In many countries prostate cancer screening happens ahead of evidence from ongoing trials. In several countries, early opportunistic screening starts with people aged 50. The Americans have recently adopted a lower age limit after two studies found that raised PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels in males in their 40s was linked to prostate cancer. [click link for full article]

November 15th begins what has become an incredibly complicated annual ritual for seniors enrolled in the private Medicare Part D prescription drug program. Unfortunately, in 2008 beneficiaries will face even larger premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and a growing “doughnut hole”. Seniors can’t afford to assume their current drug plan will provide the best coverage for their needs in 2008. [click link for full article]

The EAU is pleased to announce the release of a new Guideline for the Management of Ureteral Calculi prepared as a collaborative effort with the American Urological Association (AUA). This is the first international guideline on this topic, and the first time the two organizations have partnered to release information of mutual benefit to both urologists in the United States and in Europe. [click link for full article]

Parents of children who go to Prince George’s County (school) are to appear at a special court hearing. Their choices are stark, either have their child (children) vaccinated there and then or face imprisonment or fines. This county still had 2,300 kids who had not been vaccinated and drastic measures have been put into force to make sure they are. Rarely have such drastic measures been taken in America to make sure children get their vaccinations. [click link for full article]

The makers of Actos (pioglitazone), Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., announced they are to launch a large advertising campaign in the USA for their diabetes drug; following a safety warning issued a day before for Avandia (rosiglitazone), a rival medication. Local and weekly newspapers throughout the country will feature full-page adverts. [click link for full article]

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Eli Lilly and Company have announced that they are joining together to create a $3 million research effort to accelerate the pace of research into drugs and therapies to cure diabetes and its complications by developing biomarkers — indicators that can measure the progress of disease and the effectiveness of therapeutics. [click link for full article]

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPHM), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, announced that its Phase II clinical protocol to study bavituximab in combination with the chemotherapy drug docetaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer has been approved by the Drug Agency of the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia. [click link for full article]

The subcutaneous administration of granisetron, an antiemetic pharmaceutical drug (suitable for control of vomiting), achieves similar blood concentrations to those administered intravenously. This was the conclusion of clinical tests undertaken by specialists at the University Hospital of Navarra, the results of which have been recently published in the prestigious North American medical journal, The Oncologist. [click link for full article]

ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amex: ANX) announced positive results from its marketing enabling clinical study of ANX-530 (vinorelbine emulsion). Pharmacokinetic equivalence, the primary endpoint of the study, was observed between ANX-530 and Navelbine(R), the reference product, in patients with advanced cancer potentially sensitive to vinorelbine. [click link for full article]

UroToday.com- Patients undergoing care at centers with higher surgical volumes debatably have superior outcomes. Whether the referral of these patients to high volume hospitals (HVHs) or regionalization, as it is called, is occurring in the US for patients with urologic cancers was evaluated by Dr. Cooperberg and is reported in the November issue of the Journal of Urology. [click link for full article]