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Health Net of California Earns NCQA Multicultural Health Care Distinction for Its Commercial and Medicaid Lines of …

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:20:00 +0000

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Health
Net of California, Inc., a subsidiary of Health
Net, Inc. (NYSE: HNT – News), announced today that its HMO, POS, PPO,
Healthy Families Program and Medicaid lines of business have been
awarded the Multicultural Health Care (MHC) Distinction by the National
Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
This national distinction recognizes organizations that lead the market
in providing culturally and linguistically sensitive services, and
working to reduce health care disparities.

“At Health Net, we believe that cultural competency is a critical
component of a high quality health care system,” said Steve
Sell, president, Western Region Health Plan and president, Health
Net of California. “Achieving the NCQA’s Multicultural Health Care
Distinction confirms and acknowledges our commitment to help make health
care work for all members – from our comprehensive language assistance
program to our quality improvement and medical management efforts that
address health care disparities.”

To date, only seven health plans nationwide have earned the MHC
Distinction. Of those, four plans received the distinction only for
their Medicaid product, while three others were awarded the distinction
for their commercial HMO and Medicare HMO products.

“Everyone at Health Net is proud of becoming the first health plan in
California to receive the MHC Distinction for our Medi-Cal product, for
our commercial PPO products, and for multiple lines of business that
include commercial HMO, POS, PPO and Medicaid,” Sell continued. “And by
continuously expanding the diversity of Health Net’s provider network,
further developing our robust cultural and linguistic services, and
enhancing efforts around health care disparities, we remain committed to
improving the services we provide to our diverse customer populations.”

Health Net of California’s Multicultural Health Care Distinction, which
is reflected in Health Net’s NCQA
scorecard, is valid through January 2014. Its Medicare line of
business has received the “Excellent” accreditation status from the
National Committee for Quality Assurance. Health Net of California’s
commercial HMO/POS and PPO lines of business (offered by Health Net Life
Insurance Company) and Health Net of California’s Medicaid line of
business have received the “Commendable” accreditation status.

About NCQA

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health
care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care
organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas
of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality
information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and
researchers.

About Health Net

Health Net of California, a subsidiary of Health Net Inc., is one of the
largest health plans in the state. Together with Health Net Life
Insurance Company, it serves more than 2.2 million members statewide and
contracts with more than 67,000-plus physicians, 300-plus hospitals and
5,000-plus pharmacies, giving its members greater choice and more
convenient access to care. For more information on Health Net, Inc.,
please visit Health Net’s website at www.healthnet.com.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/health-net-california-earns-ncqa-002000979.html

Joslin Diabetes Center is teaming up with American Well to offer ‘telehealth’ services

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:06:32 +0000

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

American Well, a privately held Boston company that uses technology to bring health care services into the homes and workplaces of patients, said that it plans to collaborate with Joslin Diabetes Center to make Joslinâ€™s diabetes expertise more accessible to patients nationwide.

As a technology provider, American Well has a focus on so-called â€œteleheath services,â€� which allows patients to have â€œvirtual house callsâ€� through one-on-one video conferences with doctors. Patients can also ask doctors questions either through texting or phone calls. Doctors can outline treatment options or even prescribe medication if needed.

Joslin Diabetes Center is a teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

In a statement, Joslin president and chief executive John L. Brooks III said, â€œTelehealth provides an opportunity to bring together our strengths in research, clinical care, education, and awareness in order to create an entirely new class of clinical program â€“ then project care directly to the patients who need it most, at the appropriate time.â€�

Chris Reidy can be reached at reidy@globe.com.

Article source: http://www.boston.com/Boston/businessupdates/2012/02/joslin-diabetes-center-teaming-with-american-well-offer-telehealth-services/XxSPIe8vAVggYxnhv8cCpJ/index.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed2

The Prostate Cancer Foundation Builds Momentum in China

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:52:00 +0000

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Leading U.S. prostate cancer surgeon, Dr. David Samadi often takes time from the operating room in New York City to join the prostate cancer fight overseas. As a robotic surgery and robotic prostatectomy expert, his knowledge and hands-on support is a vital part of the growth and development of international prostate cancer treatment efforts in countries such as the Netherlands, France, Dominican Republic and Israel. Organizations such as the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) are at the forefront of eradicating prostate cancer beyond U.S. borders.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120222/NY57818)

With an almost 20-year history of success in prostate cancer, the U.S. based PCF is dedicating to raising and allocating money for prostate cancer research projects worldwide. Their emphasis on prostate cancer awareness, PSA screenings, and prostate cancer research strives for the most effective use of research dollars, both government funding and private donations.

