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Hospital error rates climb in California

Hospital error rates in California climbed by more than 300 cases last fiscal year after a 2006 law required public reporting of hospital errors in that state, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.

9 Jan 2010

Plexxikon commences dosing in PLX4032 Phase 3 trial for metastatic melanoma

Plexxikon Inc. announces that enrollment has been initiated and the first patient has been dosed in a pivotal Phase 3 trial of PLX4032 (RG7204) in patients with metastatic melanoma. PLX4032 is a novel, oral and highly targeted drug that is designed to inhibit the BRAF cancer-causing mutation that occurs in about 50 percent of melanomas and about eight percent of all solid tumors. The randomized, controlled, Phase 3 “BRAF Inhibitor in Melanoma” (BRIM3) trial in previously untreated patients is part of the planned registration program for PLX4032.

9 Jan 2010

Cancer Research UK scientists named on New Year's Honours list

Several of Cancer Research UK's scientists have been named on this year's New Year's Honours list, as has the government's National Cancer Director and a long-term supporter of the charity.

9 Jan 2010

Nelson calls for expansion of Nebraska Medicaid deal to all states

"Sen. Ben Nelson said Thursday he has asked Democratic leadership to extend to all states the extra Medicaid funding promised to Nebraska in the health care reform bill," The Associated Press reports. "The Democrat wouldn't say who he has spoken to regarding the so-called 'Cornhusker Kickback' but that he would see to it that Nebraska doesn't get a special deal." Nelson said if he can't get similar treatment for every state, "he wants states to be freed from paying the cost of Medicaid expansion. That could mean eliminating the provision, finding another way to pay for it or allowing states to opt out" (Ross, 1/7).

9 Jan 2010

R. Palmer Beasley awarded Hepatitis B Foundation's Distinguished Scientist Award 2010

R. Palmer Beasley, M.D., Ashbel Smith Professor at The University of Texas School of Public Health, has been awarded the Hepatitis B Foundation's Distinguished Scientist Award 2010.

9 Jan 2010

A forum for clinicians and scientists to share research results and new developments

ESHRE invites you to attend its workshop on 'The search for excellence in IVF: a practical approach'. The workshop provides a forum for clinicians and scientists to share research results and discuss problems and new developments.

9 Jan 2010

Jiangsu Government grants $1.8M for research and development of hUC-MSC technologies

The Jiangsu Government's Science and Technology Department has announced a $1.8 million grant - the Jiangsu Technological Achievements Transformational Grant - to support the research and development of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUC-MSC) technologies. The grant recipient and administrator, Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (http://www.beikebiotech.com ), is working with Jiangsu University and Nanjing University's Drum Tower Hospital to fulfill the grant's requirements.

9 Jan 2010

New stem cell therapies to feature at 5th Annual Stem Cell Summit in NYC

Six new stem cell therapies, all forecast to reach physicians in 2010, will be featured at the 5th Annual Stem Cell Summit on February 16 in New York City. These new therapies include allograft products, innovative forms of autologous stem cell technologies, and at least one FDA-approved stem cell drug. New studies showing rehydration of the disc nucleus, regeneration of new heart muscle and others are also on the agenda.

9 Jan 2010

MinuteClinic re-accredited and earns the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval

MinuteClinic, the retail health care division of CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) and the pioneer and largest provider of retail-based medical clinics in the United States, has become the first retail clinic to be re-accredited and earn the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval(TM) for consecutive evaluation periods by having demonstrated compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety.

9 Jan 2010

Straumann becomes exclusive European distributor of iTero digital impressions system

Cadent, the leading provider of 3-D digital and CAD/CAM solutions for orthodontics and dentistry, announced that it finalized an agreement last month with The Straumann Group, a global leader in regenerative, restorative and replacement dentistry, whereby Straumann will become the exclusive European distributor of the iTero digital impressions system.

9 Jan 2010

Tech Roundup: Virtual visits, EMR loans and a new e-prescribing tool

The New York Times: "Telemedicine has the potential to improve quality of care by allowing clinicians in one 'control center' to monitor, consult and even care for and perform procedures on patients in multiple locations," Doctor and Patient columnist Pauline Chen writes. "A rural primary care practitioner who sees a patient with a rare skin lesion, for example, can get expert consultation from a dermatologist at a center hundreds of miles away."

9 Jan 2010

Green Cross seeks regulatory approval for peramivir in S.Korea

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has been informed by its partner, Green Cross Corp., that Green Cross has filed a New Drug Application (NDA) in South Korea to seek regulatory approval for intravenous (i.v.) peramivir to treat patients with influenza.

9 Jan 2010

ChiroCode Institute and Avazzia jointly promote advanced technology devices

ChiroCode Institute and Avazzia will jointly promote advanced technology devices that help chiropractors and other caregivers manage their patients' chronic pain. The Avazzia BEST Pro Sport device combines microcurrent transcutaneous stimulation with somatic bio-feedback to provide improved results while making obsolete existing TENS devices.

9 Jan 2010

CCAGW calls for open, televised process on healthcare negotiations

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today called upon Congress and the Obama administration to open the doors and allow taxpayers to view all of the proceedings related to negotiations over the healthcare reform bill.

9 Jan 2010

FIER CPVC-Montreal LP offers a loan of $500,000 to Aptilon

Aptilon Corporation ("Aptilon" or the "Corporation"), an innovative leader of on-line marketing services to physicians, today announced that it has obtained a $500,000 loan (the "Loan") from FIER CPVC-Montreal LP (the "FIER").

9 Jan 2010

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care wins contract to develop a pilot of FDA's Sentinel System

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has awarded a contract to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Inc. to develop a pilot of the FDA's Sentinel System, which will use automated health care data to evaluate medical product safety.

9 Jan 2010

Cytori Therapeutics' PureGraft System receives FDA marketing clearance

The FDA has granted Cytori Therapeutics 510(k) marketing clearance for its PureGraft™ System. Cytori will now launch the first and only device in the United States cleared for aesthetic body contouring using autologous fat. PureGraft™ allows a patient’s own fat tissue to rapidly be prepared in approximately 15 minutes for re-injection back into the same patient for aesthetic contouring.

9 Jan 2010

Seven new biopharmaceutical companies join PhRMA, Forbes reports

Forbes recently reported that seven new biopharmaceutical companies have now joined the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

From CSL Ltd 9 Jan 2010

Primer: House vs. Senate health bill

"Most of the two bills' provisions are similar, and the cost estimates are in the range Democrats have sought. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the House bill would reduce the federal deficit by $130 billion over the next 10 years, while the Senate would cut it $132 billion. Some difficult controversies remain.

9 Jan 2010

Study: Reform bills could save health care dollars

The Los Angeles Times: "National healthcare legislation in Congress could slow the growth of medical costs, allowing employers to create 250,000 to 400,000 new jobs a year over the next decade, economists from Harvard University and USC are predicting.

9 Jan 2010