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Senators offer cost-constainment amendment; Senate continues to discuss abortion, public option

The Associated Press: "Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, along with Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., unveiled a package of amendments Friday that would reward Medicare patients for picking efficient doctors, require insurance companies to make public more information about claims denials and speed up programs shifting from paying providers for services to paying them for performance

4 Dec 2009

Fluxion Biosciences signs distribution agreement with DI Biotech and Novel Science

Fluxion Biosciences announced today that it has expanded its sales and service network into Asia. The company signed a distribution agreement for its BioFlux™ line with Korea-based DI Biotech. A second agreement with Novel Science covers sales of both the BioFlux and IonFlux™ platforms in Japan. Fluxion has also sold its first BioFlux 1000 system into China.

From Fluxion Biosciences 4 Dec 2009

PLUS Diagnostics expands its specialty anatomic pathology services

PLUS Diagnostics announced today that it has expanded its specialty anatomic pathology services with the launch of a national hematology/oncology offering. The new service completes the company's expansion from a regional laboratory to a leading national anatomic pathology company offering diagnostic services across a full range of specialties including gastroenterology, urology and now hematology/oncology.

4 Dec 2009

Pre-clinical study data of Stemline Therapeutics' IL-3R targeting agents to be presented at the ASH meeting

Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that data from pre-clinical studies of its IL-3R targeting agents, SL-401 and SL-501, in both in vitro and animal models of human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have been selected for poster presentation at the upcoming 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), to be held in New Orleans from December 5-8, 2009.

4 Dec 2009

Senate rejects amendment to strip proposed Medicare cuts from Senate health bill

The Washington Post: "Senate Republicans lost their first major challenge to a Democratic plan to overhaul the health-care system, as the chamber voted Thursday to reject a GOP proposal to strip the package of nearly $500 billion in Medicare cuts, its most important source of financing."

4 Dec 2009

ZIOPHARM Oncology prices public offering of 15,484,000 shares of its common stock

ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. announced the pricing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 15,484,000 shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase 7,742,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $3.10 per unit.

4 Dec 2009

Two examples of health innovations: A new pediatric specialty and a well-wired clinic

Newspapers report on doctors' efforts to develop new expertise to treat children who have been abused and neglected, as well as those to address a poor community's health needs with electronic health records.

4 Dec 2009

Senate bill moves forward, amendment ensures coverage for women's preventive care

Los Angeles Times: "After days of delay, Senate Democrats pushed ahead Thursday with their drive to pass a healthcare bill by Christmas, approving the first amendment to their giant bill: a measure to expand women's access to preventive services such as mammograms."

4 Dec 2009

ICON receives FDA warning letter

ICON plc,, today announced it has received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding clinical study management services provided by the company to one of its clients in relation to two studies conducted between 2004 and 2006.

4 Dec 2009

Senate debate expected to turn to abortion

The issue that sharply divided the House during its consideration of health-care legislation is threatening to derail the Senate version of the bill, Bloomberg reports. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., has said he will help filibuster the bill unless Democrats adopt tougher language restricting federal funds from paying for abortions, and may offer an amendment to that effect.

4 Dec 2009

Health Policy Research Roundup

UCLA Center For Health Policy Research: Health Disparities Among California's Nearly Four Million Low-Income Nonelderly Adult Women - Using data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, the authors of this policy brief compare low-income women, ages 18-64, to others. The report finds the low-income women are four times more likely to report fair or poor health and are more likely to report a health condition that interferes with basic physical activities, such as walking or climbing stairs.

4 Dec 2009

Democrats stress 'doughnut hole' provisions to woo senior support for reform

The Associated Press: "Lawmakers have wooed seniors skeptical of the health care overhaul by emphasizing the plan would close the 'doughnut hole' — a gap in Medicare drug coverage that can cost thousands of dollars a year. But getting support for the entire overhaul from this powerful voting bloc has been difficult, despite Democrats repeated town hall meetings, interviews and congressional hearings."

