MET Inhibitors Exciting New Therapies for Cancer – Video


16-05-2012 12:53 During the 7th Annual Community Oncology Conference, Dr. Howard Burris III talked about MET inhibitors, “a fascinating new class of anti-cancer agents.” He also talked about what community oncologists can do to increase participation in clinical trials. Dr. Burris is Chief Medical Officer and Director, Drug Development at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville. He is also editor-in-chief of The Oncology Report

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Bipolar Disorder Show Cuts Stigma – Video


17-05-2012 10:11 Dr. Sagar V. Parikh and his associates commissioned a one-woman theatrical show by Victoria Maxwell, a bipolar disorder patient herself, to portray how a patient successfully deals with her disease. Surveys of health care providers and patients before and after seeing the show documented that the show helps reduce stigmas associated with bipolar disorder. See the related story at

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Dehaier Medical to Present at the CFA 2012 Cross-Continental Summit on Investment in Shanghai

BEIJING, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ — Dehaier Medical Systems Ltd. (DHRM) (“Dehaier” or the “Company”), an emerging leader in the development, assembly, marketing and sale of medical devices and homecare medical products, today announced that the Company will present at the CFA 2012 Cross-Continental Summit on Investment, to be held at the Shanghai Purple Mountain Hotel in Shanghai on May 18, 2012.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100422/CNTH001LOGO )

Dehaier’s Chairman and CEO, Mr.Ping Chen, will present and participate in the “Health Care and Medical” panel discussion at 4:40 p.m. local time on Friday, May 18, 2012 and meet with investors throughout the day. Additional information on CFA and the conference (including Mr. Chen’s full biography) can be found by visiting the association’s website at http://www.cfasociety.org/china/ and clicking the appropriate links.

About Dehaier Medical Systems Ltd.

Dehaier is an emerging leader in the development, assembly, marketing and sale of medical products, including respiratory and oxygen homecare medical products. The company develops and assembles its own branded medical devices and homecare medical products from third-party components. The company also distributes products designed and manufactured by other companies, including medical devices from IMD (Italy), Welch Allyn (USA), HEYER (Germany), Timesco (UK), eVent Medical (US) and JMS (Japan). Dehaier’s technology is based on six patents and five software copyrights; additionally Dehaier has two pending software copyrights and proprietary technology. More information may be found at http://www.dehaier.com.cn

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events, government approvals or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts, including in particular statements about Dehaier’s attendance at the referenced summit. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, government regulation, future developments in payment for and demand for medical equipment and services, implementation of and performance under the joint venture agreement by all parties, and other risks contained in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the company, are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, the company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Contact Us

Dehaier Medical Systems Limited Surie Liu +86 10-5166-0080 lius@dehaier.com.cn

Dehaier Medical Systems Limited Tina He +86 10-5166-0080 hexw@dehaier.com.cn

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Medical Properties Trust Inc. Declares Regular Quarterly Dividend of $0.20 Per Share

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW – News) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share of common stock to be paid on July 12, 2012 to stockholders of record on June 14, 2012.

About Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. is a Birmingham, Alabama based self-advised real estate investment trust formed to capitalize on the changing trends in healthcare delivery by acquiring and developing net-leased healthcare facilities. These facilities include inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, regional acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and other single-discipline healthcare facilities, such as heart hospitals and orthopedic hospitals.

The statements in this press release that are forward looking are based on current expectations and actual results or future events may differ materially. Words such as expects, believes, anticipates, intends, will, should and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, which include, but are not limited to, the payment of future dividends, if any. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results of the Company or future events to differ materially from those expressed in or underlying such forward-looking statements, including without limitation: national and economic, business, real estate and other market conditions; the competitive environment in which the Company operates; the execution of the Companys business plan; financing risks; the Companys ability to maintain its status as a REIT for federal income tax purposes; acquisition and development risks; potential environmental and other liabilities; and other factors affecting the real estate industry generally or the healthcare real estate in particular. For further discussion of the factors that could affect outcomes, please refer to the Risk Factors section of the Companys Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended December 31, 2011 and our other SEC filings. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update the information in this press release.

