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Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center say that radiating one tumor can trigger the immune system to kill other tumors in patients being treated with the cancer drug Yervoy (ipilimumab, Bristol-Myers Squibb).

The Idaho House of Representatives' decision to postpone a vote on a bill to ban indoor tanning by minors has elicited strong responses from both the Idaho Dermatology Society and the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

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Five congressional Democrats are urging the Food and Drug Administration to step up efforts to protect consumers - especially teenage girls - against the risks of indoor tanning

New research suggests that finasteride (Proscar, Propecia; Merck) increases hair growth in all four areas of the scalp affected by male pattern baldness and reduces hair loss in two or more areas.

Mylan has purchased a pair of generic dermatology products from Canadian drugmaker Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, the Associated Press reports.

LEO Pharma Inc., the Parsippany-based U.S. subsidiary of Denmark’s LEO Pharma A/S, is offering a Patient Assistance Program to provide medication to eligible uninsured patients suffering from plaque psoriasis.

Researchers say a new skin cancer treatment that uses radiation to kill benign tumors with a single application of cream could be a viable alternative to surgery.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved prescription-strength lotion Sklice (Sanofi Pasteur) for the treatment of head lice in children ages 6 months and older.

Democrats on Capitol Hill have accused the indoor tanning industry of providing false and misleading information about the health risks of tanning bed use.

The Food and Drug Administration has created the first shortcut to the U.S. market for “biosimilar” medicines - cheaper versions of expensive and complex biologic drugs such as infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis, etanercept for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and erythropoietin for anemia.

A new study has identified key signals that regulate protective and sometimes pathological skin inflammation, and also identifies a “gatekeeper” that, when lost, can cause inflammatory skin disease in the absence of injury or infection.

The Food and Drug Administration has cleared Cynosure’s Cellulaze Workstation, a cellulite treatment device, for commercial distribution, the company announced.

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National report - Many mid-level providers get their dermatology training on the job, but continuing education and advanced training opportunities also are available.

Biologic drugs have proven to be of benefit for diseases where there is no indicated treatment, such as for immunobullous diseases. "Pemphigus vulgaris with rituximab (Rituxan, Genentech) has been a major advance, although this is not a formally approved indication for the drug," says Alan Menter, M.D., chief, dermatology, and chairman, residency program, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas.

The cutaneous symptoms of lymphoma and atopic dermatitis (AD) can mimic one another, particularly when AD is severe. An accurate evaluation and assessment of the presenting clinical symptoms is crucial in avoiding a potential misdiagnosis of either disease.

Politicians on Capitol Hill once again have dermatologists - and all physicians who serve Medicare patients - wondering what in the name of common sense they are going to do. Just before Christmas, Congress delayed a 27.4 percent Medicare fee cut from its original Jan. 1 implementation date. The cut is now scheduled, barring any further congressional action, to take effect Feb. 29.

Even though botulinum toxin type A is one of the most potent neurotoxins known, its injection into muscles for the reduction of hyperfunctional lines is one of the safest procedures being performed in cosmetic dermatology. And the favorable risk-to-benefit profile of the toxin is fueling its use in an expanding number of off-label applications, says Thomas E. Rohrer, M.D.

Biologic therapies can help patients with dermatologic conditions, providing anti-inflammatory benefits without significant effects on other organ systems, says Steven R. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., professor of dermatology, pathology and public health sciences, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, N.C.

In 2009, the federal government launched its Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program. Although this program (which was authorized in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008/MIPPA) is now three years old, physicians remain confused about the details. Fortunately, the eRx Incentive Program is straightforward.

Stopping of a type of regulated cell death called necroptosis in keratinocytes is critical for the prevention of skin inflammation, according to new research from Germany.

Analyzing 18th and 19th century (Victorian-era) paintings can help dermatologists think beyond their established habits and preconceptions in the search for visual and other diagnostic clues, says Irwin Braverman, M.D., professor of dermatology, Yale School of Medicine.

Implementation of the final regulations from the Food and Drug Administration for sunscreen testing and labeling should enable consumer selection of effective sunscreen products. More work is still needed, however, to better educate the public about the damaging effects of UV exposure and to motivate appropriate sunscreen use, says Vincent A. DeLeo, M.D.

New safety profile data continues to emerge on biologics used in psoriasis. Among the findings: Today's biologics do not appear to increase serious infection risk; the drugs' short-term cancer risk profile is promising; but concerns remain about long-term cancer risk with all biologics and cardiovascular risk with interleukin-12/23, ustekinumab (Stelara, Janssen Biotech).

Drugs, by definition, are not safe. Exactly how safe a drug must be is a topic of much controversy. However, it is hard to determine the safety of many drugs because the inclusion/exclusion criteria for study protocols requires that the drug be studied in persons who are not pregnant or lactating and who are usually above the age of 12, and in those who have normal test results and normal physical exams.

Biologics may provide excellent relief from psoriasis, but that relief comes with the potential for serious side effects, mainly associated with an altered immune system. As a result, Kevin Cooper, M.D., emphasizes the importance of making sure patients are physically and mentally prepared for undergoing biologic therapies.

A naturally secreted, embryonic-like human cell conditioned media (hCCM) used as a follicle holding solution (FHS) holds promise for improving outcomes of hair transplantation surgery, according to clinical trial findings reported by Neil S. Sadick, M.D., at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.