Pfizer receives FDA approval for Eraxis to treat candidemia
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Pfizer said today that Eraxis (anidulafungin) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat candidemia, a potentially life-threatening bloodstream infection. Candidemia is the most deadly of the common hospital-acquired bloodstream infections, with a mortality rate of approximately 40 percent.
In the United States, candidemia affects approximately one in 5,000 people, resulting in an estimated 60,000 cases each year. “Bloodstream infections such as candidemia can spread quickly and are very dangerous, especially for patients with weakened immune systems,” said Dr. Joseph Feczko, Pfizer’s chief medical officer. “Physicians treating these seriously ill patients now have an important new treatment in Eraxis.”
Dart injuries rise as beginners get the point
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A wave of international victories for Dutch darts players has prompted an increase in the number of injuries as people take up the game at home, according to the Dutch consumer safety association.
Over-eagerness caused some of the most injuries, said a spokeswoman for the group, with players hurling their darts before opponents had finished retrieving their own.
Poorly hung dartboards also posed problems. “Often the board falls down on someone’s foot or worse on someone’s head,” she added.
US top court allows religious hallucinogenic tea
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U.S. followers of a small Brazilian-based religion can import and use hallucinogenic tea in their ceremonies, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday in a case pitting religious freedom against federal drug laws.
The top court in an opinion written by new Chief Justice John Roberts rejected the U.S. government’s effort to stop the importation and use of sacramental hoasca tea by the New Mexican branch of the religion called O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao do Vegetal.
Ebola DNA vaccine shows promise
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Vical Incorporated has announced that an Ebola vaccine candidate administered using Vical’s proprietary DNA delivery technology was safe and well tolerated, and produced both antibody and T-cell Ebola-specific responses in all healthy volunteers who received the full 3 doses of vaccine.
The Phase 1, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study, the first human trial for any Ebola vaccine, was sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and conducted at the NIH Clinical Center. The data were presented at the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 2006 Biodefense Research Meeting in Washington, D.C., by Julie E. Martin, D.O., a trial investigator and research scientist at NIAID’s Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC), which developed the vaccine. The DNA vaccine used in the Phase 1 trial incorporates genetic material encoding core and surface proteins from two strains of Ebola. Vical has secured a nonexclusive license from the NIH to proprietary gene sequences used in the vaccine.
Mother’s stress linked to early miscarriage
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Pregnant women who experience stress in the first few weeks of pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of miscarriage, according to findings from a small study of women in Guatemala.
Maternal stress is often considered a risk factor for miscarriage, yet data supporting this association are lacking, lead author Dr. Pablo A. Nepomnaschy, from the National Institutes of Health in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and colleagues note.
Previous studies looking at this topic may have failed to identify a link because they focused on women at least 6 weeks after their last menstrual period. By contrast, most miscarriages occur earlier in pregnancy, usually within three weeks of conception.
Food experts say public has inadequate understanding of food risk issues
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A recent study shows that food safety experts have little confidence in the public’s understanding of food risk issues. The study is published in the Journal of Food Safety.
Researchers surveyed 400 food safety experts in Ireland to determine what they think about the public’s understanding and knowledge of food risk issues, including factors such as what they think contribute to this knowledge as well as the gaps in understanding, and how they feel this could be rectified.
Some heart drugs may provide added benefits
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Taking prescription beta-blockers or statin drugs may boost the chances of having only mild chest pain instead of a heart attack as the first symptom of heart disease, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
The scientists studied 1,400 patients newly diagnosed with heart disease to try to pinpoint why some had heart attacks while others experienced chest pain, known as exercise-induced angina, which is far less dangerous.
Botulism
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What is botulism?
How is botulism spread?
Is botulism spread from person to person?
How can botulism be prevented?
What are the symptoms?
How is botulism treated?
Is there a vaccine to prevent infection from the botulism toxin?
What is botulism?
Botulism is a rare disease caused by a toxin produced by the spore-forming bacterium Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinum occurs naturally and can be found in soil, water, animals, contaminated food or agricultural products. The toxin produced by C. botulinum is the most potent toxin known and can affect humans, animals, even fish.
Frequently Asked Questions: Avian Influenza
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What is avian influenza?
