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Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry's Health Contribution Presented To Special United Nations Session On Health In Africa And Other Countries
The IFPMA was invited to attend a special session of the United Nations (UN) in Geneva on health in Africa and other least developed countries, organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission (ECOSOC). Michael D. Boyd, Acting Director General of the IFPMA, gave a briefing on the research-based pharmaceutical industry"s contribution to improving health in the developing world, speaking to an audience which included foreign ministers of UN Member States and senior UN officials.

ABRAXANE Approved For Advanced Breast Cancer Patient Treatment In Quebec
Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABII), an integrated biotechnology company, announced the listing of ABRAXANE® for Injectable Suspension (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) 100 mg in Quebec for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer with a recommendation from the Quebec Conseil du Mç©dicament and approval from the Quebec Ministry of Health. ABRAXANE is approved and commercially available in Canada for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, including first-line disease. The listing of ABRAXANE in Quebec offers an important new treatment option to Quebec women with advanced breast cancer.
News of the day
Blogs Comment On 'Common Ground' Bill, Abortion Coverage In Health Reform Legislation, Other Topics
The following summarizes selected women"s health-related blog entries.~ "Democratic Bill Could Be a Preview of Obama"s Abortion Plan," Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News & World Report"s "God and Country": A recently introduced bill aimed at reducing the need for abortion is "big news because moderate to liberal faith-based advocates are urging the White House to adopt the bill ... as the core of its forthcoming "common ground" plan on abortion and reproductive health," Gilgoff writes. Some conservative religious groups, including the Southern Baptist Convention and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, "have warned the White House" that the bill is a "deal breaker" for them because of its support for comprehensive sex education and contraception, he writes. The White House "has refused to say which way it"s leaning," Gilgoff writes, adding the Obama administration could "buck" the groups that support the bill and "get behind" the Pregnant Women Support Act, "which is generally considered more robust on reducing demand for abortions and which leaves out contraceptive funding." However, he concludes, "that would be a pretty big surprise" (Gilgoff, "God and Country," U.S. News & World Report, 7/23).~ "New Report: Abortion Providers = American Human Rights Defenders, Now Under Increasing Attack," Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: A new Center for Reproductive Rights report "calls on both the federal and state governments to address the growing threats against and stigmatization and abuse of abortion providers throughout the United States," Jacobson writes. The report "focuses on a key obstacle to the realization of women"s reproductive rights ... and recognizes their work as human rights defenders," she writes, adding that the U.S. has "historically been a leader both in creating and in encouraging accountability to human rights principles throughout the world." However, "[a]ccess to reproductive health care generally and abortion care specifically are basic human rights largely ignored within the context of U.S. domestic politics," Jacobson writes, noting that abortion access in the U.S. "has been increasingly limited due to the range of obstacles created through anti-choice advocacy." The report highlights several "types of rights violations [that] are most pervasive in limiting women"s choices and the rights of abortion providers," including "intimidation and harassment," "stigma" and "legal restrictions." The report makes a "series of recommendations for change at the state and local level for changes in policy and in law enforcement practices, as well as for the federal government, medical community and non-governmental organizations," Jacobson concludes, adding that the report "makes a special plea for the United Nations Special Rapporteur to document violations of women"s human rights in the United States" (Jacobson, RH Reality Check, 7/22).~ "Sixteen Governors Call on Congress To Include Medicaid Family Planning State Option in Health Reform," Jodi Jacobson, RH Reality Check: "Sixteen governors have written a letter to both Senate and House Leadership "expressing strong support for the Medicaid Family Planning State Option,"" which is included in President Obama"s fiscal year 2010 budget proposal, Jacobson writes. The governors wrote, "Many of our states have created family planning expansion programs, though we have done so with great difficulty," adding, "Since the early 1990s, 27 states have been granted federal waivers to expand their Medicaid family planning coverage. These demonstration projects have been unqualified successes, providing care to millions of women while saving states [millions] of dollars." Jacobson continues, "The current Medicaid waiver process, however, "puts unnecessary roadblocks in the way of our efforts to maintain and expand coverage for family planning services,"" according to the governors. She adds, "Passing this law as part of health care reform "would give us the needed flexibility to quickly and efficiently expand cove
Diagnostics