Next month, the newly formed PCF China will hold The First Annual PCF China Scientific Symposium at the Peking University Wu Jieping Urology Center. The event will draw prostate cancer experts from around the globe to discuss the latest prostate cancer prevention and treatment innovations.

PCF China was formed with the goal of eliminating prostate cancer deaths and further extending the reach of the PCF globally. Dr. David Samadi, Vice Chairman, Department of Urology, and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center, is encouraged by the ever-expanding emphasis on eradicating this deadly disease. “Our prostate cancer battle will not be won in the U.S. alone,” he stressed, “Ultimately, it will be the combined expertise of doctors and scientists from around the globe that gives us the power we need to make prostate cancer a disease of the past.”

Comparatively, Asian men have a lower incidence of prostate cancer than those in the United States. Interestingly, relocation to Western countries seems to increase Asian men’s risk of developing prostate cancer, suggesting that diet and lifestyle may be factors as strong as, or stronger than, genetics. Some prostate cancer research has explored variances in Asian diets and Western diets. “It’s no secret that in the U.S. we consume much higher amounts of processed, fatty foods and foods high in sugar. Asian cultures tend to have much healthier diets consisting of larger quantities of seafood, vegetables, and soy foods,” explained Dr. Samadi, “A lot can be learned from other cultures and lifestyles about reducing prostate cancer risk.”

With the goal of increasing patient access to top prostate cancer treatment, Dr. Samadi’s priorities include international trips several times each year. He routinely works side-by-side with healthcare providers and surgeons overseas, encouraging use of the PSA test for early detection of prostate cancer and sharing his SMART surgery technique (Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique). SMART surgery is a highly accurate robotic surgery procedure developed by Dr. Samadi for removal of cancerous prostates with minimal post operative complications. By performing SMART surgeries in other countries, Dr. Samadi not only saves lives, but also lends first-hand knowledge that helps improve the expertise of prostate cancer surgeons worldwide.

“The PCF has made great strides in solving in the global prostate cancer epidemic. Their ability to involve U.S. prostate cancer experts, both medical and scientific, in international progress is vital to men’s health worldwide. Prostate cancer success will come from collaborating minds and shared experiences from around the globe,” said Dr. Samadi.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/prostate-cancer-foundation-builds-momentum-205200537.html

FDA acts to stem shortages of two cancer drugs

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:15:50 +0000

By Anna Yukhananov

SILVER SPRING, Maryland |
Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:15pm EST

SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it will resolve a potentially life-threatening shortage of two leading cancer drugs by allowing one of them to be imported from abroad and rushing approval for a new manufacturer to make the second.

The moves announced on Tuesday mark the latest government effort to address severe drug shortages. More than 200 medicines were in short supply in 2011 and doctors and patient advocates say the crisis has forced providers to postpone care or use second-best or costlier alternatives.

The FDA will allow imports of an alternative to the cancer drug Doxil, which in the next few weeks should meet all patient needs, the agency said. The drug is called Lipodox and has the same active ingredient as Doxil, doxorubicin.

Late on Friday, the FDA also approved a new company, APP Pharmaceuticals, to make preservative-free methotrexate, a drug used to treat children with leukemia. APP is a unit of German healthcare group Fresenius.

“We believe we can meet the needs of patients on a continuing basis,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said at a news conference. “This should resolve the shortages.”

Doxil, a cancer drug marketed by Johnson Johnson, has been in persistent short supply since manufacturing problems surfaced at a plant of Ben Venue, a unit of German drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim that has been making the drug under contract.

The injectable drug, which has annual global sales of about $500 million, is used to treat ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma. About 7,000 patients used the drug in the United States before Johnson Johnson announced a possible supply disruption last June. The company said in January it was able to allocate the drug to 4,400 patients.

The FDA said it reached a limited, temporary arrangement to import Lipodox from Indian drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and its distribution subsidiary, Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd.

