Queensland's female sex workers have similar levels of job satisfaction, physical health and mental well-being as women in the general population.
This is a key finding from an in-depth study into prostitution in Queensland by Queensland University of Technology PhD researcher Charrlotte Seib.
Ms Seib, from the School of Public Health, surveyed 247 female sex workers aged between 18 and 57 years located throughout Queensland.
She found that legal sex workers - those who worked in licensed brothels or who were registered to work from home - reported similar job satisfaction to women in the general community.
However, illegal sex workers - those who solicited in the street - had lower job satisfaction than other workers.
"The general picture is that those women whose families know about their work reported greater job satisfaction than those who kept their work secret," Ms Seib said.
"When asked their reasons for entering the sex industry, 82 per cent cited financial reasons, 52 per cent indicated that working in the sex industry offered good money and flexible working hours and 39 per cent said they had a particular goal in mind such as a new car, a house or a holiday."
The study also found that, contrary to the popular stereotype that sex workers came from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, one in four women surveyed had a Bachelor degree or higher, and 63 per cent were employed before they entered the industry.
Overall, sex workers had similar mental health to women from the general community, although illegal "street" workers reported greater psychological difficulty.
"The reasons for this are complex. Often, illegal sex workers had left home at an early age and for negative reasons (such as child abuse), and they were more likely to suffer violence at work and were more likely to use illicit drugs," Ms Seib said.
"The violence reported by illegal sex workers is of concern and illegal sex workers have little protection. Overall, 52 per cent of women in this group had been raped or bashed by a client in the past year compared with 12 per cent of private workers and just 3 per cent of brothel workers."
Ms Seib said the Queensland law had created two different sex industries - one that was protective and one that disadvantaged sex workers.
"Legalisation of this industry was been effective for those working within legal boundaries. However, street-based sex workers continue to be at significant risk."
She said policies and strategies should be extended to all sex workers and new strategies for managing health and safety risks should be considered.
"For example, strategies such as decriminalising street solicitation in specified areas, providing safe houses or repealing the laws that prevent two or more women working together would offer some protection," Ms Seib said.
Ms Seib's research involved close collaboration with QUT, sex workers, the Queensland Prostitution Licensing Authority, the Police Service, commercial sex industry owners, public health agencies and the University of Queensland.
"This collaboration is an example of how public health practice bridges the divide between social groups that often are opposed. The essence of our approach is to focus on the people first. Discrimination and stigma are the enemies of clear thinking and an inclusive society," Ms Seib said.
qut.edu.au
понедельник, 11 июня 2012 г.
понедельник, 4 июня 2012 г.
Clinical Study Supports Benefit Of Breastfeeding Support For Obese Women
Breastfeeding is best, but what happens when something goes wrong? And why do so many women struggle with this "natural" process even after carefully following all the well-meaning advice they've gotten from their health care providers? Not surprisingly, some women have more difficulty than others and there are many factors associated with experiencing breastfeeding problems - especially in the first week after birth. For example, being African-American, having less than a high school education, and being poor are all associated with suboptimal breastfeeding outcomes. Recent studies also consistently show that being overweight or obese increases the chance that a woman will suffer breastfeeding problems. With burgeoning rates of obesity and a continued public health effort to promote breastfeeding, researchers are scrambling to figure out why overweight women have trouble breastfeeding and what can be done to circumvent this predicament.
On April 25, two talks concerning the potential benefits of intensive breastfeeding support for obese women will be presented at the Experimental Biology 2010 meeting in Anaheim. These presentations are part of the scientific program of the American Society for Nutrition, the nation's leading nutrition research society. Scientists from the University of Connecticut, Hartford's Hispanic Health Council, the Hartford Hospital, and Yale University will speak. Their findings provide compelling evidence that peer counseling and support can substantially improve breastfeeding success among these at-risk ladies.
