Health News

Study links concussion with Alzheimer's disease brain pathology

Date: Dec-27-2013
Alzheimer's disease has become an increasing burden in older patients, which is why research into its causes is a high priority. Now, a new study links concussion history and Alzheimer's, suggesting loss of consciousness could be associated with the build-up of plaques in the brain.The researchers, including study author Michelle Mielke from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, published their findings in the journal Neurology.

Injectable gene therapy targets blood vessels in tumors

Date: Dec-27-2013
By designing an injectable viral vector that targets blood vessels of tumors, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, have opened new avenues for gene therapy against cancer and other diseases that have abnormal blood vessels.The achievement is a milestone in the long search for a way of using a deactivated virus to deliver disease-altering genes directly to target cells by injection into the bloodstream.

Pre-surgery chemo benefits more esophageal cancer patients

Date: Dec-27-2013
A new study suggests having chemotherapy before surgery to remove a tumor may benefit more patients with esophageal cancer than previously thought.Tim Underwood, an esophageal surgeon researcher at the University of Southampton in the UK, and colleagues report their findings in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.Previous studies have already established that giving chemotherapy before surgery can benefit patients with esophageal cancer by shrinking their tumors.

2nd International Summit on Clinical Pharmacy, December 02-03, 2014, San Francisco

Date: Dec-27-2013
OMICS Group invites all the participants across the globe to attend 2nd International Summit on Clinical Pharmacy which is going to be held during Dec 02-03, 2014 at San Francisco, California, USA. 2nd International Summit on Clinical Pharmacy will be organized around the theme "Implementation of Advances and Challenges in Clinical Pharmacy." Clinical Pharmacy-2014 is comprised of 16 tracks and 103 sessions designed to offer comprehensive sessions that address current issues in Clinical Pharmacy.

FDA approves Tretten to treat rare genetic clotting disorder

Date: Dec-27-2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Tretten, Coagulation Factor XIII A-Subunit (Recombinant), the first recombinant product for use in the routine prevention of bleeding in adults and children who have a rare clotting disorder, known as congenital Factor XIII A-subunit deficiency. Congenital Factor XIII deficiency is an extremely rare genetic disorder. Patients with this deficiency do not make enough Factor XIII, a protein that circulates in the blood and is important for normal clotting. Factor XIII is composed of two subunits, A and B.

FDA warns consumers not to use muscle growth product

Date: Dec-27-2013
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers to immediately stop using a product called Mass Destruction, marketed as a dietary supplement for muscle growth. The product is labeled to contain at least one synthetic anabolic steroid and has been linked to at least one reported serious illness.The FDA was alerted by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services of a serious injury associated with use of Mass Destruction. The report described a previously healthy 28-year-old male with liver failure requiring transplant after several weeks of product use.

Top-line results of Phase IIb study with monotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis

Date: Dec-27-2013
Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd., a biotechnology company with a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory and cancer diseases, announced results from a 12-week, placebo-controlled Phase IIb study involving 79 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis ("RA") for its proprietary drug CF101, an A3 adenosine receptor ("A3AR") agonist. The study entailed 2 arms, a placebo and a CF101 1 mg treated group, in which CF101 was administered orally twice-daily as a monotherapy for 12 weeks to patients with RA.

Alzheimer's prevention initiative trial marks milestone

Date: Dec-27-2013
The Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative (API) trial in cognitively healthy individuals has reached a significant milestone with the first participants in Colombia receiving doses of an experimental anti-amyloid antibody, crenezumab designed to delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Higher mortality in postmenopausal women with RA and anti-CCP antibodies

Date: Dec-27-2013
New research shows mortality rates are two times higher in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies. Findings published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, soon to be called Arthritis & Rheumatology, indicate the higher mortality rates persisted after adjusting for age, positive rheumatoid factor, positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) use.According to the ACR, RA affects 1.3 million adults in the U.S.

New quality, payment initiative positively impacts pediatric care

Date: Dec-27-2013
Within two years of implementation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts' Alternative Quality Contract (AQC) had a small but significant positive effect on the quality of pediatric care, according to a new study from Boston Children's Hospital. The results were published online Dec. 23 in Pediatrics.To stem the continued growth in health care spending, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts - the state's largest commercial payer - implemented an AQC in 2009.