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Pre-clinical data of GM1485 to be presented by GliaMed

GliaMed, Inc., a development stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Dr. David Weinstein, chief scientific officer and company founder, will present pre-clinical data demonstrating acceleration of wound healing through the in vivo induction and recruitment of stem cells at the Stem Cells USA & Regenerative Medicine Congress in Washington, D.C.

18 Nov 2009

Press conference highlights emerging treatments in pancreatic cancer

As part of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, Thompson will moderate a press conference on emerging treatments in pancreatic cancer on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009, in Room 202 of the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Mass., from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET.

18 Nov 2009

Sildenafil improves heart function in youngsters with single ventricle congenital heart disease

Heart function significantly improved in children and young adults with single ventricle congenital heart disease who have had the Fontan operation following treatment with sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, say researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

18 Nov 2009

Combination of night work, overtime and shortened sleep can increase risk of stroke and heart disease

A new study published in the current issue of Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health (vol. 64, No. 3) shows that this combination of night work, overtime and shortened sleep can contribute to the development among police officers of the metabolic syndrome, a combination of unhealthful factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), primarily heart disease and stroke.

18 Nov 2009

Previous flu infections can reduce the severity of H1N1

Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology have found that previous influenza infections may provide at least some level of immunity to the H1N1 "swine" flu. "The question we asked was, "Is the swine flu more like the seasonal flu or like a totally new strain of influenza where there would be no immunity?," said Alessandro Sette, Ph.D., an internationally recognized vaccine expert and director of the La Jolla Institute's Center for Infectious Disease.

18 Nov 2009

First gene expression test for coronary artery disease

The Heart & Vascular Center of Arizona today announced the availability of Corus(TM) CAD, the first and only gene expression test to quantify the likelihood of obstructive(i) coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with stable chest pain.

18 Nov 2009

CTSA institutions receive NIH grants to study drug safety and efficacy in children

Studying drugs in pediatric populations is challenging because drugs often affect children differently than they do adults. The scarcity of pediatric studies limits the ability of doctors and scientists to predict drug dosing, safety and efficacy in children. To address this gap, the National Institutes of Health announced today 18 grants to help determine outcome measures and increase the likelihood of success of future trials of treatments for children.

18 Nov 2009

Maternal blood biomarkers may help predict pregnancy-induced hypertension

A new study that examines the value of maternal blood biomarkers will help identify and monitor patients at risk of developing preeclampsia and is set to change the way expectant mothers are cared for in prenatal clinics around the world.

18 Nov 2009

New encapsulated system may enable doctors to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to tumors

An encapsulation breakthrough by researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology may enable doctors to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly to tumors over extended periods of time, while preventing the systemic side effects of chemotherapy and other current cancer treatments.

18 Nov 2009

Transplanting people's own stem cells into heart muscle lessens pain and improves ability to walk

The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells.

18 Nov 2009

Majority of Canadians' diets have high salt content

Canadians know that too much salt isn't good for their diets, but half still continue to shake it on, according to a new study by University of Alberta researchers.

18 Nov 2009

Novel device may reduce ischemic stroke damage

Stroke researchers at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston are the only ones in Texas to offer a novel device that might extend the acute stroke treatment window from three hours to 24.

18 Nov 2009

Drug therapy offers substantial cost savings than angioplasty

Many patients with diabetes should forego angioplasties for heart disease and just take medicine instead, according to a new National Institutes of Health study led by Stanford University School of Medicine researcher Mark Hlatky, MD.

18 Nov 2009

FDA approves Qutenza, a pain relief product for patients who suffer from PHN

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the approval of Qutenza (capsaicin) 8% patch, a medicated skin patch that relieves the pain of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), a serious complication that can occur after a bout with shingles.

18 Nov 2009

CONTOUR USB meter available for purchase through Walgreens online pharmacy

Bayer's CONTOUR® USB meter, the first blood glucose monitor that connects directly to a PC or MAC -- providing users with instant access to information and trends about their blood sugar levels -- is now available for purchase through Walgreens online pharmacy and will soon also be available online through CVS and Walmart.

18 Nov 2009

Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases announces targets

The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) on Monday outlined plans "to invest tens of millions of dollars in heart and lung disease studies in a battle against a global epidemic of chronic disease," over five years, Reuters reports.

17 Nov 2009

Depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking, says new study

A study by researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King's College London has found that depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking.

17 Nov 2009

World Heart, LaunchPoint Technologies sign license agreements

World Heart Corporation (WorldHeart) announced today that it has finalized assignment and exclusive license agreements with LaunchPoint Technologies Inc., (LPT) Goleta, California, and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for its next-generation minimally invasive blood pump, the MiVAD. The MiVAD(TM) is designed to provide partial cardiac support between 2-4 liters per minute to less sick heart failure patients than those served by existing full-support Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs).

17 Nov 2009

Technology to help elderly people stay healthy at home

In a collaboration between Kaiser Health News and The Washington Post, Elizabeth Olson writes about how emerging technology is helping older people stay in their homes and can, in some instances, offer mechanisms to improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs.

17 Nov 2009

Non-clinical data from Cytokinetics' smooth muscle contractility program presented

Cytokinetics, Incorporated announced today that three abstracts summarizing non-clinical data regarding its smooth muscle contractility program were presented at the 2009 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida.

17 Nov 2009