| November 3, 2009 | Faster News for FasterCures |
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- Judge permits lawsuit against gene patents to move forward
A U.S. federal judge did not dismiss a lawsuit challenging patents held by Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation for two genes linked to breast and ovarian cancers. The lawsuit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, claims that human genes should not be patented because they are "products of nature." Myriad Genetics' legal counsel had no immediate comment on the case. Reuters
(11/2)      
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Partnering for Cures
Join those on the front lines in the fight against disease in a first-of-its-kind meeting -- Partnering for Cures -- convened by FasterCures, the Washington, D.C.-based center of the Milken Institute. The meeting will bring together three separate and distinct pieces of the cure puzzle: research organizations with innovative medical approaches, biopharmaceutical companies that develop cures and philanthropists who fund the search. Register now.
- Gene therapy found promising for some blinding diseases
An experimental gene therapy holds promise for restoring sight in patients with retinal disease, experts said, and also gives a boost to an industry sector that has suffered setbacks. They caution that gene therapy only works when "patients have viable photoreceptor cells." NYTimes.com
(11/2)
- Survey finds Americans lack understanding of diabetes
An American Diabetes Association survey found many misunderstandings and myths about diabetes. Less than 60% of respondents could correctly distinguish between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and 10% mistakenly thought there is a cure for the disease. The group launched a new public awareness campaign to encourage people with the chronic disease to share their stories and fight the social stigma associated with it. Yahoo!/HealthDay News
(11/2)
- Experts cite 5 ways to improve medication adherence
A group of consumer and medical organizations has cited the adoption of health IT as one of the five strategies toward achieving better patient adherence to medications, which they say could improve health outcomes and save up to $300 billion in health care costs. Other recommendations include care coordination and a focus on medication adherence in quality improvement initiatives and health research. Healthcare IT News
(10/30)
- Urban hospitals worry over payment cuts in health reform
Hospitals in New York City and other urban areas that provide expensive care have expressed concern that they would be hard-hit by efforts in Congress to control health care costs as part of health reform. A provision in the House health care bill would allow the Institute of Medicine to conduct a two-year review of regional Medicare spending and then recommend measures to reward "quality and value." New York hospitals say one of the recommendations could cut payments in urban areas, where costs grow at a fast rate, because of challenges that rural areas do not face, such as higher poverty and cost of living. NYTimes.com
(11/2)
- Ohio researchers get NSF grant to develop WIMP detector
The National Science Foundation has awarded a three-year, $3.2 million grant to researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for the development of a catcher for weakly interacting massive particles, which are dark matter thought to hold galaxies together. The WIMP catcher to be designed is expected to be bigger than a similar detector in Italy and another one that will begin operating in South Dakota next year. The WIMP catcher could lead to very sensitive detectors for medicine and for identifying nuclear weapons. Crain's Cleveland Business
(10/30)
- Hepatitis bill introduced to strengthen surveillance, prevention efforts
 The Viral Hepatitis and Liver Cancer Control and Prevention Act of 2009 seeks to address the hepatitis B and C epidemic in the U.S. by putting in place and promoting a comprehensive prevention, research and medical management referral program for chronic hepatitis B and C, said Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., who introduced the bill. The bill is meant to better equip the CDC to support state health departments in their monitoring and prevention efforts against the diseases, Honda said. The Hill/Congress Blog
(10/30)
- Survey finds radiologists hesitant to reveal mammography errors
Radiologists seem reluctant to reveal mammography-related errors and adverse events to patients because of fear of litigation and lack of confidence in their communication skills, among other factors, according to a survey published in the Radiology journal. Although greater openness is necessary regarding errors in breast imaging, the authors concluded that "effective disclosure remains the exception, not the rule." HealthImaging.com
(11/2)
- Uninsured children have higher risk of dying in hospital
A Johns Hopkins study found children who did not have health insurance were 60% more likely to die in the hospital than those who were insured, regardless of medical condition. Researchers suggested a lack of health insurance may have contributed to some 17,000 deaths of hospitalized children in the past 20 years. Modern Healthcare (free registration)
(10/31)
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and efficiency of the medical research enterprise. FasterCures, a center of the Milken Institute, is nonpartisan and independent of interest groups.
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| | Recent FasterCures SmartBrief issues:
- Thursday, October 29, 2009
- Tuesday, October 27, 2009
- Thursday, October 22, 2009
- Tuesday, October 20, 2009
- Thursday, October 15, 2009
| | | Lead Editor: Ashley McMaster
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