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General Practice – Uk India Partnership Initiative

Home

Calcutta News.Net Thursday 17th May, 2012 (Source: Medical News Today)

??An article featured in BMJ reports on a ‘white paper’, which investigates as to how India and the UK can collaborate more closely in an equal partnership to improve both nations’ primary health care.

?The paper lists a number of opportunities based on India’s plans to achieve Universal Health Coverage, which requires the collaboration of the UK and India to benefit both nations by strengthening primary care in India and bringing expertise and … …

Read the full story at Medical News Today

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Health Highlights: May 16, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

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Health Highlights: May 16, 2012

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Health Highlights: May 17, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

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Health Highlights: May 17, 2012

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Amla passes fruit fly test

New Delhi, May 17: A herbal formulation containing gooseberry, or amla, prescribed in traditional Ayurvedic medicine appears to help fruit flies tolerate high temperatures and starvation, and gain lifespan by a modest 10 per cent, scientists have said.

The scientists said the herbal compound called Amlaka rasayana, claimed by traditional Ayurvedic medicine to increase body strength and enhance longevity, appears to bolster the capacity of fruit flies to withstand heat and starvation stress.

The researchers from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the Arya Vaidya Shala, Kottakkal, and Manipal University, published the results of their experiments with fruit flies this week in the international journal PLoS One. While previous studies have explored the physiological effects of amla formulations, the scientists said their results are based on statistical rigour and large sample sizes.

The researchers added tiny amounts of the compound into the meals of fruit flies. The improved heat tolerance is dramatic, said Subhash Lakhotia, a senior zoologist at the BHU and principal investigator of the study.

The flies are typically knocked down after short periods of exposure to temperatures above 38C. The number that collapsed after the exposure was significantly lower among flies that received the herbal supplement than among the flies that did not.

In another experiment, the researchers denied the flies solid food, but allowed them only water. The flies that fed on the herbal supplement had greater tolerance to starvation, more of them surviving, compared to those that did not get the supplement.

While fruit flies have long reigned as model animals for biomedical research, the scientists say the new study establishes the validity of the fruit fly model as a test organism to investigate the scientific basis of Ayurveda.

Flies have been used for years to understand many human diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration, Lakhotia told The Telegraph. We now have greater confidence to test traditional herbal formulations in fly models of neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntingtons, Alzheimers, or Parkinsons , he said.

The scientists also fed fruit flies a traditional formulation called Rasa-sindoor, an organo-metallic derivative of mercury, and found no effect on the life span or on starvation tolerance, but observed even better heat tolerance than achieved with Amlaka rasayana.

While the experiments on the flies were conducted at the BHU, collaborators at Kottakkal prepared the formulations through standardised recipes. Future studies will be aimed at understanding the physiological effects that such formulations have on the flies, Lakhotia said.

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Coffee gives jolt to life span

Java consumption linked to slightly increased longevity

Web edition : Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

Its the news that coffee addicts have been waiting for: Drinking several cups of coffee every day may help you live longer. A study of more than 400,000 people finds that drinking coffee reduces the risk of death from heart disease, stroke and even infections, researchers report in the May 17 New England Journal of Medicine.

Scientists have long puzzled over the notion that a stimulant could provide a health benefit. Theres been a concern for a long time that coffee could even be detrimental, says study coauthor Neal Freedman, an epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. Our results might provide some reassurance for long-term coffee drinkers.

Since the study volunteers werent randomly assigned to drink coffee or not, the research has the limitations of being observational in nature. But with data from 402,260 participants, the results are very powerful and unlikely to be superseded by another coffee study anytime soon, says Roy Ziegelstein, a cardiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. This might be as good as it gets, he says.

Freedman and his colleagues analyzed data provided by men and women who completed a detailed questionnaire that included information about coffee intake as part of a medical studyin the mid-1990s. The researchers excluded people who had previously had cancer, heart disease or some other serious illness and recorded the remaining volunteers mortality status through 2008 by checking death records.

