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First Edition: August 17, 2011

In today's headlines, a report about how the timing of the Supreme Court's health law review is in play -- will it happen before or after the 2012 election?

17 Aug 2011

Emergent commences TRU-016 Phase 1b/2 combination trial in relapsed indolent NHL

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. today announced the initiation of a Phase 1b/2 study (16011) of TRU-016 in combination with rituximab and bendamustine for patients with relapsed indolent non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphomas, including follicular lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma.

17 Aug 2011

FDA, USP co-sponsors OTC drug products workshop

Updated public standards incorporating new tests for impurities as well as more modern technologies to help ensure the quality of over-the-counter (OTC) ingredients and products will be key areas of focus for a September 8-9, 2011, workshop co-sponsored by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention.

17 Aug 2011

Researchers document how immune system can counteract advancement of Alzheimer's

For the first time a research team at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Universitätsklinik Freiburg succeeded in documenting how the immune system can counteract the advancement of Alzheimer's disease.

17 Aug 2011

The Washington Post explores comparative effectiveness research

American medical care is rife with such treatments, whose usefulness is uncertain not just to the doctors who deliver them but also to the patients who receive them. These days, however, many people are pinning their hopes on "comparative effectiveness research" as way to solve the dilemma of how best to treat this and hundreds of other common problems in day-to-day medicine.

17 Aug 2011

Clinical trial to assess 6MP drug in women with advanced breast or ovarian cancer

A CANCER RESEARCH UK-funded trial of a new drug for patients with advanced breast or ovarian cancer due to inherited gene faults has been launched at the Oxford Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) at the University of Oxford.

17 Aug 2011

Debate emerges regarding benefit of CT scans for lung cancer

Some hospitals are offering discounted CT scans to worried smokers, leading experts to question whether it's a marketing strategy or offers some health benefit.

17 Aug 2011

Obama expresses confidence that SCOTUS will uphold health law

Days after a federal appeals court overturned the measure's individual mandate, President Barack Obama said the Supreme Court will uphold the law if it follows legal precedents when considering it.

17 Aug 2011

Study: Eye contact seems to act as an invitation for mimicry

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but how do our brains decide when and who we should copy? Researchers from The University of Nottingham have found that the key may lie in an unspoken invitation communicated through eye contact.

17 Aug 2011

Nursing home, hospice pay trigger questions, concern, action

News outlets report on a range of issues related to Medicare payments, including losses that are expected to result from a new payment rule for nursing homes and the lobbying effort being undertaken by hospice facilities.

17 Aug 2011

Registration now open for California Healthcare Institute's 2011 Annual Meeting

CHI-California Healthcare Institute announced today that registration is now open for CHI's 2011 Annual Meeting. CHI's Annual Meeting focuses on the relationship between biomedical innovation and public policy. This year's theme is Shifting Sands: Forces Reshaping the Biomedical Innovation Business Model.

17 Aug 2011

Washington Post examines history, future of mosquito control efforts

The Washington Post looks at the history and future of disease-carrying mosquitoes, "the most deadly non-human animal on the planet." The newspaper describes several mosquito-control methods, and poses the question, "If scientists could find a way to wipe out all mosquitoes - recent studies have shown that it may be possible to chemically sterilize males and dupe the females into mating with them - would that be a good idea?".

17 Aug 2011

Study reveals structure of ribosomal assembly intermediate

As part of a joint research effort with the University of Michigan, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have for the first time defined the structure of one of the cell's most basic engines, which is required for cell growth, as it assembles from its components.

17 Aug 2011

Examining the use of the 'ABC safe sex' campaign in Botswana

In this World Policy Blog post, Julie Mellin, editorial assistant at the World Policy Journal, reflects on her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana to examine the "ABC (Abstain, Be Faithful and Condomize) ... safe sex" campaign, "one of the campaigns most highly funded by the international community."

17 Aug 2011

'Super committee' outlook: What's to become of Medicare, Medicaid?

Although President Barack Obama continues to make clear that, in his view, reforming these entitlement programs is necessary to find budget savings, one policy expert says such cuts might have very little impact on deficit spending. Meanwhile, news outlets report on how lobbyists are taking position in an effort to best advance their clients interests to the deficit panel.

17 Aug 2011

UC Riverside research could help prevent crop loss, pest outbreaks

New research by scientists at the University of California, Riverside shows that evolution - genetic changes in populations over time - can occur so rapidly in organisms that its impact on population numbers and other aspects of biology can be seen within just a few generations.

17 Aug 2011

Worries in Neb. about exchange deadlines; federal grant for Conn.

Nebraska officials raised concerns Monday about the state's ability to meet upcoming federal health care reform deadlines. At a briefing for state lawmakers, the officials said they face challenges with the amount of work to be done and the lack of answers on key matters.

17 Aug 2011

World's top genetic scientists to present latest research findings at ICHG/ASHG 2011 Meeting

The world's top scientists and clinicians in the human genetics field will gather to present their latest research findings at the 12th International Congress of Human Genetics (ICHG) / 61st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), which will be held on October 11-15, 2011, in Montreal (Quebec), Canada, at the Montreal Convention Center.

17 Aug 2011

Georgia creating consumer-focused electronic health records system

A groundbreaking project in northwest Georgia soon will encourage consumers to play a bigger role in their health care by creating electronic personal health records, uploading medical information and images into one easy-to-access location a button click away.

17 Aug 2011

India and international aid priorities

In this Center for Global Development Global Health Policy blog post, Amanda Glassman, director of Global Health Policy and research fellow at CGD, and Denizhan Duran, a CGD research assistant, examine the question of whether European and other aid agencies should continue to give aid to India, a country that "now plans to give $11.3 billion in the next five to seven years" through its own aid agency.

17 Aug 2011