Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

pSivida intensifies research activities

Following extremely encouraging Phase IIa clinical trial results showing successful tumor regression and safety in man, nanotechnology pioneer pSivida Limited is intensifying development of its fully patented invention of nanostructured bioactive, biodegradable and biocompatible silicon (BioSilicon™) for multiple potential healthcare applications.

21 Mar 2005

Pushy Mums & Dads bad for kids!!

Clinical researchers from the Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, in a small study in Archives of Disease in Childhood, are suggesting that well intentioned, but pushy parents, intent on exercising their rights as healthcare consumers, can be bad for their children's health.

21 Mar 2005

Chrysler saves millions on workers healthcare

The Chrysler Group will save itself tens of millions of dollars in health costs through changes it has won from the United Auto Workers union while costing employees and their family up to $1,000 in health care deductibles, according to a deal reported in the Detroit News, which it said is outlined in a March 10 letter to workers, but not publicly announced by either the union or the company.

21 Mar 2005

Disfigured patients may be forced to forego surgery

Increasing insurance company denials, restrictions on covered procedures and a new tactic of excluding specific procedures may be forcing some adults and children to live with painful medical conditions or disfigurement. This restrictive access to care contributed to a 10 percent decline in reconstructive plastic surgery procedures in 2004, according to the latest statistics by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

21 Mar 2005

Demonstrating cost and clinical benefits critical to expansion of European seed brachytherapy markets

The nascent European seed brachytherapy market has been grappling with issues of high procedural and investment costs and a lack of local clinical evidence. However, growing evidence of the overall clinical and cost benefits of seed brachytherapy coupled with rising patient awareness is set to boost market expansion.

21 Mar 2005

African malaria comes to town

First, the bad news: urban malaria in Africa is becoming a major health problem and looks set to get worse.

17 Mar 2005

New set of standards to improve sexual health services in the NHS

A new set of clear recommended standards to improve sexual health services in the NHS have been jointly launched today by Public Health Minister Melanie Johnson and Ruth Lowbury of the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health.

16 Mar 2005

Wyeth responds to patent lawsuit ruling

Wyeth responded to the ruling today by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the case of Israel Bio-Engineering Project v. Amgen, Inc.

16 Mar 2005

Vasogen granted European patent in chronic heart failure

Vasogen today announced that it has been granted a European patent covering the use of its Celacade technology for the treatment of chronic heart failure, and has completed the registration procedure to bring it fully into force in all the major countries of Europe including the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Sweden.

15 Mar 2005

Lesbian body image differs from that of women overall

Over three-quarters of lesbian adults (77%) describe their body weight as overweight while 67% of all female adults surveyed describe their body weight as overweight.

15 Mar 2005

Research, advocacy and education must "close the gaps" in cardiovascular health disparities

Research, advocacy and education must "close the gaps" in cardiovascular health disparities among races, an American Heart Association writing group reports in today's special disparities issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Mar 2005

Blacks less likely to get expensive, newer heart treatments

Blacks who suffer the most common type of cardiac ischemia – non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome – are less likely than whites to receive expensive or newer evidence-based treatments, according to a report in a special disparities themed issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Mar 2005

Health care report cards may increase racial/ethnic disparities in bypass operations

Medical "report cards" intended to improve the quality of health care may sometimes reduce it for racial and ethnic minorities, according to a report in a special disparities themed issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Mar 2005

British restrictions on genetic testing and insurance extended

Britain's Health Secretary John Reid today announced that genetic test results used to predict possible future illness will not be used to deny people insurance.

14 Mar 2005

Taiwanese biotechnology industry expected to reach US$1.9 billion in 2010

The Taiwanese biotechnology industry has started off on the right note with the introduction of several innovative biotechnology-related products and is all set to capitalize on this lead.

14 Mar 2005

Genetic factors may play a significant role in the racial differences encountered in the epidemiology of breast cancer

A new review finds similarities between the clinical presentation and course of breast cancer in Africans and African-Americans, suggesting that genetic factors may play a significant role in the racial differences encountered in the epidemiology of breast cancer in America.

14 Mar 2005

New NHS payment system has already run into problems and requires careful monitoring

The new NHS payment system has already run into problems and requires careful monitoring, say researchers at Dr Foster in this week's BMJ.

13 Mar 2005

Unequal healthcare kills 80,000 black Americans

Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher said this week that over 80,000 black Americans die every year because of disparities in health care. Despite government and public and insurance companies knowledge of this shortchange in health care for blacks, they have done little to improve the situation.

10 Mar 2005

Africa faces potential increases in breast cancer rates

9 Mar 2005

Medicaid enrollment at late stages may partly explain poor outcomes for cancer

A new study concludes that the unavailability of health insurance prior to Medicaid enrollment may contribute to poor outcomes in the Medicaid-insured cancer population.

9 Mar 2005