Global Human Vaccines Industry

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NEW YORK, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Global Human Vaccines Industry

http://www.reportlinker.com/p092575/Global-Human-Vaccines-Industry.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Drug_and_

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Prophylatic Human Vaccines in US$ Million by the following Product Segments: Pediatric Prophylactic Vaccines and Adult Prophylactic Vaccines. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latin America. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2009 through 2017. Also, a six-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. The report also analyzes the world market for Therapeutic Vaccines for the period 2010 to 2015. The report profiles 162 companies including many key and niche players such as ALK - Abello A/S, Bavarian Nordic A/S, Crucell N.V., CSL Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline PLC, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A, Medimmune, Inc., Merck & Company, Inc., Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Inc., Sanofi, Sanofi-Pasteur SA, Sanofi Pasteur, Inc., Shanta Biotechnics Ltd., Vaxin, Inc., and Wyeth. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are primarily based upon search engine sources in the public domain.

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & PRODUCT DEFINITIONSStudy Reliability and Reporting Limitations I-1Disclaimers I-2Data Interpretation & Reporting Level I-3Quantitative Techniques & Analytics I-3Product Definitions and Scope of Study I-3Prophylactic Vaccines I-3Therapeutic Vaccines I-4

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. MARKET OVERVIEW & OUTLOOK II-1Human Vaccines Market Remains Resilient to Recession II-1Global Human Vaccines Market: A Snapshot II-1Market Dynamics II-2Vaccine Pricing: The Developed - Developing Divide II-2Growth Drivers in a Capsule II-3Developed World: The Key Markets II-3Looking Ahead II-3Emerging Markets: The Future Growth Area II-4Competitive Scenario II-5World's Leading Producers II-5Table 1: Leading Players in the Worldwide Vaccines Market(2008): Market Share Breakdown by Value Sales forGlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck & Co., Novartis,Wyeth, and Others (includes corresponding Graph/Chart) II-6ALK- The Global Leader in Allergy Vaccines II-6Table 2: Leading Players in the Worldwide Allergy VaccinesMarket (2005 & 2006 - A Historic Perspective): Market ShareBreakdown of Value Sales (*) for ALK- Abello, Stallergenes,Allergopharma, and Others (includes correspondingGraph/Chart) II-7

2. PRODUCT OVERVIEW II-8

Introduction to the Concept of Immunity II-8

Role of Vaccines in Strengthening the Immune System II-8

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Global Human Vaccines Industry

Myriad Genetics Announces Presentation of Lung Cancer Study at American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting

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SALT LAKE CITY, May 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYGN - News) announced today the presentation of a study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology(R) (ASCO) Annual Meeting, including the complete results from a study titled, "Use of a proliferation-based mRNA signature to predict outcome in early-stage non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma." The abstract of the presentation (#7023) is available on the ASCO Meeting website, http://www.asco.org.

Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Myriad Genetics generated a cell cycle progression (CCP) score for 256 patients with stage I and II lung adenocarcinoma by analyzing the level of expression in 46 cell-cycle progression and housekeeping genes. The study then assessed the prognostic value of the CCP score in predicting patient outcomes as well as the correlation between the CCP score and clinical variables including age, stage of disease, gender, smoking status, tumor size and treatment.

The market need for a lung cancer prognostic test stems from the absence of a molecular diagnostic test to accurately predict disease aggressiveness for patients diagnosed with stage I or II lung adenocarcinoma. Myriad's goal is to develop a prognostic lung cancer test that helps patients understand the aggressiveness of their disease.

About Myriad Genetics

Myriad Genetics, Inc. is a leading molecular diagnostic company dedicated to making a difference in patients' lives through the discovery and commercialization of transformative tests to assess a person's risk of developing disease, guide treatment decisions and assess risk of disease progression and recurrence. Myriad's portfolio of nine molecular diagnostic tests are based on an understanding of the role genes play in human disease and were developed with a focus on improving an individual's decision making process for monitoring and treating disease. With fiscal year 2011 annual revenue of over $400 million and more than 1,000 employees, Myriad is working on strategic directives, including new product introductions, companion diagnostics, and international expansion, to take advantage of significant growth opportunities. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website: http://www.myriad.com.

