Some current therapies of psoriasis, though effective, are marred by their poor safety profile. A new experimental drug, similar in molecular structure to cyclosporine, has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis.
Irvine, Calif. - DermaNetwork.org, a Web-based cosmetic dermatology and laser treatment resource, announced the addition of Barry A.S. Lycka, M.D., F.R.C.P., to its medical board of advisers, PRWeb reports.
International report - An full-body skin exam, even when using dermoscopy, can be effectively completed in under three minutes, according to a study.
Chapel Hill, N.C. - According to a study, melanoma that occurs on the scalp and neck are most deadly, the washingtonpost.com reports.
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada - A phase 3 trial shows ISA247 to be safe and effective in the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, Medical News Today reports.
Austin, Texas - Caliderma, an online retailer of physician-grade skincare products, has begun operating under the name Iderma, PRWeb reports.
Napa, Calif. - Senetek PLC announces Riley-Nacht LLC will direct their dermatological product marketing program, Pharmalive reports.
Palo Alto, Calif. - Stanford researchers have genetically manipulated normal skin cells into cancer stem cells, making them easier to study, ScienceDaily reports.
Knoxville, Tenn. - Provectus Pharmaceuticals has received allowance of its patent application in the European Union to cover PH-10, as well as other related agents and their use, Businesswire reports.
Stockholm, Sweden - Medivir has entered into a co-promotion agreement with the Swedish subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline, according to Earthtimes.org.
Lafayette, Colo. - Jeanie Leddon, M.D., a dermatologist at The Boulder Valley Center, is joining a national effort to offer pro-bono services to domestic violence survivors, according to the Daily Camera.
International report - Current labeling on topical steroids advising patients to apply sparingly or thinly is causing a ‘steroid phobia’ leading to treatment failure, according to a study.
New York - New York Dermatology Group (NYDG) is partnering with Carbonfund.org, a carbon offset organization, to offset a year of carbon emissions, according to a Carbonfund.org press release.
Nottingham, England - A new email service offering advice on eczema is being backed by an award-winning dermatology nurse, the Evening Post reports.
San Gabriel, Calif. - Sandra Obagi, medical esthetician and director of the Obagi Institute, has been honored by Cambridge Who’s Who for excellence in skincare, according to a press release.
Pisa, Italy - A study testing the effects of Botox injected in rats showed traces of the toxin in the rodent's brain stem three days later, Daily Mail reports.
Waltham, Mass. - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Portrait (R) Plasma (Rhytec) for the treatments of acne scars, PRNewswire reports.
Washington - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed a blood-screening and monitoring requirement for Aczone, a topical acne treatment manufactured by QLT USA, a unit of biotech company QLT Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, the Associated Press reports.
St. Paul, Minn. - Using imaging to visualize areas lacking blood flow and deliver clot-breaking, anti-spasmodic drugs via catheter has proved to be an effective treatment for people who suffer severe frostbite, Newswise.com reports.
Raritan, N.J. - Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development has received a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvable letter for ceftobiprole, an antibiotic used to treat skin infections, according to an Associated Press report.
Philadelphia - The mechanism leading to the development of peanut allergy and a potential desensitization treatment for peanut-allergic individuals were among the study findings presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting held here in March, HealthDay News reports.
Winston-Salem, N.C. - Results of a recently completed phase 2 clinical trial show that a new foam for treatment of varicose veins has proved safe for use, HealthDay News reports.
New York - A study shows that about one half of 1 percent of people undergoing facelifts became infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), HealthDay News reports.
Scottsdale, Ariz. - Medicis and Paris-based Ipsen have announced that Ipsen has submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the Food and Drug Administration for the botulinum-toxin product Reloxin to be used in aesthetic indications, news source Prime Newswire reports.
Yes, a rollover into a different 529 program may be made an unlimited number of times as long as a new beneficiary is named on the account each time. If a rollover is done without changing the beneficiary, no additional rollovers may be completed in the following 12 months unless the beneficiary is changed. In any case, the rollover must be completed within 60 days and you should look into any restrictive terms and charges that may apply.
The federal budget for FY 2009, one that provides for $3.1 trillion in federal funding and includes overall Medicare reductions of $196 billion over five years, says about the problem that is the key to continuing Medicare physician reimbursement cuts – the Sustainable Growth Rate (SRG) formula.
Dr. Doc has an extraordinarily busy dermatology practice. In fact, he is so busy that he has little time to attend medical meetings. He depends on his pharmaceutical representatives to provide him with the latest information about off-label use of various dermatologic prescription drugs. He knows that physician off-label use of prescriptions is not only legal, but is actually encouraged by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The voluntary Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), which began in 2007, may be a forerunner of a mandatory pay-for-performance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Under the PQRI regulations, a physician reports on specific best medical practices he follows. For example, under the PQRI, in 2007, dermatologists who asked patients with a history of melanoma whether they had seen any changes in moles or lesions, did full body exams on those patients and recommended patients do regular skin exams, and then reported they had followed those procedures in 80 percent of their melanoma patients, would earn 1.5 percent of their total CMS reimbursements as a bonus.
A study tracking the performance of a Mohs surgery fellow in Mohs histopathology section interpretation and mapping found that it took nearly 1,500 Mohs cases which generated 1,350 pathology specimens that were reviewed and immediately graded before the error rate fell to an acceptable level.
At 86, Jerome Z Litt, M.D., is in full-time dermatology practice; is the sole author of the popular Drug Eruption Reference Manual (in its 14th edition, and he has written every one); and has the comedic timing and voice of actor-comedian Mel Brooks.
