Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Palliative, hospice care can lessen the suffering cancer brings to patients and families

Being diagnosed with cancer can be devastating, and the treatment can take its toll in physical, emotional, social, and even spiritual ways. Palliative care providers can lessen the suffering cancer brings to patients and their families—both during treatment and at the end of life. Many people don't realize that palliative care to treat symptoms and improve a patient's quality of life can and should be given throughout their illness, not just at the end of life.

24 Aug 2011

Researchers discover expression of IL-37 that protects mice from colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 1 million patients in North America, results from an uncontrolled immune response triggered by environmental factors, such as bacteria, in people genetically predisposed to the disorder. Ulcerative colitis, or inflammation of the lining of the colon, is one such condition.

24 Aug 2011

Simvastatin may reduce spinal cord damage from ischemia/reperfusion injury

The cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin appears to reduce spinal cord injury caused by oxygen deprivation in experimental animals, according to a study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

24 Aug 2011

PerOral Endoscopic Myotomy holds promise for patients with esophageal achalasia

Jorge Sobenes is a husband and father who loves to cook for his family. In a nine month period however, he went from enjoying his favorite foods to not being able to eat or drink due to a tightening in his throat and difficulty swallowing. He lost 40 pounds and was desperate for answers. Sobenes was diagnosed with achalasia, a condition where the esophagus is unable to move food into the stomach, and was told he would need surgery. Historically, the procedure requires several incisions in the abdomen in order to access the blocked esophageal pathway.

24 Aug 2011

Viewpoints: Rational, not rationing, Medicare cuts; Paul Ryan's future; hospitals' clout

Congress needs to make sure that lobbying - and every dollar of campaign contributions to the super committee's members - is fully and immediately disclosed. ... The American Hospital Association has vowed a "full-court press" on the committee, as have defense industries and others.

24 Aug 2011

USPTO issues Notice of Allowance for Spinal Restoration's Biostat System

Spinal Restoration, Inc. announced today that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for claims concerning the delivery device and method of use of the Biostat System for the treatment of discogenic low back pain.

24 Aug 2011

Pulse oximetry to detect birth defects: Doctors propose nationwide screening

According to a recommendation by a federal advisory panel, before newborns leave the hospital, they should receive a simple, pain-free test to check for signs of congenital heart disease, one of the most common types of birth defects.

23 Aug 2011

BioLineRx second quarter net loss decreases to NIS 16.4 million

BioLineRx Ltd., a biopharmaceutical development company, today reported its results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2011.

23 Aug 2011

Medtronic first quarter global revenue increases 7% to $4.049 billion

Medtronic, Inc. today announced financial results for its first quarter of fiscal year 2012, which ended July 29, 2011.

From Medtronic 23 Aug 2011

OHA, Plackers partner to combat chronic childhood oral diseases

Tooth decay is one of the most common yet preventable chronic childhood diseases in the US and according to the reports from the US Surgeon General, children from low-income families are twice as likely to suffer from this disease.

23 Aug 2011

itm FlowMedical initiates Rhenium-PTA therapy clinical trial in PAOD

itm FlowMedical GmbH announced the start of OPEN-188 clinical trial. It will compare itm Rhenium-PTA, a therapy for the prevention of restenosis in peripheral vessels, to a regular PTA, the standard therapy for the treatment of PAOD.

23 Aug 2011

Spinifex secures AU$6.25 million in expanded Series B funding

Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, an Australian pain drug development company, today announced it has secured a further AU$6.25 million of venture capital investment from GBS Venture Partners Limited, Brandon Capital Partners Pty Limited, Uniseed Management Pty Limited and UniQuest Pty Limited to fund the development of its pain management drug, EMA401.

23 Aug 2011

CompTIA to offer live healthcare IT training sessions in Los Angeles, Chicago

Training programs designed to help information technology (IT) companies broaden their business skills and knowledge in the emerging areas of healthcare IT and unified communications are available in the coming weeks from CompTIA, the non-profit association for the IT industry.

23 Aug 2011

Survival for patients with HCC increases with radioembolization

Analysis revealed survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is achievable using 90Y-resin microsphere radioembolization. The analysis conducted at multiple centers across Europe showed that the procedure is likely to provide survival benefit across different tumor stages, including patients with advanced liver cancer and with limited treatment options.

23 Aug 2011

Santarus, Depomed enter new commercialization agreement for GLUMETZA

Santarus, Inc. and Depomed, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a new commercialization agreement for GLUMETZA (metformin hydrochloride extended release tablets) under which Santarus will assume broad commercial, manufacturing and regulatory responsibilities to replace a promotion agreement that the companies entered into in July 2008.

23 Aug 2011

AstraZeneca announces availability of BRILINTA tablets in the U.S. pharmacies

AstraZeneca today announced that BRILINTA tablets, a new oral antiplatelet therapy, is now available in pharmacies in the United States.

23 Aug 2011

Vertex receives Health Canada approval for INCIVEK to treat hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that Health Canada has approved INCIVEK tablets for a broad group of people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C with compensated liver disease, including cirrhosis.

23 Aug 2011

Children at risk of injury under overstuffed backpacks

Millions of children returning to school this fall will struggle under the weight of an overstuffed backpack, putting themselves at risk of injury, according to Dr. Joshua Hyman, director of orthopedic surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

22 Aug 2011

New technique can detach sugars from carrier molecule, reattach them to drugs

The surface of cells and many biologically active molecules are studded with sugar structures that are not used to store energy, but rather are involved in communication, immunity and inflammation.

22 Aug 2011

Viewpoints: Tea party & Medicare; Minn. health exchange politics; fixing drug shortages

Unlike the Florida district court that earlier found ObamaCare unconstitutional, the 11th Circuit did not invalidate the entire law. But it likewise reaffirmed the fundamental constitutional rule that our federal government is one of enumerated powers with judicially enforceable limits.

20 Aug 2011