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Hapten licenses HPT-721 to prevent poison ivy dermatitis

Hapten Sciences Inc. of Memphis, Tenn., has licensed a compound developed by ElSohly Laboratories Inc. and University of Mississippi pharmaceutical researchers to prevent reactions to poison ivy, oak and sumac.

27 Mar 2012

Tips to prevent tick-borne diseases

Spring has only just arrived, but tick season is well under way. Physicians are seeing new cases of tick-borne illness several weeks earlier than usual, likely because a mild winter in much of the country made life easier for ticks and their offspring. That means it's time for gardeners, hikers, pet owners and others who spend time outdoors to take steps to protect themselves -- and to watch for symptoms of tick-borne illness if they do come in contact with the tiny bloodsuckers.

27 Mar 2012

State roundup: Calpers insurance savings; Harvard Pilgrim challenges 'Partners'; Minn. long-term care costs spike

The California Public Employees' Retirement System happily ended 2010 with insurance rates $15 million lower than they might have been ... Catholic Healthcare West, now Dignity Health, which helped deliver those savings, ended that year with millions of dollars less in revenue. The San Francisco-based hospital system was among the early adopters of accountable care ... Hospital executives trying to control spending face the costly prospect of actively trying to keep patients out of the hospital.

20 Mar 2012

Typhoid on Christmas Island

As of now people seeking asylum on Christmas Island will have to wait to be transferred to mainland Australia, after typhoid fever was detected on the island.

27 Feb 2012

Skin cancer drug may prolong survival in advanced cases: Study

Researchers say 132 patients in the U.S. and Australia who were given the drug vemurafenib gained several extra months of life. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that those on the drug lived an average of 16 months, compared with nine months on conventional treatment.

26 Feb 2012

IHA disappointed over proposal to cut $2.7 billion from Illinois' Medicaid program

The Illinois Hospital Association (IHA) is disappointed by the Governor's proposal to cut $2.7 billion from Illinois' Medicaid program. This proposed cut, which is equal to 18 percent of total spending on Medicaid, will harm all Illinois residents.

23 Feb 2012

Vemurafenib nearly doubles survival for patients with metastatic melanoma

Investigators from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) and 12 other centers in the United States and Australia have found that a new drug for patients with metastatic melanoma nearly doubled median overall survival.

23 Feb 2012

Gluten-free diet more of a fad than absolute necessity for many

Many people claim that gluten sensitivity is on the rise and consequently gluten-free products are more popular than ever. A study explores whether shunning gluten is really necessary and finds that in most cases it is not.

22 Feb 2012

New triple-therapies found cost-effective for chronic hepatitis C patients with advanced liver disease

A towering $60,000 bill, a year of fierce, flu-like symptoms and a running risk of depression are among the possible costs of two new hepatitis C treatments. But according to Stanford University health policy researchers, they might be worth it.

21 Feb 2012

Regeneron reports total revenues of $123.0M for fourth quarter 2011

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year 2011 and provided an update on development programs.

13 Feb 2012

Benefits of long-term Kineret therapy in people with NOMID

A new study shows that Kineret (anakinra), a medication approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is effective in stopping the progression of organ damage in people with neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease.

13 Feb 2012

UCSD Moores Cancer Center offers NovoTTF procedure for patients with GBM

Jim Black is fighting the meanest, most aggressive, most common kind of brain tumor in the United States: recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In the United States, each year, approximately 10,000 patients are affected by GBM. Now, a novel investigational device - available only at clinical trial sites - is offering new hope to these patients.

4 Feb 2012

Cystic fibrosis drug gets FDA approval

A drug – the first of its kind - that treats the root cause of cystic fibrosis won approval Tuesday. This could be a ray of hope for patients with the deadly illness and broader hope for thousands more patients with the inherited disease.

1 Feb 2012

Novartis' Gleevec receives FDA approval for use in patients with CD117-positive GIST

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted Gleevec (imatinib) regular approval for use in adult patients following surgical removal of CD117-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

1 Feb 2012

Vertex receives FDA approval for Kalydeco to treat rare form of CF

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Kalydeco (ivacaftor) for the treatment of a rare form of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients ages 6 years and older who have the specific G551D mutation in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR) gene.

1 Feb 2012

Positive preliminary results from Alnylam's Phase I ALN-PCS trial on severe hypercholesterolemia

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today the achievement of positive preliminary results from its ongoing clinical trial of ALN-PCS, an RNAi therapeutic targeting PCSK9 for the treatment of severe hypercholesterolemia.

5 Jan 2012

Mosquito borne Murray Valley Encephalitis warnings for NSW and North Victoria

The NSW Health authorities are warning residents and visitors in southern and western NSW to take extra precautions and protect themselves against mosquitoes following the detection of the Murray Valley Encephalitis (or MVE) virus in NSW. Residents and visitors to North Victoria are also similarly warned.

1 Jan 2012