOLFOX-6 regimen, have similar anti-tumor activity in the treatment of first-line metastatic CRC, as assessed by progression-free survival (PFS) and disease control measured by tumor response rate. New data derived by three independent assessments of neurotoxicity indicated a statistically significant reduction in neurotoxicities with the use of picoplatin in FOLPI compared with oxaliplatin in FOLFOX (pPhase 2 CRC Trial Design and Updated Results
Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (Euronext: AMT), a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced that the European Medicines Agency has granted Orphan Drug Designation to AMT"s gene therapy product AMT-021 for the treatment of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP).
In this week÷´s edition of The Lancet, the chief editorial makes a crucial request for the establishment of a National Child Protection Commission in the UK. This urgent petition is subsequent to three conflicting decisions "made a mockery of child protection in the UK and Ireland by further adding to the confusion around how best to protect vulnerable children".
Cult skincare brand SKIN.NY(R) have issued legal proceedings against
Millions of Baby Boomers are struggling to care for their aging parents. Many don"t know where to turn or even what their options are in making important decisions about senior care facilities for their parents.
After roughly a month of emergency response to the new H1N1 swine flu virus, US health authorities are taking stock, re-focusing and re-
QIAGEN (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) announced that it has entered into an agreement to supply molecular sample and assay technologies for a new national, PCR-based blood screening program for HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Brazil. QIAGEN will provide Bio-Manguinhos, the main provider of vaccines and diagnostics to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, with a significant volume of molecular testing solutions - sample and assay technologies, related instrumentation, operational know-how and training. Following the approval by the Brazilian patent authorities, the agreement will run for five years and contains options for subsequent extensions.
Several newspapers recently published editorials on President Obama"s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Summaries appear below.~ Boston Globe: "Some liberal activists hoped that Obama would seek a firebrand to counter [Supreme Court Justice] Antonin Scalia, the darling of the right," but "Sotomayor has made her reputation not on hot-button social issues but on matters ranging from environmental regulation to the baseball business," a Globe editorial states. It adds that while Sotomayor "presumably shares Obama"s support for abortion rights, she upheld the Bush administration"s restrictions on family-planning activities" by international groups that received U.S. funding. Now, "conservative groups have seized upon an offhand remark in 2005" when she described the "federal appeals courts as the place "where policy is made" ... as evidence that Sotomayor would legislate from the bench," the editorial states, adding. "The attack is disingenuous." The editorial concludes, "Short of any unexpected revelations about her record or her philosophy, though, the Senate should confirm Sonia Sotomayor," adding that in addition to her "intriguing" personal background she "also has the experience to make an excellent Supreme Court Justice" (Boston Globe, 5/27).~ Chicago Tribune: Sotomayor "has to bring more than diversity to the court," a Tribune editorial states, adding that the "evidence so far suggests that she is up to the job." One "would expect a nominee chosen by Obama to be on the liberal side of the judicial spectrum," but some of her rulings "suggest otherwise," according to the editorial. While Sotomayor "has stressed that the "duty of a judge is to follow the law, not to question its plain terms,"" on the bench, "she ruled against an abortion-rights group challenging" the Bush administration"s "global gag rule," the editorial notes, among other rulings that "could be characterized as "conservative decisions"." However, "the point is not that she"s a closet conservative -- it"s that ideology didn"t seem to determine her decisions," according to the editorial. The "Senate has a responsibility to undertake a thorough examination of her record and her thinking," the editorial states, concluding, "But for now, it looks as though her critics have a tough task ahead of them" (Chicago Tribune, 5/27).~ Los Angeles Times: "Sotomayor doesn"t possess the political experience that would be brought to the court"s cloistered chambers by Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) or Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano," but "she satisfies Obama"s other criteria: experience, erudition and, as he put it, "a common touch and a sense of compassion, an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live,"" a Times editorial states. Sotomayor"s "experiences as a Latina raised in a housing project who went on to excel at Princeton and Yale don"t in themselves qualify her for the court," but these facts do "complement her sterling credentials and equip her with perspectives that could illuminate legal issues that come before her," the editorial continues. Senate Republicans "should accord her the same respect [they] demanded for Bush"s nominees and end the tiresome tit-for-tat that has cheapened the confirmation of federal judges and deprived the bench of some of the nation"s most capable legal minds," the editorial concludes (Los Angeles Times, 5/27).~ Philadelphia Inquirer: "Sotomayor would bring to the court a diversity it has lacked for most of its history," an Inquirer editorial states. Although "[c]onservatives want to make an issue out of President Obama"s search for "empathy" in a nominee" and "criticize Sotomayor for a speech in 2001 in which she said that being a woman of color affects her decisions," neither comment "is sinister nor shocking," according to the editorial. It concludes, "The Senate has a duty to examine Sotomayor"s qualifications rigorously and fairly. But she appears to have the experience and the