Myriad, the Myriad logo, BRACAnalysis, Colaris, Colaris AP, Melaris, TheraGuide, Prezeon, OnDose, Panexia and Prolaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. in the United States and foreign countries. MYGN-G

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the Company's presentation of a lung cancer study at the American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting; the market needs for a lung cancer prognostic test to help patients understand the aggressiveness of their disease; the Company's goal and plans to develop a prognostic lung cancer test; and the Company's strategic directives under the caption "About Myriad Genetics". These "forward-looking statements" are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that sales and profit margins of our existing molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services may decline or will not continue to increase at historical rates; the risk that we may be unable to expand into new markets outside of the United States; the risk that we may be unable to develop or achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that we may not successfully develop new markets for our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services, including our ability to successfully generate revenue outside the United States; the risk that licenses to the technology underlying our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services and any future products are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with manufacturing our products or operating our laboratory testing facilities; risks related to public concern over genetic testing in general or our tests in particular; risks related to regulatory requirements or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries and changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems; risks related to our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations and acquire new technologies or businesses on satisfactory terms, if at all; risks related to our ability to successfully integrate and derive benefits from any technologies or businesses that we acquire; the development of competing tests and services; the risk that we or our licensors may be unable to protect the proprietary technologies underlying our tests; the risk of patent-infringement and invalidity claims or challenges of our patents; risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Item 1A in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

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Myriad Genetics Announces Presentation of Lung Cancer Study at American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting

Human genes transplanted into zebrafish: Helps identify genes related to autism, schizophrenia and obesity

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ScienceDaily (May 16, 2012) What can a fish tell us about human brain development? Researchers at Duke University Medical Center transplanted a set of human genes into a zebrafish and then used it to identify genes responsible for head size at birth.

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center transplanted a set of human genes into a zebrafish and then used it to identify genes responsible for head size at birth.

Head size in human babies is a feature that is related to autism, a condition that recent figures have shown to be more common than previously reported, 1 in 88 children in a March 2012 study. Head size is also a feature of other major neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia.

"In medical research, we need to dissect events in biology so we can understand the precise mechanisms that give rise to neurodevelopmental traits," said senior author Nicholas Katsanis, Ph.D., Jean and George Brumley Jr., MD, Professor of Developmental Biology, and Professor of Pediatrics and Cell Biology. "We need expert scientists to work side by side with clinicians who see such anatomic and other problems in patients, if we are to effectively solve many of our medical problems."

The study was published online in Nature journal on May 16.

Katsanis knew that a region on chromosome 16 was one of the largest genetic contributors to autism and schizophrenia, but a conversation at a European medical meeting pointed him to information that changes within that same region of the genome also were related to changes in a newborn's head size.

The problem was difficult to address because the region had large deletions and duplications in DNA, which are the most common mutational mechanisms in humans. "Interpretation is harrowingly hard," said Katsanis, who is also director of the Duke Center for Human Disease Modeling.

The reason is that a duplication of DNA or missing DNA usually involves several genes. "It is very difficult to go from 'here is a region with many genes, sometimes over 50' to 'these are the genes that are driving this pathology,'" Katsanis said.

"There was a light bulb moment," Katsanis said. "The area of the genome we were exploring gave rise to reciprocal (opposite) defects in terms of brain cell growth, so we realized that overexpressing a gene in question might give one phenotype -- a smaller head, while shutting down the same gene might yield the other, a larger head."

The researchers transplanted a common duplication area of human chromosome 16 known to contain 29 genes into zebrafish embryos and then systematically turned up the activity of each transplanted human gene to find which might cause a small head (microcephaly) in the fish. They then suppressed the same gene set and asked whether any of them caused the reciprocal defect: larger heads (macrocephaly).

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Human genes transplanted into zebrafish: Helps identify genes related to autism, schizophrenia and obesity

Seattle Genetics to Present ADCETRIS® and ASG-5ME Data at ASCO Annual Meeting

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BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGEN - News) today announced that data from two of its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programs, ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) and ASG-5ME, will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2012 Annual Meeting being held June 1-5, 2012 in Chicago, IL. A summary of the companys poster presentations is below and full abstracts can be accessed on the ASCO website at http://www.abstract.asco.org.

ADCETRIS

Retreatment with brentuximab vedotin in CD30-positive hematologic malignancies: a phase II study

CD30 expression in non-lymphomatous malignancies

Brentuximab vedotin for relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma: preliminary results from a phase II study

ASG-5ME

Phase 1 trial of ASG-5ME in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)

About ADCETRIS

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.

