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First Edition: February 2, 2010

Today's health policy headlines focus on highlights of President Obama's fiscal 2011 budget request and how it treats health-related programs. Meanwhile, in the background, health reform chatter continues.

2 Feb 2010

RECOTHROM topical hemostat exhibits low rate of anti-product antibody formation

ZymoGenetics, Inc., today announced the publication of pooled safety and immunogenicity observations from eight clinical trials of RECOTHROM in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The authors concluded that RECOTHROM is a well-tolerated topical hemostatic agent in numerous surgical settings and has a low rate of anti-product antibody formation. In the pooled data from all trials, less than one percent of treated patients developed product-specific antibodies. None of the antibodies neutralized native coagulation proteins.

2 Feb 2010

Long-term harmful effects of BPA exposure: Cereplast lauds FDA's demand for additional study

Cereplast, Inc., manufacturer of proprietary bio-based sustainable plastics, applauds the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for demanding increased study of the long-term effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure.

2 Feb 2010

TNS, Lee International sign non-exclusive agreement to distribute TNS’s dietary supplements

Total Nutraceutical Solutions, Inc. (TNS) announced today that the company signed a non-exclusive agreement with Lee International Group Ltd (Lee International) to distribute TNS’s human and veterinary dietary supplements in the S.E Asian markets, including Mainland China.

2 Feb 2010

Cytheris broadens patent protection for recombinant human interleukin-7

Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its patent application "Glycosylated IL-7, Preparation and Uses", US Patent Application Number 11/996,176. The Notice of Allowance is the USPTO’s official communication that the Company’s application has successfully completed examination and that a patent will be issued.

2 Feb 2010

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals signs co-development and commercialization agreement with TopoTarget A/S

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a commercial-stage biotechnology company with a primary focus in oncology, today announced that it has entered into a co-development and commercialization agreement with TopoTarget A/S for Belinostat, a novel histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor.

2 Feb 2010

Medco Health Solutions acquires DNA Direct

Committed to being at the forefront of translating personalized medicine from the science to its daily practice in healthcare, Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today announced the acquisition of DNA Direct, Inc., a leader in providing guidance and decision support for genomic medicine to patients, providers, payors and employees.

2 Feb 2010

Global AIDS Alliance calls for Congress to fully fund the Global Health Initiative

President Obama's budget, transmitted to Congress this morning, includes $8.5 billion for a Global Health Initiative. Based on projections to continue supporting robust U.S. programs to fight AIDS, TB and malaria and implement GHI priorities -- $16.4 billion is required in FY2011.

2 Feb 2010

Researchers identify 1.1M base pairs of DNA in soybean genome

In 2009, soybeans represented an almost $30 billion industry in the U.S. alone, making soybeans the second-most profitable crop next to corn. Worldwide, soybeans have been used in human foods and livestock feed for centuries and have been a key component in industrial products, such as plastics and soy biodiesel, an environmentally friendly fuel.

2 Feb 2010

RMEI, PIM jointly sponsor complimentary continuing education virtual lecture on ALL

Treating acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) can bring many challenges, particularly in the adult population. To optimally manage this disease in adult patients, healthcare professionals must understand and identify characteristics of high-risk disease, utilize best strategies for preventing central nervous system relapse, and recognize the important role of post-remission hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in ALL therapy.

2 Feb 2010

Isogenica, Phylogica partner in Phylomer peptide development

Isogenica Ltd today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Australian based biopharmaceutical company Phylogica to use Isogenica’s CIS display technology to optimize the performance of three of Phylogica’s lead compounds targeting CD40 ligand (CD40L). CD40L is a key protein involved in many inflammatory diseases, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

2 Feb 2010

Novelty may help prevent relapse in drug addicts

The brain's innate interest in the new and different may help trump the power of addictive drugs, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. In controlled experiments, novelty drew cocaine-treated rats away from the place they got cocaine.

