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Kim Hames says case was not euthanasia

Western Australia has been debating euthanasia for a while and in a new development, Health Minister and Deputy Premier Kim Hames has admitted that as a GP he administered the painkiller morphine to hasten a cancer patient's death. He said in his statement that what he had done was legal and not euthanasia – which he opposed. His reasoning was that the pain relieving medication was intended to ease a patient's suffering rather than end their life.

23 Sep 2010

Study finds no benefit from self-management counseling in patients with heart failure

Patients with mild to moderate heart failure who received educational materials and self-management counseling in an attempt to improve adherence to medical advice did not have a reduced rate of death or hospitalization compared to patients who received educational materials alone, according to a study in the September 22/29 issue of JAMA.

22 Sep 2010

Health overhaul details trigger uncertainty, debate

The Orlando Sentinel: "It's one of the most overlooked pieces of health-care overhaul, but a plan to help companies pay health-care costs for early retirees has proved popular in Florida, where 69 companies and government agencies have applied for federal help.

22 Sep 2010

ProtAffin presents impressive efficacy data for PA401 in COPD

ProtAffin AG, a biotechnology company developing a novel class of biopharmaceutical products that act by targeting cell-surface glycan structures, today presents compelling preclinical data in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for its lead product PA401 at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain. This conference is the largest gathering of scientists and clinicians in the respiratory community in the world. The Oral Presentation will be made in the session "Pre-clinical models of airways disease".

21 Sep 2010

Nonin Medical launches new pulse oximetry products at ERS 2010 Annual Congress

Nonin Medical, Inc., a leading innovator of noninvasive physiological monitoring solutions, today introduced new pulse oximetry products, a new clinical guidebook and a new European sales, distribution and customer service center at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2010 Annual Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

21 Sep 2010

Talecris Biotherapeutics announces 2010 eALTA award recipients

Talecris Biotherapeutics GmbH announced yesterday the recipients of the 2010 European alpha1-antitrypsin Laurell's Training Awards (eALTA). The annual awards, sponsored by Talecris, provide two fellowships of 50,000 euros to young investigators whose research aims to enhance the understanding and treatment of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (AAT deficiency).

21 Sep 2010

Dominion validates clinical urine drug monitoring assay to detect metabolites of 'herbal incense' product compounds

Dominion Diagnostics has recently developed and validated one of the first clinical urine drug monitoring assays to detect the metabolites of JWH-018 and JWH-073, two compounds typically found in synthetic cannabinoids, also referred to as "herbal incense" products.

20 Sep 2010

Aeris Therapeutics receives CE Mark approval for AeriSeal System to treat emphysema

Aeris Therapeutics, a company specializing in the development and commercialization of novel treatments for patients with emphysema and other advanced lung diseases, today announced that it has received CE Mark approval for its AeriSeal System.

20 Sep 2010

Adenovirus exposure may cause obesity in children: Study

The emerging idea that obesity may have an infectious origin gets new support in a cross-sectional study by University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers who found that children exposed to a particular strain of adenovirus were significantly more likely to be obese.

20 Sep 2010

Tiotropium bromide shows potential as an alternative asthma treatment

A drug commonly used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) successfully treats adults whose asthma is not well-controlled on low doses of inhaled corticosteroids, reported researchers supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

20 Sep 2010

Researchers discover evolutionary nature of bacteria to spread chronic infectious disease

Researchers from the Center for Genomic Sciences at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) in Pittsburgh have made a landmark discovery about the evolutionary nature of bacteria in the setting of chronic infectious disease. Reporting today in the journal PLos Pathogens, the AGH team documents for the first time that bacteria engage in a process called horizontal gene transfer to evolve rapidly during the course of a single infection.

18 Sep 2010

Accuray Incorporated showcases CyberKnife VSI System at ESTRO Annual Congress

Accuray Incorporated, a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today that for the first time in Europe the company showcased its latest offering, the CyberKnife VSI System, at ESTRO 29, the Annual Congress of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Barcelona, Spain.

18 Sep 2010

Inspire Pharmaceuticals to present denufosol tetrasodium therapy data at ERS Annual Congress

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that data will be presented on denufosol tetrasodium, an investigational therapy for cystic fibrosis (CF), during oral and poster presentations at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress September 18 - 22, 2010 in Barcelona, Spain.

17 Sep 2010

American Lung Association data shows improvement in health benefits

The American Lung Association in California released new data today showing significant public health benefits from pursuing a smart growth future for California. The American Lung Association data shows health benefits, including reduced asthma attacks and premature deaths linked to the Vision California "mixed growth" and "growing smart" scenarios in 2035 that include more compact, sustainable development patterns.

17 Sep 2010

ResMed's new CPAP device increases patients' compliance with sleep therapy

ResMed, a leading developer, manufacturer, and distributor of sleep and respiratory medical equipment today announced the results of a clinical study confirming that patients' compliance with sleep therapy increases when using ResMed's new CPAP device.

From ResMed Corp 17 Sep 2010

Metabolism imbalance increases asthma risk in children: Research

Even children of a healthy weight who have an imbalanced metabolism due to poor diet or exercise may be at increased risk of asthma, according to new research, which challenges the widespread assumption that obesity itself is a risk factor for asthma.

17 Sep 2010

Advanced Life Sciences participates as exhibitor in 50th ICAAC

Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, oncology and respiratory diseases, today participated in the 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

16 Sep 2010

UCLA selected to help establish guidelines for health, safety of firefighters in the field

The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have been selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate to help establish guidelines for the health and safety of firefighters in the field.

16 Sep 2010

Stanford Cancer Center to use TrueBeam radiation therapy technology for cancer patients

On Thursday, Sept. 16, the Stanford Cancer Center will become the first treatment center on the West Coast and the fifth in the world to offer cancer patients the TrueBeam, a machine that represents an exponential leap forward in the speed, power and precision of radiation therapy.

15 Sep 2010

More adults washing hands in public restrooms

In the latest observational study sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology and the American Cleaning Institute- (formerly The Soap and Detergent Association), 85% of adults washed their hands in public restrooms, compared with 77% in 2007. The 85% total was actually the highest observed since these studies began in 1996. The results were announced at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, an infectious disease meeting sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology.

14 Sep 2010