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Recognizing reproductive rights as human rights

Noting the recognition of International Human Rights Day on December 9, Purnima Mane, president and CEO of Pathfinder International, writes in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, "Every person should be able to make decisions about her or his body," making reproductive rights a human rights issue.

11 Dec 2012

Combination of ibrutinib and rituximab shows promise against chronic lymphocytic leukemia

A two-prong approach combining ibrutinib and rituximab (Rituxin) to treat aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) produced profound responses with minor side effects in a Phase 2 clinical trial at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

11 Dec 2012

SCOTUS agrees to hear 'pay-for-delay' drug case

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the legality of drug companies paying their generic-making counterparts to keep generic drugs -- in this case, a testosterone gel -- off the market.

11 Dec 2012

Research unveils key gaps in continuity of care for sickle cell patients

Research unveiling key gaps in continuity of care for sickle cell patients transitioning from pediatric to adult care will be presented this week during the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

11 Dec 2012

Aidspan publishes new issue of 'Global Fund Observer'

Aidspan, an independent watchdog of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, on Friday published Issue 205 of its "Global Fund Observer."

11 Dec 2012

Weill Cornell research team develops new experimental drug therapy to target DLBCL

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the seventh most frequently diagnosed cancer. The most chemotherapy resistant form of DLBCL, called activated B-cell - DLBCL (ABC-DLBCL), remains a major therapeutic challenge.

11 Dec 2012

Administration: No enhanced match for partial Medicaid expansion

The Obama administration filled in a key detail of what states must do to receive full federal funding for an expansion of Medicaid under the 2010 health law. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a letter sent Monday to governors that states cannot partially expand their Medicaid programs and get full federal funding.

11 Dec 2012

Link between internet use and reduced cancer fatalism

Many Americans have fatalistic views on cancer prevention-they believe that getting cancer is a matter of luck or fate. Recent research, published in the Journal of Communication, found that people who use the internet to inquire about their health are more likely to have a positive outlook on cancer prevention and diagnosis.

11 Dec 2012

GlobalPost series examines HIV/AIDS in European, MENA regions

As part of its ongoing series, titled "The State of AIDS," GlobalPost published two articles examining the epidemic in different regions. In Eastern Europe, rates of HIV/AIDS diagnoses have risen in several countries, including Ukraine and Russia, according to the first article, which discusses some of the potential reasons for the increases.

11 Dec 2012

uniQure commences acute intermittent porphyria Phase I clinical trial

uniQure B.V., a leader in the field of human gene therapy, today announced the start of its Phase I clinical trial in acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) with the treatment of the first patient.

11 Dec 2012

GAVI Alliance to support 30M HPV vaccinations among girls by 2020

"In an effort to fight the human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer, more than 30 million girls will be immunized against HPV by 2020 with GAVI support, the global health alliance announced on Thursday," Xinhua/Global Times reports.

11 Dec 2012

Quizartinib shows promise against acute myeloid leukemia in Phase II trial

A new drug for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) marked by a specific type of genetic mutation has shown surprising promise in a Phase II clinical trial.

11 Dec 2012

PEPFAR blueprint relies on science to inform policies, SciDev.Net reports

"Science is at the center of efforts to design and implement more effective preventative and care programs for HIV/AIDS set out in a blueprint published by a U.S. government initiative that fights the disease," SciDev.Net reports, referencing the PEPFAR Blueprint: Creating an AIDS-free Generation that was released November 29.

11 Dec 2012

Magnetic resonance ultrasound fusion biopsy may improve prostate cancer diagnosis

Diagnosis of prostate cancer remains imperfect. Current methods of prostate biopsy are limited by over detection of slow-growing tumors and under detection of clinically relevant cancers. Investigators at the University of California-Los Angeles Department of Urology have found that a new technique of targeted biopsy in a clinic setting, using local anesthesia, may improve diagnosis and aid in selecting which patients are suitable for active surveillance and which need focal therapy (noninvasive techniques for destroying small tumors within the prostate).

11 Dec 2012

Governments, donors should follow PMI model of testing drugs for quality

"[W]e are losing the global fight against bad medicines," and though "[s]ome progress is being made," the "problem is that ... crackdowns tend to focus on counterfeit drugs" while a "much bigger public health problem ... is substandard drugs that are the result of shoddy manufacturing and handling -- or perhaps worse, deliberate corner-cutting," Roger Bate, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, writes in an opinion piece in The Hill's "Congress Blog."

11 Dec 2012