MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'dan!'. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:53:42 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733229&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FmGZ6seB-ltY%2F President Obama announced yesterday that he will bypass congress to appoint Dr. Donald M. Berwick as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The decision, called a “recess appointment”, is going through while senate is in recess, which many find surprising because it’s only in recess for a short amount of time. White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said that the appointment is needed to carry out the new health care law, which calls for big changes in both Medicare and Medicaid, affecting about 1/3 of all Americans. The New York Times quoted his statement that “many Republicans in Congress have made it clear in recent weeks that they were going to stall the nomination as long as they could, solely to score political points.”... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733229 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:33:41 +0100 3733229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733053&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fshould-obama-bypass-senate-to-appoint-health-care-official%2F President Obama announced yesterday that he will bypass congress to appoint Dr. Donald M. Berwick as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The decision, called a “recess appointment”, is going through while senate is in recess, which many find surprising because it’s only in recess for a short amount of time. White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said that the appointment is needed to carry out the new health care law, which calls for big changes in both Medicare and Medicaid, affecting about 1/3 of all Americans. The New York Times quoted his statement that “many Republicans in Congress have made it clear in recent weeks that they were going to stall the nomination as long as they could, solely to score political points.”... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733053 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:33:41 +0100 3733053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644764&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmusings-from-a-member-of-the-medical-class-of-2010%2F2010.06.09 As a medical student in his last year, I can attest that my classmates and I would like nothing less than a crystal ball. Always a daunting time in a future physician’s career path, the direction we point ourselves as we launch out of medical school this year seems as arbitrary as ever. As we examine the rolling seas of medicine and try to determine our individual paths, there seem to be more clouds than blue skies, and certainly more shadows than light. This may or may not be a feeling many prospective physicians feel, but for the class of 2010 it comes as a tough pill to swallow. In a profession at the heart of a national policy debate and with a storied history to examine, it’s extremely disconcerting to be faced with so many question marks. (more…) (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644764 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:00:36 +0100 3644764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577626&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fh_IpIo82H4Y%2F A federal appeals court last month may have upheld the legality of pay-for-delay deals that thwart the introduction of generics, but the issue isn’t dead yet. A group of consumers, union health and welfare funds, which have been certified as a class, are asking a California appeals court to review the same set of circumstances involving Bayer, Barr Pharmaceuticals and the Cipro antibiotic. At issue in both cases is a deal in which Bayer paid Barr, now owed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, to drop its 1991 patent challenge to Cipro. In 1997, Barr struck a deal with Bayer just two weeks before a lawsuit was set to go to trial, delaying the entrance of a generic version. The US Second Circuirt Court of Appeals ruled the deal was kosher (see here), although the Federal Trade Commission continues... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577626 Wed, 19 May 2010 12:11:47 +0100 3577626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3563947&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1neoU6wqqj4%2F By Michael F. CannonThe National Federation of Independent Business — the nation’s largest small-business lobby — will join the lawsuit that 20 attorneys general (including one Democrat) have brought against ObamaCare.  According to the Associated Press, NFIB found ObamaCare’s individual mandate particularly offensive: The National Federation of Independent Business will join the argument that Americans cannot be required under the Constitution to obtain insurance coverage, the group’s president, Dan Danner, said in an interview… The new law allows government “to regulate you just because you exist,” said Danner. “If you can regulate this, where do you stop? Do you tell people, ‘We are going to mandate that everybody exercise?’ W... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3563947 Fri, 14 May 2010 13:20:56 +0100 3563947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3556073&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FH8aQYegPHXs%2F By Jim HarperIn their 2006 Cato Policy Analysis, “Amateur-to-Amateur: The Rise of a New Creative Culture,” Gregory Lastowka and Dan Hunter wrote about how the functions that make up the creative cycle—creation, selection, production, dissemination, promotion, sale, and use of expressive content—are undergoing revolutionary decentralization and disintermediation. The only thing professional in the clip below was the writing of the song. It deserves its credit, but the performance itself, production of the video, its selection, dissemination, and promotion (Twitter users, YouTube) are all amateur or amateur supported by a professionally managed, ad-supported platform. Watch it a second time to take in the reactions of the girls sitting in front of the map. If you lik... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3556073 Wed, 12 May 2010 12:40:07 +0100 3556073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490694&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F21%2Ftrust-me-youll-enjoy-this-post%2F Craig Lambert has a worthwhile interview with Situationist friend, Dan Gilbert (author of the best-selling 2007 psychology book Stumbling on Happiness and host of the recent PBS television series This Emotional Life.), in the current issue of Harvard Magazine.   Here are some excerpts. * * * In a recent issue of Science, Gilbert and his coauthors—psychology graduate student Matthew Killingsworth, Rebecca Eyre, Ph.D. ’05, and [Situationist Contributor] Timothy Wilson, Aston professor of psychology at the University of Virginia—reported findings on “surrogation”: consulting the experience of another person, a surrogate, in deciding whether something will make you happy. They discovered that the direct experience of another person trumps the conjecturing of our own minds. The sur... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490694 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 04:01:20 +0100 3490694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487296&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FY6kk-AP1LUY%2F Google Wants to Price Your Carbon: Dan Reicher, Google’s director of climate change and energy initiatives, argues that carbon pricing is good for the climate and for business. (On Planet Green’s video news) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487296 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:09:53 +0100 3487296 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487276&cid=t_356666_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FY6kk-AP1LUY%2F Google Wants to Price Your Carbon: Dan Reicher, Google’s director of climate change and energy initiatives, argues that carbon pricing is good for the climate and for business. (On Planet Green’s video news) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487276 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:09:53 +0100 3487276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487009&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F175220%2F Google Wants to Price Your Carbon: Dan Reicher, Google’s director of climate change and energy initiatives, argues that carbon pricing is good for the climate and for business. (On Planet Green’s video news) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487009 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:09:53 +0100 3487009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460328&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FTqK6lfwx4P8%2F This article originally appeared on our sister site, TheGloss. The sex column has mutated mightily since the earliest days of “Ask Anka” in Details. Once banished to the back section of alt-weeklies, right by the classified ads, frank first-person sex writing has spread to college newspapers and blogs. And ad as this world has matured, so have its participants. So what happens when writers decide that they want to focus their erotic energies on one person, or just that they need to take a break from chronicling their intimate exploits? Some writers go the eminent-sage route, moving into a position where they dole out advice to the needy. But others, including the acid-tongued New York City dating columnist Amy Sohn and the pioneering sex website Nerve, are moving on to a step t... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460328 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:03:09 +0100 3460328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460137&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fformer-sex-bloggers-confront-mommyhood-%25e2%2580%2593-and-blogging-about-it%2F This article originally appeared on our sister site, TheGloss. The sex column has mutated mightily since the earliest days of “Ask Anka” in Details. Once banished to the back section of alt-weeklies, right by the classified ads, frank first-person sex writing has spread to college newspapers and blogs. And ad as this world has matured, so have its participants. So what happens when writers decide that they want to focus their erotic energies on one person, or just that they need to take a break from chronicling their intimate exploits? Some writers go the eminent-sage route, moving into a position where they dole out advice to the needy. But others, including the acid-tongued New York City dating columnist Amy Sohn and the pioneering sex website Nerve, are moving on to a step t... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460137 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:03:09 +0100 3460137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3411151&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F27%2Fdan-wegner-on-psychological-studies-of-the-guilty-mind%2F From the Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences (SALMS) and the Project on Law and Mind Sciences (PLMS) at Harvard Law School, here is an remarkable presentation, titled “Psychological Studies of the Guilty Mind,” by Dan Wegner, one of the most thoughtful and influential social psychologists in the business. * * * * * * To review a collection of Situationist posts discussing Dan Wegner’s research, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3411151 Sat, 27 Mar 2010 04:01:54 +0100 3411151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3385333&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fkids-music-that-doesnt-suck%2F Music for kids is great and all, but how many rounds of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” can you endure before wanting to drive the car over a cliff? Blisstree found five tolerable toddler-friendly albums, so pump up the volume: Barenaked Ladies – “Snack Time” Karen O and the Kids – “Where the Wild Things Are” Motion Picture Soundtrack “Spongebob Squarepants” Motion Picture Soundtrack (Various Artists) Dan Zanes – 76 Trombones Putumayo – World Playgrounds 1 & 2 Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3385333 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:59:55 +0100 3385333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366277&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F14%2Fthe-situation-of-the-health-care-debate%2F A Harvard Law student wrote a worthwhile post on Law & Mind a few weeks ago about some of the dynamics behind the health care debate.  Here is an excerpt. * * * How should an institution inspire collective action?  What’s the best strategy?  The conventional wisdom is that to solve a collective problem, the institution should reward contributors and punish free-riders.  To prevent people from littering, fine them; to induce people to donate to charity, reward them; to move people to invent, lure them with intellectual property . . . .  The implicit reasoning is that the typical human agent is a rational wealth-optimizer who won’t contribute to a public good unless he or she is incentivized to do.  Yet, . . . the rational actor model isn’t an accurate depiction of human natu... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366277 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:27:41 +0100 3366277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331524&cid=t_356666_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F03%2Frethinking-a-%25e2%2580%2598cure%25e2%2580%2599-for-diabetes.html Dan Hurley, award-winning journalist and author of the new book Diabetes Rising is turning out to have some controversial views. He certainly thinks about Type 1 diabetes — which he’s lived with himself for 34 years — in different terms than I do; he’s very focused on causes and prevention, while I’m just trying to [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331524 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:00:04 +0100 3331524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294574&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fbk15vkXHtMY%2F By David BoazFormer Indiana senator Dan Coats is running for his old seat again, 12 years after he left Congress and turned the seat over the now-retiring Evan Bayh.  Coats says he’s very concerned that “our elected officials in Washington continue to run up massive deficits, recklessly borrowing and spending record amounts of taxpayer money with no regard for the future generations of Americans who will inherit this staggering and ever-increasing debt,” and he has the support of conservative congressional leader Mike Pence. But I remember a Senator Dan Coats who enthusiastically promoted big, paternalist government. In the Heritage Foundation’s Policy Review, I responded to a Coats essay on his “Project for American Renewal,” launched with Bill Bennett... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294574 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:00:23 +0100 3294574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262658&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=34786&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrmichelletempest.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fmust-watch.html Dan Hannan another author in 'The Future of the NHS' has this to say: (Source: The Psychiatrist Blog) The Psychiatrist Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262658 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:15:00 +0100 3262658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254721&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FUFmm7ug15Jo%2F The answer is Joe Jimenez. When he was first named to run the Novartis pharmaceutical business in 2007, Jimenez liked to talk about key account management, which is how a packaged-goods company views its relationship with a retailer. That wasn’t terribly surprising, given that he had spent eight years at Heinz, where he oversaw the introduction of green ketchup for kids, among other things. Somehow, the analogy still stands, in so far as speed is of the essence. Recently promoted to succeed Dan Vasella as the drugmaker’s ceo, Jimenez is still reaching back to his consumer products days for lessons on running Novartis. With consumer packaged goods, “decisions have to be made quickly because the market moves quickly,” he tells Bloomberg News. But drugmakers have long ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254721 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:37:03 +0100 3254721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239816&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F7G2Na5ih3kI%2F Former Novartis ceo Dan Vasella’s 2009 bonus will be close to three times the amount he would be due based on relative earnings growth among large cap peers, according to a report compiled by UK proxy voting agency Manifest and Swiss consultancy Obermatt, Reuters writes. The estimated payout will total about $5.96 million. And that would be around $3.8 millionabove the maximum level calculated by Obermatt, which bases its bonus recommendation on the number of peers a company outperforms - the more peers are beaten, the higher the bonus. Novartis couldn’t confirm the estimated bonus level for 2009. “Dr. Vasella’s base as well as total compensation is in line with that of CEOs from other large healthcare companies,” a Novartis spokeswoman tells Reuters. Vasella ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239816 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:02:49 +0100 3239816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236023&cid=t_356666_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fwayback-wednesday-confounded-diabetes-statistics.html Today, another example of the more things change, the more they stay the same: In his new book Diabetes Rising, journalist Dan Hurley reports about skyrocketing numbers of children being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in a wealthy Boston suburb. Parents there are desperate for answers as to why this is happening, yet “the lack [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236023 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:00:59 +0100 3236023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212285&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fiphone-app-saved-earthquake-victims-life%2F You just never know what your iPhone will do for you – and the next time someone comments on the cost or extravagance of your iPhone, tell them that if you want to try to save a life, there’s an app for that. apple.com According to a Yahoo.com story, American film-maker Dan Woolley, who was in Haiti to make a documentary on poverty in that country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, was trapped beneath rubble after the hotel he was staying in collapsed. Unable to get help, Woolley was trapped with a broken leg and a bleeding head wound. Although a fractured leg is serious, a head wound can be much more so. Just remember actress Natasha Richardson’s death after she fell and struck her head while on a ski hill. The bleeding also needed to be stopped. So, what to do? Using the ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212285 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:31:22 +0100 3212285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3212393&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F27%2Fdan-kahan-on-the-situation-of-risk-perceptions%2F Situationist Contributor Dan Kahan was recently interviewed for the National Science Foundation website.  In the interview, which you can watch the on the video below, Kahan discusses how people’s values shape perceptions of the HPV vaccine.  Here’s the abstract. * * * The “cultural cognition thesis” argues that individuals form risk perceptions based on often-contested personal views about what makes a good society. Now, Yale University Law professor Dr. Dan Kahan and his colleagues reveals how people’s values shape their perceptions of one of the most hotly debated health care proposals in recent years: vaccinating elementary-school girls, ages 11-12, against human papillomavirus (HPV), a widespread sexually transmitted disease. * * * * * * For a sam... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3212393 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:01:46 +0100 3212393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208687&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FtuFCdpv_JR8%2F Implementing a succession plan he claims to have hatched a year ago, Dan Vasella is stepping aside as ceo and will be succeeded by Joe Jimenez, who currently heads the Novartis pharma biz. Vasella, however, will remain chairman. Meanwhile, Joerg Reinhardt, who less than two years ago was named chief operating officer (see here) and was widely believed to have been the next ceo, is leaving altogether. The other changes: David Epstein, who currently heads the oncology business, will now run the pharma biz; Jon Symonds will replace the retiring Raymund Breu as cfo; and the executive committee will shrink from 12 to 9. The Novartis 9 includes Jimenez; Epstein; Symonds; Mark Fishman, global head of the Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research; Jeff George, who runs generics; George Gunn, who... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208687 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:10:35 +0100 3208687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208447&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F25%2Fhaiti-relief-a-mindful-dialogue%2F I know many of you have already given to charities in order to help Haiti. Today, as the crisis enters its third week, I ask that you consider giving a little more… A Mindful Dialogue is a new e-book edited by our blogger Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. and that was written to be a companion through life when dealing with stress, pain and difficult emotions. Through 24 interviews with leaders in the field such as Jack Kornfield, Dan Siegel, Sharon Salzberg, Tara Brach, Jeff Brantley, Zindel Segal and Others and 23 short explorations of simple quotes from leaders such as Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, Rumi, Hafiz, Pema Chodron and Others, you’ll uncover a mindful path toward working with the stress, pain and difficult emotions in daily life. 100% of the proceeds will go to HOPE FOR HA... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208447 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:05:31 +0100 3208447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3182326&cid=t_356666_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fwin-a-copy-of-diabetes-rising.html A little diabetes online fun for your Monday: Use your Noggin and three lucky readers will win a free copy of Dan Hurley’s new “epic” book, “Diabetes Rising.” First off, you may have heard a lot of buzz about this book lately. The full title is, “Diabetes Rising: How a Rare Disease Became a Modern Pandemic, [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3182326 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:00:13 +0100 3182326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3108547&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVMFUskz4orM%2F Animal rights activists regularly go after the pharmaceutical industry, but they made big headlines last summer when some visited the hometown of Novartis ceo Dan Vasella and painted “murderer” on the church, desecrated the graves of his sister and parents, and set fire to his Austrian vacation home. Vasella spoke with USA Today about the episode and his reaction. USA Today: Aren’t you helping activists by giving them the soapbox they desire? Vasella: I don’t believe so. It’s my duty as a citizen to speak up when illegal actions take place. Suffering in silence doesn’t help anybody. You have to stand up. You have to fight for something. If everyone remained silent, then the people who are violent would prevail. USA Today: Aren’t you putting a bull&... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3108547 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:25:36 +0100 3108547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3044850&cid=t_356666_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fsmartphone-adoption-trend-draws-mobile-app-content-developers With a recent Manhattan Research report claiming 81 percent of physicians will own smartphones by 2012, the race is on to develop mobile applications and customized content aimed at physicians and allied health professionals. Most recently, two companies with a track record for providing and distributing medical content have teamed up to produce new health-based apps. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3044850 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:14:14 +0100 3044850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3017104&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F22%2Fthe-situation-of-cheating%2F Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, in the following video, describes one of his fascinating studies on the situation of cheating. * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Interior Situation of Honesty (and Dishonesty),” “The Situation of Lying,” “The Facial Obviousness of Lying,” “Cheating Doesn’t Pay . . . So Why So Much of it?,” “Dan Ariely, a Situationist,” “Dan Ariely on Cheating,”and “Unclean Hands.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3017104 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:01:15 +0100 3017104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989406&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJLhTlq5XXQc%2F The man who once told his shareholders he is the equivalent of a cheap date (in so many words) is also the highest-paid exec in Switzerland, according to a list published by Handelszeitung, the Swiss business journal (Swisster has translated for us). The newspaper writes that the pay given Novartis ceo Dan Vasella jumped by more than 20 percent in 2008 to 20.5 million francs. Dan is regularly criticized for serving as chairman and ceo by shareholder groups who would like to see the roles split in order to provide more oversight. But Dan has been arguing that he actually saves them money - separating the two jobs would be inefficient and costly. Hmmm……Meanwhile, the list ranks Roche chairman Franz Hummer in third place, although his income dropped 30 percent to 15.2 million fran... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989406 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:06:14 +0100 2989406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2985035&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FvtQoz7Em2jw%2F Frustrated with patent challenges, Novartis has put its R&D activities in India on the back burner, The Economic Times reports. Chief executive Dan Vasella, who was in Mumbai to attend a Pepsico board meeting, tells the paper that intellectual property protection in India is not what it ought to be. “In principle you can discover in India, you can do research. There has been some progress on the protection of intellectual property but its not up to the standard that I would expect to make an investment into discovery led research,” Vasella tells the paper. He adds that India’s recent decision to invest $1 billion in China and not India was not driven by its bad experience with its Gleevec cancer drug in India but a friendler investment environment in China. Novartis, you m... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2985035 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:26:51 +0100 2985035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2971942&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F08%2Fdan-gilbert-on-why-the-brain-scares-itself%2F For the Harvard Law Record, Harvard Law Students, Anush Emelianova and Gustavo Ribeiro, wrote a nice summary of Dan Gilbert’s recent lecture at Harvard Law School.  His lecture, titled “Why Does the Brain Scare Itself?,” drew a  crowd of roughly 150 students and contributed to Gilbert’s reputation as an amazing and captivating speaker.    Here’s Emilianova and Ribeiro’s description. * * * Why does the brain scare itself?  On Monday, October 19, Professor Dan Gilbert confronted this question in an event sponsored by first-year Section VI. Professor Gilbert, who wrote  the bestselling book Stumbling on Happiness, is a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the Director of Harvard’s Hedonic Psychology Laboratory. He opened his remarks by ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2971942 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:12:41 +0100 2971942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2931052&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F27%2Fthe-painful-situation-of-guilt%2F From Eureka Alert: The rationale behind torture is that pain will make the guilty confess, but a new study by researchers at Harvard University finds that the pain of torture can make even the innocent seem guilty. Participants in the study met a woman suspected of cheating to win money. The woman was then “tortured” by having her hand immersed in ice water while study participants listened to the session over an intercom. She never confessed to anything, but the more she suffered during the torture, the guiltier she was perceived to be. The research, published in the “Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,” was conducted by Kurt Gray, graduate student in psychology, and Daniel M. Wegner, professor of psychology, both in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Scien... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2931052 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:01:29 +0100 2931052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904947&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F19%2Fdan-gilbert-on-the-situation-of-our-decisions%2F Situationist friend Dan Gilbert, who will be speaking today at Harvard Law School (details here), recently completed another fascinating TedTalk. Here is their summary:   “Dan Gilbert presents research and data from his exploration of happiness — sharing some surprising tests and experiments that you can also try on yourself. Watch through to the end for a sparkling Q&A with some familiar TED faces.”  Here’s the video. * * * * * * For a sample of previous Situationist posts by or about Dan Gilbert and his work, see “The Situational Consequences of Uncertainty,” “Dan Gilbert on the Situation of Psychology,” “Something to Smile About,” “The Situation of Climate Change,” “The Heat is On,” “Don’t ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904947 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:15:02 +0100 2904947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902826&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F18%2Fdan-gilbert-to-speak-at-harvard-law-school%2F For more details, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902826 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:01:32 +0100 2902826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851996&cid=t_356666_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fdan-hurley-on-diabetes-part-2-transformative-technology.html Welcome to Part 2 of my talk with award-winning journalist and Type 1 diabetic Dan Hurley, whose new “epic book” Diabetes Rising is due out soon.  