During a median follow-up of 13.6 years, people who drank two or more cups of coffee per day were 10 to 16 percent less likely to have died than nondrinkers. A single cup a day provided less apparent benefit. Women seemed to get more out of drinking ample java than men; women who drank six cups of coffee per day had a 15 percent reduced risk of death compared with nondrinkers, while men consuming that much had only a 10 percent reduced risk.

More than two cups a day seemed to offer some protection against death due to heart disease, respiratory ailments and diabetes, while four or more cups a day imparted apparent benefits against stroke and infections.

The researchers accounted for differences between coffee drinkers and nondrinkers such as body mass, smoking status and the consumption of alcohol, red meat, white meat, vitamins, fruits and vegetables.

Caffeine may not play a big role in coffees apparent benefit. Decaffeinated coffee consumption was associated with about the same longevity edge as regular. There are a huge number of chemically active components aside from caffeine in coffee, says Rachel Huxley, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis. Given that the relationship between coffee intake and reduced mortality is not confined to one particular disease suggests that there are a lot of possible mechanisms involved.

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IVF couple baby joy after woman drip-fed egg and soya oil to stop her body destroying her own embryos

The rich fatty solution was found to boost IVF success rates by six times in a recent study

By Paul Bentley

PUBLISHED: 05:01 EST, 17 May 2012 | UPDATED: 18:41 EST, 17 May 2012

After four exhausting and expensive attempts at IVF failed, Sara and Matthew Conyers feared they were never going to have a family of their own.

But five years after the couples fertility nightmare began they are celebrating the birth of twins thanks to the help of a side treatment which involved Mrs Conyers being drip-fed a diet of egg yolks and soya oil.

Doctors believe it could help more women achieve their dream of motherhood, with studies showing the concoction has a remarkable success rate at overcoming an immune system problem in which killer cells attack a fertilised embryo.

A delighted Sara and Matthew with their twin boys William and Ben who were born following a fifth round of IVF

Mrs Conyers, 33, a teacher, and her husband Matthew, 40, a financial adviser, began trying for a child immediately after they married in August 2007.

After two and a half years with no pregnancy the couple decided to try private IVF treatment.

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BPA Exposure Associated With Failed IVF

Exposure to the ubiquitous polycarbonate plastics chemical, bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. Given its estrogenic mimicking properties, the chemical has long been linked to fertility, genital, and reproductive issues, among other adverse health effects.

This recent study, published in Environmental Health Prespectives, found that BPA exposure at levels typically found in the general population, can lessen a womans chance of conceiving when undergoing fertility treatment, said Environmental Health News, citing Harvard University research. Women with increased BPA levels were less likely to become pregnant than women with lower levels; the link was stronger with more intense treatments. Pregnancies failed because embryos did not attach to the uterus, said Environmental Health News. Prior animal studies revealed similar results; however, this study was the first time to reveal the link in humans.

The team followed 137 women seeking fertility treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center and reviewed the link between BPA exposure and pregnancy success in women undergoing IVF treatment. The women were of childbearing agebetween 18 and 45 years of agewho used their own eggs; most were Caucasian and non-smokers, said Environmental Health News. The women were followed through each IVF cycle until they either delivered their baby or stopped IVF treatment and underwent one of three IVF treatment protocols based on if they were poor or good responders. Poor responders require large doses of fertility drugs and conclude with fewer eggs.

BPA concentrations in urine samples were measured at each treatment and researchers confirmed pregnancies, which were defined as successful embryo implantation, by measuring blood samples for levels of a hormone produced during pregnancy: -human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (-HCG). -HCG is found in blood and urine of women who are as early as 10 days pregnant, said Environmental Health News. The results suggest that increased BPA levels are tied to the number of failed pregnancies in women receiving fertility treatment, which confirms what has been seen in animal studies and supports prior study findings linking BPA to fertility problems.

BPA has been at the center of a fierce debate in the United States between industry, which claims that the chemical is safe, and science, which has linked the estrogenic mimicker to myriad health effects. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has said that BPA is safe and rejected a petition by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on March 30 to ban the chemical. Since, the FDA has called for more BPA studies.

