Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Sanofi announces new data from SAR302503 Phase II trial on myelofibrosis

Sanofi announced today new Phase II data showing that treatment with a novel, investigational, selective JAK2 inhibitor (SAR302503) reduced spleen size and improved constitutional symptoms in patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk primary or secondary myelofibrosis (MF), a hematologic malignancy with unmet medical needs.

10 Dec 2012

U.S. government's draft guidance on funding for H5N1 research receives 'mixed reception,' Science reports

"Researchers are giving a mixed reception to a draft U.S. government plan to do more stringent funding reviews of certain kinds of H5N1 avian influenza research -- and perhaps even require some studies to be kept secret," Science reports.

8 Dec 2012

Research Roundup: Medicare Advantage Plan beneficiaries may get more appropriate use of services; CHIP participation grows; College students' flu vaccination rates weak

Analysis Of Medicare Advantage HMOs Compared With Traditional Medicare Shows Lower Use of Many Services During 2003-09 – Researchers compared the utilization rates of Medicare Advantage health maintenance organizations (HMOs) with those of traditional Medicare beneficiaries, 2003-09, "to ascertain whether the HMO enrollees demonstrated different levels of use of services, which can be a hallmark of more integrated care."

7 Dec 2012

Pay for performance may have reduced UK mortality rates

The introduction in 2008 of a US-based “pay-for-performance” scheme into National Health Service hospitals in the northwest of the UK resulted in a significant decrease in mortality rates, particularly for pneumonia, study findings show.

7 Dec 2012

Study demonstrates how parasites enter the brain to influence its host

Toxoplasma is a common 'cat parasite', and has previously been in the spotlight owing to its observed effect on risk-taking and other human behaviours. To some extent, it has also been associated with mental illness. A study led by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now demonstrates for the first time how the parasite enters the brain to influence its host.

7 Dec 2012

Health workers face 'severe logistical challenges' to vaccinating Maasai tribes in Tanzania

Chris Endean of the GAVI Alliance writes ahead of the GAVI Partners Forum in a CNN opinion piece about efforts to vaccinate members of the Maasai tribes in Tanzania's Arusha National Park. Noting Maasai tribes are "constantly on the move searching for water and fresh pasture for their cattle," he describes "severe logistical challenges" health workers face when trying to reach their patients and notes."

7 Dec 2012

Strengthen health systems to integrate polio vaccinations into routine childhood immunizations, Save the Children report says

Speaking at the GAVI Partners Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, David Olayemi, senior program adviser at Save the Children in Abuja, Nigeria, said fewer than half of children in Nigeria are receiving routine immunizations for diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (DTP), and the rate is dropping, Guardian health editor Sarah Boseley reports in her "Global Health Blog."

7 Dec 2012

FDA designates two of Cubist’s Phase 3 antibiotic candidates

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated two of the company's Phase 3 antibiotic candidates, CXA-201 (ceftolozane/tazobactam) and CB-315, as Qualified Infectious Disease Products (QIDP).

6 Dec 2012

Spine Revitalizer develops infographic about non-surgical back pain treatment

More than 3 in 4 Americans experience back pain at some point in their life. Thankfully, Spine Revitalizer has released a helpful resource to give basic information for those suffering from back pain.

6 Dec 2012

MSF expresses concerns regarding global vaccination efforts ahead of GAVI forum

"This week, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) is holding a forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania," Guardian health editor Sarah Boseley writes in her "Global Health Blog," noting, "Invited are 700 experts from all the organizations and countries GAVI works with, funding immunization programs across the globe and in some of the poorest places on the planet."

6 Dec 2012

Biomatrica completes $5 million in private financing

Biomatrica, Inc., a leader in ambient temperature biostability technology, today announced the completion of $5 million in private financing. Biomatrica has developed SampleMatrix technology which has pioneered recent innovations in ambient storage of biological samples, from purified DNA, RNA, and proteins to complex systems such as tissue, cell lines, biopsies and whole blood.