Ben Venue’s problems have also contributed to a shortage of methotrexate, leading U.S. lawmakers to call for action last week from the FDA and manufacturers amid fears U.S. medical practices were close to running out of the drug entirely within a few weeks.

The medicine has been on the shortage list since last year. It helps treat about 3,500 children a year with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and has cure rates close to 90 percent.

In response, Ben Venue also said last week it would release reserves of methotrexate made before it shut down the plant last November.

MORE TO DO

President Barack Obama made shortages a national priority with an executive order in October and the FDA said it has prevented 114 shortages since then, mainly by working with manufacturers.

The FDA has said the number of drugs in short supply, which include cancer, anesthesiology and nutrition medications, had risen to 220 in 2011 from 56 in 2006 – the year a clear trend started emerging. Many of the drugs are generic, sterile injectable medications.

FDA officials say a number of industry factors have created the shortages, including a consolidation of generic drugmakers, manufacturing problems that have shut down plants or production lines and the decision by some manufacturers to stop producing a treatment when profit margins erode too far.

Patient advocates and doctors who also spoke at the FDA said helping patients who need Doxil and methotrexate was a positive step, but does not address the needs of others whose treatments remain in short supply.

They called for longer-term action that could prevent drug shortages.

“It’s a shame to have to put our children at risk to bring attention to this problem,” said Dr. Peter Adamson, chair of the Children’s Oncology Group.

“While today was good news, the fact is that the (drug shortages) list is not getting smaller, and may be growing.”

Adamson also called on Congress to speed passage of legislation that could help address the issue of shortages by forcing manufacturers to notify the FDA about looming supply disruptions. Now, by law companies only have to tell the agency they are stopping supply when they are the only maker of a drug.

The legislation has been stuck in a divided Congress for more than a year, despite support from both political parties.

The agency said it will also release guidelines for manufacturers to inform the FDA about looming shortages, as early notification can help prevent them.

Sandy Kweder, the deputy director of the FDA’s Office of New Drugs, said the agency began working on increasing supply of methotrexate last year, since they became aware of persistent issues at the Ben Venue plant.

The FDA said in September 2011 that it sped up the application from APP for methotrexate, which had been languishing in the FDA’s overcrowded waiting list for generic applications since August 2010.

It also asked to ramp up production at other makers of methotrexate: Hospira Inc, Mylan Inc and Sandoz, a unit of Novartis.

Hospira said it shipped 31,000 vials of methotrexate in the last 24 hours, which represent a month’s worth of demand in the United States. Hospira CEO Michael Ball also said the company would be releasing another 34,000 units next week and 55,000 units in mid-March, all produced at its plant in Australia.

(Reporting by Anna Yukhananov in Washington; editing by Lisa Von Ahn, Gerald E. McCormick and Andre Grenon)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/healthNews/~3/LoPOchDAsdQ/us-fda-shortages-idUSTRE81K11A20120221

C-suite Studies Show Data Convergence, Analytics Critical for Health Care Providers

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:15:00 +0000

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Health care providers, struggling to adapt to emerging payment models
that reward value over volume, are turning to analytics to survive.
C-suite executives from leading health care delivery organizations
across the United States reveal their challenges and strategies in two
complementary studies conducted for SAS, the leader in health
analytics software and services.

The studies shed light on the need to integrate a myriad of in-patient
and out-patient data sources, develop a proactive approach to managing
financial risk, and put data-driven insights into doctors’ hands to
inform decision making at the point of care.

The studies also reveal:

Government mandates create the need for more sophisticated analytic
methods to support clinical, financial and operational decision making.
Declining reimbursement rates and emerging accountable care models are
accelerating the need to establish metrics-driven organizational
incentive structures around achievable clinical and financial targets.
Connecting data silos enterprise wide is required for improved
understanding of the needs of both individual patients and populations
and to accurately reflect provider performance.
Health care providers are becoming more data driven, increasing their
reliance on proactive analytics.

