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FDA permits Worldheart for bridge-to-transplant study of the Levacor Ventricular Assist Device

World Heart Corporation (WorldHeart) - (Nasdaq: WHRT) announced today that it has received FDA conditional approval to begin a bridge-to-transplant (BTT) study of the Levacor Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) at ten US centers.

21 Aug 2009

Charlie Buckwell to head all medical communications units of McCann Healthcare Worldwide

McCann Healthcare Worldwide is re-aligning and expanding its medical communications businesses, to build a dedicated, unified and empowered medical communications network capability, with truly global reach.

21 Aug 2009

New website launched to determine sleep disorder

Nearly 20 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, a serious health condition that has been linked to increased risks for obesity and weight gain, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, asthma and depression. Sleep apnea has also been cited by experts as the number one cause of car accidents. Ninety-five percent of sleep apnea cases go undiagnosed, putting the health of millions of Americans at risk.

21 Aug 2009

Northern Illinois Proton Treatment and Research Center appoints Cherilyn Murer as Chair of its board of directors

The Northern Illinois Proton Treatment and Research Center (NIPTRC) announced today that Cherilyn Murer has been named Chair of its board of directors. Murer, who previously served as vice-chair of NIPTRC is also a Northern Illinois University Trustee and concluded a two year term as Chair of the NIU Board of Trustees on June 30, 2009.

21 Aug 2009

Medx Health Corp announces losses for the quarter ended June 30, 2009

MedX Health Corp., (TSXV.MDX) a global leader in drug free, non-invasive low level laser and light therapy for tissue repair and pain relief, today announced its results for the quarter ended June 30, 2009.

21 Aug 2009

Genetic engineering technique used to treat bowel disorders

For the first time, scientists have used a genetically engineered "friendly" bacterium to deliver a therapy.

21 Aug 2009

Hospitals treating more black cancer patients experience worse survival rates

Hospitals that treat more black cancer patients have worse survival rates on average for patients with breast and colon cancer, regardless of race, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

21 Aug 2009

Cognitive behavioural therapy effective when delivered in online by a therapist

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) seems to be effective when delivered online in real time by a therapist, with benefits maintained over 8 months. This method of delivery could broaden access to CBT in primary care. These are the conclusions of an article in this week's Global Mental Health special edition of The Lancet, written by Dr David Kessler, NIHR National School for Primary Care Research, University of Bristol and colleagues.

21 Aug 2009

Role of HPRT genes detected in Lesch Nyan X-linked inherited disorders

A study from the Center for Molecular Genetics at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine shows that a gene called HPRT plays an important role in setting the program by which primitive or precursor cells decide to become normal nerve cells in the human brain. This unconventional view of metabolic genes known as "housekeeping" genes is now online at the journal Molecular Therapy.

21 Aug 2009

Health Canada approves Anika Therapeutics' MONOVISC drug

Anika Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANIK), a leader in products for tissue protection, healing and repair based on hyaluronic acid (HA) technology, today announced that it has received Health Canada approval for MONOVISC™, its single injection viscosupplement approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Anika expects to launch MONOVISC this month through its long-term ORTHOVISC® distribution partner in Canada, Rivex Pharma Inc., the specialty drug distribution division of Aurora, Ontario-based Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: HBP). MONOVISC has been broadly available in the European Union since the second quarter of 2008.

21 Aug 2009

Coping with burn injuries

More than half a million Americans are treated for burn injuries every year, but many do not have the specific skills necessary to cope with the experience of living with a burn injury after they leave the hospital.

20 Aug 2009

Chemical components of elderberry, cinnamon and green tea extracts block HIV viruses from infecting cells

The development of new antiviral drugs has had a tremendous impact on the quality of life and life expectancy of HIV-positive and AIDS patients, as the drugs effectively disrupt the replication cycle of the HIV virus. Yet the regular use of those drugs - such as zidovudine (also known as azidothymidine or AZT), protease inhibitors, and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) involving multidrug therapies - has led to resistant HIV strains.

20 Aug 2009

Varian Medical Systems to equip a new proton therapy center in Sweden

Varian Medical Systems today announced it has been selected to equip a new proton therapy center in Sweden. In a ceremony conducted by Swedish authorities yesterday following a public tender, Varian was named to supply an estimated $60 million in products for Skandionkliniken, a new national proton therapy center owned by a consortium of seven of Sweden's counties.

20 Aug 2009

Patterson Companies records 6% year-on-year sales growth in first-quarter

Patterson Companies, Inc. today reported consolidated sales of $789,579,000 for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 ended July 25, an increase of 6% from $743,859,000 in the year-earlier quarter. The strong performance of technology offerings in the dental equipment business, as well as higher sales of veterinary supplies, helped offset the impact of the weak economy on other portions of Patterson’s business. Acquisitions, net of negative foreign currency adjustments, accounted for the majority of the first quarter sales growth. Net income was $45,057,000 or $0.38 per diluted share, compared to $45,964,000 or $0.39 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2009.

20 Aug 2009

Wraser purchases Trezix oral capsule product from e5 Pharma

WraSer Pharmaceuticals, LLC (WraSer) announced that it has purchased the Trezix® Oral Capsule product from e5 Pharma, LLC. With the purchase, WraSer is granted full rights to market and distribute Trezix® in the United States.

20 Aug 2009

Mesenchymal stem cells repair human brain

There is no known cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But new hope, in the form of stem cells created from the patient's own bone marrow, can be found ― and literally seen ― in laboratories at Tel Aviv University.

20 Aug 2009

Peplin completes four-week enrolment phase for REGION-Ib trial

Peplin, Inc. (ASX:PLI) today announced completion of enrolment in its second Phase 3 clinical trial for the use of PEP005 (ingenol mebutate) Gel to treat actinic (solar) keratoses (AK), a common pre-cancerous skin lesion, on non-head treatment areas, which include the trunk and extremities. This completes enrolment in the final of four pivotal trials planned for the submission of the New Drug Application (NDA) for AK.

20 Aug 2009

Inovio Biomedical records $2.9 million revenues in the six months ended June 30, 2009

Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE AMEX: INO) (“Inovio”) today reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2009. Total revenue of $2.5 million and $2.9 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2009, compared to $663,000 and $1.3 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2008, respectively.

20 Aug 2009

Thyroid cancer patients treated successfully using a new robot-assisted endoscopic technique

Using a novel robot-assisted endoscopic technique, a team of surgeons at Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea, has successfully treated 200 consecutive patients with thyroid cancer. The minimally invasive operation, which has several technical and cosmetic benefits that the traditional open operation does not offer, is described in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

20 Aug 2009

Study finds long-term exposure to progesterone may lead to growth of tumors

Scientists at Michigan State University have found exposure to the hormone progesterone activates genes that trigger inflammation in the mammary gland.

20 Aug 2009