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A revolutionary new plaster could help diabetics

The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) has given $220,000 US to researchers working on the new plaster, which contains a tiny pump to deliver insulin or other drugs.

11 Apr 2004

More Americans resorting to stomach-shrinking surgery

Americans are increasingly resorting to stomach-shrinking surgery so much so that health experts and insurance companies are becoming alarmed about the safety issues and cost of such operations.

11 Apr 2004

Government warns medicare drug card sponsors

Medicare card sponsors of drug discount cards who pay pharmacists to attract customers to their cards could violate federal fraud and abuse laws, health inspectors warned Friday.

10 Apr 2004

Natural medication shown to not always be a safe alternative to synthetic medication

The common perception that if medication is natural then it must be safe has recently come under fire from a researh by a Consumer Reports magazine. The consumer publication found a dozen herbal supplements, some banned in Asia, Europe and Canada but widely available in the United States, may cause cancer, kidney or liver damage and even death.

10 Apr 2004

Trials of antidepressants for children consistently exaggerated their benefits while playing down their possible harm

Antidepressants should not be used to treat children and teenagers, a controversial new Australian study has warned, saying clinical trials have exaggerated the benefits of the drugs and played down their side effects.

10 Apr 2004

Texan health care deficit of $582 million

Texan state health care officials announce programmes for low income families will make for a budget deficit of $582 million by the end of the financal year. Primarily due to an increased amount of services being provided. The current deficit almost equals the amount taken out of the Medicaid budget last year.

10 Apr 2004

Indevus announces agreement with Pliva for overactive bladder treatment drug

Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has entered into a co-promotion and licensing agreement with PLIVA d.d. through its specialty branded subsidiary, Odyssey Pharmaceuticals Inc., for the U.S. commercialization of SANCTURA™ (trospium chloride), under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for overactive bladder.

10 Apr 2004

Australian symposium on stroke and head injury

A condition which leaves some stroke and head injury victims unable to see half their world will be the subject of a one-day symposium being hosted by Southern Cross University (SCU) this week.

10 Apr 2004

Low carb diets should be avoided by growing children and adolescents

Even if you're not eating "low-carb," it's a good bet you at least know several people who are. Many people have found this the way to lose and maintain weight, while others argue that although you may see results, it could ultimately cause health problems such as heart disease. Most pediatricians would agree that a low-carb diet is not one a growing child should embrace.

9 Apr 2004

Generic ribavirin product launched in the United States

Schering-Plough Corporation has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Warrick Pharmaceuticals has launched a generic ribavirin product in the United States.

9 Apr 2004

A drug that improves function of retinal blood vessels may be able to reduce the risk of stroke

The small study found that endothelial function is abnormal in eye blood vessels of patients who have early-stage hypertension, but that treatment with an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) drug improves endothelial function. The endothelium is the lining of vessel walls and plays a key role in the vessels’ ability to relax and to constrict.

9 Apr 2004

Meningitis vaccination campaign in northeast Chad to fight epidemic

This weekend Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) will be launching a meningitis vaccination campaign to fight an epidemic of meningitis A that has broken out in northeast Chad. The vaccination effort, covering 200,000 people, will take place in the Iriba and Guéréda districts, already hosting tens of thousands of refugees who have fled the war-torn region of Darfur in Sudan.

9 Apr 2004

Roche announces new dosing strategy

Roche has announced results from a study demonstrating that the new boosted dosing regimen for its protease inhibitor Invirase(R) (saquinavir 1000 mg with ritonavir 100 mg twice-daily) has no significant interactions when it is co-administered with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (300 mg once-daily).

9 Apr 2004

DNA free radical damage research

Certain prostate cancer cell lines are unable to repair DNA damage caused by "free radicals," according to scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). This type of damage has been implicated before in the development of prostate cancer, but the new research provides the first solid evidence that the normal repair process is altered in prostate cancer cells, possibly leading to a cascade of events that culminate in further DNA damage and cellular dysfunction.

9 Apr 2004

Magnetic tweezers that can manipulate strands of DNA

An array of magnetic traps designed for manipulating individual biomolecules and measuring the ultrasmall forces that affect their behavior has been demonstrated by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

9 Apr 2004

New database for U.S. makers of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices

A new international database has been released that identifies measurement procedures and materials that will help U.S. makers of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices ensure that their products comply with European Union requirements.

9 Apr 2004

WHO update on Dengue fever in Indonesia

From 1 January to 4 April 2004 a total of 52,013, mainly hospitalized cases of dengue and 603 deaths have been registered with the Indonesian Ministry of Health. The overall case-fatality rate this year, particularly in Jakarta, has been lower than in previous years.

8 Apr 2004

WHO update on Meningococcal disease in Central African Republic

As of 31 March 2004, WHO has received reports of 43 cases and 7 deaths in the Central African Republic.

8 Apr 2004

Rare Burkina Faso strain of meningitis under control

A rare strain of meningitis, which re-emerged recently in Burkina Faso, would have left health authorities helpless just two years ago. Now, thanks to two years of work orchestrated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the strain (known as W135) has been rapidly identified and a mass action campaign is now controlling the outbreak.

8 Apr 2004

Hepatitis C wonder drug Ribasphere gets approval from FDA

The President and CEO of Three Rivers Pharmaceuticals, Donald J. Kerrish, RPh., stated, “The approval of Ribasphere™ marks a milestone in the treatment of HCV. Ribasphere™ is positioned to break down the economic barriers that have existed for the past decade in treating this chronic and potentially deadly disease.” Traditionally the cost of treatment for HCV can range from $20,000 – $25,000 annually. “Our aim is to bring affordable medicine to all individuals infected with this dreadful disease.” Mr. Kerrish continued.

8 Apr 2004