Respiratory Therapeutics Week back issues from April 2004:
Reducing airway inflammation in cystic fibrosis.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study is the first to demonstrate that recombinant human deoxyribonuclease (rhDNase) is not only an effective method of reducing sputum secretion viscosity in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), but it also prevents the increase in airway ...
Maternal smoking affects respiratory and arousal patterns in preterm infants.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Based on multichannel sleep studies in the first few weeks after birth, pediatric investigators found that preterm infants who were exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb showed a significant increase in the number of obstructive apneas (breathing ...
Research explains why anticancer treatment effective for some, not others.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new anticancer agent, gefinitib (Iressa), recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after a series of clinical trials and an expanded access program led by ...
AARC comments on new study on respiratory therapy protocols.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Another study, this one from the University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, Pavullo, Italy, demonstrates the effective use of respiratory therapist-directed protocols in yet another health care area - pulmonary rehabilitation. The study ...
Sinus and respiratory problems in those with Down syndrome are not cilia-linked.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sinus and respiratory problems in those with Down syndrome are not cilia-linked. According to a study from Canada, "chronic sinusitis, otitis media with effusion, and upper respiratory tract infections are commonly found in patients with ...
Test kit launched to check for residential indoor allergens.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Home Laboratories, Inc., (AHL) announced the launch of AllergenREPORT, a home test kit that screens for elevated levels of residential indoor allergens, including dust mite, cockroach, cat, and dog. Sensitivity to indoor ...
Hay fever hits New Mexico hard.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New Mexico's hay fever season has arrived with a vengeance. "The junipers are going now," said Curtis Smith, a horticulture specialist with New Mexico State University. "They started a few weeks ago. Watching the trees I see that the ...
Alternaria stimulates a case of life-threatening asthma.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alternaria stimulates a case of life-threatening asthma. "Acute, severe asthma attacks can be precipitated by a variety of stimuli including exposure to aeroallergens, viral respiratory infections, pollutants, and occupational chemicals ....
Foradil Certihaler receives first European approval.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- SkyePharma PLC (SKYE, SKP) announced that the Swiss pharmaceutical regulatory authority has approved Foradil Certihaler (formoterol fumarate inhalation powder). Foradil Certihaler was codeveloped by SkyePharma PLC and Novartis Pharma AG ....
Hartford ranked 10th worst city in the U.S. for asthma patients.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new report says Hartford, Connecticut, is the 10th worst metropolitan area in the United States for asthmatics. The nonprofit group Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America report is based on government statistics for total asthma ...
Kos announces strategic acquisition of Azmacort franchise.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Kos Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (KOSP) has entered into a product acquisition agreement with Aventis Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc., and a supply agreement with Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., to acquire global rights to the Azmacort (triamcinolone ...
Study: Inhaled steroid therapy does not reduce fetal growth.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Inhaled steroid therapy by pregnant women with asthma does not lead to a restriction in fetal growth, according to a new study. In the largest sample to date examining the potential effects that inhaled steroids may have on intrauterine ...
CDC removes Hong Kong from bird ban.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed Hong Kong from the jurisdictions included in an importation ban on birds and bird products. The decision to remove Hong Kong is based on its documented public health measures to ...
Chinese delegation visits Delaware to discuss avian influenza.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Delaware officials met March 16, 2004, with a delegation from the Chinese embassy to explain what the state has done to control an avian flu outbreak and request that China lift an import ban on American poultry as soon as possible. ...
Factive receives marketing approval in Canada, ready for U.S. launch.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genome Therapeutics Corp. (GENE) has received marketing approval for Factive (gemifloxacin mesylate) tablets for the treatment of acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis from the Therapeutic Products Directorate of Health Canada. ...
Beta-blocker treatment feasible for many asthma, COPD patients.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Beta-blocker therapy is feasible for many - but not all - patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). "Numerous extensive, randomized clinical trials of beta-blockers have shown significant reduction of total ...