In case you missed it, read Part 1 of the interview here.  Today, Dan talks about achieving the impossible — an artificial pancreas that works, and a diabetes [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851996 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:40:46 +0100 2851996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842729&cid=t_356666_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fauthor-dan-hurley-on-diabetes-part-1-try-harder-is-not-enough.html Dan Hurley is a journalist and science writer who contributes regularly to the New York Times.  He’s also written for the Medical Tribune and Psychology Today.  And he’s one of us PWDs.  His new book, Diabetes Rising, is an exposé on the academic world of diabetes, coming out January. Have a look at last week’s [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842729 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:33 +0100 2842729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828413&cid=t_356666_134_f&fid=34841&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diabetesmine.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fsneak-preview-epic-new-book-diabetes-rising.html Curious about what’s happening in the diabetes industry and research community? Or maybe (like me) you think that you already know what’s going on… Well, get ready for a concise and extremely entertaining exposé of the current status of diabetes care and research towards a cure. The title is Diabetes Rising, the new “epic [...] (Source: Diabetes Mine) Diabetes Mine blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828413 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:55:27 +0100 2828413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828272&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F24%2Fthe-situational-consequences-of-uncertainty%2F This spring, Situationist friend, Dan Gilbert published another illuminating and entertaining op-ed, titled “What We Don’t Know Makes Us Nervous,” (New York Times, May 21, 2009).  Here’s an excerpt. * * * Seventy-six years ago, Franklin Delano Roosevelt took to the inaugural dais and reminded a nation that its recent troubles “concern, thank God, only material things.” In the midst of the Depression, he urged Americans to remember that “happiness lies not in the mere possession of money” and to recognize “the falsity of material wealth as the standard of success.” “The only thing we have to fear,” he claimed, “is fear itself.” As it turned out, Americans had a great deal more to fear than that, and their innocent belief that money buys happiness ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828272 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:01:51 +0100 2828272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2772571&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F07%2Fdan-wegner-visits-harvard-law%2F On Tuesday, September 8, the HLS Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences (SALMS) is hosting a talk by Professor Daniel Wegner on “Psychological Studies of the Guilty Mind.”  The event will take place in Pound 108 at Harvard Law School, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (and lunch will be served – first come, first served). SALMS is a student organization working in conjunction with the Project on Law and Mind Sciences to bring to legal academia (in this case, specifically, the Harvard Law School community) the ground-breaking mind sciences research that has profound implications for law and legal theory.  SALMS has a very exciting schedule of events planned for the fall semester.  Additional upcoming speakers include Fiery Cushman, Andrew Papachristos, Goutam Jois, Mahzarin ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2772571 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:01:19 +0100 2772571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2727164&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F24%2Fis-there-an-objective-reality-outside-of-our-beliefs-%25e2%2580%2594-big-think%2F The good folks at Big Think interviewed behavioral economist Dan Ariely and asked him about the the nature of objective reality. Among other things, Ariely had this to say: It turns out that if a physician comes to you and injects you with whatever – saline water – your body expects pain relief.  And your body secretes substances that are very much like morphine.  So it doesn’t matter what you get from the injection.  You actually get pain relief from your own body as a reaction to that.  Now you can’t just close your eyes and say, “Please can I have some pain killers.”  That doesn’t work.  But when a physician injects you with anything – even saline water – you get the pain relief that is actually a substance you can’t buy over the counter.  It’s like morphine... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2727164 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:01:08 +0100 2727164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2716003&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F20%2Fdan-gilbert-on-the-situation-of-psychology%2F The good folks at Big Think interviewed Situationist friend Dan Gilbert and asked him about the future of psychology.  Among other things, Gilbert had this to say. Surely the other big problem facing psychology is the problem facing any behavioral science in the United States of America, which is we have leaders who don’t much appreciate behavioral science. It’s an odd thing, given that virtually every problem you’re trying to solve is a problem of human behavior. These aren’t sciences that gather much respect. And as a result, they’re not sciences that are doing very well in terms of funding. It’s quite possible that psychology as we know it won’t exist as a science in 10 or 15 years if we follow the present course of funding in the U.S.A. The video of his complete response... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2716003 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:02:02 +0100 2716003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2594464&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F13%2Fthe-situation-of-pain%2F This study shows that even if two harmful events are physically identical, the one delivered with the intention to hurt actually hurts more,” says Gray. “Compare a slap from a friend as she tries to save us from a mosquito versus the same slap from a jilted lover. The first we shrug off instantly, while the second stings our cheek for the rest of the night.” The study’s authors suggest that intended and unintended harm cause different amounts of pain because they differ in meaning. “From decoding language to understanding gestures, the mind distills meaning from our social environment,” says Gray. “An intended harm has a very different meaning than an accidental harm.” The study included 48 participants who were paired up with a partner who c... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2594464 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:01:07 +0100 2594464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2591636&cid=t_356666_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fgood-legal-advice-for-genomics.html I have often thought that the laws which currently govern genomics, medicine and direct to consumer products are prettty interesting.Which is why, when we started our medical practices we were going to do an internet distribution of testing and consultation........ This was back in 2005. We sat late up at night in my partners apartment plotting to take over the industry.We aligned some players and then we obtained some legal advice....... After that fateful day in 2005, we realized that this was a buzzsaw we did not want to mess with......Especially in New York, Our Market! So you can imagine my incredulity when we saw 3 companies planning to do precisely what we were advised legally not to do. The mistakes these companies made were exactly the issues we were advised to avoid. We spent a m... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2591636 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:52:00 +0100 2591636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452657&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F05%2Fdan-ariely-as-a-situationist%2F In the following TED Talk video, Dan Ariely, Professor of Economics at Duke University, behavioral economist, and the author of Predictably Irrational, offers some now-standard but still interesting illustrations of how situation influences our perception and choices. * * * * * * To read (or watch) some related Situationist posts, see “Dan Ariely on Cheating,” “Free To Not Choose,” “Why You Bought That,” “Just Choose It,” “Neuroscience and Illusion,” “Brain Magic,” “Magic is in the Mind,” and “The Situation of Illusion,” “Irrelevant Third Options in Presidential Campaigns.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452657 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:01:57 +0100 2452657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452970&cid=t_356666_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fpower-of-twitter-and-why-blogging.html I am certain there must be a million stories like this out there. Devoted Twitterer attends conference that others cannot, recaps the talks via twitter as physician/new papa/blogger/entrepreneur virtually attends the conference via twitter and can give color commentary...... Or this one: Conference presenters hamstring regular news, while blogger gets strategic advantage by not registering as a journalist. Thus scooping the press...... Well, I have now seen and appreciated both in real time.This weekend while I was recovering and taking care of our newborn I was able to attend a conference the AAAS hosted a conference entitled "Personalized Medicine, Planning for the Future" it was a scientific freedom, responsibility and the law program......... The microblogger was Dan Vorhaus Esquire a... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452970 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:01:00 +0100 2452970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376171&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F29%2Fthe-situation-of-climate-change%2F From Pop!Tech and YouTube, here is Situationist friend, Harvard Professor Daniel Gilbert speaking  about the psychology of global warming. * * * * * * For related Sitautionist posts, see “Jeffrey Sachs on the Situation of Global Poverty,” “The Need for a Situationist Morality,” “The Heat is On,” and “Captured Science.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376171 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:11:53 +0100 2376171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364999&cid=t_356666_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsandnsurf.medbrains.net%2F2009%2F04%2Fachieving-impossible-heights-2%2F With Peter Habeler, Reinhold Messner made the first oxygenless ascent of Everest in 1978. Messner later became the first man to climb all fourteen of the world’s giant 8000-meter peaks. In 1980 he climbed Everest solo - without oxygen - in a blitzkrieg expedition lasting only three days. Messner’s ground-breaking climbing feats exceeded many people’s [...] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364999 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:00:23 +0100 2364999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2163664&cid=t_356666_136_f&fid=35300&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fmetastatic-liver-cancer%2F%7E3%2F3EO7hFRIAXw%2F Read why any conventional liver cancer prognosis by itself reduces your chances of survival by 80%. This is because a conventional prognosis is based on "normal medical efforts to treat secondary liver cancer".   Learn how our metastatic liver cancer survivors step outside the box.   Conventional cancer prognosis is only 1 part of the puzzle of your health   In stead of asking for a metastatic liver cancer prognosis, you need to ask:   ‘Maybe there’s a chance’?   This will challenge your doctor.   Not that your doctor suddenly will perform a miracle. But it’s a much better way to start a dialogue with yourself and the caregivers around you.   Our father’s metastatic liver cancer prognosis   When we asked several doctors... Metastatic liver cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2163664 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:11:28 +0100 2163664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2128795&cid=t_356666_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FOt_EUZZ3Bvs%2F I recently invited the President and Owner of Great Acclaim LLC to do a guest post for this blog talking about the benefits of switching to a web based medical practice management. The hope was to illustrate the increased reimbursement that can be achieved by using a well managed practice management software (or SAAS - Software as a Service). This blog has focused a lot on EMR and EHR, but hasn’t focused enough on the benefits of an electronic practice management service. The following guest post from Dan Williams will hopefully shed some more light on the benefits of a web based medical practice management implementation. Guest Post by Dan Williams Physicians face an array of options linked with the decision to switch to Web-based practice management solutions. Like EMR implementati... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2128795 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:01:55 +0100 2128795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2046915&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FDN0Djg95KF0%2F So yesterday I wrote “what comes around, comes around.” Siliconmom commented about this sentence, the last one in the post: Is that one of the stages of being an autistic parent - that at some point you realize and accept that life is what it is? For me, I would say, yes, very much, and that, too, hope starts with acceptance. Charlie was around 5 years old when I let go of feeling I had to save him from, and fight against, and do the warrior mom thing. I’m not saying I don’t have moments when a shadow of the old “fightin’ spirit” passes through me (pre-IEP meeting, for instance, or when you get The Stare-’n'-Shakes-Head Combo in the supermarket). Being Charlie’s mom is not about doing everything I can to “take the autism out of hi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2046915 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:36:35 +0100 2046915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2040525&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F12%2F17%2Fforatv-whats-for-dinner-food-politics-in-21st-century%2F From FORA.tv: Author Michael Ruhlman and Chef Dan Barber talk about modern industrial farming and agriculture in the United States as part of Chautauqua Institutions week long program called “What’s for Dinner: Food and Politics in the 21st Century.” * * * For related Situationist posts, go to “The Situation of our Food – Part I,” “The Situation of Our Food - Part II,” “The Situation of Our Food - Part III,” and “The Situation of our Food - Part IV.”        (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2040525 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:01:12 +0100 2040525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2036317&cid=t_356666_88_f&fid=38203&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprecordialthump.medbrains.net%2F2008%2F12%2F15%2Fachieving-impossible-heights%2F With Peter Habeler, Reinhold Messner made the first oxygenless ascent of Everest in 1978. Messner later became the first man to climb all fourteen of the world’s giant 8000-meter peaks. In 1980 he climbed Everest solo - without oxygen - in a blitzkrieg expedition lasting only three days. Messner’s ground-breaking climbing feats exceeded many people’s conceptions of the limits of what human physiology and the human spirit are capable of. So, what are the unique qualities that allow elite alpinists to achieve these superhuman feats? Dr O. Oelz, himself an Everest summiter, and his colleagues studied the physiology of six elite climbers, including Messner and Habeler, to try to answer this question in their 1986 paper: Oelz O, Howald H, Di Prampero PE, Hoppeler H, Claassen H... AEQUANIMITAS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2036317 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:03:31 +0100 2036317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035879&cid=t_356666_136_f&fid=35300&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metastaticlivercancer.org%2F2008-12-15-cancer-treatment%2Fsecondary-liver-cancer-2%2F Conclusion   Modern health care is great when you fall and your arm is broken, they can fix it back quite well.   Modern health care falls short when it comes to preventing and treating cancer.   To survive secondary canceryou need to do everything right!   Mind and matter   Jim summarizes it all:   I have to admit that I think the complimentary cancer treatment is helping with the chemotherapy.   I don’t know but something seems to be working.   I would say, in order to survive secondary liver cancer you need to:   use modern medicine to your benefit: if a chemotherapy works, then undergo the treatment  believe you are going to live it through  use ALL the extra help you can get   A strong body with the right mind-set or ... Metastatic liver cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035879 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:01:28 +0100 2035879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021732&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F478384168%2F Coy as ever, Dan Vasella plays down speculation that he is inching closer to moving on. Asked yet again, about his recent decision to appoint former vaccines head Joerg Reinhardt a new chief operating officer, the Novartis ceo says that, after 12 years on the job, he still gets a thrill. “I don’t know if baby is the right word, but there is an emotional connection and a deep desire that (Novartis) succeeds and that it’s going well and that people are happy, at least most of the time,” he tells Reuters. “I see many reasons to go but I see even more reasons to continue.” “The obvious is sometimes not what happens. I believe that some people probably believe that, others probably don’t believe it. I explicitly said that it would be, in my view, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021732 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:48:08 +0100 2021732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1990932&cid=t_356666_136_f&fid=35300&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metastaticlivercancer.org%2F2008-11-27-cancer-treatment%2Fliver-cancer-or-metastatic-liver-cancer%2F Whitney’s father is diagnosed with liver cancer stage 4 and asks our metastatic liver cancer survivors for advice. Eating more small portions a day is a smart practical solution to deal with an expanding liver.   What does liver cancer stage 4 mean exactly?   You have to ask your doctor to explain that sentence, as it can be quite confusing but utterly important for the treatment of the cancer:   Stage iv colon cancer means you have cancer that started in the colon that has metastasized or moved to other organs like most commonly the liver.  Stage iv breast cancer means you have cancer that started in the colon that has metastasized or moved to other organs like most commonly bones, liver, or lung.  Stage iv liver cancer means you have cancer that started i... Metastatic liver cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1990932 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 07:24:52 +0100 1990932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1945597&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F11%2F09%2Fdan-kahnemans-situation%2F In the following video, Harry Kreisler interviews Princeton Psychology Professor and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman about his life as well as his research on intuition and decision making.        (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1945597 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:08:56 +0100 1945597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924713&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F436874506%2F Dan Vasella may have used harsh words last year when he lost a patent battle in India, but the country holds so much potential, it appears the Novartis ceo is now trying to find a way to make nice. And so the drugmaker is sponsoring a camp to groom young biotech talent in the country. Last year, you may recall, Dan vowed to switch hundreds of millions of dollars in planned investments from India to other locations, such as China, in response to an Indian court ruling over a patent for the Gleevec cancer drug, which he argued would weaken intellectual property rights on new meds (back story). “This (ruling) is not an invitation to invest in Indian research and development, which we would have done,” he said at the time. “We will invest more in countries where we have prot... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924713 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:30:43 +0100 1924713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1902633&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fdan-releases-video-documentry%2F Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh and Defeat Autism Now have created a new video documentry which is planned to be revealed as part of the national Defeat Autism Now (DAN!) national conference in San Diego, CA.  The film tells the story of four children diagnosed with autism, who achieved success using treatments rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis. [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1902633 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:34:52 +0100 1902633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901663&cid=t_356666_136_f&fid=35300&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metastaticlivercancer.org%2F2008-10-23-cancer-treatment%2Fhow-to-survive-metastatic-liver-cancer%2F Trish, one of our 2 metastatic liver cancer survivors has some questions for Dan - our other metastatic liver cancer survivor-.   Trish: recommended readings about cancer and cancer stages:   colon cancer stages: an overview from Stage 0 cancer to Stage IV cancer  Stages of throat cancer: a clear overview of 2 different ways of identifying or "staging" a cancer with clear huge pictures of throat cancer stages  colon cancer staging: why staging is important: the size of your tumor doesn’t show the whole disease (father had an unknown primary cancer, meaning the size of his primary tumor was so small it couldn’t be detected).    liver cancer survival rate  Stage 4 liver cancer   I have the following questions for both Dan and... Metastatic liver cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901663 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:37:56 +0100 1901663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1798602&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F17%2Fthe-markets-personality-dispositionalizing-situational-characters%2F Joel Garreau and Shankar Vedantam have a nice article, “Dealing with Scary Mr. Market,” in Tuesday’s Washington Post about the human tendency to see human tendencies in non-humans.  The inclination to anthropomorphize is, in our view, better understood as another example of the inclination to dispositionalize — a misleading bias even when directed at the human animal. Here are some excerpts from the article. * * * A rough beast prowled yesterday. If you read the business press, the market woke up with “jitters” after playing “a game of chicken.” It wound up suffering from “dizziness,” recoiling from a “campfire” possibly turning into a “forest fire,” or a destructive “tsunami.” Really? The mar... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1798602 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:01:23 +0100 1798602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1798528&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F393141632%2F But only when it comes to Roche. Novartis, you may recall, has a 33 percent stake in its Swiss rival and Dan Vasella is always being asked when will he move to acquire more. In an intervie with Germany’s Handelsblatt, however, he says there are no plans to takeover Roche. In fact, Dan says he does not plan any more big acquisitions after digesting a big stake in Alcon, the eye-care company. That “settled the question of further big acquitions,” he told the paper, according to Reuters. “That is not up for debate at the moment and so it is a purely hypothetical question.” But what about the idea of selling the Roche stake to pay for the Alcon deal? “We are very consistent, almost boring as far as our involvement in Roche is concerned.” (Source: Pharm... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1798528 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:54:32 +0100 1798528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1701537&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F12%2Fdenial%2F Last November, Benedict Carey of the New York Times penned an intriguing piece on the psychology of denial. As discussed by Carey, recent research suggests that denial helps form and cultivate close relationships, including those between spouses and siblings. We excerpt his piece below. * * * Everyone is in denial about something; just try denying it and watch friends make a list. For Freud, denial was a defense against external realities that threaten the ego, and many psychologists today would argue that it can be a protective defense in the face of unbearable news, like a cancer diagnosis. * * * [R]ecent studies from fields as diverse as psychology and anthropology suggest that the ability to look the other way, while potentially destructive, is also critically important to forming and ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1701537 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:16:32 +0100 1701537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1671518&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=34889&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpharmamkting.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fooh-dtc-advertising.html According to a Wikipedia entry, "Out-of-home advertising (also referred to as OOH) is essentially any type of advertising that reaches the consumer while he or she is outside the home. This is in contrast to broadcast, print, or internet advertising..." The most familiar form of OOH advertising in the U.S. is billboards.According to AdvertisingAge, the Top 200 U.S. non-pharmaceutical company advertisers allocated 1.9% of their measured ad dollars to OOH ads, whereas the Top 13 pharma advertisers allocated only 0.1% of their ad budgets to OOH.OOH is another channel aside from the Internet that pharma marketers are ignoring!Why is that?Well, OOH is even worse than the Internet in terms of reaching masses of people with the same ad and proving that the return is worth the effort. Billboards, ... Pharma Marketing Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1671518 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:10:00 +0100 1671518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1646370&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F342873843%2F The preemption prince is joining the big drugmaker as senior vice president and general counsel on September 2. This is a coup for Glaxo, because Troy is widely known - some might say notorious - for being supportive of the pharmaceutical industry (see here). During his tenure as FDA chief counsel, Troy instructed agency staff to issue fewer warning letters in the belief that the missives were being ignored, which critics say led to less effective enforcement of advertising violations. He also laid the groundwork for the current legal battle over preemption, which says FDA approval supercedes state law claims challenging safety, efficacy, or labeling. Drugmakers and the FDA argue preemption exists by maintaining agency actions are the final word on safety and effectiveness. A case goes bef... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1646370 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:19:24 +0100 1646370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1635183&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F338154644%2F Former President Bill Clinton’s foundation is set to unveil a pricing agreement that it hopes will make malaria drugs available to millions of poor people, The Wall Street Journal reports. A key problem has been that the key ingredient in first-line malaria drugs - artemisinin-based combination therapies, or ACTs - has fluctuated greatly in price. the antimalarial plant extract artemisinin has cost anywhere from $150 a kilogram to $1,100, the paper writes. Such instability makes planning difficult for artemisinin producers and health ministries that often buy the drugs. Drugmakers say reducing prices is difficult if another price spike occurs. And generic drugmakers may be deterred from entering the market and fostering more-competitive pricing. Clinton plans to announce aims to lim... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1635183 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:31:53 +0100 1635183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1616618&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F07%2F12%2Ffreedom-to-not-choose%2F In February, John Tierney wrote a great column in February for the New York Times about Dan Ariely’s new book, Predictably Irrational. We already posted about Ariely’s book last week (see here). In this post, we simply wanted to highlight Tierney’s excellent summary of some of Ariely’s experiments. * * * In a series of experiments, hundreds of students could not bear to let their options vanish . . . . * * * They played a computer game that paid real cash to look for money behind three doors on the screen. . . . After they opened a door by clicking on it, each subsequent click earned a little money, with the sum varying each time. As each player went through the 100 allotted clicks, he could switch rooms to search for higher payoffs, but each switch used up a clic... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1616618 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:00:32 +0100 1616618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1606315&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.files.