BPA, a compound that uses a combination of phenol and acetone, enters food when it leeches from food and beverage containers, and has been approved by the FDA for use in shatter-resistant polycarbonate plastic and durable epoxy resins. BPA leaches into productshot or coldand into the skin, from common items such as paper money, toilet paper, and receipts. BPA works in the body as an anti-androgen, a substance that blocks hormone activity, and mimics estrogen, a powerful female hormone. Because of this, BPA affects, even interrupts, sexual development and processes, especially in developing fetuses, infants, and children.

We recently wrote that another BPA study revealed a possible link to breast cancer and have long written that BPA is linked to toxic injury and life threatening illnesses in many hundreds of studies, BPA has also has been linked to future cardiac issues and was found to mix up the bodys hormones, tricking fat cells into taking in more fat or confusing the pancreas into releasing too much insulin, the hormone responsible to regulate the breakdown of fat and carbohydrates in the body. At least two BPA-breast cancer links and links to increased anxiety and depression in preschoolers exposed to BPA in the womb have been revealed. BPA has also been linked to toxic injury and implications in intestinal problems, brain cell connection interference, increased risks of immune system diseases and disorders, problems with liver function testing, and interruptions in chemotherapy treatment. Increased risks for reproductive system disease, for instance, to uterine health and mammalian reproduction; a deadly uterine infection; premature puberty; Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and other female fertility and endocrine issues; and erectile dysfunction and male sexual problems in males as young as the developing fetus have been linked to BPA. Very significantly, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently said that BPA may affect the development of young and unborn children.

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Lineagen Completes 9000-Person Study Focused on Genetic Variants in Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum …

SALT LAKE CITY, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –Lineagen today announced the Company completed the testing portion of a 9,000-person research study designed to confirm novel copy number genetic variants and novel next-generation sequence variants associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These variants were discovered by Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., and his team at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)’s Center for Applied Genomics and by Mark F. Leppert, Ph.D., and his team at the University of Utah’s Department of Human Genetics. In partnership with Affymetrix, Lineagen has incorporated these novel variants into the next generation of its FirstStepDx genetic testing service, which combines highly advanced genetic testing with fully integrated genetic counseling to accelerate and enhance the diagnostic evaluation of individuals with ASD, developmental delay (DD), and intellectual disability (ID), and help physicians better direct clinical management for these individuals. The launch of Lineagen’s next generation FirstStepDx is expected to coincide with peer-review publication of the study results as early as the fourth quarter of 2012.

Lineagen was granted an exclusive commercial license to these novel genetic variants as part of separate broad license and research collaborations with CHOP and the University of Utah to improve the understanding of the genetic contributors to ASD. Notably, the exclusively licensed markers from CHOP, published in Nature and PLoS Genetics, were named by TIME magazine as one of the top ten medical breakthroughs of 2009.

Dr. Hakonarson, Director of CHOP’s Center for Applied Genomics, commented, “Recent clinical literature has demonstrated that patients with positive findings on chromosomal microarray (CMA) can experience significant changes in clinical management. By incorporating CHOP’s genetic variants, which may account for up to 15% of ASD cases, Lineagen has developed a CMA platform to test for these variants, thereby providing clinicians with information that may affect the way patients with ASD, DD, and ID are evaluated and managed clinically.”

Dr. Leppert, Distinguished Professor at the University of Utah’s Department of Human Genetics, said, “We are very encouraged by the productivity to date of the research program with Lineagen. The ability to replicate in the general population the findings from our collaboration is a major step in understanding the genetic markers associated with ASD. We look forward to the continued success of the program and to the further refinement of Lineagen’s FirstStepDx genetic test.”

Michael S. Paul, Ph.D., Lineagen’s Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are further refining our product, to incorporate these ground-breaking discoveries into our next-generation high-density array, and these will differentiate FirstStepDx further by increasing the number of genetic variants known the be associated with ASD. If there are positive results from this large study, which we cannot determine until the research is completed, Lineagen’s next-generation FirstStepDx will offer the ability to identify more than 100 novel genetic markers associated with ASD.”

