Q85 Medical and Other Health Care Services

Mesoblast sows the seeds for stem cell success

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Original article by Rick Wallace
The Australian – Page: 15 & 16 : 28-Jul-14

A new regulatory environment in Japan means it will be the initial market in which Australian-listed biotechnology group Mesoblast launches its revolutionary stem cells therapy product. CEO Silviu Itescu notes that this will be a world first, and should boost stock analysts’ forecasts for the company. A 2016 launch in the US is also being aimed for. In that nation Mesoblast has concluded phase III clinical trials of mesenchymal stem cells for treating childhood graft-versus-host-disease. The group has cash holdings of about $A220m, and can allocate funding to separate trials of its degenerative disc repair product

CORPORATES
MESOBLAST LIMITED – ASX MSB, UNITED STATES. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, JCR PHARMACEUTICALS COMPANY LIMITED, TEVA PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED, GOLDMAN SACHS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, BELL FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX BFG

HIV-positive health workers could see restrictions relaxed

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Original article by Julia Medew
The Age – Page: 3 : 24-Jul-14

The Communicable Diseases Network of Australia (CDNA) will on 24 July 2014 issue new draft guidelines that allow health professionals with blood-borne viruses to perform "exposure-prone" procedures. This would align the local profession with rules already in effect in the UK, and cover hepatitis B and C as well as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. No mandatory testing is proposed, but HIV-positive surgeons, dentists, obstetricians and gynaecologists for example who are infected and fail to follow the CDNA guidelines could be prosecuted under federal laws

CORPORATES
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES NETWORK OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND|MEDICAL BOARD OF AUSTRALIA

Cancer drug breakthrough ‘kicks’ HIV from hiding

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Original article by Julia Medew
The Age – Page: 3 : 23-Jul-14

Experts on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) on 22 July 2014 heard from Aarhus University Hospital’s Ole Sogaard at the 20th International AIDS conference in Melbourne. He reported good results in using the romidepsin cancer drug to lure the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) into a patient’s bloodstream. Once this has occurred, the immune system can attack the HIV cells, if aided by the Vacc-4x experimental vaccine

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF AARHUS|UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA|BIOSANTECH SA

New drug regimen gives hope to millions

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Original article by Julia Medew
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 7 : 22-Jul-14

A new treatment called PaMZ has been shown to fight tuberculosis (TB) while still allowing anti-retroviral drugs to be used that target the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The 20th international congress on the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Melbourne on 21 July 2014 heard from Global TB Alliance senior medical officer Daniel Everitt on the promising clinical trials. TB accounts for about 20% of all deaths among those suffering from HIV or AIDS. PaMZ may be widely available from 2018

CORPORATES
GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR TB DRUG DEVELOPMENT

Alarm over nursing home superbugs

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Original article by Dan Harrison
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 11 : 21-Jul-14

The "Medical Journal of Australia" will on 21 July 2014 publish new research by a team at Monash University’s Centre for Medicine Use & Safety. It argues that an indiscriminate and excessive use of antibiotics in nursing homes is creating a problem of resistance to the drugs by "superbugs". The authors advocate improved guidelines for staff at residential aged-care facilities on the use of antibiotics. The study looks at 12 nursing homes and their providers, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists

CORPORATES
MONASH UNIVERSITY. CENTRE FOR MEDICINE USE AND SAFETY

Victoria to change Crimes Act on HIV

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Original article by Julia Medew
The Age – Page: 10 : 21-Jul-14

Victorian Health Minister David Davis has foreshadowed the repeal of section 19A of the Crimes Act 1958, which currently makes it an offence to knowingly transmit the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The announcement at the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne on 20 July 2014 was applauded by anti-HIV discrimination campaigner and ex-High Court judge Michael Kirby. Victoria is the only Australian state to have such a law

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, GLOBAL COMMISSION ON HIV AND THE LAW

Fast-food fat labels loom as poll issue

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Original article by Henrietta Cook
The Age – Page: 2 : 18-Jul-14

The Cancer Council, Diabetes Australia, VicHealth and Deakin University have formed the Obesity Policy Coalition. It will lobby during the state election campaign in Victoria later in 2014, and wants the political parties to commit to a new requirement for fast food restaurants to advertise the kilojoule content of all items sold. Jane Martin, the group’s executive manager, notes that such a scheme will lead to consumers eating meals with 500 fewer kilojoules on average. Mandatory labels are already in force in South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales

CORPORATES
OBESITY POLICY COALITION, THE CANCER COUNCIL VICTORIA, DIABETES AUSTRALIA – VICTORIA, VICHEALTH, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

HIV rears ugly head again

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Original article by Julia Medew
The Age – Page: 4 : 17-Jul-14

The 2014 version of the annual "HIV Surveillance" report has been released by the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales. It shows that in 2013 there were 1,235 new cases of people contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a rise of 70% from the all-time low set in 1999. The figure is also the highest in two decades, and health officials are concerned many of those transmitting the virus may not be aware they are carrying it. The university’s Centre for Social Research in Health has issued its "Report of Trends in Behaviour", indicating that HIV testing rates are declining among homosexuals

CORPORATES
UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. KIRBY INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. CENTRE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH IN HEALTH, LIVING POSITIVE HIV PTY LTD

A simple test may have saved his life

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Original article by Jill Margo
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 42 : 16-Jul-14

Kim Lee developed bowel cancer and died from it, but may have had the growth removed in time if it had been diagnosed earlier. Australians aged 50, 55, 60 and 65 are being sent test kits in the mail that require them to return two stool samples for analysis. If blood is present, further tests are advised. Only a third of the tests are actually used by the recipients. If diagnosed early, the survival rate for this type of cancer is 90%, and there are 15,000 cases each year

CORPORATES
BOWEL CANCER AUSTRALIA

Report identifies ‘stroke belt’ along NSW coast

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Original article by Dan Harrison
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 10 : 15-Jul-14

The National Stroke Foundation has published a new ranking of Australian federal seats by the number of residents who have suffered a stroke. The data compiled by Deloitte Access Economics with the financial backing of pharmaceutical group Boehringer Ingelheim show that half of the top 10 electorates are located in New South Wales. Specifically they cover the coastal region from Byron Bay to North Shore in Sydney. There are some 12,000 fatalities due to stroke nationwide each year

CORPORATES
NATIONAL STROKE FOUNDATION, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM PTY LTD