While Partners in Health co-founder Paul Farmer is still being considered for a senior role in the Obama administration, Farmer has been appointed chair of Harvard Medical School"s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine -- Jeffrey Flier, the medical school"s dean, said on Wednesday -- the Boston Globe reports. Flier said that Farmer will take a leave of absence from the medical school if he is offered a position with the administration. For now, Farmer is slated to succeed the current chair, Jim Kim, on July 1 (Smith, Boston Globe, 5/28). Foreign Policy"s "The Cable" reports that Farmer is "under consideration to head" USAID or "serve in a top administration international assistance post that would encompass it." An unnamed "international health activist" said that Farmer might be appointed USAID administrator "as an interim thing" and that he might go on to lead a new position focused on "global health in the process of foreign assistance reform over the coming year." Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is organizing efforts to reform the Foreign Assistance Act later this year. The act was originally written in 1961 (Rozen, "The Cable," Foreign Policy, 5/26).On Tuesday, Jack Lew, Deputy Secretary Of State for Management and Res, said that the government is considering ways to significantly improve coordination of various agencies that work with global health assistance. "We"re open to creative ideas about how to bring appropriate res to bear," Lew said, adding, "When we look at public-private partnerships and recruiting, we"re looking at how to cast the broadest net to bring in the right talent and commitment to address the challenge" (Boston Globe, 5/28). Partners in Health said it is pleased that Farmer is being considered along with other strong candidates. Wendy Sherman, an advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Aaron Williams, a former USAID official who is now with RTI International, are among some of the "[p]reviously rumored contenders for the USAID administrator job," according to "The Cable." Last week, Farmer had a meeting with Clinton, Partners in Health said. Andrew Marx, a spokesman for the group, said that one of the reasons why people are "excited about the idea of Paul is that he and Partners in Health in the past have been quite prepared to challenge the accepted wisdom." According to Marx, Farmer did not buy into the conventional approach to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in the 1990s, when WHO"s official policy was not to treat people who were diagnosed with the disease because it was complicated and the costs were high. When asked if Farmer would be interested in a USAID administrator position that has strong democracy and governance components, Marx said, "Good governance and democracy are important to us," adding that the group"s work focuses on building up countries" public health systems rather than creating independent health clinics. David Bryden, senior program policy officer for the Center for Global Health Policy, said, "There are many exciting things about Paul Farmer." According to Bryden, Farmer "has been a person with a very practical mindset, he knows how to get the job done, put aside conventional wisdom when it"s wrong. ... It"s really exciting" ("The Cable," Foreign Policy, 5/26).
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).
"Origins and Strategies for Addressing Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Pharmaceutical Therapy: The Health-Care System, the Provider, and the Patient," National Minority Quality Forum: The report -- by Richard Levy, a health care consultant and former vice president of the National Pharmaceutical Council; Robert Like, professor and director of the Center for Healthy Families and Cultural Diversity of the UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; and Harry Shabsin, a private-practice psychologist -- looks at how appropriate medications for a variety of diseases often are under-prescribed, over-prescribed, or mis-prescribed among minorities. The report looks at disparities in treatment of minority patients with cardiovascular disease, asthma, psychiatric illness, pain and other conditions and finds disparities in access to medications through insurance programs, in the prescribing of medications and in adherence to medication regimens. The report offers ways to improve prescribing and use of medications among diverse communities (National Minority Quality Forum release, 5/12).
- 0 confirmed cases in Wales.
Psychiatrist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist John, Lord Alderdice will apply a psychoanalytic perspective to the issues of fundamentalism, radicalization and terrorism at a lecture to be held at the Institute of Psychoanalysis on Friday 12 June 2009, 7.00pm.
As many as 700,000 people in the UK suffer from a heart abnormality
HRA Pharma, a privately-held,
At a time when breast augmentation tops the list for U.S. cosmetic surgical procedures, women are still left choosing between either the safety of saline or the natural result of silicone gel. Plastic surgeons are now looking to offer the best features of both in the revolutionary new technology of the IDEAL IMPLANT® Saline-filled Breast Implant. A clinical trial is launching this month in select markets nationwide, giving some women the opportunity to be among the first to have this new implant.
The New England School of Acupuncture announces the launch of its Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certification Program (SMAC) beginning in September 2009. This unique program teaches both Eastern and Western methods of orthopedic medicine, giving students a fully integrated, one-of-a-kind education in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western orthopedics.
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.
Frequent air travelers, as well as people who fly only occasionally, are often inconvenienced by the effects of jet lag, according to research presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine"s 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle. Christopher Berger, Ph.D., Chair of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Task Force on Healthy Air Travel, "Exercise is Medicine™ On the Fly," explains that jet lag, medically called desynchronosis, is the physiological response to alterations to circadian rhythms.
