Health News

Workplace is key to suicide prevention, says SANE Australia

Date: Feb-21-2014
Over 2,000 Australians take their lives every year. The majority of these deaths are among people of working age (25-44), and research suggests almost one in five of these suicides is employment-related. Males are more at risk of dying in this way than females, with a suicide rate up to four times higher.The workplace is therefore a critically important focus for suicide prevention activities and promotion of good mental health.'SANE Australia endorses and applauds the SPA Statement issued today,' says Jack Heath, CEO of the mental health charity.

Pharmacists can help address health system concerns, Australia

Date: Feb-21-2014
Concerns over rising hospital and health costs can be addressed in part by better utilising the skills of pharmacists in the provision of a range of professional services, the National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Grant Kardachi, said today (February 20th). Mr Kardachi was responding to reports that the Minister for Health, Peter Dutton, has called for frank debate about the future of Australia's health system.

Public interest groups call on FDA to reject genetically modified humans

Date: Feb-21-2014
On February 25-26, the US Food and Drug Administration will hold a public meeting to discuss "oocyte modification in assisted reproduction for the prevention of transmission of mitochondrial disease." This will be the first public meeting ever held by the FDA to consider a form of human germline modification - inheritable genetic changes made to eggs, sperm or embryos.The technique (which has also been referred to as "mitochondrial manipulation," mitochondrial replacement" and "three-parent IVF") raises grave safety and social concerns.

Personal Genome Diagnostics' Circulating Tumor DNA technology highlighted in landmark study

Date: Feb-21-2014
Personal Genome Diagnostics Inc. (PGDx), a provider of advanced cancer genome analysis and testing services, reported that its proprietary technology was used in a major new study being published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The study, "Detection of Circulating Tumor DNA in Early- and Late-Stage Human Malignancies," assessed the utility of cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for cancer detection and monitoring across multiple patient populations and applications.

Tissue Fusion to commercialize laser surgical device developed at University of Colorado

Date: Feb-21-2014
Tissue Fusion and the University of Colorado recently completed a license agreement that will allow the company to continue developing a new surgical device that utilizes lasers, rather than staples and sutures, to close wounds during nasal surgery. The two most common nasal surgeries are septoplasty (repair of deviated or deformed septum, thousands performed each year) and rhinoplasty ("nose job," over 150,000 performed each year).

Parcell Laboratories partners with the University of Pittsburgh medical center to study effective stem cell-based wrinkle treatments

Date: Feb-21-2014
Parcell Laboratories, developer of novel therapeutics based on its patented adult stem cell platform technology, the ELA® cell, is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to study a new stem cell-based wrinkle reduction treatment. The novel treatment would use "off-the-shelf" allogeneic adult stem cells, rather than requiring the extraction of a patient's own stem cells that are then processed and reimplanted in a separate procedure.

Survey reveals advanced practice clinician workforce continues to grow and incentive pay is an increasing part of the compensation mix

Date: Feb-21-2014
Findings released in the 2013 Advanced Practice Clinician Compensation and Pay Practices Survey Report highlight the continuing high demand for advanced practice clinicians (APCs). The report details survey research conducted by the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), a trade association representing medical groups and integrated health systems and Sullivan, Cotter and Associates, Inc. (SullivanCotter), a health care compensation and human resources management consulting firm.

Scientists discover how ALS spreads through the body

Date: Feb-21-2014
A new study led by Canadian researchers reveals how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) spreads in the body and suggests it may be possible to stop it with antibodies.ALS is the most common form of motor neuron disease (MND), a serious and incurable disease that affects nerve cells (motor neurons) in the brain and spinal cord. The motor neurons gradually stop working and die, to the point where patients in the later stages of the disease become paralyzed and lose their ability to walk, talk, eat and breathe.

Minor added benefit of indacaterol/glycopyrronium in COPD

Date: Feb-21-2014
Fewer breathing difficulties in moderate severity grades / no data for patients at later stages of diseaseThe drug combination indacaterol/glycopyrronium (trade name: Ultibro Breezhaler, Xoterna Breezhaler) has been approved since September 2013 for adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In an early benefit assessment pursuant to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) examined whether this drug combination offers an added benefit over the appropriate comparator therapy.

New method enables scientists to print living tissues

Date: Feb-21-2014
A new bioprinting method developed at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) creates intricately patterned 3D tissue constructs with multiple types of cells and tiny blood vessels. The work represents a major step toward a longstanding goal of tissue engineers: creating human tissue constructs realistic enough to test drug safety and effectiveness.