Monthly Archives: May 2012

Chemists Outrun Laws in War on Synthetic Drugs

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

Discarded wrapper from a packet of Spice, a popular synthetic cannabis mixture. Photo: Matto Fredriksson/Flickr The war on drugs has a new front, and so far it appears to be a losing one. Synthetic mimics of marijuana, dissociative drugs and stimulants such as the bath salts allegedly consumed by Randy Eugene, the Florida man shot after a horrific face-eating assault are growing in popularity and hard to control. Every time a compound is banned, overseas chemists synthesize a new version tweaked just enough to evade a laws letter. Its a giant game of chemical Whack-a-Mole. Manufacturers turn these things around so quickly. One week youll have a product with compound X, the next week its compound Y, said forensic toxicologist Kevin Shanks of AIT Laboratories, an Indiana-based chemical testing company. Its fascinating how fast it can occur, and its fascinating to see the minute changes in chemical structure theyll come up with. Its similar, but its different, Shanks continued. 'What does chemically similar really mean?' Active ingredients in the drugs are compounds originally synthesized by institutional researchers whose esoteric scientific publications were mined by as-yet-unidentified chemists and neuroscientists working in Asia, where most of the new drugs appear to come … Continue reading →

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Online Labor Demand Dips 45,000 in May but Upward Trend Remains Strong

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

NEW YORK, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Online advertised vacancies dipped 45,700 in May to 4,714,800, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) Data Series released today. The Supply/Demand rate stands at 2.6 unemployed for every vacancy. In May the number of unemployed was 7.7 million above the number of advertised vacancies compared to 10 million above in the fall of 2011. "After rising 564,000 over the last five months, labor demand dipped in May. Despite this drop, strong employer demand has created growing opportunities for both job-changers and the unemployed and has also helped significantly lower the unemployment rate," said June Shelp, Vice President at The Conference Board. In May over half of the 50 States are now posting advertised vacancies that are above their pre-recession highs. The largest gains were in the Midwest with Michigan up 53 percent from its pre-recession high. Other Midwestern States with increases above 40 percent include North Dakota (46%), Indiana (44%), and Ohio (41%). The release schedule, national historic table and technical notes to this series are available on The Conference Board website, http://www.conference-board.org/data/helpwantedonline.cfm. The underlying data for The Conference Board HWOL are provided by Wanted Technologies Corporation. REGIONAL AND STATE HIGHLIGHTS … Continue reading →

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Second pharmacy chain to cut drug mark-up charge

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

The Irish Times - Wednesday, May 30, 2012 CONOR POPE and PAMELA DUNCAN A SECOND large chain of pharmacies has announced it is scrapping its mark-ups on prescription charges. The move will see the cost of many leading drugs fall significantly across the 26 stores trading under the Sam McCauley banner. The pharmacy chain has followed the lead of Boots Ireland, which yesterday announced it was abandoning the traditional 50 per cent mark-up that pharmacists add to the cost price of a drug on top of a 5 dispensing fee, in favour of a single 7 professional services fee that will be added to the cost price of drugs. Boots said its 10 most expensive prescription drugs will fall in price by an average of 25 per cent. This will save people on medications for conditions including asthma and heart disease up to 300 a year. A person with asthma who pays 95 a month for drugs will see the cost drop to just over 70, a saving of about 290 a year. Monthly costs for a person with high blood pressure and cholesterol will fall from 77 to 66, an annual saving of nearly 150. The move on pricing … Continue reading →

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Pharmacy robbery 'out of character'

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

A judge has found a man acted out of character when he held up a Brisbane pharmacy armed with a knife last year. Jamie Patrick Raines pleaded guilty to armed robbery and four other charges relating to fraud and forgery in the Brisbane District Court this morning, after spending close to six months in remanded custody. The court heard Raines, 41, described as "normally loving, caring and hard working" by his references, had suffered a marriage break down prior to the events for which he had been charged on December 4 and 5, after one of his two young children became seriously ill. Advertisement: Story continues below Stressed and having suffered health problems of his own, Raines, who worked as a patient care assistant at Greenslopes Private Hospital, was said to have taken a prescription pad and fraudulently used it to acquire the pain killing drug Endone. A pharmacist at the Village Discount Pharmacy in Upper Mount Gravatt queried the prescription with a doctor at the Greenslopes Hospital and Raines received a phone call from the hospital concerning the matter. The court heard Raines, who had already lost his marriage and the family home, perceived he was also about to … Continue reading →

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Supplement may help children with autism

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

STANFORD, Calif., May 30 (UPI) -- The antioxidant N-Acetylcysteine, an antioxidant supplement, might be an effective therapy for some symptoms of autism, U.S. researchers suggest. Study author Dr. Antonio Hardan of the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital said the pilot study involved 31 children with autism. The study, scheduled to be published in the June 1 issue of Biological Psychiatry, found N-Acetylcysteine lowered irritability in children with autism as well as reducing the their repetitive behaviors. Irritability affects 60 percent to 70 percent of children with autism, Harden said. "We're not talking about mild things: This is throwing, kicking, hitting, the child needing to be restrained," Hardan said in a statement. "It can affect learning, vocational activities and the child's ability to participate in autism therapies." However, Harden and colleagues emphasized that the findings must be confirmed in a larger trial before the supplement can be recommended for children with autism. In a double-blind study design, children ages 3-12 received N-Acetylcysteine or a placebo for 12 weeks. During the 12-week trial, the treatment decreased irritability scores from 13.1 to 7.2 on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, a clinical scale for assessing irritability. Stanford is is filing … Continue reading →