“More than 60 senior executives from leading healthcare delivery
organizations opened their doors to us,” said Dr.
Graham Hughes, MD, SAS Chief Medical Officer. “The big ‘aha’ is that
they clearly realize the untapped value of the data they already
collect, but lack many of the deeper analytic insights needed to
maximally improve patient outcomes, address reimbursement challenges,
and improve margins. The good news is that these leading organizations
have a clear vision for how their data can be leveraged in a more
strategic way, and they have recognized the potential for advanced
analytics to transform their ability to deliver sustained high-quality
patient care at the lowest appropriate cost.” SAS engaged NewGrowth
Consulting Inc. and Sage Growth Partners to conduct the study during a
three-month period in late 2011.

Visit the SAS Web site to download two white papers resulting from the
studies: The
Changing Landscape for U.S. Healthcare Providers and The
Changing Role of Analytics for Healthcare Providers. You also can
register at the site to receive a copy of SAS’ health care industry
call-to-action report when it becomes available in April.

SAS in Health Analytics

SAS is the industry leader in health
analytics software and services,
delivering best-in-class solutions for improving medical care,
strengthening financial performance, deepening customer relationships,
and pursuing medical innovations. All of the top 25 health plans and
pharmaceutical companies depend on SAS for strategic insights into
health outcomes, profitability, and customer preferences and behaviors
that produce useful intelligence for business transformation and growth. Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, Kaiser
Permanente, Healthways
and McKesson
are among the leading health care companies that use SAS.

Learn more about SAS in health analytics by visiting Booth 1074
at the HIMSS12 Annual Conference Exhibition, Feb. 20-24, at the
Venetian Sands Expo Center, in Las Vegas. On Tuesday, Feb. 21, during
HIMSS12, SAS executives Dr. Graham Hughes, MD, and Cindy Berry will
present Using Analytics to Understand and Manage ACO Risk from
2:15 to 3 p.m., at Kiosk 5, Booth 6466 in Hall D.

Visit SAS^®
for Health Care Providers and SAS^®
for Health Insurance for more information.

About SAS

SAS is the leader in business
analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor
in the business intelligence market. Through innovative solutions, SAS
helps customers at more than 55,000 sites improve performance and
deliver value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976 SAS has been
giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW^®. SAS
and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered
trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other
countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names
are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2012
SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/c-suite-studies-show-data-181500001.html

Ballers team up against diabetes for Shoot-a-thon

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:59:25 +0000

–>

INDEPENDENCE — Instead of competing against each other, basketball players from Summit View Middle, Twenhofel and Simon Kenton teamed up to raise money to fight diabetes.

Simon Kenton basketball coach Trent Steiner said it all started with sophomore Alex Childers and his dad, Chuck.

“He was diagnosed with diabetes suddenly last year,” said Chuck. “We wanted to do something to fight back, so to speak. When Alex made the team this year, we thought this would be a great thing to do, and thankfully Coach Steiner was all for it.”

In January, Alex’s teammates on the junior varsity team and Simon Kenton’s freshman boys basketball team decided to have a Shoot-a-thon to raise money either by set pledges or for each basket they shot during a certain period of time.

They just kept meeting people and soon, eighth-grade teams from Twenhofel and Summit View were added into the mix.

The Summit View team includes Erich Jakubowski, who was diagnosed with Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes in 2010.

“When I heard about it, of course, being near and dear to my heart, I knew I wanted to help,” said Don Jakubowski, Erich’s dad.

Jakubowski said his family has participated in walk-a-thons, but this event was special.

“This was especially neat because it was his school, and his team, and his friends,” said Jakubowski. “These events are good for everyone because they not only have the immediate gratification of raising money, they also bring awareness to the disease.”

Childers said almost 50 boys participated to raise $4,400 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

“It was pretty good. They doubled the goal I set for it,” said Childers.

According to Childers, “When we were at the hospital, the doctor sat down with Alex and said ‘diabetes stinks, but if you take care of yourself you won’t have to give up anything you love to do.’ Both Alex and Erich are active in their own care and have done a great job taking care of themselves. They both wear insulin pumps, which give them more freedom to be “normal.”

Childers and Jakubowski said Steiner was instrumental in organizing the event, and they gave kudos to the Summit View coach Charlie Hawkins, Twenhofel coach Drew Clayton, Simon Kenton freshman boys coach Jeff Schraffenberger as well as assistant freshman coach Brad Walker. Walker also has Type 1 diabetes.

They are planning a bigger event for next year.

