Biotech Week articles from May 2004

Biotech Week archives from May 2004

CLEAR II registry launched.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ENZN) announced a major new initiative to build upon the value of its CLEAR (Collaborative Exchange of Antifungal Research) patient registry with the launch of CLEAR II....

Study: Combination of minimally invasive treatments as effective as surgery.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Results of a new study show that combining two minimally invasive interventional radiology treatments for liver cancer is as effective as surgery for treating single tumors up to 7 cm in diameter,...

Genetic trick adapted from viruses makes gene-therapy vectors more versatile.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A genetic trick used by viruses to replicate themselves has been adapted for laboratory use to build complex protein structures required by immune system cells, according to investigators at St. Jude...

Typhoid fever vaccines cause adverse events.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Typhoid fever vaccines cause adverse events. According to a study from the United States, "Vaccines against Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi are used for prophylaxis of international travelers...

Pregnant women filling prescriptions for contraindicated drugs.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pregnant women enrolled in TennCare are filling prescriptions for contraindicated category X drugs. According to a study from the United States, "Filling of prescriptions for medications labeled as...

Biotech firm raises $9M in extension of C round financing.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AGY Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, announced that the company has raised $9 million through an extension of its Series C round of financing. Existing Series C...

Biotech company expands management team.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AVI BioPharma, Inc., (AVII) announced the appointment of Peter D. O'Hanley, PhD, MD, as senior vice president of clinical development and regulatory affairs, and R. Ray Cummings as vice president of...

Epitope from Epstein-Barr virus protein elicits sustained immune response.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel immunodominant HLA-B*0702-associated epitope derived from an Epstein-Barr virus helicase-primase-associated protein elicited a sustained CD8+ T-cell immune response. "Generation of a...

Biotech company announces $9.1M private placement of common stock.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., (ASTM) announced that it has placed 8 million shares of common stock with institutional investors at approximately $1.14 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of...

Acquisition of TheraSense completed.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abbott Laboratories (ABT) announced that it has completed the acquisition of TheraSense, Inc., following approval by holders of a majority of TheraSense common stock in Oakland, California. ...

Medical device firm adds VP of human resources.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abiomed, Inc., (ABMD) announced that Gary L. Stickel has joined its management team as VP of Human Resources and Development. "As Abiomed completes its transformation from a research-focused...

Nanobodies maker closes EUR 25M series B financing.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ablynx, a developer of therapeutic antibodies (Nanobodies), announced the closing of its EUR 25 million (U.S.$30 million) Series B preferred stock financing. This financing provides Ablynx with the...

RNAi pioneer Mark A. Kay named to scientific advisory board.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acacia Research Corporation (CBMX, ACTG) announced that its CombiMatrix group has named Mark A. Kay, MD, PhD, to its scientific advisory board. Kay is professor, Departments of Pediatrics and...

Four U.S. patents issued for eTag, nanofluidic technologies.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aclara BioSciences (ACLA) announced the issuance of four U.S. patents that strengthen the intellectual property around its eTag technology: Nos. 6,682,887 and 6,686,152 with claims related to certain...

Agreement signed with Gilead Sciences for protein activity profiling.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ActivX Biosciences, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company applying novel chemical technologies and high-throughput protein analysis to drug discovery and development, announced that it has...

Spatial 3D interventional planning tool for medicine launched.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Actuality Systems, Inc., has released Perspecta Medical, a spatial 3D system for surgical and interventional planning. Perspecta Medical combines Actuality's award-winning Perspecta Spatial 3D...

Supply, development agreement signed for medical device batteries.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Inc., (ANS, ANSI) announced a long-term supply agreement with EaglePicher Technologies, LLC, under which EaglePicher will supply ANS with rechargeable lithium ion...

Meridian Venture Partners funds buy-out of ANI.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Meridian Venture Partners announced it has led the buyout of the assets and operations of ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ANIP), an over-the-counter, liquid-pharmaceuticals manufacturing company, from...

Carol Epstein named acting medical director at biopharmaceutical firm.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advanced Viral Research Corp. (ADVR) announced that Carol Epstein, MD, has been appointed Acting Medical director for the company. Epstein is the cofounder of MediVector, Inc., a biopharmaceutical...

Pharmaceutical company names Barry Hafkin chief scientific officer.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Advancis Pharmaceutical Corporation (AVNC) announced that Barry Hafkin, MD, has been appointed chief scientific officer for the company. As CSO, Hafkin serves on the Advancis senior leadership team...

