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World AIDS Day observed, activists decry budget cuts

A new study on HIV anti-retroviral regimens was released Dec. 1 and events were held to mark World AIDS Day. Meanwhile, advocates in New York and California expressed concern about budget cuts and tight funding for AIDS programs.

2 Dec 2009

Butler Health System implements PatientKeeper’s Platform and Physician Portal

PatientKeeper®, Inc., the leading provider of Physician Information Technology, announced today that Butler Health System of Butler, Pennsylvania selected PatientKeeper to help its organization meet the meaningful use criteria requirements established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The implementation of PatientKeeper’s Platform and Physician Portal, which is scheduled to roll-out in the first quarter of 2010, will extend physician accessibility and connectivity to over 200 physicians and significantly impact patient quality and care.

2 Dec 2009

Over twenty new drug metabolism assays launched by Absorption Systems

Absorption Systems, a leader in drug safety and ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity) testing, today announced the introduction of a more complete series of drug metabolism assays designed to support the pharmaceutical R&D process, from early-stage discovery through late-stage clinical development.

2 Dec 2009

URMC implements Allocade's artificial intelligence based solution to manage patient flow and logistics

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and Allocade, Inc., today announced the first installation and implementation of the On-Cue™ system in New York. URMC is utilizing the On-Cue software solution from Allocade to automate patient flow throughout the hospital and improve operational efficiencies by creating dynamic patient itineraries. The On-Cue system utilizes artificial intelligence, offering healthcare an efficient operating system that helps caregivers to effectively manage patient flow and logistics.

2 Dec 2009

Reactions to CBO report on Senate health bill are mixed

News organizations continue to report on reactions to the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the Senate health bill.

2 Dec 2009

American Scientific Resources commences production of its FDA approved home needle destruction device

American Scientific Resources, Inc., announces that the Disintegrator Plus(TM), the world's only FDA approved home needle destruction device (NDD), is in its first production run for ASR.

2 Dec 2009

Behind-the-scenes players Daschle, Carper, Orszag help guide health debate

Though he has no official government position, Tom Daschle, a former Senate leader and one-time nominee for health secretary, is still attending key health-reform meetings, the Associated Press reports.

2 Dec 2009

Consumption of addictive substances related to impulsive behaviour

A group of psychologists from the University of Almeria, lead by Dr. Pilar Flores and Flor Zaldívar have just concluded a study regarding the use of addictive substances by young university students and the manifestation of impulsive behaviour in the same group of people, on a cognitive and psychomotor level.

2 Dec 2009

FDA approves revised clinical trial protocol for CytRx' arimoclomol

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, is permitted to re-enter the clinic with its orally administered molecular chaperone drug candidate arimoclomol as a therapeutic treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) acceptance of a revised clinical trial protocol.

2 Dec 2009

Favorable initial results from Novavax' 2009 H1N1 VLP pandemic influenza vaccine Phase II study

Novavax, Inc. today reported favorable initial results from the first stage of a two-stage pivotal Phase II study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of the company's 2009 H1N1 virus-like particle (VLP) pandemic influenza vaccine. Novavax is conducting this study in collaboration with Avimex Laboratories of Mexico to support registration of the vaccine in Mexico and potentially other countries.

2 Dec 2009

FDA grants Fast Track designation for AEterna Zentaris' perifosine

AEterna Zentaris Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company focused on endocrine therapy and oncology, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for the Company's PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor compound, perifosine (KRX-0401), for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

2 Dec 2009

Efforts to expand adult day care programs threatened by recession-driven cuts

Kaiser Health News, in a story produced in collaboration with The Washington Post, reports on adult day care.

2 Dec 2009

Generic erosion to decrease branded atypical antipsychotics schizophrenia drug market to $5.2B

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that generic erosion of several established branded atypical antipsychotics will cause the schizophrenia drug market to decrease from $6.3 billion in 2008 to $5.2 billion in 2013 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

2 Dec 2009

Minnesota's first e-Patient

Minnesota's first virtual doctor's visit was conducted Monday evening, the Pioneer Press reports. The patient, Beth Piper or Hampton, Minn., learned that sleeping pills would interact badly with another medication she uses during the seven minute Webcam-enabled discussion. Her doctor, Eric Christianson, suggested using Benadryl instead.

2 Dec 2009

Genta to supply Ganite for new CF clinical trial

Genta Incorporated announced that the Company will supply Ganite® (gallium nitrate injection) for a new clinical trial that will be initiated in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who may develop serious infections.

2 Dec 2009

Health bill's lesser-known provisions could have big impact

News outlets report on some of the lesser-known provisions of the health care bills pending in Congress, including possible improvements for the Indian Health System and mandated calorie count labels on vending machines.

2 Dec 2009

Shire settles ADDERALL XR authorized generic version supply litigation

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announces that it has settled the litigation with Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. ("Teva") over Shire's supply to Teva of an authorized generic version of ADDERALL XR. Shire has been supplying Teva with authorized generic ADDERALL XR since April 1, 2009.

2 Dec 2009

Online medical pricing takes on new importance in struggling economy

"Consumers are increasingly turning to the Web to compare medical fees as the economy and less generous health benefits squeeze household budgets," The Associated Press reports. Their efforts are aided in many states by laws that require online posting of medical fees. "More than 30 states have passed laws that require online publication of medical fees by hospitals and other health care providers," according to the AP.

2 Dec 2009

TARIS Biomedical completes Phase 1 study of its intravesical drug-device convergence system

TARIS Biomedical, a specialty pharmaceutical company pioneering the field of drug-device convergence for targeted therapies, announced today the successful completion of a Phase 1 clinical study of its intravesical drug-device convergence system designed to provide sustained-release of drug directly to the bladder.

2 Dec 2009

World’s first 1000 MHz ultra-high field NMR AVANCE spectrometer installed at CRMN, France

Bruker BioSpin has successfully completed the installation of the world’s first 1000 MHz ultra-high field NMR AVANCE™ spectrometer at the Centre de Resonance Magnétique Nucléaire à Très Hauts Champs (CRMN) in Lyon, France (a joint research unit of CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon and Université Lyon 1).

2 Dec 2009