Merck Blood Thinner Outperforms Warfarin in Clinical Trial

Boston (DbTechNo) - Betrixaban is the name of a new blood thinner from merck that performed very well in a clinical trial of 508 patients.

The blood thinner, still in its experimental stage was compared in a trial with a leading drug already on the market, and outperformed it in many aspects. Read more

New Genetic Test Determines Risk of Autism

Boston (DbTechNo) - A new study to be published in the April print issue of Pediatrics details a new genetic test that can determine a child’s risk of being born with autism.

The test is called the chromosomal microarray analysis and has only been available for the last few years. Read more

Abbott Clip Works as Well as Surgery to Repare Leaky Heart Valves

Boston (DbTechNo) - A new heart clip from Abbott is in the news as it has been proven to be just as effective as surgery when it comes to reparing leaky heart valves.

The little clip is threaded through an artery into the heart, opposed to open heart surgery, and appears to be just as effective as surgery but much safer. Read more

FDA Denies Approval of Once a Week Byetta Diabetes Drug

Boston (DbTechNo) - The FDA have denied approval of a once a week version of Byetta, a diabetes drug made by Amylin and Lilly.

Byetta is a blockbuster drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes, and has annual sales topping the 700 million dollar mark. Read more

Novartis Diabetes Drug Flunks Clinical Trial

Boston (DbTechNo) - Results of a new study show that the diabetes drug Starlix and the blood pressure drug Diovan do not reduce the risk of heart disease in diabetes patients.

Both drugs are manufactured by Novartis and when tested against placebo pills, they both performed very poorly. Read more

Accord Study Deals Big Blow to Diabetes Treatment Options

Diabetes treatment options took a blow with the anticipated release of results from the ACCORD study which prove that reducing blood pressure does not result in a lesser risk for heart disease.

Furthermore, monitoring one’s blood pressure to insure it stayed around the 120 mm Hg did not appear to reduce risks of heart attacks or strokes, both of which can be fatal. Read more

Abbott Heart Clip Can Mend Leaky Valve

Results of a new study show that there maybe a less invasive way to fix a leaky heart valve than surgery.

Abbott Laboratories is the manufacturer of a little surgical clip that doctors say can be threaded through an artery to clamp a leaky valve, thus negating the need for actual surgery. Read more

Spring Forward, Daylight Savings Time is Here

Spring forward fall back is a common saying around this time of year as we have just entered into dayylight savings time.

Daylight savings time officially struck at 2:00 AM this morning and all clocks should have been set forward by an hour before going to bed. Read more

Consumer Product Safety Commission Warning Parents of the Dangers of Baby Slings

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning parents of young children to beware of baby slings after numerous infant suffocation deaths were reported.

Over the last 2 decades, more than 12 cases of suffocation deaths have been reported, of babies who died while in these baby slings.

According to the CPSC, babies have very weak neck muscles, and if placed in the slings incorrectly there is the possibility of the fabric covering their noses and mouth making it impossible to breathe.

The agency is investigating the safety of the slings, but has not issued a recall as of yet.

They are urging parents of new babies to make sure they know how to use the slings properly before putting their infants in them.

Blackbox Warning Issued for Plavix by the Food and Drug Administration

The FDA has issued the highest warning it can for the blockbuster blood thinner plavix.

According to the agency, plavix may not work for some patients, thus putting them at increased risk of strokes and or heart attacks.

Plavix is prescribed to patients to prevent strokes by preventing blood clots and thinning blood.

The FDA says that recent data hints to the possibility that some patients are poor metabolizers of the drug, which can put them at increased risk.

They stress the importance of a genetic test which can determine if a patient will respond to the drug or if they should be put on a different kind of blood thinner such as aspirin.

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