6 Dec 2012

Roundup: Florida health law battles take new turn; Oklahoma court rejects anti-abortion law; Calif. kids Medi-Cal dispute continues

Even in Florida, where Republican leaders led the legal battle against Obamacare, there's recognition now that the state has to act fast to comply with the new law. ... After Nov. 6, Gov. Rick Scott had a change in tone. "Gov. Mitt Romney did not win the election. So, it's not an option to repeal Obamacare," he said. "So, my goal now is to focus on what's good for our citizens." But Republicans are having trouble convincing Tea Party activists that the fight is over.

6 Dec 2012

WHO assists Middle East authorities with coronavirus investigation

The World Health Organization has sent a team to Jordan at the request of the country’s Ministry of Health to help investigate the emergence of a novel coronavirus that resulted in the deaths of two people earlier this year, and to assist with further epidemiologic surveillance.

5 Dec 2012

Software to curb hospital readmissions?

Stung by a multimillion-dollar penalty for failing to meet new patient readmissions standards set by Medicare, UMass Memorial Health Care is using transaction analytics software to reduce frequent and costly readmissions for patients with heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia.

5 Dec 2012

New data from AstraZeneca's FASLODEX studies on breast cancer to be presented at SABSC

AstraZeneca today announced the presentation of important new data from studies of FASLODEX (fulvestrant) Injection at the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium taking place from 4-8 December at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas.

5 Dec 2012

Swedish Medical Center/First Hill named among Leapfrog Group's 2012 Top Hospitals

The Leapfrog Group's annual class of 'Top Hospitals' – just 89 from a field of nearly 1,200 – will be announced today in Baltimore, Md., and includes Swedish Medical Center/First Hill for the third year in a row. The announcement will take place at Leapfrog's Annual Meeting.

4 Dec 2012

UI researchers develop neonatal piglet model to study micronutrient deficiencies

University of Illinois researchers have developed a model that uses neonatal piglets for studying infant brain development and its effect on learning and memory. To determine if the model is nutrient-sensitive, they have done some research on the effects of iron-deficient diets.

4 Dec 2012

Colleges and universities should implement new or improved flu vaccine strategies

College football and basketball games may provide more than a way for students to show school spirit - they could help prevent the flu.

3 Dec 2012

'Fiscal Cliff' talks morphing into high-stakes game of political chicken

White House negotiators and GOP lawmakers remain at odds over a deficit-reduction plan with only weeks to go before automatic spending cuts and tax increases are triggered.

3 Dec 2012

Retail clinics could undermine primary care patient-physician relationships

Using retail walk-in health clinics, often located inside pharmacies or big-box stores, for simple acute care problems can interfere with establishing and maintaining a relationship with a primary care provider, finds a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

1 Dec 2012

Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Sanofi announces new data from SAR302503 Phase II trial on myelofibrosis

U.S. government's draft guidance on funding for H5N1 research receives 'mixed reception,' Science reports

Research Roundup: Medicare Advantage Plan beneficiaries may get more appropriate use of services; CHIP participation grows; College students' flu vaccination rates weak

Pay for performance may have reduced UK mortality rates

Study demonstrates how parasites enter the brain to influence its host

Health workers face 'severe logistical challenges' to vaccinating Maasai tribes in Tanzania

Strengthen health systems to integrate polio vaccinations into routine childhood immunizations, Save the Children report says

FDA designates two of Cubist’s Phase 3 antibiotic candidates

Spine Revitalizer develops infographic about non-surgical back pain treatment

MSF expresses concerns regarding global vaccination efforts ahead of GAVI forum

Biomatrica completes $5 million in private financing

Roundup: Florida health law battles take new turn; Oklahoma court rejects anti-abortion law; Calif. kids Medi-Cal dispute continues

WHO assists Middle East authorities with coronavirus investigation

Software to curb hospital readmissions?

New data from AstraZeneca's FASLODEX studies on breast cancer to be presented at SABSC

Swedish Medical Center/First Hill named among Leapfrog Group's 2012 Top Hospitals

UI researchers develop neonatal piglet model to study micronutrient deficiencies

Colleges and universities should implement new or improved flu vaccine strategies

'Fiscal Cliff' talks morphing into high-stakes game of political chicken

Retail clinics could undermine primary care patient-physician relationships

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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