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Pakistan floods displace 1M more, U.N. says

"Flooding has displaced an additional 1 million people in Pakistan's Sindh province in the past two days, according to new U.N. estimates released Friday," CNN reports.

27 Aug 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

"[N]ew diagnostic techniques [for tuberculosis] need to be studied in children," according to a Lancet Infectious Diseases Reflection. "Tuberculosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide, but estimates of disease burden are inaccurate because most cases are not confirmed," the author writes. He discusses a study published in the same issue that examines various methods for diagnosing TB in children.

27 Aug 2010

Today's Opinions: Medicare illusions, small biz perks, abortion regs and more

Americans told lawmakers in Washington that they wanted reforms that would lower costs; Democrats in Congress increased them. They said they wanted Medicare protected; Democrat leaders used it as a piggy bank, cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare to help pay for this massive new government expansion of health care (Sen. Mitch McConnell, 8/26).

27 Aug 2010

Simple medical exams recommended for school-age children

Many children and teens are enjoying the remaining days of their summer vacation, but are they truly prepared for what lies ahead? With a few simple medical exams, Virginia's school-age children will be armed with the tools they need to enjoy a healthy school year. The exams we are referring to are given in a doctor's and/or dentist's office, and should take place before or shortly after the start of the new school year, and include a routine doctor's exam to confirm that all immunizations are up-to-date, a dental exam and a vision exam.

27 Aug 2010

Merck's initiation of IMO-2055 Phase 1b clinical trial in SCCHN triggers €3.0M milestone payment to Idera

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that it has achieved a milestone under its worldwide licensing and collaboration agreement with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. The milestone was achieved upon Merck KGaA's initiation of a Phase 1b clinical trial of IMO-2055 (EMD 1201081), an agonist of Toll-like Receptor 9 (TLR9), in combination with cisplatin, fluorouracil and cetuximab (Erbitux®) in first-line treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

27 Aug 2010

Exmovere to release vital sign monitoring infant sleepwear

Exmovere Holdings, Inc., a biomedical engineering company, today announced plans to release vital sign monitoring infant sleepwear. Exmovere is in the advanced stages of taking to market a washable, conductive fabric-based biosensor pajama called "Exmobaby." Exmobaby is the first-ever baby garment developed for remote monitoring of heart rate, emotional state and behavior.

27 Aug 2010

Montana Gov. seeks cheaper drugs for residents; Legal immigrants may lose health insurace in Mass.

The Associated Press: "Gov. Brian Schweitzer, cooking up a new plan to get cheaper prescription drugs for state residents, said he wants to let every Montanan get discounted medicine through Medicaid." It's his most recent idea about how "to either import cheaper name-brand prescriptions or to otherwise bypass what he sees as exorbitant prices charged by 'drug cartels.'"

27 Aug 2010

Fosun Pharma increases investment in Chindex

Chindex International, Inc., a leading independent American provider of Western healthcare products and services in the People's Republic of China, and Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer and distributor of western and Chinese medicine and devices in China, today announced that they have consummated a previously-announced stock sale.

27 Aug 2010

Moody's reports negative outlook for not-for-profit hospitals

News outlets report on hospital issues, including a Moody's report suggesting a negative outlook for not-for-profit hospitals.

27 Aug 2010

Exactech announces acquisition of minimally invasive spine product portfolio from VertiFlex

Exactech, Inc., a developer and producer of bone and joint restoration products for hip, knee, shoulder, spine and biologic materials, announced today the acquisition of several innovative spine product lines and all related technology from VertiFlex, Inc. a leading developer of minimally invasive and motion preserving spinal surgery technologies.

27 Aug 2010

Health care costs weigh on employers, jobless alike

News coverage reflects the ways in which employers, employees and unemployed people are confronting health care costs.

27 Aug 2010

Obama administration touts federal efforts to combat health care fraud

The Los Angeles Times: Obama administration officials at a meeting in Los Angeles Thursday touted their efforts to crack down on health care fraud, "saying quickly expanding criminal enterprises are costing taxpayers billions of dollars each year. ... Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said their agencies were jointly targeting fraud in the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs.

27 Aug 2010

Medical Action Industries acquires AVID Medical

Medical Action Industries Inc. announced the acquisition of AVID Medical, Inc., a leading provider of custom procedure trays serving the healthcare industry. AVID's product line of custom procedure trays is complementary to Medical Action's leading position in single use medical products. Medical Action expects that the acquisition will increase its ability to serve healthcare providers in acute care facilities and surgery centers.

27 Aug 2010

New alchemy module allows healthcare providers to verify, comply with state and federal prescription drug regulations

Gold Standard/Elsevier, developer of drug databases and medication management solutions, announced today the availability of its new Alchemy.

27 Aug 2010

Traumatic brain injury causes $6.8 billion worth of economic trauma in Texas

Each year in Texas, traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes an estimated $6.8 billion worth of economic trauma in terms of deaths, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and disability, according to a study commissioned by the CORE Health Foundation. To put that dollar amount in perspective, it equals Coca-Cola's corporate profit for fiscal 2009.

27 Aug 2010

New methodologies for protein measurement needed to address adulteration in infant formula and pet food

Recent incidents of adulteration involving infant formula, other milk products and pet food with the industrial chemical melamine revealed the weaknesses of current methods widely used across the domestic and global food industry for determining protein content in foods. The possible utility of alternative existing and emerging methods is the subject of a new paper published in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, a peer-reviewed journal of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).

27 Aug 2010

Coke employees protest cancellation of employee health benefits without prior notification

Striking Coke employees and supporters will converge on the Sounders game at Qwest field on Saturday to inform fans about Coke's attack on employee health care. Coke cancelled health care for 500 of its employees without prior notification, after employees went on strike over the Company's refusal to bargain in good faith.

27 Aug 2010

Transcatheter heart valve replacement recipient celebrates 102nd birthday

When Doris Snyder celebrated her 102nd birthday on August 10, she was that much closer to the expected birth of her first great-granddaughter who's due to arrive early September. She is very excited about the milestone, which might not have been possible were it not for a cutting-edge, experimental procedure that replaced one of Doris' heart valves weeks earlier when she was 101. The valve had been rendered useless by aortic valve stenosis—hardening from calcium deposits that restrict the flow of blood from the heart.

27 Aug 2010

Orexigen Therapeutics board approves grant of inducement stock options

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of obesity, today announced that on August 25, 2010 the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors approved the grant of inducement stock options to purchase a total of 10,000 shares of common stock to two new employees.

27 Aug 2010

Specialty Surgical Instrumentation announces new interactive, e-commerce Web site launch

Specialty Surgical Instrumentation, Inc. (SSI) a division of Symmetry Medical Inc. and leading provider of surgical instruments and sterilization products, announced today the launch of a new interactive, e-commerce Web site at www.specsurg.com.

27 Aug 2010