Although a large number of children"s hospitals have developed or are developing policies regarding organ donation after cardiac death, there is considerable variation among policies, including the criteria for declaring death, according to a study in the May 13 issue of JAMA.
Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential new alternative to aspirin, ReoPro, and other anti-platelet agents used widely to prevent blood clots in coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke. Their study, scheduled for the June 23 issue of ACS Nano, a monthly journal, involves particles of silver - 1/50,000th the diameter of a human hair - that are injected into the bloodstream.
Sleep disturbances increase as we age. Some studies report more than half of seniors 65 years of age or older suffer from chronic sleep disturbances. Researchers have long believed that the sleep disturbances common among the elderly often result from a disruption of the body"s circadian rhythms - biological cycles that repeat approximately every 24 hours.
The vast majority of advanced colon cancer patients in a clinical trial were not concerned about the cost of prescription drugs for managing chemotherapy side effects, such as infection, pain and nausea and few adopted strategies to reduce drug cost burdens after joining the clinical trial, according to a study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Although few patients reported substantial worry about drug costs, still fewer reported discussing drug cost issues with their physicians, suggesting there are opportunities for improving how physicians integrate discussions about drug costs into clinical practice.
Genomic Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GHDX) today announced results from a study which summarized the gene signatures identified by the Oncotype DX(R) breast cancer test in a large number of male patients for whom the test was used to guide treatment with chemotherapy. The results, which will be presented in a poster presentation on Monday, June 1 (1:00 - 5:00 p.m. ET) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Orlando, demonstrated that breast cancer in men displays similar gene signatures to female breast cancer.
Not yet convinced about keeping your healthy teeth, here"s another reason.
Today, acute heart failure represents the most common reason for hospitalisation in the over-65 population. Although hospital care improves symptoms in the first 24 hours after admission in around 50% of these patients, acute heart failure events still remain associated with a more than 50% mortality and rehospitalisation rate at 6-12 months. "Indeed," says Professor Marco Metra from the Cardiology Department of the University of Brescia, Italy, "it is the very rapid onset of symptoms and the need for urgent therapy which characterise the condition."1,2
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.
For years, doctors and other health-care providers have managed pregnant patients according to guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). In 1986, ACOG stated, "Regardless of how much women weigh before they become pregnant, gaining between 26-35 pounds during pregnancy can improve the outcome of pregnancy and reduce their chances of having the pregnancy end in fetal death." Until its revised guidelines were released yesterday, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) had recommended that overweight women should gain about 15 pounds during pregnancy.
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).
Botswana"s campaign to circumcise about 500,000 men by 2012 will prevent nearly 70,000 new HIV cases by 2025, according to a report published Thursday in the Journal of the International AIDS Society, AFP/Yahoo! News reports. The government"s national campaign aims to circumcise 460,000 men over the next five years, and the country has begun airing television and radio advertisements to encourage men to be circumcised at local clinics. "Scaling up safe male circumcision has the potential to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in Botswana significantly," according to the study. The report puts the estimated cost of the circumcision campaign at about $47 million. A UNAIDS report estimates that the HIV prevalence among pregnant women in Botswana was 43% in 2003, the year that antiretroviral drug access was introduced in the country (AFP/Yahoo! News, 5/28).
Certain human immune cells known as macrophages are composed of hybrid HIV strains that elude treatment and antiretroviral drugs, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Florida and other institutions, the Gainesville Sun reports. For the study, researchers examined tissue from HIV-positive people and discovered that as much as half of the macrophages present were hybrids, made from genetic material from several HIV viruses that when combined formed new HIV strains. Marco Salemi -- assistant professor of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine at the University of Florida"s College of Medicine -- said that macrophages likely make HIV more aggressive over time, adding, "If we want to eradicate HIV, we need to find a way to actually target the virus specifically infecting the macrophages." According to the Sun, current research and treatment target T-cells, and although antiretrovirals are effective at blocking infection from new cells and lowering viral loads, they are unable to reduce the viral level in an HIV-positive person to zero. The Sun notes that macrophages can be targeted by HIV multiple times, and once they are infected, they can live for months, unlike T-cells. The team of researchers, led by Michael McGrath of the University of California - San Francisco, is developing macrophage-targeting drugs through a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, the Sun reports (Chun, Gainesville Sun, 5/28).
Hispanics in Massachusetts are less likely than whites to have visited a physician in the last year, according to a survey that was funded by the Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Springfield Republican reports. The survey also found that Hispanics were about twice as likely as whites to visit an emergency department for a nonemergency condition. The survey, which was conducted last fall, included 4,041 adults ages 18 to 64 in Massachusetts. Overall, the survey found that people living in western Massachusetts had more difficulty accessing health services than people living in other areas of the state, in part because of a shortage of primary care physicians. While the survey found that nearly all state residents have health insurance, more than 25% of residents in four western counties reported that providers either would not accept their insurance or were not accepting new patients. The survey did not find significant differences across the state in the ability of residents to pay medical bills. In addition, the survey did not find any evidence that health care costs are more of a burden to Hispanics and blacks than to whites (McAuliffe, Springfield Republican, 5/28).
