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EC grants marketing authorization for Amgen's XGEVA to prevent skeletal-related events

Amgen today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for XGEVA (denosumab) for the prevention of skeletal-related events (SREs) in adults with bone metastases from solid tumors.

15 Jul 2011

Studios can reduce and even eliminate smoking in youth-rated movies

The amount of smoking in top-grossing, youth-rated movies has dropped significantly in the past five years, with far larger declines by studios that have published policies to reduce smoking in youth-rated films, according to a new study published today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

15 Jul 2011

Scientists analyze structural changes in calcium channels caused by Timothy-mutation

The human genome encodes 243 voltage-gated ion channels. Mutations in calcium channels can cause severe inherited diseases such as migraine, night blindness, autism spectrum disorders and Timothy syndrome, which leads to severe cardiovascular disorders.

15 Jul 2011

Novel combined technique for treating neoplastic meningitis, hydrocephalus

Approximately five to ten percent of patients with primary or metastatic cancer suffer from devastating neurological complications such as headaches, seizures, confusion, difficulty swallowing and visual disturbances. These deficits are caused by a life-threatening form of brain invasion from cancer called neoplastic meningitis.

15 Jul 2011

B. Braun adds Plasmat Futura System to H.E.L.P. LDL Apheresis therapy

The Renal Therapies Division of B. Braun Medical Inc. (B. Braun) announced today the availability of the Plasmat Futura System for H.E.L.P. LDL Apheresis therapy.

From B. Braun Melsungen AG 15 Jul 2011

Horn of Africa nations risk 'massive famine,' Shah says

The nations in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa "are at risk of 'massive famine,' Rajiv Shah, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), told the Huffington Post Wednesday."

15 Jul 2011

Study: Bone marrow transplant offers new hope for patients with high-risk leukemia

Bone marrow transplant survival more than doubled in recent years for young, high-risk leukemia patients treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, with patients who lacked genetically matched donors recording the most significant gains. The results are believed to be the best ever reported for leukemia patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation.

15 Jul 2011

Opinions about the CIA's ruse vaccination campaign in Pakistan

Health experts and writers continue to react to the CIA's use of a vaccine campaign to hunt Osama bin Laden.

15 Jul 2011

IBM, Coriell partner to explore personalized medicine

IBM today announced that Coriell Institute for Medical Research, the largest biobank of living human cells, is using IBM technology to advance its research of human genetic disease and to more efficiently maintain its massive collection of biological resources.

15 Jul 2011

CMS actuary offers bleak picture for Medicare solvency

During congressional testimony, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Chief Actuary Richard Foster also offered dark predictions for hospitals' future profitability.

15 Jul 2011

Onsite Occupational Health & Safety recognized as 2011 Indiana Companies to Watch

Onsite Occupational Health & Safety, Inc. (Onsite OHS) has been recognized as one of the 2011 Indiana Companies to Watch, an awards program presented by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, its Small Business Development Center network, Purdue University, and the Edward Lowe Foundation.

15 Jul 2011

Bill would boost IT funding for multi-campus hospital systems

In other news, The Boston Globe reports on one of the perks enjoyed by doctors who use electronic health records, and Bloomberg details the British Medical Association's advice to members to avoid patients on Facebook.

15 Jul 2011

Ultrasound can detect risk of psychiatric disorders in premature infants

Infants born prematurely are at risk for injuries to the white and gray matter of the brain that affect cortical development and neural connectivity. Certain forms of these injuries can be detected in the neonatal period using ultrasound, according to Columbia University Medical Center researchers.

15 Jul 2011

Seniors step up efforts to protect against cuts to Medicare

First, AARP tried to convey disappointment. In May, the group launched a TV ad warning that Congress might try to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits as part of a deal to raise the national debt ceiling.

15 Jul 2011

ACS honors Cedars-Sinai surgeon with 17th annual Jacobson Innovation Award

George Berci, MD, FACS, has received the highest honor bestowed by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), with the largest, most prestigious surgical organization in the nation recognizing him as a pioneer who developed the endoscopic and laparoscopic techniques that provide the basis of all minimally invasive surgeries performed today.

15 Jul 2011

Congress should avoid cutting international affairs budget, Clinton says

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton argued against cutting U.S. foreign aid in a speech on Tuesday at a meeting of U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, the Washington Post's "Checkpoint Washington" blog reports.

15 Jul 2011

Family doctors misdiagnose 31.7% of coronary heart disease: Study

Of 180 patients in this study in whom a reference committee later identified coronary heart disease (CHD), 31.7% had originally been misdiagnosed by their family doctors as not having CHD.

15 Jul 2011

Medicaid cuts raise physician ire in Puerto Rico

Also in Medicaid news: In Alabama, an examination of pharmacy receipts leads to reduced costs. But in Texas, some hospital systems are bracing for the impact of Medicaid cuts currently under discussion in the debt-ceiling talks.

15 Jul 2011

FDA asks Guided Therapeutics to provide additional information on LuViva PMA

Guided Therapeutics, Inc., developer of a rapid and painless biophotonic testing platform for the early detection of cancer, today announced that, after a series of meetings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and after reviewing draft responses, the FDA has asked the company to provide additional information in the company's response to one remaining question.

15 Jul 2011

Tempers flare in debt-ceiling talks as deadline looms

The hot questions now are which of the nation's financial obligations would be paid and what would be left to default if the current negotiations fail to result in a deal. President Barack Obama would be forced to choose from among Social Security checks, salaries for members of the military and veterans, unemployment benefits and many other government programs.

15 Jul 2011