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Antibiotic effective for plague gets FDA nod

Federal regulators – The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), have approved use of an antibiotic to treat plague, an extremely rare, sometimes-fatal bacterial infection.

30 Apr 2012

Antibody that neutralizes enzyme Kallikrein 6 staves off MS

Researchers studying multiple sclerosis(MS) have long been looking for the specific molecules in the body that cause lesions in myelin, the fatty, insulating cells that sheathe the nerves.

30 Apr 2012

Financial Times examines Cuban company selling larvicides for malaria control in Africa

Though "[m]ost international support credited with the recent decline in malaria in Africa has been channeled to providing bednets, diagnostics and drugs, a Cuban company called Labiofam is marketing bacterial larvicides in Africa to help fight the disease," the Financial Times reports.

30 Apr 2012

Amoxicillin-clavulanate may improve small bowel function in children experiencing motility disturbances

The common antibiotic, amoxicillin-clavulanate, may improve small bowel function in children experiencing motility disturbances, according to a study appearing in the June print edition of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition from Nationwide Children's Hospital.

30 Apr 2012

Report: Nursing homes and anti-psychotic drugs

A report by the Boston Globe based on government information finds many nursing homes use powerful sedatives on patients who should not be getting them.

30 Apr 2012

Protein vital for cell survival and immune balance has another form with different function

Research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators suggests that safeguarding cell survival and maintaining a balanced immune system is just the start of the myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (MCL1) protein's work.

30 Apr 2012

FDA approves Levaquin for plague

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Levaquin (levofloxacin) to treat patients with plague, a rare and potentially deadly bacterial infection. The agency also approved the drug to reduce the risk of getting plague after exposure to Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the disease.

30 Apr 2012

U.S. government is largest funder of global health R&D, report shows

"The U.S. government is the largest funder of global health research and development [R&D] in the world, spending $12.7 billion over the past 10 years," according to a report (.pdf) released on Friday by the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) and Policy Cures, United Press International reports.

30 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Entitlement 'train wrecks' approaching; Collecting for health bills at the hospital

The evidence has been clear for a long time now regarding the future of those twin financial train wrecks known as Social Security and Medicare. We have known for decades that without significant reform both are on a path toward insolvency.

30 Apr 2012

Kadimastem, Merck Serono enter agreement for MS drug-screening platform

Kadimastem, an Israeli Biotechnology company that develops human pluripotent stem cell-related products, today announced the signing of a five year framework agreement with Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

30 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 30, 2012

In today's headlines, a variety of health policy headlines ranging from reports about state-level health law implementation progress to marketplace news.

30 Apr 2012

New class of drugs hold promise against aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have shown how a promising new class of drugs might be used to treat aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer, according to a study published in Nature.

30 Apr 2012

Scientists discover number of unknown brain networks linked with teen drug abuse

Why do some teenagers start smoking or experimenting with drugs-while others don't? In the largest imaging study of the human brain ever conducted-involving 1,896 14-year-olds-scientists have discovered a number of previously unknown networks that go a long way toward an answer.

30 Apr 2012

U of U develops small implantable middle-ear microphone

Cochlear implants have restored basic hearing to some 220,000 deaf people, yet a microphone and related electronics must be worn outside the head, raising reliability issues, preventing patients from swimming and creating social stigma.

30 Apr 2012

Only few clinical trials are being conducted to test drugs in pediatric patients

Although children are more likely than adults to suffer from many diseases, few clinical trials are being conducted to test drugs in pediatric patients, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston.

30 Apr 2012

VIVUS receives FDA approval for Stendra to treat erectile dysfunction

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Stendra (avanafil), a new drug to treat erectile dysfunction.

30 Apr 2012

Five U.S. federal agencies provide significant contributions each year to global health R&D

A new report that the United States government is the largest funder of global health research and development (R&D) in the world, investing $12.7 billion over the past 10 years in the creation of new vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and other products for neglected diseases of the developing world. That funding, according to the report, helped lead to the development of more than half of the 45 new health products in the last decade that have been used to save lives around the world.

30 Apr 2012

Researchers use Moffitt's Total Cancer Care to create designer lymph nodes

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center are in the first phase of creating "designer lymph nodes." Designer lymph nodes are built with specialized gene-modified cells that are injected into patients and produce a pre-planned immunologic response for cancer patients locally and then throughout their bodies. The researchers are examining a cancer vaccine "boosting" effect of the manufactured lymph nodes in patients with advanced melanoma.

30 Apr 2012

Research roundup: Practice guidelines may not stop defensive medicine; English language ability tied to hospital readmission rates

The Value of Clinical Practice Guidelines As Malpractice "Safe Harbors" -- Overspending on health care has frequently been attributed to doctors practicing defensive medicine -- ordering extra tests, for example -- so that they avoid malpractice lawsuits. The authors of this brief write that while some have said clinical guidelines "should give caregivers a liability 'safe harbor,' shielding them from any malpractice claim for failing to provide services not included in the guideline."

27 Apr 2012

McKesson to settle Medicaid billing lawsuit

The Justice Department says the prescription drug distributor overcharged Medicaid.

27 Apr 2012

Drugs News and Research

Antibiotic effective for plague gets FDA nod

Antibody that neutralizes enzyme Kallikrein 6 staves off MS

Financial Times examines Cuban company selling larvicides for malaria control in Africa

Amoxicillin-clavulanate may improve small bowel function in children experiencing motility disturbances

Report: Nursing homes and anti-psychotic drugs

Protein vital for cell survival and immune balance has another form with different function

FDA approves Levaquin for plague

U.S. government is largest funder of global health R&D, report shows

Viewpoints: Entitlement 'train wrecks' approaching; Collecting for health bills at the hospital

Kadimastem, Merck Serono enter agreement for MS drug-screening platform

First Edition: April 30, 2012

New class of drugs hold promise against aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer

Scientists discover number of unknown brain networks linked with teen drug abuse

U of U develops small implantable middle-ear microphone

Only few clinical trials are being conducted to test drugs in pediatric patients

VIVUS receives FDA approval for Stendra to treat erectile dysfunction

Five U.S. federal agencies provide significant contributions each year to global health R&D

Researchers use Moffitt's Total Cancer Care to create designer lymph nodes

Research roundup: Practice guidelines may not stop defensive medicine; English language ability tied to hospital readmission rates

McKesson to settle Medicaid billing lawsuit

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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