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Computer models for automatic classification of injury reports

Researchers are developing computer models to comb through thousands of injury reports in large administrative medical datasets or insurance claims data to automatically classify them based on specific words or phrases.

3 Sep 2009

Abbott to acquire Visiogen for $400 million in cash

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today a definitive agreement to acquire Visiogen, Inc. for $400 million in cash, providing the company with a next-generation accommodating intraocular lens (IOL) technology to address presbyopia for cataract patients.

3 Sep 2009

Yale University awarded $36 million ARRA funds for over 100 research projects

Faculty at Yale University have been awarded over 100 research grants totaling $36 million since February 2009, when the federal stimulus package was signed into law. Known as the American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009 (ARRA), the law aims to reinvigorate the economy and lay the foundation for long-term economic recovery by increasing investments in infrastructure, education, the environment and scientific research.

3 Sep 2009

IGRT offers improved treatment results for obese prostate cancer patients

Moderately to severely obese prostate cancer patients may have improved treatment outcomes when treated with image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) over traditional external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) because IGRT corrects for prostate shifts, which, if not planned for, can lead to incorrect doses of radiation to the disease site, according to a study in the September 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

3 Sep 2009

Obama urges Americans to take precautions to protect themselves from H1N1

After a day of meetings with senior White House officials to discuss the U.S. preparations for H1N1 (swine) flu Tuesday, President Obama urged Americans to take the proper precautions to protect themselves from infection, the Associated Press/Boston Herald reports (9/1).

3 Sep 2009

CIF launches campaign by distributing a "Ten Tips "card to help parents easily identify potential life threatening injuries

As high school student-athletes begin the academic year and participate in double-day sports practices statewide, the California Interscholastic Federation is drawing attention to the health risks associated with concussions, heat stroke and dehydration.

3 Sep 2009

More youngsters are using anti-obesity drugs

Thousands of children and adolescents are using anti-obesity drugs that in the UK are only licensed for use by adults. The number of young people receiving prescriptions for these drugs has increased 15-fold since 1999, but most stop using them before they could expect to see any benefit, according to a new study.

3 Sep 2009

Bextra qui tam lawsuit leads to Pfizer's whopping $2.3 billion settlement

The decision by a Pfizer sales representative in Florida to file a whistleblower ("qui tam") lawsuit in 2003 kicked off the federal and state investigations that led to Pfizer's record-breaking $2.3 billion settlement today.

3 Sep 2009

Intendis GmbH forges agreement with SkinMedica to acquire two prescription dermatology products

Asset Purchase Agreement Signed for Marketed Prescription Products Desonate(R) and NeoBenz(R) Micro

3 Sep 2009

Alloantigen-specific Treg cells targeted for organ transplantation

An increased understanding of the role of the body's immune system in the development of diseases such as prostate cancer, squamous cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer), type 1 diabetes, autoimmune liver disease, and in the rejection of transplanted organs by some transplant patients, has paved the way for a pioneering research programme which aims to develop 'enhanced' cells as therapies.

3 Sep 2009

Tort reform and changes to doctor payment could cut health costs

Limiting medical malpractice lawsuits and changing the doctor payment system are being debated as possible ways to make health care more cost-effective.

3 Sep 2009

Hong Kong's healthcare workers to refuse H1N1 vaccine, says study

According to a study released August 26, 2009 by the British Medical Journal, more than half of Hong Kong's healthcare workers surveyed said they would refuse the H1N1 shot, which is not yet available, because they are afraid of side effects and doubt how safe and effective it will be. More importantly, the study suggested the trend would be repeated worldwide.

3 Sep 2009

Avastin increases survival rates in recurrent glioblastoma affected patients

The targeted therapy Avastin, alone and in combination with the chemotherapy drug CPT-11, significantly increased response rates, progression-free survival times and survival rates in patients with a deadly form of brain cancer that had recurred.

3 Sep 2009

How to make the most of expiring health coverage

"Job loss or the fear of it has pushed more people to use their employer-sponsored health insurance before they lose it. Major health insurers have seen their medical costs rise in recent quarters, in part because people covered by employer-sponsored plans have rushed to use services before their benefits are cut off."

3 Sep 2009

Mexico's response to H1N1 outbreak praised by Associated Press

The Associated Press praised Mexico's response to the swine flu, or H1N1 outbreak, in a recent article.

3 Sep 2009

Vitamin C deficiency may impair mental development in newborn babies

New research at LIFE - Faculty of Life Sciences at University of Copenhagen shows that vitamin C deficiency may impair the mental development of new-born babies.

3 Sep 2009

MRG's new report on neurovascular embolectomy device market

According to Millennium Research Group (MRG), the global authority on medical technology market intelligence, the emerging market for neurovascular embolectomy devices for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke is poised for healthy yet conservative growth of close to 15% annually in Europe over the next 5 years.

3 Sep 2009

Global economic downturn increases malnutrition, death rates among African children, U.N. assessment indicates

The global economic downturn is "raising malnutrition and death rates among Africa's children" and restricting their access to health care, according to a U.N. assessment released ahead of a G20 leaders meeting later this month that will focus on ways to minimize the effect of the downturn on the world's poorest people, VOA News reports.

3 Sep 2009

Players’ fencing response yields visual clues on brain injury

Brain injury researchers at the University of Kentucky have spent hundreds of hours watching YouTube videos of people getting smacked, punched and knocked in the head during sporting events and recreational activities. But those researchers weren't goofing off on the Internet; they were doing hard science.

3 Sep 2009

New target for cancer cure identified

Researchers Dr. Marc Therrien at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Universit- de Montr-al, and Dr. Frank Sicheri, at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, have discovered a new target that may be instrumental in the development of new, more effective cancer therapies.

3 Sep 2009