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Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy causes permanent genetic damage in newborns

Newborns of non-smoking moms exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy have genetic mutations that may affect long-term health, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study published online in the Open Pediatric Medicine Journal. The abnormalities, which were indistinguishable from those found in newborns of mothers who were active smokers, may affect survival, birth weight and lifelong susceptibility to diseases like cancer.

1 Jul 2010

Gore receives European CE Mark approval for 25 cm GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis

W. L. Gore & Associates today announced that it has received European CE Mark approval for the 25 cm GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with PROPATEN Bioactive Surface. The new 25 cm GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with PROPATEN Bioactive Surface is the longest length stent-graft available, designed to cover more of the lesion in the Superficial Femoral Artery potentially reducing the need for multiple devices.

1 Jul 2010

Researchers report no increased rate of heart attack in patients taking rosiglitazone

The diabetes drug rosiglitazone has been under intense scrutiny since a 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at more than 40 clinical trials and linked the drug's use with increased risk of heart attack and death from heart disease.

1 Jul 2010

New Stanford Hospital to include one entire floor of hybrid rooms

Whether it's called a hybrid room or an interventional platform, Room 9 at Stanford Hospital & Clinics is that singular space where a patient can stay in one place to be diagnosed and treated, either with surgery or the latest interventional procedure, in an environment as sterile as an operating room, with all-important imaging devices, microscopes and monitors right at hand.

1 Jul 2010

CDC issues new guidelines on detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections

Today the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new and important guidelines on the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections, the causative agent of tuberculosis. In these landmark guidelines, CDC advises that Interferon Gamma Release Assay blood tests are now preferred over the 100+-year-old tuberculin skin test for diagnosing TB infection in certain populations, including people who typically do not return for the necessary reading of TST results, and those who have received Bacille Calmette-Guerin as a vaccine or for cancer therapy

1 Jul 2010

Eisai reports preliminary results from Dacogen for Injection Phase III study in AML

Eisai Inc. announced today preliminary results from a randomized Phase III clinical trial of Dacogen® (decitabine) for Injection versus either a low-dose chemotherapy agent or supportive care in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a life-threatening cancer of the blood that generally occurs in older adults.

1 Jul 2010

Threshold Pharmaceuticals initiates Phase 2 clinical trial of TH-302 in patients with first line pancreatic cancer

Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has initiated a multi-center, randomized, controlled, crossover Phase 2 clinical trial of TH-302 in combination with gemcitabine in patients with first line pancreatic cancer. TH-302 is a proprietary tumor selective Hypoxia-Activated Prodrug that specifically targets tumor hypoxia.

1 Jul 2010

Sanofi-aventis signs agreement to acquire TargeGen

TargeGen, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of small molecule kinase inhibitors today announced that the Company has agreed to be acquired by sanofi-aventis. Under the agreement, the ultimate purchase price will depend on the achievement of certain future milestones events and will total $560M if such milestones are fully realized. The closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the 3rd quarter of 2010.

1 Jul 2010

GSD signs agreement with Axis-Shield to distribute its proprietary assays in the U.S. Market

Gold Standard Diagnostics, Inc. a leading supplier of products and services to the medical diagnostic industry today announced the execution of an agreement with Axis-Shield to distribute their proprietary assays in the U.S. Market. Axis-Shield owns a number of patents in the areas of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and more recently, sepsis. GSD will initially focus on distribution of Homocysteine, but also gains access to distribute Axis-Shield's other key products such as Anti-CCP.

1 Jul 2010

Fero Industries closes acquisition of rights related to production, marketing and distribution of Sucanon

Fero Industries, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has closed the acquisition of certain intellectual property and other associated rights related to the production, marketing, and distribution of Sucanon, a treatment for Type II diabetes.

1 Jul 2010

Bortezomib may offer hope for treating inflammatory diseases: New research

Those looking for a new treatment for a range of inflammatory diseases like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and lupus may need to look no further than a drug already available for treating cancer. In a research report published in the July 2010 print issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, Japanese scientists use mice to show that bortezomib, currently used to treat cancers that affect white blood cells, induces cell death only in harmful (active and proliferating) T cells, leaving the rest unharmed.

