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BMY's ipilimumab Phase III study against metastatic melanoma meets primary endpoint

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced that a clinical trial -- known as study 024 -- of its investigational compound ipilimumab has met the primary endpoint of improving overall survival in previously-untreated patients with metastatic melanoma.

22 Mar 2011

Delta Dental resolves lawsuit against Smile Center clinics

Delta Dental of Minnesota announced today it has reached an out-of-court settlement with the Smile Center dental clinics, resolving a lawsuit pending in Hennepin County District Court.

22 Mar 2011

City Of Hope opens new center for diabetes research and care

City of Hope has established a new Diabetes Research Center that will expand its pioneering investigations into diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases, create an infrastructure to support translational research and enhance clinical care for diabetes and its related complications.

22 Mar 2011

USPTO grants patent to HistoRx methods for digital microscopy standardization

HistoRx, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent protecting the company's methods for standardization of digital microscopy instruments in order to go beyond imaging to generating high-quality reproducible data that precisely relates to biomarker concentrations in tissue sections.

22 Mar 2011

Watson introduces Famciclovir tablets to treat cold sores, genital herpes

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc. has launched Famciclovir tablets, 125 mg, 250 mg and 500 mg, the generic version of Novartis' Famvir following approval of its Abbreviated New Drug Application by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

22 Mar 2011

Cephalon to acquire Gemin X Pharmaceuticals

Cephalon, Inc. announced today that it has signed a definitive merger agreement under which it will acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of Gemin X Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class cancer therapeutics, for $225 million cash on a cash-free, debt-free basis. Gemin X stockholders could also receive up to $300 million in cash payments upon the achievement of certain regulatory and sales milestones.

22 Mar 2011

‘Sleeping sickness’ pandemic offers insight into Parkinson’s

A bizarre disease that caused sufferers to fall into a deep ‘sleep’ while still being aware of their surroundings can offer us insight into the nature of Parkinson’s disease.

21 Mar 2011

Doubts raised over Lap-Band surgery in the long term: Study

This surgery is based on the principle of placing a silicone band around the top portion of the stomach to restrict food intake. It has become an increasingly popular option in the battle against obesity, but some experts have worried about its safety.

21 Mar 2011

Hospital meals cost less than prison meals: Official UK report

In shocking news some British hospitals are reported to be spending as little as £1 a meal, compared with £2.10 for the average prison meal. The official figures show that the spending on hospital food has been slashed by up to two-thirds over the last five years. In some hospitals in England budgets have fallen by 62 per cent – with meals costing little more than £1.

21 Mar 2011

Victoria tackles underage drinking

Experts are happy with the Victorian Government’s strict attitude towards under-age drinking. The Baillieu Government will introduce legislation into Parliament this week, providing for $7,000 fines for adults who give alcohol to children without parental permission.

21 Mar 2011

First full face transplant in the U.S. on its way to success

In a first of its kind, Dallas Wiens, a 25 year old construction worker who had suffered severe burns to his head two and a half years ago and lost his face, was given a new face by transplant. Until now he had a face void of features, except for a lipless mouth and a goatee beard. Even his eye sockets were smoothed over with skin taken from other parts of his body. This was after 22 surgical procedures.

21 Mar 2011

Bowel cancer incidence set to rise: Research

According to the latest research from the Cancer Council, the incidence of bowel cancer in Australia is set to rise to 21,000 cases a year in the next decade. The report shows that one in five cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, due to a lack of screening. This research is being used to renew the Federal Government’s full funding and implementation of the national bowel cancer screening program. Funding for the program is due to expire at the end of June.

21 Mar 2011

Information technology could reduce psychiatric drug errors

Coupling an electronic prescription drug ordering system with a computerized method for reporting adverse events can dramatically reduce the number of medication errors in a hospital's psychiatric unit, suggests new Johns Hopkins research.

21 Mar 2011

Earthquake response could be improved through telemedicine

A new study published by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and the University of California, Davis, foresees improvements in patient outcomes after a major earthquake through more effective use of information technology. A control tower-style telemedicine hub to manage electronic traffic between first responders and remote medical experts could boost the likelihood that critically injured victims will get timely care and survive, according to the team's computer simulation model.

21 Mar 2011

Second US trial in HIV/AIDS lymphoma patients using Benitec’s ddRNAi technology

Benitec Limited (ASX:BLT), a company involved in RNA-based gene silencing for human therapeutics, announced that the City of Hope research hospital in Duarte, California is planning to initiate a second small Phase I/II study using Benitec’s DNA-directed RNA interference (ddRNAi) technology in lymphoma patients carrying the HIV virus. The aim of the study is to optimize the treatment by modifying a range of clinical parameters.

21 Mar 2011

NTSP Charitable Fund Board announces 2011 recipients of patient care grant funding opportunities

The North Texas Specialty Physicians (NTSP) Charitable Fund Board is pleased to announce the 2011 recipients of its patient care grant funding opportunities. The recipient organizations chosen serve the community and fit within the Charitable Fund's mission of "Driving innovations in the coordination and integration of safe and effective patient care in the North Texas Region."

21 Mar 2011

Philanthropists triple-match public's donations for TGen's unTEAL cure ovarian cancer event

Philanthropists Foster and Lynn Friess will triple-match the public's donations - up to a total of $100,000 - for TGen's 2nd annual unTEAL a cure ovarian cancer event.

21 Mar 2011

California insurers want focus on what's driving up costs

Meanwhile, some health insurers are responding to the health overhaul by looking for new business opportunities.

21 Mar 2011

Girls with medical conditions causing short stature go undiagnosed

Primary care doctors are less likely to refer short girls than short boys for diagnostic testing that can reveal underlying medical reasons for their short stature, according to a new study of an urban pediatric population in Philadelphia. Girls with medical conditions causing their short stature may go undiagnosed, or may be diagnosed later than boys, limiting timely treatment.

21 Mar 2011

Differences between therapeutic radiation therapy and exposure to excessive nuclear plant fallout radiation

"The Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (http://www.caro-acro.ca) is the voice for specialists in Canada who treat patients' cancer with radiation. In that capacity," explains Dr. Matthew Parliament, president of CARO-ACRO, "we work with proven, controlled, targeted application of various forms of radiation therapy to treat and cure cancer."

21 Mar 2011