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U.S. consumers' health care concerns

USA Today on Monday published three articles addressing U.S. consumers' health care concerns as part of a week-long series titled "Prescription for Change," which examines possible improvements to the U.S. health care system.

16 Oct 2006

McClellan touts lower projected cost of Medicare prescription drug benefit

Mark McClellan, who left his position as CMS administrator this weekend, said he believes his greatest accomplishment during his tenure was improving quality of care in Medicare, CQ HealthBeat reports (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 10/13).

16 Oct 2006

Co-delivery of drugs and DNA from cationic core-shell nanoparticles self-assembled from a biodegradable copolymer

Efforts to treat cancer using genes and other oligonucleotides, such as short interfering RNA (siRNA), that turn off the biochemical processes that trigger malignancies have been hindered by difficulties in delivering nucleic acids to tumors.

16 Oct 2006

A nanoplasmonic molecular ruler for measuring nuclease activity and DNA footprinting

The interactions between proteins and nucleic acids play a critical role in some of life’s most crucial biochemical processes, including gene expression and protein production, and some promising anticancer agents exert their effects by interfering with these interactions.

16 Oct 2006

Membrane targeted chemotherapy with hybrid liposomes for colon tumor cells leading to apoptosis

One of the unusual properties of tumor cells is that their cell membranes are more fluid and less rigid than those of normal cells.

16 Oct 2006

Brits unable to access Alzheimer's drugs

It appears that people in Britain suffering from Alzheimer's disease will be unlikely to benefit from the use of four drugs designed to treat the the degenerative brain disease.

16 Oct 2006

Contaminated cough syrup kills 22 in Panama

The mysterious deaths of 22 people in Panama have now been linked to a contaminated cough syrup.

16 Oct 2006

Calls for FDA to pay more attention to products made with nanotechnology

At a meeting called by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), consumer and environmental groups have called for the FDA to pay more attention to products made by using nanotechnology.

11 Oct 2006

Cocktail of two drugs heals damaged hearts

A cocktail of drugs has been found in trials with animals to heal damaged heart muscle.

10 Oct 2006

WHO and sanofi-aventis expand programme to fight neglected tropical diseases

The World Health Organization (WHO) is expanding its program to fight some of the most neglected tropical diseases that destroy the lives and health of poor people.

10 Oct 2006

Experts say "schizophrenia label" a harmful concept which should be dropped

British mental health experts say the term schizophrenia should abandoned as it has little scientific validity, and is imprecise and stigmatizing.

From The University of Manchester 10 Oct 2006

Mediterranean diet shown to protect against Alzheimer's

A new study has added to the growing body of research which suggests that eating a Mediterranean diet can help to prevent Alzheimer's disease.

10 Oct 2006

A pill a day gives renewed hope for breast cancer victims

A new breast cancer 'wonder drug' could be available to British women within a matter of months.

9 Oct 2006

Photochemistry creates drug-trapping nanoparticles

Many of the most potent anticancer agents are poorly soluble in water, presenting a challenge for medicinal chemists who must develop methods of delivering these drugs in the watery environment of the human body.

9 Oct 2006

Nanoparticle encapsulation improves bioavailability of leukemia drug

Busulfan, which belongs to a family of drugs known as alkylating agents, is used to treat hematological malignancies, including chronic myelogenous leukemia.

9 Oct 2006

Generic hypertension drug a suspect in 19 deaths in Panama

As a result of a mystery illness that has claimed the lives of 19 people, officials in Panama have withdrawn all stocks of a hypertension drug used by thousands to treat high blood pressure.

9 Oct 2006

Federal Agencies collected $1.47B in fraud from government health insurance programs in FY 2005

The Department of Justice and the HHS Office of Inspector General in a report issued this week announced that their joint Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program -- which attempts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in federal health care programs -- will collect $1.47 billion from criminal or civil cases brought during fiscal year 2005, The Hill reports.

8 Oct 2006

National Eye Institute to finance two-year study comparing effectiveness of treatments for macular degeneration

The National Eye Institute on Thursday said it will finance a two-year study comparing the effectiveness of Genentech's eye treatment Lucentis and cancer drug Avastin for treating wet age-related macular degeneration, the New York Times reports.

8 Oct 2006

FDA approves Risperdal to treat irritability associated with autism

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Risperdal (risperidone) orally disintegrating tablets, an adult antipsychotic drug, for the symptomatic treatment of irritability in autistic children and adolescents.

8 Oct 2006

New York State law prevents new CDC testing recommendations from being implemented

A New York state law passed in the 1980s prevents the state from implementing CDC's revised recommendations on HIV testing in the U.S. that say HIV tests should become a routine part of medical care for residents ages 13 to 64 and that requirements for written consent and pretest counseling should be dropped, the New York Times reports.

5 Oct 2006