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) recently published a concise reference on 25 common self-treatable conditions. The Practitioner"s Quick Reference to Nonprescription Drugs contains information from the new, comprehensive 16th edition of the Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs: An Interactive Approach to Self-Care, but it includes only the content that practitioners are most likely to need during self-care consultations with patients.
The reason deadly infections like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C never go away is because these viruses disarm the body"s defense system. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered that a key immunity protein must be present for this defense system to have a chance against chronic infection.
The NPA is asking its members to utilise the new NPA IT forums website to comment on the criteria that should be used to demonstrate that EPS is operationally functional ahead of national roll-out. The NPA believes that EPS must work technically, be business and operationally functional, improve service delivery at pharmacies, and is safe for patients, before full roll-out can be contemplated. The website, http://itforums.npa.co.uk, provides an opportunity for members throughout the UK to voice their opinions on the IT programmes affecting their country or on general IT topics which affect all nations.
Cook Medical has agreed to become the exclusive sponsor of the American Urological Association"s global exchange programme. Details of exchange sponsorship were announced at a press conference during the AUA annual meeting in Chicago. Jerry French, senior vice president and strategic business leader for Cook Medical"s urology division was joined by Dr. Joel Nelson, chair of the AUA/EAU Academic Fellowship Selection Committee and Dr. Ziya Kirkali, a past exchange participant from Turkey and upcoming chair of the AUA International Member Committee.
Sodexo (PARIS:SW) (OTCBB:SDXAY) received two awards at the inaugural Professional Training Evening held May 25 in Paris: the "Best Training Strategy" award and the Favorites Award for "Successful vocational rehabilitation." The culmination of a 75-company competition, the event was organized jointly by France"s National Association of Human Res Directors (ANDRH), Professional Training Federation (FFP) and Association of Trainers and Training Managers (GARF).
With more than 500,000 deaths each year, colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of deaths from cancer worldwide. Yet, despite a lack of evidence from randomised trials, many countries have launched large-scale colonoscopy screening programmes for the general population.
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.
New research quantifies the precise effects of environmental pollutants and alcohol intake on gastrointestinal (GI) health. Both studies being presented this week during Digestive Disease Week® 2009 (DDW®) offer concrete evidence that the environment and alcohol intake can affect GI health and share important insights into new directions for future research. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
The Long Path to Diagnosis
Physicians who treat patients with multiple health problems will fare well under pay-for-performance, which bases physician reimbursement on the quality of care provided, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston in a report in the current issue of the journal Circulation.
Health professionals caring for patients with acute post-operative pain can improve pain management with a new drug use evaluation toolkit developed by the National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS).
About half of all people who have a major stroke following a warning stroke (a transient ischemic attack or mild stroke) have it within 24 hours of the first event, according to research published in the June 2, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The March of Washingtons - the first broad-based campaign to increase access
Several Republican senators in appearances on various talk shows on Sunday said that they do not expect the GOP to attempt a filibuster to block the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, although none ruled the idea out, the Washington Post reports. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) said that she does not think the "need for filibuster will be there unless we have not had a chance to look at the record fully," adding that the Senate "need[s] to look at the record fully" and in an "expeditious way." Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, on NBC"s "Meet the Press" said that Sotomayor"s 17-year career as a federal judge is "very strong in her favor" and "the kind of background you would look for" in a Supreme Court justice. However, Sessions added that he and other Republican senators are concerned over a remark Sotomayor made in 2001 at a conference on Hispanics in the judiciary. According to the Post, Sotomayor was discussing how her Puerto Rican heritage has influenced her role as a judge when she said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn"t lived that life." Sessions said the remark "goes against the heart of the great American heritage of an independent judge" (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). Judiciary Committee member John Cornyn (R-Texas), appearing on ABC"s "This Week," said that senators "need to know ... whether she"s going to be a justice for all of us or just a justice for a few of us" (Wallsten, Los Angeles Times, 6/1).Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) -- Sotomayor"s sponsor through the confirmation process -- said on "This Week" that she is "virtually filibuster-proof when people learn her record and her story." He added that Sotomayor is "legally excellent" and "not a far-left-wing judge" (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). White House Defends Sotomayor"s Comments White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that he thinks Sotomayor would "say that her word choice in 2001 was poor, that she was simply making the point that personal experiences are relevant to the process of judging." In an interview with NBC News that will air this week, President Obama also defended Sotomayor, saying that "if you look in the entire sweep of the essay that she wrote, what"s clear is that she was simply saying her life experiences will give her information about the struggles and hardships that people are going through" (Eggen/Kane, Washington Post, 5/30). Obama also stood by his decision to nominate Sotomayor in his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday. Obama said that he is "certain that she is the right choice" and that her record as a federal judge "makes clear that she is fair, unbiased and dedicated to the rule of law." While he said he expects "rigorous evaluation" of Sotomayor, Obama said his "hope is that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinkmanship that has bogged down this process, and Congress, in the past" (AP/USA Today, 6/1). First Meetings With Senators Expected This WeekAccording to the AP/Chicago Tribune, Sotomayor is scheduled to hold her first meetings with senators this week, beginning on Tuesday with Sessions and Democratic Sens. Harry Reid (Nev.) and Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (Vt.). Gibbs said a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnnell (R-Ky.) also is possible, adding that he is hopeful there will be other meetings scheduled throughout the week (AP/Chicago Tribune, 5/31).The Wall Street Journal reports that the formal Senate confirmation hearings are not expected to begin for several weeks. The White House would like the Senate to confirm Sotomayor before the August recess so she will be on the bench for the court"s next term, which begins in October. Although some GOP senators say this might not be enough time to fully examine her record, Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed, the Journal reports (Bendavid, Wall Street Journal, 6/1).
