Health and Human Services News and Research

RSS

HHS joins with Ad Council to launch new nationwide PSA campaign

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is joining with the Ad Council to launch a new nationwide public service advertising (PSA) campaign called “Together We Can All Fight the Flu.”

7 Dec 2009

PharmAthene presents Protexia clinical trial results at PHEMCE conference

PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, today announced Phase I clinical trial results for Protexia, a pegylated recombinant version of human butyrylcholinesterase (rBChE), which has been shown to be effective in animal models in preventing toxicity from exposure to chemical nerve agents.

7 Dec 2009

Medicare fraud 'rampant' in Miami, spreads among different ethnic communities nationally

"Medicare fraud runs rampant in Miami-Dade" while federal experts examine how the crime spreads among different ethnic communities in different cities, The Associated Press/Miami Herald reports

7 Dec 2009

NIH director to speak on new horizons for human health in biomedical research

Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health and recipient of the nation’s highest scientific honors, will address the National Press Club Dec. 21 on “Biomedical research: New horizons for human health.”

5 Dec 2009

HESG to acquire stake in two Montana-based marijuana companies

Health Sciences Group, Inc. would like to announce that it is in strong negotiations to acquire a minority stake in two separate Montana-based marijuana growing, distribution and care giving operations.

5 Dec 2009

FDA and APHIS create online risk assessment tool for food industry at the farm level

The FDA of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have created an online tool to help farmers and producers assess and mitigate vulnerabilities in their production processes.

5 Dec 2009

New smokers more likely to use menthol cigarettes

Menthol cigarette use is higher among persons who started smoking in the past year (44.6 percent) than among longer-term smokers (31.8 percent) according to a new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

4 Dec 2009

Long term care insurance and the home care option make it easier for Austin couple

After 40 years of exploring the world together, John Austin and his wife, Betty, now have different adventures. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's five years ago, "Betty has become my whole world," Mr. Austin says.

4 Dec 2009

Senate approves women's screening amendment in first health bill vote

The Associated Press: The Senate voted 61-39 Thursday "to safeguard coverage of mammograms and preventive screening tests for women under any health care overhaul legislation." The revision, which was advanced by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, "would allow the Health and Human Services secretary to require insurers to cover preventive health screenings free of charge" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/3).

3 Dec 2009

Senate leaders say health bill amendment votes to start today

The Wall Street Journal reports that "after three days of debates without a vote on a single amendment ... Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin, (D., Ill.) announced Wednesday evening that" Republicans and Democrats had "come to agreement" on how to proceed. The first two votes will occur today "on amendments aimed at requiring health plans to cover preventive services for women's health.

3 Dec 2009

Biomoda appeals N.M. congressional delegation to support Lung Cancer Mortality legislation

Cancer diagnostics company Biomoda, Inc. (OTCBB: BMOD) today urged the New Mexico congressional delegation to support the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2009, which calls for a comprehensive federal program to achieve a 50% reduction in the mortality rate of lung cancer by 2016.

3 Dec 2009

Email security experts at Red Condor issue a warning about latest spam campaign

Email security experts at Red Condor today issued a warning about the latest spam campaign claiming to be from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and requesting that recipients complete a "Personal H1N1 Vaccination Profile."

3 Dec 2009

NHLBI approves award of 13 contracts to improve asthma control

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health has approved the award of 13 contracts to local organizations across the country to develop, implement, and test science-based approaches to improve asthma control using evidence-based national guidelines for diagnosing and managing asthma.

3 Dec 2009

Roche ships additional quantities of Tamiflu oral suspension

Roche announced today that it has begun shipping additional quantities of Tamiflu® (oseltamivir phosphate) oral suspension (liquid).

3 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 2, 2009

Today's headlines detail the Senate's effort to confront contentious amendments and partisan strife on day two of that chamber's health reform debate.

2 Dec 2009

RSNA: Dec. 2, 2009 briefing and presentations

A special press briefing will be held Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 10:45 a.m. CT (11:45 a.m. ET), featuring a panel of top experts who will discuss the recent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) release of revised screening mammography guidelines. Many patients, breast cancer survivors, medical experts and government authorities dispute the guidelines as being without scientific evidence.

2 Dec 2009

PharmAthene to present its biological/ chemical weapons countermeasure program data at the HHS PHEMCE workshop

PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, announced today that the Company will participate in and present data at the HHS Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) workshop and BARDA Industry Day taking place in Washington, DC Dec. 2-4, 2009.

2 Dec 2009

Educational resource guide about pharmaceutical industry practices released

The educational resource, "The Value of Medicine, Improving Health... Improving Life," created by Lilly USA (NYSE: LLY), is now available at www.lillyforbetterhealth.com/value_of_medicine.jsp. The booklet supports Lilly's commitment to providing "Answers That Matter" and encourages an open dialogue with patients, providers, payers and the public about pharmaceutical industry practices.

2 Dec 2009

Healthy eating habits can combat childhood obesity

Two new studies show how important forming healthy food and beverage habits can be in children and adolescents. This science adds to a growing body of evidence that has helped shape a new nutrition and physical activity program from the National Football League and National Dairy Council (NDC) called Fuel Up to Play 60.

2 Dec 2009

Canadians with hemophilia A can use new treatment option, XYNTHA

Canadians with hemophilia A - a rare, inherited blood-clotting disorder - now have a new treatment option with the introduction of XYNTHA(TM), a recombinant factor VIII product for both the control and prevention of bleeding episodes and surgical prophylaxis.

2 Dec 2009