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Seattle Genetics to Present ADCETRIS® and ASG-5ME Data at ASCO Annual Meeting

Lineagen Completes 9000-Person Study Focused on Genetic Variants in Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum …

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SALT LAKE CITY, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Lineagen today announced the Company completed the testing portion of a 9,000-person research study designed to confirm novel copy number genetic variants and novel next-generation sequence variants associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These variants were discovered by Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., and his team at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)'s Center for Applied Genomics and by Mark F. Leppert, Ph.D., and his team at the University of Utah's Department of Human Genetics. In partnership with Affymetrix, Lineagen has incorporated these novel variants into the next generation of its FirstStepDx genetic testing service, which combines highly advanced genetic testing with fully integrated genetic counseling to accelerate and enhance the diagnostic evaluation of individuals with ASD, developmental delay (DD), and intellectual disability (ID), and help physicians better direct clinical management for these individuals. The launch of Lineagen's next generation FirstStepDx is expected to coincide with peer-review publication of the study results as early as the fourth quarter of 2012.

Lineagen was granted an exclusive commercial license to these novel genetic variants as part of separate broad license and research collaborations with CHOP and the University of Utah to improve the understanding of the genetic contributors to ASD. Notably, the exclusively licensed markers from CHOP, published in Nature and PLoS Genetics, were named by TIME magazine as one of the top ten medical breakthroughs of 2009.

Dr. Hakonarson, Director of CHOP's Center for Applied Genomics, commented, "Recent clinical literature has demonstrated that patients with positive findings on chromosomal microarray (CMA) can experience significant changes in clinical management. By incorporating CHOP's genetic variants, which may account for up to 15% of ASD cases, Lineagen has developed a CMA platform to test for these variants, thereby providing clinicians with information that may affect the way patients with ASD, DD, and ID are evaluated and managed clinically."

Dr. Leppert, Distinguished Professor at the University of Utah's Department of Human Genetics, said, "We are very encouraged by the productivity to date of the research program with Lineagen. The ability to replicate in the general population the findings from our collaboration is a major step in understanding the genetic markers associated with ASD. We look forward to the continued success of the program and to the further refinement of Lineagen's FirstStepDx genetic test."

Michael S. Paul, Ph.D., Lineagen's Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are further refining our product, to incorporate these ground-breaking discoveries into our next-generation high-density array, and these will differentiate FirstStepDx further by increasing the number of genetic variants known the be associated with ASD. If there are positive results from this large study, which we cannot determine until the research is completed, Lineagen's next-generation FirstStepDx will offer the ability to identify more than 100 novel genetic markers associated with ASD."

About FirstStepDx

Lineagen's FirstStepDx and related autism-risk screening services (www.m-chat.org) have been developed with the specific intention of helping physicians, patients, and families navigate the diagnostic evaluation "odyssey" of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related forms of developmental delay more efficiently. FirstStepDx includes personal genetic counseling, the most advanced CMA and Fragile X genetic testing clinically available, analysis by medical experts, and a detailed, personalized report created specifically for each individual's case. FirstStepDx is specifically designed to help parents, physicians, and other healthcare providers significantly shorten the time to clinical action, allowing access to proven clinical management and treatment approaches as early as possible.

The FirstStepDx genetic test now is available as a fast and painless cheek swab (FirstStepDx Buccal), eliminating the need for a blood draw. For more information about FirstStepDx, please call Lineagen at 888-888-OPEN (888-888-6736) or visit http://www.FirstStepDx.com.

About Lineagen

Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Lineagen's mission is to accelerate and enhance the diagnostic evaluation of medical conditions so that the best possible outcomes can be achieved for patients and their families. Our first commercial offering, FirstStepDx, provides physicians with a fully integrated genetic testing, counseling, and developmental screening service to aid in the diagnostic evaluation of individuals with ASD or other forms of developmental delay. In addition to our deep commitment to ASD and developmental delay, we have ongoing scientific programs in the areas of multiple sclerosis (MS) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

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Lineagen Completes 9000-Person Study Focused on Genetic Variants in Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum ...

Applied Genetics Signs Agreement With The National University Of Mexico (UNAM)

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WESTMINSTER, Colo., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GeneThera, Inc. (GTHR.PK) announced today that Applied Genetics, GeneThera's majority owned subsidiary, signed a research and test validation agreement with Universidad National Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM). Scope of the agreement is to validate GeneThera proprietary Johne's disease (JD) HerdCheck Field Collection System (FCS) Molecular Assay in Mexico. Dr. Tony Milici, interim president of Applied Genetics and CEO of GeneThera, stated, "This agreement is another major milestone in establishing GeneThera and Applied Genetics' leadership in the field of Johne's disease molecular testing. UNAM's support is of fundamental importance to speed up the validation process of GeneThera's Johne's disease molecular testing, which will lead to JD test approval by the Mexican Government."

