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Primary care shortage affecting communities as hospitals struggle to keep up

CNN reports that five years ago "roughly half the doctors leaving medical school entered the work force as primary-care physicians; just 20 percent of current medical students are planning to work in primary care."

15 Dec 2009

Microbicide does not reduce women's risk of HIV infection, study shows

Pro 2000, a vaginal microbicide gel designed to reduce women's risk of HIV infection, showed "no evidence that it reduces the risk of HIV infection," according to the results of a series of clinical trials in Africa, Britain's Medical Research Council (MRC) said on Monday, Reuters reports.

15 Dec 2009

Champagne improves blood flow and reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases

Research from the University of Reading suggests that two glasses of Champagne a day may be good for your heart and circulation. The researchers have found that drinking Champagne wine daily in moderate amounts causes improvements in the way blood vessels function.

15 Dec 2009

Congress must include health workforce planning body in health reform, urges AAHC

Congressional leaders must ensure that health reform includes a health workforce planning body with sufficient authority to ensure implementation of an integrated, coordinated national health workforce policy, according to Dr. Steven A Wartman, president and CEO of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC).

15 Dec 2009

KHN column: Why $75-a-day matters to caregivers

In his latest Kaiser Health News column, Howard Gleckman writes: "In the ongoing congressional debate over the CLASS Act—the proposed national long-term care insurance program—critics and supporters have been arguing over whether a benefit of $50- or even $75-a-day is worthwhile.

15 Dec 2009

Study shows elderly blacks more likely to skip medication compared to white counterparts

Older adults experience a number of medication-related problems, including under treatment, suboptimal drugs, suboptimal dosing, and non-adherence, which can have negative effects on their quality of life. Now new research, from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that blacks have more medication-related problems than whites, and non-adherence to medical regimens is a particular issue for this group.

15 Dec 2009

Dyadic International enters into collaboration agreement with The Scripps Research Institute

Dyadic International, Inc. ("Dyadic") announced today that it has extended its collaboration with The Scripps Research Institute ("Scripps") by entering into an agreement with Scripps to re-annotate the genome of Dyadic's patented and proprietary C1 fungus ("C1").

15 Dec 2009

ALS TDI and Applied Proteomics join to identify protein biomarkers associated with ALS

The ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) and Applied Proteomics, Inc. announced today that they have completed the first stage of a multi-year collaboration to identify and validate protein biomarkers associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease).

15 Dec 2009

Medicare buy-in plan's cost may deter centrist lawmakers, potential customers

Some Democrats' idea to open Medicare to certain people aged 55 and older raises the question of whether premiums would be affordable enough.

15 Dec 2009

IOM issues review of national vaccine strategy

Reuters: To strengthen U.S. national vaccine strategy, the country "needs to establish a permanent group that advises the government on vaccine safety and spend more money to address safety concerns about vaccines," according to a report released Friday by the Institute of Medicine.

15 Dec 2009

Celebrex stops aspirin from doing its job effectively

Millions of Americans take Celebrex for arthritis or other pain. Many, if they are middle-aged or older, also take a low-dose aspirin tablet daily to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Yet they may be getting little protection, because Celebrex keeps the aspirin from doing its job effectively, a new study suggests.

15 Dec 2009

NBC News examines 'fastest growing' vector-borne disease: Dengue

Dengue is the "fastest growing" vector-borne disease worldwide, NBC News' "World Blog" writes in a story examining the disease. "It used to be contained largely to south-east Asia, but has been spreading, and is now found in South America, Africa, south Asia and parts of Australia.

15 Dec 2009

Alexza Pharmaceuticals submits its NDA for Staccato loxapine to FDA

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has submitted its New Drug Application (NDA) for Staccato® loxapine (AZ-004) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

15 Dec 2009

Ted and Jane Von Voigtlander Foundation gifts $15 million to University of Michigan Health System

The University of Michigan Health System has received a $15 million gift from the Ted and Jane Von Voigtlander Foundation, the largest gift ever made to the Health System for women's health. It will support the construction of a new women's hospital.

15 Dec 2009

Brain plaques associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have long assumed that amyloid brain plaques found in autopsies of Alzheimer's patients are harmful and cause Alzheimer's disease. But autopsies of people with no signs of mental impairment have also revealed brain plaques, challenging this theory.

15 Dec 2009

Experts consider public option compromise, role of OPM in health bill

Kaiser Health News talks to nine experts who weigh in on the proposed public option compromise as a possible spinoff of the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to be run by the Office of Personnel Management.

14 Dec 2009

Senate approves appropriations package, Obama expected to sign

After the Senate approved a House-passed spending package worth almost $450 billion on Sunday, the legislation, which "includes annual foreign aid packages," will go to President Barack Obama, Agence France-Presse reports. Obama is expected to sign the legislation (12/13).

14 Dec 2009

White House: Health reform would curb cost growth

The White House's Council of Economic Advisers has released a report that finds health reform would slow the growth of health costs in the United States and buttress the economy.

14 Dec 2009

Fine print raises alarms over health bill

News reports forecast that some provisions in the Senate health-overhaul legislation could create distractions for Democrats seeking to pass a bill by the year's end.

14 Dec 2009

Amgen receives worldwide rights to Array’s small-molecule glucokinase activator program

Array BioPharma Inc. and Amgen Inc.(NASDAQ: AMGN) today announced that they entered into an agreement granting Amgen exclusive worldwide rights to Array’s small-molecule glucokinase activator program, including ARRY-403, currently being tested in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

14 Dec 2009