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Conference of The MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics to focus on health disparities

The 22nd annual conference of The MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago will be held at the University of Chicago Law School, 1111 E. 60th Street, on Fri., Nov. 12, from 1 to 5 pm, and Sat., Nov. 13, from 7:30 am to 5:15 pm.

10 Nov 2010

NHLBI launches new campaign to highlight common COPD symptoms

The number of Americans who report being aware of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, increased by 4 percentage points between 2008 and 2010, but many people at risk are still unaware of the disease, according to mailed survey results released today by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

10 Nov 2010

ECRI Institute introduces CT Radiation Dose Safety Review service to reduce risk of excessive radiation

Keeping radiation dose in check is a top safety concern for today's hospitals, particularly in computed tomography, which has undergone some significant technological advances in the last ten years. The down side is that CT delivers some of the highest radiation doses in diagnostic radiology.

10 Nov 2010

Americans to get needed help to quit smoking through federal health care law: New report

Millions of Americans will get needed help to quit smoking thanks to the newly enacted U.S. health care law, and it is up to states to close a gap that still remains for other smokers, a new American Lung Association report finds.

10 Nov 2010

Health reform policy: Flexible spending, device taxes and waivers

One health law provision will be a bummer for people who use the tax-free dollars stored in flexible spending accounts, Kaiser Health News reports. "Starting in January, you'll no longer be able to use your FSA for over-the-counter drugs and medicines unless you have a doctor's prescription. Experts agree that the new rules will likely discourage people from tapping their FSAs for routine purchases of aspirin, vitamins, cough medicine and other drugstore essentials" (Andrews, 11/8).

10 Nov 2010

Federal inspectors crack down on corrupt drug company executives

"Federal inspectors want to prevent drug-company executives from doing business with the U.S. government when their companies are convicted of Medicare fraud," The Washington Post reports. New guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services say "executives can be barred from contracting with federal health programs when they knew, or if the inspector general concludes they should have known, about fraud at their firms."

10 Nov 2010

BSD Medical awarded two grants under QTDP Program

BSD Medical Corporation announced today that it has received the maximum award provided by the U.S. government for a single program for two separate grants under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project ("QTDP") Program.

10 Nov 2010

Phytomedics awarded $244,000 QTDP grant for development of RA drug

Phytomedics, Inc., a transformational healthcare company developing a novel portfolio of drugs and consumer products solely derived from plant sources, announced today that it has been awarded a grant in the amount of $244,000 under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) Program to advance the development of its lead product PMI-001 for Rheumatoid Arthritis. PMI-001 is presently in Phase 2b/3 development.

9 Nov 2010

ARIAD reports $20.4 million net loss for third quarter 2010

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2010 and provided an update on corporate developments.

9 Nov 2010

Gentiva third quarter total net revenues increase 38% to $387.8 million

Gentiva Health Services, Inc., a leading provider of home health and hospice services, today reported third quarter 2010 results.

9 Nov 2010

Spectral Molecular Imaging awarded $190,172 QTDP grant for development of melanoma detection system

Cascade Technologies Corp., announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary Spectral Molecular Imaging, Inc. (SMI) has received a grant under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) program to advance the development of the company's SkinSpect system for the detection of melanoma and other skin cancers.

9 Nov 2010

Mystic awarded $245,000 QTDP grant for VersiDoser Delivery Platform

Mystic Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of advanced precision ophthalmic and intranasal delivery technologies for drugs and biologics, today announced that it has been awarded a non-taxable grant of approximately $245,000 related to its VersiDoser™ Delivery Platform under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) program included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act of 2010.

9 Nov 2010

Merrimack receives $2.44 million under QTDP program to support cancer research

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals was awarded $2.44 million to support research on 10 of its cancer programs through the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project, a grant program created as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 to advance research in areas of unmet medical need.

9 Nov 2010

Interleukin Genetics receives two grants under QTDP program to advance obesity, osteoarthritis genetic research

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. today announced that on November 1, 2010 notification was received that it has been awarded two grants totaling $473,393 by the United States Government under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) Program to advance the Company's genetic research projects related to obesity and osteoarthritis.

9 Nov 2010

Epeius receives competitive grant to support Rexin-G oncology product

Epeius Biotechnologies Corporation, a leader in the emerging field of targeted genetic medicine, announced today the receipt of additional financial support for the company's lead oncology product, Rexin-G, from the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the form of a prestigious competitive grant.

9 Nov 2010

Feds crack down on fraud by issuing new Medicaid rules, helping medical students catch fraud

The Hill Healthwatch: "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Friday proposed new rules for the use of private contractors that work for states to audit Medicaid payments. The Recovery Audit Contractors will function similarly to the way they do in the Medicare program, where they audit payments that may have been underpaid or overpaid, and recover overpayments or correct underpayments. … Under the new law, states must establish Medicaid RAC programs by submitting state plan amendments to CMS by December 31" (Pecquet, 11/5).

9 Nov 2010

Family history of HG increases risk of extreme morning sickness during pregnancy

Approximately 60,000 pregnant women are hospitalized each year due to hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), an extreme form of nausea and vomiting that endangers their lives and often forces them to reluctantly terminate their pregnancies.

9 Nov 2010

Government cutting premiums for Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan

The federal government is trying to spur enrollment in a new health insurance program for uninsured people with pre-existing medical conditions by slashing rates.

8 Nov 2010

Manhattan awarded $244,279 grant under QTDP program

Manhattan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded $244,279 in funding under the U.S. Government's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) credit program. The Company has received this funding for its lead product candidate AST-726 for the treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency.

8 Nov 2010

Angioblast Systems receives $1.2 million in grants under QTDP program

Regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited, today announced that its United States associate company, Angioblast Systems, has been awarded $1.2 million in grants under the United States Government's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) program.

8 Nov 2010