Heart Disease News and Research

Latest Heart Disease News and Research

Medtronic launches Defeat-HF clinical trial to evaluate SCS for heart failure

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the global launch of the Defeat-HF (Determining the Feasibility of Spinal Cord Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure) clinical trial. It is the industry's first prospective, randomized study evaluating the clinical feasibility of spinal cord stimulation, or neurostimulation, to improve clinical signs and symptoms of heart failure.

30 Jul 2010

New findings on snake venom toxin hold promise for developing heart disease, cancer therapies

Researchers seeking to learn more about stroke by studying how the body responds to toxins in snake venom are this week releasing new findings that they hope will aid in the development of therapies for heart disease and, surprisingly, cancer. The Japanese team is reporting in a Journal of Biological Chemistry "Paper of the Week" that they are optimistic that inhibiting a protein found on the surface of blood cells known as platelets may combat both irregular blood clotting and the spread of certain cancers throughout the body.

30 Jul 2010

Anthera initiates PEARL-SC Phase 2b study of A-623 for lupus

Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs to treat serious diseases associated with inflammation, today announced it has initiated PEARL-SC, the Phase 2b study of A-623, a novel inhibitor of B-Cell Activating Factor, or BAFF, for the treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (lupus). Lupus patients suffer from a chronic autoimmune disease, which often leads to severe skin rash, fatigue, joint pain, major organ complications, and cardiovascular disease.

30 Jul 2010

Researchers develop new fluorescent biosensor for drug development

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new fluorescent biosensor that could aid in the development of an important class of drugs that target a crucial class of proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

30 Jul 2010

Orexigen's Contrave COR-I trial results published online in journal Lancet

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. announced that results from its COR-I trial of Contrave® were published online today in the journal Lancet. COR-I was the largest of the four, 56-week, Phase 3 trials supporting the New Drug Application for Contrave, currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Results show that patients taking Contrave were two to three times more likely to lose at least 5% or 10% of their body weight compared to those taking placebo, on both an intent-to-treat (ITT) and completers basis.

30 Jul 2010

Business groups, GOP prepare anti-health law campaigns for midterm elections

Politico reports that business groups are preparing ads for the November elections and some are targeting health reform. "The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has already vowed to invest $75 million in the mid-term elections. And health insurers are also planning to play big in November, although the specifics remain in flux. … Both America's Health Insurance Plans and its Coalition for Medicare Choices are expected to play a major role in the messaging, along with individual companies. But neither group, according to sources, plans to directly attack Democrats, which would risk infuriating the White House as it writes reform regulations as well as the Blue Dog Democrats who opposed the legislation."

30 Jul 2010

NMT Medical reports $2.6 million net income for second-quarter 2010

NMT Medical, Inc., an advanced medical technology company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary implant technologies that allow interventional cardiologists to treat structural heart disease through minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures, today announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

30 Jul 2010

Geron second-quarter net loss decreases to $17.0 million

Geron Corporation today reported financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2010.

30 Jul 2010

Supplementation of vitamin D protects vascular systems: Study

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, in black teens according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). Black teens taking vitamin D supplementation of 2,000 international units (IU) per day had a decrease in central arterial stiffness.

30 Jul 2010

Cardiac Science reports revenues of $36.1 million for second-quarter 2010

Cardiac Science Corporation, a global leader in automated external defibrillator (AED) and diagnostic cardiac monitoring devices, today announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2010.

30 Jul 2010

BCBSNC receives CEO Cancer Gold Standard certification

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has received CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation, recognizing the organization's commitment to reducing the risk of cancer for employees and their families by promoting healthy lifestyle choices, encouraging early detection through cancer screenings, and ensuring access to quality treatment.

29 Jul 2010

EMA recommends orphan medicinal product designation for XOMA 052 in treatment of Behcet's disease

XOMA Ltd., a leader in the discovery and development of therapeutic antibodies, announced that the Committee for Orphan Medical Products of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion and recommends the granting of orphan medicinal product designation for XOMA 052, an antibody to interleukin-1 beta, for the treatment of Behcet's disease. Positive opinions are submitted to the European Commission for decision and are generally adopted within 30 days of receipt.

29 Jul 2010

ZOLL Medical receives PMDA approval to distribute AED Plus, AED Pro in Japan

ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, announced today that it has been granted approval by the Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency to import and distribute the AED Plus and AED Pro in Japan.

29 Jul 2010

New study shows vitamin D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, in black teens according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's www.endo-society.org. Black teens taking vitamin D supplementation of 2,000 international units per day had a decrease in central arterial stiffness.

29 Jul 2010

ZOLL Medical revenues for third-quarter fiscal 2010 up 17% to $111.3 million

ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and software solutions, today announced that revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 increased 17% to $111.3 million, compared to revenues in the third quarter of last year of $95.1 million. The third quarter 2010 results included approximately $5.0 million of revenue from the Temperature Management business, compared to $1.9 million of revenue in the third quarter of last year.

29 Jul 2010

Cord Blood America announces highlights for 6-month period ended June 30, 2010

Cord Blood America, Inc., the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells, a biological insurance policy, to families nationwide and internationally, today announced highlights for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010. The Company believes the period was the most significant and eventful in its history.

29 Jul 2010

Devax's AXXESS Biolimus A9 Eluting Coronary Bifurcation Stent System receives CE Mark approval

Devax, Inc. announced today the company received CE Mark for its AXXESS™ Biolimus A9® Eluting Coronary Bifurcation Stent System, allowing the company to initiate sales in the European Union and other countries that recognize the CE Mark.

29 Jul 2010

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

Researchers examine why some obese people become diabetic while others do not

Why some obese people go on to become diabetic while others do not. It is common to find obese people - even morbidly obese people - who are healthier than their condition would normally allow.

29 Jul 2010

New Zealand MEDSAFE approves ABRAXANE for metastatic breast cancer

Abraxis BioScience, Inc., a fully integrated, global biotechnology company, and Specialised Therapeutics Ltd. today announced that MEDSAFE, the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, has approved for marketing ABRAXANE® (nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel) for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer after failure of anthracycline therapy.

29 Jul 2010