Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

U.S. Court of Appeals rules against Eli Lily's claims in Gemzar patent lawsuit

Sun Pharma today announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the judgment of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against Eli Lily and Co. finding certain claims of U.S. Patent No. 5,464,826 ("'826 patent") invalid. The appeal arose out of a lawsuit that Eli Lilly filed against Sun Pharma in connection with Sun Pharma's submission of an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for a generic version of Gemzar®.

29 Jul 2010

The Children's Hospital constructs new LEED-certified patient tower

The Children's Hospital has begun the construction of a 10-story, 350,000-square-foot addition. The $230 million expansion of a new patient tower initially will have 124 beds, with two floors of shelled space for additional future beds, bringing the total number of patient beds at Children's to around 500 upon full completion. The expansion also is expected to bring approximately 500 new jobs to the hospital's workforce. Children's anticipates admitting patients in the LEED-certified tower beginning in late 2012.

29 Jul 2010

Merit Medical second-quarter revenues increase 16% to $74.9 million

Merit Medical Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer and marketer of proprietary disposable medical devices used in interventional and diagnostic procedures, particularly in cardiology, radiology and gastroenterology, today announced record revenues of $74.9 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, an increase of 16% over revenues of $64.8 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2009. Revenues for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010 were a record $142.4 million, compared with $123.2 million for the corresponding period in 2009, a gain of 16%.

29 Jul 2010

Sun Pharma reports first-quarter fiscal 2011 results

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. reported numbers for the quarter ending June 30, 2010.

28 Jul 2010

Gulf Coast Medical Center to implement ProVation MD for GI procedure documentation and coding

Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced today that Gulf Coast Medical Center has selected its ProVation® MD software for gastroenterology procedure documentation and coding.

28 Jul 2010

Merck signs non-exclusive license agreement with LabCorp for commercialization of genetic test

Merck announced a non-exclusive license agreement with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings for the commercialization of a genetic test that may help predict the response of patients with Hepatitis C virus infection to peginterferon alpha-based therapy.

28 Jul 2010

Cytori Therapeutics receives European approval for Celution System

Cytori Therapeutics received expanded European approval (CE Mark) for its Celution System, a medical device that extracts and separates stem and regenerative cells from a patient's own fat tissue. The new indications include key medical applications such as breast reconstruction, repair of soft tissue defects, as well as the facilitation of healing certain types of wounds, such as those resulting from Crohn's disease. This broadens Cytori's ability to offer the Celution System to patients and hospitals and further supports the company's efforts to gain treatment reimbursement.

28 Jul 2010

East Tennessee Children's Hospital selects ProVation Order Sets, powered by UpToDate Decision Support

Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced today that East Tennessee Children's Hospital has selected ProVation® Order Sets, powered by UpToDate® Decision Support, to automate the creation, deployment and maintenance of order sets.

26 Jul 2010

IBS associated with structural changes in specific brain regions

A large academic study has demonstrated structural changes in specific brain regions in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that causes pain and discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, constipation or both

23 Jul 2010

NVHR releases statement on New York Times article 'Hope against Hepatitis C'

In response to today's New York Times article, "Hope against Hepatitis C," Andrew Muir, M.D., M.H.S., Director, Gastroenterology/Hepatology Research, Duke Clinical Research Institute and Steering Committee Member of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) released the following statement:

23 Jul 2010

Reusing syringes in anesthesia leads to viral transmission: Study

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus can be transmitted during intravenous administration of anesthesia, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute. In this study, doctors found that anesthesia contamination - not endoscopy contamination - was the cause of infection.

23 Jul 2010

Smoking cessation effectively alter subgingival microbiome in patients on periodontal therapy: Study

Patients with chronic gum disease who quit smoking in addition to undergoing nonsurgical therapy not only demonstrated a lower abundance of harmful oral pathogens, but also an increase in health-associated bacteria. The researchers from The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, and Newcastle University, United Kingdom report their findings in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

22 Jul 2010

Survey links autism with digestive problems, intestinal inflammation

Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the world. With 1 child in 91 facing the disorder, the diagnosis is more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined.

22 Jul 2010

NACI updates, strengthens statement related to the use of rotavirus vaccines in Canada

This week, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization updated and strengthened its statement related to the use of rotavirus vaccines in Canada. Rotavirus infection is the most common cause of severe gastroenteritis in children under the age of three. The NACI statement now includes Grade A recommendations (good evidence to recommend immunization) for healthy and preterm infants.

21 Jul 2010

JHM, All Children's Hospital sign letter of intent to integrate

Johns Hopkins Medicine and All Children's Hospital & Health System of St. Petersburg, Fla., have signed a letter of intent to integrate. After appropriate due diligence is completed sometime later this year, ACH will join the Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) as a fully integrated member of JHM.

21 Jul 2010

New & improved rotavirus vaccine to be trialed in Melbourne

Now a vaccine is being developed against rotavirus in Melbourne. At present Australian children were given rotavirus vaccine at the age of six to eight weeks since 2007. This new vaccine will be applicable to infants from birth.

20 Jul 2010

Winston Laboratories receives NOC for CIVANEX

Winston Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winston Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel pain management therapies, announced that it has received Notice of Compliance from the Therapeutics Drug Directorate, Health Canada for its New Drug Submission for CIVANEX (zucapsaicin cream 0.075%) for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis.

20 Jul 2010

Tenofovir gel reduces HIV by 39% in women: CAPRISA 004 study

Researchers who conducted a study testing a vaginal microbicide with an antiretroviral (ARV) drug called tenofovir found its use before and after sex was significantly more protective against HIV infection than a placebo gel among women at high risk of HIV. Results of the study, known as CAPRISA 004, are to be reported at the International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) in Vienna and published online by the journal Science.

20 Jul 2010

Rottapharm Madaus, Selvita sign drug discovery services contract

Rottapharm Madaus and Selvita announced today signature of a services contract for delivery of drug discovery services. The aim of this project is to deliver to Rottapharm Madaus a set of designed and synthesized compounds, including their optimized synthesis route, which will have a therapeutic potential in an indicated area.

20 Jul 2010

Combined technologies offer promise for detecting colon cancer in women

A team led by a Northwestern University biomedical engineer has found that combining novel optical technologies with a common colon cancer screening test may allow doctors to more accurately detect the presence of colon cancer, particularly in women.

20 Jul 2010