About FirstStepDx

Lineagen’s FirstStepDx and related autism-risk screening services (www.m-chat.org) have been developed with the specific intention of helping physicians, patients, and families navigate the diagnostic evaluation “odyssey” of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related forms of developmental delay more efficiently. FirstStepDx includes personal genetic counseling, the most advanced CMA and Fragile X genetic testing clinically available, analysis by medical experts, and a detailed, personalized report created specifically for each individual’s case. FirstStepDx is specifically designed to help parents, physicians, and other healthcare providers significantly shorten the time to clinical action, allowing access to proven clinical management and treatment approaches as early as possible.

The FirstStepDx genetic test now is available as a fast and painless cheek swab (FirstStepDx Buccal), eliminating the need for a blood draw. For more information about FirstStepDx, please call Lineagen at 888-888-OPEN (888-888-6736) or visit www.FirstStepDx.com.

About Lineagen

Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Lineagen’s mission is to accelerate and enhance the diagnostic evaluation of medical conditions so that the best possible outcomes can be achieved for patients and their families. Our first commercial offering, FirstStepDx, provides physicians with a fully integrated genetic testing, counseling, and developmental screening service to aid in the diagnostic evaluation of individuals with ASD or other forms of developmental delay. In addition to our deep commitment to ASD and developmental delay, we have ongoing scientific programs in the areas of multiple sclerosis (MS) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

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Lineagen Completes 9000-Person Study Focused on Genetic Variants in Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum …

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Myriad Genetics Announces Presentation of Lung Cancer Study at American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting

SALT LAKE CITY, May 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYGN – News) announced today the presentation of a study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology(R) (ASCO) Annual Meeting, including the complete results from a study titled, “Use of a proliferation-based mRNA signature to predict outcome in early-stage non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma.” The abstract of the presentation (#7023) is available on the ASCO Meeting website, www.asco.org.

Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Myriad Genetics generated a cell cycle progression (CCP) score for 256 patients with stage I and II lung adenocarcinoma by analyzing the level of expression in 46 cell-cycle progression and housekeeping genes. The study then assessed the prognostic value of the CCP score in predicting patient outcomes as well as the correlation between the CCP score and clinical variables including age, stage of disease, gender, smoking status, tumor size and treatment.

The market need for a lung cancer prognostic test stems from the absence of a molecular diagnostic test to accurately predict disease aggressiveness for patients diagnosed with stage I or II lung adenocarcinoma. Myriad’s goal is to develop a prognostic lung cancer test that helps patients understand the aggressiveness of their disease.

About Myriad Genetics

Myriad Genetics, Inc. is a leading molecular diagnostic company dedicated to making a difference in patients’ lives through the discovery and commercialization of transformative tests to assess a person’s risk of developing disease, guide treatment decisions and assess risk of disease progression and recurrence. Myriad’s portfolio of nine molecular diagnostic tests are based on an understanding of the role genes play in human disease and were developed with a focus on improving an individual’s decision making process for monitoring and treating disease. With fiscal year 2011 annual revenue of over $400 million and more than 1,000 employees, Myriad is working on strategic directives, including new product introductions, companion diagnostics, and international expansion, to take advantage of significant growth opportunities. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company’s website: www.myriad.com.

Myriad, the Myriad logo, BRACAnalysis, Colaris, Colaris AP, Melaris, TheraGuide, Prezeon, OnDose, Panexia and Prolaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. in the United States and foreign countries. MYGN-G

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the Company’s presentation of a lung cancer study at the American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting; the market needs for a lung cancer prognostic test to help patients understand the aggressiveness of their disease; the Company’s goal and plans to develop a prognostic lung cancer test; and the Company’s strategic directives under the caption “About Myriad Genetics”. These “forward-looking statements” are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that sales and profit margins of our existing molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services may decline or will not continue to increase at historical rates; the risk that we may be unable to expand into new markets outside of the United States; the risk that we may be unable to develop or achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that we may not successfully develop new markets for our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services, including our ability to successfully generate revenue outside the United States; the risk that licenses to the technology underlying our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services and any future products are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with manufacturing our products or operating our laboratory testing facilities; risks related to public concern over genetic testing in general or our tests in particular; risks related to regulatory requirements or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries and changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems; risks related to our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations and acquire new technologies or businesses on satisfactory terms, if at all; risks related to our ability to successfully integrate and derive benefits from any technologies or businesses that we acquire; the development of competing tests and services; the risk that we or our licensors may be unable to protect the proprietary technologies underlying our tests; the risk of patent-infringement and invalidity claims or challenges of our patents; risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; and other factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 1A in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

