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 'institutes of health'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:03:52 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118630&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F5fR8BaAY06I%2F The following was orginally posted last Thursday, August 4th on NIH’s Feedback Blog by Dr. Kathy Hudson. This week a true pioneer in women’s health, Dr. Vivian Pinn, announced that she’s retiring from NIH. Vivian was the first Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) and tirelessly led that office for almost two decades. But she was more than the leader of ORWH, Vivian has brought wide spread attention to the absence of women participants in biomedical research and the exclusion of women’s health in clinical decision-making. She made it her mission to highlight the importance of sex-specific differences in disease development, progression, and response to clinical interventions. She has tirelessly monitored the landscape of health research for women and ha... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118630 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:30:54 +0100 5118630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118644&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-nih-to-hold-a-course-on-medicine-in-the-media%2F2011.08.11 The NIH is doing it’s best to get science writers on the right track when it comes to responsible health reporting by holding an annual course on Medicine in the Media. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) presents a free annual training opportunity to help develop journalists’ and editors’ ability to evaluate and report on medical research. The course curriculum builds on the best of prior years’ offerings to create an intensive learning experience with hands-on application. When I read about the course on Gary Schwitzer’s tweet stream, I got really excited and started scouring the NIH course site to listen to some of the fabulous speakers in the 2011 course, which just finished in July. I was disappointed to discover (more&#823... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118644 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:00:30 +0100 5118644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107644&cid=t_326078_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FbZl-aySdFfA%2F I’m rather shocked to hear tonight that Bernadine Healy, M.D., has died of a brain tumor. Dr. Healy, who turned 67 on Thursday, was the first woman to head the National Institutes of Health (1991-93). She also served as president of the American Red Cross, was  dean of the Ohio State University College of Medicine and was health editor of US News and World Report. Dr. Healy, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist, was deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Policy under President Ronald Reagan. She was married to former Cleveland Clinic CEO Floyd Loop, M.D. I met Dr. Healy once, after she spoke at the Medical Group Management Association‘s annual conference in 2003. For someone as busy as she was, she couldn’t have been more gracious. I lost my job just a cou... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107644 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:53:11 +0100 5107644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097089&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F4FWgf9Og79Y%2F Concerned that the Office of Management and Budget is trying to gut a proposal to strengthen conflicts of interest rules for National Institutes of Health grant recipients (back story), US Senator Chuck Grassley is leaning on the OMB to cough up documents that may expose its role in the episode. In a letter sent today to OMB director Jacob Lew, Grassley asks for all records relating to communications between OMB staff and the US Department of Health & Human Services about the COI proposal, which the NIH issued in May 2010. In particular, he is targeting Cass Sunstein (see photo), who is the administrator for the OMB Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The OMB site does not appear to list any meetings with the OIRA or public comments issued (see this and this). “I am tr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097089 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:19:29 +0100 5097089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077678&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F5hHFowu-r40%2F On June 9, 2011, sanofi-aventis U.S. announced the “sanofi-aventis U.S. Innovation Challenge: Data, Design, Diabetes” at the National Institute of Health’s Health Data Initiative Forum. The challenge, which launched on July 1, integrates open data with a human-centered view into diabetes, and will award $220,000 in total prize money. The challenge is designed for fast learning, so that innovators can create the needed service solutions for people living with diabetes. It brings together the richness of open data sets made available on healthdata.gov, the values of human-centered design, and the leading edge methodology of the top innovation accelerators. Until July 31st, innovators can submit their concepts on www.datadesigndiabetes.com.  In early August, an independent panel of exp... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077678 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:30:17 +0100 5077678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159032&cid=t_326078_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4562%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dhalf-baked-nonsense-in-the-atlantic Jump to follow-up Reply to David Katz. The Atlantic is an American magazine founded (as The Atlantic Monthly) in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It is a literary and cultural magazine with a very distinguished history. Its contributors include Mark Twain and Martin Luther King. So it was pretty exciting to be asked to write something for it, even with a 12 hour deadline. Sadly though, in recent years, the coverage of science in The Atlantic has been less than good The inimitable David Gorski has explained the problem in Blatant pro-alternative medicine propaganda in The Atlantic. The immediate cause of the kerfuffle was the publication of an article, The Triumph of New-Age Medicine. It was written by a journalist, David Freedman. It is very long and really not very good. It has been decon... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159032 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:38:18 +0100 5159032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934148&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FlOT_ePtRBng%2F This article is a perfect example of why he is our Man of the Month for June. Broadening Our Global Health Vision Over the past few decades, global health research has primarily focused on the “big three” diseases: AIDS, TB and malaria. And, thanks in large part to biomedical innovation, we today have better ways to treat these dreaded, infectious diseases and lower the risk of transmission — advances that have saved millions of lives and promise to save countless more. However, the job of biomedical research is far from over. Given the changing nature of the global health landscape, we must act now to broaden our vision even further. First, we need to apply the power of scientific innovation to more health problems. Secondly, we need to recognize that developed nations a... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934148 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:21:26 +0100 4934148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934149&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FsAVKosrZ1Iw%2F By Jane Sarasohn-Kahn. Over 85% of the world’s population is covered by wireless phone signals. The global proliferation of wireless phones provides a technology platform to move health services to people — broadly referred to as ”mobile health” or “mhealth.” mHealth: New Horizons for health through mobile technologies, the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) second report on mobile health, summarizes a survey of mobile health developments around the world, published in June 2011 based on survey data from 2009 collected in 114 nations. WHO learned that mHealth is most easily deployed into health applications where voice communication via traditional phone networks has been used. Thus, in important applications like surveillance and decision support, mHealth is less like... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934149 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:28:24 +0100 4934149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4829221&cid=t_326078_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F16%2Fblunting-the-activity-of-protein-abcc10-may-help-counter-taxane-drug-resistance-in-ovarian-cancer%2F New findings by Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers identify one protein, Abcc10, as being intimately involved in resistance to certain drugs used to treat breast, ovarian, lung, and other cancers. The results suggest that blunting the activity of Abcc10 might help counter resistance and extend the effectiveness of these anticancer drugs. Today’s anticancer drugs often [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4829221 Tue, 17 May 2011 04:02:49 +0100 4829221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780485&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FU_8pduWA8bk%2F How soon might comparative effectiveness offer significant change? And which entities will guide these changes when they begin? Inside the nation’s capitol, CER has become something of a mantra among those hoping to drive down health care costs. But beyond the Beltway, CER appears not to be nearly as potent a concept, for now anyway. To gauge the extent to which CER is perceived, the National Pharmaceutical Council, a policy and research organization supported by pharma, surveyed 111 people from federal agencies, consumer and trade groups, insurers and academics, among others. And NPC found nearly 60 percent are “very familiar” with CER, but only 30 percent believe CER will lead to moderate improvements in health care decision-making in the next year. One reason for the lack... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780485 Tue, 03 May 2011 13:36:25 +0100 4780485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762934&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FohIUuwRLw4k%2F The results of an eagerly anticipated clinical trial are leaking out and early indications are that the Avastin cancer med is about as effective as Lucentis in treating a form of age-related macular degeneration, The New York Times writes. And while there are some caveats - full results will not be disclosed until Sunday - the message is that execs at Roche and its Genentech unit may find themselves in a quandary. Why? Avastin is an older med approved to treat various cancers, but not the eye afflication that is common among the elderly. However, many docs have successfully used the drug on an off-label basis, especially since the price tag is low - up to $50 for injection. By comparison, Lucentis is approved to treat AMD, but costs $2,000 for an injection. And Genentech sells both drugs. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762934 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:04:56 +0100 4762934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676779&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FQjV-tryLFQ4%2F By Glenna Crooks. Having been engaged in rare disease research and orphan drug development for many decades and as one who continues behind-the-scenes to encourage the work, events of the last few weeks about Makena’s launch sent chills through me.  The firestorm that followed created some heat but none sufficient to help relieve the shivers. Others might declare the outcome a “win” but the more I read, the worse it seems. I’m not privy to what really happened, only what the press reports. It does not look good… for virtually anyone of the players involved, especially the critics.  Those critics raised tough questions and to date only the company has faced them. It’s about time the critics themselves –and perhaps others as well – face some.    For those who’ve mi... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676779 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:31:25 +0100 4676779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664477&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F0PSQdhxfE7c%2F Several dozen people protested around London earlier today over the ongoing refusal by Johnson & Johnson to partipicate in the Medicines Patent Pool, which is an initiative designed to streamline patent licensing for producing generics of patented HIV meds and offering lower prices in poor countries. Unlike several other drugmakers that have agreed to hold talks, Johnson & Johnson’s Tibotec unit has not agreed to negotiate and recently struck a separate licensing deal with several generic drugmakers to make, market and distribute an investigational an HIV med in India, sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries. The move has been interpreted by some as a way to undermine the MPP initiative (see this). The talks with the other drugmakers, meanwhile, got under way recently... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664477 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:11:15 +0100 4664477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570756&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FqwwaHAzPqK0%2F A half dozen people who suffer from Fabry disease have filed a lawsuit against Genzyme and Mt. Sinai Medical School for the way ongoing shortages of the Fabrazyme treatment is being handled. The med is the only treatment approved by the FDA for the rare, but life-threatening genetic disease, but Genzyme is rationing due to long-running production problems. Specifically, the biotech imposed a rationing system in which patients receive only half of the approved dosage, while newly diagnosed patients are prevented from receiving Fabrazyme at all. The move came after Genzyme encountered severe manufacturing problems that began in 2009, prompting a $175 million fine, a consent decree and, more recently, a $20 billion takeover by Sanofi-Aventis. Meanwhile, as many as three Fabry patients have d... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570756 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:33:10 +0100 4570756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566340&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGtQ9Mzf-Fi0%2F One of the more widely visited web sites for information on numerous drugs is PubMed Health, which caters to consumers and is run by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a division of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. The site boasts that it provides up-to-date info on “diseases, conditions, injuries, drugs, supplements, treatment options, and healthy living,” along with a focus on comparative effectiveness (see this). Last week, however, the site blundered by continuing to provide info about how to use unapproved drugs that had never had undergone review by the FDA, which announced a new effort to have these meds withdrawn. Then, the site appeared to back date its revisions when the goof was brought to its attention (lo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566340 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:08:12 +0100 4566340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560599&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FpGRrWTE1zQM%2F Last Wednesday, the FDA took another step in its quest to remove unapproved drugs from the market by telling manufacturers of some 500 meds they have 90 days to stop making these products and 180 days to end shipments (see here). The move is part of an ongoing initiative designed to belatedly yank decades-old drugs that were not analyzed for safety and effectiveness as required by a 1962 law (read this). Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the National Institutes of Health. As Scrip reports, the PubMed Health consumer website, which is run by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, a division of the NIH’s National Library of Medicine, late last week was still providing info about how to use many of the unapproved drugs and failed to mention that none had undergone the FD... