Urology News and Research

Latest Urology News and Research

Wide-scale study of flu vaccine's effectiveness in European children needed

A wide-scale study of the effectiveness of flu vaccine in children is needed in Europe to fully assess the benefits, not only in keeping the kids from getting sick, but limiting the spread of flu to adults.

4 Dec 2010

FDA Advisory Committee votes in favor of expanded use of LAP-BAND gastric band

Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee has recommended with an 8-2 vote that the FDA extend the currently approved use of the LAP-BAND® System, Allergan's gastric band, on the basis of a favorable benefit-risk profile for weight reduction in obese adults who have failed more conservative weight reduction alternatives and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 35 or a BMI ≥30 and at least one comorbid condition.

4 Dec 2010

FDA Advisory Panel recommends approval of Solesta for bowel incontinence

Oceana Therapeutics, a global company focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing best-in-class specialty therapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel recommended approval of Solesta™ as a treatment for fecal (bowel) incontinence, a condition afflicting many Americans, primarily women.

3 Dec 2010

UC Irvine receives Silver Medal from HHS for supporting organ, tissue donation

UC Irvine Medical Center recently received a Silver Medal of Honor from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for its role in supporting organ and tissue donation.

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

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

Medivation, Astellas enroll 1,199 patients in MDV3100 Phase 3 AFFIRM study in advanced prostate cancer

Medivation, Inc. and Astellas Pharma Inc. today announced that patient enrollment was completed on November 15, 2010 in the Phase 3 AFFIRM study of the investigational drug MDV3100, a novel, triple-acting oral androgen receptor antagonist, in patients with advanced prostate cancer who have previously been treated with chemotherapy. The companies also announced that clinical development of MDV3100 in Japan has commenced, with the initiation of patient dosing in a Phase 1-2 clinical study.

30 Nov 2010

Perrigo launches generic Aleve Liquid Gels

Perrigo today announced that it has launched Naproxen Sodium Soft Gels. The product is the generic equivalent of Bayer HealthCare's Aleve® Liquid Gels, 220mg, an OTC analgesic. Aleve® Liquid Gels had sales of approximately $80 million, as measured by Information Resources, Inc. Perrigo believes it is the first to market a store brand version of this product.

29 Nov 2010

Positive results from Oncolytics' combination REOLYSIN-docetaxel Phase I trial in advanced cancer

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. announced today that a paper entitled "REO-10: A Phase I Study of Intravenous Reovirus and Docetaxel in Patients with Advanced Cancer," was recently published by Comins et al in the journal Clinical Cancer Research (Clin Cancer Res 16(22):5564-5572).

29 Nov 2010

Texas Breast Specialists expands breast cancer treatment services

Texas Breast Specialists, part of Texas Oncology, has expanded its breast cancer treatment services in Dallas, McKinney, Bedford, Carrollton, and Plano, Texas to include the mobile Naviscan PEM scanner.

29 Nov 2010

Chlamydia alert for ‘Schoolies’

School leavers partying on the Gold Coast, Queensland may be at risk of serious sexually transmitted infections due to unprotected sex in the mood of celebration say health experts. Health specialists from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) warn the youngsters in the 2010 Australian Chlamydia Conference in Brisbane.

24 Nov 2010

Bref Rhone-Alpes honors EDAP with Best 2010 Product Innovation award for Sonolith i-move lithotripter

EDAP TMS SA, the global leader in therapeutic ultrasound, reported today that its new lithotripter Sonolith i-move received the Best 2010 Product Innovation award by the French economic journal Bref Rhone-Alpes. The award was presented on November 22, 2010 at a gathering of all major local economic and financial partners.

24 Nov 2010

Less affluent cancer patients more likely to develop life-threatening health problems

CANCER patients from deprived backgrounds are more likely to develop life-threatening health problems, research published today (Wednesday) in the British Journal of Cancer shows.

24 Nov 2010

New microchip implant enables people with paraplegia to exercise paralysed leg muscles

Engineers have developed a new type of microchip muscle stimulator implant that will enable people with paraplegia to exercise their paralysed leg muscles.

23 Nov 2010

Researcher develops new method that causes cancer cells to self-destruct

Tulane University researcher W T. Godbey has developed a treatment for cancer using a method that causes cancer cells to self-destruct while sparing surrounding healthy cells.

23 Nov 2010

BioCancell raises $5.1 million by excess demand in public offering

Success for BioCancell Therapeutics Inc. Excess demand in BioCancell's public offering of shares and warrants generated immediate proceeds of $5.1 million, 18% above its stated minimal fundraising goal of $4.3 million.

23 Nov 2010

Acthar Gel may be a viable treatment option for resistant nephrotic syndrome

On November 20 at the American Society of Nephrology 43rd Annual Meeting, Columbia University Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine Andrew Bomback, MD, presented results from a patient case series assessing the potential therapeutic value of H.P. Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) as a treatment for patients with nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disorder characterized by excessive loss of urinary protein.

22 Nov 2010

Potassium citrate effective for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis: Study

The Western diet creates an acidic environment in the body that removes calcium from bones and may contribute to the development of osteoporosis. Healthy adults who consume the standard US diet sustain a chronic, low-grade state of acidosis that worsens with age as kidney function declines, limiting urinary acid excretion. Reto Krapf, MD (University of Basel, in Bruderholz/Basel, Switzerland) and colleagues designed a study to see if daily alkali as potassium citrate supplement tablets might neutralize these effects.

20 Nov 2010

Palmetto GBA to cover PTNS therapy for patients with overactive bladder

Uroplasty, Inc., a medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets innovative proprietary products to treat voiding dysfunctions, today announced that Palmetto GBA for California, Nevada and Hawaii, a regional Medicare carrier, now covers posterior tibial nerve stimulation using the Urgent PC Neuromodulation System for the treatment of the symptoms of overactive bladder.

20 Nov 2010

Doctors provide tips to protect children from seasonal flu

Doctors at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center want to make sure children are protected from influenza this flu season. The flu is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs caused by a variety of strains of influenza viruses. While the flu typically causes mild symptoms, it can be severe enough to cause hospitalization or even death. Flu most commonly occurs in the winter and early spring.

20 Nov 2010