A leading epidemiologist has attacked Swedish research that looked at inequalities in patients’ access to cancer drugs across Europe and the world. [click link for full article]

In response to the recent final decision by NICE on the use of Velcade for cancer patients with myeloma, the bone marrow cancer, charities Myeloma UK, Cancerbackup and Leukaemia CARE issue the following response: The long awaited decision on Velcade has resulted in a positive approval of the treatment, but many patients will now be ineligible to receive it after a change in the guidance since the preliminary ruling in June. [click link for full article]

Among a growing number of Americans seeking general health information and information about cancer, the Internet remains a frequent first source, even though the public’s trust in online material about health has declined, reports a government study. At the same time, consumers voiced greater confidence in information received from healthcare professionals. [click link for full article]

After carrying out independent routine tests on all its products Metz Fresh, LLC found traces of salmonella bacteria in its spinach bags and is voluntarily recalling them. The company and local authorities say they have received no reports of human infection associated with the Metz Fresh spinach. Anybody who may have bought the said spinach should get rid of it immediately, says the company. [click link for full article]

Treating diabetes during pregnancy can break the link between gestational diabetes and childhood obesity, according to a Kaiser Permanente study featured in the September issue of Diabetes Care.The largest study of its kind, this research shows that the risk of childhood obesity rises in tandem with a pregnant woman’s blood sugar level and that untreated gestational diabetes nearly doubles a child’s risk of becoming obese by age 5 to 7. [click link for full article]

Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN) has reported its scientists and collaborators have demonstrated that human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived cardiomyocytes improve heart function when transplanted after myocardial infarction.Published online in Nature Biotechnology, the landmark study is the first to document the potential clinical utility of regenerating damaged heart muscle by injecting hESC-derived cardiomyocytes directly into the site of the infarct. [click link for full article]

The Oregon Department of Human Services relayed an alert to consumers yesterday, 30 August, advising them to discard ground beef linked to Northwest E. coli O157:H7 infections after 8 people in Oregon and Washington have been confirmed as infected after eating it. Other American states may also be affected. The alert was issued earlier in the day by the US Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). [click link for full article]

Use of transluminal coronary angioplasty, or PTCA, a procedure for opening blocked arteries in patients with coronary artery disease, is now used nearly three times more often than the older and more invasive coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. [click link for full article]

Dia-B Tech Limited (ASX:DIA) has achieved a major clinical milestone of its ISF402 diabetes drug development by confirming its detection in the bloodstream of trial patients. Peptides and proteins already existing in the bloodstream often mask small peptide drugs, making drug evaluation unreliable. A robust procedure has been developed for measuring ISF402 in plasma. [click link for full article]

Dia-B Tech Limited (ASX:DIA) has achieved a major clinical milestone of its ISF402 diabetes drug development by confirming its detection in the bloodstream of trial patients. Peptides and proteins already existing in the bloodstream often mask small peptide drugs, making drug evaluation unreliable. A robust procedure has been developed for measuring ISF402 in plasma. [click link for full article]