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Seattle Genetics to Present ADCETRIS® and ASG-5ME Data at ASCO Annual Meeting

BOTHELL, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

Seattle Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGEN – News) today announced that data from two of its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programs, ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) and ASG-5ME, will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2012 Annual Meeting being held June 1-5, 2012 in Chicago, IL. A summary of the companys poster presentations is below and full abstracts can be accessed on the ASCO website at www.abstract.asco.org.

ADCETRIS

Retreatment with brentuximab vedotin in CD30-positive hematologic malignancies: a phase II study

CD30 expression in non-lymphomatous malignancies

Brentuximab vedotin for relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma: preliminary results from a phase II study

ASG-5ME

Phase 1 trial of ASG-5ME in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)

About ADCETRIS

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.

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New genetic 'map' drawn up that will give better diagnosis for breast cancer patients and more effective treatment

By Richard Hartley-parkinson

PUBLISHED: 12:11 EST, 16 May 2012 | UPDATED: 06:42 EST, 17 May 2012

A genetic ‘map’ that could help give more accurate diagnoses of breast cancer has been drawn up, showing the varied landscape of the disease in more detail than ever before.

Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, say the development will lead to more effective treatments.

They found that rather than being a single disease, breast cancer is a diverse range of cancer species.

Scientists described nine new genes that drive the development of breast cancer, bringing the known total to 40.

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute has drawn up a genetic ‘map’ of breast cancer showing the landscape of the disease in more detail than ever before

The research, conducted by a large international team of British-led experts, involved analysing DNA from 100 tumour samples.

Scientists scoured more than 21,000 genes for cancer-causing ‘driver’ mutations that can turn an ordinary cell into one that multiplies uncontrollably.

They also identified nine genes previously not known to be linked to the disease.

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Common genetic variants identify autism risk in high risk siblings of children with ASD

Public release date: 17-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jane E. Rubinstein jrubinstein@rubenstein.com 212-843-8287 IntegraGen

Toronto, CANADA (May 17, 2012) By focusing on the identification of common genetic variants, researchers have identified 57 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predictwith a high degree of certainty–the risk that siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will also develop the condition. The findings were presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research.

ASD is among the most common form of severe developmental disability with prevalence rates up to 1 in 88 children. Boys are greater than four times more likely to be diagnosed with ASD, while recurrence risks for the sibling of a child with ASD are estimated at 18.7%. Since multiple studies have shown that early assessment and intervention offer significantly improved long-term outcomes, early identification of children at risk of ASD has become a key goal.

Though many recent studies demonstrate that autism has a genetic basis, the inheritance pattern of ASD in most families is highly complex. While genetic testing for autism has been limited to the identification of copy number variants (CNVs), autism-associated CNVs are found only in approximately 10% of children with ASD.

Researchers seeking an alternative approach to identify biomarkers for autism have focused on a number of common genetic variants–or SNPs –that have been shown to be related to the risk of ASD. While individual SNPs do not cause ASD, recent studies have shown that the presence of a combination of autism-associated SNPs can predict with a high degree of certainty whether a child will develop ASD.

“By looking at a combination of gender-specific, risk-associated, genetic common variants, we were able to identify siblings of children with ASD who have a significantly increased risk of developing autism,” says lead author Francois Liebaert, MD, Vice President of Research and Development for IntegraGen, SA, Evry, France, “Earlier identification of siblings of children with autism at increased risk may lead to faster referrals, earlier diagnosis, earlier intervention and better prognosis. We also hope to replicate these findings in families that do not have a child with autism.”

These findings build upon earlier identification of eight autism-related SNPs that occur in males and females (Autism risk assessment in siblings of affected children using sex-specific genetic scores) published the February 17, 2011 edition of Molecular Autism.

