Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTR) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company’s antibacterial drug DIFICID™ (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in adults 18 years of age and older. CDAD is a significant medical problem in hospitals and long-term care facilities, and is beginning to emerge in the community among people previously at low risk for the disease. In the largest Phase 3 clinical studies ever conducted in CDAD, DIFICID had clinical response rates at the end of treatment that were non-inferior to oral vancomycin. DIFICID was superior to vancomycin in sustaining clinical response through 25 days beyond the end of treatment. DIFICID is the only FDA-approved antibacterial drug proven to be superior to vancomycin in sustained clinical response for CDAD.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/optimerpharma/50177/
The Ad Council is joining the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to debut their first joint national multimedia public service campaign to help families prevent food poisoning in the home.
The Food Safe Families campaign was announced this morning by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in time for the July 4th holiday and the start of summer when foodborne illnesses tend to increase—a time when many families celebrate with food. It’s also a time when foodborne illnesses tend to increase with more outdoor meals, and other factors that increase the risk for disease-causing bacteria in food.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/50582/
ADP®, a leading provider of human resource outsourcing, payroll, tax, business outsourcing and benefits administration services, and integrated computing solutions for vehicle dealers, today announced the launch of ALINE Pay by ADPSM, a comprehensive electronic payroll disbursement solution that helps employers reduce administration time and minimize their risk of financial and compliance exposure. The ALINE Pay electronic pay solution is designed to be compliant in all 50 states through a new innovative wage funding and distribution solution and gives both employers and employees flexibility in choosing the method of payment that best meets their needs: ADP Full Service Direct Deposit, the new ALINE Card by ADPSM or ALINE Check by ADPSM.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/51192-adp-aline-pay-electronic-payroll-compliance-solution
Emmy® and Tony® award-winning actress Blythe Danner and Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today launch Act 2 Reduce Fractures™, an educational campaign for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis at increased risk for fractures. Earlier this year, Danner was diagnosed with postmenopausal osteoporosis at increased risk for fractures and wants to encourage women like her to educate themselves, take action and speak to their doctors to learn all they can about helping to strengthen their bones. The campaign is being supported by American Bone Health, the Global Healthy Living Foundation and the Older Women’s League.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/amgen/48052/
The American Kidney Fund today launches a national campaign to raise awareness about kidney disease, a serious and increasingly common condition that is damaging the health of as many as 31 million Americans. Pair Up: Join the Fight to Prevent Kidney Disease encourages women to take two simple, yet powerful actions: learn if they’re at risk for kidney disease; and spread the word about kidney disease to loved ones who also may be at risk. The launch of Pair Up coincides with the release of a national survey revealing that most Americans who care for their loved ones’ health are unaware that diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney disease.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/51973-american-kidney-fund-laila-ali-pair-up-women-prevent-kidney-disease
Today's SUVs and pickups pose far less risk to people in cars and minivans than previous generations, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows. Until recently, SUVs and pickups were more likely than cars or minivans of the same weight to be involved in crashes that killed occupants of other cars or minivans. That's no longer the case for SUVs, and for pickups the higher risk is much less pronounced than it had been.
BD AutoShield™ Duo is a next generation, 5mm safety-engineered pen needle designed to protect healthcare workers from needlestick injuries and blood exposure. It is now available in the US from BD Medical, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company.
Protection After Use: The BD AutoShield™ Duo is the only pen needle with front and back-end needle protection. The safety mechanisms activate automatically after use, virtually eliminating the risk of exposure to contaminated needles for clinicians and others.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52948-bd-autoshield-introduces-worlds-first-safety-engineered-pen-needle
On November 17, millions of Americans will mark the American Cancer Society’s 36th annual Great American Smokeout by giving up smoking for the day, and maybe for good. Because smoking can trigger asthma symptoms in children, quitting is an important first step toward protecting kids’ health. BeSmartBeWell.com tells parents the steps they can take on the Great American Smokeout, and every day of the year, to lower the risk for childhood asthma.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/childhoodasthma/50826/
International treatment guidelines – from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) – have advised that prevention of exacerbations should be a cornerstone of COPD management, placing equal emphasis on the management of future risk as it does on treatment of COPD symptoms.1 This is also confirmed in the latest data on the impact of season on the frequency of COPD exacerbations, showing an almost two-fold increase in the winter months. This is contributing to the increased morbidity seen during the festive season.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/nycomedtakeda/52782/
They’ve been dubbed the “Sandwich Generation”–middle-aged people caring for aging parents while still taking care of their own children. Pulled in many directions, these family jugglers are at risk for stress, depression and other health problems. Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population; 10,000 people turn 65 every day. This will continue for nearly 20 years, and that means more and more people will find themselves aiding their aging parents.
Throughout November, which is National Family Caregiver Month, BeSmartBeWell.com sheds light on the challenges of caregiving and the particular issues facing the Sandwich Generation. At BeSmartBeWell.com, siblings Chris and Ann share their story of juggling jobs, family and caring for elderly parents.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/caregivingparents/50827/
New research published by Palo Alto Networks™, the network security company, indicates explosive growth in global social networking and browser-based file sharing on corporate networks, with a 300 percent increase in active social networking (e.g., posting, applications) compared with activity during the same period in the latter half of 2010. The Palo Alto Networks Application Usage and Risk Report provides a global view into application usage based on assessments of the raw application traffic from more than 1,600 enterprises between April 2011 and November 2011.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52469-palo-alto-networks-social-networking-applications-growth-research
Pregnancy is an exciting time filled with hopeful anticipation, and most pregnancies are uneventful and result in healthy babies. Pregnancy, however, is not entirely without risk, leading some expectant parents to worry about birth defects and whether they’ll give birth to a healthy baby.
Many birth defects are minor and easily treated. But about one in every 33 babies is born with a major birth defect, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Major birth defects may have a serious impact on development, functional ability and overall health. Throughout January, which is Birth Defects Prevention Month, BeSmartBeWell.com highlights pregnancy risks and preventable birth defects. At BeSmartBeWell.com medical experts, and real-life expectant moms, like Sharon, share information to help lower the risk for birth defects.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/birthdefects/50829/