These studies, which were prompted by a sincere desire to "really understand whether obese women could be more successful at breastfeeding if they have help," were spearheaded by Dr. Donna Chapman, Assistant Director of the Center for Eliminating Health Disparities among Latinos (CEHDL) in Hartford, CT and graduate student Katie Morel. Using a very powerful scientific method employing randomization and intervention groups, Chapman and Morel studied 154 women recruited during pregnancy. All of the women involved in the study were overweight or obese (body mass index > 27 kg/m2) and hoping to successfully breastfeed. In general, the study's subjects were predominantly Puerto Rican, low-income, and had less than a high-school education. Whereas all of the participants received standard information concerning the benefits of breastfeeding, 76 of them were randomly chosen to also receive intensive, hands-on breastfeeding support from specially trained peer counselors. For instance, women in the "intervention" group were visited three times in their homes during late pregnancy and 11 more times in the first few months after birth. During these visits, the peer counselors offered helpful advice to offset immediate problems and were able to provide breast pumps to women needing them. The researchers then documented whether there were benefits of the specialized peer counseling on breastfeeding success, infant health and - in a subset of the women - breastfeeding techniques.
As they had hoped, Chapman and her colleagues found that peer counseling substantially improved breastfeeding success. Whereas 16% and 46% of the women in the "control" group had stopped breastfeeding by 2 and 8 weeks postpartum, respectively, only 7% and 33% of the women in the "intervention" group had stopped. They also documented important effects of personalized breastfeeding support on infant nursing behaviors. And to add even more bang for the buck, babies of mothers who received the extra counseling were 3.5 times less likely to be hospitalized during their first 3 months of life. This was mostly due to lower rates of respiratory infections and fever.
Chapman concluded "With help, obese women can be very successful at breastfeeding. And not surprisingly, the more intensive the support, the more successful they can be." This should be reassuring to both women and their care providers who are striving to do the right thing in terms of maternal and infant care- that is, support the myriad benefits of breastfeeding for both mom and baby.
Dr. Donna Chapman; Katherine Morel (Hispanic Health Council); Nan Kyer, IBCLC (Hispanic Health Council); Sarah Young, RN, MSN, IBCLC (Hartford Hospital); Dr. Rafael Perez-Escamilla (Yale University); Dr. Angela Bermudez-Millan (Hispanic Health Council); and Grace Damio, MS, CD/N (Hispanic Health Council) were co-authors on these studies. Funding for this research was secured by Dr. Rafael Perez-Escamilla (principal investigator) from the Donaghue Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and from NIH NCMHD grant P20MD001765.
Source
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
On April 25, two talks concerning the potential benefits of intensive breastfeeding support for obese women will be presented at the Experimental Biology 2010 meeting in Anaheim. These presentations are part of the scientific program of the American Society for Nutrition, the nation's leading nutrition research society. Scientists from the University of Connecticut, Hartford's Hispanic Health Council, the Hartford Hospital, and Yale University will speak. Their findings provide compelling evidence that peer counseling and support can substantially improve breastfeeding success among these at-risk ladies.
These studies, which were prompted by a sincere desire to "really understand whether obese women could be more successful at breastfeeding if they have help," were spearheaded by Dr. Donna Chapman, Assistant Director of the Center for Eliminating Health Disparities among Latinos (CEHDL) in Hartford, CT and graduate student Katie Morel. Using a very powerful scientific method employing randomization and intervention groups, Chapman and Morel studied 154 women recruited during pregnancy. All of the women involved in the study were overweight or obese (body mass index > 27 kg/m2) and hoping to successfully breastfeed. In general, the study's subjects were predominantly Puerto Rican, low-income, and had less than a high-school education. Whereas all of the participants received standard information concerning the benefits of breastfeeding, 76 of them were randomly chosen to also receive intensive, hands-on breastfeeding support from specially trained peer counselors. For instance, women in the "intervention" group were visited three times in their homes during late pregnancy and 11 more times in the first few months after birth. During these visits, the peer counselors offered helpful advice to offset immediate problems and were able to provide breast pumps to women needing them. The researchers then documented whether there were benefits of the specialized peer counseling on breastfeeding success, infant health and - in a subset of the women - breastfeeding techniques.