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fabc-dan-ariely-interview.mp3 We presented participants with two portraits – Mike and John – and asked them to choose whom they’d rather date. For half the participants we distorted the picture of Mike and added it to the set, so they had John, Mike and an ugly version of Mike to choose from. For the other half of the students, we distorted John, so they had Mike, John and an ugly John. When the ugly version of Mike was presented, the attractive version of Mike became the most desirable date. And when the ugly version of John was presented, John’s attractive version became the most desirable. It is very hard for us to evaluate things in absolute terms. So, we evaluate products and people in relative terms, which makes us vulnerable to this kind of trap, called the asymmetric dominance effect. Spending p... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1606315 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:07:00 +0100 1606315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1502742&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F307986757%2F As Massachusetts contemplates telling pharma that gifts to docs should be a no-no, a Boston TV station invites Danny Carlat, a psychiatrist and medical gadfly, and Tom Stossel, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to debate the ins and outs. Stossel, who wrote critcized the proposed legislation in a recent editorial in The Boston Herald, calls the idea ‘draconian,’ and says ‘if I never see another Pfizer mug, I’m not going to worry about it.’ Carlat, meanwhile, says that ‘gifts is another word for bribes.’ (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1502742 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:27:17 +0100 1502742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1472701&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F299010451%2F Dan Vasella isn’t pleased that Swiss Interior Minister Pascal Couchepin would like to see lower drug prices. So in comments to the Berner Zeitung newspaper over the weekend, Dan reminds the Couchepin that lower drug prices would be “a double-edged sword” that could have a negative effect on Switzerland, SwissInfo reports. “The pressure from (Couchepin) is too strong,” he told the newspaper. “Drugs in Switzerland are now cheaper than in Germany.” How so? Dan argued that reduced prices could decrease the amount companies invest in research and development, and added that new drugs reduced overall hospital costs. And let’s not forget, Dan added, that lower prices would affect tax revenues. Novartis pays roughly $488 million in tax to the Swiss g... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1472701 Tue, 27 May 2008 10:50:24 +0100 1472701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1467964&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F25%2Flaw-chicken-sexing-torture-memo-and-situation-sense%2F It’s law-school graduation season. Here is one of the best law-school commencement speeches in recent memory, given by Situationist contributor Dan Kahan at Yale Law School two years ago. * * * I’m sure we are all moved by the profound and unique signification of commencement exercises at Yale Law School. At other, lesser law schools, commencement marks the successful completion of a program in legal education. But at Yale, commencement means just that – a start, a beginning. Having earned your Juris Doctorate from Yale, the time has come for you finally to commence learning real law. Well, today I’d like to offer you an apology for the distinctive brand of legal education you received here. Of course I mean apology not as in a contrite acknowledgment of fault, but apology as i... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1467964 Mon, 26 May 2008 02:57:44 +0100 1467964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451977&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F293418021%2F Dan Markingson, known as Subject 13 in a clinical trial at the University of Minnesota, killed himself four years ago. A university official described his death as “tragic” and a “serious adverise event” in a memo to the FDA, while noting that suicide was, “unfortunately, not uncommon in this study population.” But not unpredictable, The St. Paul Pioneer-Press writes. His mother later filed a lawsuit, accusing Markingson’s psychiatrist and the study’s director, Stephen Olson, of coercing him to sign up. The lawsuit also claimed the university kept Markingson enrolled to preserve its research and to keep payments coming for his participation, according to the paper. The study, which was funded by AstraZeneca and spread among 26 institutions, c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451977 Mon, 19 May 2008 10:52:45 +0100 1451977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1437089&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F288911894%2F The FDA made a series of unsuccessful attempts to stop a direct-to-consumer advertising campaign that claimed that Johnson & Johnson’s Proctit improved “fatigue” associated with chemotherapy-induced anemia, The Cancer Letter reports. The ads, which were widely credited with making ESA drugs into the biggest-selling class of oncology drugs, were allowed to proceed with relatively minor changes after the FDA Office of Chief Counsel got involved in the controversy. The details of the doomed effort by FDA staff to modify the Procrit campaign emerged in documents that were placed in the public record at the May 8 hearing of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation. (Look here). A sequence of internal FDA emails released by the co... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1437089 Mon, 12 May 2008 19:50:11 +0100 1437089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1433968&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F10%2Fian-rand-and-the-situation-of-ideas%2F Last week Clark Davis had a piece titled “Ayn Rand Studies on Campus,” on NPR’s Morning Edition, May 6, 2008. The story illustrates one of the many ways in which dispositionism is promoted (and, by implication, situationism is undermined). To listen to the story (roughly 4 minutes), click here. We have excerpted portions of the transcript below and added two videos (the first and second parts) of a remarkable Dan Rather interview of Ayn Rand. * * * John Allison, CEO of banking giant BB&T, calls Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged “the best defense of capitalism ever written.” He says that Rand changed his life, and he’s working to ensure that the deceased author isn’t left out of the nation’s college curricula. Since 2005, the BB&amp... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1433968 Sat, 10 May 2008 04:01:42 +0100 1433968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1405492&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F04%2F29%2Fconversation-with-dan-gilbert%2F Claudia Dreifus published her interview of Situationist friend, Dan Gilbert in The New York Times last week. It’s a fascinating exchange. Here’s a sample. * * * At Harvard, the social psychologist Daniel Gilbert is known as Professor Happiness. That is because the 50-year-old researcher directs a laboratory studying the nature of human happiness. Dr. Gilbert’s “Stumbling on Happiness” [see book cover in right margin] was a New York Times paperback best seller for 23 weeks and won the 2007 Royal Society Prize for Science Books. Q. HOW DID YOU STUMBLE ONTO YOUR AREA OF STUDY? A. It was something that happened to me roughly 13 years ago. I spent the first decade of my career studying what psychologists call “the fundamental attribution error,” which is about how people h... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1405492 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:40:36 +0100 1405492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1403033&cid=t_356666_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fhealth-centrals-careconnectioncom.html HealthCentral.com provides a huge network of healthcare sites, including CareConnection.com for caregivers support, education, and resources. Some of the experts featured include the following: (1) Suzanne Mintz, award-winning president and co-founder of the National Family Caregivers Association(2) Internationally known author, speaker, songwriter, and expert Cheryl Gartley. Cheryl is co-founder of "Label Me Not" and co-author of the anti-stigma song "I Am More." She is the President and Founder of The Simon Foundation for Continence, and has been featured in magazines such as TIME, and Good Housekeeping.Cheryl writes posts at CareConnection.com that deal with living with conditions that have a stigma in society. (3) Internationally known speaker, attorney, author, and expert on aging, ... The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1403033 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:28:00 +0100 1403033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1401588&cid=t_356666_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F278304014%2F Discussion Forum (Source: the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell) the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1401588 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:52:13 +0100 1401588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1382619&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F272818314%2F Drugmakers are descending on Washington to protect their freedom to advertise meds directly to consumers and push for looser government restrictions on off-label promotion, The Wall Street Journal writes. Ten drugmakers, including Pfizer, Bayer Corp, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson have formed a coalition to push for looser off-label restrictions and will submit their arguments today to the FDA, which has been soliciting comments on its proposed off-label promotion guidelines. They are represented by former FDA Chief Counsel Daniel Troy, who is working with public-relations giant APCO Worldwide. Patient-advocacy organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Organization for Rare Disorders are also members. The new coalition supports the ability of dr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1382619 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:12:09 +0100 1382619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1374042&cid=t_356666_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F270917874%2F Today HDNet™ is reshowing an episode of Dan Rather Reports called “Mind Science.” It is an excellent review of neuroplasticity. It includes interviews with several leading scientists in the field. I especially enjoyed seeing Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel talk about his work with memory. (I talked about Kandel’s work on the Brain Science Podcast in Episode 3 and Episode 12.) “Mind Science” also features the Dalai Llama and scientist Richard Davidson talking about the evidence that meditation can change the brain. Rather interviews Sharon Begely about her book Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves (which I discussed in detail in Episode 10 of the Brain Science Podcast). Other scientists fe... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1374042 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:02:20 +0100 1374042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1358580&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F266802435%2F The medical professional in general and pediatricians in particular have sustained a certain amount of criticism in discussions about autism, and about the hypothetical vaccine-autism link in particular. Back in January, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sent a letter to the producers of the ABC legal drama, Eli Stone; the AAP was justifiably concerned about the TV show’s presentation of the issue of vaccines and autism. Proponents of the theory that vaccines or something in vaccines causes autism issued some harsh criticism of the AAP (described by Respectful Insolence). More recently, the AAP seems to be entering a stage of what might be détente with the proponents of a vaccine-autism link. It was recently reported that the AAP had met with some “representatives&#8221... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1358580 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:18:52 +0100 1358580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1356372&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F266331522%2F As you may recall, Novartis yesterday agreed to pay $39 billion, in two stages, for Alcon, which markets various eye-care products. In a chat with The Wall Street Journal, ceo Dan Vasella explains the decision. This is an excerpt of an excerpt… WSJ: How does Alcon fit into your strategy? Vasella: It fits perfectly well. From the point of view of portfolio management, we have said we want to strengthen the businesses which give us growth opportunities and balance risks. (Eye care) is a specialty area with high growth and diversification from the point of view of risk. WSJ: What is attractive about eye care? Vasella: Cataract surgery (and) lens implants (are) heavily age-related. Another factor is you have millions of people in countries like China, Russia, who need surgery and don&#82... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1356372 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:04:58 +0100 1356372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1341216&cid=t_356666_122_f&fid=36506&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainSciencePodcastBlog%2F%7E3%2F261695396%2F Most of you know that I am a fan of the All in the Mind podcast from Australian radio. I want to recommend the two most recent episodes: The March 22 Episode is actually  hosted by Volkart Wildermuth, from Germany. He interviews several of the world’s leading primate researchers. You will learn some of the recent discoveries about primate intelligence and culture, and also hear an excellent discussion of what makes humans different. Go to the website not just to hear the show, but to get a transcript and to see the extensive links. The March 29 Episode is a fascinating interview with Dan Ariely from MIT who is the author the new bestseller Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, which describes his experiments in what is called behavioral economics. His w... the Brain Science Podcast and Blog with Dr. Ginger Campbell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1341216 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:27:16 +0100 1341216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1315466&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F03%2F20%2Finterpreting-facial-expressions%2F Del Jones of USA Today has an interesting piece on the research of Dan Hill, an expert in facial coding, a system of classifying hundreds of tiny muscle movements in the face. Below is a brief excerpt from the article as it pertains to the expressions of Senators Barrack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain. * * * “It is presidential season and Hill, president of Sensory Logic and author of a book about facial coding called Emotionomics: Winning Hearts and Minds, has been in demand to find clues in the faces of the candidates. John McCain forces smiles and, true to his reputation, angers easily, as demonstrated by puffed cheeks and a chin thrust upward in disgust, Hill says. Hillary Clinton smirks, an expression “she oddly enough shares with President Bush,” which co... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1315466 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:19:27 +0100 1315466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1270845&cid=t_356666_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F243943554%2F Here you are have the bi-monthly Digest of our 10 most Popular blog posts. (Also, remember that you can subscribe to receive our blog RSS feed, or to our newsletter at the top of this page if you want to receive this digest by email). First, an announcement: March 10-16th is Brain Awareness Week, an international effort organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives to advance public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. Join the hundreds of activities worldwide by visiting the International Calendar of events, or the week's main website. Brain Fitness in the News Cognitive Health and Training News: round-up of stimulating news, from Dakim raising over $10 million dollars to grow their retirement community offerings, to the full video of our 90-minute panel ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1270845 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:17:16 +0100 1270845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258593&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F241499423%2F Dan has found a new way to justify to shareholders his continued presence as both ceo and chairman of Novartis - he is saving them money. Speaking at the drugmaker’s annual general meeting, he defended his dual role by saying that separating the two jobs would be inefficient and costly. In companies where the jobs are held by different people, Dan argues that too much time and energy is spent settling conflicts, MarketWatch reports. As a result, costs rise - and not just because two people are being paid large sums. There “is an even higher price to be paid, the price of inefficiency and conflict,” he intones. To back up his assertion, Dan cites a recent study by the Booz Allen consulting firm and contends that about 11 percent of ceo’s leave their jobs due to confl... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258593 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:00:14 +0100 1258593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1212102&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleftbrainrightbrain.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D708 A couple of days ago, Brad Handley wrote a blog entry on Age of Autism called ‘DR. NANCY MINSHEW & ME: WHO’S CRAZY?’. The temptation to reply with a one word answer starting in ‘y’ and ending in ‘ou’ is nearly irresistible so I’ll resist it. Let us instead examine Brad’s criteria for deciding on who is crazy and who is not between Dr Minshew and he. I disagree with almost every single thing you have written or said about autism. Since we both can’t possibly be right, one of us has to be crazy. I’m scared to death it might be me. As a psychiatrist, I thought you could help. Says Brad to Dr Minshew in an email. He then continues with: It is maddening for parents like me that our “experts” can’t ag... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1212102 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:35:55 +0100 1212102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1176355&cid=t_356666_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F222621494%2F Discussion  Contact information and Registration Here. Bios:  Alvaro Fernandez, Co-founder, CEO SharpBrains.com. Alvaro is a leading voice and thought-leader in the growing science-based brain fitness market, Alvaro has been quoted by Los Angeles Times, Forbes, MSNBC, MarketWatch, among others, and is a guest blogger at the Huffington Post. Alvaro has presented trends in the emerging brain fitness market at multiple conferences and universities including the Neurotech Leaders Summit, Serious Games Summit, Stanford Business School, Neurotechnology Industry conference, the Institute for the Future, American Society on Aging (2007), and more. He started his career at McKinsey & Company and led the launch and turnaround of several publishing and education companies in the US and Europe,... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1176355 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:51:01 +0100 1176355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1163224&cid=t_356666_145_f&fid=35710&url=http%3A%2F%2Fksdescartin.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F20%2Fwelcome-to-the-17th-edition-of-medicine-20-blog-carnival%2F The Truth, Is It Still Out There? Life, as we know it to be so far, always reserves space for seeking answers. The truth. And in our search for truth along the avenues and paths of explorations, lie many dimensions and perspectives. Other’s truths may be some other’s lies. While unfortunately, as knowledge unfolds, some opposing and constricting force, covers the light and distract those whose quest is simple–to know the truth.  Medicine, had its share in this unraveling and evolution. It too had its share of dark times. Though these days are definitely not dark times for understanding Medicine and Life, the current state is also neither the absolute truth. I have the opinion that we are in a spasmic process–breaking down walls, tearing off false attachments fro... the story of healing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1163224 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:18:18 +0100 1163224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1159583&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F218520799%2F And so another busy day has come to an end. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. In fact, part of our time was spent devising interesting items for tomorrow. Meanwhile, we came across a few interesting tidbits to hope you while away the evening. Catch you later… For those interested in how a key opinion leader can help promote a drug, Health Care Renewal is a must read today. There is an instructive post about a campaign to market Johnson & Johnson’s Risperdal for depression through “commercially strategic clinical trials and journal publications that were really infomercials,” the blog writes. To keep it simple, this involved the editor of a medical journal, who was also a KOL for J&J’s Janssen while he co-authored a piece about Risperdal witho... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1159583 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:48:57 +0100 1159583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1158445&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F218265011%2F The Novartis ceo is finally acknowledging that ongoing problems with its diabetes med may stop the drugmaker from refiling its application with the FDA. In remarks earlier today, Dan Vasella says Novartis hasn’t yet completed discussions with the FDA about refiling requirements for Glavus, but it remains possible the drugmaker may not proceed with the filing at all, Dow Jones reports. “It’s on the cards, that we won’t refile, but it’s also on the cards that we will,” he says. “But what is certainly clear, is that refiling without new data makes no sense.” This comes after Novartis last fall found high doses of the diabetes pill are causing elevated liver enzyme levels, and that finding delayed the drug’s entry in Europe as a revision in pr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1158445 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:04:06 +0100 1158445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1131203&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F211364959%2F A quiet end to a short week. We apologize for the interruption in service, but we were attending a meeting that required a bit of travel. Now, however, we have returned to lasso a few items that have come to our attention in our absence. Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy the weekend. Our own to-do list includes shuttling about with one or more of the short people. See you shortly… As threatened, Lilly and its Japanese partner, Daiichi Sankyo, have asked the FDA to approve the prasugrel blood clot buster. The drugmakers submitted data from several clinical trials, including one that compared the drug to Plavix. The overall results demonstrated that for every 1,000 patients treated with prasugrel as compared with Plavix, there were 22 fewer patients with heart attacks, but, major bleeding o... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1131203 Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:59:16 +0100 1131203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1085978&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F198585470%2F That’s the word from ceo Dan Vasella, who tells The Wall Street Journal that the drugmaker is readying a companywide restructuring aimed at reducing “layers of management and bureaucracy.” This isn’t new, though. He indicated as much two months ago (please look here). Novartis plans to disclose more about the restructuring by mid-month and elaborate further in February, the paper writes, adding that the restructuring will involve some job cuts, but Vasella declined to say how many. In an October briefing for analysts, Novartis execs said there would be 240 jobs cut in US HQ functions, and 510 sales reps and 510 contracted reps positions eliminated, for savings of $230 million. In his latest remarks, Vasella tells the paper that Novartis must become less bureaucratic... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1085978 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:07:01 +0100 1085978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1064310&cid=t_356666_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myelomablog.com%2F2007%2F12%2F01%2Fholidays%2F If you’re in the mood to buy stuff, Hickory Farms has gifts under $25. Those petits fours were always my favorites when I was a kid, but it’s been decades since I had one. Have you ever noticed that things that tasted good when we were children, lose their appeal when we grow up?  For [...] (Source: beth's myeloma blog) beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1064310 Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:16:35 +0100 1064310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1060148&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F192523698%2F From now on, the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services will have the pleasure of investigating wrongdoing by an FDA employee - and not share the responsibility with the FDA, a practice that has existed since 1998. Two months ago, the IG notified the FDA that it was withdrawing from the agreement, and all cases - such as theft or conflict of interest - are expected to be transferred by April, according to US Senator Chuck Grassley, who has spent much of the past few years digging into FDA practices. “No other agency within the Department has the kind of joint authority that the FDA had gotten for itself almost ten years ago,” Chuck says in a statement. “Cutting the tie is good for the public. It strengthens the role of the Inspector General. And in our ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1060148 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:01:32 +0100 1060148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1048566&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F189815483%2F In a first-person essay in The New York Times magazine, Danny Carlat, a psychiatrist and gadfly who publishes a newsletter about drug research and marketing, recounts how he was wooed by Wyeth to pitch Effexor to other docs. The tale is, basically, one man’s primer on how the process often works - how the reps schmooze, the drugmaker pays and the doc is seduced. For those unfamiliar with the routine, this is worthy reading. For those in the know, this is a reminder of the ceaseless tension between marketing and science. This is how Carlat opens his mea culpa… “On a blustery fall New England day in 2001, a friendly representative from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals came into my office in Newburyport, Mass., and made me an offer I found hard to refuse. He asked me if I’d like to g... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1048566 Sat, 24 Nov 2007 22:36:40 +0100 1048566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1015909&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F182166702%2F Remember how more and more execs are carping about the agency? They blame the FDA for becoming too conservative in the wake of the Vioxx controversy and, as a result, fewer drugs are gaining approval. For instance, this is from Fred Hassan, the Schering-Plough ceo: “It just indicates to you that when bureaucrats come under pressure, they tend to choose the path of asking for more data, as opposed to approving the drug.” Wyeth’s Bob Essner recently fumed: “If you’re the first company to get approved in a certain area and competitors can’t get on the market, the FDA is now establishing monopolies. And that’s certainly not their mandate.” And this is what Dan Vasella at Novartis had to say: “The discussion on what this drug brings over and above what’s on the mark... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1015909 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:48:30 +0100 1015909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1003705&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F180045114%2F As Bob prepares to leave the ceo job on Jan. 1 and become chairman for an unspecified period of time, he’s using his final weeks to sound off quite sharply about the FDA, which has caused Wyeth unending aggravation this year by refusing to approve some of its drugs. In an interview with The Financial Times, Bob say the FDA “is establishing monopolies” by denying drug approvals. He’s concerned that FDA assessments now include whether a drug can work better than an existing product, instead of allowing the market to determine what it wants. Specifically, he says the FDA was blocking new drugs after their efficacy was compared to those already on the market. This is, he claims, beyond the FDA’s mandate and could prompt legal action. Whether he is about to sue isn... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1003705 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:42:24 +0100 1003705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=979212&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F10%2F25%2Fjenny-mccarthy-responding-to-criticism%2F First, an apology. My offline existence has led me to neglect Action For Autism recently. This at a time when my blog has never been more popular. But I have no illusions about the reason. It is all down to Jenny McCarthy. I wrote a couple of short pieces about her and Google did the rest. As a [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=979212 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:55:16 +0100 979212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=956252&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F170782382%2F Gerald Masoudi is back. After spending the last two years as deputy assistant attorney general in charge of international, policy and appellate matters in the antitrust division of the Department of Justice, he replaces Sheldon Bradshaw, who left last month, as the chief FDA lawyer. Masoudi previously held this role - but only on acting basis - after Dan Troy resigned in November 2004. He was hired just before the controversial Troy resigned. “We are pleased to have Jerry’s expertise and insight back at HHS,” says FDA commish Andy von Eschenbach, in a brief statement. “His leadership and service will be critical to FDA’s public health mission and regulatory responsibilities.” Masoudi, who graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 1993, where he was the editor of th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=956252 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:24:43 +0100 956252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=932723&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F166147909%2F Dan Vasella may be smarting that India won’t extend a wider patent for his Gleevec cancer med, but Wyeth’s R&D chief isn’t worried such moves bode ill for big pharma. After inaugurating a new $10 million, R&D facility in Hyderabad, Bob Ruffolo told The Business Standard that its’ time to think beyond maintaining only research operations in India. He’s looking at making drugs in India, too. “We are starting to look at manufacturing operations in India for both APIs and new drugs,” he says. And so while the Novartis ceo sulks in Switzerland and vows to switch hundreds of millions of dollars in investments to China, rivals are looking at moving into that other big market Dan wants to forsake. Maybe Vasella’s retaliatory decision should... