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New study: Egg donors may be paid too much

"Women who donate eggs for use with in-vitro techniques aren't supposed to be compensated more than $10,000 .... according to guidelines from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine," The Wall Street Journal reports.

26 Mar 2010

Health IT roundup: Fears of hackers, efforts at fraud prevention

Some privacy advocates say the government is seeking to move too quickly to digitize health records, and may risk exposing sensitive information to identity thieves and hackers. These privacy advocates appear to favor slow progress is spreading electronic records because - they hope - consumer safeguards can keep up with that pace.

26 Mar 2010

IMDx 2009 Influenza A H1N1 Real-Time RT-PCR Assay granted EUA from FDA

IMDx announced today that its IMDx 2009 Influenza A H1N1 Real-Time RT-PCR Assay has been granted Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

26 Mar 2010

Fluidigm, SABiosciences partner to create pathway-focused gene expression panels for BioMark system

Fluidigm Corporation and SABiosciences (a QIAGEN Company) today announced that they have teamed up to create over 100 pathway-focused gene expression panels validated for real-time PCR analysis on the Fluidigm BioMark™ System for Genetic Analysis. These kits are named the RT² Profiler™ PCR Arrays for the Fluidigm BioMark system.

26 Mar 2010

Standard HCV therapy less effective in urban minority patients: Study

A recent study confirms that the standard hepatitis C therapy, pegylated interferon and ribavirin, is significantly less effective in urban minority patients treated in an ordinary clinical practice setting compared with results produced during clinical trials.

26 Mar 2010

Coverage for sick kids under question in new law

Kaiser Health News staff writers Phil Galewitz and Andrew Villegas write that while Democrats have said that the new health law "would immediately stop insurers from denying coverage to children with pre-existing medical conditions, ... health advocates and some insurers say the law does not clearly state that such protection starts this year.

26 Mar 2010

Independent DMC recommends continuance of enrollment in Eisai's Phase III ACCESS trial

Eisai Inc. announced today that the Phase III ACCESS (A Controlled Comparison of Eritoran and Placebo in Patients with Severe Sepsis) trial of the investigational compound eritoran (E5564) will continue enrolling to the preset goal of 2,000 patients. As part of a planned interim analysis, an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) has evaluated efficacy and safety data on the first 1,500 subjects to complete the 28-day follow-up in the Phase III ACCESS trial.

26 Mar 2010

Hana Biosciences reports net loss of $5M for fourth quarter 2009

Hana Biosciences Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on strengthening the foundation of cancer care, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009, and provided a corporate update.

26 Mar 2010

AVASTIN receives Health Canada approval for patients with GBM

Roche Canada announced today that Health Canada has approved AVASTIN(R) (bevacizumab), as a single agent, for the treatment of patients with glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive primary malignant brain tumour, after relapse or disease progression, following prior therapy.

26 Mar 2010

GOP forces second house vote on health reconciliation bill

Senate Republicans found a way to force a second House vote on a health reform reconciliation bill after identifying parliamentary flaws, including one in the calculation of a student loan provision.

26 Mar 2010

GPC5 gene associated with lung cancer in 'never-smokers'

US scientists have identified a gene that may be responsible for a proportion of lung cancer cases among people who have never smoked.

26 Mar 2010

New interactive Web site for veterans and military family members

Geisinger recently launched www.PAVetFamilyWeb.com. This Web site is designed to serve Pennsylvania families who are coping with military separations and multiple deployments of a service member as well as caregivers, wounded warriors, service members and military veterans.

26 Mar 2010

Obama to pitch health care law in Iowa

President Obama Thursday will try to convince a wavering public that a new health care reform law will benefit their lives as he travels to Iowa City for a rally where he first called for health care legislation as a presidential candidate.

26 Mar 2010

Aastrom Biosciences' RESTORE-CLI trial: Final patient treated

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., a leading developer of autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases, today reported that the final patient has been treated in the company's ongoing multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled U.S. Phase 2b clinical trial designated RESTORE-CLI. This patient received intramuscular injections of either Aastrom's tissue repair cells (TRCs) or electrolyte solution (placebo) for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI), the end-stage of peripheral arterial disease.

26 Mar 2010

Human rights organization calls for national action to combat rising pregnancy-related complications

Amnesty International today pointed to new government figures showing the highest-ever rate of Caesarean sections as more evidence the United States needs to adopt guidelines for the use of obstetric procedures to begin reversing rising pregnancy complications and maternal deaths.

26 Mar 2010

EVMS researchers awarded $1,076,250 grant to develop functional cure for Type 1 diabetes

Researchers at the Eastern Virginia Medical School Strelitz Diabetes Center have been awarded a $1,076,250 grant by the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program to develop new ways of reversing the underlying causes of Type 1 diabetes.

26 Mar 2010

IMRISNV and IMRIScardio systems get Australian TGA clearance

IMRIS Inc. (TSX: IM) today announced that it has received clearance from Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration permitting the Company to market its newest products, IMRISNV and IMRIScardio in Australia.

26 Mar 2010

It's over: House passes last piece of landmark health reform, 220-207

Politico: "Congress completed its work Thursday night on the broadest social legislation in almost a half-century, as the House capped the year-long legislative saga over health reform by signing off on a package of fixes to the newly minted law. In the end, the titanic battle over remaking the American health care system drew to a close on a pair of votes drained of suspense - after the Senate approved the clean-up bill earlier Thursday. The House approved the clean-up bill, 220 to 207" (Budoff Brown, 3/25).

26 Mar 2010

DARA BioSciences announces the initiation of Phase I clinical study for DB959

DARA BioSciences, Inc. announced that it has initiated a Phase I clinical study for DB959, its PPAR (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor) delta/gamma agonist, an oral drug in development for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. The study will enroll approximately 75 volunteers and will be conducted at Quintiles' Overland Park facility.

26 Mar 2010

Palex Medical to distribute Genomic Health's Oncotype DX breast cancer test in Spain and Portugal

Genomic Health, Inc. today announced that the company has entered into an exclusive agreement with Palex Medical S.A., one of Europe's leading distributors of medical device and diagnostic services to hospitals, to distribute its Oncotype DX® breast cancer test in Spain and Portugal. The distribution agreement, announced in conjunction with positive data presented today at the 7th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), further expands the global presence of Oncotype DX, providing for increased physician and patient access to this advanced diagnostic test in the European market.

26 Mar 2010