Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Funding, antitrust suit pose tests for health law

News outlets are reporting on various policy developments — whether it's the Senate's effort to fund the federal government, ongoing legal challenges to the overhaul or a Michigan antitrust suit — that create tests for the sweeping health law. Meanwhile, however, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius touts the law's benefits and warns against another challenge — that of repeal.

22 Dec 2010

Pregnant women veterans face increase risk of mental health problems

Pregnancy among women veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan appears to increase their risk for mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a study published in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The paper is available free online.

22 Dec 2010

Esprida software solution can help improve patient care

Esprida Corporation, a leading remote device management platform solution provider, today announced its partnership with Careworx Inc., a technology vendor and consulting firm dedicated to working with long-term healthcare facilities.

22 Dec 2010

86.9% of adults express support for melanoma genetic testing in minors

The vast majority of parents who tested positive for a genetic mutation that increases the risk of melanoma support genetic testing of their children or grandchildren.

22 Dec 2010

Arrow announces worldwide voluntary recall of 5800 Series IABs with Super Arrow-Flex Sheath Introducer

Arrow International has announced a worldwide voluntary recall of its 5800 Series IABs with Super Arrow-Flex Sheath Introducer. This recall is being conducted because of an increase of "stuck in sheath" reports involving the use of the Super Arrow-Flex Sheath with 5800 Series IAB products. When the IAB becomes stuck in sheath, the user is unable to move the IAB catheter forward or backward, potentially causing a delay in critical therapy.

22 Dec 2010

3M sues Andover for patent infringement over two layer compression bandage systems

3M and 3M Innovative Properties Co. filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota today against Andover Healthcare Inc. seeking a preliminary injunction as well as a permanent injunction and damages regarding Andover's two layer compression bandage systems.

22 Dec 2010

People with type 1 diabetes could grow their own insulin-producing cells, say researchers

At the annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology last week in Philadelphia, researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., announced that it may be possible for people with type 1 diabetes to grow their own insulin-producing cells, a breakthrough that could lead to a cure for the disease.

22 Dec 2010

Verizon grants will eanble heart attack patients to receive life-saving treatments more quickly

Heart attack patients can receive life-saving treatments more quickly thanks to $100,000 in grants from the Verizon Foundation to the Foundation of UMDNJ for a program that enables heart attack patients to bypass the emergency room and go directly to the cardiac catheterization laboratory at UMDNJ-The University Hospital.

22 Dec 2010

Exercise and Vitamin D supplementation most effective in reducing fall among seniors

A systematic review of over 50 clinical trials finds that exercise and Vitamin D supplements are the best ways to reduce the risk of falling in people aged 65 and over. The review is published in the December 21 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine and was commissioned by the US Preventive Services Task Force.

22 Dec 2010

Mesa Labs announces acquisition of Apex's biological indicators business

Mesa Laboratories, Inc., a Lakewood, Colorado based manufacturer of electronic instruments and disposables today announced the acquisition of the biological indicators business of Apex Laboratories, Inc., a North Carolina based company. The acquisition of the Apex business is expected to be immediately accretive to Mesa's earnings per share.

22 Dec 2010

AIDS Healthcare Foundation sues AIDS drug maker for overcharging

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will host a press teleconference on Wednesday, December 22nd at 9:30 AM Pacific/12:30 PM Eastern to announce that it has filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson’s Tibotec Therapeutics for overcharging AHF for AIDS drugs purchased under the 340B program.

21 Dec 2010

Medicaid Health Plans of America selects MedAssurant for advanced analytics in healthcare delivery

MedAssurant Inc., a leading provider of data-driven healthcare solutions, today announced that Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA) has selected MedAssurant to provide advanced analytics to establish priorities and to inform best practices in healthcare delivery settings for Medicaid patients.

21 Dec 2010

CIOs need to identify where IT needs to be

"Chief Information Officers (CIOs) need to perform a gap analysis to identify where Information Technology (IT) needs to be, from a business and not an IT perspective," advises Greg Johnson, Chief Technology Officer at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. Healthcare organizations must be able to work smart, which means that virtualization, standardization and simplification of the IT environment are necessary for meeting growing organizational goals.

21 Dec 2010

Group buy program helps hospitals save $81 million

Over the past year, 1,220 hospitals participating in the Premier healthcare alliance's group buy program have identified $81 million in savings through access to high-quality products at low costs.

21 Dec 2010

Wellcome Trust awards additional £390,000 for investigation of Allergen Delivery Inhibitors

Scientists at St George's, University of London and the University of Manchester have received an additional Seeding Drug Discovery award of £390,000 from the Wellcome Trust to explore a new class of experimental drugs that block the trigger of allergic reactions before symptoms show.

21 Dec 2010

Global Health Partner acquires shares in Stockholm Gastro Center

On September 27, 2010 Global Health Partner acquired shares in Stockholm Gastro Center, a specialist clinic in the field of medical gastroenterology and endoscopy located in Sophiahemmet in Stockholm. 190,476 shares were issued on December 17, 2010 in part payment to the sellers of the clinic.

21 Dec 2010

Dey Pharma settles U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit

Dey Pharma L.P. today announced that it has settled a lawsuit brought against it by the U.S. Department of Justice in September 2006 pertaining to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements paid by the federal government to pharmacists and other healthcare providers. In exchange for a release of claims, Dey has agreed to pay $280 million.

21 Dec 2010

Training more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs in treating tennis elbow

Training and ergonomic advice are more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections in treating tennis elbow, and give fewer side effects. This is the conclusion of a thesis presented at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

21 Dec 2010

New predictive medicine product for hereditary pancreatic and related cancers

Myriad Genetics, Inc. today announced the launch of PANEXIA™, a predictive medicine product for hereditary pancreatic and related cancers. PANEXIA is a comprehensive analysis of the PALB2 and BRCA2 genes for assessing a person's risk of developing pancreatic cancer later in life. PANEXIA, Myriad's ninth molecular diagnostic product, is the second product launched by the Company this year.

21 Dec 2010

Study reveals nasal congestion can be a sign of severe asthma

Nasal congestion can be a sign of severe asthma, which means that healthcare professionals should be extra vigilant when it comes to nasal complaints. Furthermore, more severe asthma appears to be more common than previously thought, reveals a study from the Sahlgrenska Academy's Krefting Research Centre.

21 Dec 2010