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=932723 Sat, 06 Oct 2007 12:56:59 +0100 932723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915374&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F09%2F30%2Fautism-parents-and-celebrity-endorsements%2F Now that the Jenny McCarthy bandwagon appears to be slowing down it is as well to remember that lots of parents are writing intelligent, heart warming and thought provoking accounts of their experience in raising a child with autism. Lacking McCarthy’s dubious claims to fame and fortune, not many of them get the chance to publish a book or [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915374 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:57:58 +0100 915374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915414&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F163271037%2F Finished the chores? Curling up with a cup of coffee? Trying to relax? Then the time has come to catch up on events. Here are a few items to enjoy before you head off to pick some apples or talk a walk in the park… Drugmakers often complain their good deeds go unnoticed, or worse. So Time magazine has run a piece about Merck’s efforts to provide HIV meds in Botswana. The drugmaker wins praise from its partner, the government and Gates Foundation, although the mag doesn’t bother to ask one of the NGOs, or non-governmental organizations, for a quick comment. Novartis ceo Dan Vasella, who has felt the sting of rejected drugs more than once lately, complains that the FDA has become politicized. “The FDA has become subject to politics. If they are assailed like they are ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915414 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:02:19 +0100 915414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914492&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F163035335%2F That appears to be what Dan is now thinking, according to slightly cryptic remarks he made to reporters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the other day where he was announcing a new research deal between Novartis and MIT. “My thoughts on this are that in both models you see successes and failures and it would be a mistake to believe there is only one model for success,” he said. Moreover, he doesn’t plan to step down any time soon, Reuters reports. At one time, he had spoken of 2008 as his departure date and just two months ago, there was a report in a Swiss newspaper that Vasella may propose that Joerg Reinhardt, who is currently head of vaccines and diagnostics, as his successor. But Dan now says any thoughts of departure were based on a rule the company once had that direc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914492 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 21:21:02 +0100 914492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=896070&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F09%2F24%2Fjenny-mccarthy-and-autism-quackery%2F Thank you, Joseph for posting these links to blogs on Jenny McCarthy After Jenny and Oprah (LB/RB) The New McCarthy-ism (LB/RB) Jenny McCarthy and Oprah Winfrey: Two crappy tastes that taste crappy together on autism (Respectful Insolence) JB Handley on Jenny McCarthy (Autism Street) Sorry Jenny McCarthy, you don’t speak for me (MommyHood) Jenny McCarthy and the problem of illusions (Autism Diva) Jenny [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=896070 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 23:23:55 +0100 896070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894332&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F160594879%2F The FDA is pleading for more time to produce documents requested by a lawyer for use in hundreds of Vioxx lawsuits. Eric Weinberg last April filed a lawsuit against the FDA after the agency failed to provide documents or offered incomplete files in response to 11 Freedom of Information requests he made between October 2004 and August 2006, Health Law 360 reports (subscription required). Weinberg, who accused the FDA of unreasonable delays, is seeking Vioxx media ads, the personal calender and other info from former FDA chief counsel Dan Troy, and communications between the agency and Merck. As the newsletter notes, the FDA is supposed to respond to FOIA requests within 20 days, but there are exceptions. The FDA, typically, cites an extraordinary volume of requests, some of which are more c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894332 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:52:58 +0100 894332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=885407&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F158691288%2F As most of yesterday’s news reports about autism were about Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete on Oprah, other stories were somewhat overlooked, including this one about another actor and celebrity who is himself on the autism spectrum. The September 19th Guardian profiles actor Dan Aykroyd, who notes that he has been diagnosed with “mild Asperger syndrome” and has an interest in the paranormal (and much else). Indeed, the article somewhat suggests that Aykroyd’s diagnosis (and difficulties at school) played some part in starting him on an acting career: It was his parents (his father was a civil engineer, his mother a secretary) who started Aykroyd on the acting path by enrolling him at an improvisational class. They didn’t particularly want him to be an... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=885407 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:04:07 +0100 885407 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=870469&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D622 Conclusion: Pioglitazone should be considered for further testing of therapeutic potential in autistic patients. Happy days right? Well of course not. Would I be blogging about it if it was? First problem I thought of was the discrepancy between sample size (25) and conclusion. At best I would think of this as a pilot study. The second issue was the utter lack of clarification regarding Actos and what exact risks were spelled out to the patients or their guardians. Actos is pretty heavy stuff. Last week Actos received a “black box warning” from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency’s strongest level of caution. Actos, and a similar diabetes drug, Avandia, can increase the risk of heart failure, the FDA warned. A black box warning means that the dru... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=870469 Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:55:34 +0100 870469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=868254&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D620 Do you miss Dan Olmsted’s writing? He now apparently showcases his version of scientific brilliance over at Rescue Host. Recently, he tried to pass off the Flu shots and Chinese mercury hypothesis (which I thought was David Kirby’s, but I guess I was wrong) without much more than unfounded speculation and belief. California, of course, is ground zero as we watch autism rates keep rising—even after mercury was “removed” from childhood vaccines starting in 1999 (the situation is much more complicated than that, since more and more pregnant women and younger and younger kids are getting mercury-preserved flu shots). So if you believe as I do that autism is fundamentally an environmental illness that whacks a subgroup of susceptible kids, mercury from Chi... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=868254 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:00:30 +0100 868254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=867461&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F155551487%2F Novartis ceo Dan Vasella met with analysts this morning to review finances and, in a sop to anxious stockholders, agreed to treat them like risk-free coupon clippers. So he says 100 percent of free cash flow, after dividends and acquisitions, could be available for share buybacks, compared with only 50 percent in the past. Right now, Novartis has allocated $4 billion to purchase its own stock. “There is increased pressure for pharma companies to improve return. If the shareholders aren’t getting it on the share price itself, then a buyback is an alternative option,” Navid Malik, an analyst with Collins Stewart in London, tells Reuters. “I’m not surprised Novartis is trying to appease shareholder concerns at the moment.” Dan reiterated his belief that No... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=867461 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:10:00 +0100 867461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853877&cid=t_356666_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F154346995%2Fthis_is_your_brain_on_music.html If you’ve noticed how music evokes powerful moods in any workplace, you’ll be glad to know that reasons for why that is so ... are becoming increasingly clear. A new book, This is Your Brain on Music, answers many questions about music’s role in a person’s life and work. Listen to the author’s fascinating Podcast explanation of how he arrived at this cutting edge study from three distinctive directions. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist at McGill University ... used neuroimaging to show how music engages and moves ... almost every region of the human brain. How so?When the brain hears vibrations from your eardrum, it mixes musical elements such as cadence and tonal color. Then, higher areas of the brain create a melodic sense of the ent... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853877 Sun, 09 Sep 2007 23:55:17 +0100 853877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=852725&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F153864718%2F In a brief, or at least tightly edited, chat with The New York Times, the Novartis ceo comments on the American health care system; Michael Moore’s SiCKO (no, he hasn’t seen it); the cost of meds and the cost to develop them, and the FDA. Here is an excerpt….. NYT: Is the United States becoming a less healthy society in some respects? Dan: Yes, in some aspects, less healthy. The most important aspects are lack of exercise and being overweight. Public health policies have worked in infant mortality and the reduction of smoking, but, unfortunately, those trends are overtaken by these other developments. NYT: What should Americans be doing to fix the system? Dan: One aspect is better patient education and better nutrition. People continue to eat as they did during the times ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=852725 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 14:09:54 +0100 852725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=850661&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F153464728%2F There was no official announcement from the agency, at least not as far as we can tell, but Sheldon Bradshaw is joining Hunton & Williams, which has a significant pharmaceutical-industry practice and reps such companies as Pfizer. Bradshaw succeeded the controversial Dan Troy two years ago and, as predicted, was a mostly stay-the-course kind of chief counsel. Under his watch, for example, the FDA continued to assert that its own regs pre-empt state courts and juries when it comes to deciding whether individuals can mount product-liability lawsuits. “Hunton & Williams’ food and drug practice is extremely well-respected in the biologics, pharma and related industry circles in the US and internationally,” Shelly says in a statement. “This is a vibrant, stand-out pra... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=850661 Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:17:38 +0100 850661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=837406&cid=t_356666_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fspoils-of-war.html The scuttlebutt down at the shopping center yesterday was that Clara got arrested for "public indecency." She soon came sauntering up the sidewalk looking as if she didn't have a care in the world. I was glad to see her free. "You're supposed to be in jail," I said as I laughed and she walked by. "Yeah, well, don't believe all the shit Big S tells you," she said as she turned and grinned. I looked over at Big S and he just shrugged his shoulders. Ferret also made an appearance along with Dumpster Diving Dan. Ferret was trying to get Dan to "hook him up" on dumpstered groceries. What Dan finds in the dumpsters is meager pickings.  I don't think he relished any competition from Ferret. He certainly didn't look happy at Ferret's encroachment. "I don't see why that old man would want to b... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=837406 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:13:00 +0100 837406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=817635&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F08%2F23%2Fkerry-charged-over-tariqs-death%2F Roy Kerry has finally been charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment two years after Abubakar “Tariq” Nadama died as a result of treatment he received at Kerry’s clinic in Portersville, Pennsylvania. Kerry also faces an enquiry into his competency from the state medical authorities and is being sued by [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=817635 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:01:21 +0100 817635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=815355&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F146880166%2F The Novartis ceo says he will switch hundreds of millions of dollars in planned investments from India to other locations, primarily, China, in the next few years in response to an Indian court ruling that he says weakens intellectual property rights on new meds. In an interview with The Financial Times following the rejection this month of his bid to protect the patent on the Gleevec cancer med, Vasella says “concrete plans” for investments in research in India stalled during the trial and Novartis will now go elsewhere. The decision comes at a sensitive time for drugmakers in Asia, with many hesitating between India and China as an investment location against a backdrop of patent uncertainties, the Times notes. “This (ruling) is not an invitation to invest in Indian res... