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Discovery may aid in developing new psoriasis therapies

Scientists at the University of Michigan Heath System and their collaborators have found four new DNA “hotspots” that may one day help guide new treatments for psoriasis, one of the most common autoimmune diseases in the country.

18 Oct 2010

Groundbreaking melanoma clinical trial initiated by Patrys

Patrys Limited (ASX: PAB), which is focused on developing revolutionary treatments for cancer, announced today the treatment of the first patient in a human clinical trial to evaluate PAT-SM6 as a therapy for melanoma.

18 Oct 2010

Visiting biotech leader urges policymakers to support Australian innovation

The future of the Australian biotechnology industry relies on support from policymakers to ensure an economic environment and public policy regime that encourages innovation, says Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). Speaking ahead of AusBiotech 2010, Mr Greenwood believes that strong government support is needed to ensure the continued success of Australian biotech.

18 Oct 2010

The state of sexually transmissible and blood-borne infections in Australia: the 2010 Surveillance Reports

Australia last year reported its largest number of new HIV cases since the early 1990s but has seen a reduction in cases of hepatitis, infectious syphilis and gonorrhoea, new data contained in HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia Annual Surveillance Report 2010 shows.

18 Oct 2010

The future face of HIV in Australia

The profile of people living with HIV in Australia is set to change significantly over the next decade. Among these changes are increases in new HIV infections; increases in the number of older men and women living with HIV; and a greater proportion of people with HIV living outside major metropolitan areas.

18 Oct 2010

Low-fructose diet effective for children with fructose intolerance and recurrent abdominal pain

Fructose intolerance, or fructose malabsorption, is common in children with recurrent or functional abdominal pain, but the condition can be effectively managed with a low‐fructose diet, according to the results of a new study unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 75th Annual Scientific meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

18 Oct 2010

CMS could save billions by changing payment, delivery methods

Experts examine ways to change care delivery and payment at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services while seniors prepare for the Medicare open enrollment period.

18 Oct 2010

As health law kicks in, so do grants, subsidies and worries for insurance brokers

Federal spending on health care is proof that the industry can look forward to continuing growth, according to the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. "Along with the $2.7 billion increase that the state received to pay for Medicaid, at least $655 million in grants from stimulus funds and the health-reform law recently has been awarded.

18 Oct 2010

Obese have impaired autonomic function which may lead to overeating

Research on obesity examining the role of hormones and the autonomic functions of the digestive system was presented at the 75th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American CoIlege of Gastroenterology.

18 Oct 2010

Higher Medicaid reimbursement rates could increase childhood vaccinations

Reuters: A new study in the journal Pediatrics suggests that raising Medicaid reimbursement rates could help more children from low-income families receive flu vaccinations. "Although the vaccine itself is provided free of charge to children covered by Medicaid, doctors are only reimbursed for about half the cost of administering it," and are losing money in the process, say researchers.

18 Oct 2010

Support for health law dips, GOP aims to seize opportunity

Politico reports that support among the public for the health overhaul dipped during the last month, even as the "percentage of Democrats who say they'll go to the polls to defend the law rose. … According to the Kaiser Family Foundation October Tracking Poll out Monday morning, overall support for the law has dropped to 42 percent — down seven points in a month (Kaiser Health News is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation).

18 Oct 2010

STB completes Fibrin Adhesive STat pre-IND submission to FDA

STB Lifesaving Technologies® today announced that is has completed a successful pre-Investigational New Drug (pre-IND) submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lead product, the Fibrin Adhesive STat®, or (FAST®) dressing.

18 Oct 2010

Legal challenge to 'individual mandate' sees day in court

The Washington Post:The legal challenges to the health law continue. "A federal judge in Virginia will hear arguments Monday on whether the new federal health care law is unconstitutional. Virginia Attorney Gen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R) will argue that Congress overstepped its constitutional authority by enacting a provision that requires individuals to purchase health insurance by 2014 or pay a fine.

18 Oct 2010

Ricoh awarded document management contract by Premier

Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment and advanced document management solutions and services, today announced a contract win with one of the nation's top healthcare purchasing networks, Premier Purchasing Partners, L.P. of the Premier healthcare alliance. The document management contract covers a vast range of management needs including document creation, storage and distribution among the healthcare industry nationwide.

18 Oct 2010

Candidates turn health reform volume up as midterms near

A number of candidates for federal and state office are sounding off on how they view health reform.

18 Oct 2010

California hospitals: Prices rising rapidly, but quality varies

Kaiser Health News writer Jordan Rau, in collaboration with the Bay Area News Group, examines the cost and quality of hospitals in the Bay Area of California.

18 Oct 2010

BARACLUDE sNDA receives FDA approval for treatment of CHB patients with decompensated liver disease

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) of BARACLUDE for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in adult patients with decompensated liver disease.

18 Oct 2010

KHN column: What's the worst that could happen with the new health law?

In this Kaiser Health News column, Rea Hederman and Paul Winfree, both of the Hertiage Foundation, write "the health overhaul could end up costing American taxpayers millions of dollars in higher health insurance premiums or put a tremendous amount of pressure on an already soaring national debt.

18 Oct 2010

Today's Opinions: Health law's effects on the economy and Medicare; 10th Amendment questions

The health care reform legislation also will have a devastating impact on the spending power of working Americans and our economy as the higher premiums kick in (Armstrong Williams, 10/17).

18 Oct 2010

Statins reduce risk of colon and rectal cancers: Study

A systematic review of the medical literature supports the hypothesis that statins, cholesterol‐lowering drugs used to prevent cardiac problems, are associated with reduced risk of colon and rectal cancers. A comprehensive analysis by investigators at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, included 22 scientific studies with more than 2.5 million combined participants.

18 Oct 2010