Medical News

RSS

Lilly completes acquisition of Avid

Eli Lilly and Company today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held company developing novel molecular imaging compounds intended for the detection and monitoring of chronic human diseases. The transaction, first announced on November 8, 2010, has received the approval of Avid stockholders and clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. All other closing conditions have also been met.

20 Dec 2010

DNA tunneling detector embedded in a ‘Nanopore’

Scientists from Imperial College London are developing technology that could ultimately sequence a person's genome in mere minutes, at a fraction of the cost of current commercial techniques.

20 Dec 2010

BSI: Guidance is key to improve dementia care

Dementia is a critical health concern, but are the current care services able to offer appropriate support? Only a few days ago, the review by the Royal College of Psychiatrists found many dementia patients were not getting the support on nutrition and mental health that they should. The need for improved care is higher than ever.

20 Dec 2010

Eating in front of computer linked to weight gain: Study

The latest study shows that having lunch in front of your computer may lead to more weight gain and increased snacking. The team from the University of Bristol was studying the ways in which memory and attention influence appetite.

20 Dec 2010

Britain’s NHS falls short in providing services

British patients are being denied routine procedures varying from hip replacements, to cataract removal and wisdom tooth extraction as trusts are cutting back on surgeries and diagnostic procedures to save money. There is also a restriction preventing patients undergoing procedures for lifestyle reasons and those considered “low priority”. This includes obesity surgeries, mild varicose veins, fertility treatments, back injections for pain, hip and knee replacement in obese patients etc.

20 Dec 2010

Brilinta – AstraZeneca’s new blood thinner faces FDA hurdle

AstraZeneca’s new blood thinner that was pitched against Plavix, the world’s second-best selling drug failed to live up to expectations making stocks drop to a two year low, the steepest decline since Nov. 21, 2008, and the worst performance today on the 18-company Bloomberg Europe Pharmaceutical Index.

20 Dec 2010

Proteins that unlock the mystery of over 100 brain diseases

An Anglo-American team of researchers have made a medical breakthrough after identifying a large collection of nerve proteins that are involved in around 130 brain diseases including Alzheimer’s and autism.

20 Dec 2010

Mums urged not to delay births for leave scheme

Many Australian couples are delaying having a baby in order to access the federal government’s paid parental leave scheme. The scheme begins at the start of the New Year and allows eligible parents to access up to 18 weeks pay at the minimum wage. Figures show that from January 1, 2011 an estimated 148,000 families will be eligible to receive a payment of $570 a week before tax, or $10,260 over 18 weeks.

20 Dec 2010

OSI Systems receives $1.2M UK hospital order for patient monitoring systems

OSI Systems, Inc., a vertically-integrated provider of specialized electronic products for critical applications in the Security and Healthcare industries, today announced that its Healthcare division, Spacelabs Healthcare, has received an order for approximately $1.2 million from a prominent hospital in the United Kingdom for an enterprise wide replacement program of their patient monitoring systems, which includes all departments across the care process from the ER to the ICU.

20 Dec 2010

Requirements set for grant program to inform seniors about new health law provisions

The CMS has announced new requirements for state health insurance assistance program, or SHIP, grants to help make Medicare beneficiaries aware about certain provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

20 Dec 2010

Forest acquires all rights held by Gruenenthal for colistin

The Gruenenthal Group and Forest Laboratories, Inc., today announced that Forest Healthcare B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of Forest Laboratories, Inc. and Gruenenthal GmbH, have entered into an agreement whereby Forest has acquired all rights currently held by Gruenenthal for colistin and all rights previously licensed by Forest to Gruenenthal for Colobreathe.

20 Dec 2010

The health law and legal challenges: What the future holds

News outlets continue their efforts to handicap the health law's chances as it progresses through the judicial system toward the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, The New York Times reports on a proposal — inspired by such repeal efforts — for a Constitutional amendment that would allow states to overturn federal laws passed by Congress.

20 Dec 2010

Isotechnika, Paladin receive screening acceptance for Voclera for approval in Canada

Isotechnika Pharma Inc. and Paladin Labs Inc. announced today that they have submitted the dossier and received screening acceptance for VocleraTM (voclosporin) for approval in the Canadian market. VocleraTM is a novel immunosuppressive drug in the class of calcineurin inhibitors and is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.

20 Dec 2010

DMN: Lax supervision of residents at U.S. teaching hospitals puts patients at risk

The Dallas Morning News investigates issues of patients safety in the wake of sweeping efforts to reform the health system.

20 Dec 2010

Criterions EHR earns ONC-ATCB 2011/2012 certification

Criterions EHR has received the federal government's "meaningful use" stamp of approval by earning Complete EHR Ambulatory certification. The designation officially deems the electronic health record (EHR) software capable of enabling providers to qualify for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

20 Dec 2010

WSJ: Top spine surgeons reap royalties, Medicare bounty

The Wall Street Journal examines how the relationship between some doctors and device makers leads to big payments — often from Medicare. Meanwhile, ProPublica explores other conflict of interest issues.

20 Dec 2010

HistoRx grants Metamark worldwide license to AQUA technology for commercialization of Prognostic Assays

Metamark Genetics, Inc., a privately held oncology-focused molecular diagnostics company, and HistoRx, Inc., a diagnostics company developing tissue-based diagnostic solutions to advance individualized patient care, today announced a multi-year licensing agreement. HistoRx has granted Metamark a worldwide license to the AQUA technology for the clinical commercialization of Metamark's proprietary MetamarkDx™ Prognostic Assays.

20 Dec 2010

Mind Technologies to sell Emotiv EEG headset

Mind Technologies, Inc., announced today that the Company will begin selling the Emotiv EEG headset in addition to the thought-controlled software applications the Company develops.

20 Dec 2010

Monday's opinions: Justice Anthony Kennedy may hold key to health care outlook; Minn.'s Medicaid plans; Improving food choices

Unless someone can drop into Anthony Kennedy's dreamspace and, "Inception"-style, either figure out what he thinks of the individual mandate or simply tell him what to think of the individual mandate, it's not worth spending much time speculating on the ultimate legal fate of the provision. The case will eventually make its way to the Supreme Court, and when it does, Kennedy will decide which side has the majority, and until that happens, the various legal decisions are little different from op-ed columns (Ezra Klein, 12/18).

20 Dec 2010

Wolters Kluwer Health announces completion of Pharmacy OneSource acquisition

Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for professionals, students and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy, today announced it has completed the acquisition of Pharmacy OneSource, a leading Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider in the hospital pharmacy market. The agreement to acquire Pharmacy OneSource was announced on November 29, 2010.

20 Dec 2010