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Tobacco promotion banned in Queensland stores

Queensland stores are directed to refrain from openly displaying cigarettes and other tobacco products. Under laws introduced on Thursday, all retail advertising and promotion of tobacco and other smoking-related products will be banned.

17 Jun 2011

White House focuses on prevention with release of national strategy

Described as a way to improve the nation's prosperity, the Obama administration announced a sweeping plan to emphasize health promotion and disease prevention for all walks of life.

17 Jun 2011

Most US counties are falling behind in life expectancy

While people in Japan, Canada, and other nations are enjoying significant gains in life expectancy every year, most counties within the United States are falling behind, according to a new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

17 Jun 2011

HHS announces funding opportunity for national networks of community-based organizations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a funding opportunity for national networks of community-based organizations to apply for more than $4 million in cooperative agreements.

17 Jun 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb receives FDA approval for Nulojix to prevent organ rejection after kidney transplant

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Nulojix to prevent acute rejection in adult patients who have had a kidney transplant. The drug is approved for use with other immunosuppressants -- specifically basiliximab, mycophenolate mofetil, and corticosteroids.

16 Jun 2011

Ventana Medical receives FDA approval for new breast cancer genetic test

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new genetic test that will help health care professionals determine if women with breast cancer are HER2-positive and, therefore, candidates for Herceptin, a commonly used breast cancer treatment.

15 Jun 2011

Penn State receives NIH grant to improve public health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Penn State, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and Penn State College of Medicine a $27.3 million, five-year grant designed to accelerate the translation of scientific discovery into methods for improving public health.

15 Jun 2011

Exposure to cigarettes fosters tween smoking: New study

Exposure to secondhand smoke can create symptoms of nicotine dependence in non-smoking preteens, according to a new study from Concordia University and the University of Montreal.

14 Jun 2011

Smoking ban in NSW prison

In a new directive, prisoners at the Lithgow jail in central western New South Wales will be banned from smoking in their cells as part of a six-month trial to begin next year.

13 Jun 2011

Survey reveals increase in drinking, cannabis use and psychological distress

The latest survey of Ontario adults from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows increasing rates of daily drinking and cannabis use and high levels of psychological distress. The results of the 2009 CAMH Monitor survey, the longest running survey tracking mental health and addiction indicators among adults in Ontario, were published today.

13 Jun 2011

HHS adds eight substances to 12th Report on Carcinogens

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services added eight substances to its Report on Carcinogens, a science-based document that identifies chemicals and biological agents that may put people at increased risk for cancer.

13 Jun 2011

Merck receives FDA approval for redesigned drug container labels

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today is announcing the approval of Merck's redesigned drug container labels that include a new standardized format to improve readability and provide better information on product and strength differentiation.

13 Jun 2011

Siemens receives FDA clearance for Biograph mMR system to perform simultaneous PET/MRI scan

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared the Siemens Biograph mMR system, the first device to simultaneously perform a positron emission tomography scan, commonly known as PET scan, and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

From Siemens Healthineers 13 Jun 2011

FDA draft guidance outlines roadmap for discussion on nanotechnology in regulated products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released draft guidance to provide regulated industries with greater certainty about the use of nanotechnology, which generally involves materials made up of particles that are at least one billionth of a meter in size. The guidance outlines the agency's view on whether regulated products contain nanomaterials or involve the application of nanotechnology.

10 Jun 2011

Smoking keeps weight off: Study finds out how

The researchers have found that nicotine activates a pathway in the brain that suppresses appetite. The study was published in the journal Science. The authors believe this discovery should lead to better diet drugs.

9 Jun 2011

U.S. FDA announces safety label changes for cholesterol-lowering medication, simvastatin

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today is announcing safety label changes for the cholesterol-lowering medication simvastatin because the highest approved dose--80 milligram (mg)--has been associated with an elevated risk of muscle injury or myopathy, particularly during the first 12 months of use.

9 Jun 2011

NYU Cancer Institute scientists present new research findings at ASCO 2011

Experts from The Cancer Institute, an NCI-designated cancer center, at NYU Langone Medical Center presented new research findings at the 47th American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2011 Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL.

8 Jun 2011

Telethermographic device is not approved for screening breast cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned women not to substitute breast thermography for mammography to screen for breast cancer.

3 Jun 2011

House Republicans use Ag spending bill to push back against certain health measures

The Republicans have used an agriculture appropriations bill to send several messages: They don't want the government to require school meals that are more nutritional but also more expensive, they don't want the government to prod food companies to restrain marketing to children, and they don't want the Food and Drug Administration to regulate any substance based on anything but "hard science".

3 Jun 2011

Angiotensin receptor blockers do not increase risk of cancer: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that a group of medications used to control high blood pressure, called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), do not increase the risk of developing cancer in patients using the medications.

3 Jun 2011