The Healthcare practice at Frost & Sullivan is pleased to announce its 2008 Quarterly Analyst Briefing Presentation on the North American cancer molecular diagnostics market to be held on Thursday July 24, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. PDT. The presentation will cover strategic insight into the U.S. cancer molecular diagnostics market and how the market correlates with growth in the world of personalized medicine.
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Plants could act as safe, speedy factories for growing antibodies for personalized treatments against a common form of cancer, according to new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The findings came in the first human tests of an injectable vaccine grown in genetically engineered plants.
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For patients with head and neck cancer, accurately determining how advanced the cancer is and detecting secondary cancers usually means undergoing numerous tests - until now. New Saint Louis University research has found that the PET-CT scanner can be used as a stand-alone tool to detect secondary cancers, which occur in 5 to 10 percent of head and neck cancer patients.
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Unnecessary biopsies could be a thing of the past for patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer. New Saint Louis University research found that when nuclear medicine clinicians and treating physicians work together to interpret PET-CT scan results, the accuracy dramatically improves, sparring patients unnecessary pain and suffering.
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Because insufficient evidence was provided by the manufacturers, NICE is unable to recommend the use the following treatments in the NHS: -- bevacizumab in combination with paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer -- bevacizumab in addition to platinu
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MIT biological engineers have developed a new imaging system that allows them to see cells that have undergone a specific mutation. The work, which could help scientists understand how precancerous mutations arise, marks the first time researchers have been able to pinpoint the number and location of mutant cells - cells with a particular mutation - in intact tissue. In this case, the researchers worked with mouse pancreatic cells.
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Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX:RNN), a, leader in innovative therapeutics for life-threatening and life-debilitating diseases, today announced that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has issued to the Company U.S. Patent 7,388,014, entitled "Quinazoline Derivatives and Therapeutic Use Thereof.
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The South is known for many things hot, steamy summers, iced tea laced with sugar and friendly people with a tendency to welcome strangers. But beneath the veneer of Southern hospitality and gracious living lurks a silent killer cancer. Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers have their own name for the southern region of the United States The Cancer Belt.
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An abundant chromosomal protein that binds to damaged DNA prevents cancer development by enhancing DNA repair, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The protein, HMGB1, was previously hypothesized to block DNA repair, senior author Karen Vasquez, Ph.D., associate professor in M. D.
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BARRX Medical, Inc. announced that 98.4 percent of patients having a precancerous condition of their esophagus called Barrett's esophagus were free of the disease 2.5 years after non-surgical, endoscopic treatment with the HALO ablation system. The results were published this month in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, a leading scientific publication for gastrointestinal physicians and researchers.
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The Australian and Northern Territory Governments have reached another key milestone in the development of the Radiation Oncology Unit (ROU) with the announcement of Royal Adelaide Hospital as the preferred provider. Royal Adelaide is a highly experienced and respected provider of radiation oncology services in Australia. They have been providing outreach specialist services to the NT for many years and have clearly demonstrated their commitment to Territorians.
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The Hill on Wednesday published opinion pieces by lawmakers and federal officials discussing health care policy. Summaries appear below.Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.): Although "the diagnosis of cancer is not the automatic death sentence that it once was" as a result of medical advances, "troubling health disparities still persist and many patients are not afforded access to ...
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The study of dark-skinned mice has led to a surprising finding about a common protein involved in tumor suppression, report researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The results may lead to new treatments for bone marrow failure in humans. The protein, called p53, has been dubbed the "guardian of the genome" for its ability to recognize DNA damage and halt the division of potentially cancerous cells.
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Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:INGN), a developer of targeted molecular therapies for cancer, announced that the company will present the results from its recently completed Phase 3 trial of ADVEXIN in recurrent head and neck cancer at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine 2008: Cancer Clinical Trials and Personalized Medicine. The conference will be held July 20-23, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey in Monterey, CA.
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A method that could be applied widely to explore genetic basis of cancer drug resistance Why do cancer patients develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs, sometimes abruptly, after a period in which the drugs seem to be working well to reduce tumors or hold them in check? Although largely a mystery to scientists, the result when this occurs is all too familiar: patients relapse and in many cases die when their cancers become resistant.
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As cancer treatment improves and more people with cancer survive, general practitioners must become more involved in all stages of the cancer journey, according to an editorial by experts in general practice in the latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.
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Osmetech plc announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food & Drug Administration ('FDA') for its eSensor Warfarin Sensitivity Test to be used as an aid in the identification of patients at risk for increased sensitivity to the widely used blood-thinning drug, warfarin. The Company also announces that the FDA clearance includes its second generation eSensor XT-8 molecular diagnostics platform.
