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Mayo Clinic survey physicians regarding health care reform measures

Results of a Mayo Clinic survey published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that while physicians are open to being involved in health care reform discussions, some opposition may exist.

25 Sep 2009

Partial success reported in the Phase 3 trial of HIV/AIDS vaccine

GeoVax Labs, Inc., an Atlanta-based, biopharmaceutical company developing human vaccines for HIV/AIDS (HIV-1, Human Immunodeficiency Virus), was pleased to hear the announcement today of partial success in the recently completed Phase 3 trial in Thailand of a candidate HIV/AIDS vaccine owned by Sanofi-Aventis and Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases.

25 Sep 2009

Free electronic medical records software for physicians

The Obama administration has set aside $19B for physicians to adopt electronic medical record systems. Today, 75% of doctors practice in offices with 10 doctors or fewer. For them, the investment is cost-prohibitive: the technology costs from $25,000 to over $75,000. Not surprisingly, only 17% of physicians use computerized records, according to the New York Journal of Medicine. Yet, one service provider allows physicians to switch to electronic medical records -- free -- and make their practice more profitable.

25 Sep 2009

Cepheid receives approval to market Xpert(R) HemosIL(R) FII & FV test

Cepheid and Instrumentation Laboratory (IL) today announced that Cepheid has received clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Xpert(R) HemosIL(R) FII & FV test.

25 Sep 2009

Partnership focused on improving health and reducing poverty in Haiti

Fonkoze, BRAC, BRAC USA, Partners In Health/Zanmi Lasante, CGAP, CHF partners in rural development and Linked Foundation have joined forces to commit $50 million towards a two-year effort to implement a proven, replicable, cost-effective approach to improving health and reducing extreme poverty in Central Haiti.

25 Sep 2009

Clostridium difficile's five genetic regions identified

Five genetic regions have been identified that are unique to the most virulent strain of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), the hospital superbug. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology studied the genome of the bacterium, looking for genes relating to motility, antibiotic resistance and toxicity.

25 Sep 2009

FDA grants priority review for Cephalon's sNDA

Cephalon, Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a priority review for its supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for NUVIGIL(R) (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV], which was filed in June of this year.

25 Sep 2009

Prevalence of recidivistic acts of violence high among offenders

In the future, diagnosing severe personality disorders, evaluating the childhood environment, assessing alcohol consumption and the analysis of the MAOA genotype may provide more accurate means for assessing risk among violent offenders, according to the Finnish research carried out jointly at the University of Helsinki and the Helsinki University Central Hospital Psychiatry Centre.

25 Sep 2009

Procedural amendments take on political weight as Finance Committee debates health bill

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee considered, and then rejected, a Republican amendment that would have required legislative language of a health reform bill be posted for three days before the panel could vote on the bill. Democrats will post conceptual language instead.

25 Sep 2009

Investigational vaccine shows modest potential for protecting against HIV infection

For the first time, scientists say an investigational vaccine has modest potential for protecting people against HIV infection, the Associated Press reports. "The vaccine — a combination of two previously unsuccessful vaccines — cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by ... 31 percent in the world's largest [HIV] vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok," the news service writes (Marchione/Casey, 9/24).

25 Sep 2009

Diabetes prevalence highest in the Southern and Appalachian states

Diabetes prevalence is highest in the Southern and Appalachian states and lowest in the Midwest and the Northeast of America. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Population Health Metrics have used two public data sources to investigate the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes mellitus at the State level.

25 Sep 2009

Study reveals that kidney transplants do not affect pregnancy

Women who have had a kidney transplant and have good kidney function can get pregnant and give birth without jeopardizing their health or the health of their transplant. Having children does not affect patients' kidney function or their life-span compared with transplanted women who do not have children, according to a matching cohort study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

25 Sep 2009

Plan USA's project for girls in West Africa to be given recognition at CGI

Plan USA's "Commitment to Action" media project for girls in West Africa will be given special recognition at the 5th Annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 in New York City.

25 Sep 2009

Pakistan cardiology institute purchases Positron's Pulse compact digital cardiac camera

Positron Corporation a molecular imaging solutions company focused on Nuclear Cardiology, announces the sale of a Pulse CDCC camera to CPE Institute Of Cardiology in Multan, Pakistan.

25 Sep 2009

Social disparities in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Since the introduction of statins to treat high cholesterol, the decline in lipid levels experienced by the wealthy has been double that experienced by the poor. While statins are highly effective in reducing cholesterol and improving heart health, their use may have contributed to expanding social disparities in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, according to research by Virginia W. Chang, MD, PhD, of the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania, and Diane S. Lauderdale, PhD, of the University of Chicago, published in the September issue of Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

25 Sep 2009

Children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome can be treated with prednisone

A kidney condition that can arise in children and was until recently believed to disappear after puberty may persist into adulthood and cause significant long-term complications, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that better treatment options are needed for children with the disorder, called minimal change nephrotic syndrome.

25 Sep 2009

Experimental HIV vaccine shows promise

An experimental HIV vaccine raises hope of reducing the risk of infection. Wall Street Journal/Associated Press reports: "For the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the AIDS virus, a watershed event in the deadly epidemic and a surprising result. Recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible."

25 Sep 2009

Matrix metalloproteinase-8 enzyme increases the risk of heart diseases

Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have made an important discovery in understanding what causes arteries to clog up. They have discovered that an enzyme called matrix metalloproteinase-8 plays a crucial role in raising blood pressure and causing abnormal build-up of cells in the arteries - both of which increase the risk of heart disease.

25 Sep 2009

NTMs: Rising cause of severe lung diseases

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental organisms found in both water and soil that can cause severe pulmonary (lung) disease in humans. Pulmonary NTM is on the rise in the United States, according to a large study of people hospitalized with the condition.

25 Sep 2009