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NIST develops new Vaccinium berry suite of standard reference materials

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers have developed new certified reference materials for measuring amounts of organic acids in dietary supplements formulated with Vaccinium berries-cranberries, blueberries and bilberries. As described in a recent paper, manufacturers and researchers can use this new suite of standard reference materialsTM (SRMs) as quality assurance tools.

11 Nov 2010

Colorado officials discover positive test for E. coli 0157:H7 in Mauri Gorgonzola cheese

Mauri Gorgonzola cheese with sell-by dates of 01/31/11 and 01/14/11 is being recalled because of a positive test for E. coli 0157:H7. DPI Specialty Foods of Tualatin, Ore., cut, packaged and distributed the cheese to Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) stores in Colorado.

11 Nov 2010

HHS unveils new bolder tobacco control strategy

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today unveiled a new comprehensive tobacco control strategy that includes proposed new bolder health warnings on cigarette packages and advertisements. Once final, these health warnings on cigarettes and in cigarette advertisements will be the most significant change in more than 25 years. These actions are part of a broader strategy that will help tobacco users quit and prevent children from starting.

11 Nov 2010

Ethical dilemmas in supporting drug detention centers

Organizations that seek to provide health care, food, and other services to people held in drug detention centers in developing countries often face ethical dilemmas: Are they doing more good than harm? Are they helping detainees or legitimizing a corrupt system and ultimately building its capacity to detain and abuse more people?

11 Nov 2010

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids issues statement on national tobacco prevention strategy

The national tobacco prevention strategy announced today by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius provides a timely and much-needed shot in the arm for the nation's efforts to combat tobacco use, the number one cause of preventable death in America. It calls for bold and historic action that will improve health, save lives and save health care costs for employers, workers and taxpayers across the country.

11 Nov 2010

FDA identifies promising steps to enhance safety of CT scans

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been investigating reports that patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) brain perfusion scans were accidently exposed to excess radiation. The FDA found that when properly used, the CT scanners did not malfunction. Instead, it is likely that the improper use of the scanners resulted in these overdoses. However, the FDA has identified a series or promising steps to enhance the safety of these procedures. These steps could reduce the likelihood of radiation overexposure in the event of improper use of the CT scanners.

11 Nov 2010

Most drug and biological product makers meet postmarketing requirements and commitments

Most makers of approved drug and biological products are meeting their regulatory obligations and meeting targets for postmarketing studies/clinical trials in a timely manner, according to a study released today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

11 Nov 2010

Pharmaxis to present ARIDOL Bronchial Challenge Test Kit at 2010 ACAAI

Pharmaxis, a global specialty pharmaceutical company focused on therapeutic products for respiratory and immune disorders, will present ARIDOL™ (mannitol inhalation powder) Bronchial Challenge Test Kit, at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), November 11-16 in Phoenix, AZ.

11 Nov 2010

Recommendations for safe and effective testing of artificial pancreas systems in real-life settings

Diabetes experts at a meeting convened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) took the next step in advancing efforts toward the development of an artificial pancreas: putting forth clinical recommendations to ensure the safe and effective testing of artificial pancreas technology in real-life situations.

11 Nov 2010

Pleasurable activity also reduces stress by inhibiting anxiety responses

Whether it's food or sex, pleasurable activity provides more than just pleasure, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers say. It actually reduces stress by inhibiting anxiety responses in the brain.

11 Nov 2010

Consumption of fructose-rich beverages can increase gout risk in women

Consumption of fructose-rich beverages, such as sugar-sweetened sodas and orange juice is associated with an increased risk of gout among women, although their contribution to the risk of gout in the population is likely modest because of the low incidence rate among women, according to a study that will appear in the November 24 print edition of JAMA.

11 Nov 2010

Exhausted neurons die prematurely and trigger disease symptoms

We all know that living a stressful lifestyle can take its toll, making us age faster and making us more susceptible to the cold going around the office.

11 Nov 2010

Aeterna Zentaris to present AEZS-108 Phase 2 results for endometrial cancer at EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that it will present a poster on Phase 2 results for AEZS-108 in advanced endometrial cancer at the 22nd EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics to be held at the Berlin Estrel Hotel and Convention Centre in Berlin, Germany November 16 through 19, 2010.

11 Nov 2010

Legacy applauds HHS and FDA for new tobacco control strategic action plan

Legacy applauds HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its bold new effort announced today to dramatically reduce the number of American lives lost annually to tobacco-related disease. Still the number one preventable cause of death, tobacco continues to claim more than 400,000 lives each year in the United States.

11 Nov 2010

Experts call for global agriculture reform to ensure food security as two rice conferences open

Experts attending the International Rice Congress in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday called for imminent action to change inefficient farming methods and expand the global rice supply in order to prevent rising poverty and hunger, Agence France-Presse reports.

11 Nov 2010

Dendreon requests licensure for additional capacity to manufacture PROVENGE at New Jersey facility

Dendreon Corporation today announced that it has completed the submission of the post-approval supplement to the PROVENGE® (sipuleucel-T) Biologics License Application for the Morris Plains, New Jersey manufacturing facility. Dendreon is requesting licensure for an additional 36 workstations to manufacture PROVENGE. The standard U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review for a post-approval supplement to a Biologics License Application is typically four months.

11 Nov 2010

Ban on potential toxic ingredients in toys needed

Manufacturer recalls of toys, promotional drinking glasses, and other children's products constitute an ongoing "toxic toys crisis" that requires banning potentially harmful ingredients in these products and other changes in policy and practices. That's the conclusion of a new analysis in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.

11 Nov 2010

PolyMedix receives FDA regulatory clearance for PMX-30063 IND application

PolyMedix, Inc. an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, has received regulatory clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for PMX-30063, a synthetic defensin-mimetic antibiotic.

11 Nov 2010

Infant foods must be protected against fumonisin toxin

An international team of scientists calls for protecting complementary food for infants in developing countries - especially those where corn is a staple food - against fumonisin, a toxin produced by fungi. Until now, physicians thought the growth retardation of children in those regions was to be blamed on the poor nutritional value of the complementary maize porridge they receive when breast milk is no longer sufficient. But toxins indeed are involved, the scientists report in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.

10 Nov 2010

Egrifta receives FDA approval for treatment of HIV-lipodystrophy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Egrifta (tesamorelin) to treat HIV patients with lipodystrophy, a condition in which excess fat develops in different areas of the body, most notably around the liver, stomach, and other abdominal organs. The condition is associated with many antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV.

10 Nov 2010