Respiratory News and Research

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Monitoring care of patients with lung cancer in Northern Ireland

Seventeen people are still dying from lung cancer each week in Northern Ireland despite a small improvement in survival rates for the disease.

6 Apr 2009

Maternal smoking impairs a baby's ability to respond to external stimuli

Monash University researchers have shown that babies born to a mother who smokes are more likely to be slower to wake or respond to stimulation - and this may explain their increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

6 Apr 2009

Allergies may be caused by a malfunction of the respiratory epithelium

One reason for the development of allergy may be malfunction of the respiratory epithelium, which allows allergens to bind to, enter and travel through the epithelium.

6 Apr 2009

New research to study genetics and cell biology of pancreatic cancer

The Georgia Institute of Technology and Saint Joseph's Hospital have joined together to begin the first regional research program to study the genetics and cell biology of pancreatic cancer.

6 Apr 2009

Maternal smoking replaces stomach sleeping as the greatest modifiable risk factor for SIDS

A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP shows that maternal smoking is associated with an impaired infant arousal process that may increase the risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

1 Apr 2009

TV series brings dwarfism into the spotlight

A popular cable reality television show, Little People, Big World, focuses on the daily lives of short stature individuals.

1 Apr 2009

Pharmaxis reaches milestone in cystic fibrosis trial

Pharmaxis has announced completion of the first component of its Phase III international trial assessing the effectiveness of Bronchitol in people with cystic fibrosis.

1 Apr 2009

New smoking cessation drug varenicline tartrate shows promise in trials

Research has shown that varenicline tartrate - a novel new drug specifically developed for smoking cessation - allows smokers to abstain from cigarettes significantly longer and more effectively than smokers using a placebo.

31 Mar 2009

Mylan's Matrix receives tentative FDA approval under PEPFAR for generic Truvada

Mylan Inc. has announced that Matrix Laboratories Limited, its India-based subsidiary in which it holds a 71.2% controlling interest, has received the first tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets, 200 mg/300 mg.

30 Mar 2009

New Lantheus study finds significant survival benefit for critically ill patients undergoing contrast-enhanced echocardiography

Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc has announced new data regarding the use of DEFINITY Vial For (Perflutren Lipid Microsphere) Injectable Suspension.

29 Mar 2009

Cleaning fluids used in hospitals may pose a health risks

A pilot study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health has found that potentially hazardous chemicals are contained in a selection of agents used in several different hospitals.

29 Mar 2009

High prevalence of infection with three recently discovered human polyomaviruses

A majority of the human population has been exposed to newly discovered KI (KIV), WU (WUV), and Merkel cell (MCV) human polyomaviruses, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado.

29 Mar 2009

Physio-Control receives FDA 510(k) clearance for LIFEPAK monitor/defibrillator

Physio-Control, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic, Inc., has announced it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the LIFEPAK 15 monitor/defibrillator within the United States.

29 Mar 2009

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related problems hard to swallow

Patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibit a disordered breathing-swallowing pattern that may account for their higher risk of aspiration pneumonia, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh.

29 Mar 2009

Orexo reports on efficacy study in allergic rhinitis with OX914

Orexo has reported clinical results from an experimental phase IIa safety and efficacy study in allergic rhinitis with OX914, the first compound in its Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor program.

24 Mar 2009

FDA approves new indication for Wyeth's Tygacil (tigecycline)

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Tygacil (tigecycline), for the treatment of adult patients with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) caused by susceptible strains of indicated pathogens.

24 Mar 2009

Exercise therapy benefits ICU patients

An exercise program developed at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center aimed at helping patients in the medical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) maintain physical conditioning is a featured 'Innovation Profile' on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Web site.

23 Mar 2009

Cardiac arrhythmias are often accompanied by sleep-disordered breathing

Breathing during sleep is often impaired in patients with atrial fibrillation.

22 Mar 2009

Abnormal EKG can predict death in stroke patients

People who suffer an ischemic stroke and also have an abnormality in the heart's electrical cycle are at a higher risk of death within 90 days than people who do not have abnormal electrical activity at the time of emergency treatment, according to new research.

22 Mar 2009

Gleevec reduces risk of cancer returning in patients with life-threatening gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Data published online and in an upcoming print issue of The Lancet show that Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) tablets, when taken after surgery, substantially reduces the rate of recurrence of Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) compared with placebo.

20 Mar 2009