| 29/01/2007 |
| Daily Telegraph |
| By: Presswatch |
| Drug firm 'expressed doubt over Seroxat' |
| According to a Panorama investigation to be broadcast tonight, company bosses at GlaxoSmithKline privately expressed concerns about the safety and effectiveness of Seroxat, the firm's controversial antidepressant, while informing its sales staff of the drug's efficacy. According to internal memos, a note from the marketing department reads: "It seems incongruous that we state that [Seroxat] is safe yet report so many Serious Adverse Events". The revelations regarding Seroxat, which is no longer allowed to be prescribed to British teenagers over fears it may increase their risk of suicide, were contained in thousands of internal GSK papers released in the course of a legal action against the company in the United States by the parents of teenagers who committed suicide while taking Seroxat. Relatedly, Sir Christopher Gent, chairman of GlaxoSmithKline, is canvassing the views of investors on who should be the next chief executive of the pharmaceutical company. At a series of meetings with key shareholders, Sir Christopher has indicated that the likely successor to Jean-Pierre Garnier will come from inside the company. |
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| 29/01/2007 |
| The Times |
| By: Presswatch |
| Obesity puts babies at risk |
| The health of thousands of newborn children will be in jeopardy by the end of the decade because more than a fifth of pregnant women will be obese, according to researchers. An extensive study involving 26,821 women in Middlesbrough who were surveyed over a 15 year period, published today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, indicated that the number of women who are obese when they become pregnant has risen from 9.9 per cent in 1990 to 16 per cent in 2004. If the trend continues in a similar fashion, researchers believe 22 per cent will be obese by 2010. Obesity during pregnancy poses one of the greatest risks to the unborn child and is one of the most decisive factors in the development of heart, kidney and urinary tract infections. It was also warned that any sharp rise in the number of obese women becoming pregnant will represent a "health timebomb" for NHS maternity units. |
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| 29/01/2007 |
| The Times |
| By: Presswatch |
| Liposuction operations double in a year |
| The number of people having liposuction treatments to remove fat has risen by 90 per cent in a year, prompting a warning from experts that it should not be considered as a solution for obesity. According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), the number of liposuction procedures carried out increased by 90 per cent between 2005 and 2006. However, as the popularity of the procedure enjoys a meteoric rise, experts are increasingly warning of the dangers of liposuction, with side-effects including permanent scarring and loose skin. Adam Searle, a consultant plastic surgeon and former president of BAAPS, noted that despite the increasing refinement of the technique, liposuction should not be considered as an alternative to losing weight. |
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| 29/01/2007 |
| Daily Mirror |
| By: Presswatch |
| Viruses to beat bugs |
| Viruses that prey on bacteria could help fight drug resistant superbugs and end the over use of antibiotics. Researchers at Bristol University, led by Dr Jim Spencer, have found they can boost antibiotic efficacy and cut the doses required by up to 50 time using bacteriophages applied alongside prescribed antibiotics. Tests on mice infected with a common hospital bug showed a 75 per cent survival rate if they were exposed to bacteriophages, and a 100 per cent mortality rate in those denied the so-called "helpful" viruses. It is hoped that the technique could prove a valuable weapon against a large number of harmful bacteria, including those which cause hospital infections and food poisoning. |
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| 29/01/2007 |
| Daily Telegraph |
| By: Presswatch |
| NHS and Health Sector News |
| An overview of developments in the NHS and health sector leads today with the news that the NHS could save 800 lives a year by changing the way it treats older people, according to a government-backed study. It indicates that preventing falls and looking after patients' needs better after an accident could stop 4,000 hip fractures a year and save strategic health authorities millions of pounds. Elsewhere, newly-released figures have shown that growing numbers of operations are being cancelled because of a lack of sterile surgical instruments. |
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