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GTCR to acquire Sterigenics International

GTCR, a leading private equity firm, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement with Silverfleet Capital and PPM America Capital Partners to acquire Sterigenics International, the leading global provider of contract sterilization and ionization services for medical devices, food products, and advanced applications.

23 Feb 2011

Australia’s top scientist takes on top job

Today, the man who is known for one of Australia’s greatest medical achievements – the development of a cervical cancer vaccine – has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Translational Research Institute (TRI) in Brisbane, Queensland.

23 Feb 2011

Cell phones may lead to stimulation of parts of brain - Speculation on cancer continues

There is still debate as to whether cell phones damage the brain. The cell phone industry, along with nearly all major national and international medical associations have always responded with the same answer that there is no evidence that cell phone radiation can even affect the brain, let alone cause cancer.

23 Feb 2011

Biological pathways in PTSD revealed: Study

Up to 20% of the population exposed to a horror of a war, trauma or abuse may go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD, as it is better known, is a debilitating psychiatric disorder marked by flashbacks and nightmares. Till date the biological basis for PTSD was unclear. But a new study offers clues about why some people rebound from horrific events while others relive them, and may lead to predictive tests and even treatments.

23 Feb 2011

Mass polio vaccination campaigns in Burma and Sudan

After a seven-month-old baby was diagnosed with polio, Myanmar is planning a mass polio vaccination said the United Nations Children’s Fund. UNICEF revealed that just one case is enough to trigger an “emergency response”, and health officials promptly vaccinated 10,000 children in the Mandalay region, central Myanmar, after the illness was first suspected in December 2010.

23 Feb 2011

Finally! A vaccine against Dengue

Scientists from Thailand have successfully produced the world’s first dengue hemorrhagic fever vaccine and will allow the private sector improve it for the effective treatment of patients. The Thailand Ministry of Science and Technology has introduced the world’s first live attenuated dengue hemorrhagic fever vaccine.

23 Feb 2011

Toxic contamination of groundwater: South Australia residents warned

Australia’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has announced fears of groundwater contamination beneath up to 2000 homes. The EPA said that industrial activity at the former Hills Industries site in Edwardstown, south of Adelaide, caused dangerous materials - including a chemical known to cause cancer - to seep into the groundwater.

23 Feb 2011

Diabetes technology granted patent in Australia

Living Cell Technologies Limited (ASX: LCT; OTCQX: LVCLY) a global company pioneering the development of a cell implant therapy to treat diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, has been granted a patent by the Australian Patent Office for IMMUPEL(tm), LCT's industry-leading technology for encapsulating living cells prior to transplantation.

23 Feb 2011

Genetic testing should be conducted by qualified health professionals

In a letter to theFood and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Medical Association (AMA) today called for genetic testing to be conducted under the guidance of a physician, genetic counselor, or other genetics specialist. The letter was sent to the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Panel of the FDA's Medical Devices Advisory Committee regarding direct to consumer genetic tests prior to the panel’s hearings on the topic, scheduled for March 8 and 9.

23 Feb 2011

Prevalence of bunions increases with age; More common in women

New research determined that an increase in the severity of hallux valgus, or bunion deformity, progressively reduced both general and foot-specific health related quality of life (HRQOL). Bunion deformity was found in 36% of the study population and occurred more frequently in women and older individuals.

23 Feb 2011

Multi-national consortium develops new approaches to cure the flu

Pharmacelsus GmbH announces its participation in the 4 year multi-national research cooperation project “FLUCURE” supported by the European Union with the goal of developing novel, small molecule based therapeutics for respiratory diseases caused by influenza viruses. The consortium also joined Vironova AB and Beactica AB (Sweden), Pike Pharma GmbH (Switzerland) and university-based research groups from Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and the Netherlands.

23 Feb 2011

Study shows chemical workers perceive high risk of safety threats

In an analysis of focus group interviews published in a scientific journal this month, a team of scientists found chemical workers perceive a high risk of on-the-job chemical threats, but are resigned to accepting the risks. The study also noted a certain level of distrust of management and health advisors, problems with written safety guides, and the need to include more experienced workers in the development of safety training programs.

23 Feb 2011

MEDSEEK chosen by Trinity Health to implement online patient experience

MEDSEEK, a provider of enterprise eHealth solutions that give patients, clinicians and administrative staff an optimal 360-degree online experience, today announced plans to deepen its relationship with long-time partner Trinity Health. It will develop, design and implement the healthcare system’s fully integrated online patient experience.

23 Feb 2011

Versatile ultra-low power biomedical signal processor

At today’s International Solid-State Circuit Conference (ISSCC2011), imec, Holst Centre and NXP present a versatile ultra-low power biomedical signal processor, CoolBioTM, meeting the requirements of future wearable biomedical sensor systems. The biomedical signal processor consumes only 13pJ/cycle when running a complex ECG (electrocardiogram) algorithm at 1MHz and 0.4V operating voltage. This C-programmable chip is voltage and performance scalable supporting a frequency range of 1MHz up to 100MHz with an operating voltage from 0.4 to 1.2V.

23 Feb 2011

MassHealth call center earns Center of Excellence designation

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services, announced today that its Massachusetts Health Benefits Customer Service project call center has once again been recognized as a "Certified Center of Excellence" by BenchmarkPortal in collaboration with the Center for Customer-Driven Quality at Purdue Research Park.

23 Feb 2011

Study results of NanoViricides anti-dengue drug candidates presented at NIH/NIAID sponsored conference

NanoViricides, Inc.announced today that Anil R. Diwan, PhD, President of the Company, gave a presentation on Friday, February 18th, that discussed the Company's anti-viral technology and more specifically, results from both in-vitro and in-vivo studies of its drug candidates against dengue virus infections that can potentially cause a fatal manifestation, viz. dengue hemorrhagic fever.

23 Feb 2011

Pharmacelsus participates in FLUCURE project to develop novel therapeutics against influenza

Pharmacelsus GmbH announces its participation in the 4 year multi-national research cooperation project "FLUCURE" supported by the European Union with the goal of developing novel, small molecule based therapeutics for respiratory diseases caused by influenza viruses.

23 Feb 2011

Aeterna to present two novel anticancer compounds at Bio Partnering North America conference

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that its Vice President, Alliance Management and Intellectual Property, Eckhard Guenther, Ph.D., will make a presentation on two of the Company's novel anticancer compounds, AEZS-108 and AEZS-129, at Bio Partnering North America on Monday, February 28, 2011, at 4 p.m. in the West Meeting Room 218, of the Vancouver Convention Center in Vancouver, Canada.

23 Feb 2011

Study: Mormon polygamy reduces strength of sexual selection on males by 58%

Polygamy practiced by some 19th century Mormon men had the curious effect of suppressing the overall offspring numbers of Mormon women in plural marriages, say scientists from Indiana University Bloomington and three other institutions in the March 2011 issue of Evolution and Human Behavior.

23 Feb 2011

Healthcare professionals need evidence-based education, guidance about CAM use in maternity care

Complementary and alternative medicine is increasingly popular in maternity care, but healthcare professionals need formal evidence-based education and guidance about its use, according to a review in the March issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

23 Feb 2011