Pharmaceutical firm announces agreement for sale of common stock.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adventrx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (AVRX) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for the sale to certain investors of approximately 10.0 million shares of its common stock at a purchase...

VP of development, director of clinical development named at oncology firm.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Affymax, Inc., announced that it had expanded its management team with the addition of Douglas L. Cole, PhD, as VP of Development and Julie S. Iwashita as director of clinical development. "We are...

Expanded genomic technologies licensing program launched.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Affymetrix, Inc., (AFFX) announced an expanded licensing program that makes some of its most recently issued patents, as well as early patents that established Affymetrix as the pioneer in microarrays,...

Microarray technology donated to Rhodes College.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Agilent Technologies, Inc., (A) and Rhodes College announced a donation by Agilent of $150,000 in microarray kits to be used by Rhodes undergraduates in the study of human diseases. Rhodes College...

Risedronate is best absorbed when taken in the morning on an empty stomach.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Risedronate is best absorbed when taken in the morning on an empty stomach. According to published research from Japan, "because of its chemical structure, risedronate was thought to form a complex...

Phagemid system aids estimation of combinatorial antibody libraries.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A novel phagemid facilitates the estimation of combinatorial antibody library size. In a recent study, immunologists in South Korea developed a phagemid system "for the generation of combinatorial...

NeoRx sells Pretarget intellectual property, announces resignation of VP.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NeoRx Corp. (NERX), a cancer therapeutics development company, announced that it has executed an agreement with privately held Aletheon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for the sale and transfer of NeoRx's...

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 is highly tissue-specific.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) is highly tissue-specific in primary implantation sites and trauma-induced deciduomal tissues of the rhesus monkey. "We have earlier...

Agreement signed for Oxygent development in Europe.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. (ALLP), through its wholly owned subsidiary PFC Therapeutics, LLC, and Nycomed announced the signing of a collaboration agreement between PFC Therapeutics and Nycomed for...

Device firm reports 1Q revenue increase of 340%.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alltracel Pharmaceuticals Plc, (AP.L), announced that its first quarter 2004 revenue was EUR 857,000, up 340% over first quarter 2003 revenues and more than double last quarter's (Q4 2003) record...

Improved blood sugar control under supervision does not increase costs.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study released by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) found that patients with diabetes who undergo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and have strict blood sugar control...

Latest fashion fad concerns eye MDs.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- News about it is spreading over the Internet. It's the topic of discussion on morning television talk shows. It's the latest fashion fad coming out of Europe. But it is raising an eyebrow of concern for...

Chiropractors urge Americans to walk 2000 steps per day.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Revitalizing your health could be just steps away, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). While seeking out the latest, trendiest exercise craze can be an intimidating endeavor,...

Office spirometry testing improves early detection of COPD, study shows.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Spirometry testing in a primary care setting significantly improves early identification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), says a study published in the April issue of Chest, the...

Survey: Organizations achieving HIPAA compliance, seeing positive results.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Healthcare organizations are achieving significant compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule, according to a survey to assess the current state of...

Monitors will be offered to members with congestive heart failure, diabetes.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- American Medical Alert Corp. (AMAC), a national provider of home health monitoring appliances and 24/7 communication services, has been selected to provide remote patient monitoring to Healthfirst, a...

Crystal structure of thrombin and fibrin region complex determined.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have determined the crystal structure of the complex between thrombin and the central 'E' region of fibrin. According to recent research published in the journal Proceedings of the...

Study shows smoke free law slashed heart attack rate 40%.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study posted by the British Medical Journal shows that the health benefits of a comprehensive smoke free workplace law may be much more immediate than previously thought, resulting in a decline of 40%...

New CodeLink human whole genome bioarray launched.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amersham Biosciences, the life sciences business of Amersham (AHM), announced the addition of the CodeLink Human Whole Genome Bioarray to its CodeLink range. The first CodeLink bioarray to offer...

Sensipar reduces parathyroid hormone in dialysis patients with secondary HPT.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Data published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) demonstrate that Sensipar (cinacalcet HCl) effectively reduces parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in patients on dialysis with secondary...

Immunomedics regains North American development rights for epratuzumab.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Immunomedics, Inc., (IMMU) and Amgen, Inc., (AMGN) announced that Amgen has returned to Immunomedics all rights for epratuzumab, the humanized CD22 monoclonal antibody therapeutic licensed to Amgen by...

Deal signed for promotion of cardiovascular products.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (AMLN) and Reliant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced that the companies have signed an agreement for Amylin to copromote Reliant's cardiovascular products that address...