As they had hoped, Chapman and her colleagues found that peer counseling substantially improved breastfeeding success. Whereas 16% and 46% of the women in the "control" group had stopped breastfeeding by 2 and 8 weeks postpartum, respectively, only 7% and 33% of the women in the "intervention" group had stopped. They also documented important effects of personalized breastfeeding support on infant nursing behaviors. And to add even more bang for the buck, babies of mothers who received the extra counseling were 3.5 times less likely to be hospitalized during their first 3 months of life. This was mostly due to lower rates of respiratory infections and fever.
Chapman concluded "With help, obese women can be very successful at breastfeeding. And not surprisingly, the more intensive the support, the more successful they can be." This should be reassuring to both women and their care providers who are striving to do the right thing in terms of maternal and infant care- that is, support the myriad benefits of breastfeeding for both mom and baby.
Dr. Donna Chapman; Katherine Morel (Hispanic Health Council); Nan Kyer, IBCLC (Hispanic Health Council); Sarah Young, RN, MSN, IBCLC (Hartford Hospital); Dr. Rafael Perez-Escamilla (Yale University); Dr. Angela Bermudez-Millan (Hispanic Health Council); and Grace Damio, MS, CD/N (Hispanic Health Council) were co-authors on these studies. Funding for this research was secured by Dr. Rafael Perez-Escamilla (principal investigator) from the Donaghue Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and from NIH NCMHD grant P20MD001765.
Source
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
понедельник, 28 мая 2012 г.
The Staggering Costs Of Osteoporosis Revealed By Comprehensive Argentinean Epidemiological Study
The key findings of the article published in April 2010 in the scientific journal Archives of Osteoporosis, include:
In Argentina, bone mineral density studies reveal that one out of three women aged 50 or over suffers from osteoporosis.
The prevalence of vertebral fractures in Argentinean women aged 50 or older is 16%.
Over 34.000 hip fractures occur every year among the 50 years or older population, with an average of 90 fractures per day.
The cost of vertebral and hip osteoporotic fractures is estimated in approximately 250 million dollars per year in Argentina.
Risk factors for hip fracture include cognitive impairment, previous falls, low calcium intake during youth, vitamin D deficiency, advanced age, and current low calcium intake.
The findings were announced at a press conference held by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Latin America regional office in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Scientific Director Prof. Dr. Jos?© R. Zanchetta provided an update on the incidence of hip fractures and the prevalence of vertebral fractures in Argentina, along with findings from the recent study on epidemiology, costs and burden of osteoporosis in Argentina. The research carried out by Dr. Francisco R. Spivacow and Dr. Ariel S??nchez, was possible thanks to an International Osteoporosis Foundation educational grant and guidelines for research and study methodology on a global basis.
In 2009, the total population of Argentina was slightly over 40 million, with about 10 million inhabitants aged 50 or more. The Argentinean population is expected to grow 13% by 2050, reaching 53 million with 19.5 million people aged 50 or older.
Local bone mineral density studies reveal that two out of four postmenopausal women have osteopenia, one has osteoporosis, and one has a normal bone mineral density. Around 3.3 million women will suffer from osteopenia in 2025 and 5.24 million in 2050. Although the rate of fragility fractures is higher in patients with osteoporosis, the absolute number of fractures is higher in osteopenic patients.
In Argentina, the mean annual rate of hip fractures is 488/100.000 inhabitants aged above 50, with a 2.6:1 ratio women to men. Thus, over 34.000 hip fractures occur every year among the aged population with an average of 90 such fractures per day. The Latin American Vertebral Osteoporosis Study found an overall 16% prevalence of vertebral fractures in Argentinean women aged 50 years or over. (Latin American Vertebral Osteoporosis Study, June 2008).