Article source: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/20120220/NEWS03/302200019/Ballers-team-up-against-diabetes-Shoot-thon

U.S. Prostate Cancer Foundation Launches China Research Initiative and Hosts Scientific Symposium in Cooperation with …

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:30:00 +0000

SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) will launch PCF China, an
in-country research initiative, with the First Annual PCF China
Scientific Symposium. It will be held Friday, March 9 at the Peking
University Wu Jieping Urology Center. The program is being held in
association with the China Urological Association and will feature
presentations from both Chinese and American prostate cancer experts.
Based in the U.S., PCF has committed to identifying, funding and
promoting innovative research projects within China—with an ultimate
goal of ending death and suffering from prostate cancer.

1st Annual PCF China Scientific Symposium
Friday, 09
March, 2012 – 09:00-15:00
Peking University Wu Jieping
Urology Center
No. 9 Yin Yuan Zhuang Road
Shi Jing Shan
District, Beijing 100144

PCF China Young Investigator Awards Dinner Ceremony
Friday,
09 March, 2012 – 18:00-21:00

Space is limited. Prostate cancer researchers and members of the press
who are interested in attending these events can register at: http://pcf.kintera.org/chinasymposium.

The PCF China Young Investigator Awards provide a three-year grant of
$37,500 per year. In total, the Prostate Cancer Foundation has more than
90 Young Investigator Awards, spanning seven countries and 44 research
institutes—a $20.25 U.S. million investment.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation in China

The Prostate Cancer Foundation China (PCF China), an initiative of the
Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), identifies, funds, and promotes
innovative research projects within China to end death and suffering
from prostate cancer. Working with established Chinese institutions such
as the Chinese Urological Association, PCF China stimulates and builds
the prostate cancer research enterprise in China as well as encourages
sustainable collaborations through the PCF World-Wide Knowledge
Exchange. PCF China commenced in August 2011.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading
philanthropic organization funding and accelerating research. Founded in
1993, PCF has raised more than $475 million and provided funding to over
1,600 research projects at nearly 200 institutions in 15 countries
around the world. PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer
and more efficient investment of governmental research funds supporting
transformational cancer research. Our efforts have helped produce a
20-fold increase in U.S. government funding for prostate cancer. More
information about PCF can be found at www.pcf.org.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-prostate-cancer-foundation-launches-003000906.html

Drug-Eluting Stent For Coronary Artery Disease Approved By FDA

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:57:22 +0000

Editor’s Choice
Main Category: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Also Included In: Diabetes; Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 18 Feb 2012 – 8:00 PST

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Medtronic Inc’s Resolute Integrity™ Drug-Eluting Stent for treating coronary artery disease has been approved by the FDA, after studies showed consistent clinical performance among a wide range of patients, including individuals with diabetes. Coronary artery disease is a common complication for patients with diabetes. Medtronic says that its Resolute DES (drug-eluting stent) has the same drug (zotarolimus) and polymer (BioLinx) combination as its Resolute Integrity DES. However, the Resolute Ingegrity is more flexible – as the coronary arteries of patients with diabetes are usually narrower than those of other patients, this is a great advantage.

Medtronic says this is the first stent of this kind that carries an indication for use with diabetes patients with coronary artery disease.

In a communiqué issued by Medtronic, Martin B. Leon, M.D., principal investigator (PI) of the RESOLUTE US clinical study, said:

“The Resolute Integrity DES offers several notable benefits, starting with outstanding
the coronary vasculature to the narrowed arterial segment that requires treatment. Its approval by the FDA is based on the impressive performance of the Resolute DES in a wide variety of patients.
With the device’s compelling combination of deliverability, efficacy and safety, not to mention that it is the first DES approved for patients with diabetes, the Resolute Integrity DES promises to gain rapid acceptance in cath labs nationwide.”

Medtronic says the Resolute Integrity DES is a progression on its Integrity bare metal stent, thanks to a proprietary engineering techology called CST (continuous sinusoid technology). CST “encompasses one continuous, single strand of wire that is molded into a sinusoidal wave and then wrapped in a helical pattern and laser-fused at certain points, making each stent comparable to a flexible spring”.

The global RESOLUTE clinical program – randomized controlled human trials were carried out in nearly 250 centers in 32 nations and involved over 5,100 participants who received a Resolute DES. 1,535 of them were diabetics, approximately one third of all patients, which is about the same percentage as that found in the US patient mix.

