Health and Human Services News and Research

RSS

HHS awards BioShield contract heptavalent botulism antitoxin

HHS has awarded a contract to the Cangene Corporation in the amount of $362,641,105 for 200,000 doses of Heptavalent Botulism Antitoxin.

5 Jun 2006

WHO suffers tragic loss of a visionary leader

The Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Lee Jong-wook of South Korea, has died suddenly following surgery for a blood clot on the brain.

22 May 2006

Lilly to extend patient assistance programs for Medicare patients

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that it will be extending its existing patient assistance program, LillyAnswers, through the end of this year to qualifying patients currently participating in the program, to help bridge the gap in coverage for people who need Lilly medicines, but are not yet enrolled in Medicare Part D.

11 May 2006

Former FDA commissioner investigated

It appears that the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Dr. Lester Crawford is under federal investigation amid accusations of financial improprieties and making false statements to Congress.

1 May 2006

New orthostatic hypotension treatment reduces symptoms without causing high blood pressure

A drug traditionally used to treat myasthenia gravis shows potential benefit for reducing symptoms of orthostatic hypotension without raising blood pressure when people lie down, according to results of a double-blind, controlled clinical trial.

19 Apr 2006

National Autism Association points out possible conflicts of interest in new study denying epidemic rise in autism rates

A study published in Pediatrics, "The Contribution of Diagnostic Substitution to the Growing Administrative Prevalence of Autism in US Special Education," suggests that autism diagnoses haven't actually risen over the past two decades, despite growing and credible scientific evidence to the contrary.

19 Apr 2006

$1.5 billion needed to cover years supply of pediatric vaccines

A six-month stockpile of recommended pediatric vaccines would cost $1 billion and could cover more than 90 percent of U.S. children during a six-month interruption in production, say researchers at two Illinois universities.

19 Apr 2006

New Medicare drug benefit is meeting or exceeding expectations

According to a new survey released by AARP, nearly eight-in-ten, (78 percent) of those enrolled in a Medicare prescription drug plan say they are satisfied.

13 Apr 2006

Evaluation of an inactivated subunit H5N1 influenza virus vaccine in humans

Results from a clinical trial demonstrate that high doses of an experimental H5N1 avian influenza vaccine can induce immune responses in healthy adults.

11 Apr 2006

Few young Americans tested for common STD's

New data indicate the average age of people who are tested for chlamydia, the most reported sexually transmitted disease (STD), is 28.9 for women and 30.5 for men, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 79 percent of new infections annually are in people between ages 15 and 24.

28 Mar 2006

Flu vaccination program could save more than 6,500 lives

To increase influenza vaccinations rates among the elderly - those ages 65 and over who are at high risk for influenza-related mortality - the federal government could consider borrowing a page from the pharmaceutical companies' prescription drug advertising campaigns.

27 Mar 2006

U.S. buys more Relenza and Tamiflu for future influenza pandemics

The United States Department of Health and Human Services has announced additional purchases of antiviral drugs that could be used in the event of a potential influenza pandemic.

23 Mar 2006

U.S. screening for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in migratory birds

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton and Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt have moved to further ensure the protection of people, domestic poultry and wild birds by unveiling an enhanced national framework for early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild migratory birds in the United States.

21 Mar 2006

HHS announces grants of $579.7 million to fund HIV/AIDS primary care

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has announced grants of $579.7 million to fund HIV/AIDS primary care and support services for low-income residents living in major metropolitan areas hit hardest by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

17 Mar 2006

Hospitalized schizophrenics more likely to have complications

A Johns Hopkins study of more than 1,700 patients with schizophrenia hospitalized for medical or surgical care unrelated to their mental disorder shows they are at least twice as likely as similar patients without schizophrenia to suffer dangerous and expensive adverse events.

15 Mar 2006

Spread of bird flu unprecedented

According to experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), meeting in Geneva, the relentless spread of the lethal bird flu virus is far more of a challenge to the world than even AIDS.

6 Mar 2006

Chromium industry withheld data from the U.S. government

According to a new report scientists funded by the chromium industry withheld key data from the U.S. government which called for a strict standard to be imposed regarding workplace exposure to hexavalent chromium.

27 Feb 2006

Doctors fail to recommend colon cancer tests for low-income patients

Fewer than nine out of 10 low-income, medically underserved minority patients at risk for colorectal cancer receive a recommendation for colorectal cancer screening by physicians at government-supported community health centers

24 Feb 2006

National childhood flu-vaccine programs should include evaluation component

If the United States were to launch an annual influenza-vaccination program among the nation's school children, resources also should go to evaluate the program's success in reducing community-wide flu transmission, according to a "Policy Forum" editorial in Science authored by researchers based at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

12 Feb 2006