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UCB initiates EXXELERATE study in rheumatoid arthritis

UCB today announced the start of the EXXELERATE study which will evaluate the short- and long-term efficacy of Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) plus methotrexate (MTX) compared with that of Humira(adalimumab) plus MTX in the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The start of this study confirms previously announced plans.

21 Dec 2011

Survey: 40% of police officers have sleep disorders

A survey of police officers indicated that about 40 percent have a sleep disorder, which was associated with an increased risk of adverse health, safety and performance outcomes, according to a study in the December 21 issue of JAMA.

21 Dec 2011

Heart-related deaths, other emergencies peak in holiday season

Steven Polevoi, MD, has seen it all. During his 23-year career, the medical director of the UCSF Emergency Department has done everything from treat traumatic injuries to deliver babies. While medical emergencies occur throughout the year, Polevoi sees the winter season and its related overindulgence as a pivotal time for preventing emergencies by listening to our bodies.

21 Dec 2011

Obesity doubles risk of recurrence and death after esophageal cancer surgery

Obesity doubles the risk of cancer recurrence and cancer-related death in patients with esophageal cancer who have been treated with surgery, researchers at Mayo Clinic found.

21 Dec 2011

Scientists create functional model of native extracellular matrix

Scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have created a functional model of the native extracellular matrix that provides structural support to cells to aid growth and proliferation. The model could lead to advances in regenerative medicine.

21 Dec 2011

Mazor Robotics announces purchase agreement with NSH Michigan

Mazor Robotics Ltd, the leader in innovative surgical robots and complementary products for spine surgery, announced a purchase agreement with NSH Michigan, Inc.

21 Dec 2011

FDA accepts Pfizer's tofacitinib NDA for review

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the New Drug Application (NDA) for tofacitinib (development code CP-690,550), an investigational novel, oral JAK inhibitor being studied for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis.

21 Dec 2011

University of Oxford scientists develop new candidate malaria vaccine

A new candidate malaria vaccine with the potential to neutralise all strains of the most deadly species of malaria parasite has been developed by a team led by scientists at the University of Oxford.

21 Dec 2011

Guardian examines efforts to bring therapeutic food production into developing countries

The Guardian examines how ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs) -- "small packets of a sticky, peanut butter-like paste, fortified with minerals and vitamins, that can reverse severe malnutrition within six weeks" -- "have revolutionized famine relief in Africa," and asks whether these products could be produced in the countries in which they are being distributed.

21 Dec 2011

Handheld near-infrared imaging device enables quick detection of hematomas

When accidents that involve traumatic brain injuries occur, a speedy diagnosis followed by the proper treatment can mean the difference between life and death. A research team, led by Jason D. Riley in the Section on Analytical and Functional Biophotonics at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, has created a handheld device capable of quickly detecting brain injuries such as hematomas, which occur when blood vessels become damaged and blood seeps out into surrounding tissues where it can cause significant and dangerous swelling.

21 Dec 2011

Women with breast cancer more likely to develop heart disease

Women who are at risk for breast cancer may also be at greater risk for heart disease, new research has found.

21 Dec 2011

BU professor to study incidence of hypertension, diabetes and asthma in African American women

Patricia F. Coogan, ScD, an associate professor of epidemiology at Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC), recently was awarded funding for two grants from the National Institutes of Health.

21 Dec 2011

Early aquatic therapy after TKA may improve quality of life

Despite increased use of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is a notable lack of consensus about optimal postoperative treatment. Aquatic therapy has been shown to have a beneficial effect, and it is typically begun two weeks after surgery, after the wound has healed.

21 Dec 2011

Mediterranean diet and longevity in older people

A Mediterranean diet with large amounts of vegetables and fish gives a longer life. This is the unanimous result of four studies to be published by the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg. Research studies ever since the 1950s have shown that a Mediterranean diet, based on a high consumption of fish and vegetables and a low consumption of animal-based products such as meat and milk, leads to better health.

21 Dec 2011

Takeda receives FDA approval for EDARBYCLOR to treat hypertension

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved EDARBYCLOR (azilsartan medoxomil and chlorthalidone) for the treatment of hypertension to lower blood pressure in adults.

21 Dec 2011

PRI now offers latest surgical robotics for patients with kidney tumors

The Porter Robotics Institute (PRI) now offers the latest in advanced surgical robotics available to patients with kidney tumors, allowing surgeons the ability to remove just a portion of the kidney.

21 Dec 2011

Takeda enters agreement to acquire Intellikine

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Intellikine, Inc. today announced that Takeda America Holdings, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takeda, and Intellikine, a privately-held company focused on the discovery and development of innovative, small molecule drugs, have entered into an agreement for Takeda America Holdings to acquire Intellikine by cash.

21 Dec 2011