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Pharmasset expands PSI-7977 clinical trial for treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Pharmasset, Inc. announced today the addition of three treatment cohorts to the ELECTRON trial of PSI-7977, a nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV).

8 Jun 2011

Withdrawal of aid from Madagascar hitting poor hard

The Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog" examines the effects of the withdrawal of international aid and debt relief from Madagascar following the country's last coup in 2009. According to the article, "80% of the population is classed as living in poverty. A household survey last year by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) found that aid sanctions are biting the wrong people: school enrolment has plummeted and health indicators are in decline."

8 Jun 2011

New research on spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the leading genetic cause of death in children under 2, with no treatment other than supportive care. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston show how loss or mutation of the SMA gene causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, and suggest a promising approach to treating the condition, sometimes referred to as a "Lou Gehrig's disease of babies."

8 Jun 2011

European hematologists raise alarm on insufficient research money for blood disorders

European hematologists raise the alarm on the insufficient research money for blood disorders. "Blood cancers kill over 95,000 in the EU every year; the EU must be made aware that more research funds are needed", states Professor Robin Foa, President of the European Hematology Association (EHA) at their annual congress in London.

8 Jun 2011

Conference panel examines manufacturing of nutrition-rich foods

IRIN reports on a World Conference on Humanitarian Studies panel discussion about the manufacturing of nutrition-rich foods to treat malnutrition in the developing world.

8 Jun 2011

Articles on health trajectories now available in Nursing Research journal

Health care research typically focuses on final outcomes such as cure or death—overlooking the fact that health and illness are dynamic states that evolve and change over time. A special collection of articles on health trajectory research is now available in a supplement to Nursing Research, official journal of the Eastern Nursing Research Society and the Western Institute of Nursing.

8 Jun 2011

Dems push for debt deal that doesn't include Medicare cuts

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., sent an email to House Republicans Monday saying he is optmistic that ongoing budget talks will meet the standard set by Speaker John Boehner -- meaning legislation to raise the debt limit will be accompanied by deficit reduction. Some Democratic senators, though, are pressing Vice President Joe Biden, who is overseeing budget negotiations, to steer clear of the GOP Medicare plan.

8 Jun 2011

RI Hospital fellow receives TSFRE funds for cardiothoracic surgery research

Antonio Lassaletta, M.D., a fellow in cardiothoracic surgery research at Rhode Island Hospital, has been awarded a Research Fellowship from the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education (TSFRE) to support his project, "Improving Myocardial Perfusion in a Diabetic Swine Model of Chronic Cardiac Ischemia." TSFRE awarded just two Research Fellowships in 2011; Lassaletta's fellowship is for two years.

8 Jun 2011

Doctors' move to electronic records requires serious commitment

The federal stimulus and health care laws are pushing medical providers to go electronic as a way to improve patient safety and track health care quality. ... But moving away from paper files to an electronic health record system requires serious commitment on several levels. First, they're expensive. ... Second, the learning curve can be painful.

8 Jun 2011

Einstein health expert plays an important role in development of U.S. News 'Best Diets' rankings

Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Ph.D., R.D. of Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University played an important role in the development of the "Best Diets" rankings, which U.S. News released today.

8 Jun 2011

Closed-loop artificial pancreas could fight against Type 1 diabetes

Engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are combining automation techniques from oil refining and other diverse areas to help create a closed-loop artificial pancreas. The device will automatically monitor blood sugar levels and administer insulin to patients with Type 1 diabetes, and aims to remove much of the guesswork for those living with the chronic disease.

8 Jun 2011

Health care costs are eating away at the nation's military budget

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that pension and health care costs are eating the U.S. military alive.

8 Jun 2011

Scientists find neuronal cells die in Alzheimer's disease

In what they are calling a new direction in the study of Alzheimer's disease, UC Santa Barbara scientists have made an important finding about what happens to brain cells that are destroyed in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

8 Jun 2011

Study identifies factors that increase bankruptcy risk among people with common cancers

An analysis linking federal bankruptcy court records to cancer registry data from nearly 232,000 adult cancer cases in western Washington during a 14-year period has found a hidden cost to survival: Insolvency rates increase along with the length of survival.

8 Jun 2011

Cooperation is key to finding global food security

"We need a global approach to achieving food security," Tom Daschle, former Senate majority leader and chair of the DuPont Advisory Committee on Agricultural Innovation and Productivity for the 21st Century, writes in a Politico opinion piece.

8 Jun 2011

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy to host National Leadership Roundtable on June 9

With a collective eye on ongoing health care reform efforts, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy on June 9 will be hosting a timely and wide-ranging National Leadership Roundtable on how an expanded role for pharmacists is improving health outcomes and health care expenditures in communities nationwide.

8 Jun 2011

New book explores food and eating habits among prehistoric people

From the paleolithic diet to the raw food diet, many health-conscious Americans now want to eat the way they believe our ancient ancestors ate.

8 Jun 2011

South African researchers examine cash incentive HIV prevention program

In South Africa, where 17 percent of the world's HIV-positive population lives, researchers from the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) in Durban are examining whether providing cash payments as a reward for good grades and undergoing annual HIV testing, along with teaching life skills, might help change young men's and women's risky sexual behavior, Nature News reports.

8 Jun 2011

Maternal-child health disparities need to be addressed in the U.S., says expert

Despite billions of dollars spent on health care each year, the United States ranks 27th out of 33 developed countries for life expectancy at birth. Leading causes of infant mortality are complications related to pre-term birth or low birth weight-outcomes that have been linked with domestic violence.

8 Jun 2011

Indiana official offers new option to keep Medicaid for Planned Parenthood

An attorney for the state of Indiana told a judge Monday that Planned Parenthood could still receive taxpayer funds -- even if it continues providing abortions. Thomas Fisher, the state's solicitor general, said Planned Parenthood would still be eligible for Medicaid funding if it spun off its abortion clinic into a separate corporate entity.

8 Jun 2011