Medical News

RSS

Taxotere combined with standard chemotherapy improves survival in advanced head and neck cancers

The addition of docetaxel (Taxotere) to an initial chemotherapy regimen for inoperable head and neck cancers reduced mortality by nearly 30 percent over three years following treatment compared to the standard two-drug combination.

5 Jun 2006

Cutera settles patent litigation with Palomar

Cutera today announced that it has settled all patent infringement lawsuits with Palomar Medical Technologies, Inc.

5 Jun 2006

School-based obesity interventions may need to be tailored by gender

A study of 17,000 U.S. adolescents finds that black and Hispanic girls are less physically active than white girls, but that this difference is attributable to the schools they attend

5 Jun 2006

Heel prick test can cause unnecessary parental stress

Virtually all babies in the U.S. have their heels pricked soon after birth to get a blood sample for genetic testing.

5 Jun 2006

West Nile virus DNA vaccine shows promise in phase 1 trial

Vical Incorporated has announced that in a Phase 1 clinical trial, a West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine candidate administered using Vical's proprietary DNA delivery technology was safe and well tolerated

5 Jun 2006

HHS awards BioShield contract heptavalent botulism antitoxin

HHS has awarded a contract to the Cangene Corporation in the amount of $362,641,105 for 200,000 doses of Heptavalent Botulism Antitoxin.

5 Jun 2006

Migrating wild birds play a key role in transporting highly pathogenic avian influenza

Migrating wild birds have played and will likely continue to play a role in transporting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, or bird flu, over long distances.

5 Jun 2006

SuperGen receives patent for composition and method for treating graft-versus-host disease

SuperGen has announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 7,037,900 B2 entitled, "Composition and Method for Treating Graft-versus-Host Disease."

5 Jun 2006

Bone research in space

On June 2, 2006, space explorers and earth-bound medical experts shared research findings on immobility and bone health at the Bone Research in Space Symposium

5 Jun 2006

HERA trial continues to demonstrate significant patient benefits from Herceptin

New 23-month follow-up data from HERA, one of the largest breast cancer trials ever carried out, show that Herceptin (trastuzumab) following standard chemotherapy significantly reduced the risk of death by 34% for women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer.

5 Jun 2006

Genes variations raise risk of heart disease after treatment for childhood cancer

Gene variations may raise the risk that survivors of childhood cancer will suffer congestive heart failure as a complication of drugs they received during cancer treatment.

5 Jun 2006

New data show Enzastaurin's activity across multiple cancer cell lines

Eli Lilly and Company's enzastaurin, an investigational, multi-targeted therapy that is currently the focus of two global Phase III clinical trials, one for the treatment of glioblastoma and one in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

5 Jun 2006

Female genital mutilation exposes women and babies to significant risk at childbirth

Women who have had Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are significantly more likely to experience difficulties during childbirth and that their babies are more likely to die as a result of the practice.

4 Jun 2006

UK's first 'beating heart' transplant a success

Surgeons in the UK have successfully kept a human heart alive and beating outside the body, before it was transplanted into a patient.

4 Jun 2006

Humans are a cocktail of bacteria and human cells

Gene experts after studying the DNA of hundreds of different kinds of bacteria in the human gut have reached the conclusion that the human race may not be quite as human as we may think.

4 Jun 2006

How low should our cholesterol be and just how safe are statins?

Experts in Sweden are warning that the new U.S. recommendations for lowering cholesterol levels would increase the risk of harmful side effects with no overall reduction in deaths.

4 Jun 2006

Treatment with methadone or buprenorphine has led to a decline in the number of new heroin users in Zurich

According to newly published research Switzerland's policy of offering heroin addicts substitution treatment with methadone or buprenorphine has led to a decline in the number of new heroin users in Zurich.

4 Jun 2006

Indonesian bird flu death toll now up to 37

Confirmation by the World Health Organization that a 15-year-old boy who died in West Java, Indonesia last week, was the latest bird flu victim, takes Indonesia's confirmed deaths from the virus to 37.

4 Jun 2006

Siblings deaths may indicate another bird flu cluster in Indonesia

According to an Indonesian health ministry official, a 7-year-old Indonesian girl who died last week has tested positive for bird flu in local tests; the results have yet to be confirmed by a World Health Organisation-accredited laboratory in Hong Kong.

4 Jun 2006