RESOLUTE US – randomized controlled human trials were done in 128 clinical sites across the USA, and involved 1,402 participants. A one-year follow-up revealed a 4.7% rate of target lesion failure, which is low, clinically-driven TLR of 2.8% (target lesion revascularization), and def/prob ST of 0.1% (definite/probable stent thrombosis). These impressive results were achieved even though 34% of participants had diabetes.

Written by Christian Nordqvist

Copyright: Medical News Today

Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Article source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241869.php

Deadly bird flu studies to stay secret for now: WHO

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:27:10 +0000

By Stephanie Nebehay and Kate Kelland

GENEVA/LONDON |
Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:27pm EST

GENEVA/LONDON (Reuters) – Two studies showing how scientists mutated the H5N1 bird flu virus into a form that could cause a deadly human pandemic will be published only after experts fully assess the risks, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Speaking after a high-level meeting of flu experts and U.S. security officials in Geneva, a WHO official said an deal had been reached in principle to keep details of the controversial work secret until deeper risk analyses could be carried out.

“There is a preference from a public health perspective for full disclosure of the information in these two studies. However there are significant public concerns surrounding this research that should first be addressed,” said Keiji Fukuda, the WHO’s assistant director-general for health security and environment.

The WHO called the meeting to break a deadlock between scientists who have studied the mutations needed to make H5N1 bird flu transmit between mammals, and the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), which wanted the work censored before it was published in scientific journals.

Biosecurity experts fear mutated forms of the virus that research teams in The Netherlands and the United States independently created could escape or fall into the wrong hands and be used to spark a pandemic worse than the 1918-19 outbreak of Spanish flu that killed up to 40 million people.

WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said that because of these fears, “there must be a much fuller discussion of risk and benefits of research in this area and risks of virus itself.”

But a scientist close to the NSABB who spoke to Reuters immediately after the decision said the board was deeply “frustrated” by the situation.

The only NSABB member attending the meeting was infectious disease expert Paul Keim of Northern Arizona University and he “got the hell beat out of him,” the source said.

“It was a closed meeting dominated by flu people who have a vested interest in continuing this kind of work,” he added.

The WHO said experts at the meeting included lead researchers of the two studies, scientific journals interested in publishing the research, funders of the research, countries who provided the viruses, bioethicists and directors from several WHO-linked laboratories specializing in influenza.

HIGH FATALITY RATE

The H5N1 virus, first detected in Hong Kong in 1997, is entrenched among poultry in many countries, mainly in Asia, but so far remains in a form that is hard for humans to catch.

It is known to have infected nearly 600 people worldwide since 2003, killing half of them, a far higher death rate than the H1N1 swine flu which caused a flu pandemic in 2009/2010.

Last year, two teams of scientists – one led by Ron Fouchier at Erasmus Medical Center and another led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka at the University of Wisconsin – said they had found that just a handful of mutations would allow H5N1 to spread like ordinary flu between mammals, and remain as deadly as it is now.

This type of research is seen as vital for scientists working to develop vaccines, diagnostic tests and anti-viral drugs that could be deployed in the event of an H5N1 pandemic.

In December, the NSABB asked two leading scientific journals, Nature and Science, to withhold details of the research for fear it could be used by bioterrorists.

They said a potentially deadlier form of bird flu poses one of the gravest known threats to the human population and justified the unprecedented call to censor the research.

The WHO voiced concerns, and flu researchers from around the world declared a 60-day moratorium on January 20 on “any research involving highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses” that produce easily contagious forms.

Dr. Bruce Alberts, editor-in-chief of the journal Science, said it is now likely the paper submitted to Science and to the journal Nature will be published in full.

Alberts said it is still not clear how the scientists in Geneva plan to handle biosafety issues mentioned by the group, and it is still not clear when the papers will be published, but it will likely not be years.

“I hope this does not cause the world governments and WHO to stop working on this problem,” Alberts said of any potential fallout from the decision at a news briefing at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Vancouver.

When asked how the journal is safeguarding copies of the as-yet-unpublished paper, he said it is in a locked electronic file and is password protected. And the magazine has asked reviewers of the paper to destroy their review copies.

Fouchier, who took part in the two-day meeting at the WHO which ended on Friday, said the consensus of experts and officials there was “that in the interest of public health, the full paper should be published” at some future date.

“This was based on the high public health impact of this work and the need to share the details of the studies with a very big community in the interest of science, surveillance and public health on the whole,” he told reporters.

In its current form, people can contract H5N1 only through close contact with ducks, chickens or other birds that carry it, and not from infected individuals.

But H5N1 can acquire mutations that allow it to live in the upper respiratory tract rather than the lower, and the Dutch and U.S. researchers found a way to make it travel via airborne droplets between infected ferrets. Flu viruses are thought to behave similarly in the animals and in people.

Asked about the potential bioterrorism risks of his and the U.S. team’s work, Fouchier said “it was the view of the entire group” at the meeting that the risks that this particular virus or flu viruses in general could be used as bioterrorism agents “would be very, very slim”.

“The risks are not nil, but they are very, very small.”

(Additional reporting by Sharon Begley in New York and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; editing by Andrew Roche and Todd Eastham)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/healthNews/~3/2lhpfj6YZ3Q/us-birdlfu-who-research-idUSTRE81G1KC20120217

New Prostate Cancer Treatment Drugs Could Pack Double Punch

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:38:00 +0000

NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – The arsenal of prostate cancer treatments for men with advanced prostate cancer may soon be strengthened as the FDA prioritizes the review of both Ra-223 and MDV3100 for treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Based on positive, independent research of each drug, better survival rates and improved bone health for patients with late-stage prostate cancer may be within reach.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120217/NY55303 )

Dr. David Samadi is Vice Chairman, Department of Urology, and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center and a leading robotic surgery expert and PSA test advocate. He commended the efforts behind these advancements by saying, “I’m encouraged to see advanced prostate cancer treatment drugs that may not only extend life, but do so with improved patient health. That’s the key – prolonging life with quality.” Previous drug therapies, such as Provenge or Zytiga, have proven to extend survival rates, though do not offer additional benefits to the patient.

The drug Radium-223 chloride, also known as Ra-223 or Alpharadin, delivers radiation to the bone and the prostate cancer tumor. In trial, the drug improved patient survival by an average of three months. In addition, patients undergoing Ra-223 drug therapy experienced delayed bone damage or need for surgery or radiation by more than five months.

Medivation, or MDV3100, is an androgen inhibitor that prevents prostate cancer tumor growth by binding with cancer cell receptors. Patient trials with MDV3100 proved improved survival rates by nearly five months. Further, the drug caused tumor shrinkage in close to 30 percent of men, a 50 percent decline in PSA level, and an overall reduction in risk of death by 37 percent.

Improved survival rates of three to five months may sound minimal, but these drugs each present a significant opportunity for men with a disease that, in its advanced stages, can progress very quickly. What’s more, experts believe using these drug therapies in a layered approach could provide even greater impact on survival rates for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancers over the next few years.

“In recent months, we’ve seen the launch of various drug therapies targeting metastatic prostate cancer,” said Dr. Samadi, “but the combined survival benefits, tumor shrinkage, and bone improvements with these drugs could lead to a double punch approach. Unlocking the power of how they might work together could mean longer and better lives for these patients.” Further research will be conducted to evaluate the extent to which combining or sequencing Ra-223 and MDV3100 would provide additional survival and health benefits.

Prostate cancer is believed to be a hormone-fed disease that thrives in the presence of testosterone. Castration-resistant prostate cancer is named for its resistance to testosterone-lowering treatment therapies.

As a robotic prostatectomy expert, Dr. Samadi addressed the limited benefits of late-stage advancements by saying, “The more we do on the front end of this disease – improving diagnostic tools, getting behind the PSA test for early diagnosis, strengthening treatment choices – the less need there would be for costly drugs that offer relatively short-term returns.”

Based on both drugs’ exemplary trial results and limited side effects, experts are hopeful that Ra-223 and MDV3100 will become available for FDA-approved patient use this year.

“Men with late-stage prostate cancer deserve every opportunity to extend their time with loved ones. But we can do better; we have the resources to diagnose prostate cancer early. With robotic prostatectomy surgery and other treatments we can address the cancer in time for a full recovery and a long, healthy life,” Dr. Samadi concluded.