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Insurance industry looks to make lemonade from health reform

Restaurant workers - who account for 4 to 6 million of the nation's uninsured - will have new options for health coverage even before the law kicks in with new subsidies and "exchanges" in 2014, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "Their trade group, the National Restaurant Association, was able to line up a smorgasbord of individual and small-group plans from UnitedHealth, some priced 15 to 20 percent cheaper than the open market.

17 Aug 2010

Non-viral gene therapy delays onset of eye disease

In one of only two studies of its kind, a study from researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts demonstrates that non-viral gene therapy can delay the onset of some forms of eye disease and preserve vision. The team developed nanoparticles to deliver therapeutic genes to the retina and found that treated mice temporarily retained more eyesight than controls.

17 Aug 2010

SIK2 impacts cell division cycle, regulates ovarian cancer response to chemotherapy: Research

For the first time, Salt Inducible Kinase 2 (SIK2) has been found to play a critical role in cell division and to regulate the response of some ovarian cancers to chemotherapy.Findings were reported by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the August issue of Cancer Cell. The study adds to growing evidence that combination therapies targeting different phases of the cell division cycle are vital for optimal cancer treatment.

17 Aug 2010

Antidepressant alleviates depression in peri- and postmenopausal women: Study

An antidepressant can alleviate symptoms of major depression in women experiencing or about to experience menopause, according to a study released today led by a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher.

17 Aug 2010

Ozone, nicotine reaction may become threat to asthma sufferers: Study

Another reason for including asthma on the list of potential health risks posed by secondhand tobacco smoke, especially for non-smokers, has been uncovered. Furthermore, the practice of using ozone to remove the smell of tobacco smoke from indoor environments, including hotel rooms and the interiors of vehicles, is probably a bad idea.

17 Aug 2010

As EMR vision takes shape, doctors brace — especially those who are late in their careers

The vision of a fully wired health system — the goal of a push by doctors, hospitals and the federal government — is coalescing at a Michigan hospital, the Detroit Free Press reports. "Patients at some of the state's largest health systems over the next few years, for example, will have hospital rooms wired into a computer system that lets them see their vital signs, medicines and the name and photograph of the hospital staffer who enters their room.

17 Aug 2010

IVAX Diagnostics second quarter 2010 operating expenses decrease 11.9%

IVAX Diagnostics, Inc., a fully integrated in vitro diagnostics company, reports its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

17 Aug 2010

Global vaccine sales up 16% in 2009, report says

Global vaccine sales "grew by a healthy 16 percent last year, when sales shot up to $22.1 billion, healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information reported Friday," according to the Associated Press. Kalorama is also forecasting sales "will rise at a compound annual rate of 9.7 percent during the next five years," (Johnson, 8/14).

17 Aug 2010

Cytomedix second quarter 2010 revenue increases 102% to $1.15 million

Cytomedix, Inc. (the "Company"), a leading developer of biologically active regenerative therapies for wound care, inflammation and angiogenesis, today announced financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

17 Aug 2010

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals reports 9% increase in second quarter 2010 net revenue

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. ,a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the hospital acute care and gastroenterology markets, today announces financial results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2010, and provides revenue guidance for full year 2010.

17 Aug 2010

Parkinson’s disease linked to genetic alteration of immune system: Study

Parkinson’s disease (PD), a severely crippling disease of the nerves and brain has been linked to genes that affect the immune system according to new research. In these patients the immune system may go awry attacking healthy tissues or failing to fight infections that leave people susceptible to the condition scientists say.

16 Aug 2010

NanoSmart receives USPTO Notice of Allowance for cancer tumor targeting technology

NanoSmart™ Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a California corporation developing novel biopharmaceuticals, is pleased to report that it has received a Notice of Allowance for a US patent on its proprietary cancer tumor targeting technology.

16 Aug 2010

Shah discusses foreign aid efficiency

At an event on Friday in Seattle, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah discussed foreign aid efficacy and ways "to streamline the federal agency and to help make the whole U.S. aid budget easier to understand and track," the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports. Shah said that the Obama administration is concerned about foreign aid transparency and its effectiveness, adding: "The president continues to live up to the overall commitment to develop foreign assistance."

16 Aug 2010

Washington Post: Debate over whether big health systems help cut costs

In Roanoke, Va., one company owns the city's two hospitals and six others in a region of 250,000 residents, commanding the area's largest economic engine and a workforce that includes 550 doctors, The Washington Post reports. Carilion Clinic's consolidation has sparked a local row: Is this the future of integrated, efficient health care delivery, or is it a gilded-age style monopoly?

16 Aug 2010

Amphetamine abuse associated with increased risk of aortic dissection

Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be at greater risk of suffering a tear in the main artery leading from the heart, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

16 Aug 2010

CVS/Pharmacy opens new store in Omaha

CVS/pharmacy celebrated its entry into the Omaha market today with a grand opening at one of its two new stores in the city of Omaha. Joining CVS officials at the ceremony were The Honorable Jim Suttle, Mayor of Omaha and City Councilmember Thomas Mulligan, District #7.

16 Aug 2010

Study reveals how galectin-3 carbohydrate-binding protein promotes angiogenesis

A new study describes how a carbohydrate-binding protein, galectin-3, promotes angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Targeting the protein, scientists identified two approaches that significantly reduced angiogenesis in mice. These discoveries, published online August 16 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine, may lead to novel treatments for diseases caused by excessive angiogenesis, including age-related macular degeneration, cancer, and diabetes.

16 Aug 2010

$Study finds first clue that links childhood obesity to skeletal fractures$

Study finds first clue that links childhood obesity to skeletal fractures

Children at risk for diabetes before they reach puberty also appear to be at risk for weak bones, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

16 Aug 2010

Also in Global Health News: Hunger in Guatemala; Flooding worsens Niger's food crisis; 'New Delhi' gene name concerns

"The efforts of public agencies, non-governmental organisations, private entities and international agencies have become indispensable in addressing the food crisis" in Guatemala, however "activists believe a greater public effort is necessary," Inter Press Service reports. The article examines efforts by various agencies working in Guatemala including the Rural Development Programme for Las Verapaces (PRODEVER), and Accion Contra el Hambre, a local anti-hunger organization.

16 Aug 2010

Michigan Accelerator Fund 1 launched to support early stage life science and technology companies

Michigan Accelerator Fund I, L.P., today announced the formation of the community's first venture capital fund formed specifically to support early stage life science and technology companies: the Michigan Accelerator Fund 1 (MAF1).

16 Aug 2010