Endocrinology News and Research

Latest Endocrinology News and Research

Thirty indicted over $61M Medicare fraud

Thirty people have been charged in three cities for their alleged roles in schemes to submit more than $61 million in false Medicare claims as part of the continuing operation of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division announced today.

16 Dec 2009

Pancreas removal, and successful isolation and transplantation of insulin producing cells

A 21-year old Airman severely wounded in Afghanistan is recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after several surgeries and an unprecedented transplant.

16 Dec 2009

Study may lead to more targeted research and treatment for memory disorders

The conversations neurons have as they form and recall memories have been decoded by Medical College of Georgia scientists.

16 Dec 2009

CDHPs deliver quality and accessible health coverage at lower costs

As overall medical costs continue to increase by double digits annually, medical costs for individuals in account-based consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) went down 26% over four years, while levels of care for their preventive medicine, chronic disease management and evidence-based treatments were higher than their counterparts in traditional PPO and HMO health plans, according to a new multi-year study of health care claims experience of 655,000 CIGNA customers.

16 Dec 2009

Health information training dispels myths and promotes health awareness

Although growing numbers of people check their symptoms with "Dr. Google" or seek other medical advice online, many still lack the access and skills to take advantage of the Web's wealth of health information.

16 Dec 2009

University of Florida obtains stimulus grant to establish ataxia consortium

University of Florida neurologists are trying to change that with the help of a $1 million Challenge grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to establish a nationwide network of physician-scientists with expertise in clinical ataxia research.

16 Dec 2009

Nutrition education may help diabetes patients to adopt better dietary habits

Nine weeks of education about the glycemic index in foods is enough to encourage adults with type 2 diabetes to adopt better dietary habits that result in improvements to their health, recent research suggests.

16 Dec 2009

Low plasma CETP activity associated with increased risk of heart disease, says study

Although seen as a potential heart disease therapy, raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels by inhibiting activity of a transfer protein may not be effective, a new study suggests.

16 Dec 2009

Dendritic cell changes suggest new strategy to identify and treat debilitating lung disease

A new study links chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, with increased activity of cells that act as sentinels to activate the body's immune system.

15 Dec 2009

Lilly Endowment offers $60 million to implement the Indiana Physician Scientist Initiative

When a patient has a disease that can't be treated effectively, the physician can see clearly where research is needed.

15 Dec 2009

AstraZeneca, UVa announce collaboration in development of new treatments for CAD and PAD

AstraZeneca and the University of Virginia (UVa) in Charlottesville, today announced that they have entered into a strategic research collaboration to enhance development of new treatments primarily for coronary artery disease (CAD) with a secondary focus on peripheral vascular disease (PAD).

15 Dec 2009

Positive results from study comparing exenatide once weekly to BYETTA

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company and Alkermes, Inc. today announced positive results from a head-to-head study comparing exenatide once weekly, an investigational diabetes therapy, to BYETTA® (exenatide) injection taken twice daily, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

15 Dec 2009

Pfizer to co-promote Actos with Tianjin Takeda Pharmaceuticals in China

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”) and Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Pfizer in China will co-promote Takeda’s Actos® (pioglitazone HCl) with Tianjin Takeda Pharmaceuticals in China.

15 Dec 2009

Medicare power mobility remains a viable option for beneficiaries

Across America, seniors, together with their families and caregivers, are making difficult decisions about the future. Did that last emergency room visit after a fall mean it's time to consider nursing homes? How much longer can their loved one remain safely in their own home or apartment?

15 Dec 2009

New technique may help diagnose treatments for Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer

Chemists and biologists from the University of Bath have developed a new technique that could be used to diagnose and develop treatments for age-related conditions like Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and cancer.

15 Dec 2009

Findings suggest variations in accelerated aging disorders

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have provided the most extensive account to date of the unique observable characteristics seen in patients with an extremely rare premature aging syndrome.

15 Dec 2009

Study to determine link between insulin glargine and cancer

Type 2 diabetes and obesity are linked to an increased risk of certain cancers. Recently published studies suggested that insulin glargine (a synthetic insulin preparation marketed under the trade name Lantus), may be associated with a higher risk of certain cancers than other insulins or oral glucose lowering medications. However, these studies were unable to control for important factors such as obesity that may have driven the association.

15 Dec 2009

People with periodontal disease are at high risk for diabetes, survey finds

The study, led by Dr. Shiela Strauss, Associate Professor of Nursing and Co-Director of the Statistics and Data Management Core for NYU's Colleges of Dentistry and Nursing, examined data from 2,923 adult participants in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who had not been diagnosed with diabetes.

15 Dec 2009

CureDM receives patent allowance for novel islet neogenesis program

CureDM, Inc. today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a patent application covering a Human proIslet Peptide (HIP) and methods related to its use and administration for treating type 1 diabetes.

15 Dec 2009

Geron’s request for declaration of interference regarding Novocell' U.S. Patent No. 7,510,876 granted

Geron Corporation today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, has granted Geron’s request to declare an interference between a patent application owned by Geron and U.S. Patent No. 7,510,876 (the ‘876 patent) owned by Novocell, Inc.

15 Dec 2009