Medical News

RSS

Simulations Plus releases MedChem Studio software for drug discovery

Simulations Plus, Inc., a leading provider of simulation and modeling software for pharmaceutical discovery and development, has announced the launch of its MedChem Studio™ software for drug discovery.

4 Aug 2010

Surgical intervention in elderly people improves quality of life

Age alone should not determine surgical risk in a person age 80 or over, according to expert commentary from Mark Katlic, M.D., director of Thoracic Surgery at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Dr. Katlic's commentary complements a McGill University Health Science Center trend study, appearing in this week's edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). The study finds an increase in coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) with better results in people previously believed to be too old for these procedures.

4 Aug 2010

Trius prices 10,000,000 shares initial public offering

Trius Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative antibiotics for serious, life-threatening infections, announced today the initial public offering of 10,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $5.00 per share. The common stock is expected to begin trading on the NASDAQ Global Market on August 3, 2010 under the trading symbol "TSRX." Trius has granted the underwriters a 45 day option to purchase up to 750,000 shares of its common stock at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any.

4 Aug 2010

Study to understand processes that lead to onset of testicular germ cell cancer

Scientists have developed a model that will enable them to investigate, for the first time, how human testes develop in baby boys while they are in the womb. Until now it has been impossible to study testicular development during pregnancy in humans and this discovery will enable researchers to understand the processes that can lead to the onset of testicular germ cell cancer (TGCC) in young adult life, and how factors, such as common environmental chemicals, might play a role.

4 Aug 2010

Insuring your health: Rating your doctor

In her latest Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "For most people, picking a doctor is hardly a scientific process. They ask friends or family members to pass along names of doctors they like and trust, or rely on another doctor's referral.

4 Aug 2010

Arena reports lower net loss of $28.80M for second-quarter 2010

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010, and recent developments, including the successful Pre-Approval Inspection, or PAI, of the company's Swiss drug product manufacturing facility by the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

4 Aug 2010

Cornerstone licenses global rights to alpha-7 technology to Targacept

Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing significant products primarily for the respiratory and related markets, today announced that the Company has licensed to Targacept, Inc. the worldwide rights to its nicotinic-receptor based patents and library of preclinical compounds that target the alpha-7 or other nicotinic receptors originally licensed to Cornerstone from the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

4 Aug 2010

Agilent Technologies signs MoU with Government of Malaysia to intensify IPHARM's research activities

Agilent Technologies Inc. today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Malaysia through the Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals (IPHARM), an agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), to promote and develop cooperation in biotechnology.

4 Aug 2010

Asian ministers review MDGs progress

South Asia is "lagging behind" in poverty and hunger reduction and is "in danger" of missing key Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets, a U.N. official told Asian ministers gathered to discuss MDGs progress, Agence France-Presse reports. At the meeting, "senior officials told delegates from dozens of countries that global food, energy and financial crises in recent years had jeopardized progress toward achieving the goals set for 2015," the news service writes.

4 Aug 2010

Bisphenol A may decrease sperm quality, concentration: Research

In one of the first human studies of its kind, researchers have found that urinary concentrations of the controversial chemical Bisphenol A, or BPA, may be related to decreased sperm quality and sperm concentration.However, the researchers are quick to point out that these results are preliminary and more study is needed. Several studies have documented adverse effects of BPA on semen in rodents, but none are known to have reported similar relationships in humans.

4 Aug 2010

Enzon second-quarter loss from continuing operations reduces to $5.4 million

Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2010. For the second quarter of 2010, Enzon reported a loss from continuing operations of $5.4 million or $0.09 per diluted share, as compared to a loss of $19.7 million or $0.43 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2009.

4 Aug 2010

Shared motivation drives gestational surrogacy

Jodi, of West Branch, IA, recently gave birth to twins (a boy and girl), but she doesn't claim to be their mother. That's because she carried them as the gestational surrogate for a Chicago couple wanting to start a family.

4 Aug 2010

Opinions: AIDS 2010; Clean water, sanitation; Russia's HIV/AIDS epidemic; Financial tax; Medical abortion in developing countries

A VOA News editorial by the U.S. government reflects on last month's International AIDS Conference-AIDS 2010, including key advancements such as the vaginal microbicide gel found to offer women some protection against HIV infection as well discussions about funding for the fight against HIV/AIDS and how the "criminalization of drug abuse and persecution of homosexuals" in the world is compromising efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.

4 Aug 2010

Akorn second-quarter consolidated revenue increases 24% to $20.2 million

Akorn, Inc., a niche generic pharmaceutical company, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

4 Aug 2010

SCA enters into joint venture with West Coast Endoscopy Center to provide management solutions

Surgical Care Affiliates (SCA), one of the country's largest providers of outpatient surgical services, announced today it has entered into a joint venture arrangement with West Coast Endoscopy Center in Clearwater, Florida to partner in the operation of the center.

4 Aug 2010

Lack of understanding about anesthesia may lead patients to postpone surgery

Lack of understanding and apprehension about anesthesia may lead as many as one in four patients to postpone surgery according to the Vital Health Report, a quarterly health survey of Americans released today by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

4 Aug 2010

Today's OpEds: WSJ on Virginia court ruling; Health law politics; For-profit insurers; Mass. doc shortage; Physician errors

All the smart people in the political, media and legal classes know that ObamaCare is constitutional and anyone who says otherwise is frivolous. This faux consensus, however, does not include a U.S. district court judge in Virginia, who yesterday rejected the Administration's argument that one of the key constitutional challenges should be dismissed outright. Now the case will proceed to arguments on the merits this fall (8/3).

4 Aug 2010

Excaliard reports positive results from EXC 001 Phase 2 clinical trial for reducing scar severity

Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced positive results from its Phase 2 clinical trial of EXC 001, a new chemical entity for reducing fibrosis. Results showed that EXC 001 treatment significantly reduced scar severity in subjects undergoing an elective abdominoplasty compared to placebo.

4 Aug 2010

Study on long-term marital success of parents with autistic children

The parents of grown children with autism are more likely to divorce than couples with typically developing children, according to new data from a large longitudinal study of families of adolescents and adults with autism.

4 Aug 2010

Kohl's, American Cancer Society announce new program to fight against breast cancer

As part of Kohl's Department Stores' commitment to fight breast cancer in Wisconsin with nearly $5 million to the American Cancer Society, Kohl's and the American Cancer Society announce new programs and resources available for Wisconsin women to help in their fight against breast cancer. New resources provide services for women fighting breast cancer and for those looking to learn more about preventative breast health.

4 Aug 2010