Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Causes of hepatitis and potential therapies that may improve care presented in study

Hepatitis, a potentially serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the liver, is a major problem worldwide. Hepatitis A is generally food-borne, while hepatitis B and C spread primarily through parenteral or sexual routes. Hepatitis B and C can be life-long, potentially deadly chronic infections.

19 May 2004

Accurate and effective new methods for diagnosis of Inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases collectively cause significant lifestyle sacrifices and suffering and millions of dollars in related health care costs every year, partially due to a lack of effective diagnostic procedures and therapies. In new studies presented today at Digestive Disease Week in New Orleans, researchers show evidence of accurate and effective new methods for diagnosis, as well as improved treatment options, for sufferers of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s diseases.

19 May 2004

Studies identify risk factors for colon cancer in women

In new studies presented today at Digestive Disease Week in New Orleans, scientists report that women’s preferences for a female physician may delay or prevent proper colorectal screenings due to a lack of females in the field and diabetes may be a significant risk factor for development of colon cancer.

19 May 2004

Caffeinated beverages may benefit some people who are at high-risk for liver disease

According to new research presented today at Digestive Disease Week, drinking caffeinated beverages may benefit some people who are at high-risk for liver disease. Conversely, a study by researchers from India found that soda drinkers, who represent a huge percentage of the American population, may actually have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer.

19 May 2004

Fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children has distinct characteristics different from those found in adults

Potentially life-threatening non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children has distinct characteristics, often different from those found in adults, according to a University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine study led by Jeffrey Schwimmer, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics.

19 May 2004

Study comparing the efficacy of REMICADE® to Azathioprine alone and in combination With REMICADE®

Centocor, Inc., and Schering-Plough Corporation announced today the initiation of the SONIC (Study of Immunomodulator Naive patients in Crohn's Disease) trial that will evaluate the efficacy of REMICADE® (infliximab) versus azathioprine, a conventional immunosuppressive agent, alone and versus the combination of both drugs for the treatment of patients with Crohn's disease.

18 May 2004

1 in every 10 children worldwide is obese

In a comprehensive dossier revealing how the global obesity epidemic is affecting children, the International ObesityTaskForce says that one in 10 children is overweight, a total of 155 million. Around 30-45 million within that figure are classified as obese - accounting for 2-3% of the world’s children aged 5-17. A further 22 million younger children are also affected according to previous IOTF global estimates based on WHO data for under fives.

13 May 2004

Researchers receive almost £1 million in funding for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Researchers at The University of Nottingham, England have picked up almost £1 million in funding for a number of studies into a painful and distressing bowel condition that will affect up to one in 10 of the population at some time or another.

11 May 2004

New license agreement for rotavirus diarrhea vaccine

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today a new license agreement aimed at helping to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths annually from rotavirus diarrhea in children living in developing countries.

4 May 2004

FDA updates Zelnorm labeling a treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the addition of new risk information to the health professional labeling for Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate). Zelnorm is a prescription medication for the short-term treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) whose primary bowel symptom is constipation.

30 Apr 2004

Focusing on soft drinks is the next logical step in the war against pediatric obesity

According to a year-long study of 644 children aged between 7 and 11 in six primary schools in Christchurch, England – outlined this week on the website of the British Medical Journal – a one-year campaign to curb soft drink intake led to a decrease in the percentage of those children who were overweight or obese.

23 Apr 2004

500,000 patients have now been treated with REMICADE® worldwide

Centocor, Inc., announced today that more than a half million patients worldwide have now been treated with the anti-TNF agent REMICADE® (infliximab) since it was introduced in the United States five years ago.

21 Apr 2004

New research findings about T-cell transport shed light on immune system

New research findings about T-cell transport shed light on how the normal immune system functions and could have implications in fighting autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, say researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

20 Apr 2004

CT colonography not presently a viable option for colorectal cancer screening

Findings of a new multicenter study by Cotton et al. published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association comparing standard colonoscopy with CT colonography for the detection of colorectal cancer reveal that this technology, in the form used most often in the United States, while of significant interest, is not presently a viable option for routine colorectal cancer screening.

14 Apr 2004

Growth hormones combat Crohn’s disease, cardiac disorders and improve fertility in invitro fertilisation

New treatments for breast cancer, skin and wound healing and obesity will be revealed at an international conference in Cairns, Australia next week.

13 Apr 2004

CT colonography lacks the sensitivity of conventional colonoscopy

A new study published in JAMA on CT colonography or 'virtual' colonoscopy using 2-D imaging finds that this test lacks the sensitivity and specificity of conventional colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. Study co-author and American College of Gastroenterology President Douglas K. Rex, M.D. is available for interviews.

13 Apr 2004

Coronary stent drives Johnson & Johnson to record profits

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales for the first quarter of $11.6 billion, an increase of 17.7% over the prior year. The increase represented operational growth of 12.3% and a currency impact of 5.4%. Domestic sales were up 15.1%, while international sales increased 21.8%, including operational growth of 7.8% and a positive currency impact of 14.0%.

13 Apr 2004

FDA accepts REMICADE® (infliximab) for the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis

Centocor, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its filing of a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for REMICADE® (infliximab) as first-line therapy, in combination with methotrexate, for the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with moderately-to-severely active disease. REMICADE®, in combination with methotrexate, is currently indicated in the U.S. for reducing signs and symptoms, inhibiting the progression of structural damage and improving physical function in patients with moderately-to-severely active RA who have had an inadequate response to methotrexate alone.

6 Apr 2004

Phase 3 study of drug teduglutide in patients with short bowel syndrome

Teduglutide is an analog of glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2), a naturally occurring hormone that regulates the growth, proliferation and maintenance of cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. Teduglutide has been shown in animal studies and previous human clinical trials to increase the size and number of these cells, thereby increasing the absorptive surface area of the intestines.

6 Apr 2004

Michigan opens new center to treat exposure to Vermiculite, Taconite, Asbestos

In response to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) identification of major sources of public asbestos exposure in Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (COEM) affiliated with Wayne State University (WSU) have joined forces to establish The National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers.

5 Apr 2004