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Warning on hearing loss from personal music players

For the generation that cannot imagine living without their iPods here is some bad news. Listening to music at high volume can cause grave damage to your hearing. The risk is even higher for those who use earphones that are inserted into the ear canal as this intensifies the volume. There is growing evidence of young people having poorer hearing when they use such devices on a regular basis.

21 Apr 2010

Johnson & Johnson' first-quarter 2010 sales increase 4.0% to $15.6 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $15.6 billion for the first quarter of 2010, an increase of 4.0% as compared to the first quarter of 2009. Operational results declined 0.1% and the positive impact of currency was 4.1%.

21 Apr 2010

E-prescribing to grow as DEA eases regulation

The Wall Street Journal: "Doctors are increasingly prescribing medications electronically, abandoning the traditional paper scripts that can result in drug errors due to hard-to-read writing or coverage denials by a patient's insurer." E-prescribing tripled last year to 191 million according to the online prescribing leader Surescripts.

21 Apr 2010

ZenBio awarded Phase I SBIR grant to establish novel human cell-based models of NAFLD

ZenBio, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant to establish novel human cell-based models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that will be useful for basic research and as a potential drug development platform. The project stems from recent efforts at ZenBio, Inc. to develop methods for differentiating adipose tissue derived progenitor cells into hepatocyte-like cells.

21 Apr 2010

Kaiser Permanente physician to receive ASH Marvin Moser Clinical Hypertension Award

Kaiser Permanente physician Joel Handler, MD, has been selected to receive a national award from the American Society of Hypertension for his "outstanding dedication to the treatment and care of hypertensive patients." The City of Orange resident is a critical care specialist at Kaiser Permanente's Anaheim Medical Center and has served area residents for over 30 years.

21 Apr 2010

Liquidia Technologies adds PPD to Series C financing

Liquidia Technologies, a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing particle-based vaccines and therapeutics, announced today that it has added an additional investor, PPD, Inc., to its Series C financing. The final addition of PPD brings the total funding for this round to $25 million.

21 Apr 2010

Scam artists hawk fake insurance policies, prey on seniors

"[S]cam artists are working overtime. They're hawking fake insurance policies by preying on the fears and confusion that surround" the new health overhaul law, according to consumer advocates.

21 Apr 2010

MTBC acquires MABCO

MTBC announced today that it has successfully completed its acquisition of Medical Accounting and Billing, Inc., a medical billing company based in Helena, Montana.

21 Apr 2010

NuVasive reports 36.3% increase in first-quarter 2010 revenue

NuVasive, Inc., a medical device company focused on developing products for minimally disruptive surgical treatments for the spine, announced today financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.

21 Apr 2010

Stemedica receives FDA IND approval for ischemic stroke clinical trial using allogeneic stem cells

Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., a world leader in stem cell research and manufacturing, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an Investigational New Drug (IND) for a clinical trial for ischemic stroke using Stemedica's high potency proprietary allogeneic stem cells (adult human).

21 Apr 2010

Patients dismissed from hospital with noncardiac chest pain continue to experience cardiac events: Study

The growing number of Americans with cardiovascular disease has caused a heightened sensitivity in the evaluation of chest pain. In a study published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings researchers reported that patients dismissed from the hospital with noncardiac chest pain continue to experience cardiac events, which may highlight a need for more aggressive cardiovascular risk factor management in this population.

21 Apr 2010

Obesity related FTO gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

If you are an American of European origin and carry the FTO gene which causes obesity, you have a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A recent study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles claimed that 'A commonly carried allele of the obesity-related FTO gene is associated with reduced brain volume in healthy elderly'.

21 Apr 2010

USPTO to issue patent for TruFUSE procedure

minSURG International, Inc. is pleased to announce that the United States Patent and Trademark Office will issue on May 4th, 2010 U.S. Patent No. 7,708,761, entitled "Spinal Plug for a Minimally Invasive Facet Joint Fusion System," which provides the Company patent protection for the TruFUSE procedure.

21 Apr 2010

FDA eyes home-based medical equipment for regulation

"With hospitals discharging patients after ever-shorter stays, more people are recovering and continuing post-operative care, or treating chronic conditions, with sophisticated medical equipment at home," The Wall Street Journal reports.

21 Apr 2010

NEDD9 protein plays significant role in development of HER2-driven breast cancer: Researchers

Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have identified a potentially significant molecular player in the development of aggressive breast cancer. The team's findings show that a protein called NEDD9 is critical in the formation of breast tumors induced by high levels of the cell-surface receptor HER2/neu in mice.

21 Apr 2010

USPTO issues patent covering method of metastatic breast cancer treatment using Bionovo's Bezielle

Bionovo, Inc. announced today that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a patent covering a method of using Bionovo's proprietary drug candidate Bezielle® (BZL101) for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The patent issued today is Bionovo's second issued patent, with over 70 other patent applications currently pending.

21 Apr 2010

BDSI Sciences to purchase $10M of securities in registered direct offering

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that it has entered into a definitive securities purchase agreement with a group of select institutional investors to purchase US$10 million of its securities in a registered direct offering. No placement agent was utilized in connection with the offering.

21 Apr 2010

Researchers: Breast cancer prevention and treatment protocols not always clear

The New York Times writes about the frequent inaccuracy of a test to detect certain proteins in breast tumors, which determines whether the patient will get Herceptin, a potent breast cancer treatment. "Drugs aimed at disabling proteins that spur cancer are, many oncologists say, the future of cancer therapies.

21 Apr 2010

Stereotypes can influence the way people behave

Research at the University of Alberta shows that when a thin person is seen laying down watching television, people assume they're resting. But when people see an overweight person relaxing, it's automatically assumed they're lazy and unmotivated

21 Apr 2010

AdvaMed Dx welcomes Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics as association's newest member

AdvaMed Dx, a division of the Advanced Medical Technology Association focused on topics affecting the in vitro diagnostics industry, is pleased to welcome Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics as the association's newest member. Donal Quinn, chief executive officer of Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, has been appointed to the AdvaMed Dx Board of Directors.

21 Apr 2010