Gene therapy should be used in tandem with stem cell therapy to enhance the reliability of stem cells, provide an opportunity to limit adverse effects and increase treatment success, according to research presented at the American Society of Gene Therapy"s 12th Annual Meeting, May 30.
A new study uncovers a gene expression signature that reliably identifies cancer cells whose survival is dependent on a common signaling pathway, even when the cells contain multiple other genetic abnormalities. The research, published by Cell Press in the June 2nd issue of the journal Cancer Cell, identifies critical molecular vulnerabilities, thereby revealing promising therapeutic targets for a common and notoriously treatment resistant cancer.
The June issue of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, includes new insights on why some corneal transplants fail, why some patients skip their glaucoma medications, and why preventing infections after LASIK is a growing concern.
New research published in the June issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, shows most mental health settings in England have faced challenges in introducing smoke-free policies.
Every $1 invested in mobile healthcare for the medically disenfranchised saves $36 in combined emergency department costs avoided and value of life years saved. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Medicine suggest that "health vans" decrease both the incidence and economic burden of preventable diseases, for a net profit to the healthcare system.
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.
Oligophrenin-1, a Rho-GTPase-activating protein, stabilizes postsynaptic AMPA receptors
UPMC South Hills will host a free health fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, June 13, at 1300 Oxford Drive, just across from Village Square Mall in Bethel Park.
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
If having malodorous armpits (called osmidrosis) and goopy earwax isn"t bad enough, a discovery by Japanese scientists may add a more serious problem for women facing these cosmetic calamities. That"s because they"ve found that a gene responsible for breast cancer causes these physical symptoms. The report describing this finding is featured on the cover of The FASEB Journal"s June 2009 print issue, and should arm physicians with another clue for detecting breast cancer risk.
It turns out that from the perspective of cell biology, Nietzsche may have been right after all: that which does not kill us does make us stronger. In a review article published in the June 2009 print issue of The FASEB Journal, scientists from the Mayo Clinic explain how cell receptors (called "death receptors") used by the body to shut down old, diseased, or otherwise unwanted cells (called "apoptosis") may also be used to make cells heartier when facing a wide range of illnesses, from liver disease to cancer.
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.
In-growth and new generation of blood vessels, which must take place if a wound is to heal or a tumor is to grow, have been thought to occur through a branching and further growth of a vessel against a chemical gradient of growth factors. Now a research team at Uppsala University and its University Hospital has shown that mechanical forces are considerably more important than was previously thought. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, open up a new field for developing treatments.
The June issue of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, includes new insights on why some corneal transplants fail, why some patients skip their glaucoma medications, and why preventing infections after LASIK is a growing concern.
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIOP) announced today that it presented positive data from both a Phase Ib clinical trial and preclinical dosing studies of orally administered indibulin (ZybulinTM or ZIO-301), the Company"s novel tubulin binding agent, at the 45th Annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting held in Orlando, FL, May 29th to June 2nd.
A drug with potential to prevent epilepsy caused by a genetic condition may also help prevent more common forms of epilepsy caused by brain injury, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
The New York Times reports on a series of deep budget cuts to help California, which is some $24 billion in the red, deal with its" ongoing financial woes.
Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CGRB) announced that results from ongoing Phase II clinical trials of Cougar"s investigational drug CB7630 (abiraterone acetate) were presented at the 2009 ASCO Annual Meeting that is currently taking place in Orlando, Florida. The data were released today in three poster presentations. These presentations are further detailed below:
Pfizer Inc announced the discontinuation of the SUN 1094 Phase 3 study that evaluated SUTENT® (sunitinib malate) plus paclitaxel versus bevacizumab plus paclitaxel for the first line treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer. The independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) found that treatment with sunitinib in combination with paclitaxel would be unable to meet the primary endpoint of superior progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the combination of bevacizumab and paclitaxel. No new safety issues were identified.
