Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

UCSF researchers discover natural way to avoid urinary incontinence

An ancient form of meditation and exercise could help women who suffer from urinary incontinence, according to a new study from UC San Francisco.

26 Apr 2014

Pernix completes sale of Pernix Manufacturing to Woodfield Pharmaceutical

Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has closed on the sale of its Houston, TX-based manufacturing operations, Pernix Manufacturing, LLC ("PML") to Woodfield Pharmaceutical LLC.

25 Apr 2014

Covidien net sales increase 3% to $2.60 billion in second quarter fiscal 2014

Covidien plc today announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2014. Second-quarter net sales of $2.60 billion increased 3% from the $2.53 billion in the second quarter a year ago. Operational sales growth was 4% in the second quarter, as foreign exchange rate movement lowered the quarterly sales growth rate by just over one percentage point.

25 Apr 2014

Prestige Brands Holdings signs agreement to acquire Insight Pharmaceuticals for $750 million

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Insight Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a marketer and distributor of feminine care and other over-the-counter ("OTC") healthcare products, for $750 million in cash.

25 Apr 2014

Study shows effect of whooping cough vaccination on Bordetella pertussis bacteria

The most comprehensive study to date of the family of bacteria that causes whooping cough points to more effective vaccine strategies and reveals surprising findings about the bacteria's origin and evolution. The new results could alter public health strategies to control this respiratory disease, which kills 195,000 children worldwide each year.

25 Apr 2014

Early identification of heart disease a priority for schizophrenia patients

Early recognition and treatment of coronary artery disease must become a clinical priority for all adults with schizophrenia, say researchers who studied autopsy data for schizophrenia patients who died suddenly in hospital.

23 Apr 2014

New tool can help doctors identify patients at highest risk for respiratory failure after surgery

A new prediction tool can help doctors better identify patients who are at highest risk for respiratory failure after surgery and therefore prevent the often deadly condition, suggest data from a large multi-center study published in the May issue of Anesthesiology.

23 Apr 2014

Novartis to buy Glaxosmithkline's oncology unit

The deal, worth billions, will also see Novartis sell its vaccines unit to Glaxo and partner with Glaxo on their consumer divisions. Novartis also said it will sell its animal health division to Eli Lily.

23 Apr 2014

Pfizer reports positive results from two tofacitinib Phase 3 trials for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis

Pfizer Inc. announced today top-line results from two pivotal Phase 3 trials from the Oral treatment Psoriasis Trials (OPT) Program, OPT Pivotal #1 (A3921078) and OPT Pivotal #2 (A3921079), evaluating the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib, an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, the first in a new class of medicines being investigated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

23 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 22, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including marketplace news about the Novartis purchase of GlaxoSmithKline's oncology unit for $14.5 billion.

22 Apr 2014

Doctors must consider factors when administering combination vaccines, say researchers

One of the most popular vaccine brands for children may not be the most cost-effective choice. And doctors may be overlooking some cost factors when choosing vaccines, driving the market toward what is actually a more expensive option, according to a new study by University of Illinois researchers.

22 Apr 2014

Pediatrician reviews co-pathogenesis of influenza viruses with bacteria in lung

Le Bonheur Children's Hospital Pediatrician-in-Chief Jon McCullers, MD, was recently invited to submit a review in the April issue of Nature Reviews Microbiology, one of the world's foremost scientific publications.

22 Apr 2014

Hospitals ask officials for easier ACO bonuses

The American Hospital Association is lobbying the CMS Innovation Center to make it easier for accountable care organizations to earn Medicare bonuses and delay potential penalties as the agency looks to expand the initiative (Evans, 4/18).

22 Apr 2014

Study finds ginseng can help prevent, treat influenza and RSV infection

Ginseng can help treat and prevent influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages, according to research findings by a scientist in Georgia State University's new Institute for Biomedical Sciences.

22 Apr 2014

Cubist submits ceftolozane/tazobactam NDA for treatment of cUTI and cIAI

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of its investigational antibiotic ceftolozane/tazobactam for the treatment of Complicated Urinary Tract Infections (cUTI) and Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections (cIAI).

21 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 21, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a GAO report on how the Obama administration raised money from outside groups to promote the health law.

21 Apr 2014

Children get codeine in U.S. emergency rooms, despite risks: Study

Despite its potentially harmful effects in children, codeine continues to be prescribed in U.S. emergency rooms, according to new research from UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco.

21 Apr 2014

Benzodiazepines may contribute to respiratory problems in people with COPD

A group of drugs commonly prescribed for insomnia, anxiety and breathing issues "significantly increase the risk" that older people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, need to visit a doctor or Emergency Department for respiratory reasons, new research has found.

21 Apr 2014

Research roundup: Colonscopy in the countryside; retiree health benefits; what should hip surgery cost?

Rural residents who commonly seek treatment for advanced stages of colorectal cancer have been thought to lack access to cancer screening and adjuvant therapy. ... Several theories have been postulated to explain these findings, some of which include low socioeconomic status, lower educational attainment, lack of insurance coverage, underinsurance, and travel distance to health care facilities.

21 Apr 2014

Docs who treat patients with severe LAM face agonizing treatment decision

Doctors who treat patients with a severe and progressive respiratory disease called lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) can face an agonizing treatment decision.

18 Apr 2014