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FDA approves Entereg (alvimopan) to restore bowel function

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Entereg (alvimopan) today to accelerate the restoration of normal bowel function in patients 18 years and up who have undergone partial large or small bowel resection surgery. Entereg will be used in hospitalized patients who can receive no more than 15 doses.

20 May 2008

Counting immune cells on a 'protein printboard'

In order to monitor how far an HIV infection has progressed, the number of immune cells - lymphocytes - must be counted. Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a method that neatly arranges the antibodies that bind to these immune cells on a 'molecular printboard'. The researchers are publishing this key step in the road towards antibody-based sensors in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).

20 May 2008

Stiff competition for Viagra in the pipeline

Scientists in Scotland are in the process of developing a drug which could offer stiff competition to the drug Viagra.

20 May 2008

Warning about lack of attention given to hepatitis

A report by the World Hepatitis Alliance has called for an increased focus on hepatitis and says the disease should be given the same attention as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

20 May 2008

World warned about three major threats to human health

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning concerning major threats to human health.

20 May 2008

Making sense of the data in a controversial trial of a "clot-busting drug" for treating stroke

In December 1995, a highly controversial trial was published, which tested a clot-busting drug called rt-PA (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator) in patients who had suffered an acute stroke.

20 May 2008

Dermatologists link family history to shingles susceptibility

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston have identified family history as one reason why some people might be more susceptible to shingles, a severe skin condition. Their findings are published in the May 19 issue of Archives of Dermatology.

19 May 2008

Abnormal "editing" of gene messages may cause Lupus

Researchers at Wake Forest University have uncovered evidence that the abnormal "editing" of gene messages in a type of white blood cell may be behind the development of lupus. Scientists hope the finding will lead to earlier diagnosis, a way to monitor patients' response to therapy and possibly a new way to treat the disease.

19 May 2008

Average 2008 employee out-of-pocket costs for family health care to increase 10.5%, according to Milliman Index

The cost of health care for the average U.S. family with employer-sponsored health coverage will increase 7.6% this year, due in part to rising prescription drug prices, according to a Milliman study released on Wednesday, Dow Jones reports.

19 May 2008

Lubiprostone brings relief for many IBS patients who experience constipation

Many patients may soon find relief from the bloating, cramping, abdominal pain and constipation associated with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.

19 May 2008

Obesity concern over Indiana Jones film marketing

Obesity experts today questioned Burger King's commitment to improve its standards on marketing to children on the day it launched its new 'Indiana Jones' campaign in the US with toys, internet games and scratch competition prizes.

19 May 2008

Disease outbreak prevention crucial in China earthquake aftermath

Preventing communicable disease outbreaks is the key public health issue now facing the People's Republic of China in the aftermath of the earthquake that struck the country's south-western region on 12 May.

18 May 2008

Too much water raises seizure risk in babies

It's a recurrent summer-time scenario in the pediatric emergency room and doctors from Johns Hopkins Children's are sounding the alarm on it: An otherwise healthy infant is brought in by panicked parents after suffering a seizure, which turns out to be caused by drinking too much water.

15 May 2008

Prevalence of childhood obesity levels off in France

France may be the first country in the EU to see signs of a levelling off in the national prevalence of childhood obesity, according to the results of two new surveys.

15 May 2008

Remaining stocks of Trasylol removed

On Nov. 5, 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. agreed to an FDA-requested marketing suspension of Trasylol, a drug used to control bleeding during heart surgery. At that time, preliminary results from a Canadian study suggested an increased risk for death compared to two other drugs used to control bleeding.

15 May 2008

Population affected by cyclone in Burma/Myanmar

As many as 3.2 million Burmese are estimated to be affected by the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, according to geographic risk models developed by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Lehman College, CUNY.

14 May 2008

Children eat healthier when all snacks are banned

According to a study from researchers at Cardiff University, one way to encourage children to eat healthily is to ban all unhealthy snacks in schools.

13 May 2008

Another outbreak of bird flu in Seoul - all poultry in the city culled

A second outbreak of bird flu in Seoul, the capital of South Korea in less than a week has prompted the culling of all domestic fowl in the city.

13 May 2008

Plants deliver: biofuels, medicines, bioplastics, flavours, pigments...

The need for a renewable and affordable source of carbon that can sustain future economic development without negatively impacting the environment is now widely recognised. It is also apparent that the increasingly high demand for fossil carbon will eventually deplete existing stocks.

12 May 2008

Demand for alternative sweeteners are increasing by 8% a year

The demand for alternative sweeteners to sugar is increasing at a rate of 8% per year. The market is showing more and more interest in natural sweeteners compared to synthetic ones. This has been reflected in a study carried out by researchers at the Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH) in Elche, Alicante.

12 May 2008