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560599 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:51:56 +0100 4560599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545144&cid=t_326078_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F03%2Fyork-university-researchers-identify-genetic-process-that-may-underlie-ovarian-cancer-chemoresistance%2F York University researchers have identified a genetic process that may allow ovarian cancer to resist chemotherapy. York University researchers have zeroed in on a genetic process that may allow ovarian cancer to resist chemotherapy. Researchers in the York University Faculty of Science & Engineering studied a tiny strand of our genetic makeup known as a microRNA [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545144 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 06:05:55 +0100 4545144 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536449&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FaNhChVFA2s4%2F Last November, a watchdog group sent a letter to Francis Collins, who heads the National Institutes of Health, about four instances in which academics who received federal grants also used a ghostwriting firm to help publish studies, letters and even a book (back story). The missive was sent in hopes of encouraging the NIH to get tough on ghostwriting, an issue that has also plagued several drugmakers (see here, here and here). Shortly afterwards, Collins confessed at being stunned that ghostwriting took place. “I was shocked by that revelation - that people would allow their names to be used on articles they did not write, that were written for them, particularly by companies that have something to gain by the way the data is presented….If we want to have the integrity of science ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536449 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:37:44 +0100 4536449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464703&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FXls5p_i7mWo%2F After publicly chastisting the pharmaceutical industry for failing to partipicate in the Medicines Patent Pool, which is an initiative designed to streamline patent licensing for producing generics of patented HIV neds and lower prices in poor countries, several drugmakers are now holding talks about licensing arrangements. Among those in negotiations are Gilead Sciences, Sequoia Pharmaceuticals and ViiV Healthcare, a joint venture between Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline, according to a statement from MPP, which adds that Roche is about to do the same. Non-committal replies, however, were received from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Abbott Laboratories and Boehringer-Ingelheim, while Merck rejected any arrangement. The responses come after MPP, which received a boost when the National Institutes for Hea... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464703 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:13:16 +0100 4464703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394747&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FOXP2WERs2zc%2F Concerned about the slow pace at which new treatments are being developed by big pharma, the National Institutes of Health is planning to open a new drug development center by October. The move, which comes after months of planning and study, would collect more than $700 million in projects already under way at various NIH institutes. The decision reflects growing concern that the pharmaceutical industry is finding it difficult to deliver on new breakthroughs while, at the same time, continuing to pare some research efforts in hopes of saving money. Nearly every big drugmaker faces a revenue squeeze as big sellers face generic competition and are reacting by eliminating numerous projects to juice their bottom lines. Big pharma productivity has been declining for 15 years “and it certainl... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394747 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:22:45 +0100 4394747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360981&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fovarian-cancer-screening-is-still-subpar%2F2011.01.17 Cancer of the ovary is a particularly nasty disease. It often remains asymptomatic until it has reached an advanced, incurable stage, and scientists have been unable to develop an effective screening test for the disease like the ones in widespread use for cancers of the breast and cervix. The dismal status of ovarian cancer screening was underscored a year ago when an NIH-sponsored study showed that over 70 percent of cancers detected by transvaginal ultrasound and CA 125 biomarker testing — the two best ovarian screening tests we’ve got — had reached stage III or IV at the time the patients screened positive. That’s about what happens when women aren’t screened at all. That wasn’t the worst of it, however. In just the first year of that screening program, positiv... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360981 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 02:00:12 +0100 4360981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360984&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-treatments-to-cost-158-billion-by-2020%2F2011.01.17 Medical expenditures for cancer are projected to reach at least $158 billion in today’s dollars by 2020. That’s a 27 percent increase, assuming that incidence and treatment costs remain at 2010 levels, according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) analysis of growth and aging of the U.S. population. But new diagnostic tools and treatments could raise medical expenditures as high as $207 billion, assuming that the costs of new treatments increases 5 percent, said the researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH. The analysis appears in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Recent trends reflect a 2 percent annual increase in medical costs in the initial and final phases of care, which would boost projected 2020 costs to $173 billion.Projec... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360984 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4360984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343331&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FMzN0NGIvnh4%2F In 2008, the US Senate Finance Committee charged that Stanford University failed to properly monitor alleged conflicts of interest involving Alan Schatzberg, the former chair of its psychiatry department, who owned a substantive amount of stock in Corcept Therapeutics, which was studying the development of mifepristone, or RU-486, for treating psychiatric depression. Beyond his stock holdings, Schatzberg was also listed as a co-patent holder for the drug, which is best known for inducing abortion, and he received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to oversee the research. The allegation was part of a lengthy probe into the wider issue of taxpayer-funded research and undisclosed and unmonitored conflicts involving universities, academic researchers and the pharmaceutical industr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343331 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:26:00 +0100 4343331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241952&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FM-_2VCTpo0I%2F Good morning, everyone. Our apologies for the late start but we are having technical difficulties and attempting to resolve them. Nonetheless, we are endeavoring to provide you with the usual flow of interesting items. Here are a few to get us all started. We hope your day goes well. As for us, we are going to down a much-needed cup of stimulation. Stay in touch… Merck Drops Fast-Acting Claim For Allergy Pill (Dow Jones) US Moves Toward Drug Development Center (Reuters) Orphan Drug Discounts Ended For Kids Hospitals (New York Times) Cephalon Buys Rights To Stem Cell Therapies (Bloomberg News) Caraco Pharma Considers Going Private (Detroit News) China To Prices On Some Drugs By 19 Percent (PharmaTimes) Sanofi-Aventis Signs Licensing Deal For HIV Drug (Montreal Gazette) (Source: Pharma... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241952 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:54:02 +0100 4241952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4134151&cid=t_326078_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F02%2Fpeptide-being-tested-for-atherosclerosis-inhibits-ovarian-cancer-growth-clinical-trial-planned%2F A drug in testing to treat atherosclerosis significantly inhibited growth of ovarian cancer in both human cell lines and mouse models, marking the first such report of a peptide being used to fight malignancies, according to a study by researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. A drug in testing to treat atherosclerosis significantly inhibited [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4134151 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:59:25 +0100 4134151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4023135&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FxdkBOsxfVuk%2F The National Institutes of Health is joining an international patent pool in hopes of increasing the availability of medicines to treat HIV and AIDS in developing countries. By licensing a patent for darunavir, the agency becomes the first patent holder to take such a step, which was lauded by patient activist groups that, simultaneously, called on the pharmaceutical industry to quickly follow suit. The Medicines Patent Pool is a new initiative designed to streamline patent licensing for producing generic versions of patented HIV treatments and lower prices for meds in countries where people are unable to afford the drugs. The patent pool was launched recently by UNITAID, which has previously indicated several major drugmakers, including Merck and Gilead Sciences, have discussed signing up... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4023135 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:24:21 +0100 4023135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3865463&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FQse4elSGXGQ%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is something that’s become a regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that the National Institutes of Health hired James Anderson as director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. The division coordinates research into AIDS, behavioral and social sciences... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3865463 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:49:40 +0100 3865463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729869&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fxb8dZCXYPVw%2F By Glenna Crooks. Rittenhouse Square in Philly, a holiday weekend and great weather made for the perfect place for light reading this weekend. I got magazines with the intention of doing just that – and did. It was great to be outside on warm, breezy days. However, my mood soured about half way into Spirituality&Health, reading an article about a possible new cancer therapy. It describes the observations of Mamdooh Ghoneum, PhD: cancer cells are attracted to, ‘eat’ heat-killed baker’s yeast and then die. That’s good news. It happens in labs and in mice, who apparently suffer no side effects. That’s good news, too. Approval for testing in other animals is pending. I hope he gets it. We need progress in the healing of people with cancer. Why the sour mood? Dr. Ghoneum is hero... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729869 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:39:29 +0100 3729869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3726594&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2Fxb8dZCXYPVw%2F Rittenhouse Square in Philly, a holiday weekend and great weather made for the perfect place for light reading this weekend. I got magazines with the intention of doing just that – and did. It was great to be outside on warm, breezy days.  However, my mood soured about half way into Spirituality&Health, reading an article about a possible new cancer therapy. It describes the observations of Mamdooh Ghoneum, PhD: cancer cells are attracted to, ‘eat’ heat-killed baker’s yeast and then die. That’s good news. It happens in labs and in mice, who apparently suffer no side effects. That’s good news, too. Approval for testing in other animals is pending. I hope he gets it. We need progress in the healing of people with cancer. Why the sour mood? Dr. Ghoneum is hero enough for maki... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3726594 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:39:29 +0100 3726594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687099&cid=t_326078_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Finside-the-nih-grant-review-process%2F2010.06.22 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the world’s biggest sponsor of research in the life sciences. Today’s biologists, clinical researchers, and many others rely on the NIH for their funding. To help people better understand how the peer review process happens within the NIH, the agency’s Center for Scientific Review created the following video that includes samples of research being openly discussed by a number of scientists: Click here to view another video of tips for NIH grant applicants. *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687099 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:00:59 +0100 3687099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3666222&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FCsHzfWRr9U4%2F Amid the controversy over financial conflicts of interest and academic researchers, the Advisory Committee to the National Institutes of Health director late last week included a lengthy discussion of the issue. NIH director Frances Collins, in fact, confirmed the agency may change a rule allowing academics to receive NIH grants after switching university jobs, even though sanctions were imposed on a previous university employer because of undisclosed financial conflicts. What followed, however, was equally interesting. Keith Yamamoto, executive vice dean of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, pointed out that the American Heart Association is being prevented from allowing pharmaceutical industry employees make any presentations duing the scientific sessions of... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3666222 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:19:40 +0100 3666222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641321&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FrYivhU7sae4%2F The Charles Nemeroff affair encompasses more people all the time. Now, the University of Miami Medical School has become ensnared in the ongoing probe launched by US Senator Chuck Grassley, who investigated Nemeroff as part of an inquiry into undisclosed financial conflicts of intereest among academic researchers who receive federal grants. You may recall Nemeroff, who was recently hired by the University of Miami, had departed Emory University after the Senate probe disclosed he was accepting sizeable consulting fees from GlaxoSmithKline at the same time he was the primary investigator on an NIH-funded grant for research into a Glaxo drug (see this). Before his departure, Emory imposed a two-year ban on grants for on Nemeroff. This week, however, the U of Miami med school head, Pascal Gol... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641321 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:44:41 +0100 3641321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3636020&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fey5jUPYG6Hs%2F For the past two years, the National Institutes of Health has been pressured by Congress to do a better job of monitoring conflicts of interest in which academic researchers accept funding from the agency and drugmakers. At issue is the concern that key research and subsequent studies will unduly influence treatment, and so the NIH recenty proposed tougher rules (see this). Earlier this year, the US Senate Finance Committee extended its scrutiny to Tom Insel, the director of the National Institutes of Mental Health (see photo), given that many conflicts involved academic psychiatrists and drugmakers that market antidepressants and antipsychotics (see this). Now, The Chronicle of Higher Education peels back an interesting, long-running relationship between Insel and one of the more notoriou... