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Catheter-related bloodstream infections in children

Hospitals can reduce the risk of life-threatening bloodstream infections in children with peripherally inserted central venous catheters by assessing daily the patient’s progress and removing the device as early as possible, according to a new Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study published online March 31 in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

31 Mar 2011

Immune therapy can control fertility in mammals

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have shown that it is possible to immunize mammals to control fertility. They say their technique could possibly be used on other mammals -- including humans -- because fertility hormones and their receptors are species-non-specific and are similar in both females and males. For pets, the technique could be an alternative to castration and adverse effects of hormone administration.

31 Mar 2011

China BCT fourth quarter revenue increases 82.3% to $66.8 million

China BCT Pharmacy Group, Inc.,, a leading pharmaceutical distributor, retail pharmacy, and manufacturer of pharmaceutical products in Guangxi Province, China, today announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2010.

31 Mar 2011

Asuragen launches new miRNA Biofluids service offering

Asuragen, Inc. announced today the launch of its new miRNA Biofluids service offering designed to interrogate miRNAs from serum, plasma, cerebral spinal fluid, and urine. Supported by a growing body of literature, the utility of miRNA biomarkers in biofluids has been demonstrated for numerous disease areas including Cancer, Neurology, Autoimmune, and Cardiovascular diseases.

31 Mar 2011

Clontech launches new SMARTer Ultra Low RNA Kit

Clontech Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., today announced the launch of its SMARTer Ultra Low RNA Kit for Illumina Sequencing, which was developed in collaboration with Illumina, Inc.

31 Mar 2011

First Edition: March 31, 2011

In today's news, reports on continuing congressional efforts to reach a deal on the current-year budget and on a move by Medicare to cover Provenge, a prostate cancer drug.

31 Mar 2011

FDA grants Nile Fast Track designation for cenderitide post-acute development program

Nile Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that develops novel therapeutics for heart failure patients, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to Nile's post-acute development program for cenderitide, which has the goal of reducing cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular re-hospitalization in the post-acute period in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

31 Mar 2011

Sinovac reports fourth quarter net sales of $9.1 million

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, announced today its fourth quarter and full year financial results periods ended December 31, 2010.

31 Mar 2011

Vanda to initiate tasimelteon Phase IIb/III clinical trial in Major Depressive Disorder

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced its plans to initiate a Phase IIb/III clinical trial of tasimelteon in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The trial is expected to begin during the second half of 2011. Tasimelteon is currently being evaluated in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of Non-24-Hour Sleep/Wake Disorder (N24HSWD) in blind individuals without light perception.

31 Mar 2011

Micro-RNAs appear to play a key role in new mechanism underlying obesity

Max Planck researchers have discovered a new mechanism that leads to the development of type 2 diabetes in obesity. Body weight influences the risk of developing diabetes: between 80 and 90 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.

31 Mar 2011

Protox reports net loss of $4.5 million for year ended December 31, 2010

Protox Therapeutics Inc., a leader in the development of receptor targeted therapeutic fusion proteins, today announced financial results and achievements for the year ended December 31, 2010.

31 Mar 2011

Aetna commends FDA's decision on hydroxyprogesterone caproate

The United States Food and Drug Administration today announced that specialty pharmacies can continue compounding 17P based on a valid prescription for an individually identified patient.

31 Mar 2011

Insight into bowel cancer

Stem cells in the intestine, which when they mutate can lead to bowel cancers, might also be grown into transplant tissues to combat the effects of those same cancers, the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science meeting will hear today.

31 Mar 2011

Study: People who have survived diabetes for many decades exhibit few complications

Over time, diabetes can wreak havoc on the body's eyes, cardiovascular system, kidneys and nerves. A major study by Joslin Diabetes Center researchers, however, has found that some people who have survived diabetes for many decades exhibit remarkably few complications—a discovery that points toward the presence of protective factors that guard against the disease's effects.

31 Mar 2011

PSTX closes common stock financing for $7.1 million

Patient Safety Technologies, Inc. today announced the closing of a $7.1 million common stock financing. The investors, led by a new institutional investor, together with several existing shareholders and certain members of senior management, purchased 9.48 million shares of common stock at a price of $0.75 per share.

31 Mar 2011

Important updates on spondyloarthritis highlighted at 2010 SPARTAN meeting

Spondyloarthritis is a group of inflammatory conditions causing spine and joint pain and deformity, mostly in young men. Important updates on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of SpA are presented in the April issue of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation.

31 Mar 2011

RXi Pharmaceuticals to acquire Apthera

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a recognized leader in RNAi-based therapeutic discovery and development, and Apthera, Inc., a private biotechnology company developing a pipeline of peptide-based immunotherapies for the adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive breast and other cancers, announced today the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which RXi will acquire Apthera.

31 Mar 2011

Adeona reports $3,164,512 net revenue for 2010

Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of innovative medicines for serious central nervous system diseases, reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2010, as well as updates since the beginning of the 4th quarter.

31 Mar 2011

Vertex announces interim results from VX-222 ongoing Phase 2 study against hepatitis C

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced interim results from an ongoing Phase 2 study designed to assess the safety and tolerability of 12-week response-guided treatment regimens with its polymerase inhibitor, VX-222, and its protease inhibitor, telaprevir, in combination with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin in people with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C who were new to treatment.

31 Mar 2011

Pacira reports net loss of $7.0 million for quarter ended December 31, 2010

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2010, provided an update on the execution of its pre-commercial and launch strategies for EXPAREL and established 2011 financial guidance.

31 Mar 2011