2 Feb 2010

Winner of ABC Best Paper Award 2009

The Springer journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (ABC) has chosen Jean-Philippe Frimat (29) as the recipient of its Best Paper Award 2009. Frimat is the lead author of a paper in ABC on plasma stencilling methods for cell patterning.

2 Feb 2010

FDA requests additional data on CMC section of NDA for taliglucerase alfa from Protalix BioTherapeutics

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. announced today that, in connection with the New Drug Application (NDA) filed by the Company in December 2009 for taliglucerase alfa for the treatment of Gaucher disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested additional data regarding the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) section of the NDA.

2 Feb 2010

Millennials overly optimistic about their health despite unhealthy habits

According to Life University, a leading chiropractic college and vital health university, Millennials (ages 15-27), are overly optimistic about their own health, despite admitting to the same unhealthy habits that have caused chronic illness in previous generations.

2 Feb 2010

Health and environmental groups propose new ozone standard to help reduce asthma attacks and premature deaths

The American Lung Association, Breathe California, Coalition for Clean Air, Environmental Defense Fund and the Sierra Club will hold a joint press conference in support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal to strengthen the national limits for ozone "smog" pollution. The organizations are calling on the EPA to enact the most protective ozone standard under consideration to protect the health of our communities and the environment from serious harm.

2 Feb 2010

Researchers identify a key piece in the ageing process

Understanding how aged and damaged mother cells manage to form new and undamaged daughter cells is one of the toughest riddles of ageing, but scientists now know how yeast cells do it. In a groundbreaking study researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, show how the daughter cell uses a mechanical "conveyor belt" to dump damaged proteins in the mother cell.

2 Feb 2010

Additional components of NDMS activated to help U.S. hospitals provide care to Haiti earthquake survivors

As part of the ongoing medical response to the Haiti earthquake, USAID, the agency coordinating the U.S. Government response, announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has activated additional components of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) to help U.S. hospitals provide care to critically ill survivors.

2 Feb 2010

Safer bone marrow transplants

If a team of American scientists are right, bone marrow transplants may become safer and more available to people in need of donations. In a new research paper appearing in the February 2010 print edition of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (http://www.jleukbio.org), they explain how an anti-inflammatory agent called "ATL146e" may significantly improve the likelihood of success for bone marrow transplants by preventing or halting the progression of graft-versus-host disease, a complication of bone marrow transplants in which the donor marrow attacks the host. Although very rare, graft-versus-host disease can also occur after blood transfusions.

2 Feb 2010

Survey finds majority of people do not understand the complexity of health care system

Public opinion is sometimes puzzling. Several polls have found strong public support for many of the proposals for health care reform contained in one or both of the bills passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives even among those who are opposed to the bills. What is actually in proposed legislation can be quite different from what people think is in it.

2 Feb 2010

Medical News

First Edition: February 2, 2010

RECOTHROM topical hemostat exhibits low rate of anti-product antibody formation

Long-term harmful effects of BPA exposure: Cereplast lauds FDA's demand for additional study

TNS, Lee International sign non-exclusive agreement to distribute TNS’s dietary supplements

Cytheris broadens patent protection for recombinant human interleukin-7

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals signs co-development and commercialization agreement with TopoTarget A/S

Medco Health Solutions acquires DNA Direct

Global AIDS Alliance calls for Congress to fully fund the Global Health Initiative

Researchers identify 1.1M base pairs of DNA in soybean genome

RMEI, PIM jointly sponsor complimentary continuing education virtual lecture on ALL

Isogenica, Phylogica partner in Phylomer peptide development

Novelty may help prevent relapse in drug addicts

Winner of ABC Best Paper Award 2009

FDA requests additional data on CMC section of NDA for taliglucerase alfa from Protalix BioTherapeutics

Millennials overly optimistic about their health despite unhealthy habits

Health and environmental groups propose new ozone standard to help reduce asthma attacks and premature deaths

Researchers identify a key piece in the ageing process

Additional components of NDMS activated to help U.S. hospitals provide care to Haiti earthquake survivors

Safer bone marrow transplants

Survey finds majority of people do not understand the complexity of health care system

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

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