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=815355 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:40:45 +0100 815355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=788106&cid=t_356666_140_f&fid=35433&url=http%3A%2F%2F4thavenueblues.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Ffelt-like-old-times.html It felt like old times me and Rosa spending the afternoon down at the shopping center.  New people have come and old people have gone.  The shopping center is a never ending revolving door of us misfits.  "Have you seen Dan?" I asked Droopy, a long time cohort of George's who is often down there. "I ain't be seein' dat old man for days," Droopy replied. "It's the heat," Rosa said. "It's chased him inside." I made a mental note to go by Dumpster Diving Dan's house to check on him. "So George says Ferret's homeless again," I said to Droopy. "Dat nigga be stayin' down on the river again," he replied. "Almost got busted for public drunkenness the other day over here." Ferret is like me.  We either have it together or our lives are a disaster.  There is no middle ground... The 4th Avenue Blues blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=788106 Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:09:00 +0100 788106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=775394&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fjohn-john-why-persecuteth-thou-me.html Mike Savage needs a hug. He's clearly gotten all tense and irrational, though I should resist suggesting that he could benefit from some Hot Savage Love. I wouldn't wish to presume upon Dan Savage's sense of decency and propriety. (Dan Savage is the Liberal answer to Michael Savage and is therefore completely unsafe for work outside of Portland, Seattle and San Fransisco.) Media Matters - Savage: "You're telling me there's no possibility of a conspiracy by the Democrats" to cause Roberts' seizure?: "Savage asked, 'Am I to believe there's no connection between Charles Schumer on Friday saying he would never appoint, or never, excuse me, approve another Bush appointment to the court, to any court? And then the chief justice suffers a so-called seizure two days later? You're telling me there'... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=775394 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 775394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=756746&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D600 This post was sent to me, as is by someone who wanted to write about this. I was happy to ‘host’ it. Does the DAN! ‘Protocol’ have more to do with an autistic child’s death than meets the eye? Why does the newly re-designed Autism Research Institue’s (ARI) website still contain a statement about the death of Tariq Nadama, by Bernard Rimland (1928-2006), that appears to be based on old information and doesn’t amount to much more than logical fallacy? Does it matter that two physicians who treated Tariq Nadama are ARI-listed as DAN! practitioners? The ARI website appears to have recently undergone some serious change. While such change may certainly have some supporters (after all, even Michael Jackson has die-hard supporters), in my opinion, it ... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=756746 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:25:35 +0100 756746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=750327&cid=t_356666_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F136359966%2F Dan Vasella may propose that Joerg Reinhardt, who is currently head of vaccines and diagnostics as his successor, according to an article in Swiss weekly SonntagsZeitung, Thomson Financial reports. With shrinking margins, pressure on its stock price and drug setbacks, Novartis could use a breath of fresh air, the report said. Vasella has been criticized over his dual mandate as chairman and ceo. And you may recall that Roche already announced such a step the other day, most likely adding pressure on Vasella to now consider the same step. Roche’s $3 billion hostile bid for Ventana Medical Systems is a “sound” move and investors shouldn’t bet the bid may be raised, Franz Humer, the head of the Swiss drugmaker, told Sonntagszeitung, according to Bloomberg News. If Vent... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=750327 Mon, 23 Jul 2007 03:43:13 +0100 750327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=725174&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D584 Thhe full set of charges against the people responsible for the death of Tariq Nadama have been posted online. In particular, DAN! (defeat autism now) ‘doctor’ Roy Kerry has to face some very serious charges indeed. At the time, various anti-vax apologists were saying it was a mix up of the chelating agent – that the wrong one was used. These charges kill that piece of silly rationalisation stone dead: 71. Respondent admitted to using Disodium EDTA to chelate Tariq. 72. Respondent stated to Investigator Reiser that Disodiun EDTA is the only formula of EDTA he stocks in his office. Maybe someone could explain to me how it was a mix up when the guy only stocks one type of EDTA? Please, this I have to hear. The list of charges against Kerry strike right at the ... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=725174 Tue, 10 Jul 2007 18:31:58 +0100 725174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=696935&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D567 Conclusion: you are 1% more likely to have Aspergers if you have been partially vaccinated. If you are fully vaccinated your chance of being Aspergers is exactly the same as if you were unvaccinated. Number of boys with PDD-NOS Unvaccinated: 1% of total Partially vaccinated: 2% of total Fully vaccinated: 1% Fully and Partially combined: 1% Conclusion: you are 1% more likely to have PDD-NOS if you have been partially vaccinated. If you are fully vaccinated your chance of being PDD-NOS is exactly the same as if you were unvaccinated. Number of boys with Autism Unvaccinated: 2% of total Partially vaccinated: 7% of total Fully vaccinated: 3% Fully and Partially combined: 4% Conclusion: you are 5% more likely to have autism if you have been partially vaccinated. If you are fully vaccin... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=696935 Tue, 26 Jun 2007 10:39:06 +0100 696935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=658840&cid=t_356666_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F06%2F05%2Fmagic-mushrooms-to-combat-syndrome-x%2F Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Diet, Research, ProductsLooks like 'shrooms might become a swanky and healthy thing to do! The fungi is affectionately called the Maitake mushroom, and literally means "dancing mushroom. Research has found it lowers blood pressure, abdominal obesity, and lipids in the blood. Maitake Products plans to target the maitake (grifola frondosa) mushroom to treat metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a common precondition for both coronary disease and type 2 diabetes. The condition is characterized by a group of metabolic risk factors including: abdominal obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, high blood pressure and insulin resistance. With the growing number of people affected by these conditions, Maitake claims there is significant market potential for its drug... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=658840 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 658840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=645221&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D550 Opinions vary as to why I, and many of my online friends believe what we do. The answers cannot be easily encapsulated but an indication is given by the source of the two links I’ve just linked to. The first group believe autism is not just a disability, that it is both more and less than that and that whatever the aetiology of ‘it’ is, it is likely to not have a single cause and further, if it does or if it doesn’t, the fact that people are autistic is a state of being (a property of their personhood) that is deserving of respect and tolerance. After all, if we can tolerate difference between sexes enough to think of a toilet seat that raises or lowers as a natural aspect of functional life then we really should be able to make the minor adjustments necessary to ... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=645221 Tue, 29 May 2007 09:14:05 +0100 645221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=620249&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D545 The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed a new main menu entry at the top of this page between ‘wiki’ and ‘contact’ called DAN! Doctors. This page contains a (worryingly long) list of some of the people with the loose honorific of ‘DAN! Doctor’ who are on the official ARI list. However, unlike the ARI list, this list will tell you the ‘other’ side of the happy-clappy hero’s of DAN! It contains notes on prosecutions, license suspensions, criminal acts and current investigations. I can take absolutely no credit for the compilation of this list. It was handed to me by someone who wishes to remain anonymous. This is a static page at the moment. In the near future, this page will move to its own domain and website and be driven by ... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=620249 Sat, 12 May 2007 06:11:52 +0100 620249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=559968&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D535 Don’t Stand So Close To Me I recently had an email conversation with someone who is married to a lapsed Mennonite and who’s secretary is a lapsed Amish. As this was too good an opportunity to miss I asked xyr about autism amongst the Amish and vaccinations. I was interested in Dan Olmsted’s idea that he and his sources waltz around Amish communities, grabbing people and asking ‘got any autism in the family’? and calling this reporting. When we talked about this xyr answer was fascinating: As for tracking autistics, forget about it. Families are not likely going to seek diagnosis unless there are seizures or some other acute issue. Imagine driving up to a bunch of Amish farms and asking, “Are any of your kids autistic?” I would guess they prob... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=559968 Sun, 22 Apr 2007 07:36:01 +0100 559968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=508593&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D522 For the last few weeks the subject of ire on the EoH maillist has been Autism Speaks, they’ve been the subject of some very nasty descriptions indeed. The reason is that the EoHers knew that Katie Wright, daughter of the owners of Autism Speaks, was taking her son Christian to a DAN! doctor and yet Autism Speaks were keeping this quiet. Well, as blogged by David Kirby, Katie Wright has now confirmed that Christian is seeing a DAN! doctor (lets hope its not one of the paedophiles or Scientologists) and has gone ‘on the record’ as stating she believes vaccines caused Christians autism. The mercury militia and David Kirby report this: Many in the upper echelons of Autism Speaks have rejected any environmental hypothesis and insisted that autism is purely a genetic diso... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=508593 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:26:58 +0100 508593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=487868&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D516 Awhile ago, I wrote a post the detailed the disturbing links between the DAN! movement and scientology. It transpired that scientology – being a movement that is big on non psychiatric modes of treatments is a good fit for DAN! adherents. Both value detoxification for a range of things and it seems Scientologists have not been slow to ingratiate themselves into the DAN! movement. So far, I’ve identified three Scientologists who are also DAN! Doctors. One of them was involved in the death of a parent of a schizophrenic man in 2002. One of the darlings of the autism/vaccine movement is Julia Berle who’s son, Baxter, was used in a Generation Rescue advert. Ms Berle is a frequent poster to various autism/vaccine groups. Her signature reads; Julia, mom to Baxter, recovered... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=487868 Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:59:59 +0100 487868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486973&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F03%2F06%2Fwhen-friends-fall-out%2F A few weeks ago in my post on Rett Reversal and Neurodiversity I wrote Now that there is a real possibility of a cure for Rett Syndrome some time in the future, will it undermine the movement for autism acceptance and encourage those whose aim is normalization? Some will certainly see it that way. But in the short to medium term I predict that it will increase the tension between organizations like Autism Speaks that are funding research into genetic causes for autism and those like NAA and Safe Minds who think they already know the cause and the cure and are only interested in research that confirms their prejudices.  Well, it has happened. J. B. Handley, the driving force behind Generation Rescue and Put Children First, is circulating a letter entitled Bernie versus Bryna: The Trou... Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486973 Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:58:09 +0100 486973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=487872&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35109&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinleitch.co.uk%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D512 Apparently. Dan Olmsted, who writes for the Moonie owned UPI recently published another interminable piece in his ongoing series on autism (it isn’t really about autism, its about thiomersal causing autism but what the hell…) In this one, he reveals the shocking results of his ongoing investigation into the private lives of the first set of Kanner’s patients and tries as hard as he can to draw a parallel between them and mercury. This time he’s struck the mother lode. Patient Frederick W’s father is now identified as Frederick L. Wellman, a scientist who’s collection of papers ‘fill 18 boxes in the Special Collections Research Center at the North Carolina State University Libraries in Raleigh’. The first item in the first folder in th... Left Brain/Right Brain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=487872 Fri, 02 Mar 2007 14:36:11 +0100 487872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486977&cid=t_356666_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F02%2F05%2Fquestions-for-dr-anju-usman%2F Treating Autism is hosting the two day Autism-Biomedical Conference at the Bournemouth International Centre with funding from the National Lottery this weekend. (Friday 9th  and Saturday 10th February) Regular readers of this blog will not be surprised to learn that I have misgivings about this. Basically the DAN! protocol is being promoted in a big way in England for the first time. This follows on from the success of Action Against Autism in setting up a DAN! clinic in Scotland under the leadership of Lorene Amet following their biomed conference in Edinburgh in October 2005. I have three major objections to DAN! They accept as fact that there is an epidemic of autism caused by environmental toxins. They claim that by using chelation to remove these toxins children can be recover... Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486977 Mon, 05 Feb 2007 23:27:41 +0100 486977