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New findings could lead to simple dietary solutions, possible therapeutics for gestational diabetes

The cause of diabetes during pregnancy is directly controlled by serotonin, a chemical produced by the body and normally known as a neurotransmitter, and is influenced by the amount of protein in the mother's diet early in pregnancy, according to new findings of an international team led by researchers at UCSF.

28 Jun 2010

High-risk health insurance pools opening soon

News outlets examine how states are coping with covering hard-to-insure people, confusion about insuring young adults and a COBRA subsidy extension.

28 Jun 2010

Florida seeks new tools to stop dengue outbreak

While all eyes are on the Gulf oil spill, another natural disaster worsens as Key West Florida battles the first U.S. outbreak of dengue in 75 years. With over 30 confirmed cases (27 in 2009, 8 in 2010) and 5% of residents showing exposure to the mosquito-spread disease, Florida is seeking new tools to stop the emerging threat. Aiming to enhance their existing control program, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District turned to SpringStar Inc in Woodinville, WA.

28 Jun 2010

Bayer signs agreement to supply Adalat XL product to Teva Canada

Bayer Inc. and Teva Canada Limited today announced they have entered an agreement regarding Bayer's Adalat XL (nifedipine) 20, 30 and 60 mg product. Effective immediately, Bayer Inc. will supply Adalat XL exclusively to Teva Canada Limited and Teva Canada Limited will become the sole distributor in Canada of brand name Adalat XL product.

28 Jun 2010

Chronic disease expert: U.S. health care system needs to treat 'whole person'

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jessica Marcy interviews Kate Lorig, director of the Patient Education Research Center at Stanford University, about the toll of chronic diseases.

28 Jun 2010

TLR4 may provide new strategy for treating patients with PDAC: Study

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly malignant digestive tumor with a very poor prognosis. Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1α is involved in malignant progression in many solid tumors, including PDAC, upregulation of HIF-1α accelerates PDAC progression, but the exact regulatory mechanisms of HIF-1αin PDAC has not been unequivocally addressed.

28 Jun 2010

Pennsylvania reports drop in hospital infections, other patient care issues include CT scans

The Pennsylvania Department of Health found that 12.5 percent fewer patients contracted infections in the state's hospitals in 2009 than a year earlier, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But the reports shows that there were 25,914 infections in 2009. "'Though the report seems to show we're making progress, 25,914 is still a very large number and shows we still have our work cut out for us in bringing that number down,' Stephen Ostroff, the state's acting physician general, said Thursday.

25 Jun 2010

GSA selects Helene Fung as 2010 recipient of Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award

The Gerontological Society of America - the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging - has chosen Helene Fung, PhD, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong as the 2010 recipient of the Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award in Behavioral and Social Gerontology.

25 Jun 2010

FDA approves OraQuick HCV Rapid Antibody Test for HCV

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced approval of the first rapid blood test for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus for individuals 15 years and older.

25 Jun 2010

Mass. panel overturns cap on insurer's premiums; Calif. finds 'substantial' errors in planned premium increase

A Massachusetts "insurance appeals board yesterday overturned the state's cap on health premium increases for small business and individual customers covered by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care." The panel "found that rate increases Harvard Pilgrim initially sought in April are reasonable given what it must pay to hospitals and doctors. That ruling trumped the Insurance Division's earlier finding that the requested increases were excessive, a view that reflects Governor Deval Patrick's campaign to curb health costs. Insurers yesterday cheered the ruling" (Abelson and Wallack, 6/25).

25 Jun 2010

ARS study finds link between vitamin D and cognitive function

At a time when consumer interest in health-enhancing foods is high, Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists have contributed to a limited but growing body of evidence of a link between vitamin D and cognitive function.

25 Jun 2010

Utah to run state high-risk pool while still opposing health law

Utah Republican Gov. Gary R. Herbert has announced that the state "will join 29 other states and the District of Columbia" to run their own high-risk health insurance pools, while "[o]ther states let the federal government handle the program, concerned they would have to pay for it if they exhausted their federal funding," The Wall Street Journal reports.

25 Jun 2010

Antiviral therapy prevents recurrence of HCC, extends patients' lives, researchers report

Previous studies have shown that antiviral treatment reduces the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B. But now, researchers from the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Thomas Jefferson University are reporting that the antiviral therapy also prevents recurrence of HCC and extends patients' lives.