The research concludes that the hospitalization costs of hip fractures and vertebral fractures in Argentina exceed 250 million USD per year; representing enormous costs to the public health system. These costs do not capture the human and longterm socio-economic impact of osteoporotic fractures, which include loss of quality of life, significant burden of care for families, and in many cases, the loss of independence in old age.
The researchers issued a call to improve the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in an effort to prevent fractures and their resulting socio-economic costs.
Source:
L.Misteli
International Osteoporosis Foundation
In Argentina, bone mineral density studies reveal that one out of three women aged 50 or over suffers from osteoporosis.
The prevalence of vertebral fractures in Argentinean women aged 50 or older is 16%.
Over 34.000 hip fractures occur every year among the 50 years or older population, with an average of 90 fractures per day.
The cost of vertebral and hip osteoporotic fractures is estimated in approximately 250 million dollars per year in Argentina.
Risk factors for hip fracture include cognitive impairment, previous falls, low calcium intake during youth, vitamin D deficiency, advanced age, and current low calcium intake.
The findings were announced at a press conference held by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Latin America regional office in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Scientific Director Prof. Dr. Jos?© R. Zanchetta provided an update on the incidence of hip fractures and the prevalence of vertebral fractures in Argentina, along with findings from the recent study on epidemiology, costs and burden of osteoporosis in Argentina. The research carried out by Dr. Francisco R. Spivacow and Dr. Ariel S??nchez, was possible thanks to an International Osteoporosis Foundation educational grant and guidelines for research and study methodology on a global basis.
In 2009, the total population of Argentina was slightly over 40 million, with about 10 million inhabitants aged 50 or more. The Argentinean population is expected to grow 13% by 2050, reaching 53 million with 19.5 million people aged 50 or older.
Local bone mineral density studies reveal that two out of four postmenopausal women have osteopenia, one has osteoporosis, and one has a normal bone mineral density. Around 3.3 million women will suffer from osteopenia in 2025 and 5.24 million in 2050. Although the rate of fragility fractures is higher in patients with osteoporosis, the absolute number of fractures is higher in osteopenic patients.
In Argentina, the mean annual rate of hip fractures is 488/100.000 inhabitants aged above 50, with a 2.6:1 ratio women to men. Thus, over 34.000 hip fractures occur every year among the aged population with an average of 90 such fractures per day. The Latin American Vertebral Osteoporosis Study found an overall 16% prevalence of vertebral fractures in Argentinean women aged 50 years or over. (Latin American Vertebral Osteoporosis Study, June 2008).
The research concludes that the hospitalization costs of hip fractures and vertebral fractures in Argentina exceed 250 million USD per year; representing enormous costs to the public health system. These costs do not capture the human and longterm socio-economic impact of osteoporotic fractures, which include loss of quality of life, significant burden of care for families, and in many cases, the loss of independence in old age.
The researchers issued a call to improve the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in an effort to prevent fractures and their resulting socio-economic costs.
Source:
L.Misteli
International Osteoporosis Foundation
понедельник, 21 мая 2012 г.
Genital Arousal Disorder Adversely Impacts Women's Lives
New research shows that women suffering from Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD), a condition marked by unprovoked, intrusive and persistent sensations of genital arousal that are unrelieved by one or several orgasms, are likely to experience a variety of associated psychological conditions. Women who have this rare and often distressing condition often experience related depression, anxiety, panic attacks and frequently show a past history of sexual victimization. The condition is accompanied by frustration, guilt, anxiety and distress for the sufferer. The first-ever study on PGAD appears in the current issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Although exact prevalence figures are unknown, the condition may not be as rare as initially believed. To date, hundreds of women around the world have completed a comprehensive web-based survey posted on a variety of women's health-related websites, inviting women who experienced symptoms of persistent genital arousal to respond. Information concerning the correlating psychological, medical and pharmacological factors was thus able to be identified.
"The complaint of persistent genital arousal deserves serious research attention since it is accompanied by a considerable amount of psychological distress, and yet the cause and treatment remain undefined," says Sandra Leiblum, Ph.D., senior author of the study and former President of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health.
