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Brain changes in problem gamblers make it hard to quit habit

People who gamble frequently may experience brain changes that make it extremely difficult for them to give up the habit.

19 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Working for benefits; fears for a pill to prevent HIV; possible Medicaid strategy for Virginia

[Economist Robert] Moffitt noted in an email that "the work incentives in the government safety net have greatly increased over the last 20 years: less welfare payments if you don't work, and much greater government payments if you do."

19 Jun 2014

New article explores ethical issues and global health impact of counterterrorism

The surge in murders of polio vaccination workers in Pakistan has made headlines this year, but little attention has been devoted to the ethical issues surrounding the global health impact of current counterterrorism policy and practice. An essay in the Hastings Center Report reviews the range of harms to population health traceable to counterterrorism operations.

19 Jun 2014

Apitope starts preclinical development of ATX-GD-459 for Graves' disease treatment

Apitope, the drug discovery and development company focused on disease-modifying treatments for patients with autoimmune and allergic diseases, announced today that it has started preclinical development of its novel peptide therapy ATX-GD-459 for the treatment of Graves' disease.

19 Jun 2014

State highlights: Illinois Medicaid digital shift delayed; N.C. hospitals fight cuts; heroin in New England

Alexian Brothers Health System is suspending its effort to launch a new Medicaid program, blaming the difficulty of connecting physicians using different electronic records systems. The Arlington Heights, Ill.-based health system was spearheading a so-called accountable care entity (ACE) to coordinate the care of about 46,000 patients on Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled. The ACEs are a form of managed care, one of Gov. Pat Quinn's initiatives to focus on preventative treatment to keep patients healthy and reduce health care costs (Schorsch, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

UT Arlington researchers use portable device to map brain activity responses during cognitive activities

UT Arlington researchers have successfully used a portable brain-mapping device to show limited prefrontal cortex activity among student veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when they were asked to recall information from simple memorization tasks.

19 Jun 2014

Debiopharm launches Phase 1 study of anti-infective agent Debio 1450

Debiopharm Group, a Swiss-based global biopharmaceutical company developing prescription drugs that target unmet medical needs as well as companion diagnostics, today announced the launch of a Phase 1 dose-escalation study of Debio 1450 (previously known as AFN-1720), a highly potent anti-infective agent that is selectively active against a large number of Staphylococcus species, including all known resistant strains such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA).

19 Jun 2014

Takeda decides to terminate development of orteronel for prostate cancer

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced today that it has voluntarily decided to end the development program for orteronel (TAK-700) for prostate cancer. The decision follows the results of two Phase 3 clinical trials in metastatic, castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

19 Jun 2014

BIND Therapeutics inks research agreement with Roche to discover novel nanomedicines

BIND Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage nanomedicine platform company developing targeted and programmable therapeutics called Accurins, today announced that it has entered into a research agreement with Roche to discover novel nanomedicines using Accurins for the treatment of diseases in therapeutic areas outside of oncology.

19 Jun 2014

African American women with invasive breast cancer less likely to receive invasive technique

African American women with early stage, invasive breast cancer were 12 percent less likely than Caucasian women with the same diagnosis to receive a minimally invasive technique, axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, even as the procedure had become the standard of surgical practice, according to research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

19 Jun 2014

Yoga exercise program developed for patients living with pulmonary hypertension

A first-of-its-kind yoga exercise program has been developed by Henry Ford Hospital for patients living with pulmonary hypertension, a chronic lung disease that afflicts women at least two times more than men.

19 Jun 2014

Expanding coverage to under-26-year-olds made them healthier, saved money

Researchers found that one of the keystone provisions of the health law had a significant impact. Expanding the number of young adults with health insurance appears to have improved their health and saved them money, ...

19 Jun 2014

Fireworks, public transportation, construction sites can induce hearing loss

Summer sounds include much more than crickets chirping. Outdoor concerts, parades, 4th of July fireworks, public transportation and construction sites all have one thing in common.

19 Jun 2014

Public website promotes health and science applications of 3D printing

The National Institutes of Health has launched the NIH 3D Print Exchange, a public website that enables users to share, download and edit 3D print files related to health and science.

19 Jun 2014

Medicare faces cost tension with lawmakers, advocates

More than 130 lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to expand coverage for a lung-cancer test under Medicare that could cost the program billons, calling the screening important for vulnerable seniors. In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the lawmakers called for a timely decision on coverage for low-dose CT scans for older patients at higher risk of developing lung cancer. ... A CMS spokesman said the agency's decision will be based on whether the test is "reasonable and necessary," without regard to its cost to Medicare (Yen, 6/17).

19 Jun 2014

Researchers develop new model of neural network

A newly-developed, highly accurate representation of the way in which neurons behave when performing movements such as reaching could not only enhance understanding of the complex dynamics at work in the brain, but aid in the development of robotic limbs which are capable of more complex and natural movements.

19 Jun 2014

Study: Watching violent TV shows alters the brain

Young adult men who watched more violence on television showed indications of less mature brain development and poorer executive functioning, according to the results of an Indiana University School of Medicine study published online in the journal Brain and Cognition.

19 Jun 2014

Feds join whistleblower suit against doctors' company

The Justice Department says in a lawsuit that IPC The Hospitalist Co., which assigns doctors to hospitals in 28 states, bilked Medicare and Medicaid by billing for more expensive care than was provided.

19 Jun 2014

Study demonstrates cost-effectiveness of Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation

In a recent study published in Tobacco Control, researchers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute have demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation (OMSC), an intervention that includes in-hospital counseling, pharmacotherapy and post-hospital follow-up, compared to usual care among smokers hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

19 Jun 2014

NCCN Reimbursement Resource App now available for patients and caregivers

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network announces the availability of the NCCN Reimbursement Resource App, a free resource through which patients with cancer, providers, case managers, and payers can search for available reimbursement resources and patient assistance programs for multiple cancer types and supportive care indications.

19 Jun 2014