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OSI Pharmaceuticals Announces Acceptance Of Tarceva Supplemental New Drug Application For Review By The U.S. Food And Drug Administration
OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIP) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing and review the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for the use of Tarceva® (erlotinib) as a first-line maintenance treatment for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have not progressed following first-line treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy. Based upon the March 17th receipt of filing the FDA Prescription Drug Fee Act (PDUFA) review date will be on or about January 18, 2010.

Appeals Court Upholds Massachusetts Law Establishing Protest-Free Zone Around Abortion Clinics
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit on Wednesday ruled that a 2007 Massachusetts law requiring antiabortion-rights protesters to stay at least 35 feet away from clinic entrances does not infringe on their free speech rights, the Boston Globe reports. The law updated a 2000 statute that established a floating buffer zone, which police and clinics said was difficult to enforce. The 2007 law set a fixed 35-foot buffer zone around any reproductive health care facility and barred anyone from entering or remaining in the zone unless they work at the clinic; are entering or leaving the facility; are public safety or other municipal officials; or are walking by. Five abortion-rights opponents filed the lawsuit in January 2008. U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro rejected their claims in August 2008, ruling that the law did not regulate speech -- only the location where the speech could occur -- and that it was drafted in response to safety and law enforcement concerns. The protesters appealed the ruling.The appeals court said that the 2007 law responded to "repeated incidents involving violence and other unduly aggressive behaviors in the vicinity of reproductive health care facilities" and "represents a permissible response by the Massachusetts Legislature to what it reasonably perceived as a significant threat to public safety." The court also said that the law was "content-neutral," as it applies to all protesters regardless of their viewpoints. According to the court, the plaintiffs argued in their appeal that the law had a "content-neutral patina" masking a "more sinister reality" that the Legislature"s true motive was to curb abortion-rights opponents" speech.Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley (D) in a statement said that she was "pleased that the 1st Circuit has upheld this important law, which enhances public safety and access to medical facilities, while preserving the right to engage in expressive activity on public ways and sidewalks near clinics." Tim Chandler, legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, which helped represent the plaintiffs, said abortion-rights opponents "shouldn"t be penalized for expressing their beliefs." He added that the fund and its supporters were evaluating the "next legal step" (Finucane, Boston Globe, 7/10).
News of the day
Genome Biology And Evolution: After Dinosaurs, Mammals Rise But Their Genomes Get Smaller
Evidence buried in the chromosomes of animals and plants strongly suggests only one group -- mammals -- have seen their genomes shrink after the dinosaurs" extinction. What"s more, that trend continues today, say Indiana University Bloomington scientists in the first issue of a new journal, Genome Biology and Evolution.
Sexual Health

World Hepatitis Day Brings Awareness Of Liver Cancer Risk To Carriers Of Hepatitis B Virus

New liver cancer cases among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are expected to soar in coming years, the result of persistently higher rates of chronic hepatitis B, a leading cause of the disease, and population growth as projected by the US Census. The UC Davis Cancer Center is working to address the disproportionate burden of liver cancer on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through research funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Such research is expected to yield important findings to reduce the unnecessary death rates for liver cancer among all people of color. UC Davis Cancer Center also houses the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART), which is dedicated to addressing the unique, unusual and unnecessary cancer burden among Asian Americans. A recent report from the Journal of Clinical Oncology determined that by 2030, the number of new liver cancer cases among Asian and Pacific Islanders will increase by 134 percent compared to an increase of 28 percent among non-Hispanic whites. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders most commonly get liver cancer through hepatitis B, which in these populations is typically passed from mother to baby during the birthing process. Symptoms do not typically appear until the infection becomes liver cancer, over a period of decades. The risk of liver cancer for those with hepatitis B is 100 times greater than it is for the general population. By contrast, liver cancer risk factors for non-Hispanic whites are attributable to other factors such as hepatitis C infections. World Hepatitis Day (May 19) and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May) provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the projected rise in liver cancer cases among Asians and Pacific Islanders and to highlight important information about the control of hepatitis B. Chronic hepatitis B can result in long-term health problems, including liver damage, liver failure and liver cancer. An estimated two million Americans are thought to be infected with hepatitis B. Liver cancer is a conspicuous cancer health disparity, being most common among Asian and Pacific Islanders and other people of color, and is least common among non-Hispanic whites. UC Davis Health System


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