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California insurance commissioner asks more insurers to delay rate hikes

Last week the new insurance chief asked Blue Shield Of Califorina to delay its increase. This week his attention includes Anthem, Aetna and PacifiCare.

13 Jan 2011

FDA accepts to review Fibrocell Science's azficel-T drug

Fibrocell Science, a biotechnology company focused on the development of autologous cell therapies for aesthetic, medical and scientific applications, announced today that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has accepted for review the Company's complete response submission for azficel-T, proposed brand name laViv, for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds and wrinkles.

12 Jan 2011

K-V Pharmaceutical provides update on FDA review of NDA for Gestiva

K-V Pharmaceutical Company today issued an update on the status of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's review of Hologic, Inc.'s New Drug Application for Gestiva as a treatment for the prevention of preterm birth in women with a singleton pregnancy who have a history of singleton spontaneous preterm birth.

12 Jan 2011

New ultrasound elastography can help predict cancer in patients with BI-RADS category 4 masses

A new ultrasound technique is proving valuable in distinguishing malignant from benign breast lesions in some patients - results that could mean fewer unnecessary breast biopsies, a new study shows.

12 Jan 2011

AstraZeneca, CANCER RESEARCH UK enter strategic alliance to conduct experimental cancer drug trials

CANCER RESEARCH UK's drug development office has signed a Strategic Combinations Alliance with AstraZeneca to take combinations of experimental cancer drugs into early phase clinical trials.

12 Jan 2011

GSK, ChemoCentryx initiate '786 Phase III clinical trial for Crohn's disease

GlaxoSmithKline and ChemoCentryx, announced today that the first patient with Crohn's disease has initiated treatment in the initial pivotal induction study comparing Traficet-EN, now designated GSK1605786 ('786), to placebo.

12 Jan 2011

Study indicates disease's underlying causes in mice, finds compounds that normalize Alzheimer's brain

A Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute study published today in the Journal of Neuroscience reveals underlying causes for the degeneration of synapses in Alzheimer's Disease and identifies promising pharmaceutical solutions for the devastating condition that affects more than 5 million people in the United States.

12 Jan 2011

Drug resistant malaria on the prowl

Experts have warned that drug-resistant malaria could spread from Southeast Asia to Africa within months, putting millions of children’s lives at risk. Nicholas White, professor of tropical medicine at Mahidol University in Bangkok warned that a malaria strain resistant to the drug artemisinin that first emerged along the Thai-Cambodian border in 2007.

12 Jan 2011

FDA panel rejects new pancreatic enzyme replacement drug

Eli Lilly & Co did not win the support of the U.S. advisory panel on Wednesday for its one-of-its kind drug not made from pig enzymes to help certain pancreatic patients digest food. A Food and Drug Administration panel of outside experts in a 7-4 vote said they were not convinced the experimental medicine, known chemically as liprotamase, worked well enough for patients to absorb enough needed nutrients. One member of the panel abstained.

12 Jan 2011

Antibiotics for ear infection in kids better than watchful waiting: Study

Findings from two latest clinical trials reveal that a young child with ear infections recovers faster and more completely if doctors give antibiotics right away rather than waiting to see if the kid get better on his/her own. One of the studies was in the U.S. and one in Finland. Earlier it has been debated that for young children with middle ear infections or otitis media whether immediate antibiotic treatment was better than watchful waiting. Current treatment recommendations in the U.S., Canada, and Europe allow for a watch-and-wait approach to suspected middle ear infections in young children. Change is coming, predicts study leader Alejandro Hoberman, MD, of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

12 Jan 2011

NSAIDs raise risk of heart disease: Study

A new study published online in the British Medical Journal explores the relative safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), commonly used to treat joint and muscle aches and pain and concludes that NSAIDs significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular events in patients who take them regularly.

12 Jan 2011

New Down syndrome non-invasive test for ‘mums-to-be’ on the horizon

According to experts a simple DNA test for Down syndrome could save nearly all pregnant women from invasive tests like amniocentesis. Usually 3% to 5% of pregnant women in the UK or some 30,000 women have to undergo invasive tests like amniocentesis that increases the risk of miscarriage to 1%. The new DNA blood test could bring this down to 0.1%, according to a study in the British Medical Journal.

12 Jan 2011

Rochester Medical enters agreement with Fornix to acquire Laprolan

Rochester Medical Corporation today announced it had reached an agreement with Fornix N.V. to purchase from Fornix its wholly owned subsidiary Laprolan B.V., a medical supplies distribution company located in Beuningen, The Netherlands.

12 Jan 2011

Educational psychologist calls for national review of medicating children to treat behavioural issues

According to the NHS Business Service Authority, some prescriptions of amphetamines for children have increased nearly 120 fold between 1994 and 2009. This is causing ongoing concern amongst some educational and child psychologists.

12 Jan 2011

US most susceptible to brand erosion post patent expiry

On average, small molecule brands in the US experienced the greatest degree of brand erosion following patent expiry and exposure to direct generic competition, according to a new report from independent market analyst, Datamonitor.

12 Jan 2011

Wright launches DARCO Foot & Ankle Plating System in Japan

Wright Medical Group, Inc., a global orthopaedic medical device company, today announced the launch of the DARCO® Foot & Ankle Plating System in Japan. The DARCO® Plating System consists of over 40 different locked plates specifically designed to meet the needs of foot and ankle surgeons. Wright has been selling the DARCO® Plating System in the United States and other key global markets since 2007.

12 Jan 2011

RAS includes Merge iConnect solution

Merge Healthcare, a leading health IT solutions provider, today announced that Radiology Associates of Sacramento (RAS), the largest private radiology practice in Northern California, has expanded their Merge solution suite to include Merge iConnect.

12 Jan 2011

Fruit and vegetables gives more healthy golden glow than the sun

New research suggests eating vegetables gives you a healthy tan. The study, led by Dr Ian Stephen at The University of Nottingham, showed that eating a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables gives you a more healthy golden glow than the sun.

12 Jan 2011

Sharp refines IT service management strategy to include BMC solutions

Sharp HealthCare is known for leveraging IT to support its culture of quality service, innovation and excellence. But as the industry faces new reforms affecting patient care and management of patient data, Sharp is relying on BMC Software for an integrated approach to maintain its reputation of IT innovation.

12 Jan 2011

ZOLL announces successful conclusion of Circulation Improving Resuscitation Care trial

ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of medical devices and related software solutions, announced today the successful conclusion of the ZOLL-sponsored CIRC trial. The trial's Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) closed enrollment when an analysis of the data showed the load-distributing band (AutoPulse® Non-invasive Cardiac Support Pump) to be equivalent to manual chest compressions.

12 Jan 2011