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Bionovo's Estrogen Receptor Beta Selective Drugs Have Unique Gene Expression And Cell Type Specificity
Bionovo, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNVI) announced that a study of the gene regulation in multiple cell lines by several of their estrogen receptor beta (ERb) candidates will be published in Public Library of Science One.
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Bionovo's Estrogen Receptor Beta Selective Drugs Have Unique Gene Expression And Cell Type Specificity
Bionovo, Inc. (Nasdaq: BNVI) announced that a study of the gene regulation in multiple cell lines by several of their estrogen receptor beta (ERb) candidates will be published in Public Library of Science One.
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CDC Prioritizes H1N1 Vaccinations For Pregnant Women
When the H1N1 flu vaccine becomes available in the fall, pregnant women should be among the first groups vaccinated because of their high risk for serious complications, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expert panel said on Wednesday, the Washington Post reports. The 15-member committee advises CDC on vaccine policy. The priority list also includes caretakers of infants, health care workers, children and young adults, and older people with chronic conditions. Anthony Fiore, a physician and epidemiologist at CDC, told the committee that about 6% of H1N1 deaths and hospitalizations are among pregnant women (Brown, Washington Post, 7/30). According to a CDC study published online Wednesday in the journal Lancet, pregnant women who contract the H1N1 virus -- also known as "swine flu" -- are at least four times more likely to be hospitalized than other people with the virus, the AP/Google reports. The study analyzed the first 34 U.S. cases, including six deaths, in pregnant women from April to mid-June of 2009. Although it is not clear if pregnant women are more susceptible to the virus, they have a higher risk of complications after becoming infected. The study"s authors said pregnant women suspected of having H1N1 should be administered Tamiflu as soon as possible, prior to the completion of diagnostic testing. CDC"s Denise Jamieson, the lead author of the study, said that Tamiflu appears relatively safe for pregnant women, despite limited safety data on its use in that population.Most pregnant women who contract H1N1 have mild flu symptoms like a cough or fever, according to the World Health Organization. Jamieson said that CDC does not recommend specific precautions for pregnant women but that doctors should act quickly -- preferably within 48 hours -- if a pregnant woman shows symptoms. She added that the pregnant women who died were basically healthy, and nearly all had viral pneumonia before experiencing acute respiratory problems prior to their death (Cheng, AP/Google, 7/29).CDC"s priority groups include about 159 million people out of a total U.S. population of more than 300 million, the Chicago Tribune reports. The agency expects to have about 120 million doses of the vaccine by the end of October. Officials are confident there will be enough for their target groups because only 20% to 50% of those recommended to receive seasonal flu vaccines seek them out. However, if supplies of the vaccine are unexpectedly restricted, the panel recommended that a smaller group -- about 41 million of the most susceptible to adverse side effects from infection or most likely to spread the virus -- be given priority for the vaccine. This smaller group also includes pregnant women (Maugh, Chicago Tribune, 7/30).
Diagnostics

Rush University Medical Center Studies Program To Help Older Adults Transition From Hospital To Home

In light of health care reform measures, Rush University Medical Center has launched a study of its program to help older adults transition from hospital to home. The goal of the study is to determine whether the program, first implemented two years ago, succeeds in reducing readmissions within 30 days for seniors. If it does, it could serve as a model for hospitals across the country that are seeking ways to lower their rates of readmission. On average, one in five Medicare beneficiaries who are discharged from a hospital re-enter the hospital within a month. Reducing the rate of hospital readmissions to improve quality and achieve savings are key components of President Obama"s health care reform agenda. Hospital readmissions cost Medicare an estimated $12 billion dollars annually. "Patients who have been enrolled in our enhanced discharge planning program over the last two years are extremely pleased with the service," said Robyn Golden, LCSW, director of the older adult programs at Rush. "But beyond patient satisfaction, we now need to formally evaluate the program in a randomized, controlled study to determine whether our model-using social workers rather than nurses-not only reduces readmissions, but also reduces emergency room visits, avoids nursing home placements, and improves quality of life." The program targets seniors 65 years of age and older who are discharged to their homes and have multiple prescribed medications, plus other risk factors. Within 48 hours of discharge from the hospital, the patient receives a call from a Rush social worker, whose responsibility is to ensure full implementation of the discharge plan, assist with coordinating community res and followup appointments, and intervene around any issues that might arise once the patient is back in the community. Those issues may range from transportation to meals and in-home care. Over the two years of the Rush program, the social workers involved have found several common themes in post-discharge care. Patients reported difficulty getting around after discharge, particularly if their illness affected their mobility. Patients also reported difficulty scheduling medical appointments and getting to their physicians" offices, and delays in home health care services. Caregivers were often overwhelmed. In other programs to help patients transition from hospital to home, nurses coordinate the after-hospital care, but Golden believes that social workers are ideally trained for the role. According to Golden, research has shown that 40 to 50 percent of hospital readmissions are linked to social problems and lack of community services - issues that social workers are trained to address. "Social workers possess extensive knowledge of community res, expertise in navigating complex social systems, experience using a framework of practice that focuses on the person in the environment, and training in case management and care coordination," Golden said. "Social workers are also able to use psychosocial assessment skills to explore family dynamics or res that may affect the success of the discharge plan." In its efforts to find new ways to help patients transition from hospital to home, Rush is also participating in Project BOOST (Better Outcomes for Older Adults through Safe Transition), a national project involving 30 hospitals to redesign the discharge process. Rush is the only hospital in Illinois included in the project. Like Rush"s enhanced discharge planning program, Project BOOST, sponsored by the Society of Hospital Medicine, is aimed at reducing readmissions. Rush University Medical Center


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