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US FDA cracks down on importation of unapproved new drugs for personal use

The United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) is cracking down on the importation of unapproved new drugs with regards to personal use. Import Alert #66-41, “Detention Without Physical Examination of Unapproved New Drugs Promoted In The U.S.” (“IA 66-41”) was most recently published on September 23, 2010. IA 66-41 contains a Red List, a list of importers whose products are automatically detained for FDA violations, of over 400 firms on the charge of importing misbranded unapproved new drugs. Benjamin England, founder of FDAImports.com, LLC and former FDA Compliance Officer, attorney, and Food and Drug Law expert states that “This Import Alert has been expanded to include importers and products of drugs imported strictly for personal use rather than just targeting foreign shippers, which is FDA's normal M.O.”

27 Oct 2010

Cholera epidemic and political violence dogs upcoming Haiti elections

With elections coming up in Haiti, major earthquakes, a cholera epidemic and fears of political violence rear their ugly heads in the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation. Electoral officials still say the presidential and legislative polls will go ahead as scheduled on November 28, despite the cholera outbreak. The epidemic has killed more than 290 people and sickened more than 4,000 since last week, triggering a major multinational treatment and prevention operation.

27 Oct 2010

Diabetes threatens the eyesight of many unsuspecting Americans

Diabetes causes more new cases of legal blindness among working-age Americans than any other disease. If diabetics are monitored regularly by their ophthalmologist, this vision loss is almost always avoidable. Yet, tragically, more than half of all people living with diabetes do not get the recommended annual dilated eye exam. As the number of people with Type 2 diabetes rises in the U.S., the CDC projects that the number of adults with diabetic retinopathy will double by the year 2050. Yet 90 percent of diabetic eye disease can be prevented simply by proper regular examinations and treatment and by controlling blood sugar.

27 Oct 2010

Kings Cross drug injecting center gains permanent status

After much debate the parliament’s upper house voted to maintain the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross permanently this week on Wednesday. The votes stood 22 -15 for the centre to be given permanent status. This followed approval for a change from trial to permanent status by the lower house last week.

27 Oct 2010

Viropharma 2010 third quarter net sales increases 46% to $317.4 million

ViroPharma Incorporated reported today its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010.

27 Oct 2010

Procter & Gamble 2010 first quarter net sales increases 2% to $20.1 billion

The Procter & Gamble Company reported first quarter diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.02 per share, an increase of five percent and above the Company’s guidance range of $0.97 to $1.01.

27 Oct 2010

Mastech Holdings 2010 third quarter revenue increases 9.4% to $18.9 million

Mastech Holdings, Inc. a national provider of Information Technology and Specialized Healthcare staffing services, announced today its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010.

27 Oct 2010

Exact Sciences 2010 third quarter total revenue increases to $1.4 million from $1.3 million

Exact Sciences Corp. today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010.

27 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 27, 2010

Today's headlines note that the new health law has Democrats playing defense, while Republicans offer few new alternatives to the sweeping measure.

27 Oct 2010

Cipher reports net revenue of $1.1 million for 2010 third quarter

Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced its financial and operational results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010.

27 Oct 2010

notifymd announces new offering in MGMA's AdminiServe Partner Network

notifymd, a leading provider of patient communication solutions, announced a new offering in MGMA's AdminiServe Partner Network. notifymd is aimed at helping physician practices maximize practice schedules and decrease patient no-show rates through notifypatient, notifymd's automated call solution.

27 Oct 2010

New minimally-invasive approach to traditional facelift procedure

Adam D. Schaffner, M.D., F.A.C.S., Director of Plastic Surgery at JUVA Skin and Laser Center in Manhattan, is challenging the "one size fits all" approach to the traditional facelift with a new, customizable, minimally-invasive and affordable procedure named JuvaLift.

27 Oct 2010

Specific factors affect smoking patterns in diverse populations

Asian-American youth are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. Although Asian Americans begin smoking later in life, they are more likely to smoke regularly and at a higher rate than other ethnic or racial groups, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Now, a University of Missouri researcher is examining the unique differences in adolescent tobacco use among Asians and other groups to provide specific recommendations for prevention and treatment.

27 Oct 2010

HHS announces $3.9 million in funding to support Family-to-Family Health Information Centers

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $3.9 million in funding to continue support for Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, non-profit organizations run by families and for families with children with special health care needs. Funding for the centers was extended through 2012 by the Affordable Care Act.

27 Oct 2010

Tips to prevent lead poisoning in children

California Poison Control System is observing National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and warns consumers that lead can be found in a variety of products available to children.

27 Oct 2010

Bruegger's announces new partnership with Children's Miracle Network

Today Bruegger's Enterprises Inc. announced a new partnership with Children's Miracle Network, a charity that raises funds for 170 children's hospitals throughout North America.

27 Oct 2010

PLoS Medicine: Journals need to develop policies for inevitable competing interests

Journals need to develop policies to handle the inevitable competing interests that arise when they publish papers that may bring them reprint revenue or increase their impact factors. This is the conclusion of a research article by Andreas Lundh and colleagues from the Nordic Cochrane Centre published in this weeks PLoS Medicine.

27 Oct 2010

Survey finds significant increase in cost of care in nursing homes and assisted living

Nursing home and assisted living rates rose significantly from 2009 to 2010, according to the Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs. Private room nursing home rates rose 4.6% to $229 per day or $83,585 per year, while assisted living rose 5.2% on average to $3,293 per month, or $39,516 per year. These increases come on top of increases from 2008 to 2009 when both nursing home and assisted living costs were up 3.3%.

27 Oct 2010

NIH awards $12M over 3 years to promote diversity in scientific workforce

The National Institutes of Health has awarded six grants totaling approximately $12 million over three years through a new initiative aimed at fostering a diverse scientific workforce. The initiative, called the NIH Director's ARRA Funded Pathfinder Award to Promote Diversity in the Scientific Workforce, is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and administered by NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

27 Oct 2010

Vical to present preclinical results of HSV-2 vaccine program at Keystone Symposium

Vical Incorporated today announced that the company's Vice President of Clinical Development, Richard T. Kenney, M.D., is presenting preclinical results from the company's herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) vaccine program in a poster session Friday morning at the Keystone Symposium on Immunological Mechanisms of Vaccination (Seattle, October 27 – November 1).

27 Oct 2010