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November 2008

November 22, 2008

Antidoping Agency Studying if Viagra Provides Athletes Competitive Edge - NYTimes.com

Antidoping Agency Studying if Viagra Provides Athletes Competitive Edge - NYTimes.com

Saudi royals' Mayo Clinic trip buoys local economy - CNN.com

# Saudi Arabia's royal family spent enough to give Rochester, Minnesota, a lift# King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz came November 15 for a checkup at Mayo Clinic# Brought five princes, hundreds of others who spent at least $1.5 million# Officials say that should offset the area's economic woes
Saudi royals' Mayo Clinic trip buoys local economy - CNN.com

FDA Panel Backs Theravance's MRSA Antibiotic - WSJ.com

FDA Panel Backs Theravance's MRSA Antibiotic - WSJ.com

WASHINGTON -- A federal advisory panel backed a proposed Theravance Inc. antibiotic designed to treat serious skin infections, including some caused by a type of staph bacterium known as MRSA that is resistant to many antibiotics.The drug, telavancin, was considered Wednesday by a Food and Drug Administration panel of outside medical experts that was called to make recommendations to the agency about whether it thinks the drug should be approved.The panel voted 21 to 5 in favor of a question asking whether the data presented demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of telavancin for the treatment of skin infections, which amounts to a recommendation the agency approve the drug. Such skin infections can be caused by MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staph aureus, as well as other types of bacteria. MRSA has sparked concern as the "superbug" has moved into community settings like schools and locker rooms in recent years after once being largely confined to hospital settings.

November 19, 2008

Before the Bust, These CEOs Took Money Off the Table - WSJ.com

Before the Bust, These CEOs Took Money Off the Table
Before the Bust, These CEOs Took Money Off the Table - WSJ.com

Investors in the U.S. stock market have lost more than $9 trillion since the peak a year ago. But in industries at the center of the crisis, some executives managed to emerge with substantial fortunes. A study by The Wall Street Journal analyzed the cash compensation and net proceeds from stock sales of top executives at financial and home-building companies, over a five-year period. The list includes executives at companies that have performed relatively well, in addition to poor performers. Click on the columns below to sort the top 25 CEOs by total amounts they received.

November 18, 2008

Use of Antipsychotics in Children Is Criticized - NYTimes.com

Use of Antipsychotics in Children Is Criticized
Use of Antipsychotics in Children Is Criticized - NYTimes.com

More than 389,000 children and teenagers were treated last year with Risperdal, one of five popular medicines known as atypical antipsychotics. Of those patients, 240,000 were 12 or younger, according to data presented to the committee. In many cases, the drug was prescribed to treat attention deficit disorders.

November 17, 2008

Analysis Finds Marked Increase in Chronic Kidney Disease - NYTimes.com

Analysis Finds Marked Increase in Chronic Kidney Disease - NYTimes.com

November 15, 2008

Fighting Shingles: Whether to Take the Only Vaccine - WSJ.com

Fighting Shingles: Whether to Take the Only Vaccine - WSJ.com

If you do decide to get the vaccine, you might have trouble finding it: Merck has had supply problems due to a manufacturing glitch, and recently customers were facing shipping delays of up to 10 weeks, according to the company. Merck says it has resumed full-scale manufacturing, but it might take some time to reduce the shipping delays.

Some doctors don't keep the vaccine in stock because it's more complicated to store and administer than other vaccines. It needs to be stored in a freezer. Then, when a patient is ready to get the vaccine, it must be injected within 30 minutes after being thawed out.

The vaccine has a list price of more than $150. Much of the target population participates in Medicare's prescription-drug coverage, which pays for the vaccine but may require patient co-payments, depending on the plan. For those under 65 who aren't yet eligible for Medicare, the vaccine may be covered by private insurance.

November 13, 2008

Experts weigh in on which vitamins to toss back or toss out - CNN.com

Experts weigh in on which vitamins to toss back or toss out - CNN.com

A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute this week found that a daily regimen of vitamin D and calcium did not offer any protection against invasive breast cancer.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

November 10, 2008

For South, a Waning Hold on National Politics - NYTimes.com

VERNON, Ala. — Fear of the politician with the unusual name and look did not end with last Tuesday’s vote in this rural red swatch where buck heads and rifles hang on the wall. This corner of the Deep South still resonates with negative feelings about the race of President-elect Barack Obama.
For South, a Waning Hold on National Politics - NYTimes.com

... ignorance and deeply ingrained beliefs that may not change in our lifetime.... very troubling!!!  Racism (overt and covert) prevails in the South

November 03, 2008

Study Could Widen Market For Cholesterol Treatments - WSJ.com

Two decades after the first cholesterol-lowering drug known as a statin hit the market, a major new study is poised to reshape the landscape for the world's best-selling class of medicines.Results of the trial, featuring AstraZeneca PLC's statin Crestor, will be presented next Sunday in New Orleans at the American Heart Association's annual scientific meeting. But it is already known it was a success: The 17,802-patient study was halted last spring, much earlier than expected, after a planned interim check found substantial reductions in deaths, heart attacks and other serious events among patients taking the drug compared with a placebo.
Study Could Widen Market For Cholesterol Treatments - WSJ.com