Avian influenza is a contagious viral infection that can affect all species of birds but can, less commonly, infect mammals. While all bird species are thought to be susceptible to infection, domestic poultry flocks are especially vulnerable to infections that can rapidly turn into epidemics. Wild birds may carry influenza viruses without becoming ill due to natural resistance. Wild waterfowl present a natural reservoir for these viruses and can be responsible for the primary introduction of infection into domestic poultry. Further evolution of these viruses amongst poultry may result in strains that are capable of causing a wide range of clinical illness, from no symptoms to a severe epidemic that kills up to 100 percent of infected birds.
Is avian influenza transmissible to humans?
People have contracted avian flu and limited, inefficient human-to-human transmission is suspected in some cases. To date, the avian influenza viruses that have caused illness in people include the H5N1, H7N7, H7N3 and H9N2 subtypes, with H5N1 associated with the most serious illness in humans.
HIV Transmission in Prison
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Until recently, few data were available on how many prisoners become infected in prison. The data that were available suggested that “transmission does occur in correctional facilities, but at quite low rates.” This was sometimes used to argue that HIV transmission in prisons is rare and that there is no need for increased prevention efforts.
However, most of the studies that have reported relatively low levels of HIV transmission in prison were conducted early in the HIV epidemic and sampled long-term prisoners who would have been at less risk of infection than short-term prisoners. The extent of HIV infection occurring in prisons may have been underestimated. In recent years, a growing number of studies undertaken in Scotland, Australia, Lithuania, and Russia have shown how frighteningly quickly HIV can spread behind bars. Two of these studies are summarized in more detail here.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a common and important health problem among seniors in Canada. The number of individuals with COPD will likely increase in the future because of the aging population. While cigarette smoking is the principal cause of COPD, workplace exposures and outdoor air pollution contribute to the development or the exacerbation of COPD. Exposure of the fetus and young child to environmental tobacco smoke and repeated respiratory infections contributes to a decrease in lung function that can contribute to COPD in later life.
As their disease progresses, individuals with COPD experience a reduced quality of life due to limited activity levels caused by an increase in shortness of breath. Their families face not only the challenge of providing an increasing level of care, but also the difficulty of watching the relentless progression of the disease in their loved one. The costs associated with COPD affect the family, the health care system, and the community as a whole with loss in productivity and the need for additional services.
New drug formulation may help drug addicts quit
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An injectable, sustained-release formulation of naltrexone is a safe and effective treatment for patients who are addicted to opioid drugs, such as heroin, new research suggests.
Naltrexone in oral form is very effective in preventing and reversing the effects of opioid drugs. However, it has not been particularly useful because patients often stop taking it, according to the report in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The development of a longer lasting naltrexone formulation has renewed interest in this drug.
New drugs, deals seen boosting biotech in 2006
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The biotechnology sector looks set to grow again in 2006, helped by new drug approvals, a relative lack of generic competition and the eagerness of big drug companies to partner with—or acquire—those with products at early stages of development, analysts said.
“It’s been about three years since biotech bottomed out, and this bull period feels much more controlled and sustainable than others,” said Eric Schmidt, an analyst at SG Cowen & Co.
Over the next three days executives from more than 30 biotechnology companies will discuss the future of their new products, the potential for collaborations, and the regulatory environment at the Reuters Biotechnology Summit to be held in London, Boston and Los Angeles.
Tis the Season for Asthma
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The onset of winter often bodes ill for asthma sufferers. Cold temperatures and dry air can trigger asthma attacks, especially during outdoor exercise, said James Bonner, M.D., UAB professor of pulmonary medicine. And forced air heating systems can stir up dust mites and prompt allergic reactions that exacerbate asthma. Bonner also said viral infections such as influenza are particularly hard on asthmatics. A bad bout with the flu can be a serious setback, so Bonner said a flu shot is a good idea for asthma patients.
Kids, Sports and Head Injuries
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With spring football practice comes injuries, including head injuries. The signs of a concussion aren’t always obvious, said UAB neuropsychologist Paul Blanton, Ph.D., who directs the UAB Sports-Related Concussion Clinic and Research Program. “The biggest mistake parents and coaches make is that if the child isn’t knocked unconscious or dazed over an extended period of time, they tend to dismiss the possibility of a concussion.” Blanton says loss of consciousness during a game is rare. The more subtle signs of concussion can include irritability, headache and drowsiness. Blanton warns parents against dismissing or ignoring complaints or symptoms and to seek a medical evaluation.
