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Roundup: Conn. health care programs face $70M cut; Miss. abortion clinic again asks judge to block law that could force it to close

Connecticut's social services safety net and its public colleges and universities took the brunt Wednesday of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's first effort to whittle down a $363 million state budget deficit.

30 Nov 2012

Tadalafil may offer therapeutic strategy in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have found in an initial clinical trial that a drug typically prescribed for erectile dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension restores blood flow to oxygen-starved muscles in patients with a type of muscular dystrophy that affects males, typically starting in childhood or adolescence.

29 Nov 2012

Roundup: Big insurance premium hikes sought in Calif., Conn.; Lawsuit alleges state regulators pad nursing home profits

California's largest for-profit health insurer, Anthem Blue Cross, is seeking to raise rates an average of 18 percent for more than 630,000 individual policyholders, drawing scrutiny from regulators and the ire of consumers already struggling with soaring premiums. Some Anthem customers may see rates rise as much as 25 percent in February under the company's proposal at a time when medical inflation is running at historic lows nationwide.

29 Nov 2012

New polymer-based system to fight infection, filter water and heal wounds

Working in the lab for the last few years, three generations of University of Akron polymer scientists say their mutual and passionate curiosity about science has led to their discovery of a first-of-its-kind, easily adaptable biocompatible polymer structure able to fight infection, filter water and perform a host of other functions.

20 Nov 2012

Roundup: Larger-than-expected Medicaid enrollment in Conn.; Texas bill renews rural abortion debate; Calif. details exchange self-sufficiency

Ron Harney is still looking for work after being laid off from his marketing firm job three years ago. He's used up nearly all of his savings and says he's grateful for the state's Medicaid program, which covers the medical care he needs to manage his HIV.

20 Nov 2012

Roundup: 11% of Calif. children lack insurance; Conn. Medicaid overruns drive budget problems

Children in California are more likely to be uninsured than children nationwide, with 1.1 million lacking health coverage in 2011, according to a new study by the Keck School of Medicine of USC. About 11 percent of children lacked insurance last year -- and they were less likely to seek medical care than those with coverage, the authors reported. The study, released Wednesday by the California HealthCare Foundation, detailed children's insurance trends over a 10-year period.

16 Nov 2012

HCT 1026 may help stem debilitating effects of muscular dystrophy

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have found that an experimental compound may help stem the debilitating effects of muscular dystrophy by restoring normal blood flow to muscles affected by the genetic disorder.

9 Nov 2012

GOP retains House despite Democrats' Medicare attacks

As a result, House Republicans could continue to clash with President Obama and the Senate's Democratic majority.

8 Nov 2012

Roundup: New laws on breast screening irk some doctors; Improved school meals cut obesity; More Coloradans use ER

In a sign of the improving national economy, Medicaid spending growth this year slowed to 2 percent as enrollment in the state-federal health insurance program for the poor also slowed for the third consecutive year, according to a report released Thursday. In 2011, Medicaid spending soared by nearly 10 percent, which helped put the entitlement program in the crosshairs of politicians looking to lower the federal deficit and ease pressure on state budgets.

26 Oct 2012

Mother rats respond much differently to cocaine than non-mothers

Mother rats respond much differently to cocaine than female rats that have never given birth, according to new University of Michigan research that looks at both behavior and brain chemistry.

16 Oct 2012

Study reveals atomic-level structure of the human peptidase enzyme meprin β

An international research team led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and researchers from Kiel University revealed the atomic-level structure of the human peptidase enzyme meprin β (beta).

5 Oct 2012

Democrats to spotlight health care, abortion rights support at convention

Party leaders will be touting the health overhaul passed two years ago, as well as efforts to expand contraception coverage. In addition, the platform looks ahead at issues such as health disparities, public health and HIV, Politico Pro reports.

5 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 4, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including previews of the Democratic convention and a New York Times analysis of how the Obama and Romney campaigns vary on Medicaid policy.

4 Sep 2012

PTC Therapeutics completes $30M financing

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTC) today announced the completion of a $30 million financing. The round included a number of long-term investors such as Credit Suisse First Boston Equity Partners, HBM BioVentures, Vulcan Ventures, Celgene, Delphi Ventures, The Column Group, Novo A/S, and other existing investors.

23 Jul 2012

Scientists identify inhibitors of key enzyme involved in survival of malaria parasite

An international team of scientists, led by researchers from the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have identified the first reported inhibitors of a key enzyme involved in survival of the parasite responsible for malaria. Their findings, which may provide the basis for anti-malarial drug development, are currently published in the online version of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

20 Jul 2012

Party leaders stake out positions for the health law's future

If the measure survives the Supreme Court review, GOP leaders say they will seek quick repeal -- but not until after the fall elections. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says the overhaul is constitutionally "ironclad."

19 Jun 2012

Dems, Republicans ramp up health reform rhetoric as SCOTUS speculation abounds

In an interview aired Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation," the presumptive GOP presidential nominee reiterated his pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act, though he allowed that a similar health care reform he signed as Massachusetts governor was legal. ... "if I'm president, we're going to stop Obamacare in its tracks and return to the 10th Amendment that allows states to care for these issues on the way they think best."

18 Jun 2012

State roundup: N.Y.'s drug Rx bill passes unanimously, Mass. poll finds Dr. communication essential

New York lawmakers unanimously approved legislation Monday that will require doctors to issue drug prescriptions electronically within three years, meanwhile establishing tighter restrictions on painkillers and other addictive drugs on the state list of controlled substances.

13 Jun 2012

State roundup: Labor unions continue Wis. Governor recall push; 'Affordability gap' in Minn.

Democrats and unions hoping to turn Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker out of office over his efforts to tame the power of organized labor are finding it tough going with only two weeks to go before a historic recall election. … Walker pushed through the legislature a law requiring public sector union members to pay part of the cost of health insurance and pensions, limited pay rises, made paying union dues voluntary and forced unions to be recertified every year.

24 May 2012

Scientists decipher structure of bacterial injection needles at atomic resolution

The plague, bacterial dysentery, and cholera have one thing in common: These dangerous diseases are caused by bacteria which infect their host using a sophisticated injection apparatus. Through needle-like structures, they release molecular agents into their host cell, thereby evading the immune response.

21 May 2012