Dr. Gilberto Chaves Griz, Professor of Veterinary Pathology, in the Department of Veterinary medicine at UNAM and Director of the Johne's Disease Center, who is one of the world's most renowned expert in the field of Johne's disease declared, "We are very pleased to partner with Applied Genetics and GeneThera to work on this project. It is extremely critical that we can diagnose JD in Mexico using the most advanced technology available. It is also of paramount importance to establish a Johne's disease program at the national level. Mexico has one of the largest cows, goat and sheep populations in Northern and Central America, yet no data exists to the extent of Johne's infection in these animals. It is our firm intention to establish a National Testing Program for Johne's Disease in Mexico with the help of Applied Genetics and GeneThera's state of the art technology." UNAM is the largest University in Mexico. Applied Genetics is a molecular diagnostic company that focuses on commercializing molecular testing for Johne's disease in Mexico.

Johne's disease is a global devastating and incurable disease of dairy cows, sheep and goats caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis sub. Avium, (MAP). Dairy products, contaminated with MAP, are the vehicles by which the infection spreads in the human intestine triggering the onset of Crohn's disease. Applied Genetics employs the use of GeneThera HerdCheck to test and control the spread of Johne's disease in Mexico. HerdCheck is a proprietary molecular diagnostic system based on the use of high throughput robotics and Real time PCR.

About GeneThera, Inc.

GeneThera, Inc. is a molecular biotechnology company located in Westminster, Colorado. The Company's proprietary diagnostic solution is based on a genetic expression system (GES) and Johne's disease management system, HERDCHECK, designed to function on a highly automated Fluorogenic PCR platform. This platform enables GeneThera to offer tests that are presently not available from other technologies. The GES and HERDCHECK systems are designed for a host of individual diseases, the current priority being Johne's disease. For more information, contact Dr. Tony Milici at 720 439-3011.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "intends," "believes," and similar expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development and market acceptance of products and technologies, the ability to secure additional sources of finance, the ability to reduce operating expenses, and other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.

http://www.genethera.net

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Applied Genetics Signs Agreement With The National University Of Mexico (UNAM)

Dr. Jon Hallberg: Clearing up confusion about palliative health care

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by Dr. Jon Hallberg, Minnesota Public Radio

May 16, 2012

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ST. PAUL, Minn. Palliative care is an approved medical subspecialty that's present in 85 percent of larger hospitals. But a new survey in the Journal of Palliative Medicine shows that many patients and health care professionals are still confused about the concept. Many even confuse palliative care with euthanasia.

MPR's medical analyst Dr. Jon Hallberg discussed the concept of palliative care with Tom Crann of All Things Considered on Wednesday. Hallberg is a physician in family medicine at the University of Minnesota and medical director of the Mill City Clinic.

An edited transcript of that discussion is below.

Crann: What is palliative care?

Hallberg: The World Health Organization puts it this way, it says that palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families when they're facing problems associated with life-threatening illnesses.

Crann: What sort of treatments are we talking about?

Hallberg: I think the thing we all think about immediately is pain control...But it also might include being very short of breath, being very aware of that, and so managing that as well.

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Dr. Jon Hallberg: Clearing up confusion about palliative health care

State receives health care grant; plans to wait

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South Dakota received $5.8 million on Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help cover the costs of implementing a state-run health insurance exchange program.

But as far as Gov. Dennis Daugaard is concerned, the money doesnt change anything in terms of his opposition to health-care reform.

Daugaard released a statement Wednesday saying that South Dakota has not decided whether to pursue a state-run health insurance exchange. The governor said the grant announcement has no effect on the states decision to wait until the U.S. Supreme Court makes a decision regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.

South Dakota is one of 26 states challenging the act, a case pending before the Supreme Court. A decision is expected in June.

Under the Affordable Care Act, all states are required to have a blueprint for their individual state plan by Nov. 16. Exchanges are competitive marketplaces where individuals and businesses can access health insurance at affordable prices, according to the HHS. Under the act, all Americans eventually will be required to acquire health insurance.

Under the act, states can create a state plan or design a joint state/federal plan. If they do not create their own by Nov. 16, a federal plan can be implemented and operated for them.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday that 34 states already have begun creating the exchanges. Other states are making real progress, she said.

Sebelius said the federal government doesnt want to run the exchanges.

We start with the premise we want every state to operate their own, said Sebelius, adding that the $181 million in grant money for six states announced Wednesday is designed to help them do that.

Daugaard previously has said that he never wants to see a federal plan in South Dakota. Yet some experts believe that is exactly what could happen for states that do not begin planning soon.

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State receives health care grant; plans to wait

How the Health Care Law Offers an Ounce of Prevention

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Obama signs the health care law in 2010.

