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New study reinforces urgent need for life-saving vaccines in Africa

A new study released this week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases finds that African children who contract pneumococcus - a bacterial infection that causes pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis - are 36 times as likely to have sickle-cell disease, a blood disorder prevalent in African children that increases the risk for infectious diseases and early death.

29 Apr 2010

Salvation Army gets a boost from Westpac

The Salvation Army’s fundraising efforts received a major shot in the arm from Westpac boss Gail Kelly. The banker told the business leaders that the bank would match the New South Wales state government’s contribution of $200,000 to the 2010 Red Shield Appeal.

29 Apr 2010

New research indicates Canadians live longer than Americans

Compared to their neighbours south of the border, Canadians live longer, healthier lives. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Population Health Metrics has found this disparity between the two countries, suggesting that America's lack of universal health care and lower levels of social and economic equality are to blame.

29 Apr 2010

Lycera to advance discovery, development efforts with second tranche of $11 million Series A financing

Lycera Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering an innovative approach to developing novel oral medicines to treat autoimmune diseases, today announced that the company has made important progress, triggering a second tranche of $11 million in its Series A financing. Proceeds from the second tranche will be used to continue to advance Lycera's discovery and development efforts and further support the growth of the company.

29 Apr 2010

NIH approves federal funding for 13 more stem cell lines

The Washington Post: Thirteen more lines of human embryonic stem cells are officially eligible for federal funding, since being approved by the National Institutes of Health. The Obama administration announced shortly after the President took office that restrictions would be lifted on the use of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research.

29 Apr 2010

Stericycle's first-quarter 2010 revenues up 21.0%

Stericycle, Inc., today reported financial results for the first quarter of 2010.

29 Apr 2010

Ceregene continues enrollment in new Phase 1/2 clinical study of CERE-120 for Parkinson's disease

Ceregene, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, announced today that enrollment is proceeding in a new Phase 1/2 clinical study evaluating CERE-120, a gene therapy product which delivers the neurotrophic factor neurturin, to dying neurons in Parkinson's disease patients. This new clinical study follows a completed Phase 2 trial and builds on experience gained in that trial, by enhancing the dosing regimen and optimizing the duration of patient follow up.

29 Apr 2010

Uninsured patients less likely to receive critical care services

Among the general U.S. population, people who are uninsured are about half as likely to receive critical care services as those with insurance, according to systematic review of the literature by the American Thoracic Society's Health Disparities Group.

29 Apr 2010

Report: Conditions in Zambian prisons fueling spread of HIV, TB

"Conditions in Zambia's prisons are so overcrowded and medical care so inadequate that they are breeding grounds for disease and pose a serious threat to public health, says a new report by Human Rights Watch, produced in association with the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa and the Prisons Care and Counselling Association," BMJ News reports.

29 Apr 2010

Tumor cell factories may be difficult to defeat: Researchers

Many of the colon cancer cells that form tumors can be killed by genetically short-circuiting the cells' ability to absorb a key nutrient, a new study has found. While the findings are encouraging, the test tube study using human colon cancer cells also illustrates the difficulty of defeating these cells, known as cancer stem cells.

29 Apr 2010

Adolor's ENTEREG first-quarter net product sales increases to $5.3 million

Adolor Corporation today reported a net loss of $9.6 million, or $(0.21) per basic and diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2010, compared to a net loss of $13.2 million, or $(0.28) per basic and diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2009.

29 Apr 2010

Neurocrine Biosciences reports net loss of $8.6M in first quarter 2010

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. today announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. For the first quarter of 2010, the Company reported a net loss of $8.6 million, or $0.19 per share compared with a net loss of $19.7 million, or $0.51 per share, for the same period in 2009.

29 Apr 2010

Phase 1B/2 clinical study to evaluate efficacy of PMX-60056 in reversing heparin levels initiated

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat acute cardiovascular disorders and infectious diseases, has initiated a Phase 1B/2 dose-ranging clinical study with its anticoagulant reversing agent, PMX-60056. The study is intended to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of PMX-60056 in reversing varying heparin levels, including the highest levels commonly used in surgical settings.

29 Apr 2010

Arthro SupReviver contains vital nutrients for joint pain, aids in weight loss

A unique joint supporter, called Arthro SupReviver, can help people significantly lose weight. Antionette, a registered nurse in central Florida, lost 80 lbs in 8 months while taking Arthro SupReviver for her achy knees.

29 Apr 2010

Imaging costs for Medicare cancer patients on the rise

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association analyzed data from Medicare cancer patients to determine the change in imaging use for this group.

29 Apr 2010

Obama's debt commission to consider Medicare cuts, new health care law

President Obama's bipartisan debt commission met Tuesday to discuss ways to reduce the federal deficit. The President said that everything was up for discussion, including provisions of the federal health care law, and entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.

29 Apr 2010

Vascular surgeon successfully bypasses torn aorta

Rhonda Mullen was 38 years old and in perfect health when she suddenly felt a searing pain between her shoulder blades. A few hours later, Mullen was being wheeled into an operating room at Loyola University Hospital for emergency surgery to repair an unusual tear in her aorta, the body's main blood vessel.

29 Apr 2010

Investigators study Pioglitazone and Vitamin E for treatment of NASH

A daily dose of a specific form of vitamin E significantly improved the liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. Results were published April 28 online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

29 Apr 2010

Boston hospital case study in balancing mission and profits

The Boston Globe: A proposed acquisition of Boston's Catholic hospital system Caritas Christi Health Care by private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management may test the theory that "profitability and religious mission can be integrated." However, another local hospital provides a possible window into that future.

29 Apr 2010

FDA grants Fenwal 510(k) clearance for Amicus separator with DXT

Fenwal, Inc., a global medical technology company focused on improving blood collection, separation, safety and availability, announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fenwal 510(k) clearance for its Amicus® separator with new wireless data-export capabilities.

29 Apr 2010