Results from this study suggest that a majority of women who suffer from PGAD also have pre-existing stress related illnesses. However, "PGAD is most certainly not 'all in the mind,' and these women should be assessed thoroughly with empathy and careful attention to their symptoms and history," says David Goldmeier, M.D., co-author of the study. "Although no physical illness or medication showed up as a cause of PGAD in this study, I would urge women to initially consult a sympathetic physician."
Irwin Goldstein, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, observed, "Women of all ages, ranging from teens to menopause, currently suffer from this obtrusive sexual problem. More research efforts to better understand and treat this unusual under-inhibited sexual condition are strongly needed."
This manuscript is published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Dr. Sandra Leiblum is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at The University of Medicine and Dentistry's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Dr. David Goldmeier is a Consultant Physician, Sexual Medicine at the Imperial NHS Trust in London.
Dr. Irwin Goldstein is Director, Sexual Medicine at Alvarado Hospital; Director, San Diego Sexual Medicine, San Diego, California; and Clinical Professor of Surgery, University of California, San Diego.
The Journal of Sexual Medicine publishes multidisciplinary basic science and clinical research to define and understand the scientific basis of male and female sexual function and dysfunction. As the official journal of the International Society for Sexual Medicine and the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health, it provides healthcare professionals in sexual medicine with essential educational content and promotes the exchange of scientific information generated from basic science and clinical research.
For more information please visit blackwell-synergy/loi/jsm.
The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) was founded in 1982 for the purpose of promoting, throughout the international scientific community, research and knowledge in sexual medicine, considered as the subspeciality area of medicine that embraces the study, diagnosis and treatment of the sexual health concerns of men and women. The society has over 3000 members worldwide, with five regional societies that are affiliated with ISSM: the Africa Gulf Society for Sexual Medicine, Asia Pacific Society for Sexual Medicine, European Society for Sexual Medicine, Latin American Society for Sexual Medicine, and Sexual Medicine Society of North America.
For more information please visit issm/.
Source:
Sean Wagner
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Although exact prevalence figures are unknown, the condition may not be as rare as initially believed. To date, hundreds of women around the world have completed a comprehensive web-based survey posted on a variety of women's health-related websites, inviting women who experienced symptoms of persistent genital arousal to respond. Information concerning the correlating psychological, medical and pharmacological factors was thus able to be identified.
"The complaint of persistent genital arousal deserves serious research attention since it is accompanied by a considerable amount of psychological distress, and yet the cause and treatment remain undefined," says Sandra Leiblum, Ph.D., senior author of the study and former President of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health.
Results from this study suggest that a majority of women who suffer from PGAD also have pre-existing stress related illnesses. However, "PGAD is most certainly not 'all in the mind,' and these women should be assessed thoroughly with empathy and careful attention to their symptoms and history," says David Goldmeier, M.D., co-author of the study. "Although no physical illness or medication showed up as a cause of PGAD in this study, I would urge women to initially consult a sympathetic physician."
Irwin Goldstein, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, observed, "Women of all ages, ranging from teens to menopause, currently suffer from this obtrusive sexual problem. More research efforts to better understand and treat this unusual under-inhibited sexual condition are strongly needed."
This manuscript is published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Dr. Sandra Leiblum is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at The University of Medicine and Dentistry's Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Dr. David Goldmeier is a Consultant Physician, Sexual Medicine at the Imperial NHS Trust in London.
Dr. Irwin Goldstein is Director, Sexual Medicine at Alvarado Hospital; Director, San Diego Sexual Medicine, San Diego, California; and Clinical Professor of Surgery, University of California, San Diego.
The Journal of Sexual Medicine publishes multidisciplinary basic science and clinical research to define and understand the scientific basis of male and female sexual function and dysfunction. As the official journal of the International Society for Sexual Medicine and the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health, it provides healthcare professionals in sexual medicine with essential educational content and promotes the exchange of scientific information generated from basic science and clinical research.
