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First Edition: October 12, 2011

Kaiser Health News staff writer Christopher Weaver reports: "Competition is fiercest in places like Boston, where high-ranking plans are near their goal, but shades of this quality arms race are visible throughout the country. Insurers have rarely competed on quality measures, but as the federal government prepares to unleash an estimated $3 billion to $4 billion next year in bonus payments, the industry is following the money. Star-ratings are bleeding into bottom lines, board meetings, and corporate strategy as the insurers chase top scores."

12 Oct 2011

Vitamin D plays an essential role in the body's fight against TB

Not just important for building strong bones, an international team of scientists has found that vitamin D also plays an essential role in the body's fight against infections such as tuberculosis.

12 Oct 2011

Paralyzed man moves robotic hand using mind

In a remarkable advance, a paralyzed man - Tim Hemmes - has managed to move a robot hand attached to his wheelchair only with the use of his mind. He was left paralyzed after a motorcycle accident. Moving a robot hand towards his girlfriend was a success for both the man and for the team of scientists at the University of Pittsburgh, who led and monitored the experiment.

11 Oct 2011

PSA test for prostate cancer may confuse: Experts debate its continued use

According to new research the PSA test for prostate cancer does more harm than good. This week, the United States Preventive Services Task Force is expected to announce its recommendation against routine testing for blood levels of prostate-specific antigen, the protein that can be a signal of prostate cancer.

11 Oct 2011

Effects of hospital competition on quality of care questioned

More research is needed before conclusions can be drawn about the effect of recent reforms on hospital quality, let alone about the merits of the coalition government's proposals to extend competition, warn experts on bmj.com today.

11 Oct 2011

Omeros initiates OMS302 Phase 3 trial in intra-ocular lens replacement surgery

Omeros Corporation today announced that the first patients have been treated in the Company's Phase 3 clinical program evaluating OMS302 in intra-ocular lens replacement surgery.

11 Oct 2011

MD Anderson initiates orders of Cesium-131 to help control intermediate risk prostate cancer

IsoRay Inc., a medical technology company and innovator in seed brachytherapy and medical radioisotope applications, announced today that MD Anderson Cancer Center has initiated orders of Cesium-131 brachytherapy (internal radiation therapy) seeds as it continues its clinical research study investigating brachytherapy's ability to help control intermediate risk prostate cancer.

11 Oct 2011

Troy High School teacher receives top prize in national ING Unsung Heroes awards program

ING, a leading provider of employer-sponsored retirement plans for educators, businesses, and government and not-for-profit entities, announced that Rebecca Brewer, a biology teacher at Troy High School in Troy, Mich., has received the top prize in the national 2011 ING Unsung Heroes awards program. Through this program, ING awards educators throughout the U.S. grants for innovative teaching ideas.

11 Oct 2011

ImmunoCellular receives U.S. patent allowance for ICT-107 to treat GBM

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, announced the allowance of U.S. patent claims related to ICT-107, the Company's dendritic cell based cancer vaccine candidate targeting multiple tumor antigens for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme.

11 Oct 2011

Gantenerumab appears to reduce brain amyloid levels in patients with AD

Although it is a small study and more clinical trials are needed, treatment with the medication gantenerumab appeared to result in a reduction in brain amyloid levels in patients with Alzheimer disease, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

11 Oct 2011

Selected prescription drugs contribute to 10% of lower urinary tract symptoms among men

Use of selected prescription medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines, bronchodilators, anticholinergics, sympathomimetics, and diuretics contribute to 10 percent of lower urinary tract symptoms among men according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

11 Oct 2011

Conflicts of interest sometimes emerge in ownership arrangements between physicians, medical device companies

The Wall Street Journal reports on how such arrangments sometimes create an incentive for surgeons to do more operations, which raises quality issues and health care costs.

11 Oct 2011

FDA clears Cardium's new Excellagen topical gel for diabetic foot ulcers

Cardium Therapeutics announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market and sell the Company's new Excellagen professional-use, sterile, syringe-based advanced wound care product for the management of diabetic foot ulcers and other dermal wounds.

11 Oct 2011

Cardium's Excellagen topical gel for diabetic foot ulcers receives FDA 510(k) clearance

Cardium Therapeutics announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market and sell the Company's new Excellagen™ professional-use, sterile, syringe-based advanced wound care product for the management of diabetic foot ulcers and other dermal wounds.

10 Oct 2011

First Edition: October 10, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about the 'super committee's' moving parts and how the fate of the health law may be determined by what happens in 2012.

10 Oct 2011

AIM at Melanoma applauds bill banning children from using indoor tanning beds

AIM at Melanoma, the largest international foundation dedicated to melanoma research and patient advocacy, applauds Governor Jerry Brown's signing today of Senate Bill 746, which now bans children under 18 from using indoor tanning beds. Tanning beds have been linked to the rapid rise in melanoma rates among 15-39 year olds.

10 Oct 2011

AAD applauds California for prohibiting indoor tanning device use among youngsters

Today California Governor Edmund G. Brown signed a bill into law that will prohibit the use of indoor tanning devices for all Californians under the age of 18.

10 Oct 2011

USPSTF releases draft recommendation on prostate cancer screening

Yesterday, the United States Preventive Services Task Force released a draft recommendation that states healthy men should no longer receive a P.S.A test for prostate cancer as it often leads to unnecessary testing and procedures and does not save lives.

10 Oct 2011

Loyola surgeon performs minimally invasive emergency procedure to repair AAA

Jack Kory of Mokena, Il. was eating his breakfast oatmeal when he suddenly felt the worst pain in his life. The searing pain came on suddenly in his stomach and spread to his knees. It was caused by an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) that had suddenly burst, causing massive internal bleeding. Traditionally, few patients have survived such ruptures. But Loyola University Medical Center vascular surgeon Dr. Richard Hershberger was able to repair Kory's aneurysm with a minimally invasive emergency procedure.

10 Oct 2011

Preventive task force panel will urge men to skip prostate screening, reports say

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is scheduled to issue this recommendation on Tuesday, but advance press reports indicate the expert panel will urge the federal government to change its current position to recommend that men under age 75 forgo this widely used test.

7 Oct 2011