To determine which SNPs were associated with autism, researchers applied techniques that have been used to analyze other complex diseases. By combining statistical results from genome wide association studies (GWAS) with biological information from multiple sources including databases and scientific literature, the researchers were able to identify and prioritize the SNPs, and develop gender-specific genetic scores to predict the risk of autism.

The study comprised greater than 1,100 families which have more than one child diagnosed with ASD, referred to as multiplex families, including nearly 2,000 affected and 600 unaffected siblings. The male to female ratio for affected children was close to 4.2:1. The discovery cohort included 545 families from the Autism Speaks Autism Genetic Resource Exchange Repository (AGRE). The findings were then replicated in a population comprising 627 families including 339 families from a separate AGRE collection and DNA samples from 288 independent families collected at the University of Washington, Seattle and currently maintained at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Common genetic variants identify autism risk in high risk siblings of children with ASD

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DGAP-News: Genetic Immunity Clinical Trial Data Published in PLoS ONE

Genetic Immunity 17.05.2012 16:00 DermaVir Immunization Boosted Long-lasting Memory T-cell Responses in Every Patient MCLEAN, Va. and BUDAPEST, Hungary, 2012-05-17 16:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Genetic Immunity Inc., a privately-held, biopharmaceutical company developing Langerhans cell-targeted immunotherapies, published its…

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DGAP-News: Genetic Immunity Clinical Trial Data Published in PLoS ONE

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Genetic Immunity Clinical Trial Data Published in PLoS ONE

MCLEAN, Va and BUDAPEST, Hungary, May 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Genetic Immunity Inc., a privately-held, biopharmaceutical company developing Langerhans cell-targeted immunotherapies, published its human proof-of-concept clinical trial, in PLoS ONE, a highly-regarded medical industry publication. The data demonstrated the induction of long-lasting memory T cell responses after a single immunization of DermaVir, the Company’s lead vaccine candidate for patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The publication is free to access in www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0035416.

“The results of our clinical trial confirmed our preclinical safety and immunogenicity data,” said Genetic Immunity Founder, President & Chief Science Officer Julianna Lisziewicz, PhD. “These central memory T cell responses are associated with the protection from infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis C and malaria. Our findings demonstrate that our Langerhans cell-targeted delivery system is suitable to induce broad and potent T cell immunity.”

Regarding the result of the study, Denes Banhegyi, MD, the principal investigator of the study, added, “Decades of drug treatment can neither eliminate HIV-infected cells from the reservoirs nor reconstitute HIV-specific immunity. A broad epitope pool is key to long-term, non-progression. With a DermaVir immunization, patients can have hope that their daily drug burden could be lessened.”

About the GIHU004 study:

The dose escalation study, labeled GIHU004, was conducted with three (3) topical DermaVir doses targeted to epidermal Langerhans cells to express fifteen (15) HIV antigens simultaneously in several draining lymph nodes. Antigen presentation in the lymph nodes is required to boost the immune system. Safety, tolerability and HIV-specific T cell responses against five (5) of the fifteen (15) DermaVir antigens were evaluated.

DermaVir-associated side effects were not dose-dependent and limited to mild, transient skin reactions. One of the more noteworthy results of the study was the dose-dependent expansion of HIV-specific central memory T cells with high proliferation capacity. The potent induction of Gag, Tat and Rev-specific memory T cells suggests that DermaVir boosts T cell responses specific to all 15 HIV antigens expressed from the single DNA. This is the first time that a vaccine induces memory T cell responses against all fifteen (15) antigens in human subjects.

About the DermaVir HIV Therapeutic Vaccine:

Today, HIV/AIDS is managed with life-long highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). This treatment, although widely accepted as the standard, raises concerns about adverse effects, resistance and the financial burden of treatment. A short fall of HAART is that it does not cure the disease because it does not kill infected cells in the latent reservoirs. Based upon our trials, DermaVir boosts and maintains killer T cells in HIV-infected human subjects. It has the broadest specificity in vaccine candidates that limits the development of resistance. Three (3) independent clinical trials, conducted in the USA and EU have consistently demonstrated the safety, immunogenicity and preliminary antiviral efficacy of DermaVir treatments.