25 Jun 2010

Psychotropic medications associated with adverse drug reactions in Danish children: Researchers

Between 1998 and 2007, psychotropic medications were associated with 429 adverse drug reactions in Danish children under the age of 17. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Studies have published an article in the open access journal BMC Research Notes concluding that more than half of the 429 cases were serious and several involved birth defects, such as birth deformities and severe withdrawal syndromes.

25 Jun 2010

Inside Business Magazine honors PartsSource with 2010 Manny Award for best Workplace Environment

PartsSource, the world's #1 ebusiness solution provider for replacement medical repair parts for hospital equipment, has been honored with the 2010 Manny Award for best Workplace Environment by Inside Business Magazine. Now in its 13th year, the Manny Award program is committed to recognizing manufacturing industry's greatest accomplishments by honoring local companies for their innovations and best practices. This was the fourth time PartsSource has been recognized at the Manny's having won previously in 2005, 2007, and 2009.

25 Jun 2010

Sixth annual Mayors Campaign Against HIV launched to encourage people test for HIV

OraSure Technologies, Inc. and the National Association of People with AIDS announced today the launch of the sixth annual Mayors Campaign Against HIV, a national campaign to encourage testing for HIV and promote the benefits of knowing one's HIV status. The Campaign is part of the annual observance of National HIV Testing Day on Sunday, June 27, 2010.

25 Jun 2010

House passes 6-month Medicare 'doc fix,' Obama to sign bill

Last night, the House approved, 417-1, a Senate bill staving off a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors. Some lawmakers grumbled the bill doesn't go far enough.

25 Jun 2010

Linden completes fundraising for LCP II

Linden LLC, a Chicago-based healthcare focused private equity firm, today announced that it has successfully completed fundraising for Linden Capital Partners II, which closed with $375 million of committed capital and exceeded its target of $300 million and initial cap of $350 million.

25 Jun 2010

Calif. hospitals bank on tech investments

"The Recovery Act allocated $19 billion to hospitals and physicians for the implementation of Electronic Health Records. Hospitals can receive up to several million dollars, depending on their size, and individual physicians up to $44,000, for using certified EHR technology. At Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Pravene Nath said the hospital will begin assessing the number of physicians that could qualify for the reimbursements."

25 Jun 2010

Gilead Sciences signs definitive agreement to acquire CGI Pharmaceuticals

Gilead Sciences, Inc. and CGI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held, development-stage pharmaceutical company focused on small molecule chemistry and kinase biology, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Gilead will acquire CGI. Under the terms of the agreement, Gilead will acquire CGI for up to $120 million, the majority as an upfront payment and the remaining based on clinical development progress, all of which will be financed through available cash on hand.

25 Jun 2010

Medical News

New findings could lead to simple dietary solutions, possible therapeutics for gestational diabetes

High-risk health insurance pools opening soon

Florida seeks new tools to stop dengue outbreak

Bayer signs agreement to supply Adalat XL product to Teva Canada

Chronic disease expert: U.S. health care system needs to treat 'whole person'

TLR4 may provide new strategy for treating patients with PDAC: Study

Pennsylvania reports drop in hospital infections, other patient care issues include CT scans

GSA selects Helene Fung as 2010 recipient of Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award

FDA approves OraQuick HCV Rapid Antibody Test for HCV

Mass. panel overturns cap on insurer's premiums; Calif. finds 'substantial' errors in planned premium increase

ARS study finds link between vitamin D and cognitive function

Utah to run state high-risk pool while still opposing health law

Antiviral therapy prevents recurrence of HCC, extends patients' lives, researchers report

Psychotropic medications associated with adverse drug reactions in Danish children: Researchers

Inside Business Magazine honors PartsSource with 2010 Manny Award for best Workplace Environment

Sixth annual Mayors Campaign Against HIV launched to encourage people test for HIV

House passes 6-month Medicare 'doc fix,' Obama to sign bill

Linden completes fundraising for LCP II

Calif. hospitals bank on tech investments

Gilead Sciences signs definitive agreement to acquire CGI Pharmaceuticals

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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