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Boston University launches $10M, 5-year Global Health Center

Boston University (BU) on Monday launched a five-year, $10 million global health initiative that aims to "bolster research and education" and "build a nationwide consortium of universities devoted to improving health in the Third World," the Boston Globe reports.

14 Sep 2009

Baucus plans last attempt at bipartisan bill, Dems acknowledge moderates' key role

This week is crucial for Sen. Max Baucus, who is trying to win bipartisan support from his Senate Finance Committee negotiators. If not, he is likely to join a Democrat-only effort to reform the health care system.

14 Sep 2009

Report urges world leaders to expand access to free health care in developing countries

A new report from Oxfam and 62 other non-governmental organizations and health groups finds that international goals aiming to reduce child and maternal mortality rates are "desperately off track," with four million babies around the world dying annually within 28 days of birth, Agence France-Press reports (9/13).

14 Sep 2009

Also in global health news: Polio in Afghanistan; Goosby interview; water shortages in Mexico City; clean water device

Agence France-Presse examines the re-emergence of polio in Afghanistan, which is one of four countries where the disease is endemic. According to AFP, "Health care, or the lack of it, is one of many problems facing Afghanistan, eight years after a war to topple the extremist Taliban regime and the arrival of billions of dollars in international aid." Although UNICEF recently launched a three-day immunization campaign in the country, the "ongoing Taliban insurgency, virulent in the south -- Helmand, Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces in particular -- has meant many children are not being reached," AFP writes (O'Donnell, 9/14).

14 Sep 2009

Republicans: Malpractice reform demonstration projects insufficient

The Associated Press: "In his Wednesday speech and again in (a CBS "60 Minutes" interview), the president signaled he was open to so-called tort reform. Under current practice, doctors and hospitals must pay huge amounts to insure themselves against malpractice lawsuits by patients seeking large court-ordered settlements for poor treatment. … 'I would be willing to ... consider any ideas out there that would actually work in terms of reducing costs, improving the quality of patient care,' Obama said in the Sunday interview, which was taped Friday" (Hurst, 9/14).

14 Sep 2009

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS rights, responsibilities questions

The Washington Post examines how African countries are "grappling with debates over what rights and duties to give those living with [HIV/AIDS] -- a growing segment of the population that remains largely hidden." The newspaper writes: "Across the continent, lawmakers are considering whether to make criminals of those who infect others with HIV, allow bosses to test workers for the virus, punish women who pass it to their babies and give constitutional protections to those with HIV."

14 Sep 2009

Much of the focus now turns to the conservative Blue Dog Democrats

In his address to Congress on health care last week, President Obama attempted to reassure Blue Dog Democrats, such as Georgia Reps. Jim Marshall and Sanford Bishop, that the plan would not be too expensive or intrusive for their conservative constituencies, the Columbus, Ga., Ledger-Enquirer reports.

14 Sep 2009

States face growing health costs, dwindling budgets

As states wrestle with shortfalls in health care funding, many are hoping to brace with budget cuts, while others focus on changes that keep costs down over the long term.

14 Sep 2009

A selection of opinions and editorials

Health Care: Now, It's War NPR What emerges from this year's historic debate will now be a distinctly Democratic bill opposed by virtually every Republican in both the House and the Senate. It will pass or fail depending entirely on Democratic leaders' ability to rally their own troops in support (Ron Elving, 9/11).

14 Sep 2009

IntegraMed’s Attain IVF Program now offered at Dallas IVF

IntegraMed America, Inc. (NASDAQ: INMD), the nation’s leading provider of specialty healthcare services in emerging, technology-focused niches, today announced that Dallas IVF has begun offering IntegraMed’s Attain™ IVF Program, a course-of-treatment financing program that improves patient success rates with in vitro fertilization (IVF) fertility treatments.

14 Sep 2009

Hebrew University researchers' discovery may lead to treatments for various states of loss of consciousness

A new understanding of how anesthesia and anesthesia-like states are controlled in the brain opens the door to possible new future treatments of various states of loss of consciousness, such as reversible coma, according to Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists.

