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FDA clears LENSAR Laser System to perform corneal, arcuate incisions during cataract surgery

LENSAR Inc., developer of the next generation LENSAR Laser System™ for refractive cataract surgery, announced today that the company's laser system has received 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration for the execution of arcuate incisions during cataract surgery.

3 Apr 2013

President Obama meets with 4 African leaders to discuss range of development issues

"President Obama met on Thursday with the leaders of four small countries in sub-Saharan Africa that the White House sees as models for the region," including "Ernest Bai Koroma, president of Sierra Leone; Macky Sall, president of Senegal; Joyce Banda, president of Malawi; and Jose Maria Pereira Neves, prime minister of Cape Verde," the Washington Post reports (Goldfarb, 3/28).

3 Apr 2013

Gynecomastia affects mental, emotional health in adolescent males, study finds

Persistent breast enlargement (gynecomastia) negatively affects self-esteem and other areas of mental and emotional health in adolescent males, reports the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

3 Apr 2013

Policymakers should help improve food security in urban areas, report says

"Tackling hunger is not only a question of producing more food in rural areas, but requires looking at why poor urban populations struggle to eat enough -- a problem aggravated by climate change, a report from the International Institute for Environment and Development said on Thursday," AlertNet reports.

3 Apr 2013

Global consortium aims to use surplus food to tackle hunger in developing world

"A consortium of donors, NGOs, supermarkets and agro-businesses are working on plans to [send] surplus food, currently wasted in industrialized countries, to the developing world to tackle hunger," Owen Barder, senior fellow and director for Europe at the Center for Global Development, writes in the center's "Global Development: Views from the Center" blog.

3 Apr 2013

Researchers to test cyclodextrin for treating Niemann-Pick Type C disease

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is playing a leading role in one of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) first clinical trials to improve treatments for rare and neglected diseases.

3 Apr 2013

Study: Restrictive diet after bariatric surgery improves diabetes outcomes

Patients with type 2 diabetes who consume a diet identical to the strict regimen followed after bariatric surgery are just as likely to see a reduction in blood glucose levels as those who undergo surgery, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

2 Apr 2013

Scientists use multi-analyte approach to determine exposure to tobacco constituents of snus users

Scientists at British American Tobacco have used a multi-analyte approach to determine the level of exposure to tobacco constituents of snus users. The results show that, generally, less than a third of each constituent measured was extracted by consumers during use.

2 Apr 2013

Scientists say DHA-rich fish oil enhances B cell activity

Fish oil rich in DHA and EPA is widely believed to help prevent disease by reducing inflammation, but until now, scientists were not entirely sure about its immune enhancing effects. A new report appearing in the April 2013 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, helps provide clarity on this by showing that DHA-rich fish oil enhances B cell activity, a white blood cell, challenging the notion that fish oil is only immunosuppressive.

2 Apr 2013

Study: Pradaxa drug may increase risk and severity of viral infections

A study led by researchers at the University of North Carolina indicates that a newly approved blood thinner that blocks a key component of the human blood clotting system may increase the risk and severity of certain viral infections, including flu and myocarditis, a viral infection of the heart and a significant cause of sudden death in children and young adults.

2 Apr 2013

GZS releases WebTracker-Hemophilia EHR patient registry system

GZS, Inc., a leader in developing disease-specific and condition-specific Electronic Medical Records/Electronic Health Records and patient registry software solutions, has announced the worldwide release of the WebTracker-Hemophilia EHR patient registry solution used under the new brand name HemaGlobal.

2 Apr 2013

Researchers study effects of diet on cancer risk

Cancer is a disease that invokes fear, so it is not surprising that the public is eager to identify ways to decrease the risk. The media often features information on "Miracle Foods" and publicizes whether these foods can actually decrease the risk of cancer.

2 Apr 2013

Cornell University study examines organic health halo effect

The word "organic" can mean many things to consumers. Even so, the power of an organic label can be very strong: studies have shown that this simple label can lead us to think that a food is healthier, through what is known as the 'health halo effect'.

2 Apr 2013

Report highlights ecological cost of pharmaceutical waste

Pharmaceuticals commonly found in the environment are disrupting streams, with unknown impacts on aquatic life and water quality.

2 Apr 2013

Modifiable lifestyle factors may prevent progression of Barrett's-related esophageal cancer

An estimated 20 million Americans have chronic heartburn. About 2 million of these people have Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition that affects the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

2 Apr 2013

pSivida announces resubmission of ILUVIEN NDA to FDA for chronic diabetic macular edema

pSivida Corp., a specialty pharmaceutical company that is a leader in the development of sustained release ophthalmic drug treatments, today announced that its licensee Alimera Sciences, Inc. reported the submission of its response to the second Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with respect to ILUVIEN for chronic diabetic macular edema.

2 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: 'Big risks' of buying private insurance with Medicaid dollars; One month of sequestration

The Obama administration and Republican officials in several states are exploring ways to redirect federal money intended to expand Medicaid, the main public insurance program for the poor, and use it instead to buy private health insurance for Medicaid recipients.

2 Apr 2013

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals receives preliminary comment letter from FDA on peramivir

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it received a preliminary comment letter from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration that outlines a pathway by which BioCryst could file a New Drug Application seeking regulatory approval of intravenous (i.v.) peramivir.

1 Apr 2013

IGDRASOL to present updates on Cynviloq at AACR annual meeting

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. and IGDRASOL announced today that IGDRASOL will be presenting updates of its development of Cynviloq (IG-001) at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, DC (April 6th to 10th).

1 Apr 2013

WFP director says food security crisis in Sahel is not over

The World Food Programme (WFP) "is helping feed more than 10 million people in eight countries" in the Sahel, but WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin "stressed the crisis was not over," AlertNet reports.

30 Mar 2013