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3636020 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:21:25 +0100 3636020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599323&cid=t_326078_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F26%2Ften-years-of-pubmed-central-a-good-thing-thats-only-going-to-get-better%2F PubMed Central (PMC) is a free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), developed and managed by NIH’s National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) (see PMC overview). PMC is a central repository for biomedical peer reviewed literature in [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599323 Wed, 26 May 2010 00:19:23 +0100 3599323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3566707&cid=t_326078_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F7PTRT-MRgFE%2F (Editor’s note: SharpBrains Summit attendee Steve Zanon wrote a very insightful comment to our previous post regarding the NIH independent panel on Alzheimer’s/ cognitive decline prevention. We republish comment here for easier access.) In the introductions on day one of the NIH conference Jenifer Croswell from OMAR outlined three different frames of reference and decision making in this context. She mentioned (1) the individual and family based on personal values, (2) community doctors affecting their patients, and (3) recommendations for an entire population of people which should only contain strong evidentiary based information. She indicated that this conference would produce a statement based on the third context and in that respect the panel has done a great job in highl... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3566707 Fri, 14 May 2010 23:16:42 +0100 3566707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370668&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAq2HsV7EZNE%2F In response to the ongoing controversy over financial conflicts of interest university and med schools researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Project On Government Oversight is urging NIH director Francis Collins to disclose financial arrangements of its researchers in a public database. The issue is also being pursued by US Senator Chuck Grassley, who is probing researchers who accept funding from the NIH and pharma, as well as instances where their universities have failed to monitor or report payments. According to current NIH regulations, payments above $10,000 should be reported (see background here). In a March 11 letter, POGO noted that financial arrangements are currently reported confidentially to a researcher’s institution, but “the confidential... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370668 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:20:53 +0100 3370668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254668&cid=t_326078_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F08%2Fidentifying-overcoming-taxane-drug-resistance%2F Proteomics study reveals a protein that, when suppressed, makes cancers more susceptible to chemotherapy involving taxane drugs. Taxanes, a group of cancer drugs that includes paclitaxel (Taxol®) and docetaxel (Taxotere®), have become front-line therapy for a variety of metastatic cancers. But as with many chemotherapy agents, resistance can develop, a frequent problem in breast, ovarian, prostate [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254668 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:18:24 +0100 3254668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167444&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FoCwgOEdh3Ck%2F After a decade of doubling, the rate of increase in biomedical research funding slowed from 2003 to 2007, and after adjusted for inflation, the absolute level of funding from the National Institutes of Health and industry appears to have decreased by 2 percent, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Total funding increased from $75.5 billion in 2003 to $101.1 billion in 2007 and, after adjustment for inflation, this indicated an increase of 14 percent from 2003 to 2007. A previous study found that funding increased at a compound annual growth rate of 7.8 percent for between 1994 and 2003, compared with a compound annual rate of 3.4 percent for 2003 to 2007. Compared with the previous study, biomedical research spending by industry fell from a compound ann... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167444 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:26:52 +0100 3167444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153627&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F10sCFWCMz-w%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is something we hope to make a regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Dan Schultz, a former director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, has joined Greenleaf Health, a consulting firm, as senior vice president, medical devices and combo products. He’s based... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153627 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 13:12:12 +0100 3153627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3030092&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F7pmvUrYw12g%2F Last month, Canada’s Health Committee appointed Bernard Prigent, Pfizer Canada’s vp and medical director, to the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which sets policy, directions, and strategies for publicly funded health research. At the time, CIHR president Alain Beaudet said he hopes to create closer ties with industry to ensure involvement and investment. But the move has not gone over well with some Canadians, who fear the appointment creates ethical quandaries. And so a petition is being circulated in hopes of convincing the committee, which meets on Monday, Nov. 30, to change its collective mind and rescind the appointment. Two reasons are cited for drawing up the the petition: 1 - Pfizer has a “well-documented history of transgressions... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3030092 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:55:06 +0100 3030092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012639&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FR19dKQZgAIU%2F Canada’s Health Committee plans to review the controversial appointment of a Pfizer exec to the board of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the government agency that oversees health research in Canada, The Tyee reports. Bernard Prigent, Pfizer Canada’s medical director, was appointed last month to the CIHR’s governing council (see here). Last month, CIHR president Alain Beaudet said that he hopes to create closer ties with industry to ensure involvemetn and investment, but the move has stirred concerns since the organization is responsible for allocating research funding across the country, the paper writes. “There’s no place in our scientific organizations like CIHR for a drug company official,” NDP MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis, tells The Tyee. “It’s shocking ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012639 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:55:49 +0100 3012639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999848&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FQ9nbEgjH6rg%2F Dozens of researchers, clinicians, and ethicists sent a letter asking the NIH to fund research on medical ethics, conflicts of interest, and industry influence on prescribing behavior. Why? They note that stimulus funding has increased the NIH budget significantly, but the agency has “no mechanism for funding research on how commercial interests affect the choice of medical therapeutics.” In their Nov. 17 letter, they write NIH director Francis Collins that the “NIH funds a substantial portion of the generation and dissemination of evidence, but the uptake of that evidence and its translation into clinical practice is strongly affected by the complex web of relationships that exists among industry, academicians, medical educators and clinicians… “..we ask that... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999848 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:41:10 +0100 2999848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984986&cid=t_326078_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F11%2Fnationwide-registry-to-match-study-volunteers-with-researchers%2F Individuals who want to participate in research studies can connect online with researchers nationwide through the first disease-neutral, volunteer recruitment registry.  