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First treatment for Huntington's disease shows promise in rats, Van Andel Institute scientist says

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A stem cell treatment investigated for Huntingtons disease holds out hope that scientists will someday be able to reverse damage caused by the degenerative brain disorder. The technique, which uses reprogrammed skin cells from a Huntingtons patient, successfully restored motor functions in rats, said Dr. Patrik Brundin, a Van Andel Institute researcher who was involved in the study. Its an interesting step, one weve been hoping for, he said. Its exciting. The technique also will be tested in treatments for Parkinsons disease, said Brundin, who came to VAI from Sweden in October to lead the institutes Parkinsons research. Scientists from Sweden, South Korea and the U.S. collaborated on the study, which was published online Monday in the journal Stem Cells. Brundin said researchers took stem cells derived from the skin of a patient with Huntingtons disease and converted them to brain cells or nerve cells in culture dishes in the lab. The cells were transplanted into the brains of rats that had an experimental form of Huntingtons, and the rats motor functions improved. The unique features of the (stem cell approach) means that the transplanted cells will be genetically identical to the patient, Jihwan Song, an … Continue reading →

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MS breakthrough – Video

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

29-05-2012 03:06 Extraordinary world first research carried out in Australia could transform the treatment and lives of people with MS See more at Visit link: MS breakthrough - Video … Continue reading →

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Caitlin Cronenberg Exposes the Reality of Young Women Living with MS

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

Internationally acclaimed photographer creates first-of-its-kind exhibit highlighting the struggles, hopes and personal choices upon diagnoses A new photo exhibit created by Caitlin Cronenberg, entitled 'Dream/Awake' shares personal stories of young women TORONTO, May 30, 2012 /CNW/ - In recognition of World MS Day on May 30th, renowned international photographer, Caitlin Cronenberg, has created a first-of-its-kind photo exhibit to showcase the journey young women face when diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). With many women diagnosed in the prime of their lives, three vivacious women from across the country participated in the project and shared their personal stories through a new lens. The national exhibit, entitled DREAM/AWAKE, will be unveiled today in Toronto, featuring Caitlin's visual interpretation of each woman's personal experience with MS. The exhibit takes aim at life after diagnosis, telling a visual tale of the pivotal moment when a young woman learns she has MS and the personal journey that follows. The images demonstrate the feelings of loss - of body, family, opportunity or work - and how each woman has reclaimed her life through treatment and become a figure of inspiration for young women fighting the disease. "The women featured in my exhibit are such an inspiration to … Continue reading →

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Biogen Idec Continues Support for MS Community with Worldwide Celebrations on Fourth Annual World MS Day

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

WESTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Biogen Idec (BIIB) will join with the multiple sclerosis (MS) community around the world to celebrate the Fourth Annual World MS Day by hosting diverse educational activities across the globe. Created and led by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF), World MS Day is a global campaign to raise awareness of MS. Every year, the MS movement comes together to provide the public with information about MS and how it affects the lives of more than 2 million people around the world. We have partnered with the global MS community for almost 20 years to raise awareness of this debilitating disease and we feel a deep responsibility to spotlight the needs of the community, said John Richert, M.D., vice president, global medical affairs, Biogen Idec. At Biogen Idec, our philosophy is patients first and we have an unwavering commitment to MS. This years theme for World MS Day focuses on the 1000 Faces of MS, putting people with MS at the heart of the day. The MSIF created 1000 Faces of MS, bringing together stories, messages and support for people living with and affected by MS, providing an opportunity to be a part of the global … Continue reading →

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MS patient registry will help improve quality, treatment goals: AIIMS

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2012

New Delhi, May 29 : All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be mobilising efforts towards the creation of India specific data at the national level to solve Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and related diseases and provide better lives for those who are suffering from the debilitating disease. Addressing a press conference on the eve of World Multiple Sclerosis Day Head of the Department, Neurology, AIIMS, Prof Madhuri Behari said, "There is a need for better understanding and medications to prevent progression and disability." The AIIMS is keen to set up a National MS Registry for maintenance of epidemiological data of MS patients from across the country for evidence based research, treatment, and education, she said. She added that since 2011, the Department of Neurology has also begun collecting data of MS patients undergoing counselling and treatment at AIIMS on the basis of their demographic profile, medical conditions, quality of life, disability stage and post treatment outcome. Ahead of the World MS day, Additional Professor of Neurology, AIIMS, Dr Rohit Bhatia said the neurology centre at AIIMS today is seeing more patients residing in tier I and tier II cities from across the country. "Therefore efforts are being made to … Continue reading →

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