COPD outcomes study completes patient recruitment.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Boehringer Ingelheim announced completion of patient recruitment - after just 14 months - for the company's large-scale phase IV, 4-year study to evaluate the potential long-term impact of SPIRIVA HandiHaler (tiotropium bromide inhalation capsules) ...
AARP poll says Iowans favor tax increases over cuts in service.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Instead of cuts to healthcare and education, most Iowans favor an increase in certain taxes, including "sin" taxes, to balance the state budget, a new AARP poll says. More than 85% of respondents said they oppose service cuts ...
Oklahomans favor cigarette tax.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Two out of three Oklahomans support a 52-cent cigarette tax increase to expand healthcare services, a recent survey showed. The survey, conducted February 15-20 by Wilson Research Strategies, also showed many Oklahomans believe school ...
Genaera extends alliance IL-9 alliance.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genaera Corp. (GENR) and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) announced a 2-year extension of a collaborative agreement on the joint discovery and development of novel genes and proteins as pharmaceutical targets and therapeutics, ...
Reduced lipoxin linked to damaged cystic fibrosis lungs.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients with cystic fibrosis have serious problems keeping microbe growth in their lungs under control, leading to the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. In the April 2004 issue of Nature Immunology, Christopher Karp ...
Bronchoalveolar lavage T-cell subset ratios delineate respiratory diseases.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bronchoalveolar lavage T-cell subset ratios delineate respiratory diseases. According to recent research published in the Journal of Immunological Methods, "alterations in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) CD4/CD8 T cell subset ratios have ...
Iowans' use of cough and cold prescription drugs nothing to sniff at.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sniffling, sneezing, and coughing Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa members age 18 to 64 filled more than 132,000 brand name and generic prescriptions for cough and cold relief at a cost of nearly $1.9 million in 2002, according to the ...
ADA responds to study citing obesity close to being leading cause of death.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that deaths due to poor diet and physical inactivity rose by 33% over the past decade and may soon overtake tobacco as the leading preventable cause of death. ...
Report says amount of cancer-causing agents on the rise in Louisville air.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The amount of cancer causing agents in the air in Louisville, Kentucky, has been increasing at a rate of about 35% per year since June 2000, according to a University of Louisville study. The concentration of 1,3-butadiene, identified ...
Critical care systems company reports growth in fourth quarter and 2003.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- On February 13, 2004, Medex, Inc., reported results for the year ended December 31, 2003, in a Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Medex is a global provider of system solutions for ...
Percutaneous coronary intervention can improve sleep apnea.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Percutaneous coronary intervention can improve sleep apnea. "Central sleep apnea is often recognized in patients with heart failure," cardiologists in Japan explained. "Although the medical treatment to improve cardiac function is ...
Demand for Virginia hospice services grow.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- While her husband was dying of diabetes, congestive heart failure and lung cancer, Toni Johnson sat up many nights in case Irvin, in his delirium, tore away the tubes in his nose that delivered oxygen to his body. She wheeled him into ...
Global flu outbreak could be curbed by worldside stockpile of antiviral drugs.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New antiviral drugs could help slow or avert a deadly flu pandemic, but they are in such short supply that a major effort is needed to create an international stockpile, a U.N.-sponsored meeting of experts concluded March 18, 2004. "We ...
Kentucky house approves bill to alter evaluation of black-lung claims.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Legislation passed March 16, 2004, by the Kentucky House with solid bipartisan support would revise the evaluation of coal miners' black-lung claims. Supporters say few miners are being compensated for black-lung disease, or ...
Popcorn worker awarded $20 million in lawsuit over lung damage.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Eric Peoples cradled his wife and wept after a jury agreed that vapors from butter flavoring at the microwave popcorn factory where he once worked had permanently ruined his lungs. Peoples said his tears didn't only come out of ...
Gefitinib targets tyrosine kinase in non-small cell lung cancer.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers discuss gefitinib (ZD1839, Iressa) as a newly approved drug for treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). "Gefitinib (ZD1839, Iressa), a selective drug inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor ...
