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Ohio doctor starts new clinic with lower charges but doesn't accept insurance

Dr. James Brockman has taken on a new business model with his medical practice to maintain less overhead and avoid hassles with insurance companies and people who won't pay their bills. No insurance is accepted at his Affordable Health Care Center, which opened in April and offers visits starting at $45 and capped at $100 for more complicated cases.

10 Sep 2010

ASNM to hold annual conference on nanomedicine

There is enormous excitement and expectation surrounding the multidisciplinary field of nanomedicine the science and technology of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease using nanotechnology. The American Society for Nanomedicine (ASNM) is holding its second annual conference on October 14-16, 2010 in the Washington, D.C. area, where some of the biggest stakeholders in this emerging technology operate and practice.

10 Sep 2010

UC Denver researcher awarded NIH grant to study PAH

A disease that has no cure in young children and adults is getting closer attention, thanks to a University of Colorado Denver Bioengineering assistant professor and a five year National Heart Lung and Blood Institute/National Institutes of Health grant. Kendall Hunter, PhD, will perform research to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension in children and adults with approximately $700,000 over a five-year period.

10 Sep 2010

Researches discover reducing tau protein level can prevent Αβ protein transport in Alzheimer’s disease

Amyloid beta (Αβ) proteins, widely thought to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD), block the transport of vital cargoes inside brain cells. Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) have discovered that reducing the level of another protein, tau, can prevent Aβ from causing such traffic jams.

10 Sep 2010

FerroKin BioSciences initiates international Phase 2 study of FBS0701

FerroKin BioSciences today announced the initiation of an international Phase 2 study of FBS0701, a novel once-daily iron chelator in development for the treatment of transfusional iron overload. The Phase 2 study will assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacodynamics of FBS0701.

10 Sep 2010

Nonprofits detail health industry ties

A journal that tracks philanthropy and giving has published information about contributions made by medical companies to health related nonprofits following a request for similar information by a lawmaker.

10 Sep 2010

In an age of consolidation, some community hospitals struggle to remain independent

"Quincy Medical's woes mirror the financial troubles facing many independent community hospitals nationwide that are not part of a health system or owned by a chain. Banks have grown reluctant to hand out loans in a lagging economy, making it difficult for hospitals to pay for capital improvements" (Weintraub, 9/9).

10 Sep 2010

USPTO issues patent for Advaxis’ live Listeria HER2/neu immunotherapy

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued to Advaxis, Inc.,the live, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) immunotherapy company, patent number 7,784,729 titled "Methods and Compositions for Immunotherapy of Cancer," based upon patent application 10/949,667.

10 Sep 2010

Researchers to develop image analysis techniques for melanoma classification

Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer varies in size, shape and severity, and although pathologists and researchers often intuitively differentiate between types of melanomas, the variations have never been formally quantified and documented. A project involving RENCI and researchers in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the departments of computer science and statistics and operations research aims to change that by using image analysis techniques to improve melanoma classification.

10 Sep 2010

Inter Press Service examines World Water Week's focus on 'dirty water'

Inter Press Service reports on the ongoing talks at World Water Week over "the widespread devastation caused to humans by polluted water."The article offers statistics on the health problems faced by the "more than 900 million" people without access to safe drinking water and the "estimated 2.6 billion" without access to basic sanitation.

10 Sep 2010

Democrats, Republicans take health reform, midterm battle to the airwaves

The group "Revere America" is running a multi-million dollar television ad campaign aimed at defeating Democrats who voted for the health overhaul. The ad campaign was announced by former Gov. George E. Pataki of New York, a Republican who is now serving as chairman of Revere America.

10 Sep 2010

Allos Therapeutics to present FOLOTYN trial results at ESMO Congress

Allos Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that results from the Phase 2b investigational trial of FOLOTYN (pralatrexate injection) versus erlotinib in patients with Stage IIIB/IV (advanced) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will be presented at the 35th European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress

10 Sep 2010

Noscira receives FDA approval for Tideglusib drug to treat PSP

Noscira, a Grupo Zeltia subsidiary specialized in research and development of drugs to treat neurodegenerative diseases, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track status to its neuroprotector drug Tideglusib (ZentylorTM) to treat Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a fast-advancing fatal degenerative brain disorder.

10 Sep 2010

Researchers find risk prediction model for VTE in cancer patients

For cancer patients, who have an increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) due to a hyperactive blood coagulation system, there is now an enhanced risk model to predict their chance of developing blood clots, according to a recent study published today in Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology.

10 Sep 2010

Employers predict health costs to rise nearly 6 percent next year

The Wall Street Journal reports that a survey from Mercer finds employers are expecting their health costs to rise an average of 5.9% next year after shifting some cost-sharing for health plans to employees.

10 Sep 2010

FEHBP plans unlikely to change as much as private health plans next year

Federal workers are not likely to see major changes to their health care plans despite adjustments being made in private plans as health reform is implemented, Government Executive reports.

10 Sep 2010

Mayo Clinic opens newly expanded neurophysiology laboratory at Florida campus

Mayo Clinic unveiled a newly expanded, state-of-the-art neurophysiology laboratory on its Florida campus to provide additional services and care for more patients, many of whom are referred by community physicians for specialized diagnostic testing.

10 Sep 2010

Researchers discover mechanism that prevents stem cell from becoming another cell type

Johns Hopkins researchers have determined why certain stem cells are able to stay stem cells.The report in the June 4 issue of Cell Stem Cell reveals that an enzyme that changes the way DNA is packaged in cells allows specific genes to be turned on and off, thereby preventing a stem cell from becoming another cell type.

10 Sep 2010

Democrats position for November fight using health care while GOP leader draws line in the sand

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine is defending his party's accomplishments on health care as he paints Democrats as underdogs in November's elections, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "Kaine, a former governor of Virginia, blasted the Republicans as obstacles to progress for seven decades, warning supporters gathered at the University of Pennsylvania that President Obama's agenda was at risk with less than two months before the Nov. 2 election.

10 Sep 2010

Kennedy Krieger Institute receives grant for Alzheimer's disease research in Down syndrome patients

Early signs of Alzheimer's disease can be difficult to distinguish from the normal aging process in any older adult. For adults with Down syndrome, who are particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease, it is even more so. Because effective intervention needs to begin as early in the disease process as possible, prior to the onset of the irreversible impacts on the brain that are characteristic of this devastating disease, early diagnosis is of critical importance. To address crucial gaps in knowledge about Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome, the Kennedy Krieger Institute has been awarded an $8.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

10 Sep 2010