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Program looks at stem-cell therapy to defeat aging

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

Allegheny-Kiski Health Foundation will present "Stem-Cell Therapy: Defeating the Aging Process" from 6 to 8 p.m. March 13 in the William & Grayce Walker conference Room at Allegheny-Kiski Health Foundation, Charles and Mary Lou Young Non-Profit Center, 1 Acee Drive, Natrona Heights. Guest speaker will be Dr. Valerie Donaldson of the Individualized Advanced Medical Center of Pittsburgh. She is active in destressing the body and focusing on the anti-aging process. Donaldson completed her undergraduate education at Colorado College where she earned a bachelor's degree in biology and obtained her doctorate at Rush Medical College in Chicago. Registration is requested. Call 724-294-3157. Admission is free. The seminar is sponsored through the Dr. H.W. Fraley Health and Wellness Fund. Programs set at Destination Wellness Upcoming programs at Allegheny Valley Hospital's Destination Wellness at Pittsburgh Mills, Frazer, include: Pittsburgh North Restless Legs Syndrome Support Group will meet from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Dr. Avinash Aggarwal will discuss "Is it RLS or Something Else?" To register, call Destination Wellness at 724-274-5202. Heartsaver First Aid, part one will be from 9 a.m. to noon March 10 and is the basic first-aid course. A two-year certification card will be given after completion of skills and written … Continue reading

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Stem-Cell Therapy Takes Off in Texas

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

By David Cyranoski of Nature magazine With Texas pouring millions of dollars into developing adult stem-cell treatments, doctors there are already injecting paying customers with unproven preparations, supplied by an ambitious new company. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any such stem-cell treatment for routine clinical use, although it does sanction them for patients enrolled in registered clinical trials. Some advocates of the treatments argue, however, that preparations based on a patient's own cells should not be classed as drugs, and should not therefore fall under the FDA's jurisdiction. There are certainly plenty of people eager to have the treatments. Texas governor Rick Perry, for instance, has had stem-cell injections to treat a back complaint, and has supported legislation to help create banks to store patients' harvested stem cells. One company that has benefited from this buoyant climate is Celltex Therapeutics, which "multiplies and banks" stem cells derived from people's abdominal fat, according to chairman and chief executive David Eller. Its facility in Sugar Land, just outside Houston, opened in December 2011 and houses the largest stem-cell bank in the United States. Celltex was founded by Eller and Stanley Jones, the orthopaedic surgeon who performed Perry's … Continue reading

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Nuvilex Reveals Goldman Small Cap Research Cites Groundbreaking Cancer Therapy in Updating Buy Recommendation

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

SILVER SPRING, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), an emerging biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions, announced today Goldman Small Cap Research has reissued its buy recommendation on Nuvilex with a short term price target of $0.50 per share. According to the research report prepared by Goldman, The current share price represents but a fraction of its true value, in our view. With recently increased interest and valuation in the pancreatic cancer treatment arena, we believe that Nuvilex is worth $0.20 just on the oncology therapies alone and that the shares will reach $0.50 in the next six months. Looking ahead, as milestone events occur, $1.00 per share is within reach over the next 12-18 months. Goldman bases this value projection, in part, on the pending acquisition of SG Austria assets, and with it complete control over the cell encapsulation technology that forms the backbone of Nuvilexs planned biotechnology development. The report states in part the following: Following execution of the SG Austria asset acquisition, we expect to see a flurry of events and progress on the development side which will serve as catalysts, including when management submits its protocol for the next stage pancreatic cancer trial. We would … Continue reading

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New Jersey bans all forms of synthetic marijuana

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa on Wednesday announced a statewide ban on all forms of synthetic marijuana, the so-called designer drug that mimics the effects of marijuana. The concoction, also known as "K2" and "Spice," is the drug third-most commonly abused by high school seniors, behind marijuana and prescription drugs, according to a 2011 study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Side effects include violent seizures, dangerous elevated heart rates, and hallucinations, according to the National Institute and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. New Jersey's ban - in an emergency order pending legislative action - prohibits the manufacture, distribution, and sale of any of the hundreds of chemical combinations that mirror marijuana's effect and is more sweeping than previous efforts. The drug will now be considered a controlled dangerous substance - like cocaine and heroin. Violators could face three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000, officials said. Under state law, officials are allowed to reclassify and restrict the availability of chemicals that have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Chiesa said authorities wanted to ban all possible variants of the drug to prevent manufacturers and dealers … Continue reading

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Warning on statins: FDA more open about risks

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

By Robert BazellChief science and health correspondent NBC News Not long ago, statins were jokingly promoted by some doctorswith a put them in the drinking water argument.Physicians and drug company expertssuggested that the ubiquitous cholesterol-lowering drugs --including Lipitor, Mevacor, Crestor and Zocor -- should be sold over the counter like cold medications, or offered to everyone above a certain age. The medications appeared so beneficial to health and seemed so free of side effects. But on Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administrationissued a new health alert requiring the drugs carrylabels warning about confusion and memory loss, elevated blood sugar leading to Type 2 diabetes, and muscle weakness. These warnings should put an end to the all the silliness about giving the drugs to everyone, says Dr. Garret FitzGerald, chairman of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania. Warnings for diabetes, memory loss added to statins There is no question that statins -- the most profitable and among the most prescribed drugs ever -- have saved or prolonged millions of lives and will continue to do so.Most people at elevated risk for heart disease should be taking statins.The big issue now will center on determining whose risk is low to moderate and … Continue reading

