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Roundup: Abortion bill heads to Mich. Gov's desk; Calif. health care special session priorities; Nurse practitioner role debated in Minn.

An omnibus abortion bill, approved by the Senate on Wednesday, passed the House early this morning by a 72-35 vote, after a controversial requirement that an aborted fetus be buried, cremated or interred was removed earlier this week. Democrats offered a handful of amendments, some referred to as "what's good for the goose is good for the gander," to require men to undergo physical exams before being prescribed Viagra or to get a vasectomy. But all the amendments were shot down. Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to sign the bill into law.

14 Dec 2012

GSK receives FDA approval for raxibacumab to treat inhalational anthrax

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved raxibacumab injection to treat inhalational anthrax, a form of the infectious disease caused by breathing in the spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Raxibacumab also is approved to prevent inhalational anthrax when alternative therapies are not available or not appropriate.

14 Dec 2012

UMHS approach to medical errors and malpractice suits could be used by hospitals nationwide: Study

The University of Michigan Health System doesn't claim to be perfect. But its response to medical errors, near-misses, unexpected clinical problems and unintended outcomes is a model for the nation that other hospitals can and should copy, according to a new paper in a prestigious health care journal.

14 Dec 2012

Zimmer authorizes cash dividend to stockholders for fourth quarter 2012

Zimmer Holdings, Inc., a global leader in musculoskeletal care, today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a cash dividend to stockholders for the fourth quarter of 2012.

14 Dec 2012

Paroxetine could treat vascular complications of diabetes

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have discovered that the commonly used antidepressant drug paroxetine could also become a therapy for the vascular complications of diabetes.

14 Dec 2012

Researchers identify how RecA protein helps broken DNA find way to bridge the gap

Every time a human or bacterial cell divides it first must copy its DNA. Specialized proteins unzip the intertwined DNA strands while others follow and build new strands, using the originals as templates. Whenever these proteins encounter a break - and there are many - they stop and retreat, allowing a new cast of molecular players to enter the scene.

14 Dec 2012

Scientists discover how Yersinia pestis avoids setting off immune system's early infection-alarm

The plague-causing bacteria Yersinia pestis evades detection and establishes a stronghold without setting off the body's early alarms.

14 Dec 2012

FDA grants accelerated approval to ARIAD’s Iclusig for treatment of CML, Ph+ ALL

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that following a priority review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval of Iclusig (ponatinib) for the treatment of adult patients with chronic, accelerated or blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) that is resistant or intolerant to prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy or Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) that is resistant or intolerant to prior TKI therapy.

14 Dec 2012

High-dose vitamin D can reduce risk of respiratory tract infections

Treating infection-prone patients over a 12-month period with high doses of vitamin D reduces their risk of developing respiratory tract infection - and consequently their antibiotic requirement. This according to a new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital published in the online scientific journal BMJ Open.

14 Dec 2012

CEL-SCI net loss decreases to $17.6 million for fiscal year 2012

CEL-SCI Corporation reported financial results today for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012.

14 Dec 2012

FDA approves Novartis Signifor injection for treatment of Cushing's disease

Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Signifor (pasireotide) injection for the treatment of adult patients with Cushing's disease for whom pituitary surgery is not an option or has not been curative.

14 Dec 2012

Viewpoints: Krugman says GOP's attacks on big government don't translate to Medicare; Democrats' must overcome hesitancy to bargain

By all accounts, Republicans have, so far, offered almost no specifics. They claim that they're willing to raise $800 billion in revenue by closing loopholes, but they refuse to specify which loopholes they would close; they are demanding large cuts in spending, but the specific cuts they have been willing to lay out wouldn't come close to delivering the savings they demand. It's a very peculiar situation.

14 Dec 2012