The News Review:
- Targeting The Adrenal Gland Could Be Key Against Heart Failure
- Sick Hearts Switch on a Fetal Gene
- Cholesterol can be the culprit in diabetes too
- Four genes identified that increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- French law disallows ‘generic’ biosimilars
- REP. DAVID R. OBEY HOLDS A HEARING ON HEALTH CARE ACCESS.
Targeting The Adrenal Gland Could Be Key Against Heart Failure
Medical News Today - Feb 19, 2007
Smith Professor of Medicine and director of the Center for Translational Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College, report their findings February 18, 2007, in an advance online publication in the journal Nature Medicine. “The emphasis has always been in treating right at the heart,” says Stephen B. , director of the cardiopulmonary genomics program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who has written an accompanying editorial.
Sick Hearts Switch on a Fetal Gene
Forbes - Feb 19, 2007
In adult mice, inhibiting HDAC prevented the fetal gene programfrom restarting, the study found. Epstein and his colleagues also discovered that HDAC works inthe heart, in part, by regulating expression of an enzyme calledInpp5f, which plays a role in cell growth and multiplication. The findings, published online in the journal NatureMedicine, offer new targets for treating cardiac hypertrophyand heart failure, Epstein said. More informationThe American Heart Association has more about.
Cholesterol can be the culprit in diabetes too
Earthtimes.org - Feb 19, 2007
Dr Michael Hayden, who headed the study, said more studies will be done on humans to understand whether cholesterol regulation had any effect on type 2 diabetes. If the study comes out with positive results, it could open up methods to prevent and control type 2 diabetes. Details of the study have been published in the journal Nature Medicine. Meanwhile, Prof Bob Elliott, medical director of Auckland, New Zealand-based biotech company Living Cell Technologies, has developed a method whereby insulin-producing islet cells of pigs can be transplanted on humans in order to afford a cure to Type 1 diabetes. A trial using the procedure is beginning in Russia as there a moratorium on the use of animal tissue in humans is in place in countries like Canada and Australia. Copyright, respective author or news agency.
Four genes identified that increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes
News-Medical.net - Feb 19, 2007
In recent years, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has increased rapidly. This genetic discovery may help stem this rise. This genetic study, published today in the journal… The research was funded by a grant from Genome Canada and Genome Quebec headed by Dr. Posner, professor of Medicine at McGill University and the MUHC; and by a grant from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to the Montreal Diabetes Research Centre, headed by Dr. Marc Prentki, professor of Medicine at the University of Montreal. “In the last few years, advances in technology pioneered in Quebec, have made complex genetic analyses, such as those used in this study, possible,” stated Genome Quebec President Paul L’Archeveque. “Without these advances an the collaboration between institutes, this research would not have been possible. The experimental approach used in this study, may help lead to the unraveling of other complex genetic diseases.
French law disallows ‘generic’ biosimilars
In-PharmaTechnologist.com - Feb 19, 2007
Biological medicines are produced using a living system or organism, and their constituent molecules tend to be much larger and more complex than the relatively simple molecular structure of chemically synthesised traditional medicines. Biosimilar medicines are intended to have the same mechanism of action as the original biological medicine and treat the same disease. However, there has been considerable debate surrounding the labelling of these biosimilars as generics, as the complex nature of the manufacturing process and the molecules themselves means that it cannot be guaranteed that they are absolutely identical to the original product. “Analytical and preclinical tests are not sufficient to demonstrate the sameness of two biological products or that they are identical,” says the European Association for Bioindustries. In addition, due to the fact that biosimilar medicines are not completely identical to the biotech reference products, the new French legislation also forbids the automatic substitution of one biological medicine for another at the pharmacy level without the express consent of the prescribing physician. “A major concern when using biotech medicines is patient safety and drug efficacy,” said Dr Carlo Incerti, president of European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises. “Because biosimilars are not exact copies of the reference products, they cannot have the exact same safety profile as the original biotech medicine.
REP. DAVID R. OBEY HOLDS A HEARING ON HEALTH CARE ACCESS.
Free with registration - Political/Congressional Transcript Wire - AccessMyLibrary.com - Feb 19, 2007
EX OFFICIO WITNESSES: REED TUCKSON, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OF MEDICAL AFFAIRS, THE UNITED HEALTH GROUP JAMES MARKS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE DIR HEALTH GROUP, ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION RON POLLACK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FAMILIES USA MARY JANE KOREN, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, THE COMMONWEALTH FUND [*] OBEY: Well, good afternoon, everyone. This morning the subcommittee began its hearings for this year by talking about what expectations we had about the way the country would change with respect to education over the next 10 years. And this afternoon what we’d like to do is to hear from four distinguished witnesses, who will be talking to us about what the health care landscape looks like today, what we’re likely to be facing as a country in 10 years, and what do we do to get ready for that. As I said earlier this morning, everybody has their favorite philosopher. Mine is Archie the Cockroach. And Archie observed this once. He said, “The only invention man ever made which we insects do not have is money, and he gives up everything else to get money and then discovers it’s not worth what he gave up to get it.
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