ResearchMatch.org is a not-for-profit secure Web site, designed to provide people who are interested in participating in research the opportunity to be matched with studies that may be the right fit for them. NIH Announces [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984986 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:32:15 +0100 2984986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2730323&cid=t_326078_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F24%2Fto-fight-cancer-know-the-enemy%2F An Op-Ed entitled “To Fight Cancer, Know the Enemy” was published in The New York Times on August 6, 2009.  The author of the Op-Ed was James D. Watson, Ph.D.  James Watson co-discovered the DNA double helix structure; a discovery for which he received the 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. In the [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2730323 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:55:12 +0100 2730323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2683961&cid=t_326078_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FM32MyPH8T1w%2F Just a short note and congratulations to Dr. Francis Collins for being confirmed as director of the National Institutes of Health. Francis Collins is new NIH director According to the Associated Press, Collins was confirmed by the US Senate yesterday via voice vote (say “aye” or “nay”), so I’d have to say this was an even easier confirmation than Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who took her oath today from Chief Justice Roberts as the first Hispanic justice of the US Supreme Court after a non-event of hearings. Collins is a familiar face and name at the NIH, having been one of the prime-movers of the human genome project as head of the Human Genome Research Institute for 15 years. He also authored the controversial book “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief ” ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2683961 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:40:00 +0100 2683961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2682107&cid=t_326078_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F07%2Fovary-removal-may-increase-lung-cancer-risk%2F Women who have premature menopause because of medical interventions are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Cancer.  The startling link was made by epidemiologists from the Université de Montréal, the Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and the [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2682107 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:21:38 +0100 2682107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442308&cid=t_326078_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fw9bjwy5bfkw%2F Francis Collins, one of the major players who cracked the genetic code, is in final talks for taking the helm of the National Institutes of Health, reports the Bloomberg News. As director of the National Human Genome Research Institutes (NHGRI) for 15 years, Collins spearheaded efforts to map the human genetic code. With a lot of help from J. Craig Venter at Celera, the project was completed ahead of schedule in 2003, and opened up a plethora of applications and implications for research into our genetic blueprint. Collins resigned from the NHGRI position last year, in his own words, to have “greater latitude than my current position allows to pursue other potential positions of service without encountering any possible conflicts of interest, whether real or perceived." Post from:... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442308 Tue, 26 May 2009 20:18:12 +0100 2442308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349512&cid=t_326078_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F19%2Faddition-of-dasatinib-sprycel-to-standard-chemo-cocktail-may-enhance-effect-in-certain-ovarian-cancers%2F “The addition of a chemotherapeutic drug for leukemia to a standard regimen of two other chemotherapy drugs appears to enhance the response of certain ovarian cancers to treatment, according to a pre-clinical study led by researchers in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.  ‘We know that a pathway called SRC is involved in cell proliferation in [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349512 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:42:05 +0100 2349512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349270&cid=t_326078_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FXOOoMmh_tyA%2F Next-generation technologies are exploding so rapidly in genomics and personalized medicine that the NIH want to help jump-start experiments that will answer some of the bioethical concerns that rose along with the era. Image: Newscom More than 200 grants could receive up to $1 million each from the stimulus funds that were earmarked for the National Institutes of Health’ Challenge Grants program. Ten bioethics-focused programs address issues relating to the commerce of direct-to-consumer genetic tests; ethical issue posed by nanomedicine, tissue engineering and similar emerging technologies; and informed consent issues as medical records become electronic. Genomics becomes an even hotter topic as the NIH requests for more advances and developments of new methods and technologies. The wa... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349270 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:28:00 +0100 2349270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200280&cid=t_326078_86_f&fid=34461&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigicmb.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fwelcome-video-healthinfo-island-in.html Visitors to HealthInfo Island in Second Life can now watch and listen to this new welcome video, made by Carolina Keats (Carol Perryman in real life). Welcome to Healthinfo Island from carol perryman on Vimeo. What is Healthinfo Island? Funded by the Greater Midwest Region of the National Network/National Library of Medicine (GMR NN/NLM) through a grant written by Lori Bell, of the Alliance Library System, Illinois, librarians at Healthinfo Island in Second Life explore the provision of consumer health information services in a virtual environment. The island is home to a consumer health library and a medical library, as well as virtual outposts or displays run by the National Library of Medicine's Special Information Services, contractors for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a... DigiCMB blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200280 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:06:00 +0100 2200280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200623&cid=t_326078_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F3PfAqxjTbi8%2F The current Obama administration is putting plenty of attention on HEALTH, and I’m not talking about health care and insurance, although hopefully we’ll have good news on those fronts in the next four years. What I’m talking about are money and heads of offices – two factors that dictate how U.S. research in genetics and health will be conducted and approached in the next four years. This week, when President Obama signed the Economic Recovery Act, the NIH got $10 billion in funds for research, medical education and patient care. Another $19 billion went to a health information technology initiative for creating electronic medical records. In the political front, who is going to replace Daschle as candidate for the Health and Human Services Secretary? The Wall Street Journal writ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200623 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:49:00 +0100 2200623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167710&cid=t_326078_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FBMAUEKAU-uQ%2F The new US Congress is quite busy this week with our (hopeful) economic package and new laws that need voting. Amendments are being changed left and right, but there are several laws that scientists might take particular interest in.   Senate passed an amendment increasing National Institutes of Health funds by additional $6.5 billion, on top of the $3.5 billion already included in the bill. What this means for the NIH: more opportunities for research, funding for grants, and new jobs created for scientists and staff. The House re-opened the debate limiting the open-access policy of the NIH. The current NIH policy requires all NIH-funded investigators to submit versions of their manuscript to public databases within a year of publication. The current debate is whether open-access neg... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167710 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:07:22 +0100 2167710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2086995&cid=t_326078_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fzo4bcOvHNoQ%2F With the new administration comes a new NIH Director and the name that has been heard most often is none other than Francis Collins, former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. While with the NHGRI, Collins led the Human Genome Project that has become the foundation for almost every mapping project in the field. He also paved the way to have genetic data become open source and freely available to the wider scientific community. So, is Collins the shoo-in to head the bigger National Institute of Health leadership? When asked, all Collins replied was, “No comment.” What’s your take? Want Collins in or not? Take the poll at Genome Technology. Image: Newscom Tags: francis-collins, human genetics, human-genome-project, national institutes of health, re... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2086995 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:36:36 +0100 2086995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2018096&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F475830594%2F For the past few months, the US Senate Finance Committee has been investigating various high-profile academic researchers for undisclosed conflicts of interest involving payments from pharma for speaking, research and consulting and simultaneously receiving NIH grants. An NIH regulation requires researchers to report to their universities any “significant financial interests” they hold in research financed by the agency - defined as income or equity interest of $10,000 from a company or 5-percent ownership of its stock. The universities are required to tell the NIH whether they were able to manage or eliminate the conflicts in order to avoid bias in the research findings. However, the NIH has been criticized by the Chuck Grassley, the committee’s ranking Republican, for failing ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2018096 Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:24:47 +0100 2018096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1901972&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F428753091%2F Three years ago, Ned Feder began complaining publicly about what he perceived as the National Institutes of Health’s failure to monitor conflicts of interest involving academic researchers, who receive government grants for drug research while simultaneously getting paid by pharma for consulting, research or speaking. And so the scientific review administrator, who at the time worked for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, began writing memos to NIH officials and then letters to various publications - Nature, The Scientist and The Los Angeles Times - to raise public awareness. “A proposal to require readily accessible financial disclosure will probably be fought tooth and nail by those who benefit from leaving things as they are: some universit... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1901972 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:11:35 +0100 1901972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1848356&cid=t_326078_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F409443961%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Other Articles You May LikeFunding of Childhood Cancer, NF Research in JeopardyFlat Funding of Biomedical Research: The Threat to America’s HealthBill in Senate to Expand Public Access to Taxpayer-funded Research (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1848356 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:29:11 +0100 1848356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1829483&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F401963019%2F After more than six years heading the federal behemoth, the radiologist will be leaving at the end of October as part of what he called “the natural cycle of tenures for this positions,” during a teleconference with journalists. “It’s with mixed emotions that I move on.” He is rumored to be in the running to take a top position at Johns Hopkins University, sources says. (Official statement). During his reign, Zerhouni led the development of the “NIH Roadmap for Medical Research,” a $2 billion, five-year plan designed to boost biomedical research by shifting NIH resources on bioinformatics, systems and structural biology, genomic database establishment, and nanomedicine projects, encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration, and funding clinical and... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1829483 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:02:32 +0100 1829483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1769138&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F383216828%2F Under pressure from an ongoing US Senate investigation, the National Institutes of Health last week sent reminders to universities that “proper stewardship of Federal funds includes ensuring objectivity of results by protecting federally-funded research from compromise by FCOI,” or financial conflicts of interest. The August 25 e-mail was written by Norka Ruiz Bravo, the NIH deputy director for extramural research, who last March told The New York Times that “for us to try to manage directly the conflict-of-interest of an NIH investigator would be not only inappropriate but pretty much impossible.” She added that “I think (the system) is working to the extent that people are being honest and I think most people are honest.” Honesty aside, the Senate Finance Co... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1769138 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:38:08 +0100 1769138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1668704&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F350601005%2F Last month, the US Senate Finance Committee charged that Stanford University failed to properly monitor alleged conflicts of interest involving Alan Schatzberg, who chairs the psychiatry department and owns about $6 million in stock in Corcept Therapeutics, which is studying the development of mifepristone, or RU-486, for treating psychotic depression. In addition to his stock holdings, Schatzberg is also a co-patent holder for the drug, which is best known for inducing abortion, and he received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to oversee the research. In response to the charges that Schatzberg failed to properly disclose this tangled web, Stanford issued a statement defending Schatzberg by saying, among other things, that all conflicts were properly disclosed. Schatzberg &#8... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668704 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:40:27 +0100 1668704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1561298&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F324104221%2F Last week, the Senate Finance Committee targeted yet another academic for failing to fully disclose potential conflicts involving research funding provided by drugmakers and other financial holdings. The example, which singled out Stanford University’s Alan Schatzberg, is part of a larger investigation into academics who receive funding from both the NIH and pharma for possible violations of federal regulations. At issue are whether universities and NIH are adequately policing disclosures in an effort to maintain scientific integrity and objectivity. In response to the probe, the NIH disclosed it would tighten oversight, but the story is just beginning. Eric Campbell, an associate professor at the Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1561298 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:36:45 +0100 1561298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1543925&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F319993115%2F In response to sustained public pressure, the National Institutes of Health is now getting set to tighten its oversight on grants awarded academic researchers, whose institutions are required to report any conflicts of interest. Recent examples uncovered by the Senate Finance Committee, however, have embarrassed the NIH and several universities, most notably Harvard University. Over the past several months, the committee has disclosed instances where academic researchers at Harvard, Stanford University and the University of Cincinnatti accepted funding from both the NIH and various drugmakers, but failed to fully disclose industry payments. Universities are supposed to monitor researchers and the NIH is supposed to monitor the universities for conflicts involving payments exceeding $10,000... