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First Ten-Year Follow-Up Shows That Treatment With AVONEX® Leads To Long-Term Benefits In Early Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced data results from the CHAMPIONS (Controlled High-Risk AVONEX® (interferon beta-1a) Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Prevention Study In Ongoing Neurologic Surveillance) study, an open label follow-up to CHAMPS (Controlled High Risk Subjects AVONEX MS Prevention Study). Based on the CHAMPS study, AVONEX was granted approval for use in patients who experienced their first clinical MS episode with MRI findings. The CHAMPIONS ten-year follow up showed that patients treated immediately after their first episode had significantly less chance of experiencing a second attack versus those patients with delayed treatment. These results at ten years also indicate that 80 percent of patients taking AVONEX were below an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score of three. These data were presented as a poster at the Annual American Academy of Neurology (AAN) meeting.
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Obama Pitches Health Reform To Public And Congress, Argues Inaction Is Unacceptable
"With many Americans growing anxious about his plans to overhaul the nation"s healthcare system, President Obama on Wednesday sought to lay out in personal terms how they stand to gain from the legislation that he has made one of the top goals of his presidency," the Los Angeles Times reports. He used the speech to reach out to people who already have insurance, arguing that skyrocketing costs must be slowed and that inaction would hobble businesses and families alike. In making the case for health reform to the American public, however, Obama described specific policy ideas and "relied on jargon that Washington insiders embrace but that might leave the typical television viewer mystified" (Nicholas, Parsons and Levey, 7/23).
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New Medicare Rules On Oxygen Suppliers Worry Patients
Complex new Medicare rules that seek to cut costs of home-oxygen therapy are confusing the more than one million people who rely on the federal insurer to pay for the coverage.
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Food Prices In Developing Countries Remain High, Despite Global Drop

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday said food prices remain high in many developing countries because of reduced harvests, civil conflict and other factors, AP/Google.com reports (7/16). "Despite a drop in international food prices and good cereal harvests overall," current prices in several countries exceed 2008 highs or are at record levels, according to the "Crop Prospects and Food Situation" report, the U.N. News Centre reports. In 27 sub-Saharan African countries, FAO found between 80 and 90 percent of all cereal prices "remain over 25 percent higher than before the food price crisis two years ago," writes the U.N. News Centre (7/16). Reuters reports: "World cereals output was expected to fall 3.4 percent to 2.209 billion tonnes in 2009ò€¦ cutting [FAO"s] previous forecast by 10 million tonnes" (Kovalyova, 7/16). Despite the drop from 2008, which "saw the largest harvest ever, the report said that the outlook for world cereal supply and demand is satisfactory," the PTI/Hindu reports (7/17). According to the report, prices of the grain sorghum in Sudan "were three times higher in June than they were two years ago" and "maize prices doubled" in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia, "while in Southern Africa, they have dropped recently due to a bumper harvest but remain above pre-2007 levels," the U.N. News Centre writes. In addition to reduced harvests and internal conflicts, the FAO listed higher or delayed imports, strong demand in neighboring countries, devalued national currencies and higher transport costs as some of the factors contributing to the continued high price of food in developing countries. "The high food price situation continues to give rise to concern for the food security of vulnerable populations in both urban and rural areas, as these groups spend a large share of their incomes on food," the FAO report said (7/16). According to an FAO release, "Despite a positive outlook for global cereal supplies, 30 countries around the world are in crisis and require assistance as a result of natural disasters, conflict or insecurity, and economic problems." A summit that will address world food security is scheduled to take place in Rome, Italy, November 16-18 (7/16). Recent Coverage Of Food Shortages, Malnutrition, Farming Worldwide Lancet World Report: "Guatemala"s malnutrition crisis" (Lowenberg, 7/18) Daily Trust/allAfrica.com: "Agriculture Subsidy Working in Malawi" (7/17) IRIN: "ETHIOPIA: Malnutrition critical in Somali region" (7/16) IRIN: "KENYA: Malnutrition crisis in northwest" (7/16) Media Line: "Eritrea Famine Devastates Half Its Population" (Foran, 7/16) VOA News: "Financial Crisis Expected To Increase World Hunger" (Schlein, 7/16) This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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