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Hearing scheduled this week for closely watched health law challenge in Florida

Lawmakers and others are closely watching a lawsuit brought in Florida by a pair of conservative Washington, D.C., lawyers that challenges the health reform law as bearing a possibility of what the future will bring for the overhaul. The Wall Street Journal reports that the suit, "filed in Florida by David Rivkin and Lee Casey, is one of a handful of challenges lodged against the law in recent months.

13 Sep 2010

First Edition: September 13, 2010

In this morning's news, many in Congress are pushing for repeal of a tax provision in the health law that critics say places a heavy burden on small businesses. Meanwhile, opponents of the overhaul are focused on a Florida court hearing.

13 Sep 2010

Calif. regulators seek $9.9 billion fine from insurer; Few Iowans sign up for high risk pool; N.D. Court rejects ballot measure on drug store ownership

California regulators are seeking fines of up to $9.9 billion from a unit of health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc, citing mismanaged medical claims, failure to pay doctors and other lapses.

10 Sep 2010

WHO forum to review developing country access to life-saving medical devices

More than 350 leading health experts from over 100 countries meet today at a World Health Organization (WHO) forum in Bangkok, Thailand to review new evidence and agree ways to improve developing country access to life-saving medical devices.

9 Sep 2010

Indiana State Legislators holds hearing to improve methamphetamine production

Today, the Indiana State Legislature's Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee is holding a hearing on how the state can improve its policies for preventing the illegal diversion of pseudoephedrine (PSE) a key ingredient in leading cold and allergy medicines for methamphetamine production.

9 Sep 2010

Researchers identify two proteins in cellular response to mechanical stimulation

Scripps Research Institute scientists have identified two proteins with potential to be important targets for research into a wide range of health problems, including pain, deafness, and cardiac and kidney dysfunction.

3 Sep 2010

Study finds source of tetracycline from bone analysis of Nubians

A chemical analysis of the bones of ancient Nubians shows that they were regularly consuming tetracycline, most likely in their beer. The finding is the strongest evidence yet that the art of making antibiotics, which officially dates to the discovery of penicillin in 1928, was common practice nearly 2,000 years ago.

3 Sep 2010

Survey: 65% of parents look to schools to help reinforce importance of oral health

Two-thirds (65%) of parents are looking to schools to help reinforce the importance of oral health, saying it is extremely or very important for schools to teach children about taking care of their teeth, according to a new public opinion survey commissioned by Oral Health America.

2 Sep 2010

NAMI provides new dimension to Hearts & Minds initiative

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is providing a new dimension to its Hearts & Minds initiative, an educational program that promotes "mind and body" health practices for individuals who live with mental illness.

2 Sep 2010

VA prepares to expand Agent Orange related claims for Vietnam veterans

The Washington Post: "The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing for more than 150,000 Vietnam War veterans to apply for benefits in the next 18 months thanks to new regulations making it easier to compensate for health problems caused by exposure to the Vietnam-era defoliant Agent Orange. Changes set for publication in Tuesday's Federal Register could result in payouts of about $42 billion in the next decade, VA said.

2 Sep 2010

Sonomax and Solar Ear Brazil sign Term Sheet to develop hearing aids

Sonomax Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce that it has signed a Term Sheet with Brazil based Solar Ear. Under the terms of the agreement, Sonomax will adapt it's V4 earmold so that it can be paired with Solar Ear's BTE (Behind-the-ear) hearing aids and supported by Solar Ear's unique solar chargers. The hearing aids resulting from the marriage of these leading edge technologies will be for distribution throughout the developing world.

31 Aug 2010

Personal listening devices can impair hearing: Study

Personal listening devices like iPods have become increasingly popular among young and not so young people in recent years. But music played through headphones too loud or too long might pose a significant risk to hearing, according to a 24-year study of adolescent girls.

31 Aug 2010

Liberal health reform group pushing hard to save lawmakers, Berwick won't disclose donors

Politico: The liberal health group Health Care for America Now is "fighting hard to help reelect lawmakers who voted for the [health reform] bill — even if it means not talking about it. … HCAN activists say they are not dodging their key issue; rather, they want to keep pace with voter concerns, which have markedly shifted over the past year.

31 Aug 2010

VA's liabilities grow as agency expands list of diseases linked to Agent Orange

Politico looks at a new fight brewing over Agent Orange and how it affects programs for Vietnam Veterans. "It's a world turned upside-down from decades ago when returning soldiers had to fight to get attention for deadly lymphomas linked to the herbicide. Now the frailties of men in their 60s — prostate cancer, diabetes, heart disease — lead the list of qualified Agent Orange disabilities, and the result has been an explosion in claims — and the government's liability.

31 Aug 2010

Otonomy announces closing of $38.5 million Series B financing

Otonomy, Inc. announced today that it has closed a $38.5 million Series B financing co-led by Novo Ventures and RiverVest Venture Partners, and joined by Domain Associates and TPG Biotech. This financing is incremental to the $10 million Series A closed with Avalon Ventures in June 2010. Avalon also participated in the Series B round.

30 Aug 2010

Cell-to-cell signaling pathway that designates future location of ear's sensory organs tracked

Researchers have tracked a cell-to-cell signaling pathway that designates the future location of the ear's sensory organs in embryonic mice. The scientists succeeded in activating this signal more widely across the embryonic tissue that becomes the inner ear. Patches of sensory structures began growing in spots where they don't normally appear.

30 Aug 2010

Auditory neurons accept first sound, ignore subsequent reverberations: Study

Voices carry, reflect off objects and create echoes. Most people rarely hear the echoes; instead they only process the first sound received. For the hard of hearing, though, being in an acoustically challenging room can be a problem. For them, echoes carry.

27 Aug 2010

NICE suggests bortezomib, thalidomide for multiple myeloma patients

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has released draft guidance which recommends the drugs bortezomib and thalidomide as first-line therapies for some patients with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that affects cells in the bone marrow.

27 Aug 2010

SOECIC announces UK's first operation to fit single cochlear implant to give sound in both ears

The UK's first operation to fit a single cochlear implant capable of giving sound in both ears takes place this Friday (27 August), thanks to the work of the South of England Cochlear Implant Centre (SOECIC), based at the University of Southampton.

26 Aug 2010

Panasonic introduces digital hearing instruments in U.S. market

Panasonic Corporation of North America, today announced that Panasonic Hearing instruments have been delivered to the U.S. market. The company is debuting three types of digital hearing instruments, including a new form factor that resembles the style of an MP3 player, a receiver-in-canal and behind-the-ear models. Panasonic is currently establishing a distribution network throughout the U.S.

From PHC Europe B.V. 26 Aug 2010