Research aims to create lung cancer blood tests.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A team of researchers from the Wistar Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, and the University of Pennsylvania has been awarded $3.4 million to pursue development of a blood test for lung cancer. The need for such a test is great - lung ...
Millstream agrees to merger.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Millstream Acquisition Corp. (MSTM) and privately held NationsHealth Holdings, LLC, have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which NationsHealth will merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of Millstream. Upon ...
Pregnant women can safely take Claritin, study reports.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Schering-Plough's widely used allergy drug Claritin (loratadine) does not cause genital birth defects in boys when taken by their mothers during early pregnancy, according to a study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ...
Prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke affects preterm infants' respiration.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Based on multichannel sleep studies in the first few weeks after birth, scientists found that preterm infants who were exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb showed a significant increase in the number of obstructive apneas (breathing pauses), ...
Access to diagnosis and treatment for suspected sleep apnea is limited.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Based on an individualized, informal survey of the diagnostic and treatment capabilities for sleep-disordered breathing in five industrialized nations, authors of a new report point out that the major problem faced by patients with suspected sleep ...
Radiological abnormalities can remain long after acute Legionella infection.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Legionella infection can have pernicious consequences. "Pulmonary abnormalities may persist long after the acute phase of legionnaires disease (LD)," scientists in the Netherlands found in a recent study. "In a cohort of 122 ...
Infant growth not adversely affected by inhaled steroids during pregnancy.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A national multi-center study coordinated by Kaiser Permanente has shown that pregnant women can safely use inhaled steroids to manage their persistent asthma without adversely affecting the growth of their infant. The study confirms ...
Hispanics face significant disparities in pharmaceutical treatment.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hispanics are less likely to receive or use medications for asthma, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, and pain, according to a new study. These disparities in pharmaceutical treatment are substantial and often persist ...
ERK-1/2 activation is a prerequisite for respiratory synctial virus infection.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ERK-1/2 activation is a prerequisite for respiratory synctial virus infection. According to recent research published in the journal FEBS Letters, "respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection upregulates the expression of genes encoding ...
Biotechnology company files patent application for SARS treatment.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Viragen, Inc., (VRA) has filed a patent application in the United States covering the use of its natural human leukocyte-derived alpha interferon for the treatment and prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). This is ...
Functional receptor used by SARS coronavirus identified.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The functional receptor used by the SARS coronavirus (CoV) has been identified. In a recent study, scientists in China "expressed a series of truncated spike (S) glycoproteins of SARS-CoV and found that the N-terminus 14-502 residuals ...
Health communication during SARS outbreak described.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The health communication during the SARS outbreak is described in a recent issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases. According to research from the United States, " Experience with the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) ...
LION bioscience collaborates on SARS knowledge management system in Taiwan.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- LION bioscience, AG, (LEON) and DigiGenomics Co., Ltd., announced a joint project with Wan Fang Municipal Hospital of Taipei, Taiwan, for the development of a SARS Knowledge Management System in Taiwan. LION's SRS technology, including ...
Lack of SARS transmission observed among public hospital workers in Vietnam.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- SARS transmission did not occur among health care workers at a public hospital in Vietnam. According to a study from the United States, "Vietnam was one of the first countries affected by the global severe acute respiratory syndrome ...
SARS preparedness checklist developed for state and local health officials.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have developed a SARS preparedness checklist for state and local health officials. "In March 2003, the number of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was increasing daily worldwide, and several cities were ...
Scientists discover new human coronavirus.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ben Berkhout and colleagues from the University of Amsterdam report the discovery of a new coronavirus, a group of viruses that includes the culprit behind severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Coronaviruses - named for their spiky, ...
Prevalence of chronic sinusitis may be lower than commonly reported.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The prevalence of chronic sinusitis may be much lower than previously estimated and reported, according to a new study. Chronic sinusitis is inflammation of the sinuses that lasts for more than 90 days, and often longer. "Commonly cited ...
