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Long-lasting weekly fertility injections work as well as daily

New long-lasting weekly injections of fertility hormones are as safe and effective as standard daily injections, according to Cochrane researchers. The researchers compared weekly and daily hormone injections in a Cochrane systematic review and found no difference in pregnancies or serious side effects between the two regimens.

13 Jun 2012

Child Survival Call to Action event signals a 'hopeful moment' in global health

"Helping mothers give birth to HIV-free children is an essential piece of the puzzle of ending preventable child deaths," U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby writes in this post in the AIDS.gov blog, adding, "Yet 390,000 infants around the globe were born with the virus in 2010."

13 Jun 2012

African-led innovation 'imperative' to overcoming health issues on the continent

In this post in the Guardian's "Poverty Matters" blog, Carel IJsselmuiden, executive director of the Council on Health for Development Group, writes that "Africa must turn its health research into treatments for African people," noting, "Despite large investments being made by donors in health products and delivery of health services, a large percentage of Africans still have limited access to sufficient and quality healthcare -- especially in rural areas."

13 Jun 2012

Despite progress, efforts to end HIV/AIDS epidemic must be redoubled, U.N. officials say

"Despite the tremendous progress that has been achieved in the response to HIV/AIDS, it is urgent that efforts be redoubled to end this global epidemic, top United Nations officials stressed Monday, highlighting in particular the need to expand services and scale up resources," the U.N. News Centre reports.

13 Jun 2012

Unnecessary medical imaging can reduce risk of breast cancer in women

A report issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) last December reviewed all the available scientific data compiled to date about potential environmental risks of breast cancer-factors such as pesticides, beauty products, household chemicals, and the plastics used to make water bottles.

12 Jun 2012

Normal p53 gene makes breast cancer chemotherapy with doxorubicin less effective

Presence of normal p53, a tumor suppressor gene, instead of a mutated version, makes breast cancer chemotherapy with doxorubicin less effective. The preclinical study led by MD Anderson scientists was published today in the journal Cancer Cell.

12 Jun 2012

Organized rallies around U.S. decry contraception coverage mandate

More than 100 organized rallies in states around the nation this weekend decried the Obama administration decision to require insurers and employers to cover contraception in their health plans as an attack on their religious freedom.

12 Jun 2012

Cellular source of cervical cancer found

A team of scientists from A*STAR's Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) together with clinicians from Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have identified a unique set of cells in the cervix that are the cause of human papillomaviruses (HPV) related cervical cancers. Significantly, the team also showed that these cells do not regenerate when excised.

12 Jun 2012

Consequences of female genital mutilation could be reduced by reconstructive surgery

Reconstructive surgery after female genital mutilation (FGM) appears to reduce pain and restore sexual pleasure in women, according to the first large prospective trial to assess long-term outcomes of a new surgical technique published Online First in The Lancet. Over the past 10 years, between 130 and 140 million women worldwide have been subject to FGM.

12 Jun 2012

IVF linked to increased relapse rate among MS patients

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is linked to an increased rate of relapse among women with multiple sclerosis (MS), suggests a small study published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

12 Jun 2012

Increased risk of brain aneurysm linked to early menopause

The younger a woman is when she goes through the menopause, the greater may be her risk of having a brain (cerebral) aneurysm, suggests research published online first in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery.

12 Jun 2012

Pharmanest commences SHACT Phase II study in women

Today, Pharmanest AB announced that the first patient has been dosed in a randomized Phase II study of SHACT, a product developed for pain relief associated with intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. Karolinska Development AB (STO:KDEV) owns 58.9 percent of Pharmanest.

12 Jun 2012

International summit to be held in London aims to provide 120M women with family planning services

The Guardian reports on a "major summit" to be held in London on July 11, which "aims to provide access to family planning to 120 million women at an estimated cost of $4 billion." According to the newspaper, the summit "is being organized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the British government's department for international development (DFID)," and "between 20 and 25 countries are scheduled to attend, including the U.S., India, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania."

12 Jun 2012

Menopausal women with high oestradiol levels at greater risk of strokes

Women are less prone to cardiovascular disease then men; but this difference between the sexes becomes less marked after the menopause. This observation is behind a great deal of received wisdom, where oestrogen is assumed to have a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels.

11 Jun 2012

Distinct cancer 'signatures' may help predict response to estrogen-lowering therapy

Decoding the DNA of patients with advanced breast cancer has allowed scientists to identify distinct cancer "signatures" that could help predict which women are most likely to benefit from estrogen-lowering therapy, while sparing others from unnecessary treatment.

11 Jun 2012

BioSante to initiate two new LibiGel Phase III efficacy trials in FSD, HSDD

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that the Company plans to initiate two new LibiGel Phase III efficacy trials. This decision is based on an extensive analysis of previous efficacy data, consultation with key opinion leaders (KOLs) in female sexual dysfunction, testosterone therapy and placebo effects, as well as a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

11 Jun 2012

Zafgen announces new data from two Phase 1 studies of beloranib on obesity

Zafgen, Inc., the world's first biopharmaceutical company dedicated to addressing the unmet need of severely obese patients, today announced new data from two Phase 1 studies of beloranib, a selective methionine aminopeptidase 2 inhibitor (MetAP2), which showed significant weight loss and improvements in cardiometabolic risk markers in severely obese women.

11 Jun 2012

Study compares breast milk fatty acid composition in the U.S. and Tsimane women

Working with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, anthropologists at UC Santa Barbara have found high levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in the breast milk of economically impoverished Amerindian woman as compared to women in the United States.

11 Jun 2012

VHC extends Obstetrics services to Kaiser Permanente members

Virginia Hospital Center announced today an expansion of services offered at Virginia Hospital Center, to include Obstetrics for Kaiser Permanente's members.

11 Jun 2012

Genentech receives FDA approval for Perjeta to treat HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Perjeta (pertuzumab), a new anti-HER2 therapy, to treat patients with HER2-positive late-stage (metastatic) breast cancer.

10 Jun 2012