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WHO Approves HPV Vaccine Cervarix For Use In Developing Countries
The World Health Organization has approved GlaxoSmithKline"s human papillomavirus vaccine Cervarix, thus enabling United Nations agencies and partners to officially purchase millions of doses for use in low-income nations, the AP/San Diego Union-Tribune reports (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9). Cervarix is highly effective at preventing HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases (GSK release, 7/9). According to the AP/Union-Tribune, more than 80% of the estimated 280,000 cervical cancer deaths annually occur in developing countries.Cervarix has not been approved for use in the U.S. and Japan, but it is available in 97 other countries. FDA is expected to decide in the next few months whether to approve Cervarix for use in the U.S. (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9). The agency in 2006 approved Merck"s HPV vaccine Gardasil for girls and women ages nine to 26. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines recommend routine three-dose vaccination for girls ages 11 and 12 and for girls and women ages 13 to 26 who have not yet been vaccinated (CDC fact sheet, June 2008).The three-shot regimen typically costs about $360. It is unclear if GSK will provide Cervarix at a lower cost to U.N. agencies purchasing it for developing countries (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9). GSK said that it is "eager to work with our long-term partner GAVI as well as other private [non-governmental organizations] or governments of developing countries to identify financing mechanisms for the vaccine" (Stovall, Dow Jones, 7/9). The global health association GAVI is a major buyer of vaccines for the developing world. In 2008, GAVI prioritized the purchase of HPV vaccines for the world"s 73 poorest nations. The organization includes U.N. agencies, the World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/9).
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EFPIA Announces Launch Of Anti-counterfeit Coding Pilot Project In Sweden
EFPIA, the voice of the pharmaceutical industry in Europe, announces an important step in its efforts to protect Europe"s citizens against counterfeit medicines. EFPIA has agreed to run a pilot of its coding and identification solution in Sweden later this year in partnership with Swedish retail pharmacy chain Apoteket AB and local wholesalers Tamro and KD. Purchase zoloft to treat depression.
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Senate Judiciary Committee Vote Clears Way For Confirmation Of Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor
The Senate Judiciary Committee"s approval on Tuesday of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor "cleared the way" for a vote next week in the full Senate, where she is expected to be confirmed, the New York Times reports. The committee"s 12 Democrats voted in favor of Sotomayor, with one Republican -- Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) -- joining them in the 13-6 vote (Lewis, New York Times, 7/28). According to Roll Call, Sotomayor"s confirmation is not in doubt, as members of both parties have predicted as many as 70 votes in her favor. So far, five GOP senators have said they will support the nomination, including Graham, Susan Collins (Maine), Richard Lugar (Ind.), Mel Martinez (Fla.) and Olympia Snowe (Maine) (Stanton, Roll Call, 7/29). Strategists on both sides who have been following the nomination said that as many as five more Republicans could announce intentions to vote for Sotomayor, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports (Hirschfeld Davis, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 7/29). According to the Chicago Tribune, other Republicans initially appeared open to supporting Sotomayor, but pressure from antiabortion-rights groups and gun-rights advocates has swayed them in the other direction (Savage/Simon, Chicago Tribune, 7/29).The Times reports that Tuesday"s partisan vote indicates that Senate Republicans are "determined to deny ... an easy path" for President Obama in his nominations to fill the dozens of open federal appeals courts seats and any future Supreme Court vacancies. Obama is expected to announce several appeals court nominees in the coming weeks. On some appeals courts, including the Richmond, Va.-based Fourth Circuit, Obama"s nominations could change the ideological balance on the bench (New York Times, 7/28).According to the Tribune, Republicans believe that their strategy in Sotomayor"s confirmation hearings "succeeded in setting a new, conservative standard for judging." Throughout the hearings, Democrats portrayed Sotomayor as a moderate, cautious jurist, while many Republican senators sought to portray her as an activist judge. Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.), the Senate Judiciary Committee"s ranking Republican, said that the confirmation process has been a "repudiation of activist legal thought" and that it "will now be harder to nominate activist judges" (Chicago Tribune, 7/29). Committee member John Cornyn (R-Texas), who serves as the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he hopes Sotomayor"s hearings serve as an example for future judicial nomination debates. He added that the Republicans on the committee have "made clear that radical views on judging have no place on the federal bench. And we have set expectations for future nominees." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday said that he intends to bring Sotomayor"s nomination to a full Senate vote prior to Congress" August recess. He has not said what day the debate is scheduled to begin or how many days are scheduled, although he noted that debate could take several days (Roll Call, 7/29).
Endocrinology

Check Your Eyes Before It's Too Late

People have the opportunity to have their eyes checked with one-of-a-kind equipment for free, while helping to solve the mystery behind the leading cause of blindness in Australia. Even people with healthy eyes, aged 50 and over, are being encouraged to participate in the Queensland University of Technology study. Eye specialist and QUT researcher Dr Beatrix Feigl is embarking on the study to detect the early signs of age-related macular degeneration, a disease that progressively causes vision loss. Dr Feigl has received an inaugural Vice-Chancellor Fellowship to help conduct the research. "Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in Australia and one in three Australians will be affected to some degree by it," Dr Feigl said. "As yet there is no cure, but if it is detected early enough, steps can be taken to prevent the condition from worsening. "It"s very important to detect the condition before there is damage because you can only preserve existing eyesight." Dr Feigl will use extremely sensitive, non-invasive instruments which are unique to QUT to look for early signs of macular degeneration. "People can have their vision measured for free with tests not available anywhere else in Australia," she said. "It"s a very thorough eye test with immediate feedback. "We need people with healthy eyes to help find early detection measures." Dr Feigl said general health and genetics influenced a person"s chance of developing the eye disease. "Smoking and a poor diet low in vitamins and omega-3 can increase the risk," she said. "Also, if you know one of your parents had age-related macular degeneration, it is worth taking extra care of your eyes. "And always be sure to have your eyes tested while they are still healthy." Queensland University of Technology


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