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Program reduces cervical cancer deaths among HIV-infected women in Zambia

A new study undertaken in Zambia shows that, using setting-appropriate human resources and technology, morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer among HIV-infected women can be reduced. The study’s lead author is Dr Groesbeck Parham, Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia’s Cervical Cancer Prevention Program. The research was published in the December issue of HIV Therapy.

14 Dec 2010

Health report card for NSW

The latest report on NSW health shows that it is better than most in heart disease and cancer statistics. However 60% of the state are overweight or obese says the report and 70% of the NSW adults say they have been diagnosed with long-term illnesses.

14 Dec 2010

World's first remote 3D keyhole surgery to be performed at University of Surrey

Doctors will shortly be performing the world's first remote 3D keyhole surgery during a symposium at the University of Surrey. Keyhole surgery - where doctors operate on organs through a tiny incision - reduces the length of hospital stays and post-operative complications. This also means that patients experience less scarring and pain. 3D keyhole surgery is a state-of-the-art extension of standard keyhole surgery that uses 3D cameras like those used to make the film 'Avatar'. It puts the surgeon right inside the patient's body and significantly improves accuracy.

14 Dec 2010

Tolerx commences TRX518 Phase 1 trial in malignant melanoma

Tolerx, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer by modulating T cell activity, today announced that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic profiles of TRX518, a monoclonal antibody designed to enhance the immune system by enabling T cells to more effectively attack cancer cells.

14 Dec 2010

DARPA awards Pulmatrix $5.7 million grant to advance iCALM therapies

Pulmatrix, a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing a new class of therapies for the prevention, treatment and control of respiratory diseases, today announced that it has been awarded a grant for $5.7 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a component of the Department of Defense (DOD), focused on identifying and advancing novel technologies to support defense of our nation's soldiers and civilian population.

14 Dec 2010

Provectus commences PH-10 Phase 2c trial for psoriasis

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has initiated a Phase 2c clinical trial of PH-10 for psoriasis. This multicenter, randomized controlled Phase 2c study is expected to enroll up to 90 subjects at four different sites, beginning in late December.

14 Dec 2010

First Edition: December 14, 2010

Today's headlines detail yesterday's ruling by a federal court judge in Virginia that strikes at a key part of the health law.

14 Dec 2010

60% of Americans concerned about negative health impact of beverages

A recent BeveragePulse.com study by Concept Catalysts and iModerate Research Technologies, found that 60% of Americans are concerned about the negative health impact of the beverages they drink and the majority of them will be drinking healthier beverages in the next 12 months. The study also shows that health concerns are the primary driver of recent changes in what consumers buy and drink and will remain the main driver of change for some time to come. Currently, 74% of Americans do not think that beverage companies are concerned about their health.

14 Dec 2010

Concordia sociologist documents men's changing and increasingly confusing roles

"Man up!" is an emerging expression whose significance has become loaded in our society, according to Anthony Synnott, a professor at the Concordia University Department of Sociology and Anthropology. In his most recent book, Re-Thinking Men: Heroes, Villains and Victims (Ashgate), Synnott documents the increasingly confusing roles men are to assume in society.

14 Dec 2010

Life Technologies announces launch of Ion Personal Genome Machine sequencer

Life Technologies Corporation, a provider of innovative life science solutions, today announced that it has launched its Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM™) sequencer, the first product to use semiconductor sequencing technology. The sequencer is shipping to select sites in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

14 Dec 2010

Workplace interactions may educate people about organ donation process

Face-to-face workplace interactions may be the best way to educate and encourage people to consider becoming organ donors, according to new research from Purdue University.

14 Dec 2010

Strength training exercise program for seniors provides sustained cognitive, economic benefits

A one-year follow-up study on seniors who participated in a strength training exercise program shows sustained cognitive benefits as well as savings for the healthcare system. The research, conducted at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at Vancouver Coastal Health and the University of British Columbia, is published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

14 Dec 2010

Rheumatologists raise awareness on early diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory arthritis

In people who develop symptoms of inflammatory arthritis, early diagnosis and treatment can have a significant impact on the course of disease—in some cases even preventing deformity and loss of function from rheumatoid arthritis, according to an article in the December issue of JCR: Journal of Clinical Rheumatology.

14 Dec 2010

Preliminary results from Phase 1b/2a trial of MediciNova's ibudilast in opioid addicts announced

Drug addiction investigators with joint appointments at Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute along with MediciNova Inc, a biopharmaceutical company publicly traded on the Nasdaq Global Market and the Jasdaq Market of the Osaka Securities Exchange, today reported preliminary results of the company's neurological drug candidate, ibudilast (MN-166/AV411), in a Phase 1b/2a trial in opioid addicts. The study was largely funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) with MediciNova supplementation.

14 Dec 2010

Response Genetics presents two gene expression analysis for personalized cancer tharapy selection

Response Genetics Inc., a company focused on the development and sale of molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, announced the results of two separate analyses at national medical conferences.

14 Dec 2010

Series of papers highlights challenges with moving African-developed drugs, technology forward

"Africa is struggling to turn local discoveries into drugs and other health care inventions," according to studies published in Science and BMC International Health and Human Rights, Nature News reports (Nordling, 12/12).

14 Dec 2010

Grey's Anatomy features patient with von Hippel-Lindau disease

The second episode in a three-part series on Grey's Anatomy features a patient with von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL). The next new episode in the show is expected to air on January 6. The first episode, "Adrift and at Peace," aired Dec. 2.

14 Dec 2010

Neonaticide is more common than previously thought

Although rare, the true incidence of neonaticides - the unlawful killing of a baby within the first 24 hours of its life - is more than five times as common as official estimates suggest, suggests research published online in the Fetal and Neonatal edition of the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

14 Dec 2010

NIST publishes guides to support EHR system developers

Two new publications from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are intended to help developers of software and computer systems for doctors' offices, clinics, and hospitals improve the ease of use of electronic health records (EHRs). These publications are part of a federal effort, led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to help providers adopt and use EHRs that can bring about broad quality improvements and cost savings in the health care system.

14 Dec 2010

Pruritic nodules and aluminium allergy arise after vaccinations or treatments for allergies

Allergic contact dermatitis from aluminium has previously been considered very unusual. However, there are now reports of pruritic nodules and aluminium allergy arising after vaccinations or treatments for allergies.

14 Dec 2010