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Meditation appears to change brain anatomy: Study

Two years ago, researchers at UCLA found that specific regions in the brains of long-term meditators were larger and had more gray matter than the brains of individuals in a control group. This suggested that meditation may indeed be good for all of us since, alas, our brains shrink naturally with age.

15 Jul 2011

Camel blood can help scientists fight against cancer

Nanobodies produced from camel blood have unique properties, which can be used in future drug development. New research published in Journal of Controlled Release confirms that camel blood can help scientists in the fight against cancer.

15 Jul 2011

Outreach Services receives Riverview Hospital Association contract

Outreach Services, a leading provider of patient eligibility and healthcare financial services to U.S. hospitals, announced today a new contract to provide Riverview Hospital Association in Wisconsin Rapids with Medical Assistance Advocacy for uninsured patients.

15 Jul 2011

NeoStem to acquire Amorcyte

NeoStem, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company, announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement whereby NeoStem will acquire Amorcyte, Inc., a development stage cell therapy company focusing on novel treatments for cardiovascular disease.

15 Jul 2011

Non-invasive 'swine flu' breath test could help ease future vaccine shortages

A test, novel breath measuring the immune response to the H1N1 flu virus, could help to ease future vaccine shortages by identifying the people who have already been infected with the flu virus.

15 Jul 2011

OSI Systems introduces Sonicaid Encore to track fetal heartbeat

OSI Systems, Inc., a vertically-integrated provider of specialized electronic products for critical applications in the Security and Healthcare industries, today announced the introduction of the Sonicaid Encore, a high performance fetal and maternal monitor that uses advanced technology for patient monitoring in labor and delivery.

15 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: Teaching hospital cuts; Medicare & debt deal politics; end-of-life care

Teaching hospitals educate the next generation of physicians—who are clearly essential for our future. But the importance of academic medical centers and teaching hospitals goes far beyond delivering care.

15 Jul 2011

BioMarin commences BMN 673 Phase 1 trial in hematological malignancies

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 trial for BMN 673, a poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with advanced hematological malignancies.

15 Jul 2011

Cancer may soon affect 40% of UK’s population: Report

Macmillan Cancer Support this Thursday revealed warning estimates that four in 10 people in the UK will get cancer at some point in their lives, up from one in three a decade ago. Cancer experts now believe 42% of Britons will get the disease.

14 Jul 2011

NHS facing heavier loads as waiting times rise

According to Sir Richard Thompson, President of the Royal College of Physicians, health service providers are struggling to cope with rising demand especially among the elderly, with the result that planned tests and operations are being delayed. He made his statement as Department of Health statistics showed the proportion of inpatients waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment has risen by 29 per cent since the general election, with those needing orthopedic or brain surgery experiencing the worst delays.

14 Jul 2011

Novel bionic eyes for the blind in the making

British scientists have developed the first pair of bionic glasses that could help thousands of legally blind people. These glasses using tiny cameras and software technology from video games, alert the wearer to objects in their surroundings using flashing lights.

14 Jul 2011

Yervoy, a new melanoma drug approved in Australia

Australia has approved the world’s first drug to prolong the lives of people with advanced melanoma. The drug Yervoy received the nod from the Therapeutics Good Association (TGA) on Friday amid hopes it could add two years to the life of people with the deadliest form of skin cancer but for whom other treatments have failed.

14 Jul 2011

Being health wards off dementia and Alzheimer's: Study

According to a new study even relatively minor health problems seemingly unrelated to the mind may affect a person's risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. This is apart from the other known risk factors like heart disease, strokes and other serious health conditions that affect the circulatory system or brain. The study was published this week in the journal Neurology.

14 Jul 2011

Being an alpha male stressful: Primate study

A nine year old tracking study of five troops of baboons in Kenya found that the top-ranked alpha males had more stress than the second-place beta males. In fact the top baboon was just as ‘on-edge’ as those unfortunate primates at the bottom of the pecking order. Thore Bergman, a biological psychologist at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the study said, “Being at the top may not be all it's cracked up to be.”

14 Jul 2011

Tea or coffee can protect from MRSA superbug

According to the latest study in the Annals of Family Medicine, people who drink tea or coffee regularly may be less likely to carry the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in their nostrils.

14 Jul 2011

Seattle Genetics lymphoma drug gets FDA panel nod

Seattle Genetics Inc. has finally obtained the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) nod for a second type of blood cancer drug. The FDA advisory committee voted 10-0 on Thursday to recommend accelerated approval of the drug, under the proposed trade name Adcetris, for anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). The panel earlier unanimously approved the drug for Hodgkin's lymphoma, another type of blood cancer.

14 Jul 2011

Medical community welcomes $30 million funding to fast track cancer research

The medical research community can only be encouraged by the level of commitment demonstrated by the NSW government’s $30 million funding to fast track cancer research, the Dean of Medicine at the University of New South Wales, Professor Peter Smith, said today.

14 Jul 2011

ICON announces acquisition of Firecrest Clinical

ICON plc,, a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced the acquisition of Firecrest Clinical, a market-leading provider of technology solutions that boost investigator site performance and study management.

14 Jul 2011

First Edition: July 14, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about how tempers are flaring in the midst of debt-ceiling negotiations, and how failure to reach an agreement could lead to tough choices about which of the nation's obligations will be left unpaid.

14 Jul 2011

inVentiv Health announces completion of PharmaNet acquisition

inVentiv Health, offering best-in-class clinical, commercial and consulting services to the healthcare industry, today announced it has completed the acquisition of PharmaNet Development Group, Inc., a recognized leader of global drug development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, generic drug and medical device industries.

14 Jul 2011