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From clinicians and medication to various equipment and supplies, a myriad of resources are involved in dialysis-related treatments for patients with compromised renal function. Considering the frequency and invasive nature of dialysis treatments, the potential for procedural errors and human factor hazards is great - increasing the likelihood of adverse events.
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CSL Behring announced today that it has submitted a biologics license application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval to market its human fibrinogen concentrate in the United States for the treatment of congenital fibrinogen deficiency, a rare bleeding disorder resulting from deficiency of fibrinogen.
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A genetic variant found almost exclusively in individuals of Asian descent increases the risk of elevated triglycerides over four-fold, reports a comprehensive study in the August Journal of Lipid Research. In fact, all 11 subjects who carried both copies of this rare variant for apolipoprotein A-V had extremely high and dangerous triglyceride levels in their blood.
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Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College may have discovered the precise role of a gene in one of the world's most common blood disorders, beta-thalassemia, commonly known as Cooley's anemia. Along with sickle-cell anemia, Cooley's anemia is the most commonly inherited disease in the world, affecting many people of Mediterranean descent, and 20 out of every 100,000 African-Americans.
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Although sickle cell disease is a single-gene disorder, its symptoms are highly variable.
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Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company dedicated to developing innovative medicines for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases, announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial of its lead compound, CAL-101, a small molecule phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) delta inhibitor, in patients with hematologic cancer. "We at Calistoga are very pleased to be entering our first oncology trial.
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In treating malaria in schoolchildren in Africa, the use of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) not only lowers the prevalence of anemia but also improves attention span in the children. These conclusions, published in an Article released on July 11, 2008 in The Lancet, could help guide future interventions in this and similar settings.
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Being male increases your risk of diseases caused by the inappropriate formation of a blood clot (a process known as thrombosis), such as heart attack and stroke, but the reasons for this are not completely understood. However, Ethan Weiss and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco, have used a mouse model of thrombosis to shed new light on this matter.
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The National Neutropenia Network (NNN) and the Severe Chronic Neutropenia International Registry (SCNIR) will host the 8th Annual Neutropenia Family Conference in Seattle, Wash., on July 17-20. Patients, families and healthcare professionals are all welcome and encouraged to attend. The conference will focus on the rare and life-threatening disease - severe chronic neutropenia (SCN).
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Proteolix, Inc. announced that patient dosing has commenced in a Phase 1b clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Proteolix's lead anti-cancer agent, carfilzomib (PR-171), in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. Carfilzomib selectively blocks proteasome activity, causing apoptosis in cancer cells.
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When combined with the conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), extracorporeal life support (ELS) can double the survival of adult hospital patients in comparison with CPR alone. These results were released on July 7, 2008 in The Lancet. Myocardial infarction, or heart attack, occurs when blood flow to the beating heart is restricted.
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Reports are coming in that a hospital in Texas, USA, is investigating how up to 17 babies in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) received an overdose of the blood thinner heparin; one of the babies is dead although the cause of death is not yet known. A CNN news report said that officials at Christus Spohn Hospital South, located in Corpus Christi, a coastal city in south east Texas, have put "corrective action" in place after they discovered the overdose.
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Archemix Corp., a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing aptamer therapeutics for rare hematological diseases, announced that ARC1779 has received orphan drug designation from the European Commission (EC). ARC1779 also received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2008.
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Reductions in Iron Blood Levels Associated with Decreased Cancer Risk in Men with Peripheral Arterial Disease Men with peripheral arterial disease who participated in a randomized controlled trial in which their iron stores were reduced by blood drawing had a reduced incidence of cancer relative to men in the trial who did not undergo blood letting.
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The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is proud to announce the first recipients of the ASH Research Training Award for Fellows, a new program that encourages junior researchers to pursue careers in academic hematology by supporting protected time to conduct research during their fellowship training. A report on the state of U.S.
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The American Society of Hematology (ASH) is proud to announce the inaugural recipients of its Alternative Training Pathway Grant. The grant is given to training program directors to encourage the development and implementation of novel hematology-related training programs. Thomas Abshire, MD, of Emory University, Donald Mahoney Jr.
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The lives of thousands of sickle cell patients in the UK will hopefully be improved following today's launch of the first 'Standards for the Clinical Care of Adults with Sickle Cell Disease', by the Rt Hon Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, at the House of Commons. For the first time, the standards provide guidance to health professionals on the minimum levels of care expected for every adult with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the UK.
