Health Highlights: Jan. 13, 2010
Jan. 14 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Artificial Pancreas Nearly Ready for Patient Testing
Testing of an experimental artificial pancreas in diabetes patients could begin within a year and, if all goes well, the device could be on the market in four years.
The artificial pancreas is being developed by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Johnson & Johnson, the Associated Press reported.
"It's been a goal for 40 years" at the foundation, said Aaron Kowalski, the research director of the group's artificial pancreas project. "The pieces of the puzzle are in place ... I'm confident this is going to work."
The device would constantly monitor blood sugar and give patients more insulin when needed, the AP reported. In diabetics who use insulin, the device would prevent life-threatening seizures that occur when blood sugar levels drop too low. The device could also reduce the risk of blindness, organ damage and amputations that can occur from years of elevated blood sugar levels.
About six million diabetics in the United States use insulin.
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Drug Patent Settlements Increasing: FTC
Patent settlements between brand name and generic drug makers that cost U.S. consumers $3.5 billion a year are on the rise, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The number of "pay-to-delay" settlements increased to 19 in 2009, from 16 in 2008 and 14 in 2007, said the agency, the Associated Press reported. In these settlements, a brand name drug maker pays a generic competitor to keep its cheaper version of a drug off the market.
The FTC wants a ban on such settlements included in the health care reform bill being negotiated by Congress, the AP reported.
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Traffic Pollution Harms Lungs, Heart: Study
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