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Elsevier/Gold Standard Exclusive Publisher of New Predictive Drug Price Type

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

TAMPA, Florida, February 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PAC more accurately tracks true drug acquisition cost Leading drug database provider, Elsevier/Gold Standard, announced today an agreement with Glass Box Analytics to become the exclusive distributor of a new price type, Predictive Acquisition Cost (PAC). Glass Box Analytics developed PAC to address the industry need for a pricing standard that more closely tracks true drug acquisition cost. PAC employs predictive analytics techniques to estimate acquisition cost considering various factors, including industry MAC benchmarks, published price lists, existing price benchmarks, drug dispensation metrics, supply-demands measures, and survey-based acquisition costs. "By combining a range of data sources, we are able to create a drug price type that more accurately tracks true acquisition cost and more effectively supports pricing activities than existing price types," said Todd Grover, CEO and Founding Partner of Glass Box Analytics. "Independent validation tests showed that PAC consistently tracked the actual drug acquisition cost far more effectively than AWP (Average Wholesale Price) or any other existing price type." AWP has long been the standard price type used throughout the industry to set contract terms and adjudicate claims. In recent years, however, industry leaders have expressed concerns about the accuracy and reliability … Continue reading

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Richard Branson urges Tories to change crime bill and legalize pot

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

OTTAWA An international group of thinkers, business people and former politicians is urging the federal government to change its omnibus crime bill, arguing stiffer sentences for "minor" marijuana crimes won't make Canada safer. The Global Commission on Drug Policy, which includes former head of the United Nations Kofi Annan and billionaire Sir Richard Branson, signed an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and senators urging them to amend the crime bill and instead of penalties, make pot legal. In its letter, released Wednesday, the group asked the government to consider taxing and regulating marijuana "as an alternative strategy to undermine organized crime and improve community health and safety." "Adopting the mandatory sentencing for minor cannabis offences would send Canada down a tragic path, likely costing your taxpayers billions and doing nothing to tackle drug violence or drug dependency," Branson said in a news release. "Canada should explore policies that treat drugs as a health issue, not a criminal issue." The government indicated Wednesday it had no plans to amend the bill, or talk with Branson and the commission about Canada's drug laws. "The Safe Streets and Communities Act goes after the source of the illicit drug trade the drug … Continue reading

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Drug court: A life changing experience for some

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

For the daily gate city Sentencing decisions are among the most difficult a judge must make. Fewer community-based sentencing options increase this difficulty. For example, the Iowa Department of Corrections has recently eliminated its youthful offender program and violators program due to budget cuts. However, the DOC started a drug court program in the 8B Judicial District in 2010, giving judges another sentencing option for offenders addicted to drugs. More than 22 million Americans are believed to have substance abuse problems. According to the Iowa Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning Advisory Council, nearly 60 percent of all offenders entering Iowa prisons have substance abuse risk factors. Many judges would likely say this estimate is too low. Iowas current inmate population stands at about 8,504 inmates. Thus, more than 5,000 prison inmates are likely to have substance abuse problems. The annual cost to incarcerate one inmate is estimated to be $30,000. To respond to the large number of offenders with substance abuse issues and the substantial financial cost to incarcerate them, many states, including Iowa, have established drug courts. The 8B Judicial District, comprised of Des Moines, Henry, North Lee, South Lee and Louisa counties, started its drug court in 2010 … Continue reading

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Emergency ban extended on chemicals used in drugs that mimic pot

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

By Carol Cratty, CNN updated 8:41 PM EST, Wed February 29, 2012 The DEA extended another six months its ban on five chemicals used to make synthetic drugs such as Spice. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Washington (CNN) -- The Drug Enforcement Administration is extending for another six months its emergency ban on five chemicals used to make synthetic drugs such as Spice, the DEA announced on Wednesday. The DEA already had banned the substances for a year, but with that period soon to expire, the DEA announced it will file a notice in the Federal Register on Thursday that will mean the chemicals will continue to be illegal. The substances used to make the fake pot products are: JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497 (that's all one chemical CP-47,497) and cannabicyclohexanol. The names sound like an alphabetical and numerical soup. But the drugs are marketed as herbal incense under such names as K2, Blaze, Spice and Red X Dawn and have been popular with teenagers and young adults. The DEA says the products are made of plant material coated with chemicals that claim to mimic THC, the key ingredient in marijuana. The DEA's emergency action means the chemicals are designated as Schedule 1 substances, … Continue reading

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Cancer drugs could halt Ebola virus

Posted: Published on March 1st, 2012

Some cancer drugs used to treat patients with leukemia may also help stop the Ebola virus and give the body time to control the infection before it turns deadly, US researchers said on Wednesday. The much-feared Ebola virus emerged in Africa in the 1970s and can incite a hemorrhagic fever which causes a person to bleed to death in up to 90 percent of cases. While rare, the Ebola virus is considered a potential weapon for bioterrorists because it is so highly contagious, so lethal and has no standard treatment. But a pair of well-known drugs that have been used to treat leukemia -- known as nolitinib and imatinib -- appear to have some success in stopping the virus from replicating in human cells. Lead researcher Mayra Garcia of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and colleagues reported their finding in Wednesday's edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine. By experimenting with human embryonic kidney cells in a lab, they found that a protein called c-Abl1 tyrosine kinase was a key regulator in whether the Ebola virus could replicate or not. The leukemia drugs work by stopping that protein's activity. In turn, a viral protein called VP40 … Continue reading

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