Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

NCH opens first suburban ambulatory surgery center

Nationwide Children's Hospital has opened its first suburban ambulatory surgery center. Located in Westerville, Ohio, the center is an extension of the current surgical services on the main campus, one that gives families an option for convenient access to a full spectrum of pediatric outpatient surgical services.

25 Apr 2012

Study: hUC-MSCs reduce inflammation that causes colitis

When laboratory mice were modeled with colitis and treated with human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal cells, the cells homed in on the inflamed colon and effectively ameliorated colitis, reported a study published in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation.

24 Apr 2012

Nephros granted rights to market products based on Medica's Medisulfone ultrafiltration technology

Nephros, Inc., a medical device company developing and marketing filtration products for therapeutic applications, infection control, and advanced water purification solutions, today announced that the company has entered into a strategic license and supply agreement with Medica S.p.A.

23 Apr 2012

Nano-devices cross blood-brain barrier to deliver drug to treat cerebral palsy

A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have developed nano-devices that successfully cross the brain-blood barrier and deliver a drug that tames brain-damaging inflammation in rabbits with cerebral palsy.

23 Apr 2012

FDA extends review period for linaclotide NDA to treat constipation

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Forest Laboratories, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified the companies that it will require a three-month extension to complete its review of the data supporting the New Drug Application (NDA) for linaclotide for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and chronic constipation (CC).

23 Apr 2012

FDA warns about contaminated ultrasound gel

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings for doctors, hospitals and clinics regarding contaminated ultrasound gel produced by a New Jersey company that infected 16 cardiac patients and could pose serious risks to pregnant women and others who undergo ultrasound imaging and treatment.

22 Apr 2012

K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital announces opening of new specialty care center

K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center is proud to announce the grand opening of K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital Specialty Care Center, a consolidated outpatient pediatric center serving as the new home of Meridian Pediatric Associates. The center provides pediatric specialty care services in a comfortable and friendly environment, and is an important first step of the hospital's new pediatric expansion project.

20 Apr 2012

New data shows consolidation of interferon-free revolution in HCV treatment

New data presented at the International Liver Congress 2012 shows consolidation of the interferon-free (IFN) revolution in HCV treatment. The much anticipated data from a number of clinical trials confirm that combinations of antivirals offer the hope of shorter, more effective treatment with fewer side effects.

20 Apr 2012

JSUMC launches Soiree at the Shore event

This year the Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation is proud to announce the launch of Soiree at the Shore, a new and exciting event taking the calendar date of the successful Runway on the River.

20 Apr 2012

NALFD patients with modest alcohol intake are half as likely to develop NASH

People with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD) who consume alcohol in modest amounts - no more than one or two servings per day - are half as likely to develop hepatitis as non-drinkers with the same condition, reports a national team of scientists led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

20 Apr 2012

Early intervention of biologic therapies improves outcome for Crohn's disease

A large-scale study of medical claims data shows that introducing sophisticated biologic therapies early in the course of treatment for Crohn's disease improves response to medication and reduces the need for surgery.

18 Apr 2012

TJUH opens new treatment center for Barrett's esophagus

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital announces the opening of its new Jefferson Barrett's Esophagus Treatment Center, one of only a few dedicated Barrett's centers in the country and the first multidisciplinary center solely dedicated to treating Barrett's esophagus disease in Philadelphia.

16 Apr 2012

Indomethacin given after digestive diagnostic procedure may prevent pancreatitis: Study

There is a high risk of pancreatitis after a diagnostic procedure - ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography). ERCP is a procedure that is commonly utilized to treat or diagnose problems of the bile and pancreatic ducts. During an ERCP procedure, a lighted scope is inserted through the mouth while X-ray pictures are taken to check the tubes that drain the liver, pancreas and gallbladder.

15 Apr 2012

PPIs improve sleep and daytime quality of life for sufferers of GERD

The use of proton pump inhibitors improves the sleep and daytime quality of life for sufferers of gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to a systematic literature review in the April 2012 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

12 Apr 2012

First clinical trial to clearly demonstrate effective prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis

A study in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine shows a serious complication of ERCP, a procedure commonly used to diagnose and treat problems of the bile and pancreatic ducts, may be eliminated with a single dose medication.

12 Apr 2012

Research explores power of offering colon cancer screening options

Researchers find that when given a choice of methods, more people will opt to get screened for colon cancer. Meanwhile, a separate study found that insurance coverage of lung cancer screenings for high-risk patients could prevent -- at a low cost -- thousands of deaths annually.

12 Apr 2012

Mayo Clinic to offer novel device for patients with GERD

Mayo Clinic in Florida will be one of the first health care institutions in the United States to offer a newly approved device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The condition, also known as acid reflux disease, can lead to serious health problems.

12 Apr 2012

Takeda enters definitive agreement to acquire URL Pharma

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and URL Pharma Inc. jointly announced that Takeda's wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda America Holdings, Inc. and URL Pharma have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire URL Pharma – a privately-held pharmaceutical company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for an upfront payment of $800 million and future performance-based contingent earn out payments.

12 Apr 2012

UCSD surgeon implants new INX device in a 29-year old patient with GERD

On Monday, April 9, Santiago Horgan, MD, chief of minimally invasive surgery at UC San Diego Health System implanted the new FDA-approved LINX device in a 29-year old patient suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic digestive disease that can lead to severe inflammation, stricture, Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer.

10 Apr 2012

Study explores link between intraoperative blood loss and pediatric patients' underlying condition

The relative risk of blood loss during corrective spine surgery in children appears linked to the underlying condition causing the spinal deformity, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

7 Apr 2012