Diabetes News and Research

Latest Diabetes News and Research

GE Healthcare launches first human cellular assay product

Geron Corporation today announced that GE Healthcare has launched the first human cellular assay product for use in drug discovery and toxicity screening, developed under a license and alliance agreement between the two companies.

5 Oct 2010

EU called upon to tackle problem of chronic non-communicable diseases

Members of the European Parliament are calling on the Presidency of the EU and Member States to tackle urgently the problem of chronic non-communicable diseases that are responsible for 86% of all deaths in the WHO European Region. Their call is supported by an alliance of European health professionals, including ECCO - the European CanCer Organisation - and ESMO - the European Society for Medical Oncology.

5 Oct 2010

Consumer Reports Health publishes rankings of 227 HMOs, POS plans

With open enrollment season now underway, consumers with employer-based health insurance can take advantage of the once-a-year opportunity to switch plans. To help consumers compare health insurance plans, Consumer Reports Health is today publishing rankings of 227 HMOs and Point of Service (POS) plans.

5 Oct 2010

Care Improvement Plus releases 2011 Medicare health plan benefits to improve quality of care

Care Improvement Plus, operator of one of the largest special needs plans in Texas, is standing by its commitment to serve chronically ill and underserved Medicare beneficiaries with the release of its 2011 Medicare health plan benefits in preparation for the upcoming Medicare annual election period, which begins November 15th.

5 Oct 2010

RHUCIN clinical trial results published in JACI journal

Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced the publication of an integrated analysis of two randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials with RHUCIN (recombinant human C1 inhibitor, or rhC1INH), in the October issue of the peer reviewed Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI).

5 Oct 2010

Research on T cell may lead to new treatment options for type 1 diabetes

A research team from the University of British Columbia and the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children's Hospital has identified the role of a type of T cell in type 1 diabetes that may lead to new treatment options for young patients.

5 Oct 2010

UnitedHealth announces $2.25 million to support Y's healthy-living initiatives

UnitedHealth Group has announced a three-year, $2.25 million commitment to support the Y's healthy-living initiatives and efforts to prevent obesity and related chronic diseases.

5 Oct 2010

Mechanisms of body fat growth discovered

Using ice cream, candy bars and energy drinks to help volunteers gain weight, Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered the mechanisms of how body fat grows. Increased abdominal fat seems to heighten risk for metabolic disease, while fat expansion in the lower body -- as in the thighs -- seems to lower the risk. The findings, appearing in today's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), help explain why.

5 Oct 2010

cobas TaqScreen DPX Test now available with CE Mark: Roche

Roche announced today that the cobas TaqScreen DPX Test for use on the cobas s 201 system is now available with the CE Mark. It is the first IVD test to offer complete coverage of all human genotypes of parvovirus B19 (B19V) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in one assay.

5 Oct 2010

Novo Nordisk announces $73M expansion of Clayton insulin delivery systems manufacturing facility

Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company and leader in diabetes care, today announced a $73 million expansion of its Clayton, NC manufacturing facility to accommodate increased production capacity for the Company's insulin delivery devices.

5 Oct 2010

Evotec enters multiple target drug discovery collaboration with Shionogi

Evotec AG today announced that it has entered into a multiple target drug discovery collaboration with Shionogi & Co Ltd., to identify small molecule modulators of various protein-protein interaction targets.

5 Oct 2010

Human growth hormone can treat cystic fibrosis symptoms

Human growth hormone can be used successfully to treat some symptoms of cystic fibrosis, but its impact on the disease itself remains unknown, according to a new report funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

5 Oct 2010

Australian reimbursement committee is set to consider Novo Nordisk's type 2 diabetes treatment

In its November meeting, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) will consider Novo Nordisk's second-to-market glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist Victoza for reimbursement, which would be essential in order for the drug to compete effectively with Eli Lilly's Byetta. However, its chances of success are uncertain, considering that it took three years to get Byetta on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

4 Oct 2010

VIVUS announces divestiture of MUSE to Meda

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Meda - an international specialty pharma company - for MUSE®, transurethral alprostadil, for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Under the agreement, Meda will acquire the MUSE assets including the United States and foreign MUSE patents, existing inventory and the manufacturing facility located in Lakewood, New Jersey.

4 Oct 2010

IBM employee-wellness program shows some success for kids

Reuters: "In 2008, IBM launched an Internet-based 'children's rebate program' that let employees and their families choose from a selection of goals revolving around healthy eating, group physical activity, reduced 'screen time' and positive parental role-modeling. A $150 check was offered as incentive to complete the 12-week program. … More than 22,000 employees signed on to participate, representing about half of all employees with children covered by IBM's health plan." About 12,000 completed the program and received the rebate.

4 Oct 2010

Alexander Technique training program improves endurance and posture during surgery

A century-old posture improvement technique developed by Shakespearian actor F.M. Alexander to correct his chronic laryngitis appears to enhance the posture and proficiency of surgeons who perform minimally invasive procedures.

4 Oct 2010

Merck's boceprevir Phase III studies for HCV to be presented at 61st AASLD

Merck today announced that final results from two pivotal Phase III studies of boceprevir, its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, will be presented in oral plenary sessions at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), which is taking place from Oct. 29 through Nov. 2 in Boston. Results for boceprevir in response-guided therapy strategies, which evaluated treatment durations shorter than current standard therapy, will be presented during the meeting.

4 Oct 2010

Saturated fat intake has limited impact on CVD risk: Research

For the past three decades, saturated fat has been considered a major culprit of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and as a result dietary advice persists in recommending reduced consumption of this macronutrient. However, new evidence shows that saturated fat intake has only a very limited impact on CVD risk causing many to rethink the "saturated fat is bad" paradigm.

4 Oct 2010

Study shows hypomethylation increases through progression of multiple myeloma

DNA methylation, a modification of DNA linked to gene regulation — is altered with increasing severity in a blood cancer called multiple myeloma, according to a study by Mayo Clinic and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

4 Oct 2010

Researchers create new cell lines from mesenchymal stem cells

Biomedical researchers at the University at Buffalo have engineered adult stem cells that scientists can grow continuously in culture, a discovery that could speed development of cost-effective treatments for diseases including heart disease, diabetes, immune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

4 Oct 2010