The scientist have identified a protein called EN-2, which is only produced by prostate cancer cells, the new urine test appears to be the first reliable test for diagnosing early prostate cancer. The new test is vastly superior to the existing PSA blood test, which detects fewer than 40% of cancers and has a false positive rate of over 50%.
Archive for March, 2011
New Test on the Horizon for Prostate Cancer
Posted by mgadmin on March 24th, 2011
Posted in Health Economics / Health Communications, Pharmaeconomics Consultations 
Tags: blood test, early diagnosis, EN-2, prostate cancer, protein, PSA, urine 
Comments OffHealth Care Positions of Interest
Posted by mgadmin on March 23rd, 2011
Direct and deliver complex consulting engagements from inception through delivery
• Perform all aspects of structured engagement and project management to ensure delivery of high quality services and deliverables on time and within budget
• Conceptualize consulting services and participate in sales from engagement definition through contract signing
• Develop and sustain excellence in client relationships at all levels
• Lead teams, coach team members and facilitate professional development
Why pay $150/month for Eli Lilly’s Axiron when generic testosterone is available for $10 – $15/month?
Posted by Michael A. S. Guth on March 20th, 2011
Why pay $150/month for Eli Lilly’s Axiron when generics are available for $10 – $15/month? The same goes for the brand name drugs Androgel and Testim, which also cost about $150/month. Compounded testosterone gel is available from Life Extension Pharmacy in Ft. Lauderdale (with free shipping to locations in the USA) for $39.99 for two [...]
Persistently high HbA1C levels even on a low glycemic index diet
Posted by Michael A. S. Guth on March 17th, 2011
Later this year I may try Carnosine, which has been shown to reduce or eliminate advanced glycation end products. But Carnosine is somewhat expensive, and it helps with cleaning up the effects of too much serum glucose, but does not actually lower the glucose levels.
Posted in Featured, Health Economics / Health Communications, Pharmaeconomics Consultations Tags: advanced glycation end products, Benfotiamine, carnosine, HbA1C, health economics, high serum glucose, l-carnosine, persistent, pharmaeconmics consultations, Vitamin B-1, whey protein, whey protein isolate Comments OffComparing Prescription and Nonprescription Costs of Niacin
Posted by on March 11th, 2011
Can you imagine the gall it would take to mark up niacin from $7 to $80? Insane! But that was my guess.
And here’s the total, as given to Dr. Spreen by a WalMart druggist: $139.08. As Dr. Spreen pointed out, you could buy the $7 niacin and still have enough left over every month to pay the lease on a small car.
Posted in Health Economics / Health Communications, Pharmaeconomics Consultations Tags: cost, generic, health economics, Niacin, Niaspan, prescription, price, Vitamin B-3 Comments OffMulti-Functional Protein Blends
Posted by Muscle Gauge Nutrition on March 8th, 2011
“You’ve been taking protein for years, you know the difference between whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate, but what is the deal with every protein line having an “advanced protein matrix”? Is it clever marketing or is there real science backing these new protein blends? You’ve tried every brand from Cytosport’s Muscle Milk- the [...]
Personalized Medicine
Posted by Michael A. S. Guth on March 6th, 2011
I have insisted on a personalized medicine plan from my physician for years. In my case, I order my own blood tests to check metabolite levels and other precursors of disease. I then meet with my physician bringing in the abstracts of the latest research from medical journals related to my concern, if any. Most physicians acknowledge that they don’t have time to read up on the specific literatures the way I do, and thus we have more of a peer-to-peer interaction rather than the “smart doctor, dumb patient” model. However, most patients will not invest the time I do (10+ hours/week) investigating the latest treatment methods, and so for the vast majority of patients, it will probably be business as usual in the way they interact with their doctors.
Posted in Health Economics / Health Communications, Pharmaeconomics Consultations Tags: blood tests, doctor-patient interaction, health Comments OffFalse Claims Act and Big Pharma
Posted by Michael A. S. Guth on March 4th, 2011
Public Citizen reports that the pharmaceutical industry is the single worst offender of perpetrating fraud on the U.S. Government under the False Claims Act. You might think defense contractors, with their notorious $800 toilet seat charges, would have held the number one spot. But Public Citizen reports that since 1991, drug companies have drawn False [...]
Posted in Health Care Law Tags: big pharma, false claims act, fines, government, Medicare prescriptions, pharmaceutical firms Comments OffGeneric Drug Costs and Delays
Posted by on March 3rd, 2011
The drug companies have been paying user fees for more than a decade. Drug companies that hold patents benefit financially when generic applications are delayed. The OGC needs more employees to expedite reviews of the expanding backlog of generic applications. But Congress was told that no additional employees are needed in the OGC.
Posted in Health Care Law, Health Economics / Health Communications Tags: delays, drug costs, generic drug, health economics, manufacturing generic drugs, off patent, prescription drug patents Comments OffNatural Sulforaphane from Broccoli Sprouts: A Supplement with Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Anticarginogenic, and Anti-Inflammatory Functions
Posted by Michael A. S. Guth on March 3rd, 2011
Researchers at the University of Michigan (U of M) Comprehensive Cancer Center believe that sulforaphane could become both a novel and highly effective treatment for breast cancer. Current chemotherapy treatments attack rapidly dividing cells but do nothing to stop cancer stem cells — the small number of specific cells responsible for fueling the growth of cancerous breast tumors. [2] In laboratory experiments, sulforaphane was shown to target and kill cancer stem cells and prevented new malignancies from growing.
Posted in Featured, Pharmaeconomics Consultations Tags: anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, breast cancer, brocolli sprouts, cancer stem cells, cruciferous vegetables, gastric cancer, nutrition, phytochemical, sulforaphane Comments Off