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January 18, 2012
Study suggests how often to test bone density
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older women with thin bones should be screened every year and those with denser bones can safely wait up to 17 years to have their next bone mineral density test, according to new research.
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January 18, 2012
FDA approves BTG's drug for cancer toxicity
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators gave the nod on Tuesday to a drug from British specialty drugmaker BTG Plc that helps cancer patients get rid of toxic levels of a chemotherapy treatment.
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January 10, 2012
Heart disease more likely in people with psoriasis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who suffer from psoriasis may want to pay extra attention to heart risks, according to a new study that found they are at a greater risk for blocked arteries than those who don't have the skin disease.
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January 10, 2012
New DNA reader to bring genetics to clinics
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new DNA reader could bring genetics to medical clinics.
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December 5, 2011
Stem cell therapy poised to come in from the cold
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November 22, 2011
Merck to pay $950 mln to settle US Vioxx charge
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October 27, 2011
Steroid medications tied to vitamin D deficiency
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who use oral steroid medications may be at greater-than-average risk of a serious vitamin D deficiency, a new study suggests.
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October 3, 2011
Nobelist who died before announcement to keep prize
LONDON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Ralph Steinman proved the importance of his Nobel prize-winning research in a most personal way, using his own discoveries to fight the pancreatic cancer that eventually killed him just days before the award was announced.
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October 3, 2011
Nobel prizewinner dies before announcement
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A scientist who won the Nobel prize for medicine on Monday for work on fighting cancer died of the disease himself just three days before he could be told of his award, and after using his own discoveries to extend his life.
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October 3, 2011
Nobel medicine prize honours work on body's defences
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Three scientists who unlocked secrets of the body's immune system, opening doors to new vaccines and cancer treatments, won the 2011 Nobel prize for medicine on Monday.
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September 23, 2011
U.S. FDA guidance on biosimilars may be imminent
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration appears to be on the verge of issuing long-awaiting guidelines for the development of generic versions of complex biotechnology medicines.
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September 16, 2011
Novartis drug helps in serious childhood arthritis
The findings were presented at the European Pediatric Rheumatology Congress in Bruges, Belgium. John Hohneker, head of development for integrated hospital care at Novartis, told Reuters the data was "outstanding."
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September 9, 2011
Mutant genes found for asthma, point to possible therapy
HONG KONG (Reuters) - A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis could help asthma patients, scientists said on Friday, as they identified two mutant genes that may predispose a person to asthma.
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September 6, 2011
Common painkillers tied to miscarriage risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who use common painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen early in pregnancy may have an increased risk of miscarriage, a study published Tuesday suggests.
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August 29, 2011
Women may get unneeded osteoporosis screening
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many women who get screened for the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis may not actually need such testing, a new study suggests.
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July 19, 2011
Tests start on HIV biotech drug grown in tobacco
LONDON (Reuters) - In a first for European drug research, scientists have launched a clinical trial of an anti-HIV biotech medicine produced using genetically modified tobacco - a plant better known for ruining human health.
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June 30, 2011
Roche undeterred after FDA's Avastin rebuff
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG had nothing to lose by giving Avastin another roll of the dice, and by doing so showed the world it still believes the drug should be used in breast cancer.
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June 17, 2011
US FDA staff: Novartis gout drug data 'complicated'
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Novartis AG medicine reduced pain from gout but also appeared to raise the chances of serious infections and other problems, U.S. drug reviewers said.
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June 9, 2011
Pain drugs' safety for heart patients doubted again
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Heart disease patients who chronically use painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen might face an increased risk of suffering a heart attack or dying from cardiovascular causes, a new study suggests.
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May 25, 2011
Deaths in Pfizer arthritis trial under microscope
LONDON, (Reuters) - Four deaths during a study of Pfizer's new rheumatoid arthritis pill will be pored over at a medical meeting in London this week, as doctors weigh the drug's chances of upending current clinical practice.
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May 25, 2011
Novartis drug gives pain relief in gouty arthritis
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG's gout treatment hopeful gives patients better pain relief and significantly cuts the risk of new attacks, two late stage studies.
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May 24, 2011
UK's NICE backs lymphoma drug maintenance therapy
LONDON (Reuters) - Roche's cancer drug MabThera has been recommended for use on Britain's state health service as a maintenance therapy for patients with follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, expanding the market for the medicine.
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April 14, 2011
FDA finds more blood cancer with TNF blocker drugs
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have received more reports of rare blood cancer in young patients taking a class of anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat digestive disorders.
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April 11, 2011
Steroid medications not tied to oral birth defects
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Babies born to women who take corticosteroid drugs for asthma or other chronic ills may not have a heightened risk of birth defects known as oral clefts, a study published Monday suggests.
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March 30, 2011
UK's cost agency rebuffs Bristol arthritis drug
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's healthcare cost watchdog NICE has recommended against using Bristol-Myers Squibb's rheumatoid arthritis drug Orencia on the state health service as a second-line treatment.
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March 28, 2011
Rising reports of bad reactions to drugs
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Official reports of negative reactions to prescription drugs have increased dramatically over the last decade, according to a new study.
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March 24, 2011
Work problems from arthritis may come and go
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many people with arthritis have periodic difficulties on the job, but the problems might not make them less productive, a new study suggests.