If the Supreme Court doesnt scrap President Obamas landmark health care law, the effects for LGBT people are legion. On prevention alone, the HealthCare.gov website lists more than 80 types of free tests, immunizations, and other preventive measures.But all that complexity boils down into one simple piece of advice.

Go to the doctor, emphasizes Kellan Baker, a health policy analyst with the Center for American Progress, which teamed up with the National Coalition for LGBT Health to write a 31-page report titled What Health Care Reform Means for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Americans. A lot of LGBT people often dont feel comfortable going to the doctor, says Baker, a coauthor of the report. The medical profession has a checkered history with LGBT patients, but staying home is like staying in the closet, and Baker warns, When you catch something later, its worse.

LGBT people suffer higher rates of some cancers, often because of their disproportionate rate of smoking. Discrimination and other stresses put gay people at increased risk for mental health problems, which the new law also targets with screenings.

The Affordable Care Act established a task force whose job it is to grade new preventive procedures on their effectiveness. Anything getting an A or B becomes mandatory for insurers to cover without co-pay.

The government is mandating that preventive care be essentially free because it saves so much money in the long run. Estimates are that investing $1 in prevention returns savings of $5.60 over time, and thats part of the purpose of the Affordable Care Act, Baker says, to turn the sick care system into a health care system.

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How the Health Care Law Offers an Ounce of Prevention

Missouri House endorses health care legislation

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The Missouri House approved legislation Wednesday that would allow health care workers, medical centers and others to refuse to provide contraception or carry out procedures that violate their religious or ethical beliefs.

Doctors, nurses and other medical workers could not be punished or discriminated against if they refuse to participate in abortions, embryonic stem-cell research or other procedures. Employers and health plan sponsors could not be forced to provide coverage for abortion, contraception or sterilization procedures, and pharmacies would not be required to stock particular medication or devices.

The House passed the measure 117-37, and it now returns to the state Senate where lawmakers either can accept the House's proposal or request negotiations. To send the legislation to Gov. Jay Nixon, both chambers must approve the same version of the bill. Time is running short before the Legislature's mandatory adjournment at 6 p.m. Friday.

House Majority Leader Tim Jones said religious and conscience rights are a "bedrock" principle that Missourians demand be protected.

"This is a comprehensive bill that goes far to protect religious freedoms and liberties and conscious rights of workers across this entire state," said Jones, R-Eureka. "Why you would not want to support this is beyond me."

Most of the opposition in the House came from Democratic lawmakers representing districts near St. Louis and Kansas City who argued the legislation would inhibit access to health care for some Missourians. Several opponents said it seemed the measure was aimed particularly at birth control.

Rep. Stacey Newman, D-St. Louis, said the medical procedures at issue in the legislation would affect women most directly. Speaking with a male opponent of the measure, Newman said "You will be putting your stamp on what you think I should be doing and also deciding if your religious beliefs will supersede my religious beliefs and my moral convictions."

Rep. Sandy Crawford, who sponsored the legislation in the House, said she would be horrified if she had to participate in some of the medical procedures covered by the measure. Crawford, R-Buffalo, added nothing would stop Missouri women from purchasing birth control on their own if their insurance did not cover it.

House members folded several pieces into the health care legislation.

The conscious objections for medical workers would shield employees from termination, suspension, demotion and loss wages if they invoke it. Health care institutions such as hospitals, clinics and medical or nursing schools also could refuse to perform procedures to which it has moral objections.

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Health Care Improving For Ontario Cancer Patients

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2012 CSQI shows progress in Ontario's cancer system but more needs to be done

TORONTO, May 16, 2012 /CNW/ - The Cancer Quality Council of Ontario's eighth annual Cancer System Quality Index (CSQI), released today, shows that while Ontario's cancer system has seen substantial improvement over nearly 10 years, there's more that needs to be done.

A North American first, launched in 2005, the CSQI is a web-based public reporting tool that enables the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario (CQCO) to track the quality and consistency of key cancer services delivered across Ontario's cancer system, from prevention through to end-of-life care. It is one of the most comprehensive reports of its kind in terms of its breadth of measurement, jurisdictional comparisons and international benchmarks.

"We've taken significant steps, with the help of our dedicated partners, to improve cancer care in Ontario and ensure better outcomes for patients. I'm pleased with the progress we've made to increase survival rates but I know we have more work to do to prevent cancer and to provide the highest quality of care for those living with cancer," said Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

"When it comes to cancer in Ontario, we are measuring more, we know more, and we are taking the quality of the cancer system seriously while ensuring accountability for improvement," said Dr. Robert Bell, Chair of the CQCO and President and CEO, University Health Network. "While we have made gains, there are approximately 72,000 new cancer diagnoses anticipated in the province this year alone. There's more that needs to be done to ensure that Ontarians continue to receive a high level of care and the best experience possible when going through the cancer system."