Argos Therapeutics announced the presentation of new information on its soluble CD83 (sCD83) protein program in a poster session at the 2009 American Transplant Congress, held May 30-June 3 in Boston. The poster presentation, to be made on June 2 at 5:30pm by Argos" collaborating scientists from the University of Western Ontario, demonstrates that combination therapy with sCD83 can prolong kidney allograft survival in an animal model of transplantation, and that sCD83 attenuates pathological changes in kidney allografts, induces generation of T regulatory cells and inhibits dendritic cell maturation, all of which may contribute to immunosuppression and allograft tolerance.
Pakistan has obtained international support for its efforts to fight tuberculosis and lower infant and maternal mortality rates, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, the health minister, said recently after returning from the 62nd World Health Assembly (WHA), the International News reports.
Mike Tomlinson - husband of Jane Tomlinson CBE backs free and flexible carers programme.
Nigeria Releases 57M Polio Vaccines, Aims To Increase Vaccine Coverage
The Santa Maria Times examines how California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger"s (R) plan to reduce state spending by more than $5 billion over the next two fiscal years, which includes millions of dollars in funding cuts to HIV prevention, education and treatment programs, could affect county residents (Womack, Santa Maria Times, 5/31). According to the Times, hundreds of residents in Santa Barbara County -- including more than 100 AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) clients -- would potentially be affected by the funding cuts (Santa Maria Times, 5/31). The proposal also would result in $1.8 million in cuts to programs for low-income residents living with HIV in Riverside County, the Desert Sun reports (Brambila, Desert Sun, 5/29). The plan, issued by Schwarzenegger last week, includes $55.5 million in cuts to California"s ADAP and other state Office of AIDS programs (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 5/27).
A group of Senate Democrats will meet with President Obama today to discuss overhauling health care, The New York Times reports.
A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University researchers reports that amniotic fluid surrounding Down syndrome fetuses shows oxidative stress, a condition that could harm fetal cells and play a role in affected individuals. The results demonstrate secondary adverse consequences of Down syndrome and suggest potential prenatal therapies.
Two studies from AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) show that symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients treated with NEXIUM(R) (esomeprazole magnesium) 20 mg daily experienced greater relief from nighttime heartburn and GERD-related sleep disturbances compared with patients taking placebo over four weeks(1). NEXIUM 20 mg is indicated for the treatment of heartburn and other symptoms associated with GERD. NEXIUM, in a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), demonstrated efficacy in relieving moderate-to-severe nighttime heartburn and GERD-related sleep disturbances in two randomized, placebo-controlled trials(2). These findings were presented in three separate abstracts at Digestive Disease Week 2009 in Chicago.
CuraGen Corporation (Nasdaq: CRGN) reported three data presentations from its ongoing clinical trials of CR011-vcMMAE, an antibody-drug conjugate that targets GPNMB, in patients with advanced breast cancer and melanoma at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Florida.
- 0 confirmed cases in Wales.
A probable case of swine flu in Wales has been identified by microbiology testing.
Data from the ToGA study presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida showed that adding trastuzumab to standard chemotherapy (capecitabine [Xeloda®] or intravenous 5-FU and cisplatin) prolongs the lives of patients with this aggressive cancer on average by nearly 2.7 months to 13.8 months, a 26% increase in survival. Advanced gastric (stomach) cancer is associated with a poor prognosis; the median survival time after diagnosis is approximately 10 months with currently available therapies.[i]
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Friday appointed Cindy Mann, director of Georgetown University"s Center for Children and Families, to head the Center for Medicaid and State Operations, a division of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, BNA reports. Mann is a former director of the Family and Children"s Health Programs at CMSO from 1999 to 2001. Sebelius said Mann has been "instrumental in recent efforts to expand health care coverage in our country." She added that Mann"s "knowledge of health care issues and management experience will be a great asset to CMSO and to the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid" (BNA, 6/1).
If Judge Sonia Sotomayor is confirmed to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter, she would be the sixth Roman Catholic currently on the court, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, although Sotomayor was raised Catholic and attended a Catholic high school, she appears to be in line with the majority of U.S. Catholics who identify themselves with the faith but do not regularly go to Mass or become heavily involved in religious life. Several studies have shown that Catholics who rarely or never attend mass are more liberal on political and cultural issues than those who attend more regularly, the Times reports. For example, a Gallup poll released in March found that 52% of Catholics who do not attend church regularly say abortion is morally acceptable, compared with 24% of Catholics that are regular churchgoers. A White House spokesperson said that Sotomayor "currently does not belongs to a particular parish or church, but she attends church with family and friends for important occasions" (Goodstein, New York Times, 5/31).According to the Boston Globe, the number of Catholics on the court has increased sharply over the past two decades, a shift from earlier years when there generally was one "Catholic seat" on the bench. Although Supreme Court experts say that the increase in the number of Catholic justices reflects a fall in anti-Catholicism over the past half-century, they also note that Catholic justices" views have not always aligned with the Church"s teachings and that a judge"s faith is not necessarily an indicator of how he or she will rule on issues like abortion rights or gay marriage. Current Catholic Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts all are in favor of either overturning Roe v. Wade or returning the issue of abortion to the states, the Globe reports. However, there have been previous Catholic justices, such as Justice William Brennan, who were avid supporters of abortion rights (Paulson, Boston Globe, 5/30).Cathleen Kaveny, a professor of law and theology at the University of Notre Dame, said, "I don"t think there is any one Catholic stance on the law," adding, "You"ll have judges who are pro-life personally who are going to rule that [Roe] is the law of the land."Sotomayor "Formidable Counterweight" to Catholic Men on Court, Opinion Piece Says "If anyone should be worrying" about Sotomayor as the sixth Catholic on the Supreme Court, "it"s the five who are already there," former Catholics for Free Choice President Frances Kissling writes in a Salon opinion piece. Roberts, Alito, Kennedy, Scalia and Thomas "all seem cut from the same traditional Catholic (and Federalist Society conservative) mold," Kissling writes, noting that all five voted in Gonzales v. Carhart to uphold the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. If confirmed, Sotomayor"s experience with the other justices "is likely to change [her] as well -- and make her an even more formidable counterweight to the male Catholic bloc," according to Kissling. "There is nothing more likely to radicalize a "moderate" Catholic woman of even marginal religiosity than daily exposure to Catholic men who think women need to be protected from making money or making bad and sad abortion choices," Kissling contends (Kissling, Salon, 5/31).
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has today published a Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) recommending the use of the drug cetuximab (Erbitux®) in combination with chemotherapy as a 1st-line treatment for patients with metastatic (advanced) colorectal cancer (mCRC) who have met specific additional criteria1* - presenting the possibility of potentially curative surgery.2 The treatment is recommended for patients in whom the cancer has spread only to the liver and who have "wild-type" (unmutated) KRASň€ˇ tumours.1 Up to 65% of patients have wild-type KRAS tumours.3
The same techniques used to detect suspicious activity in airports, stadiums and other public places are now being used by the UCF researcher who invented them to find and measure potentially life-threatening brain tumors.
PharmaPendium, Elsevier"s online re for authoritative preclinical, clinical and post-marketing drug information, has significantly expanded its coverage of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval documents with the launch of the FDA Classic Collection. This collection contains all available historical FDA approval documents up to and including those issued in 1991 - all indexed and made searchable for the first time in history. With the addition of the FDA Classic Collection, PharmaPendium has become the only integrated, searchable of all FDA drug approval documents.
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.
A new global study has found that lifestyle risk factors such as alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are important risk factors for bowel cancer. Researchers have shown that people who consume the largest quantities of alcohol (equivalent to > 7 drinks per week) have 60% greater risk of developing the cancer, compared with non-drinkers.
Researchers are making great strides in the development of new treatments for hepatitis and in confirming the effectiveness of current treatments, according to several studies presented at Digestive Disease Week® 2009 (DDW®).
The Health Care Professionals Council has today struck off Arts Therapist Derek Gale following wide ranging incidents of misconduct and abuse towards patients in his care. However, Gale has only been banned from practicing as an arts therapist, and under current legislation, can continue to practice as a psychotherapist or counsellor (1). Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, supported by Jonathan Coe, Chief Executive of WITNESS, said:
Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) announced that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has implemented the harmonised Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPCs) for "Cozaar"® (losartan potassium) and "Cozaar"®-Comp (losartan potassium/ hydrochlorothiazide) into the U.K. Marketing Authorisation following a European Commission (EC) Decision.
Men are planning for their financial security in retirement but not for their happiness, according to a survey revealing that more women than men plan for their health and leisure interests before they stop working.
Bayer HealthCare AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH) today announced that NUVIGIL® (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV], a longer-lasting formulation of modafinil, is now available. NUVIGIL is indicated to improve wakefulness throughout the day for the millions of patients who struggle with excessive sleepiness associated with treated obstructive sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder, also known as shift work disorder, and narcolepsy. Cephalon has finalized the commercialization plans for NUVIGIL and, beginning today, any patient with a NUVIGIL prescription should be able to obtain the medication from their pharmacy or have it filled within 24 hours.
Scientists here have determined that combining bed bugs" own chemical signals with a common insect control agent makes that treatment more effective at killing the bugs.
Sunwin International Neutraceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: SUWN), a leader in the production and distribution of Chinese herbs, veterinary medicines and one of the world"s leading producers of all natural, zero calorie Stevia in China, announced today that the company has increased the availability of two veterinary medicines, Huangqiduotang vaccine and Jinfang Detoxification Powder to treat swine flu that has recently spread in North America and other parts of the world. These products, currently used for controlling various types of influenza in China, have demonstrated effectiveness in controlling swine flu outbreaks among livestock.