Anti-smoking ad campaign could be pulled off the air.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An edgy ad campaign aimed at getting kids to stop smoking could be forced off the air because tobacco companies are refusing to keep footing the bill. Former top federal health officials gathered March 16, 2004, to urge the companies to ...
Britain not doing enough to stop people from smoking, claim public health experts.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The British government is not doing enough to stop people smoking, claim doctors from the U.K., leading to the death of one Briton every 5 minutes from tobacco-related diseases. In a report published in the Medical Journal of Australia, ...
Judge says tobacco suit within Justice Department's rights.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The United States Justice Department is within its rights to pursue a racketeering lawsuit against the tobacco industry, a federal judge ruled March 17, 2004. Lawyers for the tobacco industry argued that the department's claims should be ...
Kansas officials concerned by tuberculosis reinfection.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An outbreak of tuberculosis among the homeless population in Wichita, Kansas, has local health officials concerned because the disease isn't following the usual "rules." Last year there were 30 confirmed cases of tuberculosis in Sedgwick ...
Novel murine model better represents lung immune activity during acute TB.
Apr 05, 2004 ... 2004 APR 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel murine model provides a clearer picture of pulmonary immune activity during acute TB infection. In a recent study, scientists in the United States developed "a new approach that allows dissection of distinct pathways regulating ...
Research uncovers mechanisms behind transmission of bird flu to people.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Every now and then a new, nasty version of the influenza virus sweeps across the world. Health experts have known for a long time that these worldwide outbreaks of fatal disease start in birds. Now scientists are uncovering for the ...
Long-term pulmonary vasodilator therapy might manage pulmonary hypertension.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Long-term pulmonary vasodilator therapy might manage pulmonary hypertension. According to recent research published in the journal Acta Paediatrica, "pulmonary hypertension with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance is a common ...
Eosinophil progenitors can migrate to airways.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pre-eosinophils may contribute to asthma and allergy attacks. "Eosinophil lineage-committed progenitors increase in the bone marrow of subjects with asthma developing allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and eosinophilia," ...
Greater acetaminophen use associated with newly diagnosed asthma in women.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- During 6 years of follow-up of participants in the Nurses Health Study, investigators found that greater use of the analgesic acetaminophen was prospectively associated with an increased rate of new physician-diagnosed adult-onset asthma. ...
Insight into alcohol-nicotine interaction might lead to new quitting method.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In tests on human volunteers, Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that even small amounts of alcohol boost the pleasurable effects of nicotine, inducing people to smoke more when drinking alcoholic beverages. The ...
R112 well tolerated in allergic rhinitis clinical trial.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (RIGL) announced the presentation of clinical data for R112, the company's lead candidate for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, which demonstrates that R112 was well-tolerated and showed favorable biological effects ....
FDA approves new chewable formulation of Zyrtec.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pfizer, Inc., and UCB Pharma announced the approval of a new chewable formulation of Zyrtec (cetirizine HCl) for the treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal passages) and chronic idiopathic urticaria ...
Gene silencing creates hypoallergenic plants.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gene silencing creates hypoallergenic plants. According to a study from Australia, "pollen of many grasses, trees, and weeds are the source of inhalant allergic proteins while various other plant products are allergenic only upon their ...
Variant CD14 allele linked to atopy in children, but not adults.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A polymorphism in the CD14 gene increases the risk of atopy development in children, but not in adult carriers. "CD14 influences postnatal switching of T-helper cell responses," scientists in Australia explained. "CD14 C-159T has been ...
Senators call for a national asbestos ban.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Senator Harry Reid, D-Nevada, joined Senators Patty Murray, D-Washington and Mark Dayton, D-Minnesota, in calling March 24, 2004, for a national ban on asbestos. Dayton teamed with Sue Vento, the widow of the late Representative Bruce ...
Positive results reported for Daclizumab phase II asthma trial.
Apr 12, 2004 ... 2004 APR 12 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Protein Design Labs, Inc., (PDL) reported positive results from the initial clinical study of the humanized antibody daclizumab in patients with chronic, persistent asthma whose disease is not well controlled with high doses of inhaled ...