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March 23, 2011
Arthritis drug could help beat deadly skin cancer
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists seeking treatments for a deadly type of skin cancer say an existing arthritis drug slows the growth of melanomas and could be combined with a drug being developed by Plexxikon and Swiss drugmaker Roche.
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March 23, 2011
Rheumatoid arthritis makes getting pregnant harder
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with rheumatoid arthritis may have a somewhat harder time becoming pregnant, a new study suggests.
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February 22, 2011
People with emphysema at higher shingles risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with emphysema or chronic bronchitis may be at higher than average risk for a painful rash known as shingles, a study published Tuesday suggests.
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February 18, 2011
J&J recalls two lots of Simponi injection devices
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson said it has recalled two lots of injection devices -- one in the United States and one in Europe -- after discovering they may deliver less than a full dose of the rheumatoid arthritis medicine Simponi.
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February 14, 2011
Success rate for experimental drugs falls: study
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The success rate in bringing new medicines to market in recent years is only about half of what it had been previously, but biotech drugs are twice as likely to gain U.S. approval than more traditional chemical drugs, according to a new study released on Monday.
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February 10, 2011
Immune imbalance in gut may trigger celiac disease
CHICAGO (Reuters) - People who have high levels of an immune system compound called interleukin-15 may be primed to develop celiac disease, a digestive disorder that keeps sufferers from eating foods like cereal, pasta, cookies and beer.
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January 28, 2011
Roche's Rituxan gets FDA OK as maintenance therapy
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators have approved cancer drug Rituxan as a maintenance therapy for patients with advanced follicular lymphoma, adding a potentially lucrative new use for the multibillion-dollar medicine for Roche Holding AG and Biogen Idec Inc.
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January 17, 2011
Scientists find inflammation immune cell switch
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have found a protein that acts as a "master switch" to determine whether certain white blood cells will boost or dampen inflammation, a finding that may help the search for new drugs for rheumatoid arthritis.
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January 10, 2011
Latent TB treatment a greater risk to older adults
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults treated for an inactive tuberculosis infection may be at increased risk of suffering liver damage from the medication, a study published Monday suggests.
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December 28, 2010
Mindfulness therapy no help in fibromyalgia trial
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A program aimed at easing stress with meditation and yoga may not be much help for people with the chronic-pain condition fibromyalgia, a recent study suggests.
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December 23, 2010
Bacteria trigger production of key immune cells
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Allergies and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis could one day be prevented by consuming a type of bacteria, like probiotics taken in yogurt, according to a study published on Thursday.
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December 15, 2010
Which painkillers are safest for the elderly?
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A type of pain medicine long believed to be relatively safe for older adults appears to come with more risks than other, supposedly riskier, painkillers, new study findings report.
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December 13, 2010
Vioxx harmful even after patients stopped taking it
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Merck's withdrawn painkiller Vioxx may have continued to cause blood clots and perhaps deaths even after patients dropped it, U.S. researchers said Monday.
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November 26, 2010
EU guidelines clear way for biosimilar antibodies
LONDON (Reuters) - European regulators on Friday set out broad guidelines for the approval of biosimilar antibody drugs, including lower hurdles than for new medicines and allowing the possibility of different diseases being addressed by the same copy antibody.
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November 18, 2010
Arthritis drug less effective for obese patients
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults with rheumatoid arthritis may be less likely than thinner people to respond to some of the newer medications for the disease, a small study suggests.
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November 10, 2010
Top-name drug recalls a bitter pill for consumers
NEW YORK (Reuters) - With bugs in baby formula, glass flakes in intravenous drugs and foul odors emanating from Lipitor and children's Tylenol, a steady stream of high profile product recalls is undermining confidence in top drugmakers.
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November 8, 2010
Women prefer silicone to saline after mastectomy
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who have breast reconstruction after cancer surgery tend to be happier with the cosmetic results of silicone implants than with saline-filled ones, a study published Monday suggests.
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October 15, 2010
Roche, Biogen report one death in MS drug trial
BOSTON (Reuters) - Roche Holding AG and Biogen Idec Inc reported data from a mid-stage trial of their experimental multiple sclerosis drug ocrelizumab on Friday that showed one patient died of an inflammatory condition.
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October 6, 2010
In early trials, drug fights inflammatory diseases
LONDON (Reuters) - An experimental new antibody drug has proved safe and effective in treating three diseases involving inflammation - scaly skin, arthritis and a sore eye condition, data showed on Wednesday.
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September 8, 2010
Statins linked to lower rheumatoid arthritis risk
LONDON (Reuters) - Israeli scientists have found a significant link between taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs like Lipitor or Crestor and a reduced risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
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September 7, 2010
Long-term weight loss may be harmful to health
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Long-term weight loss may release into the blood industrial pollutants linked to illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis, researchers said on Tuesday.
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August 24, 2010
Vitamin D tied to cancer, autoimmune disease genes
LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have found that vitamin D influences more than 200 genes, including ones related to cancer and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis -- a discovery that shows how serious vitamin D deficiency can be.
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June 30, 2010
Antioxidants no help vs rheumatoid arthritis, lupus
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Antioxidants in food and supplements might not protect women from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or lupus after all, a large U.S. study suggests.