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Legal challenge to new law gets a day in court: Today

A federal judge will preside over a lawsuit in Florida challenging the legitimacy of the health law today, "as 20 states and an influential small-business group argue that the bill amounts to a sweeping constitutional overreach, Politico reports. "The states argue that the federal government cannot impose a requirement on individuals to purchase insurance, the so-called individual mandate, and then force them to pay a fine if they don't.

15 Sep 2010

Researchers identify risk gene for schizophrenia

An international team of researchers has identified a risk gene for schizophrenia, including a potentially causative mutation, using genome-wide association data-mining techniques and independent replications.

15 Sep 2010

Insurers expand business overseas

The Wall Street Journal: "Cigna Corp. is expanding overseas, leading a push by health insurers to find growth amid uncertainties at home. Next month, the Philadelphia-based firm will launch an insurance policy in Spain that it says is the first of its kind to be sold by U.S. insurers. The new plan is sold directly to local individuals, as opposed to employer-sponsored or supplemental policies offered by Cigna in 26 other countries.

15 Sep 2010

Key health law provisions begin Sept. 23

In her latest Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "The elimination of lifetime caps on benefits is one of several provisions that will begin to take effect Sept. 23, six months after enactment of the law.

15 Sep 2010

School leavers at risk for obesity: Study

In a large scale national study it has been found that the period of leaving school is a high risk one for obesity and weight gain. The study authors say that obesity rates double in the short transition from adolescence to adulthood in over 1,500 young people included in the study.

15 Sep 2010

Early alcohol, tobacco exposure may delay puberty in girls: Study

The list of possible health effects from an early introduction to alcohol and tobacco use has just gotten longer. A new study suggests that early drinking and smoking might delay onset of puberty in girls.

15 Sep 2010

Opinions: Global nursing; U.S. funding of Global Fund; Global demands for water; Food security

"Almost every nation, regardless of its wealth and resources, faces a continuing shortage of nurses and an acute lack of nursing faculty available to educate more nurses. This dearth of practicing nurses and nurse educators is particularly critical in countries like Haiti and other developing high-risk, low-resourced nations," Martha Hill, dean of Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, writes in a Baltimore Sun opinion piece encouraging the expansion of global nursing.

15 Sep 2010

FDA approves Krystexxa drug to treat gout

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Krystexxa (pegloticase) to treat the painful condition known as gout in adults who do not respond to or who cannot tolerate conventional therapy.

15 Sep 2010

Today's Opinions: Medicare fixes, health care lawsuits, reporting repeals

And in this political climate, the $210 billion price tag [to fix the physician payment system] will probably prevent a permanent solution this year. However, a longer term, interim fix and a primary care payment differential would be steps in the right direction (Dennis Mayeaux and Lori Parham, 9/13).

15 Sep 2010

Atox Bio doses first subject in AB103 Phase 1 study for severe bacterial infections and sepsis

Atox Bio Inc. today announced that it successfully completed the dosing of the first subject in its phase 1 clinical study of AB103, a novel therapy for the treatment of severe bacterial infections and sepsis.

15 Sep 2010

Health on the Hill – September 13, 2010

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey talks with Politico's Jennifer Haberkorn and KFF's Jackie Judd about recent events in Washington, including Senate consideration of amendments to a package of small business tax breaks that would repeal a provision of the health care law that requires businesses to submit a 1099 form to the Internal Revenue Service for yearly purchases of $600 or more from a vendor.

15 Sep 2010

Researchers unveil watercress compound can block pathway for cancer development

The research, unveiled at a press conference today (14 September 2010), shows that the watercress compound is able to interfere with the function of a protein which plays a critical role in cancer development.

15 Sep 2010

Arizona State University receives grant to protect warfighters from infectious diseases

Scientists at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University have received a 2-year, $5.3 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to protect warfighters in the event of exposure to infectious diseases during deployment.

15 Sep 2010

Scientists discover study of calcium deposits helps effective breast cancer diagnosis

SCIENTISTS have discovered for the first time that studying calcium deposits in the breast, often detected through screening, could help doctors diagnose breast cancer more effectively.The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer today (Wednesday), examined the relationship between the composition of these deposits found in breast tissue and the malignancy of a tumour.

15 Sep 2010

Stroke risk with common pain killers dismissed by manufacturer

An eight-year Danish study, which involved more than 2.5 million healthy Danes found there was a higher risk of stroke for those taking high doses of ibuprofen, which is in the painkiller Nurofen. The manufacturers of Nurofen, Reckitt Benckiser, have dismissed these reports. The spokesperson for the company said, “it is important to note that the conclusions drawn by the study authors are based on high doses of ibuprofen…The results of this study should not be confused with non-prescription low doses of NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, which are available over-the-counter and used by millions of people around the world, for short periods of time, every day.”

14 Sep 2010

Pepscan, Tibotec sign Research and License Agreement

Pepscan Therapeutics, the Netherlands based biotechnology firm focusing on protein mimicry technology for the generation of novel therapeutics, today announced that it has signed a Research and License Agreement with Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, Ireland. Under the agreement Pepscan using its CLIPS technology will work with Tibotec to develop novel therapeutic peptides against an undisclosed target.

14 Sep 2010

Target shoppers can help St. Jude's in fight against cancer, catastrophic diseases

Many of the public's favorite household brands have joined forces to support the lifesaving work of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, one of the world's premier pediatric cancer research centers. From September 19 - 25, Target guests can help St. Jude in its fight to find cures and save children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases by purchasing participating Procter & Gamble (P&G) brands including Tide, Charmin, Bounty and Pampers as well as other manufacturers' brands at Target stores nationwide.

14 Sep 2010

UBM Live anticipates CPhI Worldwide attendance to exceed 25,000

Leading events organiser UBM Live today announced that it expects the attendance for CPhI Worldwide, the annual flagship tradeshow for pharma ingredients, now in its 21st year and the year being held in Paris, to exceed the 25,000 seen at last year's event, held in Madrid.

14 Sep 2010

CSC launches new educational program to enhance lymphoma patient, physician communication

The Cancer Support Community (CSC), uniting The Wellness Community and Gilda's Club Worldwide, announced today the launch of Framing Life With Lymphoma, a new educational program designed to enhance lymphoma patient and physician communication.

14 Sep 2010

Life Technologies finalizes cell line license agreement for recombinant protein production

Life Technologies Corporation today announced that it has finalized cell line license agreements with a number of companies to provide rights to Life Technologies' proprietary CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cell lines for the production of recombinant proteins used as therapeutic agents and vaccines.

14 Sep 2010