Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles
Stretch Mark Remedies

Abilify Has Made Strong Gains In Patient Share Across All Lines Of Therapy Since Last Year's Analysis Of Prescribing Trends In Schizophrenia
Decision Res, one of the world"s leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the patient share of Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka"s Abilify has grown in the first three lines of therapy since the 2008 analysis of prescribing trends in newly diagnosed schizophrenia patients. Abilify is second to risperidone (Janssen"s Risperdal, generics) in first and second lines of therapy and leads other atypicals in the third line.
generic viagra online
Studies Examine Morning Sickness Drug, Progesterone Use To Prevent Premature Birth
The following summarizes news coverage on two pregnancy-related studies. ~ Morning sickness: The commonly prescribed heartburn drug metoclopramide -- sold generically and under the brand-names Reglan, Octamide and Maxolon -- can be used to treat morning sickness without harming the health of the fetus, according to a study published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, Time reports. The drug, which also has anti-nausea properties, is not FDA-approved for use in pregnant women in the U.S., though it is commonly prescribed in European and other countries to treat morning sickness (Park, Time, 6/10). According to the Los Angeles Times, U.S. physicians occasionally prescribe metoclopramide to treat severe morning sickness cases. The new study found that there were no statistically significant differences between infants born to women who took metoclopramide and those who did not. Researchers said that the findings "provide reassurance regarding the safety of metoclopramide for the fetus when the drug is given to women to relieve nausea and vomiting during pregnancy." The study involved 81,703 births among women enrolled in Israel"s largest health HMO, including 33,458 who used the drug (Maugh, Los Angeles Times, 6/11). Jennifer Niebyl, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Iowa, said, "There are very few drugs approved for use in the first trimester of pregnancy. But this study could lead to metoclopramide getting approved to treat morning sickness because this is good data with big numbers" (Time, 6/10).~ Progesterone: The hormone progesterone was not effective at preventing premature births among women pregnant with twins, despite evidence suggesting its effectiveness at preventing premature births in single pregnancies, according to a University of Edinburgh study published in the journal Lancet, Reuters reports. Multiple pregnancies have a larger health risk for women and significantly increase the likelihood of miscarriage, premature birth and long-term health problems. The study involved 500 women who took either progesterone or a placebo daily for 10 weeks. Although previous studies have shown that progesterone might prevent premature birth in certain high-risk pregnancies, the new findings show the treatment did not reduce the likelihood of premature delivery or a fetus dying in utero in twin pregnancies. Twenty-five percent of women delivered or had a fetus die before 34 weeks in the progesterone group, compared with 20% in the placebo group (Kahn, Reuters, 6/10).
News of the day
Fresh Vision Makes Mental Health The Priority For All Public Services
Police, teachers and other public sector workers should be trained in spotting signs of mental ill-health as a new report from a coalition of mental health groups sets out its vision for mental health services that spans across public services.
Public Health

NIH Funds Work At WPI On Regenerating Heart Tissue And Preventing Urinary Tract Infections

Congressman James McGovern, D-Massachusetts, has announced National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards for two researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute"s Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park. Glenn Gaudette, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at WPI, will receive $403,000 over two years to advance his work using bone marrow derived stem cells to restore function to damaged hearts. Terri Camesano, PhD, associate professor of chemical engineering at WPI, will receive $218,000 over two years to continue her studies of how cranberry juice prevents urinary tract infections. The grants are the first NIH awards for both Gaudette and Camesano, marking an important milestone for the investigators. "I am pleased to see the NIH continues to recognize the vital research being done at WPI," said Congressman McGovern. "The NIH is the gold-standard for biomedical research in the United States, and these awards further extend Worcester"s position as a leading center for the life sciences." Commenting on the new awards and the growing concentration of NIH funded research at the university, W. Grant McGimpsey, WPI"s associate provost for research and graduate studies ad interim, said "receiving NIH funding, after a rigorous review from their peers, is a major achievement for our young investigators. It validates the scholarship and creativity of their work. More important, though, is the progress these and other exciting research programs at WPI are making to help translate basic science discoveries into potential therapies and technologies that will help people." In previous studies, Camesano has shown that cranberry juice hinders the ability of the bacteria E.coli to adhere to the epithelial cells that line the interior of the urinary tract. Bacterial adhesion is the first step toward infection. In the new study, Camesano"s team will analyze how cranberry juice affects the molecular mechanisms involved in that initial latching-on process, using atomic force microscopy to measure the forces involved. The aim is to establish the optimal cranberry juice dose and exposure time to prevent bacterial adhesion. As part of the new study, Camesano will collaborate with Joseph Grocela, MD, a urologist and clinical researcher at the Massachusetts General Hospital, who will provide samples of epithelial cells taken from women who suffer from chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs). Camesano"s lab will observe how the cells react when they are challenged by E.coli and treated with cranberry juice. The goal is to develop a new therapy for UTIs that does not rely on antibiotics. Gaudette"s lab explores the potential for human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), which come from the bone marrow, to regenerate cardiac tissue, thereby helping a damaged heart beat more effectively. Heart attacks cause significant scaring of cardiac tissue, which in turn prevents the scarred area of the heart from contracting to pump blood. Recent studies by Gaudette and others have shown that when hMSCs are injected into a damaged heart, they help improve cardiac function. Working with WPI colleagues George Pins, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Marsha Rolle, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Gaudette developed a system for seeding biopolymer microthreads with hMSCs, then stitching those threads directly into a damaged heart. The technique significantly improves the ability to place the hMSCs at precise points in the heart to improve function in the damaged area. The new study aims to develop processes for maximizing the number of hMSCs that can be loaded onto the threads, and then to study the effect of the cells on cardiac function in a rat model. Michael Cohen Worcester Polytechnic Institute


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009