MedReader: News

• Experts say US doctors overtesting, overtreating (AP) March 12, 2010
  AP - Too much cancer screening, too many heart tests, too many cesarean sections. A spate of recent reports suggest that too many Americans — maybe even President Barack Obama — are being overtreated.
• Joint Role Of Obesity And Alcohol In Increasing The Risk Of Liver Disease March 12, 2010
  Obesity and alcohol act together to increase the risk of liver disease in both men and women according to two studies published on bmj.com today. These findings have significant clinical and public health implications. In the UK, rates of liver disease and obesity are increasing. Alcohol is a major cause of liver cirrhosis. In addition, recent evidence indicates that excess body weight may also play a role. Researchers from the University of Oxford examined in the first study the link between body mass index (BMI) and liver cirrhosis. A total of 1...
• Affymax(R) Receives $5 Million Milestone Payment On Initiation Of Phase 3 Clinical Trials For Hematide™ In Japan March 12, 2010
  Affymax, Inc. (Nasdaq: AFFY) today announced that it has received a $5 million development milestone payment from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company as part of the companies' exclusive global agreement to develop and commercialize Hematide™, Affymax's investigational drug for the treatment of anemia in chronic renal failure patients. The milestone was achieved with the initiation of Phase 3 clinical testing of Hematide to treat anemia in chronic renal failure patients in Japan...
• RTI Biologics™ Launches Two Biologic Implants At Orthopaedic Surgeon Annual Meeting March 12, 2010
  RTI Biologics Inc. (RTI) (Nasdaq: RTIX), the Florida-based processor of orthopedic, dental, surgical specialties and other biologic implants, is launching two new biologic implants for use in sports medicine surgeries at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting in New Orleans this week. BTB Select®, an innovative allograft that provides precision sized tendons for ACL reconstruction, and BioCAP Select™, a composite allograft plug for customized bone void filling, will be introduced at the RTI Biologics exhibit during the AAOS meeting...
• NeoPharm Announces Orphan Drug Application Filing For IL13-PE38QQR For The Treatment Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis March 12, 2010
  NeoPharm, Inc. (Other OTC: NEOL.PK), announced that it has filed an orphan drug application with the Office of Orphan Products Development of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have Orphan Drug Designation granted to IL13-PE38QQR (IL13-PE) for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). The US Orphan Drug Act is intended to assist and encourage companies to develop safe and effective therapies for the treatment of rare diseases and disorders. IPF is the most deadly disease of the lungs in humans with very high morbidity...
• American College Of Cardiology Embraces Interactive Technology For Patient Engagement March 12, 2010
  When patients hear the words "heart failure" they often remember little of the discussion that follows. Stress, emotions, health literacy and even the patient's condition itself can create a barrier for good communication between patients and their doctors. Studies show patients forget as much as 80% of their discussion with their doctor by the time they reach the parking garage. That's why the American College of Cardiology (ACC) is embracing interactive technology as a way to improve patient communication...
• BioAlliance Announces Positive Preliminary Results In The First Phase I Clinical Trial Of Fentanyl Lauriad(R) March 12, 2010
  BioAlliance Pharma SA (Paris:BIO), a company dedicated to the treatment and supportive care of cancer and AIDS patients, announced positive preliminary results from the first Phase I trial of fentanyl Lauriad®. This first randomized, single-centre trial in healthy volunteers has evaluated the pharmacokinetics of a single application of 2 different innovative muco-adhesive formulations of fentanyl Lauriad®...
• Mayo Clinic Receives Unique Philanthropic Gift For Cancer Research March 12, 2010
  Mayo Clinic is forming a new permanent professorship to augment cancer research that will focus on finding new treatments and preventive measures to reduce the incidence of cancer. This professorship is made possible by a $2 million gift from The Vasek and Anna Maria Polak Charitable Foundation, and the recipient, Keith Stewart, M.B., Ch.B., has been approved by the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees. Vasek Polak was a native of Prague, Czech Republic...
• OrthoScan, Inc. Launches First Mini C-Arm With Flat Detector At Annual Academy Of Orthopaedic Surgeons Meeting March 12, 2010
  OrthoScan, Inc., a privately held medical device company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, launched a new version of its Mini C-Arm product with flat detector this week at the Annual Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting in New Orleans. The new Mini C-Arm with flat detector joins the HD Mini C-Arm in the expanded product line offered by OrthoScan. The addition of the flat detector allows greater image quality and lower dose with an enhanced form factor. Flat detector technology, while available for several years, has not been previously integrated with a Mini C-Arm...
• Winner Of The AAOS Kappa Delta Ann Doner Vaughan Award: Penn Researcher, Louis J. Soslowsky, PhD, March 12, 2010
  Louis J. Soslowsky, Ph.D. Fairhill professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and professor of Bioengineering, director of the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory and Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, was named the 2010 winner of the Ann Doner Vaughan Kappa Delta Award by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery...