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Second pathway to brain’s memory function uncovered

Australian and US scientists have successfully identified a new mechanism by which the brain learns and stores memories. This could spell hope for brain injuries and diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

4 Oct 2010

Egg allergies may be prevented by early introduction: Study

Contrary to popular belief that eggs should not be introduced into the diet before the first birthday of the baby, a new study shows that parents who do not want their newborn babies to develop an egg allergy ought to feed them eggs in the first six months of life.

4 Oct 2010

Father of IVF acknowledged with a Nobel prize

Professor Robert Edwards who came to be known as the “father of In Vitro fertilization” (IVF) has won this year's Nobel prize in medicine. He is 85 and has won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his pioneering work on the in vitro fertilisation of human eggs that led to the birth of the world's first IVF baby, Louise Brown, in 1978. When he had started off initially his funding request for IVF research was turned down by Britain’s Medical Research Council (MRC) in the 1970s. His co-worker the gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe, died in 1988. Professor Edwards becomes the sole recipient of this award since it cannot be awarded posthumously.

4 Oct 2010

NY Times: DEA crackdown means delays for some patients in need of pain meds

The New York Times: Increased scrutiny by the Drug Enforcement Administration may be causing painful delays for patients who need narcotic drugs. "Roland Lorenz has surgical screws in his back and neck and a pin in his upper leg, and when his pain reared up one recent weekend, he knew he needed something strong.

4 Oct 2010

Health law's insurance plans for pre-existing conditions are slow to enroll; 3M to drop early retiree coverage

The Associated Press: "It's a centerpiece of President Barack Obama's health care remake, a lifeline available right now to vulnerable people whose medical problems have made them uninsurable. But the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan started this summer isn't living up to expectations. Enrollment lags in many parts of the country. People who could benefit may not be able to afford the premiums. Some state officials who run their own "high-risk pools" have pointed out potential problems" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/3).

4 Oct 2010

BioRelix, Merck enter research collaboration to identify new antibacterial drug candidates

BioRelix, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. to identify new antibacterial drug candidates.

4 Oct 2010

Seniors face new choices with approach of first open enrollment since health overhaul

Provisions of the health overhaul will reshape many aspects of the Medicare program, but in the meantime, have left consumers in a state of confusion.

4 Oct 2010

Reports find disparities of care based on insurance coverage, race

HealthDay/Yahoo: Coverage and race can mean better or worse care for cancer patients, a series of studies has found. "The reports, documenting financial and racial factors that impact diagnosis, treatment and survival, were scheduled for presentation this weekend at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Miami.

4 Oct 2010

Brothers lead charge for electronic medical records push, but find barriers

The New York Times reports on the Doerr brothers, one a venture capitalist and the other a physicianr and software designer, who are leading the charge to push doctors to use electronic medical records. "It seems straightforward. Just combine technology skills with investment money, and then develop innovative products. But to date, the push for a digital revolution in doctors' offices has brought mostly frustration for the many companies big and small that are trying to conquer the field.

4 Oct 2010

Drug companies accused of skirting requirement to submit prices

Drug makers frequently ignore a federal requirement that they submit "pricing data needed to calculate discounts on medications prescribed for poor people under Medicaid, federal investigators say in a new report," The New York Times reports.

4 Oct 2010

Today's OpEds: Orszag's latest health column, the MLR and parables

Improving the quality of health care and reducing its cost will require that doctors make many changes — but working weekends and consenting to quality management are two clear ones (Peter Orszag, 10/3).

4 Oct 2010

Decision Resources: NSCLC drug market to grow from $4 billion in 2009 to over $6.5 billion in 2019

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues finds that the non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drug market will increase from approximately $4 billion in 2009 to more than $6.5 billion in 2019 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Japan.

4 Oct 2010

Titan Spine to release new Endoskeleton TC system in first-quarter 2011

Titan Spine announced that it will begin full commercial release of its new Endoskeleton® TC system first quarter of 2011. The Endoskeleton® TC is an interbody fusion device for the cervical spine. The product received 510(k) clearance in July of this year and has been in limited market release since early August. The device has an acid etched titanium surface and is biomechanically designed to promote spinal fusion.

4 Oct 2010

Health industry funding more Republicans than Dems, anti-reform political activity ramps up

Politico: "A new portrait of the health industry landscape has begun to take shape, with some of those major players shifting their dollars from the very Democrats who passed the law they seemingly endorsed at the White House. The insurance industry, for instance, has consistently donated more to Republicans than to Democrats ever since August 2009."

4 Oct 2010

Massachusetts eHealth Institute names e-MDs as EHR vendor and IOO

e-MDs, an industry leader in the development and implementation of electronic health record (EHR) and practice management (PM) solutions, announced they have been named a selected EHR vendor and Implementation Optimization Organization (IOO) by the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI). The Institute will serve as a Regional Extension Center (REC) in Massachusetts, working to facilitate the adoption of EHR technology by the state's providers. As a selected vendor, e-MDs will help ensure effective implementation and provider achievement of Meaningful Use.

4 Oct 2010

IBM employee-wellness program shows some success for kids

Reuters: "In 2008, IBM launched an Internet-based 'children's rebate program' that let employees and their families choose from a selection of goals revolving around healthy eating, group physical activity, reduced 'screen time' and positive parental role-modeling. A $150 check was offered as incentive to complete the 12-week program. … More than 22,000 employees signed on to participate, representing about half of all employees with children covered by IBM's health plan." About 12,000 completed the program and received the rebate.

4 Oct 2010

KHN column: Medical loss ratio rule should encourage health care fraud fighting

In this Kaiser Health News column, Louis Saccoccio, executive director of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, makes a case for including health plans' investments in fraud-fighting activities in the medical loss ratio definition.

4 Oct 2010

Otsuka opens Canadian operations

Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical Inc. has opened its first Canadian office, in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Laurent. This marks a major milestone in the continued growth of Otsuka in North America.

4 Oct 2010

J&JPRD receives FDA Complete Response Letter for tapentadol ER tablets NDA

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) announced today that it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its New Drug Application (NDA) for tapentadol extended release tablets.

4 Oct 2010

Agile completes enrollment in AG200-15 Phase 3 contraceptive patch study

Agile Therapeutics, Inc., a pharmaceutical development company specializing in women's healthcare products, today announced the Company has completed patient enrollment in its pivotal, Phase 3 NEW CHOICE Study of AG200-15, Agile's lead contraceptive patch. Agile's NEW CHOICE Study enrolled 1500 women at over 100 sites throughout the U.S. The study is comparing the efficacy and tolerability of AG200-15 to a low-dose, oral contraceptive.

4 Oct 2010