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Rheonix receives U.S patent for microfluidic device

Rheonix, Inc., developer of the Rheonix CARD system to provide multiplexed endpoint analysis for a wide breadth of diagnostic applications, announced that on November 16, 2010 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued Patent Number 7,832,429 "Microfluidic Pump and Valve Structures and Fabrication Method" to the Company.

18 Nov 2010

FDA grants three years of marketing exclusivity to ISTA's BROMDAY

ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the Company three years of marketing exclusivity for BROMDAY (bromfenac ophthalmic solution) 0.09%, as provided under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act, commonly known as the Hatch-Waxman Act.

18 Nov 2010

New pharmacogenetic test enables a personalized medicine approach

Luminex Corporation, today announced that it has commercially launched its first pharmacogenetic test, the xTAG CYP2D6 Kit, which recently received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

From Luminex 17 Nov 2010

Obesity linked to heightened sense of smell for food

New research shows that obese and overweight people have a greater sense of smell for food. The study at the University of Portsmouth explains why some people struggle to stay slim. The researchers say that it is known that part of the brain that processes information about odour is also connected to the feeding centres of the brain. This study adds to the knowledge and is published in the journal Chemical Senses.

17 Nov 2010

Study on intention-behaviour gap in relation to healthy eating

We regularly hear how the best of intentions do not translate into action. This is nowhere more apparent than in the case of healthy eating, where many fall through the gap between intention and action. Research is ongoing at Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, and University College Cork to try to decipher this intention-behaviour gap in relation to healthy eating.

17 Nov 2010

Popular Science names VisionCare's Implantable Miniature Telescope for AMD 'Best of What's New' 2010

VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc., a developer of advanced visual prosthetic devices, today announced the Implantable Miniature Telescope (by Dr. Isaac Lipshitz), designed to improve vision in patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is named "Best of What's New" 2010 by Popular Science magazine.

17 Nov 2010

School vending machines influence dietary intake of students

Vending machines in public schools influence the diets of school children and can affect overall dietary intake and health, depending on what foods they contain.

17 Nov 2010

New technique to purify propolis

The healing properties of propolis a mixture of resin and wax made by honey bees to seal and sterilise their hives have been known for many years. But its use in medicine and food supplements has been limited because the sticky substance is not water soluble and has a strong, off-putting smell.

17 Nov 2010

LFA encouraged by FDA Advisory Committee vote on BENLYSTA for autoimmune disease lupus

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Arthritis Advisory Committee voted overwhelmingly (13 to 2) to recommend BENLYSTA® for approval as a treatment for the autoimmune disease lupus. If FDA approved, BENLYSTA would become the first new treatment for lupus in 52 years. While today's vote is a positive step, the FDA still must make a final decision to approve BENLYSTA in the coming weeks.

17 Nov 2010

Pilot registry to identify AEDs in the community

Monday, Food and Drug Administration officials announced that the University of Colorado School of Medicine will work with the FDA to develop a pilot registry in Denver to identify AEDs in the community. This registry will link AEDs to emergency medical dispatch. It also could increase the ability of bystanders to save a life and help ensure that AEDs are located where they might be needed. Seattle and San Diego are the only other cities that will launch this effort.

17 Nov 2010

Food allergies may lead to 'kissing' allergies

Even brushing your teeth or waiting hours after eating may not prevent some partners of people with food and medicine allergies from triggering an allergic reaction through a kiss, according to allergists at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Phoenix, Nov.11-16.

17 Nov 2010

LRI pleased with FDA Advisory Committee's approval of Benlysta for lupus

The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) and its National Coalition of state and local lupus organizations are pleased with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee's vote to recommend approval of Benlysta® for active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), offering patients new found hope for the first approved treatment option in more than 50 years.

17 Nov 2010

New AAC devices can help patients with neurological conditions to communicate

Though many people suffering from neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy and Lou Gehrig's disease have lost their ability to speak, they can communicate using augmentative and alternative communications (AAC) devices such as keyboards, head sticks, and other hands-free options.

17 Nov 2010

FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee recommends approval of BENLYSTA for SLE

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC today announced that the Arthritis Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has voted 13 to 2 to recommend that the FDA approve BENLYSTA (belimumab) for the treatment of autoantibody-positive patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

17 Nov 2010

Anthera places voluntary hold on A-623 Phase 2b study for lupus

Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs to treat serious diseases associated with inflammation, today announced that it has notified the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the company has placed a voluntary hold on PEARL-SC, the Phase 2b study of A-623 for the treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (lupus), due to problems found with product vials.

17 Nov 2010

Faster FDA action against alcoholic energy drinks needed

Alcoholic energy drinks have been making national headlines and four states to date have banned their sale following reports of blackouts and unsafe behaviors, especially among college students. These actions are encouraging to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center emergency physician Mary Claire O'Brien, M.D., who conducted groundbreaking research into the dangers of the manufactured drinks.

17 Nov 2010

FDA partners with CDC to kick off Get Smart about Antibiotics Week

This year, millions of antibiotics will be prescribed. Antibiotics can be used to treat bacterial infections; however, they are commonly over-prescribed. Patients sometimes ask their health care professional to prescribe antibiotic drugs for viral infections, like the common cold, despite the fact that they will not work and may lead to potentially harmful side effects. The misuse of antibiotics has contributed to one of the world's most pressing public health problems today, antibiotic resistance.

17 Nov 2010

Medicare roundup: Payment cuts irk healthcare industry; officials mull new prostate-cancer treatment

Doctors across the United States are taking a wait-and-see approach while Congress decides whether or not to allow a scheduled 23% cut in Medicare reimbursement rates to take effect on Dec. 1.

17 Nov 2010

New safety reporting website for electronic health records launched

The Wall Street Journal: An alliance of executives from medical societies and professional liability carriers yesterday launched "EHRevent.org, a new safety reporting system for [electronic health records] EHRs. Doctors and other health-care workers can go online and report problems and mistakes they experience as they ramp up the use of digitized records.

17 Nov 2010

Optivia, UCSF receive SBIR grant to develop transporter-based assay system

Optivia Biotechnology Inc., a leading provider of in vitro transporter assay services, today announced that the company and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop an innovative system for characterizing the role transporter proteins play in the disposition of drugs by the liver.

16 Nov 2010