Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy Esophagea A Minimally Invasive Surgery To Treat Achalasia
OR-Live Webcast From Northwestern Memorial Hospital: December 2, 2008, 3:00 PM CST. Achalasia is a rare esophageal disease that effects thousands of people in the United States, most of whom are in their 20s to 50s, and often presents symptoms that mimic those of acid reflux, such as difficulty swallowing, heart burn and chest pain.

FDA 510(k) Clinical Trial Progress For AppyScore, World's First Blood-Based Diagnostic Test For Human Appendicitis
AspenBio Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: APPY), an emerging bio-pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel drugs and diagnostics for humans and animals, reported the enrollment level in the ongoing FDA 510(k) clinical trial for AppyScore(TM), the world's first blood-based diagnostic test for human appendicitis exceeds 700 patients.

Gore Receives Approval To Market GORE EXCLUDER(R) AAA Endoprosthesis And GORE TAG(R) Thoracic Endoprosthesis In Canada
W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced at the 35th annual VEITHsymposium™ in New York that it has received regulatory clearance from Health Canada's Therapeutic Products Directorate to market the GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis and GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis in Canada. Planning is underway for Canadian physician training on the devices, and the subsequent commercial product release timeline will be announced in the near future.

Study Published In Archives Of Surgery Demonstrated Benefit Of ENTEREG(R) (alvimopan) In Postoperative Ileus
Adolor Corporation (NASDAQ:ADLR) and GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) announced today that the Phase 3 Study 14CL314 of ENTEREG® (alvimopan) for the management of postoperative ileus (POI) has been published in the November issue of Archives of Surgery, the official publication of the New England Surgical Society, the Pacific Coast Surgical Association and the Western Surgical Association.

CMS Will Not Cover Weight-Loss Surgeries For Non-Obese Diabetes Patients
CMS on Monday said that it will not cover weight-loss surgery for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes who are not dangerously overweight because there is not ample evidence proving the procedure can improve their health, Reuters/Yahoo! News reports.

Positive Preclinical Data On Novel, Proprietary Molecule, RDC-1036, Designed To Improve Outcomes For Patients Taking Opioid Analgesics
Alkermes, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALKS) today announced positive preclinical results for its proprietary small molecule candidate, RDC-1036, which emerged from a library of novel opioid modulators. The data demonstrated RDC-1036 was effective in reversing opioid effects on gastrointestinal motility. Data also showed that oral administration of RDC-1036 had greater efficacy at a lower dose and for an extended period of time compared to an active comparator, methylnaltrexone.

Crohn's Disease Surgeries Make Steady Advances
Thousands of Americans suffering from the chronic inflammatory bowel condition known as Crohn's disease are leading longer, healthier lives due to innovative new surgeries, according to experts at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Avoid Hospital Visits If You Have Had Diarrhea And Vomiting Symptoms During Last 48 Hours, Say Bristol Hospitals, England
Hospitals across Bristol are reminding people to avoid visiting if they have had symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting in the previous 48 hours. Over the past few weeks, cases of Norovirus - the winter vomiting virus - have increased in the community. Norovirus is brought into hospitals from the local community and is easily spread by contact with people suffering diarrhoea and vomiting who may have contaminated the environment.

Pancreatic Insufficiency - Altus Pharmaceuticals Plans To Submit New Drug Application For Trizytek Approval
Altus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTU) announced today that it is reaffirming its plan to submit a new drug application (NDA) for Trizytek TM (liprotamase) in the first-half of 2009. Trizytek is a non-porcine derived enzyme replacement therapy for patients with pancreatic insufficiency.

CAPHOSOL Results In Minimal Oral Mucositis And Pain In Head/neck Cancer Patients
New data show that CAPHOSOL® (www.cahttp://www.caphosol.comphosol.com), an advanced electrolyte solution, results in low rates of oral mucositis and pain in patients with head and neck (HN) cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Gut Check Reveals Vast Multicultural Community Of Bugs In Bowels, Stanford Scientists Say
Mention the phrase "diverse ecosystem," and it conjures images of tropical rainforests and endangered coral reefs. It also describes the human colon. A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine reveals in greater detail than ever before the full extent of the bacterial community inhabiting the human bowel - 10 times more diverse than previous research had suggested.

Weight Loss, Quality Of Life Improved By Physical Activity After Bariatric Surgery
A new study by researchers from The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine suggests increased physical activity after bariatric surgery can yield better postoperative outcomes. According to the study, published online by the journal Obesity, previously inactive patients who became physically active after bariatric surgery lost more weight and achieved greater improvements in quality of life than those patients who remained inactive.

News From The American Chemical Society Nov. 12, 2008
A faster test for the food protein that triggers celiac disease Researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom are reporting development of a faster test for identifying the food protein that triggers celiac disease, a difficult-to-diagnose digestive disease involving the inability to digest protein called gluten that occurs in wheat, oats, rye, and barley.

3 Esophageal, Stomach Cancer Subtypes Linked To Smoking; 1 Associated With Alcohol Use
Researchers who have been following the health of more than 120,000 residents of the Netherlands for more than two decades have found that smoking is associated with two forms of esophageal cancer as well as a form of stomach cancer, and that drinking alcohol is strongly linked to one form of esophageal cancer.

Cook Medical Unveils Web Site Designed To Educate Physicians On Balloon Percutaneous Tracheostomy
Cook Medical today further demonstrated its commitment to physician education through the launch of the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin Web site. Accessible through the Cook Medical Web site, this educational microsite is designed to provide physicians with the latest information on a new technique of percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT).