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Health plans will continue working with members of Congress to enact bipartisan legislation: AHIP

"Senator Max Baucus has led an unprecedented and rigorous bipartisan process to enact health care reform this year and challenged all stakeholders to contribute to this process. The introduction of legislation in the Finance Committee is a very important step in the health care reform process.

17 Sep 2009

Study: Therapy addition reduces risk of stroke and other cardiovascular events

Data from the independent KYOTO HEART study, presented recently at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and published online in the European Heart Journal demonstrated the addition of the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) Diovan (valsartan) to a non-ARB-based treatment regimen for high blood pressure provided a significant 45% relative risk reduction in cardiovascular events(1) including stroke, compared to conventional non-ARB treatment regimen.(1)

17 Sep 2009

Genentech releases Phase III PRIMA study findings

Genentech, Inc., a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group and Biogen Idec, today announced that a Phase III study (PRIMA) showed that patients with follicular lymphoma who continued receiving Rituxan (rituximab) alone after responding to Rituxan and chemotherapy lived longer without their disease worsening (progression-free survival or PFS) than those who did not continue to receive Rituxan.

17 Sep 2009

Survey: Average cost of employer health plan up 5%

The average cost of an employer-provided family plan is now $13,375, up 5 percent from 2008, according to a new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research & Educational Trust.

17 Sep 2009

Successful eye surgery involves eyetooth implant in eye

Blind for nine years, Sharron “Kay” Thornton has just regained her sight through a first-in-the-U.S. surgical procedure at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The procedure -- modified osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (MOOKP) -- implanted her eyetooth in her eye, as a base to hold a prosthetic lens.

17 Sep 2009

FDA provides 510(k) marketing clearance for the FlexStent Biliary Self Expanding Stent System

Flexible Stenting Solutions Inc. (“FSS”), a leading developer of next generation peripheral arterial and biliary stents, received 510(k) clearance for the FlexStent® Biliary Self Expanding Stent System.

17 Sep 2009

Fully-insured members of Capital BlueCross to receive coverage for administration fee for H1N1 Flu vaccine

Capital BlueCross announced today that it will cover an administration fee for the H1N1 Flu vaccine for fully-insured members and those with individual coverage during the upcoming 2009-2010 flu season. Self-funded groups may opt to have their coverage customized to include this benefit.

17 Sep 2009

US NetMark project helps build African and international businesses

The NetMark project, a $67 million, USAID-funded public-private partnership to prevent malaria, ends September 30, but the bed net market continues to thrive in seven countries where it operated-Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Zambia. Not only did the U.S. investment help spur major spending by private companies-for every $1 in public funds, African and international businesses spent $1.30-the new commercial sector now exists.

17 Sep 2009

Researchers investigate individual's ability to get rid of Hepatitis C

More than seventy percent of people who contract Hepatitis C will live with the virus that causes it for the rest of their lives and some will develop serious liver disease including cancer. However, 30 to 40 percent of those infected somehow defeat the infection and get rid of the virus with no treatment. In this week's Advanced Online Publication at Nature, Johns Hopkins researchers working as part of an international team report the discovery of the strongest genetic alteration associated with the ability to get rid of the infection.

17 Sep 2009

Lawmakers may wage jurisdiction fight over medical malpractice reform

Roll Call reports that the Senate Finance Committee could clash with the Senate Judiciary Committee if they try to amend their health reform bill to scale back medical malpractice lawsuits.

17 Sep 2009

Protein kinase Erk3 plays a critical role in intrauterine growth and lung maturation

Dr. Sylvain Meloche, Principal Investigator at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Universit- de Montr-al, and his colleagues have uncovered the critical role played by the protein kinase Erk3 in fetal growth potential and lung maturation.

17 Sep 2009

Clinical trial focuses on healing diabetic foot ulcers with stem cells

Fortis Healthcare, one of India's leading private hospital groups, has announced it will broaden inclusion criteria for its upcoming diabetic foot clinical trial. The study will use stem cells derived from peripheral blood to treat critical limb ischemia (diabetic foot).

17 Sep 2009

OAO attempting to protect Ontarians from Great Glasses' illegal eye examinations

The Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) is warning the public to ensure their eye examinations are only conducted by a physician or optometrist.

17 Sep 2009

Bioheart's MARVEL Phase II/III clinical trial successful

Bioheart, Inc. (OTCBB:BHRT), presented positive efficacy data from part 1 of its Phase II/III clinical trial at the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. Thomas Povsic, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University, presented the final data for Part 1 of the MARVEL Phase II/III Clinical Trial as a part of the Late Breaking Clinical Trials Session.

17 Sep 2009

News outlets examine West Africa floods

The torrential rains that began in June in West Africa and subsequent floods have forced an estimated 150,000 people from their homes and claimed the lives of 160, VOA News reports. The worst affected countries include Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger and Sierra Leone (Schlein, 9/13).

17 Sep 2009

American Capital completes sale of Axygen BioScience for $400 million

American Capital Ltd. (Nasdaq: ACAS) announced today that on September 15, it completed the sale of its portfolio company Axygen BioScience Inc., including its subsidiaries Axygen Inc. and Sorenson BioScience Inc., to Corning Incorporated for approximately $400 million.

17 Sep 2009

EnWave signs Confidentiality Agreements with food production companies

EnWave Corporation (TSX VENTURE:ENW)(FRANKFURT:E4U) ("EnWave" or "the Company") today announced that it has signed Confidentiality Agreements with more than 15 food production companies located in North and South America, Europe and Korea to determine the benefits of using its nutraREVTM food dehydration technology in a wide range of new product areas including herbs, mushrooms, bananas, mangos, pineapples, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, snack chips, shrimp, salmon and pet treats.

17 Sep 2009

Cellzome's quantitative chemical proteomics platform described in a journal

Cellzome announces today, the publication entitled "Tankyrase inhibition stabilizes axin and antagonizes Wnt signalling" is now available online in Nature.

17 Sep 2009

Young adults have more to gain, and pay, in health reform

Young adults - a key constituency in President Obama's election - are likely to be major beneficiaries of health reform, as well as major contributors to funding it, the Washington Post reports.

17 Sep 2009

AF Stat Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation document released

A diverse collaboration of healthcare leaders today released the AF Stat Call to Action for Atrial Fibrillation to serve as a roadmap for reducing the burden of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in the United States. The document outlines critical issues surrounding the management of AFib, and recommends priority actions in the areas of policy, management, education and quality.

17 Sep 2009