For more information please visit blackwell-synergy/loi/jsm.
The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) was founded in 1982 for the purpose of promoting, throughout the international scientific community, research and knowledge in sexual medicine, considered as the subspeciality area of medicine that embraces the study, diagnosis and treatment of the sexual health concerns of men and women. The society has over 3000 members worldwide, with five regional societies that are affiliated with ISSM: the Africa Gulf Society for Sexual Medicine, Asia Pacific Society for Sexual Medicine, European Society for Sexual Medicine, Latin American Society for Sexual Medicine, and Sexual Medicine Society of North America.
For more information please visit issm/.
Source:
Sean Wagner
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
понедельник, 14 мая 2012 г.
Karolinska Development Portfolio Company Completes Successful Phase II Clinical Trial
Karolinska Development (publ) announced that one of its portfolio companies, Dilafor AB, has concluded an extensive clinical study of its candidate drug, tafoxiparin, a new drug substance for the prevention of protracted labor during childbirth. The promising results of the Phase II trial bring the project closer to exit in line with Karolinska Development's business strategy.
Dilafor's candidate drug, tafoxiparin DF01 is one of 11 compounds within the Karolinska Development portfolio that are currently conducting clinical trials. The completion of the Dilafor study is an important milestone for Karolinska Development and exemplifies the company's ability to develop innovative ideas through to clinical proof of concept quickly and efficiently. In the case of Dilafor, tafoxiparin has taken just six years to go from research concept to its current stage.
Karolinska Development's portfolio consists of more than 40 life science companies. A unique business model, which gives portfolio companies access to a broad network of business, legal, regulatory and scientific expertise, means that development times and costs are reduced compared to traditional drug development programs. With seven compounds currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials and five in Phase I the portfolio has matured to the point that Karolinska Development is now actively seeking commercial partners for its most advanced projects.
Conny Bogentoft, CEO of Karolinska Development, said, "The completion of the Dilafor Phase II trial is an important step for Karolinska Development and we are extremely pleased that Dilafor has achieved some very positive results. At the same time, it also goes a long way towards validating our business model. We are now very much focused on finding commercial opportunities for Dilafor's tafoxiparin and for several of our other projects that are reaching maturity."
The tafoxiparin Phase II trial was designed to measure the effect on labor time after preventive treatment using the candidate drug. 263 women at 18 clinics in Sweden were included in a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study, conducted over a two year period. The treatment, which was administered during the last phase of pregnancy, was shown to be safe and well tolerated. In the groups as a whole the labor time was shorter in the treated group, but did not reach statistical significance.
However, further analyses of results suggest that treatment with tafoxiparin provides beneficial effects, including: a statistically significant (p=0.04) reduction in the number of women with labor times in excess of twelve hours; fewer complications as a cause of protracted labor; and fewer caesarean sections as a result of protracted labor.
Dilafor's CEO, Anders Asell, commented, "By concluding this proof-of-concept study we have shown that tafoxiparin has the potential to solve an important unmet medical need. We will now start actively seeking a collaboration partner with whom we can carry out a Phase III program. Parallel to this we will continue to develop tafoxiparin within Dilafor."
About Dilafor AB
Established in 2003, Dilafor AB is a Swedish R&D company focused on developing pharmaceutical products from heparin derivatives with low anticoagulant activity. The company has a balanced product portfolio representing highly promising ideas and innovations. Each of the projects addresses important and unmet medical needs.
The project, tafoxiparin (DF01) for protracted labor, successfully concluded a clinicial Phase II study in July 2009. DF02, a drug candidate for the treatment of severe malaria, is presently in Phase I clinical development.
Dilafor is managed by senior staff with high academic credentials and extensive industrial experience gained from key areas of pharmaceutical development. The company is located at Karolinska Institutet Science Park and is part of Karolinska Development.
About Karolinska Development AB
Managing one of the largest portfolios of life science research companies in Europe, Karolinska Development AB is a new type of company focused on filling the innovation gap within the pharmaceutical industry. Using a unique, highly cost-effective model Karolinska Development commercializes internationally renowned life science innovations, helping to deliver the medical products of the future.
