Medicine News

Most nations to miss UN target on chronic diseases: study By AFP Paris - More than half of all countries will likely fail to hit the UN target of reducing premature deaths from a quartet of chronic diseases by a third before 2030, researchers said Friday.

IoT is driving a home healthcare industry By Tim Sandle According to a new report, the Internet of Medical Things is helping to drive the home healthcare industry into new innovations, clustered around wearables and e-skin devices.

New group to explore AI benefits for discovering new medicines By Tim Sandle Artificial intelligence has great potential for the development of new medicines, from screening molecules to develop new drugs to pinpointing process efficiencies. A new group aims to explore these potentials more fully.

New drug developed to treat pancreatic cancer By Tim Sandle A new drug for pancreatic cancer has been developed by a college of pharmacy researchers. The new product could lead to the formation of a new strategy to fight cancer. The medicine targets two genes at the same time.

Cancer to kill 10 mn in 2018 despite better prevention By AFP Paris - Cancer will kill nearly 10 million people this year, experts said Wednesday, warning the disease's global burden continues to rise in spite of better prevention and earlier diagnosis. An estimated 18.

Pharmacy professionals in favor of banning homeopathy By Tim Sandle Edinburgh - A new survey finds that 60 percent of pharmacists are in favor of banning the sale and dispensing of homeopathic products from pharmacies. This is due to the considered view relating to product efficacy.

Survey finds Japan med schools admitting men at higher rates By AFP Apo - A government survey sparked by a discrimination scandal has found most Japanese medical schools admit male applicants at a higher rate than women, prompting further government investigation.

Essential Science: Developing a universal flu vaccine By Tim Sandle A universal flu vaccine would address the challenges around selecting the most appropriate vaccine for the flu season, and for challenging viral mutations. A new step has been achieved in terms of developing such a vaccine.

No safe level of alcohol: Research By Tim Sandle How much alcohol is safe to consume? Advice varies considerably between different medical studies, and with different studies offering advice that this sometimes confusing to consumers. A new study cuts through this and puts the case for abstinence.

UK govt plans medicines airlift in no-deal Brexit scenario By AFP London - Britain is preparing to airlift in medicines with a short shelf life if London cannot strike a Brexit deal with the EU, the government said Thursday.

Diamond technology creates low-cost medical imaging By Tim Sandle As well as being prized as items of jewelry, diamonds have a number of industrial uses. A new study shows how diamonds are being used to improve the quality of medical imaging and to lower production costs.

Despite warnings the number of opioid prescriptions is unchanged By Tim Sandle Despite warnings issued in many countries about addition to opioids, the numbers of pills taken show no sign of decreasing according to a new review focusing on U.S. healthcare.

UK doctors given green light to prescribe cannabis By AFP London - British doctors will be able to prescribe medicinal cannabis, the government announced Thursday following a review -- but insisted it was not a first step towards legalising recreational use.

China's persistent food and drug safety problem By AFP Bejing - Chinese authorities are scrambling to defuse public outrage over a safety scandal involving rabies vaccines, just one of a string of food and drug scares to hit the country in recent years.

Chinese president calls latest pharma scare "vile" By AFP Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday described a vaccine safety scandal as "vile" and "shocking" as police opened a criminal investigation into the firm responsible and its management.

Knowledge College connects patients and insurance companies By Tim Sandle Fellow Health Partners have announced the launch of the “Knowledge College.” This is designed to be a process of continuous, formal training intended to increase the successful interaction between patients and insurance companies, for U.S. healthcare.

Startup uses VR for new drug and material discoveries By Tim Sandle Bristol - New drug and material discoveries can be untangled using virtual reality, according to a new startup Interactive Scientific and Oracle Corporation, which was developed from the University of Bristol.

Artificial intelligence to predict drug side effects By Tim Sandle Advances in artificial intelligence are helping researchers to predict medicinal drug combinations' side effects. This information will help to enhance patient safety.

Q&A: New developments with inhalable medicines Special By Tim Sandle MannKind CEO Michael Castagna has developed an inhalable insulin product, designed to help those with diabetes, and now he is looking at other medicines that can be inhaled.

Babylon vs Doctors: Can a chatbot provide better medical advice? By Tim Sandle London - The healthcare chatbot company Babylon has claimed its chatbot beats doctors at medical exams. This claim is disputed by some in the medical profession.

Insulin being developed in pill form By Tim Sandle Researchers are developing a way to deliver insulin in a pill. The new technique could replace the need for daily injections for diabetics.

Prescription drug shortages — A problem affecting many countries By Karen Graham In both Canada and the United States, common drugs needed for patient care are becoming increasingly hard to find — being either discontinued or back-ordered, creating a public health crisis.

Technology helps address medicine non-adherence: Interview Special By Tim Sandle Non-adherence to medicine regimes is a health concern. When patients fail to complete course this can lead to a recurrence of a health condition. A new digital health blockchain solution is at hand, called CuraServe.

AI and blockchain can counteract soaring drug prices By Tim Sandle The rising cost of pharmaceuticals is a concern for people in all parts of the world, leading to some to forecast the spiralling costs are unsustainable. New technologies may hold the answer for controlling prices, according to GlobalData.

Japan to trial 'world's first urine test' to spot cancer By AFP Apo - A Japanese firm is poised to carry out what it hailed as the world's first experiment to test for cancer using urine samples, which would greatly facilitate screening for the deadly disease.

How artificial intelligence is influencing drug discovery By Tim Sandle The drive for new medications addresses patient need and is the motor that keeps the pharmaceutical sector turning. To accelerate the drug discovery process, pharmaceutical organizations are turning to artificial intelligence.

Affordable hepatitis C treatment close to launch By Tim Sandle An affordable hepatitis treatment for the developing world's population is being planned, with medics confident that the new anti-virals are close to commercial launch. The drugs are expected to retail for no more than $3.50 per dose.

UN's health body urges Hepatitis C offensive By AFP Paris - Hepatitis C is easily cured. Yet, about 400,000 people die of the liver disease every year as only a smattering get the medicine they need.

Interview: Medication non-adherence is a growing problem Special By Tim Sandle Medication non-adherence is a growing problem in the U.S. More than half of all hospitalizations are the result of patients failing to take their prescribed medications. A solution comes from Danish startup Klikkit.

Augmented reality is making surgery safer By Tim Sandle Innovations with augmented reality are being used to assist surgeons in performing delicate procedures, and helping with life-threatening conditions that require operations. The net contribution is to make surgery safer.

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