Caution: New Medicare drug plan may cause headaches
...he federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission approved a rule that allows employers to reduce -- or even eliminate -- company-provided health benefits to Medicare-eligible retirees. This rule reversed the agency's prior policy that such a change violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. "How muc...Jefferson researchers find nanoparticle shows promise in reducing radiation side effects
...inal ulcers. Only one drug, Amifostine, has been approved to date by the federal Food and Drug Administration, to help protect normal tissue from the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, and researchers would like to develop new and improved agents. Dr. Dicker and his group were exploring the molecul...Amgen investigational therapy for bone loss, denosumab, show increased bone mineral density
...njection. Patients receiving Fosamax followed the approved indication and oral dosing instructions of 70 mg once weekly. At entry, the women averaged 2.1 on their T-scores, a densitometric rating of BMD in which scores between -1.0 and -2.5 indicate osteopenia (thinning bone) and below -2.5 indicate osteopor...Pregnant women need HIV testing to protect themselves and their babies
...HIV-positive mother are put on AZT, the first drug approved to treat HIV, within 48 hours. These steps reduce the risk of transmission from 25 percent to about 9 percent. "I tell HIV-positive women there is a risk but I will do whatever I can to help you have a successful pregnancy and get you home as healt...New data shows ACTOS reduced heart attacks by 28 percent in people with type 2 diabetes
...e daily as an adjunct to diet and exercise, and is approved for use in type 2 diabetes as monotherapy to lower blood glucose and in combination therapy with insulin, sulfonylureas or metformin....Capsules effective in treating acute manic and mixed episodes of Bipolar I Disorder
... US Inc., is the only formulation of carbamazepine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients with acute manic and mixed episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder. Shire provided funding for these studies. Many patients still fail to find an effective medication for their b...Magnetic probe successfully tracks implanted cells in cancer patients
...thods to optimally label cells with the clinically approved iron oxide particles. This new application of the probes -- already clinically approved for MRI scanning of the liver -- could dramatically improve efforts to test and use cellular therapi...Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute surgeons implant heart pump in comparative study of two devices
...rg School of Medicine. Heart pumps were initially approved as a "bridge-to-transplant," to assist a person's ailing heart until a donor heart could be found for transplantation. Three years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave approval for the first time for a heart pump to be used as destination......ok at attitudes to FUZEON (enfuvirtide), the first approved HIV fusion inhibitor, and an important option for treatment-experienced patients who face HIV resistance. FUZEON presents unique challenges because it is the first self-injectable antiretroviral whereas all other treatments are oral. Highlights from ......ombination drug with contraceptive properties, was approved for use as a second-line treatment for severe acne in women. Because of concerns about liver toxicity and an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, warnings were sent to physicians in December 2002 advising them not prescribe Diane-35 for birth co...Statement from Sandra Raymond, President and CEO, Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
... It has been more than 30 years since the FDA has approved a new therapy for lupus. The results of this study are encouraging and offer hope that doctors soon will have a safer and more effective treatment alternative that has fewer side effects typically associated with currentlyavailable treatments. D...Research published in the NEJM challenges 30-year-old standard of care for lupus patients
... kidney disease). Marketed as CellCept, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in kidney, heart and liver organ transplant patients, MMF has been shown to play a major role in controlling lupus nephritis. The research published in NEJM found that lupus patients using orall...Clinical trial supports better treatment for lupus nephritis
...ndomized clinical trial comparing the newer agent, approved for about 10 years for kidney transplant patients,...the FDA orphan disease branch-funded study, get it approved and recruit medical centers and patients. "Our results are very promising, but we need to do longer ...New blood test may improve risk assessment for ischemic stroke in middle aged adults
...using the diaDexus PLAC test, the first blood test approved by the FDA to aid in predicting ischemic stroke associated with atherosclerosis. CRP was measured using an assay from Denka Seiken. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, the study demonstrated that Lp-PLA2 was independently associated with ischemic...Higher dose formulation of FOSRENOL approved to reduce serum phosphorus in esrd patients
...-- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new, higher dose formulation of the chewable(1) non-calcium phosphate binder FOSRENOL(R) (lanthanum carbonate). The new, higher dose strengths of 750 milligrams (mg) and 1.0 gram (g) will be available in the U.S. by year end. This formulation wil...First human tests of antidepressant bupropion as methamphetamine addiction treatment hold promise
...mphetamine addiction. No medications presently are approved for treating methamphetamine addicts. Appearing Nov. 23 as an advance online publication of the peer-reviewed journal Neuropsychopharmacology, the study finds bupropion blunts the methamphetamine "high" and reduces cravings prompted by visual cues su...Less-invasive ultrafiltration device may be practical alternative to diuretics
...ltration was performed with a device that has been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for use outside of intensive care units and without specialized nursing or central intravenous access. The manufacturer of the device, CHF Solutions Inc., funded this study. Ultrafiltration was successful i...Hopkins study shows 30-day soft contact lenses pose very small risk of vision loss
...e original 30-day extended wear lenses, which were approved by the FDA in 1981. Prior to their approval, the ... to just seven consecutive days. In 2001, the FDA approved CIBA Vision's silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses for continuous wear up to 30 nights. These sili...Heparin antibodies may pose risk in heart surgery patients
...rovide an alternative to heparin, but they are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use during heart surgery. The safety of these alternative medications in the setting of complex heart surgery remains to be determined. Another option may be for patients with the antibodies to delay surgery......uidelines were developed in collaboration with and approved by: Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology (SVMB) Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) When: Tuesday, December 6, 2005 2:00 PM EST ...