News

New York - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has held off making a decision on the psoriasis drug ustekinumab (Johnson & Johnson), until they receive certain risk-mitigation information, but will not require new studies, Reuters reports.

Taipei, Taiwan - Researchers have found that psoriasis patients show high levels of leptin, increasing the chances of other inflammatory diseases associated with this metabolic hormone, Medpage Today reports.

Like many doctors, I’ve been considering getting a "smart phone," such as an iPhone or Blackberry, which can surf the Internet and handle e-mail with ease. Why wait?

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Ness Ziona, Israel - Sol-Gel Technologies unveiled a new plant with state-of-the-art facilities for the development of topical dermatology drugs, according to a press release.

Washington - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring Targanta Therapeutics to conduct an additional phase 3 trial of its antibiotic oritavancin, according to fdanews.com.

Washington - Researchers have found two simple blood tests can help physicians diagnose "flesh-eating bacteria," according to a study published in The American Journal of Surgery.

San Diego - Artes Medical plans to liquidate, after laying off more than 100 people last month and filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week, SignOnSanDiego.com reports.

Schaumburg, Ill. - The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)has issued a position statement on vitamin D, recommending that the public obtain an adequate amount of the vitamin through dietary supplements and nutritional sources, MarketWatch reports.

Shanghai, China - LEO Pharma is establishing a strategic company in China to market drugs for the treatment of psoriasis and other skin diseases, MarketWatch reports.

U.S. dermatologist Carrie Kovarik, M.D., along with the help of the AAD, has built a successful telecommunication program linking dermatologists in developed countries with clinicians who need advice and consultation to help patients throughout Africa. Plans are for the program to expand in and outside Africa, into Central and South Americas.

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Orlando ? The American Medical Association?s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) has concluded that it is unethical for physicians to self-refer to facilities where they have a financial stake unless they disclose that information to all their patients, Medpage Today reports.

National report ? CSI, USA has issued a recall for all 1 ounce tubes of 10 percent benzoyl peroxide acne cream, which were sold under different names at Kroger, Wal-Mart and Dollar General, due to possible contamination with Burkholderia Cepacia bacteria, AboutLawsuits.com reports.

Redwood City, Calif. ? Arcutis Pharmaceuticals announces the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Acanya Gel (clindamycin phosphate 1.2 percent and benzoyl peroxide 2.5 percent) for the once-daily treatment of acne vulgaris in patients 12 years and older, according to BusinessWire.

An integrated approach to woundcare yields improved outcomes for patients, according to recent research. Over the past five years, numerous organizations have come up with guidelines for integrated woundcare systems, an expert says.

While competing in a judo master's tournament years ago, Joel E. Holloway, M.D., used a classic move to throw down his opponent so hard that it knocked out the fellow competitor. Dr. Holloway also happened to be the tournament doctor, so instead of returning to his corner, he had to tend to the competition.

We recently hired a dermatopathologist to join our group. There are six dermatologists in our practice, and the dermatopathologist will be reading the slides for all the specimens generated from our group.

Is the constant din of ringing telephones frustrating and annoying everyone in your practice? Maybe it's time to turn your telephones into tools that work for your dermatology practice instead of against it.

Reduced ING4 staining is associated with melanoma thickness, ulceration and poor overall survival, which suggests that restoring the tumor suppressor ING4 is a possible therapeutic direction.

When it comes to investing our money, human nature likes to play tricks on us. When the stock market is reaching new peaks, we can't wait to jump in. When it stumbles and falls, we stop investing - or worse, we start selling. Despite the lessons of the past, that insistent inner voice keeps urging us to follow the crowd.

According to a recent study, the application of a specially formulated skincare system used before and after the electrodesiccation and curettage of superficial basal cell carcinomas proves to assist in wound healing and ultimately achieve better cosmetic results.

The dramatic improvement of a psoriasis patient who had developed squamous cell carcinoma secondary to PUVA treatment illustrates that adalimumab and acitretin work synergistically, a physician familiar with the case says.

Off-label use of imiquimod proves extremely effective for nodular and morpheiform BCCs as well as SCCs, arecent study indicates. According to one expert, long-term immune modulation therapy with imiquimod can significantly benefit patients with chronic actinic dysplasias and skin tumors.

Knowledge of the mechanisms involved in melanoma development may help to identify targets for chemoprevention or treatment. A variant in the cyclin D1 gene appears to increase susceptibility to malignant melanoma, an expert says.

Many new fillers are made from porcine collagen, averting the need for allergy testing. Because many new fillers are biodegradable, they will not induce fibrosis in the skin, leaving surgical correction as an option for patients in the future. Complications that occur with biodegradable fillers disappear spontaneously.

While traditional liposuction may remove unwanted fat, one of its disadvantages is that it produces skin laxity. Contemporary treatment modalities such as laser lipolysis are minimally invasive, tighten the skin and produce less blood loss than traditional liposuction.

Available fractional lasers differ considerably. Dermatologists interested in acquiring this technology must consider the needs of their patients so they can match them properly with the features of available fractional systems.