4 Dec 2009

Abnormal EEG waveforms in neurological disorder patients can now be better understood

The electroencephalogram (EEG) is widely used by physicians and scientists to study brain function and to diagnose neurological disorders. However, it has remained largely unknown whether the electrodes on the head give an exact view of what is happening inside the brain.

4 Dec 2009

Democrats debate public option: Publicly with GOP, and privately among themselves

Democrats are engaged in an urgent debate behind closed doors about a government-run health insurance plan, known as the public option, according to The Associated Press. "Our caucus is now in the process of negotiating with ourselves because we need all 60 of us to get this done," said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., a moderate who has not yet embraced the public option concept.

4 Dec 2009

Today's opinions and editorials

In short, if the changes that are proposed for employer subsidies in the current Medicare Part D program are enacted, everyone will lose (Tom Scully, 12/3).

4 Dec 2009

Cosmetic surgery industry lobbies against the 'Botax' in Senate health bill

"Leading makers of antiwrinkle drugs, breast implants and other appearance-related products are trying to derail a proposed tax on elective cosmetic surgery in the Senate's health-overhaul bill," The Wall Street Journal reports. "The proposed 5% levy -- dubbed the 'Botax' after the antiwrinkle treatment product Botox -- would raise an estimated $5.8 billion over 10 years."

4 Dec 2009

BUSM researchers report an inverse association between dairy intake and fibroid risk

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers at the Slone Epidemiology Center found that black women with high intake of dairy products have a reduced incidence of uterine leiomyomata (fibroids). This report, based on the Black Women's Health Study, appears in the current issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

4 Dec 2009

Geisinger Health System's diabetic bundling program pays dividends

Diabetes is one of the nation's most prevalent chronic diseases, and Geisinger has created a "bundle" of best practice measures to improve the quality of diabetes care and outcomes.

4 Dec 2009

Silicon to transport drugs in the human body: a novel drug delivery method under development

Several Finnish universities have joined forces to develop an innovative drug delivery method that utilises silicon to transport drugs in the human body. Among other advances, the project has been able to sustain the effect of peptides controlling appetite, which may facilitate the use of nanotechnology for dieting purposes. The research is being carried out as part of the Academy of Finland's Research Programme on Nanoscience (FinNano).

4 Dec 2009

Absorption Systems opens renovated AAALAC-accredited GLP surgical suite for medical device testing

Absorption Systems, a leader in testing drugs for ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity), today introduced an extensively renovated surgical suite for preclinical medical device testing at the company’s facility in San Diego, CA. Absorption Systems has long been recognized as a leader in drug testing and is experiencing increased demand for its medical device testing services as well.

4 Dec 2009

Medical News

Senators offer cost-constainment amendment; Senate continues to discuss abortion, public option

Fluxion Biosciences signs distribution agreement with DI Biotech and Novel Science

PLUS Diagnostics expands its specialty anatomic pathology services

Pre-clinical study data of Stemline Therapeutics' IL-3R targeting agents to be presented at the ASH meeting

Senate rejects amendment to strip proposed Medicare cuts from Senate health bill

ZIOPHARM Oncology prices public offering of 15,484,000 shares of its common stock

Two examples of health innovations: A new pediatric specialty and a well-wired clinic

Senate bill moves forward, amendment ensures coverage for women's preventive care

ICON receives FDA warning letter

Senate debate expected to turn to abortion

Health Policy Research Roundup

Democrats stress 'doughnut hole' provisions to woo senior support for reform

Abnormal EEG waveforms in neurological disorder patients can now be better understood

Democrats debate public option: Publicly with GOP, and privately among themselves

Today's opinions and editorials

Cosmetic surgery industry lobbies against the 'Botax' in Senate health bill

BUSM researchers report an inverse association between dairy intake and fibroid risk

Geisinger Health System's diabetic bundling program pays dividends

Silicon to transport drugs in the human body: a novel drug delivery method under development

Absorption Systems opens renovated AAALAC-accredited GLP surgical suite for medical device testing

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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