Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Today's Op-Eds: ObamaCare and FEHBP; California prisons; and workhorse Medicaid

Even Washington's stupidest scandals can be revealing, and so it is with the liberal cri de snore that Republicans ought to renounce health insurance. Democrats have inadvertently drawn up another indictment of ObamaCare (12/4).

6 Dec 2010

Frisky old men - still keen and active: Sex study

According to the latest Australian study, men at 75 and older have not said good bye to their sex lives yet. They found that nearly one third of these older men were sexually active at least once a year -- including about 1 in 10 men aged 90 to 95. Many of these men have agreed that they would want more of sex and those not sexually active are blaming health issues, low testosterone or lack of partners. The findings appear in the Dec. 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

6 Dec 2010

One shot, cheap meningitis vaccine now available in Africa

As a boon to millions of children who die of meningitis, a cheap new vaccine for bacterial meningitis debuted today with the launching of an immunization drive in the West African country of Burkina Faso, in the first stage of an effort that could rid sub-Saharan Africa of the primary cause of meningitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced.

6 Dec 2010

Research highlighting treatment for pediatric SCD, malaria presented at ASH 2010

Red blood cells have the very important role of carrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body; therefore, disorders that affect RBCs can have a significant impact on quality of life. Sickle cell disease and malaria are two common RBC diseases that affect a significant portion of the U.S. and global populations. Sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder that causes deformed and dysfunctional red blood cells, affects an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 Americans, while malaria affects approximately 1,500 Americans annually and 190 to 311 million people worldwide.

6 Dec 2010

Study compares efficacy of two treatments for iron overload caused by chronic transfusion therapy

Monthly blood transfusions combined with daily medication to remove the resulting excess iron remains the best approach for reducing the risk of recurrent strokes in young patients with sickle cell anemia, according to a preliminary analysis of a multicenter trial that includes St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

6 Dec 2010

Study: REVLIMID and dexamethasone for high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma reduce risk of disease progression

Celgene International Sàrl (NASDAQ: CELG) announced that data evaluating combination therapy REVLIMID® (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone in patients with high-risk asymptomatic smoldering multiple myeloma were presented during the American Society of Hematology's annual meeting. The study reported REVLIMID and dexamethasone prolonged time to progression.

6 Dec 2010

New studies answer questions related to stem cell transplant procedures in treating hematologic malignancies

Results from four innovative studies help answer outstanding questions about stem cell transplant procedures in treating various hematologic malignancies. Research that will be presented today at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology reveals that there is no increase in overall cancer risk in people who donate stem cells and that the utilization of a double cord blood stem cell transplant is associated with better overall outcomes when used early in the treatment of acute leukemias.

6 Dec 2010

QRxPharma completes patient enrolment of pivotal MoxDuo IR phase 3 study

QRxPharma Limited (ASX: QRX and OTCQX: QRXPY) announced today it has completed patient enrolment for a pivotal Phase 3 registration trial (Study 009) for MoxDuo IR. The comparative study was designed to evaluate analgesic efficacy and safety of MoxDuo IR, a patented 3:2 ratio fixed dose combination of morphine plus oxycodone, for managing moderate to severe pain in patients who have undergone total knee replacement surgery.

5 Dec 2010

Multiple sclerosis therapy breakthrough with stem cells

There seems to a glimmer of hope for tens of thousands of multiple sclerosis sufferers as researchers discover a way to repair damaged nerves with stem cells. The British team says their findings could lead to the development of drugs that repair nerves in the brain and spinal cord and potentially reverse some of the symptoms of MS.

5 Dec 2010

Neurostimulation effective for management of chronic pain

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced two-year results in a post-market clinical study evaluating neurostimulation (spinal cord stimulation) for the management of chronic low back pain. Presented at the 14th annual North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) meeting in Las Vegas, the study found that 70 percent of neurostimulation patients reported overall pain relief of 50 percent or better at their final two-year visit.

4 Dec 2010

Event reporting prevents medication errors in primary care: Study

The most frequent contributors to medication errors and adverse drug events in busy primary care practice offices are communication problems and lack of knowledge, according to a study of a prototype web-based medication error and adverse drug event reporting system.

4 Dec 2010

Active recreational athletes at risk for shoulder injuries this holiday season, say doctors

Around the holidays, even the friendliest game of flag football can lead to injury. According to sports medicine doctors at Hospital for Special Surgery, older and newly active recreational athletes are particularly at risk for shoulder injuries.

4 Dec 2010

Ontario coalition encourages drivers to take precautions to reduce preventable crashes

National Safe Driving Week in Canada is upon us (December 1 - 7, 2010) and during this time, health care and safety advocates are encouraging Ontario drivers to properly and diligently prepare for winter driving to reduce the risk of motor vehicle crashes.

3 Dec 2010

Rcadia's COR Analyzer System effective to rule-out coronary artery disease

Physicians at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital reported today on results of a study demonstrating the potential for fully automated interpretation of coronary CT angiography (cCTA) by Rcadia's COR Analyzer® System to safely rule out coronary artery disease (CAD) in the major coronary arteries as well as branch vessels.

3 Dec 2010

New robotic arm device for early to mid-stage osteoarthritis

A robotic arm device developed to assist orthopedic surgeons with performing partial knee replacement surgery for early to mid-stage osteoarthritis is now available at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. The technology was approved by the FDA in 2005, and to date nearly 5,000 cases have been performed in the U.S.

3 Dec 2010

UCLA findings could lead to enhanced health supplements, progress on Parkinson's

The discovery by UCLA biochemists of a new method for preventing oxidation in the essential fatty acids of cell membranes could lead to a new class of more effective nutritional supplements and potentially help combat neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease and perhaps Alzheimer's.

3 Dec 2010

Arthritis drug reduces incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers

A widely-used arthritis drug reduces the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers - the most common cancers in humans - according to a study published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (brand name Celebrex), which is currently approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and acute pain in adults led to a 62 percent reduction in non-melanoma skin cancers, which includes basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas.

3 Dec 2010

CDC: Hip replacement surgical procedures are more prevalent in the U.S.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hip replacements are among the most common surgical procedures in the United States; and with osteoarthritis and obesity on the rise, demand for the procedure is expected to grow.

3 Dec 2010

Tips for avoiding, treating snakebites

Should you be the victim of a snakebite, the best thing you can do is get to a hospital as quickly as possible, according to a new review article from the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). Current medical treatments, including new medications and surgery, if necessary, are far more effective for snakebites than anything you can do on your own.

2 Dec 2010

Endo acquires Qualitest Pharmaceuticals

Endo Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ENDP) announced today the completion of its acquisition of Qualitest Pharmaceuticals. Endo announced Sept. 28 that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Qualitest Pharmaceuticals, a leading, privately held generics company in the U.S., for approximately $1.2 billion in cash.

2 Dec 2010