The report also indicates that because the cancer survival rate in Ontario is favourably high and high compared to international jurisdictions, Ontarians are living longer with cancer as a chronic disease. Results from this year's report show that the Ontario cancer system needs to focus on the quality of life of survivors, both during and after active treatment. This includes a need to continue to improve patient-centred care, especially in relation to measuring the patient experience. It also requires seamless integration of services across the health system to achieve greater efficiency without compromising quality of care.

"At Cancer Care Ontario our vision is to work with our partners to create the best health systems in the world. A great deal has been achieved in improving quality, performance and access to care within the cancer system for the people of Ontario," said Michael Sherar, President and CEO, Cancer Care Ontario. "This year's CSQI highlights an opportunity for us to increase our efforts in prevention of cancer, and to drive the delivery of more patient-centred, integrated care while getting greater value from every health dollar we spend to help ensure a sustainable health system for all Ontarians."

The 2012 CSQI measures a total of 32 indicators. Visit http://www.csqi.on.ca to review all the indicators and this year's interactive report.

About the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario The Cancer Quality Council of Ontario (CQCO) is an advisory group established in 2002 by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) and is quasi-independent to Cancer Care Ontario (CCO), set up to provide advice to CCO and the MOHLTC in their efforts to improve the quality of cancer care in the province. The Council is composed of healthcare providers, cancer survivors, and experts in the areas of oncology, policy, performance measurement and health services research. The CQCO has a mandate to monitor and report publicly on the performance of the Ontario cancer system and to motivate improvement through national and international benchmarking. For more information on the CQCO, visit http://www.cqco.ca.

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Health Care Improving For Ontario Cancer Patients

Innovative health care e-solutions recognized

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Canada Health Infoway announces recipients of ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge Trailblazer Awards

TORONTO, May 16, 2012 /CNW/ - Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) today announced the recipients of the Trailblazer Awards, as part of the ongoing ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge.

"Innovation is about translating great ideas into results," said Richard Alvarez, President and CEO of Canada Health Infoway. "With the Trailblazer Awards, we are recognizing teams that not only have innovative e-solutions, but also have creative, practical plans to extend the use of their solutions for the benefit of the patients, clinicians and others."

Participating teams submitted a video describing how they use an innovative e-solution to provide value to clinicians and patients, as well as a written plan outlining actions they will take to increase the volume of use and the number of users of their solution.

There are four categories in the Challenge:

Trailblazer Award Recipients

The top three teams in each of the four categories were selected by a panel of more than 30 judges from across Canada. The award recipients are:

e-Scheduling

1st place: University of British Columbia Student Health Service (Vancouver, BC) 2nd place: Uptown Family Health Team (Richmond Hill, ON) 3rd place: Westmount Square Medical Center (Montreal, QC)

Patient Access to Health Information

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Innovative health care e-solutions recognized

GED classes, intro to health care careers together at RVC

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ROCKFORD Rock Valley College is marrying GED preparatory classes with an introduction to health care careers in an effort to bridge the gap between receiving a high school equivalency degree and landing a job.

Bridge to Health Care started after the Illinois Community College Board directed learning institutions to develop bridge programming to help their students find work, said Amanda Smith, RVCs transitions coordinator.

Its become quite apparent that getting your GED is not enough to get gainful employment, Smith said. Were finding many in our community are not only lacking their GED but basic employment skills, so doing those two things at once seemed natural.

The program includes test prep sessions and visits to local health care providers to learn about careers and what postsecondary education is needed for those jobs. Smith said the students also work with her to identify what services are needed to help them transition from the classroom to the workplace.

The class meets four days a week for four hours a day; the first eight-week session is concluding Monday, Smith said. Another class will be offered in the fall, funding permitting.

Eleven students were enrolled in the class when it began. This week, the nine students who remain were busy preparing for their final exam. Some of them have already begun to take their six-part GED tests; others say they plan to do it this summer and enroll in college-level classes in the fall.

Raisa Curieo, 22, of Rockford has taken four of the six parts of the GED test and hopes to finish her exams soon. This fall, she plans to enroll at Rock Valley with the ultimate goal of becoming a registered nurse.

She said returning to a classroom was a challenge, but the experience has been worthwhile.

It was kind of hard to not be able to be at home or work, but its helping me out a lot, she said. This is stuff I wouldnt learn somewhere else.