NeoRx acquires cancer compound.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NeoRx Corp. (NERX) announced that it has acquired from AnorMED, Inc., (AOM) the worldwide exclusive rights, excluding Japan, to develop, manufacture, and commercialize AMD473, a platinum-based...

Oncology company licenses cancer compound to NeoRx.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AnorMED, Inc., (AOM) announced that it has licensed its platinum-based anticancer agent, AMD473, to NeoRx Corporation (NERX). Under the terms of the agreement, NeoRx was granted exclusive global...

Generex reports advance in cancer immunotherapy.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Generex Biotechnology Corp. (GNBT) announced its recent report at the American Association for Cancer Research in Orlando, Florida, on a novel approach to cancer vaccination developed by scientists and...

Biotech firm completes $50M series B financing.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Archemix Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing aptamer therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic human diseases, announced the closing of $50 million Series B...

Aventis deal expanded to support target validation efforts.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ardais Corporation, a provider of clinical data and biomaterials resources for molecular medicine-based drug discovery and development, announced that it has expanded its collaborative agreement with...

Aerobic exercise improves psychological well-being in Hispanic children.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aerobic physical activity improved psychological well-being in low-income Hispanic children. According to a study from the United States, "Psychological well-being has been generally associated...

Drug discovery alliance inked with Takeda Chemical Industries.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Array BioPharma, Inc., (ARRY) announced the commencement of a drug discovery collaboration with Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., to create a series of small molecule drug leads against a Takeda target....

Case made for using awareness monitoring in surgical patients.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients describe it as like being buried alive. The worse part is not the pain, they say, although that can be excruciating, but the horror of being paralyzed, unable to talk and yet totally aware of...

Stock purchase agreement signed with Boston Scientific.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aspect Medical Systems, Inc., (ASPM) announced that it has entered into an agreement for the sale of 500,000 shares of its common stock to Boston Scientific Corporation. As of April 1, 2004, Boston...

Caution urged when considering impact of latest C-reactive protein study.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Association for Eradication of Heart Attack released a statement applauding ongoing efforts to improve the ability to predict heart attacks, but also urging physicians, the research community, and...

Astrocyte-induced matrix remodeling may mediate HIV-related neurodegeneration.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Astrocyte-induced matrix remodeling may help mediate HIV-related neurodegeneration. According to neurovirologists in France, "[c]hanges in the fine balance between matrix metalloproteinases and...

Plasmodium falciparum membrane potential determined.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The P. falciparum membrane potential has been determined and described. In a recent study from Australia, the "membrane potential (Deltapsi) of the mature asexual form of the human malaria parasite,...

Evolving work factors explain upper body musculoskeletal disorders in women.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Evolving work factors explain upper body musculoskeletal disorders in women. "Why are employed women at increased risk for upper limb musculoskeletal disorders and what can this tell us about the...

Distribution agreement signed for Testim 1% testosterone Gel.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Ipsen announced that they have entered into a license and distribution agreement for the marketing of Auxilium's product Testim 1% testosterone gel. Under the...

Complement inhibition license deal signed with Adprotech.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Avant Immunotherapeutics, Inc., (AVAN) announced the signing of a license agreement with Adprotech, Ltd., for non-exclusive rights to use certain components of Avant's intellectual property surrounding...

ORALscreen declared suitable for drug enforcement in Japan.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Avitar, Inc., (AVR) received high marks for its ORALscreen instant test for drugs-of-abuse by Forensic Science Laboratory, Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters, Osaka, Japan. In a recent article...

Rights acquired to urinary incontinence transvaginal ring.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (BRL) announced that Barr Laboratories, Inc., has signed an agreement with Schering AG, Germany (SHR; SCH) to acquire the worldwide rights to the oxybutynin transvaginal ring...

Award given for best presentation at thrombosis and hemostasis meeting.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A scientific presentation by Bayer Biological Products (BP) was recognized as among the best at the recently held 48th annual meeting of the Society for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (Gesellschaft fuer...

Report: Aspirin's cardioprotective benefits far outweigh risks.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A paper published in Cardiovascular Reviews & Reports demonstrates that the benefits of aspirin outweigh the risks when used for prevention of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients determined to be at...

BAY 43-9006 receives FDA fast track designation.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation (BAY) and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ONXX) announced that BAY 43-9006 has been granted Fast Track status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The...