1 Jul 2010

Vicept completes $16 million Series A financing

Vicept™ Therapeutics Inc., a privately held specialty biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing the first effective topically applied therapy for erythema (facial redness) of rosacea, announced that it has secured $10 million to complete a total $16 million Series A financing. The Series A was led by Vivo Ventures, Sofinnova Ventures and Fidelity Biosciences.

30 Jun 2010

Chelsea completes enrollment in Northera Phase III Study 301 for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension

Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. has successfully reached its target enrollment of 150 patients in its Northera™ (Droxidopa) pivotal Phase III Study 301 for the treatment of symptomatic, neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH). Results from the trial are expected in September 2010 and the full registration program is on track to initiate a new drug application (NDA) in the first half of 2011.

30 Jun 2010

Raptor partners with Uni Pharma to commercialize Convivia in Taiwan

Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp., announced that it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Uni Pharma Co., Ltd. to commercialize Convivia™, Raptor's proprietary oral formulation of 4-methylpyrazole, in Taiwan.

30 Jun 2010

Sensor integrated insulin pump for better blood sugar control

Adding a continuous blood sugar level sensor to an insulin pump helps patients with type 1 diabetes achieve better blood sugar control compared to the common standard of care, multiple daily insulin injections, concludes a study published on-line today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

30 Jun 2010

Medtronic's sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy provides superior glucose control, confirms STAR 3 study

In the longest and largest randomized, controlled study of sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy in type 1 diabetes, adult and pediatric patients using the Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm® REAL-Time System achieved better glucose control without an increase in hypoglycemia compared to multiple daily insulin injections (MDI), the most common approach to care today.

30 Jun 2010

Renowned experts discuss new approaches to cancer therapy at international conference

An international conference attended by more than 70 of the world's leading experts and investigators in the field of Ephs and ephrins was held locally this week and hosted by Waldemar Debinski, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Brain Tumor Center of Excellence at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

30 Jun 2010

5-month-old, 4 pound infant receives lifesaving liver transplant

A 5-month-old New York infant received a lifesaving liver transplant for advanced liver failure diagnosed following her birth 10 weeks premature. One of the smallest babies ever to successfully receive a liver transplant, she weighed 4 pounds at the time of the surgery.

30 Jun 2010

Repeated viral screening for ART patients unnecessary with each donation

European legislation that requires all couples undergoing assisted reproduction treatment (ART) to be screened for HIV and hepatitis at the time of every sperm or egg donation is unnecessary, expensive, and potentially distressing for patients, the 26th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard today (Monday).

30 Jun 2010

InNexus develops IXS312 small protein fragment as topical therapy for AMD, diabetic retinal dysplasia

InNexus Biotechnology Inc., a drug development company commercializing the next generation of antibodies based on its groundbreaking Dynamic Cross Linking (DXL™) technology, today announced that it has developed IXS312(VEGF), an antibody fragment with activity against the growth factor VEGF for planned use in ocular treatments.

30 Jun 2010

Blood News and Research

Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy causes permanent genetic damage in newborns

Gore receives European CE Mark approval for 25 cm GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis

Researchers report no increased rate of heart attack in patients taking rosiglitazone

New Stanford Hospital to include one entire floor of hybrid rooms

CDC issues new guidelines on detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections

Eisai reports preliminary results from Dacogen for Injection Phase III study in AML

Threshold Pharmaceuticals initiates Phase 2 clinical trial of TH-302 in patients with first line pancreatic cancer

Sanofi-aventis signs agreement to acquire TargeGen

GSD signs agreement with Axis-Shield to distribute its proprietary assays in the U.S. Market

Fero Industries closes acquisition of rights related to production, marketing and distribution of Sucanon

Bortezomib may offer hope for treating inflammatory diseases: New research

Vicept completes $16 million Series A financing

Chelsea completes enrollment in Northera Phase III Study 301 for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension

Raptor partners with Uni Pharma to commercialize Convivia in Taiwan

Sensor integrated insulin pump for better blood sugar control

Medtronic's sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy provides superior glucose control, confirms STAR 3 study

Renowned experts discuss new approaches to cancer therapy at international conference

5-month-old, 4 pound infant receives lifesaving liver transplant

Repeated viral screening for ART patients unnecessary with each donation

InNexus develops IXS312 small protein fragment as topical therapy for AMD, diabetic retinal dysplasia

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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