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FDA approves Omontys - new anemia drug for chronic kidney disease patients

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday approved a new drug called Omontys (peginesatide). This is expected to oust Amgen Inc.’s from its near monopoly in the roughly $6 billion U.S. anemia treatment market.

28 Mar 2012

CryoConcepts introduces breakthrough low-cost and disposable cryosurgical device

CryoConcepts, LP is announcing the introduction of the first disposable, nitrous oxide-based cryosurgical device to physicians in the US and abroad. The pen-shaped device is called CryOmega® and tests have shown the unit is clinically effective and provides pinpoint accuracy at freezing temperatures of -89C.

28 Mar 2012

Adjusting ventilator to keep breath size and lung pressures lower can reduce death from lung injury

Carefully adjusting mechanical ventilator settings in the intensive care unit to pump smaller breaths into very sick lungs can reduce the chances of dying by as much as 8 percent, according to a study by critical care experts at Johns Hopkins. Study participants were evaluated for two years after their acute lung injury.

28 Mar 2012

Researcher joins nationwide effort to monitor resistance to antibiotics

Because infectious microorganisms are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, a Wayne State University researcher has joined a nationwide effort to monitor that resistance while optimizing the use of existing drugs.

28 Mar 2012

Identity of probiotics a key factor in determining safety, efficacy of popular ingredient

Regulators, manufacturers and academic researchers from around the world will convene for a two-day workshop on the scientific and regulatory challenges posed by the use of probiotic ingredients in food products. Discussions will focus on how public standards can assist in supporting transparency, consistency and competitiveness of ethical industry players as health claims surrounding probiotic products undergo increased scrutiny.

28 Mar 2012

New MRI method to test effectiveness of baking soda against breast cancer

A University of Arizona study that looks to improve the way doctors can measure the effectiveness of drinking baking soda to fight breast cancer has received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

28 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 28, 2012

Today's headlines recap yesterday's Supreme Court action related to the constitutionality of the individual mandate and set the scene for day 3 of the oral arguments, which will tackle issues of severalbility and questions about the health law's Medicaid expansion.

28 Mar 2012

Improper preparation for colonoscopy hides pre-cancerous polyps

What happens on the day before a colonoscopy may be just as important as the colon-screening test itself.

28 Mar 2012

Imatinib improves RFS, overall survival in GIST patients after surgery

Among patients with a high risk of recurrence of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor following surgery for its removal, patients who received imatinib (a drug to treat certain cancers) for 3 years instead of 1 had improved recurrence-free survival and overall survival, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Mar 2012

Chemistry team discovers environmentally-friendly iron-based nanoparticle catalysts

A chemistry team at the University of Toronto has discovered environmentally-friendly iron-based nanoparticle catalysts that work as well as the expensive, toxic, metal-based catalysts that are currently in wide use by the drug, fragrance and food industry.

28 Mar 2012

CGD examines House Budget Committee recommendation to eliminate Feed the Future

In this post in the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Rethinking U.S. Foreign Assistance Blog," Connie Veillette, director of CGD's rethinking U.S. foreign assistance initiative, discusses the passage of the House Budget Committee's "budget alternative last week that calls for reduced spending for international affairs."

28 Mar 2012

Dr. Reddy’s introduces Quetiapine fumarate tablets in the U.S.

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories announced today that it has launched Quetiapine fumarate tablets (25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, 300 mg and 400 mg), a bioequivalent generic version of SEROQUEL tablets in the US market on March 27, 2012 following the approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) of Dr. Reddy's ANDA for Quetiapine fumarate tablets.

28 Mar 2012

Placentophagia may offer benefits to human mothers

A paper by neuroscientists at the University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College suggests that ingestion of components of afterbirth or placenta -- placentophagia -- may offer benefits to human mothers and perhaps to non-mothers and males.

28 Mar 2012

United Nations Foundation launches Nothing But Nets campaign

Since last June, more than 130,000 refugees—and counting—have entered South Sudan and neighboring countries to escape fighting on the border of Sudan. As the situation worsens, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is providing food, water, and shelter. Living in a country where malaria is the leading cause of death among children under five, the refugee families in South Sudan need another life-saving tool: insecticide-treated bed nets.

28 Mar 2012

Researchers develop gut-on-a-chip microdevice

Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have created a gut-on-a-chip microdevice lined by living human cells that mimics the structure, physiology, and mechanics of the human intestine-even supporting the growth of living microbes within its luminal space.

28 Mar 2012

FDA publishes first-of-a-kind guidance for medical device manufacturers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today published a first-of-a-kind guidance for medical device manufacturers, describing how the benefits and risks of certain medical devices are considered during pre-market review.

28 Mar 2012

Rivaroxaban found safe and effective in pulmonary embolism

Rivaroxaban has been found to be effective in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after orthopedic surgery, for the prevention of stroke in AF (Atrial fibrillation) patients, and as additional therapy to conventional antiplatelet therapy in ACS (Acute coronary syndrome) patients.

27 Mar 2012

Morning after pills difficult for teenagers to procure

Quite a few U.S. pharmacies may give teen girls incorrect information over the phone about whether they can get the morning-after pill. The pill is a form of emergency contraception taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy without a prescription, a new study suggests.

27 Mar 2012

Chocolate for weight loss: Study

The US survey of a population of more than 1000 adults, published as a research letter in the Archives on Internal Medicine, reinforces the idea that chocolate packs heart healthy benefits, despite its high calorie and sugar content. For the study the participants reported eating chocolate an average of twice a week and exercising an average of 3.6 times a week. Their average age was 57.

27 Mar 2012

Surfaxin receives FDA approval for prevention of RDS in premature infants

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Surfaxin (lucinactant) for the prevention of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), a breathing disorder that affects premature infants.

27 Mar 2012