Asthma News and Research

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Asthma is a common inflammatory disease affecting the airways that leads to shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Symptoms range from mild to severe but are generally manageable with appropriate treatment.

Groundbreaking cystic fibrosis clinical trial to proceed after renewed funding

The team of scientists based in Edinburgh, Oxford and London were developing a treatment which involves putting genes into the lungs of patients suffering the fatal, inherited wasting disease, passed early clinical trials in 2010. But the recession badly affected the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the charity that had funded the programme, and work had to stop last year just as the consortium was closing in on its goal.

19 Mar 2012

Low literacy equals high death risk among elderly

A new study that appeared last Friday in British Medical Journal showed that one in three adults aged over 65 in England have difficulty understanding basic health-related information. They are more than twice as likely to die within five years as adults with no literacy problems, it was found.

19 Mar 2012

Boston Scientific lauds private insurance reimbursement coverage for bronchial thermoplasty

Boston Scientific Corporation welcomes a milestone in private insurance reimbursement coverage for bronchial thermoplasty (BT) performed using the Alair Bronchial Thermoplasty System. Minnesota-based HealthPartners and Michigan-based Priority Health recently issued the first public postings of positive insurance coverage policies providing their respective memberships with reimbursement for this novel procedure to treat severe asthma.

19 Mar 2012

BC BS of Florida retires negative medical policy for FeNO testing

Aerocrine AB announces that BlueCross BlueShield (BC BS) of Florida1 has retired/archived their negative medical policy for FeNO testing. The change is effective March 15, 2012.

17 Mar 2012

Antibiotics may increase incidence and severity of allergic asthma in early life

Widely used antibiotics may increase incidence and severity of allergic asthma in early life, according to a University of British Columbia study.

17 Mar 2012

Serious climate change-related health problems will affect the world's population

Worldwide increases in the incidences of asthma, allergies, infectious and cardiovascular diseases will result from a variety of impacts of global climate change, including rising temperatures, worsening ozone levels in urban areas, the spread of desertification, and expansions of the ranges of communicable diseases as the planet heats up, the professional organization representing respiratory and airway physicians stated in a new position paper released today.

16 Mar 2012

USPTO issues patent to iSonea's ultrasound-based cough detector

Medical technology company iSonea Ltd. today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued U.S. Patent 2009/0216127 A1 covering its cough count technology in the field of acoustic monitoring of respiratory diseases.

15 Mar 2012

Wiki as an innovative new tool for developing individual asthma action plans

Imagine that you have asthma, and rather than give you a set of instructions about what to do if you have an attack, your doctor invites you to help write them?

14 Mar 2012

Wireless asthma inhaler training device could help save thousands of A&E visits and lives

Many asthma patients are not trained adequately to inhale from asthma inhaler devices. This is a problem that can be both serious and expensive considering some 5,000 people visit the emergency room due to and 11 people die from asthma every day, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

13 Mar 2012

UHC retires negative coverage policy effective April 1, 2012

Aerocrine AB announces that United Healthcare has retired its negative coverage policy effective April 1, 2012.

12 Mar 2012

Researchers identify genetic signature for eosinophilic esophagitis

Researchers have identified a genetic signature for a severe, often painful food allergy – eosinophilic esophagitis – that could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment for children unable to eat a wide variety of foods.

12 Mar 2012

FDA may allow many chronic ailment drugs to be available over-the-counter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is deciding on a proposal to waive prescription requirements for commonly used drugs that treat conditions like diabetes, asthma, and migraines.

11 Mar 2012

Consumer coalition sues drugmakers over coupon programs

The lawsuit claims that these popular programs, which appear to save money for patients, actually increase costs and conceal information about the discounts from health plans.

9 Mar 2012

FDA approves Teva's ProAir HFA with dose counter for asthma, COPD and EIB

Teva Respiratory announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ProAir HFA with a dose counter for use in patients 4 years of age and older for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm with reversible obstructive airway disease and for the prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm.

8 Mar 2012

Positive phase II trial results from Circassia's ragweed allergy therapy

Circassia Ltd, a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on allergy, today announced that its ragweed allergy therapy has achieved positive results in a key phase II clinical trial.

8 Mar 2012

Timely treatment with Berinert provides faster symptom relief for HAE patients

CSL Behring announced today that treatment with Berinert, C1 Esterase Inhibitor (Human) within six hours of the onset of an acute hereditary angioedema (HAE) attack provides faster symptom relief than later treatment, according to data presented at the 2012 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting.

7 Mar 2012

Merck announces results from AIT Phase III clinical study for ragweed allergy

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the results from a Phase III clinical study of its investigational allergy immunotherapy tablet (AIT) for ragweed pollen.

6 Mar 2012

Merck announces success of pill against ragweed allergy

Merck & Co. announced Monday that their experimental allergy tablet reduced allergic reactions to ragweed and helped patients use less medication to treat their symptoms.

5 Mar 2012

Asthma first aid charts launched

The National Asthma Council Australia has updated its popular First Aid for Asthma chart and launched a new paediatric Kids’ First Aid for Asthma chart, with advice reflecting the latest evidence and medications.

5 Mar 2012

Health Impact Project announces awardees of 15 new grants

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, announced the awardees of 15 new grants today. Selected following a nationwide call for proposals, the grantees will conduct health impact assessments (HIAs), a type of study that looks at potential health impacts of policies and projects in other sectors.

5 Mar 2012