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Weight loss pill Qnexa wins panel vote and awaits approval

The drug was rejected in a 10-6 vote the first time it came before a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel, in 2010, due to safety concerns. However when the medication returned for another review in February, the advisory committee gave it near-unanimous approval (20-2). Because the FDA often follows the advisory panel's advice, Qnexa is likely to get FDA approval, probably by mid-April.

5 Apr 2012

PTSD could be genetically predicted

PTSD can occur after any kind of experience that causes trauma, whether that be in war, after a natural disaster or because of child abuse or sexual assault. Symptoms can include flashbacks, feeling emotionally numb or hyper-alert to danger, and avoiding situations that act as reminders of the original trauma. It is estimated that up to 3% of the general population is likely to be affected by PTSD at some point.

5 Apr 2012

FDA alerts on fake cancer drug imports

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted healthcare professionals that 120 vials of fake cancer drug Altuzan - which contained no active ingredient - had entered the U.S from distributors in the U.K. after being purchased from wholesalers in Turkey.

5 Apr 2012

Gene mutations, age of parents and autism

New research shows that several gene mutations sharply increase the chances that a child will develop autism spectrum disorders. The researchers have found further evidence that the risk increases with the age of the parents, particularly in fathers over age 35.

5 Apr 2012

Rise in PIP breast implant ruptures sparks fresh fears

According to the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery all brands of breast implants carry a risk of rupture. Spokesman Dr Daniel Fleming said a rupture rate of 13.6 per cent over eight years is a normal rate for major brand Mentor.

5 Apr 2012

Breast cancer screening false positive results may need more follow up: Study

A Danish study of more than 58,000 women found those who had false positive mammograms, meaning the results suggested breast cancer when there was none, had a 67 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life compared with women who had negative mammograms.

5 Apr 2012

Drug resistance woes hamper anti-malaria fight

Researchers have found that there is increasing resistance to the front-line treatments for malaria. A pair of studies published in The Lancet and the journal Science showed how the disease is moving fast into new territory and identified a region of the parasite's genome that may be responsible for mutating in order to survive.

5 Apr 2012

Proton beam therapy centers projected for Manchester and London by 2017

A bid to make a £250m project catering “cutting-edge” radiotherapy centers in Manchester and London by 2017 has been confirmed. The plan will see University College London Hospital (UCLH) and The Christie offer proton beam therapy, which uses a particle beam to destroy cancer cells.

5 Apr 2012

Uterine cancer up by 43% in UK over last two decades

Figures show that the number of diagnoses remained static for many years, but has increased by 43% since the 1990s. As the number of womb cancer cases have increased over the last decade, so have the number of womb cancer deaths. However, survival has also improved during that period, with 77% of women who are diagnosed with womb cancer now surviving for five years or more.

5 Apr 2012

Brand of egg truffles recalled due to labelling error

The recall is for five batches of Heritage-brand Belgian Milk Chocolate Egg with chocolate truffles in a 270-gram package, sold exclusively through Coles supermarkets. The product contains almond, hazelnut and gluten, but these ingredients are not listed on the package due to a labeling error.

5 Apr 2012

Plasma torch kills surface bacteria in seconds

According to scientists a simple hand-held torch-like device can swiftly kill dangerous bacteria, offering a potential boon for emergency workers battling infection risks in wars or disaster zones. The device was created by an international team of researchers from China's Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Australia's CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, the University of Sydney and the City University of Hong Kong.

5 Apr 2012

Socioeconomic factors can account for 80% of racial differences in life expectancy

Differences in factors such as income, education and marital status could contribute overwhelmingly to the gap in life expectancy between blacks and whites in the United States, according to one of the first studies to put a number on how much of the divide can be attributed to disparities in socioeconomic characteristics.

5 Apr 2012

Traditional mud stoves may emit less pollution than some 'improved cookstoves'

The first real-world, head-to-head comparison of "improved cookstoves" (ICs) and traditional mud stoves has found that some ICs may at times emit more of the worrisome "black carbon," or soot, particles that are linked to serious health and environmental concerns than traditional mud stoves or open-cook fires.

5 Apr 2012

Large number of laws offer important opportunities to improve Americans' health

A report released today finds that a wide variety of existing laws offer important opportunities to improve Americans' health. The first comprehensive study of its kind found an unexpectedly large number of laws that facilitate the consideration of health effects, in fields such as transportation, energy, and agriculture.

5 Apr 2012

Opportunity for developers and marketers of EGFR inhibitors in Brazil and Mexico

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that patient access to premium-priced targeted cancer treatments in Brazil and Mexico is improving, creating an opportunity for developers and marketers of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors.

5 Apr 2012

New AACN program to empower bedside nurses as clinician leaders

A new hospital-based nurse leadership and innovation training program from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) aims to empower bedside nurses as clinician leaders and change agents whose initiatives measurably improve patient outcomes with bottom-line impact to the hospital.

5 Apr 2012

The 31st ESTRO congress and the World Congress of Brachytherapy

ESTRO 31 and the World Congress of Brachytherapy will combine to feature new research results in clinical and basic radiobiology, physics and brachytherapy, presented by top doctors and scientists from all over the world working together for the benefit of cancer patients.

5 Apr 2012

Understanding how key decision makers assess prescription drugs for health plan coverage

As medical advancements and an expanding pharmaceutical industry bring new prescription drugs into the market, deciding which ones to cover is becoming an even more difficult choice for health plans to make. How those decisions are made - and what information is used in the process - was the focus of a recent study by researchers at RTI International.

5 Apr 2012

Hearing date set for injunction request on Express Scripts-Medco merger

The judge overseeing a private antitrust lawsuit seeking to block Express Scripts Inc. (ESRX)'s acquisition of Medco Health Solutions Inc. (MHS) set a hearing for April 10 on a request for an injunction to undo the deal.

5 Apr 2012

Peripheral IV catheter effective alternative to central lines

A new study concludes that the POWERWAND peripheral IV (PIV) catheter is an effective alternative to central lines and standard PIV's, achieving unprecedented levels of success in patients requiring longer-term IV therapy.

5 Apr 2012