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A study published in the July 9 issue of JAMA finds an association between higher than normal levels of the protein fetuin-A and an increased risk of developing diabetes. Fetuin-A is one of several blood proteins that is produced in the liver and secreted into the blood stream, and it is involved with the transport of various substances in the blood stream. Joachim H. Ix, M.D., M.A.S.
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Together with the Histiocytosis Association of America (HAA), EHE International is helping spread the word about a rare blood disorder called histiocytosis. The HAA and EHE have created a 115 square foot display window at 10 Rockefeller Plaza that will be featured for the entire month of July.
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Counting the number of tumor cells circulating in the bloodstream of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer can accurately predict how well they are responding to treatment, new results show. At the ESMO Conference Lugano (ECLU) organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology, researchers showed that changes in the number of circulating tumor cells predicted the outcome after chemotherapy in this hard to treat cancer.
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Twenty hematology and hematology/oncology fellows and junior faculty will begin a unique year-long education and mentoring program this summer as part of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Clinical Research Training Institute. Each year, the Clinical Research Training Institute provides aspiring hematologists with the necessary tools to begin careers in clinical research.
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Gambro BCT, Inc., soon to be known as CaridianBCT, a leading global provider of technology, products and services in automated blood collections, therapeutic systems, whole blood processes and pathogen reduction technologies, announced that it received FDA clearance for the commercial sale of Atreus® Whole Blood Processing system in the United States. The Atreus system is the first self-contained, automated manufacturing system cleared for distribution in the U.S.
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For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that the administration of minute amounts of inhaled or intravenous hydrogen sulfide, or H2S - the molecule that gives rotten eggs their sulfurous stench - significantly improves survival from extreme blood loss in rats. Cell biologist Mark B. Roth, Ph.D., and colleagues in the Basic Sciences Division of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in collaboration with surgeon Robert K. Winn, Ph.D.
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New findings from research supported by NARSAD, the world's leading charity dedicated to mental health research, and conducted by Harvard-affiliated scientists are providing important clues into how genes work to impair various aspects of attention, memory and perception -- the behaviors associated with many psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.
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Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced that ABILIFY® (aripiprazole) received expanded indications in Bipolar I Disorder and Schizophrenia. ABILIFY is now indicated for maintenance treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder with or without psychotic features in pediatric patients (aged 10-17) and maintenance treatment of Schizophrenia in adolescents (aged 13-17).
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AstraZeneca announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SEROQUEL® (quetiapine fumarate) for the maintenance treatment of patients with bipolar I disorder, as adjunct to lithium or divalproex. SEROQUEL is approved by the FDA for the treatment of schizophrenia, and is also the only single agent approved by the FDA for the treatment of both depressive episodes in bipolar disorder and acute manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder1,2.
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Most people believe that the way we see things is affected by how we feel emotionally. Does our mood really change what we see or do individuals with certain genetic traits always tend to see things differently, regardless of their mood? Earlier research suggested that people with bipolar mood disorder might alternate their perception more slowly when looking at ambiguous figures.
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Schering-Plough Corporation (NYSE: SGP) announced that an overview of asenapine clinical trials from the Olympia program was presented at the 161st Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Washington, D.C., May 3-8. Data from the studies, involving patients with bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia, were presented in two oral presentations (Abstracts # 44 and # 80).
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A new study by Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University researchers reports that fewer than half the patients previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder based on a comprehensive, psychiatric diagnostic interview - -the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID).
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Despite intriguing findings that omega 3 fatty acid supplements could alleviate depression symptoms, there is still not enough evidence to say whether omega 3s are useful treatments for people with bipolar disorder, according to a review of recent studies.
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Alkermes, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALKS) announced that its partner, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD), submitted a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for RISPERDAL® CONSTA® [(risperidone) Long-Acting Injection] to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for adjunctive maintenance treatment to delay the occurrence of mood episodes in patients with frequently relapsing bipolar disorder (FRBD).
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New pivotal trial data from two clinical studies with SEROQUEL XR? (quetiapine fumarate) once daily Extended Release Tablets were presented today at the Eighth International Review of Bipolar Disorder (IRBD) Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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On April 8, 2008, the European Commission made a decision to allow the drug ABILIFY® (aripiprazole) to be marketed. ABILIFY treats moderate to severe manic episodes for patients with Bipolar I Disorder and it is designed to prevent new manic episodes in patients who experience predominately manic episodes. Before this decision, the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued a positive opinion in mid-February 2008.
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