About Genetic Immunity:

Genetic Immunity Inc., is a privately-held, U.S. biopharmaceutical company that has developed a proprietary Langerhans cell targeting delivery system which can induce long-lasting T cell immunity for therapeutic vaccinations against infectious diseases and cancer. Our proprietary system delivers a genetically targeted nanomedicine formulation that can simultaneously express 15 disease-specific antigens. All of our medicines are delivered topically using our CE-marked medical device, DermaPrep(TM).

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Genetic Immunity Clinical Trial Data Published in PLoS ONE

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James A. Shapiro: Variation and Selection: What's the Difference? What Are the Issues?

On my latest blog, ThinkCreeps posted a comment quoting my statement that “we do not know why natural genetic engineering systems are as successful as they have been in generating useful evolutionary novelties in the history of life.” Then he goes on to answer, “Yes we do – the good ones spread quickly through the population.”

If only things were that simple! Good novelties just appear, as if by magic, and then spread due to their selective advantages. ThinkCreeps apparently shares a common illusion in evolutionary thinking that natural selection is all we need in the way of basic principles to understand the evolutionary process.

All scientific views of evolution by descent with modification envision two separate and essential steps in the establishment of living organisms with novel features:

In the absence of detailed information about the mechanisms of variation, heritable differences were widely assumed to arise randomly and accidentally. After Mendelism was rediscovered at the start of the 20th century, Mendelian segregations were added as variation modes in the neo-Darwinian “Modern Synthesis.” Nonetheless, the sources of new segregating alleles (genetic differences) were still assumed to be stochastic accidents.

It was even claimed by some neo-Darwinians that evolution could be ascribed to changes in allele frequencies in populations due to natural selection acting on their fitness contributions. Many thinkers did not notice that this argument neglected the large number of cases where evolutionary differences were accompanied by other kinds of heritable change, such as alterations in chromosome structure or number.

With the advent of molecular genetics and DNA sequencing in the second half of the 20th century, it became possible to study the mechanisms of genome change in detail. It is commonly assumed that genome alterations account for the vast majority of heritable variation in living organisms. Other kinds of heritable changes are known and may also play an important role in evolution. Non-DNA changes include inheritance of self-templated cell structures and protein conformations, such as prions.

The results of the molecular studies are clear. Heritable changes can occur at the genetic level, through alterations in DNA sequences and in the structures of cell DNA molecules, and at the epigenetic level, through alterations in the way DNA is modified chemically and complexed with RNA and proteins in stable chromatin configurations.

Genetic and epigenetic changes result from the actions of cell biochemical activities, not from accidents. This is a critical fundamental discovery of molecular genetics.

There are many different activities that work directly on DNA and bring about genetic changes, ranging from single nucleotide substitutions to major restructuring of chromosomes. DNA modules can move from one place to another in the genome, RNA molecules can be reverse transcribed into DNA and inserted into the genome, and broken DNA molecules can be rejoined in novel combinations. The genome sequence record provides a rapidly growing mountain of evidence showing how important such non-random events have been in evolutionary history.

There are also many distinct activities that modify DNA and chromatin structures leading to heritable epigenetic changes. Our knowledge of these chromatin remodeling processes is younger than our acquaintance with DNA changes, and they do not leave the same kind of trace in the genome sequence record. But we do know that epigenetic changes have a profound influence on genome restructuring activities, and the same ecological challenges and stresses lead to high levels of both epigenetic and genetic variability.

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James A. Shapiro: Variation and Selection: What's the Difference? What Are the Issues?

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EDITORIAL – Genetic engineering

The debate on genetically modified organisms has moved to the eggplant, with the controversy going all the way up to the Supreme Court. The issues have never been simple. Scientists have been tinkering with the genetic makeup of agricultural crops for a long time. Many potato chips come from genetically modified crops. The so-called super rice, which helped reduce global hunger several decades …

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EDITORIAL – Genetic engineering

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