Medical News

RSS

IBS associated with structural changes in specific brain regions

A large academic study has demonstrated structural changes in specific brain regions in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that causes pain and discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, constipation or both

23 Jul 2010

Forest, Merz settle NAMENDA patent infringement litigation

Forest Laboratories, Inc. Forest Laboratories Holdings, Ltd., Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA, and Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH announced today that they have entered into settlement agreements with all remaining defendants in patent infringement litigation related to Forest's NAMENDA® (memantine hydrochloride) immediate release tablets.

23 Jul 2010

African Americans at increased risk of kidney failure caused by hypertension

Regardless of demographics, African American patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis have a higher rate of developing end stage renal disease than dying prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.Earlier studies showed patients of all races with Chronic Kidney Disease were at greater risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease than reaching ESRD.

23 Jul 2010

European countries squeeze drug prices to stop health care spending growth

Reuters: More European countries are trying to limit what they pay for drugs in an attempt to control "runaway" health spending. "Concerns about the European pharmaceuticals market are increasing just as anxieties over U.S. healthcare reforms have abated, casting a shadow over Big Pharma's results season."

23 Jul 2010

Canada performs fewer diagnostic imaging scans relative to population size than OECD average

Diagnostic tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans, are more commonly used on patients in some provinces than in others, according to new data released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

23 Jul 2010

New technique to detect abnormal cell circulation in non-small lung cancer

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are testing a new technique for identifying circulating genetically abnormal cells, which can lead to poor prognosis, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

23 Jul 2010

NVHR releases statement on New York Times article 'Hope against Hepatitis C'

In response to today's New York Times article, "Hope against Hepatitis C," Andrew Muir, M.D., M.H.S., Director, Gastroenterology/Hepatology Research, Duke Clinical Research Institute and Steering Committee Member of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) released the following statement:

23 Jul 2010

Boehringer Ingelheim's VERxVE study of nevirapine meets primary endpoint

New data were presented today at the 18th International AIDS Conference from the VERxVE study that show an investigational, once-daily extended-release (400 mg QD) formulation of nevirapine was non-inferior to twice-daily immediate release Viramune® (nevirapine) tablets (200 mg BID), both in combination with Truvada® (tenofovir and emtricitabine) tablets in treatment-naive HIV-1 infected patients through 48 weeks.

23 Jul 2010

Sensient to expand pharmaceutical coating capabilities

Sensient Technologies Corporation plans to expand its pharmaceutical coating capabilities at its Color Group headquarters site in St. Louis, Missouri, in order to serve growing demand for its products.

23 Jul 2010

BCBSGA offers key tips for caregivers for better health care management

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, more than 65 million people in the United States serve as informal caregivers, typically for family members, which equates to more than one out of every four people serving as unpaid caregivers.

23 Jul 2010

Corporation for National and Community Service awards National AIDS Fund $3.6 million SIF grant

The National AIDS Fund announced today it is one of 11 organizations to receive the first-ever Social Innovation Fund grants, an initiative administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The $3.6 million SIF grant will enable NAF to expand the scope of its Access to Care initiative in support of innovative public-private partnerships to improve individual health outcomes and strengthen local services systems, connecting economically and socially marginalized individuals living with HIV to high quality supportive services and health care.

23 Jul 2010

Dr Payne to receive RPS conference practice research award

Dr Katherine Payne has been announced the winner of the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust 2010 Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)Conference Practice Research Award. The award will be presented at the conference on Monday, 6th September when Dr Payne will deliver a plenary lecture on her prize-winning research.

23 Jul 2010

Effective prevention therapy, early critical care and rehabilitation needed to overcome cost burden of stroke

The consequences of stroke, reported to be the third leading cause of death in the U.S., can extend beyond the physical to impose devastating financial burdens on families and society in general. According to the American Heart Association, the total direct and indirect costs of stroke in 2008 have been estimated at $65.5 billion.

23 Jul 2010

Shop displays of tobacco encourages smoking

Young people believe 'behind the counter' shop displays of cigarettes encourage smoking and are considered "cool, fun and attractive" according to new research published in Health Promotion Practice.The results come as regulations to remove these shop displays are in danger of being scrapped by the Coalition Government. The 2009 Health Act aims to remove cigarette vending machines in 2011 and put tobacco out of sight in all shops by the end of 2013.

23 Jul 2010

Sec. of State Clinton participates in ASEAN forum; ASEAN health ministers meet

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Vietnam on Thursday to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional forum and to mark the 15th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam, VOV News reports. According to the news service, this is Clinton's first visit to the country since she became secretary of state. During her trip, she will have meetings with Deputy Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem (7/22).

23 Jul 2010

Pfizer announces unrestricted access to patient assessment aids for mental disorders

As part of its commitment to improving the quality of patient care, Pfizer today announced that it will make available assessment scales used by physicians and others in the healthcare community to support the evaluation and diagnosis of patients suffering from certain mental disorders.

23 Jul 2010

Low-calorie sweeteners reduce caloric intake, weight

A new study published in the August 2010 journal, Appetite, further demonstrates that people who consume low-calorie sweeteners are able to significantly reduce their caloric intake and do not overeat.In fact, study participants who received the sugar substitutes instead of sugar consumed significantly fewer calories and there was no difference in hunger levels despite having fewer calories overall.

23 Jul 2010

Discontinuing epoetin can normalize hemoglobin levels in hemodialysis patients

Discontinuing the anemia drug epoetin may be more effective than reducing the dose for normalizing potentially dangerous high hemoglobin levels in hemodialysis patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology. The results provide useful information about the balance required between administering epoetin and achieving target hemoglobin levels.

23 Jul 2010

Chronic facial pain may be symptom of temporomandibular joint disorder

Do you suffer from chronic facial pain, including constant pain in or around your ears, sore jaw, ringing in your ears, clicking or popping sounds when you open or close your mouth or chronic headaches and neck pain? Do you often feel like your jaw is stuck open or closed? Do you feel as though you have a limited opening of your mouth?

23 Jul 2010

NPS completes patient randomization in GATTEX Phase 3 study for PN dependent short bowel syndrome

NPS Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for rare gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders, today announced the completion of patient randomization in its Phase 3 registration study of GATTEX® (teduglutide). The double-blind, placebo-controlled safety and efficacy study, which is known as STEPS, is being conducted in patients with parenteral nutrition (PN) dependent short bowel syndrome (SBS) and is now fully randomized with 86 patients.

23 Jul 2010