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NLST: CT scans more effective in reducing lung cancer death rates

The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) is the first scientific study that provides clear evidence that CT screening significantly reduces the death rate due to lung cancer.

30 Jun 2011

Modulating interaction between 'rotten eggs' gas and nitric oxide may treat heart failure

Research carried out by scientists from the Peninsula Medical School at the University of Exeter and the National University of Singapore has analysed the complex 'cross talk' between hydrogen sulphide and nitric oxide, both gasses that occur naturally in the body, and found that the interaction may offer potential strategies in the management of heart failure.

30 Jun 2011

Provectus presents additional data on PV-10 at two separate melanoma conferences

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, announced that data and study design features on PV-10 for metastatic melanoma were presented at two separate conferences.

30 Jun 2011

Dendreon receives FDA approval for Los Angeles cancer immunotherapy manufacturing facility

Dendreon Corporation today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its Los Angeles cancer immunotherapy manufacturing facility, allowing the company to continue to increase the availability of PROVENGE across the U.S. to help meet the needs of patients with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer.

30 Jun 2011

Pregenen, Cellectis partner to develop meganucleases

Cellectis, the French genome engineering specialist, announced today the signing of a collaboration agreement with Pregenen, an American biotechnology start-up company dedicated to the creation of innovative tools for genome engineering.

30 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Calif.'s budget, Supreme Court drug rulings, the Avastin debate

The budget is not realistic, counting on fantastical revenue projections as well as a redevelopment gambit that's likely to be blocked in court. It makes deep cuts in state programs that will have unwelcome repercussions in years to come. And if the revenue projections prove to be as overly optimistic as they seem, there will be more damaging cuts to education, child care and health services. Nevertheless, it's a more earnest effort to clean up the state's budget mess than Sacramento has seen in a decade or more.

30 Jun 2011

Supreme Court rules in favor of ‘pharma’ data mining

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the pharmaceutical companies could use the information that they gained from doctors’ prescribing records. The data mining had been restricted in Maine following the high court ruling that struck down a similar law in Vermont.

29 Jun 2011

COIN hosts ‘Risk vs. Reward: Financing Early-Stage, Emerging Technologies’ roundtable event

The Center of Innovation for Nanobiotechnology (COIN) has announced the upcoming NanoBio Executive Roundtable event to be hosted at The Hawthorne Inn in Winston-Salem, NC on July 14, 2011. This Roundtable will address a significant hurdle to nanobiotechnology development and commercialization—early-stage funding.

29 Jun 2011

Children and adolescents should not consume sports drinks

“Caffeine-containing "energy" drinks should never be used by children and adolescents, and carbohydrate-rich "sports" drinks should be restricted or avoided completely,” according to an American Academy of Pediatrics report in the journal Pediatrics.

29 Jun 2011

Video consultation initiative great opportunity for patients and GPs

With the new video consultation MBS items being available from 1 July 2011, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is committed to supporting the profession during the telehealth rollout and highlights the value of the GP in this healthcare model.

29 Jun 2011

NHS complaint system may need a ‘make over’

According to a committee of MPs, a “more open culture” is required to handle complaints about the health service in England. The committee has members from different political parties and said the system should be overhauled to ensure patients who complained were treated fairly. They also criticized the role of the Health Ombudsman and said it was not dealing with enough complaints.

29 Jun 2011

Doctors refuse to accept NHS reform bill

Labour warned that the health secretary, Andrew Lansley was still planning to create a “full-scale market” after Steve Field acknowledged that the government would leave hospitals vulnerable to European Union competition law due to the presence of private patients in NHS hospitals.

29 Jun 2011

Botox for asthma

Botox, or botulinum toxin type A, which is best-known for smoothing away facial wrinkles is to be tested as an asthma treatment at Melbourne's Monash University. A recent survey by the university found that about half of severe asthmatics suffer problems with their voice box as well as their lungs. The problems were similar to vocal cord dysphonia – or loss of voice through overuse – a condition which Botox is frequently used to fix.

29 Jun 2011

Vaccines may be given in food in the near future

Soon children could be vaccinated with bacteria mixed in milk and people in the developing world given unprecedented access to immunisations under a scheme proposed by an Australian Nobel laureate, Barry Marshall.

29 Jun 2011

Queensland authorities try to contain Hendra virus outbreak

The Queensland authorities have stepped up their efforts to contain an outbreak of the deadly Hendra virus on a farm near Beaudesert, south of Brisbane.

29 Jun 2011

Novel use of duct tape in infection prevention saves $110,000 annually

The Trinity Infection Prevention team from Iowa/Illinois Trinity Medical Center has come up with the novel idea of using duct tape to reduce infections and save up to $110,000. For this they received the Blue Ribbon Abstract Award. They presented their work, “The Red Box Strategy: An Innovative Method to Improve Isolation Precaution Compliance and Reduce Costs” which received the designation at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's 2011 Annual Conference and International Meeting June27-29 in Baltimore.

29 Jun 2011

FDA looks at Avastin risks

The US Food and Drug Administration is holding a two-day hearing that pits the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research against Genentech, that manufactures breast cancer drug Avastin. A handful of breast cancer patients testified Tuesday that Avastin helped in treating their metastatic breast cancer but a review of studies conducted by the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research suggests the risks outweigh the benefits of Avastin for treating breast cancer, FDA officials said at the hearing.

29 Jun 2011