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FDA forms new internal task force to support development of new antibacterial drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the formation of an internal task force that will support the development of new antibacterial drugs, a critical public health care goal and a priority for the agency.

25 Sep 2012

FIOCRUZ, DNDi and Brazil collaborate on R&D for neglected diseases

At the opening ceremony of the XVIII International Congress for Tropical Medicines and Malaria (ICTMM) and the XLVIII Congress of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine in Rio de Janeiro, the Ministry of Health of Brazil signed a Cooperation and Technical Assistance Agreement with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) Latin America, uniting the three actors into a strategic partnership to collaborate on research and development (R&D) for new therapies and diagnostics for neglected diseases.

25 Sep 2012

Regions Hospital reports $49 million in community benefit in 2011

Regions Hospital reported $49 million in community benefit in 2011. Regions calculates community benefit by using standards set by the Catholic Health Association and used by the Internal Revenue Service for nonprofit hospitals filing Form 990.

25 Sep 2012

Free bus pass increases physical activity in elderly

UK adults aged 60 years and over who take advantage of the 2002 introduction of a free bus pass undertake significantly more active travel than their peers who do not have a pass, indicate study results.

24 Sep 2012

Mailed sun protection kits lead to higher frequency of sun protective behaviors

A blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence more than doubles the adult risk of skin cancer. The accumulation of long-term sun exposure may be equally dangerous.

24 Sep 2012

'Reaching the moon' in global public health

Citing President John F. Kennedy's "moon speech" -- in which Kennedy said, "We choose…because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win" --

24 Sep 2012

Cannabis Science commences CSTATI-1 preclinical studies in Squamous/BCCs, Kaposi's sarcoma

Cannabis Science, a pioneering U.S. Biotech Company developing pharmaceutical products for global public health challenges, is pleased to announce preclinical investigations being initiated in Europe for Squamous/Basal Cell carcinomas and Kaposi's sarcoma based on inhibition of carcinogenicity utilizing cannabinoids that have been demonstrated in recent studies to significantly affect tumor necrosis.

24 Sep 2012

Simple survey can effectively identify women with ovarian cancer symptoms

A simple three-question paper-and-pencil survey, given to women in the doctor's office in less than two minutes, can effectively identify those who are experiencing symptoms that may indicate ovarian cancer, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

24 Sep 2012

Many AF patients not receiving oral anticoagulant therapy despite rapid adoption of dabigatran

A novel blood thinner recently approved by the FDA, dabigatran (Pradaxa), has been rapidly adopted into clinical practice, yet thus far has had little impact on improving treatment rates for atrial fibrillation.

24 Sep 2012

Suicide now the leading cause of injury mortality in the U.S.

A published study by researchers from the West Virginia University School of Public Health and Injury Control Research Center found that suicide has now passed motor vehicle traffic crashes as the leading cause of injury deaths in the United States. Additionally, the disease rate has been declining while the injury rate has been rising.

24 Sep 2012

Exposure to near-roadway air pollution can cause or exacerbate asthma in L.A. County children

Research conducted at the University of Southern California (USC) indicates that at least 8 percent of the more than 300,000 cases of childhood asthma in Los Angeles County can be attributed to traffic-related pollution at homes within 75 meters (a little less than 250 feet) of a busy roadway.

24 Sep 2012

Genomic analysis of E. coli shows multiple steps to evolve new trait

Several years ago researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) reported discovering a novel, evolutionary trait in a long-studied population of Escherichia coli, a rod-shaped bacterium commonly found in the lower intestine of mammals. The E. coli added a helping of citrate to its traditional diet of glucose, even though other E. coli can't consume citrate in the presence of oxygen.

24 Sep 2012

Many public safety-net hospitals are likely to face financial and competitive pressures

Many public safety-net hospitals are likely to face increasing financial and competitive pressures stemming in part from the recent Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act, according to researchers at Penn State and the Harvard School of Public Health.

24 Sep 2012

Gates blog series on World Contraception Day

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog continues its series, published in partnership with Women Deliver, to recognize World Contraception Day, observed annually on September 26.

21 Sep 2012

What moms eat before pregnancy affects children epigenetically

Everyone knows that what mom eats when pregnant makes a huge difference in the health of her child. Now, new research in mice suggests that what she ate before pregnancy might be important too. According to a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal, what a group of female mice ate-before pregnancy-chemically altered their DNA and these changes were passed to her offspring. These DNA alterations, called "epigenetic" changes, drastically affected the pups' metabolism of many essential fatty acids.

21 Sep 2012