WEDNESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly two-thirds of children who received stem cell transplants were readmitted to the hospital within six months for treatment of problems such as infections and unexplained fevers, a new study finds. Children who were given stem cells donated by other people were twice as likely to be readmitted as those who received their own stem cells, said the researchers at Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center in Boston. "No one had ever looked at these data in children," Dr. Leslie Lehmann, clinical director of pediatric stem cell transplantation, said in a cancer center news release. "This is very important information and will allow us to counsel families appropriately, as well as try to devise interventions that reduce the rate of readmissions." Lehmann and Harvard Medical School student David Shulman analyzed the medical records of 129 children who had stem cell transplants from 2008 to 2011 and found that 64 percent of them had at least one hospital readmission within 180 days after their transplant. Fever without a known cause accounted for 39 percent of readmissions, infections for 24 percent, and gastrointestinal problems for 15 percent, the study found. "Most of the patients went on to be … Continue reading →

UCB (UCBJY) recently reported results for the first quarter of 2013. Revenues fell 8.2% year over year to approximately $1.1 billion due to generic erosion of Keppra and a delayed allergy season. All growth rates mentioned below are on a year-on-year basis and at CER. While Cimzia (Crohns disease and rheumatoid arthritis) sales increased 27% in the reported quarter, Vimpat (epilepsy) sales increased 16%. Neupro, which is marketed as a treatment for Parkinsons disease (:PD) and restless legs syndrome (:RLS), delivered sales growth of 37%. However, sales of Keppra, another epilepsy treatment, declined 22%. Sales were hurt by generic competition in the US and Europe. Pipeline Update Vimpat as monotherapy met its primary endpoint in a phase III study on epilepsy in the US. The company intends to file for US approval in the second half of 2013. For the PD and RLS indications, Neupro received regulatory approval in Japan in Dec 2012. UCBs partner, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, has launched Neupro in Japan. For the RA indication, Cimzia was approved in Japan in Dec 2012. UCBs partner Astellas Pharma, Inc. (ALPMY) has launched the drug in Japan. UCB is currently looking to get Cimzias label expanded for the treatment of active … Continue reading →

MAYWOOD, Il. - Loyola University Medical Center has been redesignated as a Level 4 Epilepsy Center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC). Level 4 is the highest level of specialized epilepsy care available. Level 4 centers have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest level of medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy. U.S. News and World Report includes NAEC Level 4 adult epilepsy centers as part of its America's Best Hospitals rankings. The NAEC is a nonprofit association of specialized epilepsy centers in the United States. The organization works to connect people with epilepsy to specialized epilepsy care, and to support epileptologists and administrators in the operation of their epilepsy centers. Loyola's Epilepsy Center offers a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to epilepsy and seizure disorders for adults and children as young as 2 years old. Pediatric and adult epileptologist consultation and state-of-the-art neuroimaging and electrodiagnostic technology are used to identify and assess complex seizure disorders by short- and long-term monitoring. Read more here: Loyola Redesignated as Level 4 Epilepsy Center … Continue reading →

Newswise LEWISBURG, Pa. Officials from Geisinger Health System and Bucknell University celebrated the grand opening of the Autism and Developmental Medicine Center, a national model for implementing guidelines for early diagnosis, medication management and treatment options for children with developmental disorders. The Autism and Developmental Medicine Center gives children and families who face the challenges of developmental disorders the opportunity to receive a diagnosis and treatment through an enhanced model of care, said Glenn D. Steele Jr., M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer at Geisinger Health System. The result is that families will have access to the latest treatment options, research initiatives and targeted clinical studies right here in central Pennsylvania." The Geisinger-Bucknell Autism and Developmental Medicine Center is opening under the larger auspices of Geisingers Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, a system-wide initiative of Geisingers Department of Research. Disorders treated at the Lewisburg center will include autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), a collection of developmental disabilities categorized by impairments in communication, social interaction, and repetitive, restrictive patterns of behavior, as well as other related neurodevelopmental disorders. The new center was developed by David H. Ledbetter, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief scientific officer at Geisinger Health System, in partnership … Continue reading →