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Essilor announces acquisition of 50% of Shamir Optical

Shamir Optical Industry Ltd., Kibbutz Shamir and Essilor International today announced that they have signed an agreement whereby Essilor will, through a series of transactions, acquire 50% of Shamir Optical. As a result of these transactions, Kibbutz Shamir and Essilor will each own 50% of Shamir Optical.

15 Oct 2010

Administering ondansetron drug to children is economically advantageous

Two years ago, a study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers found that an anti-vomiting drug called ondansetron helps reduce vomiting, the need for intravenous fluids and hospital admissions in children with acute gastroenteritis.Now a new economic analysis led by Canadian researchers, in collaboration with Michael J. Steiner, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at UNC, concludes that routinely giving ondansetron to children with gastroenteritis-induced vomiting would prevent thousands of hospitalizations and save millions of dollars each year.

15 Oct 2010

BSD's MicroThermX Microwave Ablation System featured at CIRSE

BSD Medical Corporation announced today that the MicroThermX Microwave Ablation System was featured at the Company's exhibition booth at the international meeting of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE), which was held in Valencia, Spain, October 2-6, 2010.

15 Oct 2010

Enzo Biochem fiscal 2010 total revenues increase 8% to $97.1 million

Enzo Biochem, Inc. today reported results for the fiscal fourth quarter, consistent with our announcement on September 20, 2010, and for the year ended July 31, 2010.

15 Oct 2010

Researchers develop new lab test for diagnosing preeclampsia

In as many as 8 percent of pregnancies worldwide, women who seem fine for months develop preeclampsia, a serious complication causing symptoms including high blood pressure, severe swelling, and problems with placental development. The untreatable and unpredictable condition, with no known cause, often requires premature delivery, and can sometimes kill the mother and the fetus.

15 Oct 2010

'Largest Medicare fraud scheme' busted

The Los Angeles Times: More than two dozen Los Angeles-area residents were arrested Wednesday "for their alleged roles in a nationwide scheme to bilk Medicare out of more than $160 million. The investigation, dubbed Diagnosis Dollars, resulted in the arrests of 52 people across the U.S. in what authorities described as 'the largest Medicare fraud scheme ever perpetrated by a single criminal enterprise.'"

15 Oct 2010

Scientists discover mechanism of anticancer drug to kill cancer cells

A potent drug derived from an evergreen tree may soon save the lives of some patients with the deadliest form of breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer will claim approximately 40,000 lives in the U.S. this year.

15 Oct 2010

FDA approves Cephalon's REMS for GABITRIL

Cephalon, Inc. today announced that a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for its antiepileptic medication GABITRIL(R) (tiagabine hydrochloride) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The GABITRIL REMS consists of a Medication Guide to inform patients about the potential risks associated with the use of GABITRIL.

15 Oct 2010

Study finds vaccination rates in decline for children covered by private health plans

A new report shows that vaccination rates among two-year-olds covered by private insurance plans dipped by almost four percentage points last year." At the same time, vaccination rates for children covered by Medicaid were edging up by less than 1%.

15 Oct 2010

Applied Skin Technology launches three revolutionary products for skin damage

Applied Skin Technology announces the launch of three breakthrough moisturizers, harnessing cutting-edge skin care technology, and using the most effective skin restoring ingredients available. These revolutionary products are formulated for three different categories: women, men, and a recovery cream for skin that has been damaged due to a medical condition or the side effect of medical treatment.

15 Oct 2010

Cubist third quarter total net revenues increase 13% to $162.1M

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010.

15 Oct 2010

State News: Wash. adults could lose Medicaid coverage for prescriptions, Michigan restores services

Detroit Free Press: "Michigan has reopened through Nov. 30 a program that provides free or nearly free medical care to adults 21 and older. The benefits could help as many as 58,000 poor people — some who couldn't previously get help because the Adult Medical Program, as it is called, had been frozen since May 31, 2009, because of state budget cuts.

15 Oct 2010

Study reveals copy number variants exclusive to obese children

A new study by pediatric researchers has added to the evidence that genes have a strong influence on childhood obesity.

15 Oct 2010

FibroGen announces initiation of FG-3019 phase 2 study for reversing liver fibrosis

FibroGen, Inc. today announced initiation of a phase 2 study to compare the efficacy of FG-3019, a human monoclonal antibody against connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), with placebo in reversing liver fibrosis (scarring of the liver) due to chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV).

15 Oct 2010

Genzyme reports five-year patient data from Phase 2 multiple sclerosis trial

Genzyme Corporation today reported five-year patient data from its completed Phase 2 multiple sclerosis (MS) trial. This sub-group analysis found that nearly 90 percent of alemtuzumab-treated patients were free of sustained accumulation of disability, and that patients receiving alemtuzumab also maintained improved mean disability scores and a low risk of relapse over the 60-month follow-up period.

15 Oct 2010

ACS awards Research Scholar Grant to Rensselaer researcher for breast cancer study

A recent Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society acknowledges the potential of Rensselaer researcher Lee Ligon's work on breast cancer. Ligon is investigating interactions between cells as breast cancer spreads within the body.

15 Oct 2010

VertiFlex enrolls patients in Superion IDE clinical trial

VertiFlex, Inc., a leading innovator of minimally invasive and motion preserving spinal surgery technologies, today announced that 200 patients have been enrolled in its pivotal IDE clinical trial of the Superion Interspinous Spacer (ISS).

15 Oct 2010

New, affordable technology for cervical cancer screening

Current cervical cancer screening is time consuming and expensive, but now new breakthrough technology developed by European researchers should allow large-range screening by non-medical personnel with almost immediate results and at a much lower cost.

15 Oct 2010

IRIN examines forthcoming U.N. child malnutrition program; IPS reports on FAO Latin American report

IRIN looks at a planned U.N. initiative to combat early childhood malnutrition and the questions surrounding it.

15 Oct 2010

ARTS protein increases apoptosis mechanism to balance stem cells' regenerative power: Research

Stem cells, the prodigious precursors of all the tissues in our body, can make almost anything, given the right circumstances. Including, unfortunately, cancer. Now research from Rockefeller University shows that having too many stem cells, or stem cells that live for too long, can increase the odds of developing cancer.

15 Oct 2010