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Arizona ADAP Cuts Number Of Medications Covered Under Program
The Arizona AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) has reduced the number of medications it will cover - antiretrovirals and drugs that treat opportunistic infections will not be affected, the Arizona Daily Star reports. The program relies heavily on federal funding. Judy Norton, chief of the state"s Office of HIV, STD and Hepatitis C Services, said the state received $2.3 million less than what it requested from the federal government, requiring the program to make cuts. According to the Daily Star, federal ADAP funds are "drying up as drug costs rise and as more" people living with HIV/AIDS are enrolling in the program. The Arizona ADAP has been serving about 1,100 patients statewide, although the number has gone up in recent months, Laura Oxley, Arizona Department of Health Services spokesperson, said. A letter explaining the changes to the program was sent to clients and providers earlier this week (Innes, Arizona Daily Star, 6/11).

New Supplement May Help Slow Sight Loss In Elderly
Queen"s University Belfast academics have helped develop an antioxidant supplement which may slow down sight loss in elderly people.
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Primary Insomnia Linked To A Neurochemical Abnormality
A research abstract presented on June 9, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, is the first demonstration of a specific neurochemical abnormality in adults with primary insomnia (PI), providing greater insight to the limited understanding of the condition"s pathology.
Public Health

StemCells, Inc. To Present Phase I Clinical Trial Results At The 12th International Congress On NCL

StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM) announced plans to present data from its Phase I clinical trial of its proprietary HuCNS-SC® product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) at the 12th International Congress on Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCL) being held June 3 - 6, 2009 in Hamburg, Germany. Stephen Huhn, MD, FACS, FAAP, vice president and head of the Company"s CNS program, is scheduled to present the data on Saturday, June 6. The six-patient Phase I trial, conducted at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children"s Hospital, was designed primarily to assess the safety associated with transplanting HuCNS-SC cells as a treatment for infantile and late infantile NCL, often referred to as Batten disease. About Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Batten Disease) Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that afflicts infants and young children. The disorder is caused by genetic mutations, and children who inherit the defective gene are unable to produce enough of an enzyme that processes cellular waste substances that accumulate in a part of cells known as the lysosome. Without the enzyme, the cellular waste builds up, and eventually the cells cannot function and die. Children with NCL appear healthy when born, but as their brain cells die, they begin to suffer seizures and progressively lose motor skills, sight and mental capacity. Eventually, these children become blind, bedridden and unable to communicate or function on their own. There currently is no cure for the disease. The infantile and late infantile forms of NCL are caused by different genetic mutations. As the names imply, the two forms begin to afflict patients at different stages of infancy, but both have similar disease progression and outcomes. About HuCNS-SC® Cells StemCells" lead product candidate, HuCNS-SC cells, is a purified composition of normal human neural stem cells that are expanded and stored as banks of cells. The Company"s preclinical research has shown that HuCNS-SC cells can be directly transplanted; they engraft, migrate, differentiate into neurons and glial cells; and they survive for as long as one year with no sign of tumor formation or adverse effects. These findings show that HuCNS-SC cells, when transplanted, act like normal stem cells, suggesting the possibility of a continual replenishment of normal human neural cells. StemCells, Inc.


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