The results suggest that a buildup of that chemical, called glutamate, may play a role in the mechanism of migraines. An international scientific team has identified for the first time a genetic risk factor associated with common migraines and say their research could open the way for new treatments to prevent migraine attacks.
Continue reading ‘First Genetic Link to Common Migraine Found’
A leaky product development pipeline is hampering the country’s ability to ensure a steady output of new medical countermeasures, such as medications, vaccines, equipment and supplies needed for health emergencies, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said.
Continue reading ‘Feds Aim to Fortify Biodefense by Fixing Product Development Pipeline’
A team headed by researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute has been awarded a $21 million grant to ascertain how the immune system reacts immediately after it is exposed to the AIDS virus. The project will bring together the expertise of 13 research groups at seven institutions to uncover the cellular protein machinery that represents the first line of defense against HIV.
More drugs are hitting the recall list these days. As CNN Money reports, the number of recalls hit 1,742 last year–that’s an increase of 309 percent over 2008. “We’ve seen a trend where the last four years are among the top five for the most number of drug recalls since we began tallying recalls in 1988,” says Bowman Cox, managing editor of the Gold Sheet, a trade pub that analyzes FDA data. “That’s a meaningful development.”
In a bid to break out of its dependence on manufacturing and cheap labor, the Chinese government is planning to invest $1.5 billion into new drug development between 2011 and 2016. And biotechnology is one of seven emerging industries that the Asian powerhouse will use to spearhead the next big step in its economic development, according to a report in China’s 21st Century Business Herald.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, announced that the world is no longer in phase six of influenza pandemic alert — we are now moving into the post-pandemic period and the new H1N1 virus has largely run its course. Dr. Chan went on to say: “As we enter the post-pandemic period, this does not mean that the H1N1 virus has gone away. Based on experience with past pandemics, we expect the H1N1 virus to take on the behavior of a seasonal influenza virus and continue to circulate for some years to come.
Despite laws in all 50 states that prohibit underage drinking, it’s still a seemingly intractable problem. In 2008, 189,000 visits made by patients ages 12 to 20 to the ED involved alcohol, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Seventy percent of those alcohol-related ED visits involved alcohol only, and 30 percent involved alcohol mixed with other drugs.
Continue reading ‘Males Dominate Hospital ED Visits by Underage Drinkers’
A University of Michigan study finds a link between vision and Alzheimer’s. The study was based on medical information and surveys from 625 people compiled from 1992-2005. None of these individuals had dementia at the beginning of the study. Using a scale ranking vision from excellent (one) to totally blind (six), researchers found that the risk for dementia increased by an average of 52 percent with each step up the scale.
Continue reading ‘Alzheimer’s and Eyesight: An Important Connection’
It’s been a little over six months since Apple’s iPad debuted with much fanfare. Not long after its debut, speculation about what the gadget could do for healthcare was rampant. In February, Dr. Ben Alexander, WakeMed’s chief medical information officer and pediatric intensivist, wondered whether the iPad would revolutionize healthcare. We were giddy about the possibilities Apple’s sleek tablet computer could open up for healthcare.
Continue reading ‘Can the iPad Live Up to all the Healthcare Hype?’
Ask just about any biotech CEO about licensing strategies and you can almost guarantee that at some point the chief will mention that the best deal valuations come after the developer has a solid set of proof-of-concept data. But the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Douglas writes that the shopworn biotech strategy no longer applies in an age when Big Pharma companies are spending more on development and less on research.
Continue reading ‘Early-Stage Deals are Getting a Lot Sweeter for Biotechs’
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