As children move up in school, nutrition declines.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Children who moved from elementary to middle school consumed less fruit, milk and vegetables but downed more sweetened drinks and high-fat vegetables, according to a new study of Texas school children....

Leptin is a significant regulator of bone mass.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Leptin is a significant regulator of bone mass. According to a study from the United States, "leptin is a powerful inhibitor of bone formation in vivo. This antiosteogenic function involves leptin...

Dendritic cell subsets induce antigen-specific cytotoxic T cell responses.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dendritic cell subsets generated from CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors can be transfected with mRNA and induce antigen-specific cytotoxic T cell responses. "Human dendritic cells (DCs) generated in...

$1.3M NIH grant awarded to study possible viral role in colon cancer.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. National Institutes of Health recently awarded Baylor Research Institute a $1.3 million grant to study a common virus suspected to play a role in causing colon cancer. C. Richard "Rick"...

Approval granted to market a generic version of mirtazapine in Spain.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bentley Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (BNT) announced that its subsidiaries have been granted approval by the Spanish Ministry of Health to market generic equivalents of mirtazapine in Spain. Laboratorios...

Blood test detects 90% of leading cancer killer cases.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioCurex, Inc., (BOCX) announced results for lung cancer detection using its proprietary Serum-RECAF blood test. The results confirm 90% sensitivity with 95% specificity. The findings further...

Biotech company reports loss per share of $0.35.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., (BDSI, BDSIW) announced results for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2003. In 2003, BDSI had revenue of $2.9 million, compared to $828,000 in 2002. Net...

K. Alice Leung named president, CEO at biopharmaceutical firm.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioMedicines, Inc., announced the appointment of K. Alice Leung as president and CEO. Prior to this appointment, Leung was VP, general manager of the oncology business unit at Berlex Laboratories,...

Pharmaceuticals firm listed on new nanotechnology stock indices.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (BPA) announced that the investment firms Merrill Lynch and Punk, Ziegel & Company have included BioSante in their respective indices of nanotechnology companies. ...

Refinement of MedClose device completed.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biomed Research, Inc., reported completion of ergonomic refinements to MedClose Internal Puncture Closure Device. The MedClose is a catheter-based debridement and biological glue delivery system...

Study confirms basis of epilepsy diagnostic test.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bionomics Limited announced the publication of its international clinical study involving patients with a form of epilepsy confined to early childhood in the scientific journal, Annals of Neurology. ...

Sales, earnings forecast raised for diagnostics firm.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biosite Incorporated (BSTE) reported that it expects product sales for the first quarter of 2004 to range from $56 million to $57 million, which would be higher than the company's previously provided...

FDA approves CardizemLA.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biovail Corp. (BVF) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved CardizemLA for the treatment of chronic stable angina. CardizemLA can be given orally once daily, either in the...

Blood pressure tests for under-35s may be misleading.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Doctors who routinely measure blood pressure in people under 35 are more likely to misdiagnose than to detect hypertension correctly, according to a new study. This could lead to unnecessary lifelong...

Rhode Island insurance giant under fire for rising rates, perks.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- While Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island absorbed most of the state's health insurance market in recent years, critics say lawmakers paid little heed to complaints about the company's rising rates...

Minnesota insurer flush with cash.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota says it has lowered some premium increases for employers after finishing 2003 with financial reserves that were $30 million above a ceiling set by state law. ...

Precision Vascular Systems acquired by device maker; Sentinol launched.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX) announced that it has acquired Precision Vascular Systems, Inc., (Precision Vascular), a privately held company located in West Valley City, Utah, and that it has...

Operative time increases when training surgical residents are present.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- There is an increase in operative time required to complete some surgical procedures associated with training surgical residents in the operating room, according to an article in the April 2004 issue of...

Structure-function of extracellular calcium-sensing receptor described.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The structure-function relation of the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor has been described in a recent issue of the journal Cell Calcium. "The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR)...

Acordis Speciality Fibres business acquired by pharmaceutical firm.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) announced that the company has completed the acquisition of Acordis Speciality Fibres from Acordis, a multinational group of businesses. This newly acquired...

Eyes may open window on stroke prevention.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A drug that improves function of retinal blood vessels may be able to reduce the risk of stroke, according to a new report. The small study found that endothelial function is abnormal in eye blood...

Patients who receive kidneys from older donors do well.
May 5, 2004... 2004 MAY 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Recipients of kidneys from donors 55 years and older appear to have good outcomes, according to new research. In the United States, the percentage of deceased kidney donors aged 55 and older has...