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SurgiQuest granted FDA marketing clearance for AnchorPort Single Incision Laparoscopy Kit device

SurgiQuest, Inc., announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") to market the Company's new line of advanced 5mm AnchorPort® Trocars indicated for use as a Single Incision Laparoscopy Kit (SILK).

21 May 2010

Medicare to evaluate how beneficiaries used personal health records

The Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to evaluate a 17-month-old pilot program that has tested whether beneficiaries use personal health records (PHR) in Utah and Arizona, Modern Healthcare reports.

21 May 2010

Labopharm completes joint venture with Gruppo Angelini

Labopharm Inc. today announced that it has completed the previously announced transaction to establish a joint venture with Gruppo Angelini.

21 May 2010

States examine new law's impact on residents' health, budget bottom lines

States around the nation are examining the health reform law for its impact on their residents' health and their budgets' bottom lines.

21 May 2010

AMGA calls for separate SGR pool for ACOs

Donald W. Fisher, PhD, CAE President and CEO of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), today announced its policy stance on the pending Congressional action to address the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula (SGR) problem for physicians.

21 May 2010

Medicare 'doc fix' remains sticking point on tax legislation

CongressDaily: The Medicare reimbursement rate for doctors remains a point of contention on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers cautioned Wednesday that a five-year "fix," currently being bandied about in the House, is unlikely to survive Senate scrutiny, and Republicans, including Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, are demanding that any adjustment in doctor payments must be paid for.

21 May 2010

Vascular Insights wins CE Mark approval for ClariVein Occlusion Catheter

Vascular Insights announced today that it has won approval for use of the CE Mark on its ClariVein® Occlusion Catheter, paving the way for marketing of the device in Europe.

21 May 2010

New study reveals PTPN2 gene loss causes bone cancer

In patients with leukemia, the formation of white blood cells in the bone marrow is disrupted. This makes leukemia patients particularly susceptible to infections, because properly functioning white blood cells ensure protection against intruders such as viruses and bacteria.

21 May 2010

WHA addresses counterfeit medicines

Discussions about combatting counterfeit medicines continued at the 63rd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on Wednesday, Agence France-Press reports

21 May 2010

Niacin fortification foods can cause obesity

Dietary factors have long been known to play a major role in the development of obesity. The global increasing prevalence of obesity suggests that there should be some common changes in diet worldwide.

21 May 2010

Dads need to spend more time with kids: Research

According to a new study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, most Australian kids do not spend much time alone with their dads. The research shows that many kids spend as little as 30 minutes a day with their dads during the week. The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children involved nearly 4,000 people and found that mothers spent more time with the children and preferred it more than fathers.

20 May 2010

Meat pies meatier than before: Choice report

Consumer alert group “Choice” tested 20 frozen meat pies available in supermarket chains nationally. They found that at present meat pies contain more meat than they did four years back. To qualify as a meat pie, the product should be at least 25% meat as per the guidelines from 2007. Coles home brand was the only brand that failed to meet the content standard. Australians spend more than $127 million and eat 18,500 tonnes of meat pies every year.

20 May 2010

Hendra virus infects a horse in south Queensland – authorities fear spread

A horse was put down at Tewantin, near Noosa and it was confirmed that it had Hendra virus infection. At present quarantine measures are being taken.

20 May 2010

Most ER visitors have health insurance of some kind

A National Center for Health Statistics study has found that of the one in five Americans who visit an emergency room every year, most have health insurance.

20 May 2010

Lawmakers probe consumer genetic testing kits

After Pathway Genomics proposed selling genetics tests directly to consumers without Food and Drug Administration approval and "despite concerns" about accuracy, lawmakers have launched an investigation and requested information about the products according to letters sent to three firms by a House panel, The Washington Post reports.

20 May 2010

Hospital deals in New York, Michigan, Tennessee and Georgia

Lenox Hill, a "boutique hospital of choice for the rich" announced Wednesday "that after 153 years as a standalone hospital on the Upper East Side, it was entering a partnership with North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, a powerhouse of 15 hospitals and other health care centers in more humble parts of Long Island, Queens and Staten Island."

20 May 2010

Weight Watchers group program helps obese adults lose weight, reduce glucose and insulin levels

The 57 million Americans currently living with "pre-diabetes" could benefit from a group weight loss program, like Weight Watchers, according to a new study published in this month's American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. Researchers found that after a 6-month Weight Watchers group program, overweight or obese adults who attended at least two thirds of the weekly sessions, not only lost weight, but also significantly reduced fasting glucose and insulin levels - important indicators of diabetes risk.

20 May 2010

FDA panel: Agency should make records of denials public

The Food and Drug Administration's Transparency Task Force has recommended that the agency should make more information available to the public about companies and the FDA's reasons behind decisions not to approve products, Reuters reports. "Wider disclosure could alter companies' ability to control news that could affect their stock prices, especially negative FDA actions such as denying a product or highlighting safety concerns."

20 May 2010

Vivakor engages IME Capital to structure joint venture relationships for VIVASLICES MRI technology

Vivakor, Inc. announced today that the Company has engaged IME Capital to structure joint venture relationships for its VIVASLICES MRI technology. Vivakor Inc. has also engaged its board member John Gryga, former GE Healthcare Executive, to act as lead on all transactions for VIVASLICES.

20 May 2010

NewLink Genetics to present Phase 2 data of HyperAcute-Pancreas immunotherapy for resected pancreatic cancer

NewLink Genetics Corporation today announced that preliminary data from its Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the effect of HyperAcute®-Pancreas immunotherapy in patients with resected pancreatic cancer will be presented during a poster session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2010 Annual Meeting held June 4-8, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. A summary of the company's ASCO presentation is below.

20 May 2010