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Novavax Announces Selection Of A Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine Candidate For Advanced Preclinical Studies
Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) announced final selection of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine candidate that will be advanced into additional preclinical studies to support an Investigational New Drug (IND) application. As previously announced, Novavax has been evaluating a number of RSV vaccine candidates, all of which have successfully induced antibody responses in mice. Novavax scientists have now engineered a new vaccine candidate which has been shown to protect mice against RSV disease and can be produced at sufficient yields to allow commercial manufacture. This new candidate is directed against a protein on the surface of the virus, the "F" or "fusion" protein, which is the protein that the virus uses to infect and fuse with cells in the respiratory tract and cause disease.
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Massachusetts Health Insurance Law Has Increased Access To Care, Though Residents' Ability To Obtain Treatment Hampered By Provider Supply, Study Find
Since the implementation of the Massachusetts health insurance law in 2006, more residents have health coverage and increased access to care, but rising health care costs combined with the current economic recession could undermine some of the law"s successes, according to the third annual "Update on Health Reform in Massachusetts" report by the Urban Institute, the Boston Globe reports. The study was funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund, and published in the journal Health Affairs.For the report, Sharon Long of the Urban Institute and colleagues surveyed about 4,000 Massachusetts adults in 2007 and 2008 and compared their health care habits with those of residents surveyed in 2006 -- just after the law went into effect. Researchers found that although there were initial gains in health care affordability, there are now some signs that an increasing number of state residents are reporting problems paying for medical bills, and an increasing number of people -- especially lower-income residents -- not seeking care because of costs (Lazar, Boston Globe, 5/28). One in five adults reported being told in the past 12 months that a physician or clinic was not accepting new patients or would not see patients with their type of insurance (Sack, New York Times, 5/28). Lower-income residents had more difficulties finding a physician than higher-income residents, with 24% of residents enrolled in state-subsidized health plans, saying they were told that a physician did not accept their insurance, compared with 7% of residents with private coverage (Boston Globe, 5/28). Additional Findings
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Veran Medical Enables Breakthrough 4D Navigation To Cancer Lesions At University Of Virginia Hospital
Dr. Marc Sarti from the University of Virginia recently used the Veran IG4 Plug-N-Play Navigation System on multiple patients to target small cancerous lung lesions that were located in extremely challenging locations. Dr. Sarti"s unique use of the 4D capability for the diagnosis and treatment for these patients was the first of its kind.
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Deep Endometriosis Accurately Depitcted By MRI

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radiologists may be able to diagnose deep endometriosis and accurately locate lesions prior to surgery, according to a new study published in the online edition of Radiology. "Pelvic MRI at 3 Tesla is a noninvasive technique that allows a complete examination of the pelvis," said the study"s lead author, Nathalie Hottat, M.D., from the Department of Radiology at Erasme Hospital and the Universitç© Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium. "It accurately depicts all locations of deep endometriosis." Endometriosis is a chronic and painful disease that results when uterine tissue, called endometrium, grows outside the uterus. Endometrium can attach to other organs, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowels and bladder. Endometriosis is one of the most common health problems affecting women. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 5 million American women have endometriosis. Symptoms include chronic pelvic pain, lower back pain, painful sexual intercourse, painful menstrual cramps, fatigue and infertility. There are two types of endometriosis: superficial and subperitoneal (deep). Deep endometriosis infiltrates areas of the cervix, vagina and/or the colon, and, less frequently, the bladder and ureter. Superficial endometriosis can be treated with laparoscopy, but deep endometriosis sometimes requires complete surgical excision of the lesions. It is important that the diagnosis and staging of the disease distinguish between the two types in order to guide the surgeon to schedule the most appropriate procedure. Therefore, the researchers set out to determine the accuracy of 3-T pelvic MRI in diagnosing the presence of deep endometriosis and to evaluate colon wall involvement. The researchers studied 41 women, age 20 - 46, with suspected endometriosis. MRI was performed prior to surgery. MRI accurately diagnosed 26 of 27 cases of deep endometriosis. In addition, MR images accurately depicted specific locations of deep endometrial lesions. "The 3-T MRI results also demonstrated a high negative predictive value of 93.3 percent," Dr. Hottat said, "meaning that MRI findings accurately ruled out deep endometriosis in patients with superficial endometriosis, allowing the surgeon to perform the less invasive laparoscopic procedure." Colon wall involvement was present in 32 percent of patients with deep endometriosis. MRI was effective at distinguishing different layers of the affected colon wall and accurately depicted the degree of colon wall invasion. "Endometriosis: Contribution of 3.0-T Pelvic MR Imaging in Preoperative Assessment - Initial Results." Collaborating with Dr. Hottat were Caroline Larrousse, M.D., Vincent Anaf, M.D., Ph.D., Jean-Christophe Noç«l, M.D., Ph.D., Celso Matos, M.D., Julie Absil, Ph.D., and Thierry Metens, Ph.D. Linda Brooks Radiological Society of North America


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