Source: Karolinska Development AB
Dilafor's candidate drug, tafoxiparin DF01 is one of 11 compounds within the Karolinska Development portfolio that are currently conducting clinical trials. The completion of the Dilafor study is an important milestone for Karolinska Development and exemplifies the company's ability to develop innovative ideas through to clinical proof of concept quickly and efficiently. In the case of Dilafor, tafoxiparin has taken just six years to go from research concept to its current stage.
Karolinska Development's portfolio consists of more than 40 life science companies. A unique business model, which gives portfolio companies access to a broad network of business, legal, regulatory and scientific expertise, means that development times and costs are reduced compared to traditional drug development programs. With seven compounds currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials and five in Phase I the portfolio has matured to the point that Karolinska Development is now actively seeking commercial partners for its most advanced projects.
Conny Bogentoft, CEO of Karolinska Development, said, "The completion of the Dilafor Phase II trial is an important step for Karolinska Development and we are extremely pleased that Dilafor has achieved some very positive results. At the same time, it also goes a long way towards validating our business model. We are now very much focused on finding commercial opportunities for Dilafor's tafoxiparin and for several of our other projects that are reaching maturity."
The tafoxiparin Phase II trial was designed to measure the effect on labor time after preventive treatment using the candidate drug. 263 women at 18 clinics in Sweden were included in a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study, conducted over a two year period. The treatment, which was administered during the last phase of pregnancy, was shown to be safe and well tolerated. In the groups as a whole the labor time was shorter in the treated group, but did not reach statistical significance.
However, further analyses of results suggest that treatment with tafoxiparin provides beneficial effects, including: a statistically significant (p=0.04) reduction in the number of women with labor times in excess of twelve hours; fewer complications as a cause of protracted labor; and fewer caesarean sections as a result of protracted labor.
Dilafor's CEO, Anders Asell, commented, "By concluding this proof-of-concept study we have shown that tafoxiparin has the potential to solve an important unmet medical need. We will now start actively seeking a collaboration partner with whom we can carry out a Phase III program. Parallel to this we will continue to develop tafoxiparin within Dilafor."
About Dilafor AB
Established in 2003, Dilafor AB is a Swedish R&D company focused on developing pharmaceutical products from heparin derivatives with low anticoagulant activity. The company has a balanced product portfolio representing highly promising ideas and innovations. Each of the projects addresses important and unmet medical needs.
The project, tafoxiparin (DF01) for protracted labor, successfully concluded a clinicial Phase II study in July 2009. DF02, a drug candidate for the treatment of severe malaria, is presently in Phase I clinical development.
Dilafor is managed by senior staff with high academic credentials and extensive industrial experience gained from key areas of pharmaceutical development. The company is located at Karolinska Institutet Science Park and is part of Karolinska Development.
About Karolinska Development AB
Managing one of the largest portfolios of life science research companies in Europe, Karolinska Development AB is a new type of company focused on filling the innovation gap within the pharmaceutical industry. Using a unique, highly cost-effective model Karolinska Development commercializes internationally renowned life science innovations, helping to deliver the medical products of the future.
Source: Karolinska Development AB
понедельник, 7 мая 2012 г.
Huckabee At Debate Expresses Support For Abortion Ban Amendment; Romney Explains Support For Two-Step Process To Ban Abortion
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, on Wednesday at a debate in Durham, N.H., said that he supports a constitutional amendment that would ban abortion, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The debate at the University of New Hampshire was moderated by Fox News' Brit Hume (Quaid, AP/Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/6). Huckabee said he would "love to see" the U.S. adopt an amendment similar to one in the Arkansas Constitution "that says that we believe life begins at conception and that we ought to do everything in the world possible to protect it until its natural conclusion."
