Category: Vaccines

MEwens
Drugs for Late-Stage Breast Cancer: Research presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and published online by the New England Journal of Medicine shows that adding two drugs to standard therapy for metastatic breast cancer can halt tumor growth for several months, the WSJ reports. One study found that adding Roche’s pertuzumab […]

MEwens
Human Cells, Rodent Brains: Research published in Nature describes how scientists treated Parkinson’s disease in mice and rats by converting human embryonic stem cells into nerve cells that released the neurotransmitter dopamine, then transplanting the cells into the rodents’ brains, the WSJ reports. Further animal studies are necessary before the technique could be […]

MEwens
When you roll up your sleeve for an annual flu shot, have you ever stopped to consider how well vaccination against the disease actually works?
The answer, according to a review of previous research published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, is pretty well –  but with plenty of room for improvement. Researchers found the […]

MEwens
Recommending Wider Vaccination: The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended yesterday that boys be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, a measure previously recommended only for females, the WSJ reports. The group recommends boys ages 11 and 12 receive Gardasil, Merck’s HPV vaccine. HPV can cause cancers of the cervix and […]

MEwens
XMRV Theory Dealt a Blow: Scientists are backing off a controversial paper that linked a retrovirus called XMRV to chronic fatigue syndrome, and a working group looking at the issue says there’s now no reason to screen the blood supply for the virus, the WSJ reports. Two authors of the original 2009 study, […]

MEwens
Nearly two in three people plan to get a flu shot this year and more health-care pros are recommending their patients get them, according to a National Foundation for Infectious Diseases survey released on Wednesday.
At a news conference in Washington D.C., public health officials and other medical experts provided coverage estimates for the […]

MEwens
Nearly two in three people plan to get a flu shot this year and more health-care pros are recommending their patients get them, according to a National Foundation for Infectious Diseases survey released on Wednesday.
At a news conference in Washington D.C., public health officials and other medical experts provided coverage estimates for the […]

MEwens
Boosting Demand for Flu Shots: Even as manufacturers have produced a record amount of flu vaccines, medical facilities and retailers are trying to drum up interest in the shots following weak demand last year, the WSJ reports. CVS Caremark has stopped requiring reservations for the shots, Walgreen is aiming TV ads at the […]

MEwens
Poison Protection?: Pharmacy-services provider PharMerica said it adopted a poison-pill provision to prevent unwanted takeover bids, Dow Jones Newswires reports. Earlier this week the company rejected a $15-per-share bid from Omnicare, saying it undervalued PharMerica and that regulatory risk was too high. Omnicare said it was still willing to talk with PharMerica about […]

MEwens
Certain vaccines have been linked to rare health problems, but in general, immunizations don’t carry many side effects, an analysis of more than 1,000 studies finds.
The report is by the Institute of Medicine, an independent federal advisory group. A committee including pediatricians, epidemiologists and experts in certain diseases was charged with evaluating the […]