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Research roundup: Conflict of interest in Medicaid drug purchasing; Examining Medigap policies; Electronic medical records and hospital quality

The authors of this study assert that the decisions about which drugs are selected for state Medicaid reimbursement programs "should be based on available evidence and free of conflicts of interests (COIs)."

15 Feb 2013

First Edition: February 15, 2013

Today's headlines include news about how the health law's insurance exchanges are taking shape.

15 Feb 2013

U.S. Marshals seize tainted dietary supplements from Globe All Wellness

U.S. Marshals, acting on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, today seized tainted dietary supplements from Globe All Wellness, LLC (Globe All), in Hollywood, Fla. The products may be unsafe because they contain an undisclosed active pharmaceutical ingredient.

15 Feb 2013

IOM proposes state, FDA actions to stop growth of counterfeit drugs

The Institute of Medicine Wednesday urged a series regulatory changes to help protect the public against buying fake or poorly made drugs.

15 Feb 2013

Patient-specific cancer cell lines designed to predict chemotherapy sensitivity

In laboratory studies, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a way to personalize chemotherapy drug selection for cancer patients by using cell lines created from their own tumors.

15 Feb 2013

Pairing Avastin with dasatinib can stop lethal spread of glioblastoma multiforme

The drug bevacizumab, also known by the trade name Avastin, shrinks tumors briefly in patients with an aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma multiforme, but then they often grow again and spread throughout the brain for reasons no one previously has understood. Now, Mayo Clinic researchers have found out why this happens.

15 Feb 2013

Study determines effectiveness of sewage lagoons at removing pharmaceuticals from wastewater

2012 marked the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which established regulations for the discharge of pollutants to waterways and supported the building of sewage treatment plants. Despite these advances, sewage remains a major source of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and naturally occurring hormones found in the environment.

15 Feb 2013

Improving tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis: an interview with Professor Madhukar Pai, MD, PhD

TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nearly 9 million people develop TB every year, and TB kills nearly 1.4 million individuals each year. While the incidence of TB has steadily declined in the west, it remains a huge public health problem in many developing countries, with India having the highest burden.

15 Feb 2013

IOM report offers recommendations to combat distribution of fake, substandard medicines

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies "is urging stronger regulation of pharmaceuticals around the world to combat the growing problem of fake and poor-quality medicines," NPR's "Shots" blog reports.

15 Feb 2013

FDA committee recommends approval of Guerbet’s Dotarem NDA for adults and children

Guerbet, the contrast agent specialist for medical imaging, today announced that the Medical Imaging Drugs Advisory Committee to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has voted unanimously by votes of 17 to 0 to recommend that FDA approve the New Drug Application (NDA) for Dotarem (gadoterate meglumine) for adults, and for pediatric use for children two years of age and older.

15 Feb 2013

SPI Pharma launches Actimask Ibuprofen 92S

SPI Pharma, Inc., a global leader in providing pharmaceutical ingredients and technologies for patient-friendly dosage forms, announces the launch of Actimask Ibuprofen 92S, a taste-masked Ibuprofen.

15 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: FDA needs more power to regulate compounding pharmacies; Time to revamp military benefits, including health

Traditionally, the licensing and control of pharmacies has been left to the states, but their performance has been uneven. The federal role has been thrown into question in recent years by lawsuits. ... compounding pharmacies are not generally required to inform the FDA that they are in business nor to register with the FDA or disclose what products they are making.

15 Feb 2013

Political cartoon: 'Don't Go Breakin' My Heart?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart?" by Gary Markstein.

14 Feb 2013

High diclofenac use questioned

Diclofenac remains one of the most widely recommended and regularly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs globally, despite its known association with increased cardiovascular risk, warn researchers who argue it should be removed from Essential Medicines Lists.

14 Feb 2013

Nerve stimulation could stave off migraine attacks

Transcutaneous stimulation of the trigeminal nerve has shown promise as a treatment for migraine, according to results of a randomized controlled trial.

14 Feb 2013

Researchers ESTABLISH efficacy of tedizolid phosphate for skin infections

Results from the phase III ESTABLISH-1 study show that the new antibiotic tedizolid phosphate is noninferior to linezolid for the treatment of acute bacterial and skin structure infections.

14 Feb 2013

Canada-US-Italian research team develops nature-inspired cocaine biosensor

Since the beginning of time, living organisms have developed ingenious mechanisms to monitor their environment. As part of an international study, a team of researchers has adapted some of these natural mechanisms to detect specific molecules such as cocaine more accurately and quickly. Their work may greatly facilitate the rapid screening-less than five minutes-of many drugs, infectious diseases, and cancers.

14 Feb 2013

Tianyin Pharmaceutical second quarter revenue decreases 3.3% to $17.6 million

Tianyin Pharmaceutical Inc., a pharmaceutical company that specializes in the patented biopharmaceutical, modernized traditional Chinese medicine (mTCM), branded generics and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) announced financial results for second quarter of the fiscal year 2013.

14 Feb 2013

Study shows importance of lncRNAs for regulation of adipogeneis

Whitehead Institute researchers have identified a previously unrecognized layer of genetic regulation that is necessary for the generation of undesirable white fat cells. When this regulation is disrupted, white fat cells are unable to accumulate lipid droplets or mature from their precursors.

14 Feb 2013

Stress and mental illness: an interview with Professor Akira Sawa

As a psychiatrist I am interested in how stress may play a role in the pathology of adult mental disorders. You may know that most of the major mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, mood-disorder, substance abuse or even anxiety disorder, become prominent in early adulthood.

14 Feb 2013