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Pieris progresses proprietary asthma program

Pieris AG, a bio-pharmaceutical company developing Anticalins, a novel class of targeted human protein therapeutics, today announced significant progress in validating novel, effective products for the potential treatment of asthma.

10 Jul 2007

Wall Street Journal examines women's health initiative findings on HRT's effect on heart attack risk

The Wall Street Journal on Monday examined findings from the 15-year, $725 million NIH-sponsored Women's Health Initiative on hormone replacement therapy's effects on heart attack risk.

10 Jul 2007

Scottish Cardinal calls on British Prime Minister Brown to review U.K.'s abortion laws

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics, in an open letter published in the Scotsman called on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to review the efficacy of the United Kingdom's abortion law, the Scotsman reports.

10 Jul 2007

Planned Parenthood affiliate files petition in Kansas Supreme Court against former State AG Kline

Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri CEO Peter Brownlie on Thursday confirmed that the group's Overland Park, Kan., clinic Comprehensive Health on June 6 filed a petition with the state Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus against former state Attorney General Phill Kline (R), the Kansas City Star reports (Carroll, Kansas City Star, 7/5).

10 Jul 2007

MarketWatch examines costs of high-deductible health plans for women

Although "little research" has been conducted on the effects of high-deductible health plans on women, "several studies point to potentially higher costs, ... especially where maternity care is concerned," MarketWatch reports.

10 Jul 2007

Number of new HIV cases in Sweden increases 40%

The number of new HIV cases recorded during the first half of this year in Sweden has increased 40% compared with the same time period last year and is at a record high, Xinhuanet reports.

10 Jul 2007

Women's HIV/AIDS conference delegates develop action plan to foster women's, girls' leadership in fight against disease

Delegates on Saturday at the close of the first International Women's Summit on Women's Leadership and HIV and AIDS in Nairobi, Kenya, released a 10-point action plan that aims to foster leadership roles of women and girls in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Nation/AllAfrica.com reports.

10 Jul 2007

El Salvador needs to take increased HIV/AIDS control efforts

Although health officials in El Salvador have launched an HIV testing campaign in the country, some advocates say that the country needs to take increased efforts to control the growing number of HIV cases in the country, Inter Press Service reports.

10 Jul 2007

Etravirine reduces HIV viral loads when taken with Prezista

The experimental antiretroviral drug etravirine, made by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, greatly reduces HIV viral loads in people with a history of drug resistance when taken in combination with Tibotec's antiretroviral Prezista, according to two studies published Saturday in the journal The Lancet.

10 Jul 2007

Federal farm bill includes funds for critical access hospitals in rural areas

Rural Pennsylvania hospitals are "eagerly awaiting passage" of the federal 2007 Farm Bill (HR 2419), which would provide about $1.6 billion to critical access hospitals that serve rural populations across the U.S., the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

10 Jul 2007

Competitive marketplace key to successful U.S. health care system

The U.S. health care system "is in need of serious reform, but the solution is not Cuban-style socialized medicine, as Michael Moore advocates in his new film 'Sicko,'" HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

10 Jul 2007

Democrats work to reauthorize, expand SCHIP while Bush administration tries to limit program growth

Congressional efforts to reauthorize SCHIP, which expires on Sept. 30, are "intensifying," but the Bush administration "has taken several steps to slow momentum for expansion of the program," the New York Times reports (Pear, New York Times, 7/9).

10 Jul 2007

Health care 'staking claim to center stage' on national agenda

Health care "is rising on the national agenda, but at least four things need to happen for this debate not to end in failure in the new Congress in 2009, as the last debate did in 1994," Drew Altman, president and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation, writes in a Boston Globe opinion piece.

10 Jul 2007

Delays in cancer diagnosis for children remain poorly understood

Though delays in the diagnosis of cancer in children are short and attributable to clinical presentation and healthcare system complexity, the impact of such delays on prognosis remains unclear, according to a new study.

10 Jul 2007

Racial differences in severity of breast cancer presentation confirmed

African-American women are diagnosed with more advanced breast cancer than Caucasians, according to a new, single hospital study.

10 Jul 2007

Easing agonising deaths of terminally ill babies "tantamount to euthanasia"

A doctor in Scotland who gave a paralysing drug to two terminally ill babies, has told a General Medical Council (GMC) panel he felt the children were suffering.

10 Jul 2007

Anti-smoking drug Chantix works for alcohol too

According to researchers a popular anti-smoking pill may also curb the urge to drink alcohol.

10 Jul 2007

Use of sleeping pills in hospital leads to dependence for many seniors

A new study has produced some worrying results regarding the use of sleeping pills in the elderly.

10 Jul 2007

Unhealthy teen diet increases asthma risk

According to a new study teenagers who have an unhealthy and unbalanced diet may be more prone to respiratory problems such as asthma.

10 Jul 2007

More muscle for the argument to give up smoking

Researchers at The University of Nottingham have got more bad news for smokers. Not only does it cause cancer, heart attacks and strokes but smokers will also lose more muscle mass in old age than a non-smoker. The effect of this predisposes smokers to an accelerated decline in physical function and loss of independence.

9 Jul 2007