Identifying High-Risk Patients By Testing Trauma Cases For Blood Alcohol Levels

Too much alcohol often causes trauma, complicates assessment of injury, and interferes with inpatient care. Even though 20 to 37 percent of accident cases in trauma centers are alcohol-related, some trauma patients are reluctant to self report their drinking. A new study has found that testing for alcohol biomarkers - particularly blood alcohol levels (BALs) - can identify high-risk patients admitted to trauma centers who had denied excessive drinking. Results will be published in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View. "Alcohol use is associated with higher rates of motor vehicle accidents, falls, injuries inflicted by weapons, and workplace injuries than in persons not using alcohol," said Michael F. Fleming, professor of family medicine and corresponding author for the study. "In addition, patients processed through emergency may not be aware of their injury severity until the alcohol is out of their system, and in persons suffering from head trauma it is difficult to assess changes in mental status." "Alcohol is the single most robust risk factor for physical trauma," added Jean-Bernard Daeppen, professor of medicine at Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland. "An elevated BAL is not just having a glass before trauma. Most patients admitted with positive BALs after trauma have an alcohol-use disorder (AUD), often severe." "The primary test used to assess recent alcohol use is to ask the patient and sometimes a family member or friend who was present at the time of the accident," said Fleming. "BALs are also frequently used in US-based trauma centers, however, since alcohol leaves the body at the rate of one drink per hour, BALs can be misleading if the blood is drawn hours after the injury occurred. Liver function tests have limited value as they are neither sensitive nor specific for acute alcohol use. Newer alcohol biomarkers that assess alcohol use over weeks have promise but there is limited research on these among trauma patients." Fleming and his colleagues collected data on 213 patients (166 males, 47 females) admitted to a university hospital after trauma and tested for BALs and carbohydrate deficient transferin (CDT). More than 90 percent was admitted due to motor vehicle accidents, and the remainder for falls, bicycle/pedestrian accidents, and penetrating trauma such as gunshot and knife wounds. Collected measures included the development of alcohol withdrawal, infections, respiratory problems, cardiac events, thromboembolism, and length of stay. The results support testing for BALs in all patients admitted for trauma. "Elevated BALs at the time of admission are associated with higher rates of complications," said Fleming, "and strongly predict the development of delirium treatments. Further research is needed on CDT and other alcohol biomarkers to determine their clinical application in trauma patients." Of those admitted, 48 (22%) had a positive BAL, 27 (12%) developed alcohol withdrawal, and 113 (55%) had one or more adverse health events during their hospitalization. Notably, the alcohol biomarkers identified 16 patients (13 males, 3 females), or 7.4 percent of the total admitted, as high-risk patients who had previously denied excessive alcohol use and would have been missed if the markers had not been utilized. "Our finding of 22 percent with a positive BAL is actually on the low side compared to other emergency-department trauma studies," noted Fleming. "Most studies report 30 to 40 percent positive BALs. Additionally, persons who are alcoholic are more likely to minimize their alcohol use than most social drinkers who often view their use as normal; since seven to eight percent of males and two to three percent of women in the general population are alcoholic, our findings of 7.5 percent who tested positive despite denial is about right." "The relationship between BALs and withdrawal and adverse hospital events indicates that patients with AUDs develop many problems during hospitalization, such as longer hospital stays, more complications, more costs," added Daeppen. "There is no doubt that BALs should be tested systematically in admitted trauma patients. A cheap test identifying 22 percent of individuals with a condition that is likely to be associated with major morbidity and costs is an excellent option. This is especially true when approximately 1 in 4 patients with an AUD would have been missed without BAL, as shown by this study." "While there has been some concern that insurance companies may refuse payment for hospitalization due to a positive BAL," said Fleming, "this is like saying they are not going to pay for treatment of a heart attack or asthma or a stroke in someone who admits to smoking. Just because someone is drinking does not mean alcohol caused the accident. All we really know is that theirs is a greater risk. On a related note, BALs performed as part of routine care are not admissible in court unless chain-of-custody procedures are followed." Michael F. Fleming, M.D., M.P.H. University of Wisconsin - Madison Jean-Bernard Daeppen, M.D. Lausanne University Hospital Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research


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