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who also is running for the Republican nomination, was asked by Fox News' Wendell Goler about his abortion-rights position (Fox News debate transcript, 9/5). Top advisers last month said Romney supports a two-tiered process in which states first would obtain authority to regulate abortion after Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively barred state abortion bans -- is overturned. The second step would be a constitutional amendment that bans most abortions nationwide (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/23).
Romney said, "I believe almost all of us in the room would say that we'd love to have an America that didn't have abortion. But the truth of the matter is ... that's not what America is right now. That's not what the American people are right now. And so I'd like to see Roe v. Wade overturned and allow the states and the elected representatives of the people, and the people themselves, have the ability to put in place pro-life legislation" (AP/Google, 9/6).
Romney added, "I believe that a civilized society must respect the sanctity of the human life. But we have two lives involved here -- a mom, an unborn child. We have to have concern for both lives and show the expression of our compassion and our consideration and work to change hearts and minds, and that's the way in my view we'll ultimately have a society without abortion" (Fox News debate transcript, 9/5).
A Fox News transcript of the complete debate is available online. Fox News video of Romney and Huckabee's comments on abortion also is available online (FoxNews, 9/6).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who also is running for the Republican nomination, was asked by Fox News' Wendell Goler about his abortion-rights position (Fox News debate transcript, 9/5). Top advisers last month said Romney supports a two-tiered process in which states first would obtain authority to regulate abortion after Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively barred state abortion bans -- is overturned. The second step would be a constitutional amendment that bans most abortions nationwide (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/23).
Romney said, "I believe almost all of us in the room would say that we'd love to have an America that didn't have abortion. But the truth of the matter is ... that's not what America is right now. That's not what the American people are right now. And so I'd like to see Roe v. Wade overturned and allow the states and the elected representatives of the people, and the people themselves, have the ability to put in place pro-life legislation" (AP/Google, 9/6).
Romney added, "I believe that a civilized society must respect the sanctity of the human life. But we have two lives involved here -- a mom, an unborn child. We have to have concern for both lives and show the expression of our compassion and our consideration and work to change hearts and minds, and that's the way in my view we'll ultimately have a society without abortion" (Fox News debate transcript, 9/5).
A Fox News transcript of the complete debate is available online. Fox News video of Romney and Huckabee's comments on abortion also is available online (FoxNews, 9/6).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
понедельник, 30 апреля 2012 г.
Washington Times Opinion Piece Discusses Emergency Contraception
At the same time as health experts and advocates marked the annual Back Up Your Birth Control Campaign Day of Action on Wednesday - dedicated to increasing awareness about emergency contraception - some also are calling for a greater focus on pregnancy prevention methods other than EC, Washington Times columnist and reporter Cheryl Wetzstein writes. In an article in the March issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, EC expert James Trussell and two colleagues acknowledged that research shows that EC has not reduced pregnancy or abortion rates and wrote, "A constructive response to this disappointment [about EC] requires that we identify new directions and approaches."
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The Times reports that when EC first became available in the U.S. about 10 years ago, some health experts had high hopes for the contraceptive's potential to reduce unintended pregnancies, about half of which end in abortion.
Samantha Levine, spokesperson for the National Institute for Reproductive Health, said that women might not have accurate information about the availably of EC. "Some women still don't know that it's available behind the counter at your pharmacy, for women 17 and older," Levine said, adding, "The thing that's important about emergency contraception is that it's there as a backup method."
Trussell and colleagues suggested that easier access to long term methods such as the levonorgestrel intrauterine system Mirena or the implantable method Implanon could reduce unintended pregnancy. Simple changes in practice such as allowing women to obtain intrauterine devices when they request them, rather than wait for during a subsequent visit to a health care provider, could increase use.
The researchers also called for exploration into situations in which women are at risk for unintended pregnancies. They noted that postpartum women typically do not resume birth control for six weeks, even though some studies suggest they might be able to use contraceptives sooner. Studies also should examine how often obese women experience "pill failure," Trussell and his colleagues said (Wetzstein, Washington Times, 3/25).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
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