Smith said RVC is partnering with two agencies on the program: the Northwest Illinois Healthcare Collaborative, an umbrella organization of Rockfords three health care systems, plus KSB Hospital in Dixon and FHN in Freeport; and the Workforce Investment Board of Boone and Winnebago counties, which administers federal job-training grants.

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GED classes, intro to health care careers together at RVC

State Senate conjures new health cost

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BOSTON As the Senate opened debate yesterday on a major health care cost control bill, Republicans tried in vain to delay action until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules next month on the constitutionality of national health care reforms.

While the Senate rejected that proposal, Senate Minority Leader Bruce E. Tarr, R-Gloucester, argued that the pending court ruling, which could strike down the federal mandate to buy health insurance and cut federal Medicaid funds to the state, could have a major impact on the states health care system.

Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, a chief proponent of the Senate bill, argued that no matter what the court decides, it would not have an impact on reforms being considered by the state to control health care cost increases or the existing state insurance mandate.

At the same time, Gov. Deval L. Patrick said limits called for in House and Senate proposals may not go far enough to curb annual health insurance premium increases in a state many consider to have the highest health care costs in the country.

The Senate was set to spend Tuesday and Thursday debating its version of sweeping cost containment legislation aimed at reducing family insurance premiums in the state by thousands of dollars each year.

Besides converting state subsidized and state employee insurance to global payment systems from the current fee-for-service system in the next two years, the Senate bill would also limit insurance premium increases to the percentage of annual increase in Massachusetts gross state product, a measurement of the economic output of the state and a counterpart to the gross domestic product.

Mr. Patrick made the case yesterday that the Senate plan and a similar House plan to limit increases to one-half percent less than the increase in the gross state product, could allow for excessive increases in health insurance rates.

I think the industry can do better than gross state product. I certainly could not imagine accepting GSP plus anything, Mr. Patrick said in a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. He said the industry has already shown it can reduce costs more than that, without jeopardizing the quality of care.

Mr. Moore argued on the Senate floor that the Senate plan would not set up a large new state agency and that if the plan to link increases to the gross state product proved inadequate in the future, the Legislature could revise it to further limit increases or allow larger increases.

Both a plan offered by the governor and the Senate plan would convert state-subsidized and state-employee insurance plans to global payment systems that allocate per capita budgets to providers for annual care, replacing the current system of charging insurers for each service or treatment provided.

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State Senate conjures new health cost

Amy McGuire, JD, PhD, "Genomic Medicine: Ethical, Legal

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15-05-2012 15:25 ISH Spring Lecture Series 5/10/2012 "Genomic Medicine: Ethical, Legal & Social Implications" Technological advances have made it possible for individuals to receive vast amounts of information about their genetic susceptibility to disease. How best to integrate genomics into routine clinical care is a critical policy issue. How much and what type of information should be communicated to patients, included in their health record, and followed up on for diagnostic, preventative, and treatment purposes? What is the psychosocial impact of receiving risk information about conditions that cannot be treated or cured? To what extent should close biological relatives be informed of the implications of genetic testing? This talk will discuss these and other ethical, legal, and social issues as they relate to the practice of genomic medicine. Amy L. McGuire, JD, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics and Associate Director of Research for the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine. Her research focuses on legal and ethical issues in genomics. She is currently studying participant attitudes toward genomic data sharing, investigators' practices and perspectives on the return of genetic research results, ethical issues in human microbiome research, and ethical and policy issues related to the clinical integration of genomics. Her research is funded by the NIH-NHGRI and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

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Amy McGuire, JD, PhD, "Genomic Medicine: Ethical, Legal

New genetic 'map' drawn up that will give better diagnosis for breast cancer patients and more effective treatment

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By Richard Hartley-parkinson

PUBLISHED: 12:11 EST, 16 May 2012 | UPDATED: 06:42 EST, 17 May 2012

A genetic 'map' that could help give more accurate diagnoses of breast cancer has been drawn up, showing the varied landscape of the disease in more detail than ever before.

Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, say the development will lead to more effective treatments.

They found that rather than being a single disease, breast cancer is a diverse range of cancer species.

Scientists described nine new genes that drive the development of breast cancer, bringing the known total to 40.

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute has drawn up a genetic 'map' of breast cancer showing the landscape of the disease in more detail than ever before

The research, conducted by a large international team of British-led experts, involved analysing DNA from 100 tumour samples.

Scientists scoured more than 21,000 genes for cancer-causing 'driver' mutations that can turn an ordinary cell into one that multiplies uncontrollably.

