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Bristol-Myers Squibb announces new results of Baraclude (entecavir) resistance monitoring program

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has announced new results of the Baraclude (entecavir) resistance monitoring program, which found a continued low incidence of resistance in studies of nucleoside-naive chronic hepatitis B patients through four years of treatment.

16 Apr 2007

Rhythmic motion of the lungs clears bacteria

While working to find novel ways to treat the life-threatening disease of cystic fibrosis, researchers at the University of North Carolina have discovered that the rhythmic motion of the lungs during normal breathing is a critical regulator of the clearance of bacteria and other noxious materials.

16 Apr 2007

New drug therapy zaps hepatitis C in 12 weeks

Trials of new hepatitis C drug suggest sufferers could be cleared of the virus within 12 weeks of treatment.

16 Apr 2007

Study on accident related smoke inhalation shows most effected to be non-smokers

New research at Rhode Island Hospital studied the chronic effects of smoke inhalation by examining the lungs of 21 survivors of The Station fire (February 20, 2003).

15 Apr 2007

Monitoring chronic heart failure patients' health by phone helps

Monitoring patients' health by phone can make a real difference to people with chronic heart failure, according to a study published on bmj.com.

15 Apr 2007

Transplant patients suffering from anemia have a greater mortality rate

According to a new study in American Journal of Transplantation, kidney transplant patients suffering from anemia, a treatable blood deficiency, are more likely to die or suffer from organ failure than other transplant recipients.

15 Apr 2007

Use of computer-assisted drug design in drug discovery

Metabasis Therapeutics has announced that on March 27, 2007 at the American Chemical Society 233rd National Meeting and Exposition in Chicago, Dr. M. Rami Reddy presented, "Use of Computer-Assisted Drug Design in Drug Discovery: Limitations and Advantages of Available Computational Methods."

15 Apr 2007

Nationwide survey of state Medicaid programs on "pay-for-performance" practices

In the first published nationwide survey of state Medicaid programs on “pay-for-performance” practices, more than half of all programs state that they provide financial incentives to health care providers for better quality care.

15 Apr 2007

Link between immune system and high plasma lipid levels

Researchers at the University of Chicago have found an unsuspected link between the immune system and high plasma lipid levels (cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood) in mice.

15 Apr 2007

Intarcia Therapeutics announces results from study of injectable Omega Interferon plus Ribavirin for treatment of hepatitis C genotype-1

Intarcia Therapeutics has announced final results from a Phase 2 study of omega interferon with or without ribavirin in treatment-naive patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C.

15 Apr 2007

GlaxoSmithKline initiates study of PROMACTA in chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

GlaxoSmithKline has announced the initiation of a global, open-label, single group trial that will assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of PROMACTA (eltrombopag olamine) in patients previously treated for chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

15 Apr 2007

Cytokinetics initiates of phase II clinical trial for CK-1827452

Cytokinetics has announced the initiation of a Phase II clinical trials program evaluating CK-1827452, a novel cardiac myosin activator for the potential treatment of patients with either acutely decompensated or chronic heart failure.

15 Apr 2007

CuraGen announces results with Belinostat and Velafermin

CuraGen Corporation has announced that new preclinical data on belinostat (PXD101), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor being investigated for the treatment of cancer, and velafermin, a protein being investigated for the prevention of severe oral mucositis, will be presented at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2007 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, CA, April 14-18, 2007.

15 Apr 2007

New, updated guidelines for esophageal reflux testing

Developed and approved by the American College of Gastroenterology, these guidelines summarize advances in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) diagnostic testing and how they have modified the clinical management of esophageal disorders.

14 Apr 2007

American Diabetes Association lauds Senate for passage of Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

The American Diabetes Association today issued the following statement in response to the passage by the Senate of the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act" (S.5), which will accelerate stem cell research by easing existing funding restrictions and supporting research that uses embryonic stem cells, while maintaining strict ethical guidelines.

12 Apr 2007

For healthier eating habits switch the TV off at meal times

Sitting down as a family to share meals is an unquestioned benefit in more ways than one.

12 Apr 2007

Schering-Plough commits to chronic hepatitis C research

Schering-Plough has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the science and treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with several key data presentations at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 42nd annual meeting in Barcelona, Spain, April 11-15.

11 Apr 2007

Health care reconsidered: Options for change

The Hamilton Project, an initiative at the Brookings Institution, hosted a forum, "Health Care Reconsidered: Options for Change," today at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. At the event, policy papers on reforming Medicare Part "D" (including closing the "donut hole" gap in prescription drug coverage), improving preventive care and promoting greater affordability through progressive cost-sharing were released by The Hamilton Project.

11 Apr 2007

Vitiligo gene linked to other autoimmune diseases

In a study appearing in the March 22 New England Journal of Medicine, scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) have discovered a connection between a specific gene and the inflammatory skin condition vitiligo, as well as a possible host of autoimmune diseases.

11 Apr 2007

Report reveals cost of type 2 diabetes complications

A first-of-its-kind report looking at the prevalence and cost of type 2 diabetes complications shows that an estimated three out of five people (57.9 percent) with type 2 diabetes have at least one of the other serious health problems commonly associated with the disease, and that these health problems are taking a heavy financial toll on the United States.

11 Apr 2007