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1543925 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:03:01 +0100 1543925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1497525&cid=t_326078_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fon-wednesday-the-nihs-national.html On Wednesday, the the NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) issued a press release saying that long-term pesticide exposure may increase risk of diabetes. (Gee, you think maybe?) The press release did not elaborate into whether this exposure increases the likelihood of autoimmune type 1 or insulin resistance, which is better known as type 2 diabetes, but it seems very likely that some of these influences very likely contribute to the rising incidence of both types, as well as a host of other ailments. In fact, I have seen recent research suggesting that autism which has not historically been considered a disease might actually be attributed to autoimmunity.The NIH looked at the incidence associated with some particular pes... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1497525 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:05:00 +0100 1497525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1475717&cid=t_326078_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F300211919%2F Several recent NYT articles focus on several fascinating frontiers of brain science. We know much more about brain and mind than only 20 years ago, yet exponentially less than 20 years from now. A few worthy explorations on mindfulness, perceptual capacities, and the power of placebo: Lotus Therapy Mindfulness meditation is easy to describe. Sit in a comfortable position, eyes closed, preferably with the back upright and unsupported. Relax and take note of body sensations, sounds and moods. Notice them without judgment. Let the mind settle into the rhythm of breathing. If it wanders (and it will), gently redirect attention to the breath. Stay with it for at least 10 minutes. After mastering control of attention, some therapists say, a person can turn, mentally, to face a threatening or tr... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475717 Thu, 29 May 2008 01:39:19 +0100 1475717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344977&cid=t_326078_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F262280729%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Related articlesFlat Funding of Biomedical Research: The Threat to America’s HealthNeurofibromatosis and The Children’s Tumor FoundationMore Steps for Open AccessBill in Senate to Expand Public Access to Taxpayer-funded Research ScienceCures: Today’s Science, Tomorrow’s Cures (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344977 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:44:00 +0100 1344977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1338454&cid=t_326078_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F261458509%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Related articlesFlat Funding of Biomedical Research: The Threat to America’s HealthNeurofibromatosis and The Children’s Tumor FoundationMore Steps for Open AccessBill in Senate to Expand Public Access to Taxpayer-funded Research ScienceCures: Today’s Science, Tomorrow’s Cures (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1338454 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:32:18 +0100 1338454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1300956&cid=t_326078_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F250797185%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Related articlesMore Steps for Open AccessBill in Senate to Expand Public Access to Taxpayer-funded Research ScienceCures: Today’s Science, Tomorrow’s CuresHEALTH Highlights - January 14, 2008Elsevier’s Approaches to Public Access of Biomedical and Cancer Research (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1300956 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:43:25 +0100 1300956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1297939&cid=t_326078_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F250088466%2F In her laboratory, Anne Giersch has a freezer filled with the inner ears of 782 mice. And locked inside that freezer could be important info about the genetics behind hearing loss. But locked is the key word. Giersch, an assistant professor at Harvard University, has twice been denied the funding to probe further, The Boston Globe writes. Giersch is one of many scientists from top universities featured in a report, to be released tomorrow, which argues flat federal funding at the NIH has clogged the research pipeline and put a generation of scientists at risk. Giersch, 44, who wants to study gene expression in inner ears to find what goes wrong with hearing loss, says her story is not unique. “You can’t throw a rock around Harvard without hitting a scientist who is having troub... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1297939 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:03:24 +0100 1297939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1278470&cid=t_326078_137_f&fid=36083&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FIAmAnAlzheimersCaregiver%2F%7E3%2F245647132%2Fone-in-seven-older-adults-has-dementia.html Approximately one in seven, or 3.4 million, Americans age 71 and older has dementia, and 2.4 million have Alzheimer's disease, according to a new analysis supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is the latest in a series of analyses attempting to assess the prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer's, the most common form of... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: I am an Alzheimer's Caregiver) I am an Alzheimer's Caregiver blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1278470 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:50:45 +0100 1278470 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1265531&cid=t_326078_107_f&fid=36585&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FHighlightHEALTH%2F%7E3%2F242820657%2F This article was published on Highlight HEALTH. Related articlesBill in Senate to Expand Public Access to Taxpayer-funded Research ScienceCures: Today’s Science, Tomorrow’s CuresElsevier’s Approaches to Public Access of Biomedical and Cancer ResearchHEALTH Highlights - January 14, 2008HEALTH Highlights - June 26th, 2007 (Source: Highlight HEALTH) Highlight HEALTH blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265531 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:07:05 +0100 1265531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=758733&cid=t_326078_137_f&fid=35371&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthecaregiver.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fcatching-first-signs-of-dementia.html Looking back, there is little doubt in my mind that if I had had the proper education or information I would have realized my mother was suffering from dementia sooner. Most people like me tend to ignore the symptoms at first believing they are simply signs of "old age". Anyone who ends up in my shoes knows and understands that a person in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s can function with some normality--even drive a car. It is not until they deteriorate or until some "event" takes place that we wake up to reality.The article on the next page is one of the best I have read. The basic underlying premise is that behavior changes slowly in the elderly and if they begin to suffer cognitive impairment it will be evidenced in behavioral changes. Sometimes these changes can be quite... CareGiver, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=758733 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:02:00 +0100 758733