They also identified nine genes previously not known to be linked to the disease.

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New genetic 'map' drawn up that will give better diagnosis for breast cancer patients and more effective treatment

Breast cancer study reveals 'substantial genetic diversity'

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A new study of the protein-coding genes in 100 breast cancer tumors revealed vast differences among the cancers and highlights how complicated the disease really is, researchers said Wednesday.

A sobering perspective on the complexity and diversity of the disease is emerging, they wrote in the online edition of the journal Nature (subscription required), which is publishing a series of studies of the genetic changes in breast cancer.

The scientists, led by Michael Stratton at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, England, found 73 different combinations of disease-causing mutations in the tumors, each involving up to six different genes from a set of 40 driver genes.

Seven of the 40 individual driver genes were mutated in more than 10% of cases, but 33 others that were less common also contributed to the development of the cancers, the team reported. In 28 cases, a single mutation was enough to cause disease.

The researchers identified nine new genes that caused the cancers, and also found mutations in genes that were already known to cause breast and other cancers.

Discovering that a single disease breast cancer can appear in so many different guises means that developing targeted therapies tailored to a patients tumor type will remain a tall order in the near future.

The situation is more complex than anyone would like to see, said Christina Curtis, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at USC and first author of another paper in Nature, released in April, that detailed several new breast cancer subcategories.

But it seems were getting closer, Curtis added. With each study were getting a new vantage point.

Curtis said that finding new driver genes and new combinations of driver genes could still eventually pave the way to new treatment options, once researchers dig further and figure out exactly how the different combinations of mutations change cellular function, causing cancer.

Her team at USC is working on techniques to examine mutations in single cells, which will let scientists study genetic variation within tumors as well as between then.

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Breast cancer study reveals 'substantial genetic diversity'

Abraham’s genetic threads | Gene Expression

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Every few days my Google Alerts have been dropping in my inbox reviews of Harry Osters Legacy: A Genetic History of the Jewish People. The latest is in the The Tablet, A Case for Genetic Jewishness:

For a Jewish genetics researcher, being told inprintthat Hitler would certainly have been very pleased by your work cant be pleasant. But thats what happened in 2010 toHarry Ostrer, a geneticist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, when he and his colleagues published astudyshowing that Jews in three different geographical areas had certain collections of genes that made them more biologically similar to one another than they were to non-Jews in the same regions. The work also showed that Jews around the world could trace their ancestry to a group of people who lived in the Middle East 2,000 years ago; that meant, however, that certain genetic signatures could be used to identify Jews, indicating that Jews share a common biological identity beyond their religious affiliationwhich is what inspired the Hitler crack.

I dont plan on reading Legacy because I already read the paper which it is based on, Abrahams Children in the Genome Era: Major Jewish Diaspora Populations Comprise Distinct Genetic Clusters with Shared Middle Eastern Ancestry. It is now open access, so you can read it too. As implied in the article in The Tablet the biggest finding in this paper is that most of the worlds Jewry seem to share tracts of the genome which are identical by descent (IBD). You dont have to be a geneticist to intuit that being IBD implies relatively recent and elevated shared descent from a common set of ancestors. In particular the authors were looking for segments of the genome where individuals shared the same sequence of genetic markers. Very long sequences indicate a relatively recent common ancestor, while many short ones suggest more distant but numerous common ancestors.

From looking at these patterns of relatedness the authors infer that despite the genetic variation in the modern Jewry, most of the worlds Jews, from Iran to Morocco to Lithuania, share common ancestry from a source population which flourished ~2,500 years ago. All that being said, genetics is only part of the puzzle here. In the discussion the authors suggest that Yet, the sharing of Iranian and Iraqi Jews of a branch on the phylogenetic tree with the Adygei suggests that a certain degree of admixture may have occurred with local populations not included in this study. I argue in my post The Assyrians and Jews: 3,000 years of common history, a clear and distinct category of Jew as opposed to generic North Levantine in the year 500 BC probably does not make biological sense, though it might make culturally sense (and generic North Levantine is obviously not accurate, as most of these individuals had strong tribal or ethnic identities at the time). Finally, I dont think I highlighted in my earlier commentary that these data imply that the rise of Christianity and Islam fundamentally stabilized the genetics of the Jewish people, insofar as much of the admixture upon the core base in the peripheral populations seems to predate the rise of these religious civilizaitons. Once Christianity and Islam marginalized the Jews, the gene flow from non-Jews to Jews diminished greatly. This is curiously analogous to the cultural involution which Jews also underwent during this period.

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Abraham’s genetic threads | Gene Expression