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PFF’s national scientific conference improves clinical understanding of IPF

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) today announced that it is establishing a national scientific conference for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) physicians and patients beginning in 2011. IPF Summit 2011 From Bench to Bedside, will be held at the Marriott Magnificent Mile in Chicago, IL on December 1-3, 2011.

28 Oct 2010

Pfizer announces publication of crizotinib data for NSCLC patients in New England Journal of Medicine

Pfizer Inc. announced today the publication of data showing that 57 percent of ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with crizotinib (PF-02341066), an investigational oral anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, had either a complete (one patient) or partial (46 patients) response to treatment. Data from 82 patients in this Part 2 expansion cohort of the Phase 1 study were published in the October 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

28 Oct 2010

Systemic amyloidosis patient to receive triple organ transplant

In 2005, then 40-year-old Walt McGuire was playing hockey twice a week, working full-time and chasing his young daughter. Then one day, he noticed after one trip up the stairs to catch her, he couldn't catch his breath. A few days later his legs were swollen. After numerous trips to different doctors, McGuire finally was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called amyloidosis.

28 Oct 2010

Laureate enters agreement with AVEO to produce AV-203 monoclonal antibody against ErbB3

Laureate Pharma, Inc., a full-service contract development and manufacturing organization, announced today that they have entered into a development and manufacturing agreement to produce AV-203, AVEO Pharmaceutical's (Cambridge, MA) novel monoclonal antibody targeted against ErbB3.

28 Oct 2010

World's largest free-standing proton therapy center opens

Hampton University, along with the Honorable Gov. Bob McDonnell and hundreds of guests, celebrated the grand opening of the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute (HUPTI), the world's largest free-standing proton center, on Thursday.

28 Oct 2010

Calypso Medical initiates clinical study to evaluate tracking technology for lung tumors

Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., a developer of real-time localization technology used for the precise tracking of tumors, today announced the initiation of the first clinical study to evaluate the use of the Calypso System for tracking lung cancer tumors during radiation delivery, including a new design of the Company's implantable Beacon transponder.

28 Oct 2010

New national campaign to drive awareness on DVT and PE prevention in women

As many as 600,000 people are affected by deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) every year, and more than half of those are never diagnosed. Some people experience swelling and varying levels of discomfort in the affected area, and some don't feel anything at all. But the symptoms of DVT can be similar to other conditions, like a pulled muscle, and because some people with DVT do not have any symptoms, there is often a delay in diagnosis. That's when DVT can be fatal.

28 Oct 2010

New oral drug shrinks IMT sarcoma driven by abnormally activated protein

A new oral drug caused dramatic shrinkage of a patient's rare, aggressive form of soft-tissue cancer that was driven by an abnormally activated protein, physician-scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report in the Oct. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

28 Oct 2010

New findings suggest way to treat lung diseases

A new study of an exotic, infectious virus that has caused three recent outbreaks in the United States reveals clues to how the virus might damage lungs during infection. The findings also suggest possible new ways to treat lung diseases in humans.

28 Oct 2010

Sandoz initiates voluntary recall of Methotrexate Injection

Sandoz Inc. announced today it has initiated a voluntary recall in the US of all 50mg/2mL and 250mg/10mL vials of Sandoz and Parenta brand Methotrexate Injection, USP product ("methotrexate") to the consumer/user level. Consistent with its commitment to quality and patient safety, Sandoz is initiating this voluntary recall of all 24 lots of the affected product following the finding of small glass flakes by Sandoz quality control in a limited number of vials in four lots.

28 Oct 2010

Survey shows Americans are unaware about causes of lung cancer

Men and women worry about prostate and breast cancer, yet the number one cancer killer in the United States – lung cancer – isn't on their radar. According to a survey released today by the National Lung Cancer Partnership, Americans know little about lung cancer's causes, symptoms and the number of lives it takes compared to other cancers.

27 Oct 2010

Study: lncRNA are involved in host response to viral infection

Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that a certain class of RNA (known as long non-protein-coding RNA [lncRNA]) are involved in the host response to viral infection. These findings, published today in the online journal mBio-, could greatly change the way scientists look at the body's response to viral infection.

27 Oct 2010

Older adults with severe sepsis at higher risk for cognitive impairment

Older adults who survive severe sepsis are at higher risk for long-term cognitive impairment and physical limitations than those hospitalized for other reasons, according to researchers from the University of Michigan Health System.

27 Oct 2010

Health care angst keeps campaigns on edge in final week

Interest and anger about health care is fueling tension in political campaigns for offices ranging from insurance commissioner to U.S. senator.

27 Oct 2010

New findings could deliver low-cost method to extract anticancer compound

A popular cancer drug could be produced cheaply and sustainably using stem cells derived from trees, a study suggests. Researchers have isolated and grown stem cells from a yew tree whose bark is a natural source of the anticancer compound paclitaxel. The development could enable the compound to be produced on a commercial scale at low cost, with no harmful by-products.

26 Oct 2010

Researchers identify signaling pathway that promotes metastasis of pediatric bone cancer

Researchers have identified an important signaling pathway that, when blocked, significantly decreases the spread of pediatric bone cancer. Their research showed that the Notch pathway and Hes1 gene play a key role in promoting the metastasis of osteosarcoma, the most common form of bone cancer in children.

26 Oct 2010

Study finds ABVD standard chemotherapy effective for Hodgkin's lymphoma

A lower dose of radiation used to reduce side effects is not as effective as the regular dose when given with the standard chemotherapy in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with early, intermediate-stage disease, according to a first-of-its-kind randomized study presented at the plenary session, November 1, 2010, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

26 Oct 2010

Study reveals two enzymes help immune cells deploy pathogen-killing traps

A new study reveals that two enzymes help immune cells deploy pathogen-killing traps by unraveling and using the chromatin (DNA and its associated proteins) contained in the cells' nuclei to form defensive webs. The study appears online on October 25 in The Journal of Cell Biology.

26 Oct 2010

Baxter announces launch of GLASSIA in the U.S.

Baxter International Inc. today announced the commercial launch of GLASSIATM [Alpha1-Proteinase Inhibitor (Human)] in the United States. GLASSIATM is the first available ready-to-use liquid alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (Alpha1-PI) and is indicated as a chronic augmentation and maintenance therapy in adults with emphysema due to congenital deficiency of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), an under-diagnosed hereditary condition characterized by a low level of alpha-1 protein in the blood.

From Baxter International Inc. 26 Oct 2010

H1N1 linked to increased rate of empyema in children

The H1N1 influenza pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the number of children with a serious "secondary" bacterial infection called empyema in children, suggests a study in the October issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

25 Oct 2010