Diabetes UK launches its national Measure Up Roadshow today to tackle the diabetes epidemic, as it reveals that more than 1.7 million people in the UK could have avoided developing Type 2 diabetes.
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.
In children with the rare disease Pfeiffer syndrome, craniofacial surgery to correct skull defects is followed by a distinct pattern of increases in body temperature, reports a study in the January Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions have identified in mice two proteins essential for ovulation to take place.
The Senate began debate Tuesday on whether to grant the Food and Drug Administration power to regulate tobacco products, Reuters reports. Debate began after an 84-11 procedural vote and could continue into next week. The Democratic-backed bill "would let the FDA oversee the packaging, marketing and manufacturing of cigarettes and other tobacco products, which have been linked to cancer and other illnesses and kill 400,000 Americans each year."
The popular Nintendo Wii videogame system is helping radiology students reach new levels! Faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College have coupled the motion-sensitive Wii remote with the same computers used to analyze scans, and have found that the Wii remote makes examining CT and MRI images more ergonomic, heightens the interactivity during classes, and may potentially improve the ability to interpret scans.
Low Medicare reimbursement rates are not keeping up with costs at hospitals in Iowa and California while a grant helps boost Medicare enrollment in Missouri.
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.
Joseph F. Finn, Jr., C.P.A. ("Finn"), announced today that there has been promising initial interest from pharma companies in the intellectual property of Prospect Therapeutics, Inc. ("Prospect").
With exciting pre-clinical results showing that its carbohydrate-based vaccine can combat cerebral malaria (CM), which causes inflammation of the brain, Ancora Pharmaceuticals has received another grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to research whether its vaccine candidate will also prevent severe malaria anemia (SMA).
An overwhelming number of Americans believe young adults and children should not have access to tanning salons without parental oversight because of the danger of skin cancer, suggests an online poll by http://www.dermanetwork.org.
A promising antimicrobial agent already known to kill bacteria can also kill viruses and stimulate the innate immune system, according to researchers at National Jewish Health. In a paper appearing online June 4 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Michael Howell, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and his colleagues demonstrated that the synthetic compound CSA-13 can kill vaccinia virus in cell cultures and in mice. Additionally, they showed that CSA-13 stimulates cells to produce their own antimicrobial proteins.
The most reliable method of diagnosing gout is to aspirate the joint in order to obtain fluid
This paper investigates 26 patients with painful metal-on-metal resurfacing arthroplasties and describes three tests for the investigation of the phenomenon. The tests are metal artefact-reduction MRI, 3-D CT measurement of the position of the component and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
SANE Australia is pleased to announce the 2009 SANE Book of the Year is Back From The Brink Too: Supporting Your Loved One In Overcoming Depression by Graeme Cowan.
Despite the efforts of college students to quit smoking, recent research conducted by Joyce M. Wolburg at Marquette University suggests that an extended trial and error period is necessary. Given that most college students begin smoking in high school, another study by faculty at HEC Montreal and University of Texas at San Antonio provides insights into how graphic cigarette warning labels impact intentions of American and Canadian teens. Both studies appear in the Summer 2009 issue of the Journal of Consumer Affairs.
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.
Although it is a relatively widespread phenomenon, the experts have still not been able to come up with an all-encompassing and precise definition of workplace abuse or bullying. Basing their work on previous literature, David González, of the High Court of Justice of Madrid and JosĂ© LuĂs Graña, of the Faculty of Psychology at the Complutense University, have defined it in their study as a "process of systematic and repeated aggression by a person or group towards a workmate, subordinate or superior". Their research has been published in the latest issue of Psicothema.
When added to the mix, a new experimental drug known as TMC207 appeared to make a cocktail of background drugs five times more powerful
By applying cutting-edge techniques in single-molecule manipulation, researchers at Harvard University have uncovered a fundamental feedback mechanism that the body uses to regulate the clotting of blood. The finding, which could lead to a new physical, quantitative, and predictive model of how the body works to respond to injury, has implications for the treatment of bleeding disorders.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have developed the first mouse model for auto-inflammatory diseases, disorders that involve the over-activation of the body"s innate, primitive immune system. Their study, published early on-line in Cell Immunity on June 4, suggests that the innate - not adaptive - immune system drives auto-inflammatory diseases. The findings could open new therapeutic directions for research into disorders such as gout or inflammatory bowel disease.
Roche announced that oral and poster presentations highlighting results from the extensive multi-national ACTEMRA(R) (tocilizumab) clinical development program will be presented at the 10th Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), which will take place June 10-13, 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The studies evaluate ACTEMRA, a novel treatment targeting interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptors, in patients with moderately to severely active RA.