New Technique Extends Heart Transplant Window
The new method "revolutionizes" heart transplants, CBS News says. It works by maintaining beats and blood flow in the donor heart during transport. Separately, a Boston Globe report says a local biotech startup has secured $10 million in funding to study techniques for regrowing lost limbs.
CBS News:
New Method Revolutionizes Heart Transplants
It was moments with his kids that made Jason Banner decide to take a chance on a new method of heart transplantation. The single father of two discovered in 2005 he had a genetic heart condition. Last year, he was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat that causes poor blood flow. (Lapook, 2/15)
In other biotech and pharmaceutical news —
The Boston Globe:
Boston Biotech Has Raised Nearly $10 Million To Study Limb Regrowth
A Boston biotech startup working on technology to enable people to regrow limbs lost as a result of trauma or disease has raised about $9.7 million to advance its early efforts, including $8 million announced on Wednesday. (Saltzman, 2/15)
CIDRAP:
Longtime Drug Shortage Leads To Substandard Care For Thousands Of US Bladder Cancer Patients
The End Drug Shortages Alliance (EDSA) is urging pharmaceutical manufacturers to boost manufacturing of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), an essential drug for bladder cancer that has been in shortage since 2019. Because of the shortage, an estimated 8,333 US patients with moderate to advanced bladder cancer aren't receiving optimal care, EDSA said in a white paper based on a November 2022 survey of academic health centers, health systems, and physician practices. (Van Beusekom, 2/15)
USA Today:
FDA Eyes Drugs With Cancer-Causing Nitrosamines. What You Should Know
For people managing high blood pressure, recent recalls of the carcinogen-tainted drug quinapril might sound familiar. Since 2018, more than 12 million bottles of blood pressure-lowering drugs such as valsartan and losartan have been removed from the market because they contained cancer-risk chemicals called nitrosamines. (Alltucker, 2/16)
Los Angeles Times:
UCLA Gets $20-Million Gift For Center Dedicated To Study Of Microbes
UCLA received a $20-million gift to help establish a center dedicated to the study of microbes, which contribute to autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and muscular dystrophy, the school announced Wednesday. (Martinez, 2/15)
Houston Chronicle:
MD Anderson Researches Fecal Microbiome Transplants For Cancer Therapy
Ongoing efforts to improve cancer therapy have turned Houston scientists’ attention to one possible solution: poop. More specifically, the complex assortment of viruses, bacteria and other bugs found in human waste. (Gill, 2/15)
The Boston Globe:
‘It’s Night And Day’: Biogen’s New Alzheimer’s Drug May Spur More Investment In Fighting The Disease
“It’s night and day,” said Dr. Martin Tolar, who has been chief executive of Alzheon for 10 years. The Framingham-based company is in the advanced stages of testing a drug in people whose genes increase their risk of developing Alzheimer’s. “Even a couple years ago it was like the stupidest idea to do something in Alzheimer’s because everything has been failing.” (Cross, 2/15)
USA Today:
Menopause Hormone Therapy, Explained: How Treatment Can Ease Symptoms
Menopause symptoms can range from disruptive to debilitating, yet health experts say many clinicians have historically shied away from hormone therapy as a treatment option. But mounting evidence shows how the benefits may outweigh the risks for most women suffering from menopause symptoms, according to a paper published Tuesday by the American College of Cardiology Cardiovascular in Women Committee. (Rodriguez, 2/15)
CIDRAP:
NARMS Report Shows Rise In Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella From Food Animals
A new report from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) highlights some concerning antimicrobial resistance (AMR) trends in Salmonella from food-producing animals. (Dall, 2/15)
