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When it comes to antioxidants, orange could be the new red!

Scientists say a special variety of orange tomatoes may be healthier than the usual bright red ones.

8 Mar 2007

California Sen. Carole Migden introduces bill to allow HIV-positive men to use reproductive services

California Sen. Carole Migden (D) recently introduced a bill (SB 443) that would allow HIV-positive men to use reproductive services, including artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, under certain guidelines, the MediaNews/San Jose Mercury News reports.

8 Mar 2007

Two Roche HPV diagnostic tests to receive FDA review

Roche on Tuesday announced that FDA will review applications for the company's two human papillomavirus diagnostic tests, the Baltimore Sun reports

8 Mar 2007

Researchers discover a new mechanism that regulates stem cell division

Errors in stem cell division can give rise to tumours. By studying stem cells in the fruit fly, scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) have identified one of the mechanisms that govern how these cells divide.

7 Mar 2007

New technology to help hospitals prepare for disasters

Johns Hopkins emergency medicine specialists have developed a tool to help hospitals prepare for disasters with the potential to overwhelm services.

6 Mar 2007

Bird flu vaccine - experts say let's try harder

Experts on viruses are calling for a bigger effort to be made in developing vaccines to tackle pandemics.

6 Mar 2007

Mayo Clinic tests engineered measles virus against multiple myeloma

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center has opened a new Phase I clinical trial testing an engineered measles virus against multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow that currently has no cure. This is the third of a series of molecular medicine studies in patients testing the potential of measles to kill cancer.

5 Mar 2007

FDA is using a "dysfunctional" computer system to track the safety of prescription drugs

...and efforts to establish a new system to track adverse drug events have been delayed by at least four years, according to a November 2006 report commissioned by the agency, the Wall Street Journal reports.

5 Mar 2007

New Alzheimer's genes found

Cardiff University researchers have found evidence for new genes involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease.

5 Mar 2007

Lilly to acquire neuroscience drug discovery co. Hypnion

Eli Lilly and Company and Hypnion, Inc. today announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement whereby Lilly will acquire Hypnion, a privately held neuroscience drug discovery company focused on sleep disorders.

5 Mar 2007

Actions taken on HPV vaccine proposals in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota and Virginia

Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's HPV vaccine Cervarix in clinical trials have been shown to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases.

4 Mar 2007

Steroid use fails to boost pregnancy rates in infertility treatments

There is no clear benefit from a hormone commonly prescribed to enhance the effectiveness of infertility treatments, according to a new review of studies.

1 Mar 2007

Virtual Iraq to aid traumatised soldiers and military staff

The virtual Iraq simulation, developed at the University of Southern California (USC) but now being put into practice at Reading, is "fully-immersive" and designed as part of an exposure therapy programme which allows soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress disorder to relive and confront psychological trauma - and it has produced promising results for the first handful of patients treated.

1 Mar 2007

Fox Chase Cancer Center and Cancer Research Technology initiate drug discovery collaboration

Cancer Research Technology Inc. (CRT Inc.) and Fox Chase Cancer Center have announce the initiation of an oncology-focused drug discovery collaboration.

1 Mar 2007

FDA reaches agreement with medical device lobby for user fees

The Advanced Medical Technology Association and FDA have reached an agreement in principle regarding reauthorization of the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act, according to AdvaMed President Steven Ubl, CQ HealthBeat reports.

1 Mar 2007

Delays and lack of communication to primary care physicians common after hospital discharge

Primary care physicians often do not receive adequate patient information from the hospital-based physician following discharge, according to a review article in the February 28 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

28 Feb 2007

Tangerine tomatoes boost disease-fighting antioxidants in blood

Deep red tomatoes get their rich color from lycopene, a disease-fighting antioxidant. A new study, however, suggests that a special variety of orange-colored tomatoes provide a different form of lycopene, one that our bodies may more readily use.

28 Feb 2007

Researchers conducting clinical trials of diaphragm as HIV prevention method

Researchers at the Women's Global Health Imperative program at the University of California-San Francisco's Medical Center are conducting a large-scale clinical trial among 4,500 women in Zimbabwe and South Africa to test the effectiveness of diaphragms in preventing the spread of HIV, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

28 Feb 2007

Microsoft to acquire Medstory

Microsoft on Monday announced plans to acquire California-based Medstory, a start-up company that has developed a specialized online search engine to provide health and medical information to consumers, the New York Times reports.

28 Feb 2007

Task force recommends greater use of exercise testing in chronic disease

Exercise testing can be a powerful tool for diagnosing chronic heart and lung conditions and measuring responses to treatment, according to new research published in the European Respiratory Journal.

27 Feb 2007