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Viewpoints: Perry's health record, Medicare spending slows, postal service's health plan controversy

And now for some good news: Medicare spending growth has been slowing noticeably. ... some evidence suggests it may be a shift toward value in the health-care sector. Various hospital executives have told me they have already begun to prepare for less generous reimbursement from Medicare as the new federal health-care-reform law takes effect.

25 Aug 2011

ICU patients with MRSA infection may face 50% increased risk of death

Does the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, cause more deaths in hospitals than the bacteria that are sensitive to common antibiotics? Opinions have been varied, but now a worldwide study at, among others, Linköping University in Sweden, indicates that the mortality rate can be 50 % higher for intensive care patients infected with MRSA.

25 Aug 2011

USPTO issues Notice of Allowance for Cortex AMPAKINE molecules to treat respiratory depression

Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a patent that protects the use of AMPAKINE molecules for the treatment or prevention of respiratory depression.

25 Aug 2011

Researchers discover NPC1 protein as crucial for Ebola virus to enter host cells

Although outbreaks are rare, Ebola virus, the cause of Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is one of the deadliest known viruses affecting humans. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1,850 EHF cases with more than 1,200 deaths have been documented since the virus was identified in 1976.

25 Aug 2011

Azithromycin can effectively reduce acute COPD exacerbations

A common antibiotic added to the usual treatment plan for some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can reduce acute exacerbations — sudden onsets of worsened cough, wheezing and labored breathing — and improve quality of life, according to findings from the COPD Clinical Research Network reported in the Aug. 25, 2011, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

25 Aug 2011

FDA approves Allergan's BOTOX to treat specific form of urinary incontinence

Allergan, Inc. today announced the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BOTOX for injection for the treatment of urinary incontinence due to detrusor overactivity associated with a neurologic condition in adults who have an inadequate response to or are intolerant of an anticholinergic medication.

25 Aug 2011

Roundup: Interim agreement between Planned Parenthood and Ariz. approved; Kan. to release budget plan

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Richard Gama this week signed off on an agreement between Planned Parenthood and the state that allows most of the 2011 regulations to go into effect while the legal challenge continues.

25 Aug 2011

Psoriasis drug and heart attack risk association unclear: Study

According to American researchers, although a review of published studies reveals that a new and highly effective class of psoriasis drugs does not appear to raise the risk of heart problems, the studies may not have been big enough to detect rare cases.

24 Aug 2011

Rising numbers of assisted suicides, coroners turning a blind eye: Study

At least 10% of suicides in England are by someone with a chronic or terminal illness, found researchers who tried to obtain information on the subject from local health authorities.

24 Aug 2011

Synovis Life Technologies third quarter net revenue increases 19% to record $21.0 million

Synovis Life Technologies, Inc., today reported its financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended July 31, 2011.

24 Aug 2011

Kibow renews exclusive worldwide veterinary licensing and marketing agreement

Kibow Biotech, Inc. today announced that it has renewed its exclusive worldwide licensing and marketing agreement with the current licensing partner specializing in animal health.

24 Aug 2011

FDA grants fast track designation for Pharmasset's PSI-938 to treat chronic HCV infection

Pharmasset, Inc. has received fast track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for PSI-938 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

24 Aug 2011

United Therapeutics completes treprostinil diethanolamine Phase 3 trial in PAH

United Therapeutics Corporation announced today the completion of its FREEDOM-C(2) Phase 3 trial of treprostinil diethanolamine, an investigational sustained release oral formulation of treprostinil, a stable synthetic form of prostacyclin, in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

24 Aug 2011

$New invasive procedures may help patients with chronic refractory headache$

New invasive procedures may help patients with chronic refractory headache

Cluster headache has a substantial detrimental effect on quality of life. New invasive procedures, such as hypothalamic deep brain stimulation and bilateral occipital nerve stimulation, may help patients with chronic refractory headache.

24 Aug 2011

Bacteria tweak their genes and proteins to gain strength

Scientists have discovered that bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella have a sneaky way of making minor alterations to their genes to boost their chances for infection.

24 Aug 2011

Scientists discover nanoparticles can disrupt intracellular transport pathways

Scientists at the Centre of Cancer Biomedicine at the Norwegian Radium Hospital are the first to show that uptake and accumulation of nanoparticles in cells can disrupt important intracellular transport pathways.

24 Aug 2011

Smokers more likely to report problems with persistent musculoskeletal pain

Smokers are much more likely to report problems with persistent musculoskeletal pain than non-smokers, according to a new study reported in the Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society.

24 Aug 2011

Researchers discover expression of IL-37 that protects mice from colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 1 million patients in North America, results from an uncontrolled immune response triggered by environmental factors, such as bacteria, in people genetically predisposed to the disorder. Ulcerative colitis, or inflammation of the lining of the colon, is one such condition.

24 Aug 2011

AMIA president & CEO presents HIT's impact on healthcare disparities

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Equity Summit, convened by the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural and Minority Medicine (IAMMM), opens today as the long-awaited Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is unveiled and opens to the public on the National Mall.

24 Aug 2011

MSFHR announces recipients of 2010/11 health research scholar and trainee funding competitions

The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2010/11 research scholar and trainee funding competitions. Of the more than 300 applicants, MSFHR has funded 95 individuals working in diverse fields of health research.

24 Aug 2011