14 Sep 2009

Phase 2b clinical trial results of Dextofisopam to treat irritable bowel syndrome announced

Pharmos Corporation (Pink Sheets: PARS) announced today the results of its Phase 2b Dextofisopam clinical trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of the compound in irritable bowel syndrome.

14 Sep 2009

Clinical studies reveal treatment with pirfenidone is safe and well-tolerated

InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN) today announced that the results of a comprehensive review of safety data from four clinical studies were presented at the 2009 European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria by Dr. Ulrich Costabel of the Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany.

14 Sep 2009

Poll: Opposition to reform still high but easing

A new ABC News-Washington Post poll found that 48 percent of Americans approve of Obama's handling of health care. "Bottom-line views on health care reform have stabilized but failed to improve since President Obama addressed the nation, leaving him with a continued challenge in selling his plan to a public that remains skeptical about its benefits and costs alike," ABC News reports.

14 Sep 2009

Results from Keryx' KRX-0401 Phase 2 study to be presented at the International Kidney Cancer Symposium

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KERX) today announced that Phase 2 data of KRX-0401 (perifosine), the Company's PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor for cancer, as a single agent in the treatment of advanced metastatic renal cell cancer, has been selected for oral presentation at the Eighth International Kidney Cancer Symposium, to be held in Chicago from September 25-26, 2009.

14 Sep 2009

Lobbyists ramp up efforts to shape health care reform

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch/New York Times reports: "Top lobbyists for every major sector of the health care industry publicly insist they are squarely behind the health care reform effort of President Barack Obama's administration.

14 Sep 2009

New data confirm link between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis

Over the last 40 years, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been repeatedly associated with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. During the 2nd European Congress of Immunology ECI 2009 held in Berlin, Francesca Aloisi, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, will present new data that further support the link. In the brain lesions of patients with multiple sclerosis her team found abnormal accumulation of EBV infected B lymphocytes.

14 Sep 2009

Cytrx initiates tamibarotene and TRISENOX combination dose escalation study

CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development and commercialization of human therapeutics, today announced the initiation of a dose escalation study with its oncology drug candidate tamibarotene combined with TRISENOX® (arsenic trioxide) injection (marketed by Cephalon, Inc.) in patients with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).

14 Sep 2009

Malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and HIV leads to defective immune system

The most common causes worldwide include malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection. Other causes of temporary or permanent damage to the immune system include old age, medications (e.g. cortisone, cytostatic drugs), radiotherapy, stress after surgery and malignant tumors of the bone marrow and the lymph nodes.

14 Sep 2009

Celldex commences dosing patients in Phase 1/2 study of its CDX-1401 vaccine candidate

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLDX) today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1/2 study of its vaccine candidate, CDX-1401, in patients with malignant solid tumors that express NY-ESO-1. CDX-1401 is a fully human monoclonal antibody designed to selectively deliver the NY-ESO-1 antigen to dendritic cells to generate a robust immune response against cancer cells expressing NY-ESO-1.

14 Sep 2009

Medical News

Boston University launches $10M, 5-year Global Health Center

Baucus plans last attempt at bipartisan bill, Dems acknowledge moderates' key role

Report urges world leaders to expand access to free health care in developing countries

Also in global health news: Polio in Afghanistan; Goosby interview; water shortages in Mexico City; clean water device

Republicans: Malpractice reform demonstration projects insufficient

Washington Post examines HIV/AIDS rights, responsibilities questions

Much of the focus now turns to the conservative Blue Dog Democrats

States face growing health costs, dwindling budgets

A selection of opinions and editorials

IntegraMed’s Attain IVF Program now offered at Dallas IVF

Hebrew University researchers' discovery may lead to treatments for various states of loss of consciousness

Phase 2b clinical trial results of Dextofisopam to treat irritable bowel syndrome announced

Clinical studies reveal treatment with pirfenidone is safe and well-tolerated

Poll: Opposition to reform still high but easing

Results from Keryx' KRX-0401 Phase 2 study to be presented at the International Kidney Cancer Symposium

Lobbyists ramp up efforts to shape health care reform

New data confirm link between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis

Cytrx initiates tamibarotene and TRISENOX combination dose escalation study

Malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and HIV leads to defective immune system

Celldex commences dosing patients in Phase 1/2 study of its CDX-1401 vaccine candidate

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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