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Lawsuit Filed Over Gene Patent
A group of cancer patients, genetic researchers and professional pathologist organizations has filed a lawsuit against Myriad Genetics and the U.S. Patent Office over the patent of two genes associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, the government more than 10 years ago granted Myriad the patent on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, as well as the company"s genetic test that measures a patient"s risk for the cancers.The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and is believed to be the first of its kind, the Times reports. The lawsuit challenges the decision to grant patents on genes to Myriad and companies like it. The plaintiffs say that patents on genes restrict medical and research efforts, while companies like Myriad have said that the patent system supports innovation by giving them a temporary monopoly after they make a discovery, thereby rewarding prior investment in research and development.Wendy Chung, the director of clinical genetics at Columbia University and a plaintiff in the case, said, "With a sole provider, there"s mediocrity." The plaintiffs say that BRCA testing would improve with market competition. Furthermore, some plaintiffs argue that certain natural materials cannot be patented. Jan Nowak, president of the Association for Molecular Pathology and a plaintiff in the case, said, "You can"t patent my DNA, any more than you can patent my right arm, or patent my blood."To date, two government panels, including the National Research Council, found no evidence that gene patents result in significant impediments to research or medical care (Schwartz, New York Times, 5/13).
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What Is First Aid? What Is The Recovery Position?
Globally, millions of people die each year as a result of accidents or serious injury. Unfortunately, many of those deaths could have been prevented had first aid been administered at the scene immediately, before the emergency services arrived. First aid, or emergency first aid is the care that is given to an injured or sick person prior to treatment by medically trained personnel. According to Medilexicon"s medical dictionary, first aid is "Immediate assistance administered in the case of injury or sudden illness by a bystander or other layperson, before the arrival of trained medical personnel."
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Carbapenems And Other Agents That Provide Broad-Spectrum Activity Are Preferred By Surveyed Physicians For The Treatment Of Intra-Abdominal Infections
Arlington Medical Res (AMR) and Decision Res find that surveyed physicians will increase prescribing of Wyeth"s Tygacil, Merck"s Invanz and Johnson & Johnson"s Doribax in the next five years for the treatment of intra-abdominal infections because of their potent broad-spectrum activity and efficacy against gram-negative and anaerobic organisms.
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California Immunization Coalition Honors Steve Baranov

The California Immunization Coalition recently bestowed the Natalie J. Smith, MD, MPH Immunization Champion Award upon Steve Baranov, vice president for community health at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) and executive director of South Los Angeles Health Projects. The coalition presents the award annually to a community member who works to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases. It honored Mr. Baranov for his leadership in establishing immunization services in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program and for promoting the adoption of evidence-based strategies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in immunization coverage levels. The coalition also praised him for establishing LA BioMed"s WIC program as "an immunization leader," saying its integration of immunization screening, education and referral activities into WIC operations "have led to significant improvements in immunization coverage levels in South LA." "Undoubtedly, the success and the lessons learned from LA BioMed WIC interventions have influenced the immunization efforts of the WIC programs across California," said Julia Heinzerling, president of the California Immunization Coalition. "In addition, your vision and leadership in the Immunize LA Kids and Immunize LA Families Coalitions have been instrumental in bringing diverse partners together to collaboratively implement strategies that have improved coverage levels across the lifespan for diverse and underserved communities in South LA." A long-standing board member of the California Coalition for Childhood Immunization (C3I), Mr. Baranov was instrumental in guiding the merger of the California Adult Immunization Coalition and C3I into the California Immunization Coalition. "Congratulations to Steve on this wonderful honor," said LA BioMed President and CEO Carole Wagner-Vallianos, Esq. "He is a dedicated professional who has championed programs and services that are making a difference in our community, and he serves as an outstanding example of the many contributions LA BioMed staff and researchers make every day to advancing and improving human health." Laura Mecoy Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed)


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