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Roundup: Poll finds growing support in Mass. for health law

Support for the Massachusetts universal health care law has increased since 2009, according to a poll of the state's residents -- even as the law has become the subject of blistering attacks in national and presidential politics, and health care costs soar.

6 Jun 2011

Onconova to initiate ESTYBON Phase II/III study in pancreatic cancer

Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. announced two advances in the clinical development of ESTYBON (rigosertib, ON 01910.Na) in presentations at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), June 3-7, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois.

6 Jun 2011

Pivotal health law challenge heads to 11th Circuit Court of Appeals

A three-judge panel in Atlanta will hear oral arguments in the lawsuit brought by 26 states. At issue is whether a Florida judge's ruling to strike down large portions of the sweeping overhaul should be reversed.

6 Jun 2011

Life Technologies develops qPCR-based accurate test to detect E. coli

Life Technologies Corporation today announced that it has developed a custom test (assay) to accurately detect the E. coli bacterium that has killed at least 22 people and affected more than 2,100 worldwide, including four new cases reported in the United States. Shipments of the TaqMan® E. coli 0104 Detection Kit to test foods thought to be associated with the outbreak are now in Europe.

6 Jun 2011

Several drug makers plan to lower prices of vaccines for GAVI purchase

Several pharmaceutical companies have pledged to lower the prices of vaccines against childhood illnesses ahead of the GAVI Alliance conference in London next week, the Guardian reports (Quinn, 6/6).

6 Jun 2011

Merge Healthcare, Ophthalmic Imaging Systems enter definitive merger agreement

Merge Healthcare, a leading provider of healthcare enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, and Ophthalmic Imaging Systems, a leading provider of digital imaging and informatics solutions for ophthalmology and other medical specialties, today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Merge Healthcare will acquire OIS.

6 Jun 2011

Medicare, Medicaid continue to play central role in budget debate

As the standoff over raising the nation's debt ceiling continues, congressional efforts to cut entitlement programs appear increasingly likely to be pushed off until after the next election. In the background, though, both parties are focusing on Medicare and Medicaid as key to their future prospects.

6 Jun 2011

Senescent melanoma cells express an inflammatory secretome

Malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive and notoriously chemoresistant form of cancer. In this paper, Ohanna et al. reveal that anti-melanoma drugs may, paradoxically, induce a senescence-associated secretory profile ("secretome") that can ultimately promote metastasis and contribute to melanoma relapse.

6 Jun 2011

Flaws identified in U.S. Haiti quake death toll report, USAID official says

Flaws have been found in a recent U.S. report suggesting the death toll from Haiti's January 2010 earthquake was significantly lower than official estimates, Mark Feierstein, USAID's assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, said on Friday, the Associated Press reports. The news service said Feierstein's words were "the strongest statement yet" on the report by a U.S. government official.

6 Jun 2011

MedPro Imaging invests in dedicated transducer repair technology

Designed to counter a growing emphasis in the industry on probe exchange programs, MedPro Imaging's Advanced Probe Repair Division today announced that it has added 4D transducer repair capabilities, featuring proprietary computer-based technology and processes for fast, consistent repairs.

6 Jun 2011

Commentary on 30th anniversary of AIDS

"Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, we are faced with a choice. Are we content to tinker at the fringes of the epidemic, spending untold billions to treat a fraction of those in need for decades into the future? Or can we summon the political will to effectively deploy the prevention interventions that are already available to us and to make the necessary investments in research that could end this epidemic in our lifetime?"

6 Jun 2011

Brown fat could help treat obesity and diabetes

A new study suggests that many adults have large amounts of brown fat, the "good" fat that burns calories to keep us warm, and that it may be possible to make even more of this tissue.

6 Jun 2011

AP/Seattle Times examines health care costs in India

The Associated Press/Seattle Times examines the challenges associated with extending affordable health care to people in India. "Each year, the cost of health care pushes some 39 million people back into poverty, according to a study published in the Lancet medical journal. Patients shoulder up to 80 percent of India's medical costs.

6 Jun 2011

Consumption of moderately reduced carbohydrate diet can help reduce total body fat

A modest reduction in consumption of carbohydrate foods may promote loss of deep belly fat, even with little or no change in weight, a new study finds. Presentation of the study results will be Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.

6 Jun 2011

Investigation finds 'disarray' in institutions for housing developmentally disabled

O. D. Heck is one of nine large institutions in New York that house the developmentally disabled, those with cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and other conditions.

6 Jun 2011

Dr. Reddy’s launches generic ARICEPT, EFFEXOR XR and FEMARA in the US

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories today announced that it has launched three products in the US market.

6 Jun 2011

EUS-guided GI biopsies with Cook Medical's new, large-core biopsy needle overcomes limitations

Results from a multicenter European study suggest that a new, large-core biopsy needle designed for use with an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) scope may help to overcome limitations of current EUS methods for biopsies of lesions in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and surrounding tissue.

6 Jun 2011

Attorneys head to court today over Indiana ban on funding for Planned Parenthood

The reproductive health organization is seeking a preliminary injunction against a new state law that would cut Medicaid funds.

6 Jun 2011

Astellas to present positive AGS-1C4D4 phase II data in metastatic pancreatic cancer at ASCO 2011

Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc., a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc. based in Tokyo, Japan, today announced that it will be presenting data from a phase II study evaluating AGS-1C4D4 in metastatic pancreatic cancer in a poster session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2011 Annual Meeting in Chicago.

6 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Reps. on Medicare politics, policies, community pharmacies; Reflections on AIDS

The [Ryan] privatization proposal overlooks the fact that when it comes to rising health costs, Medicare is part of the solution, not the problem. ... Together with health care reform, Medicare can be the driver of innovation due to its sheer market share.

6 Jun 2011