Alzheimer’s disease screening tool to hit market next year 

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Alzheimer’s screening: PET scans that show the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease by detecting a protein in the brain called beta-amyloid will reach the marketplace within a year, according to researchers.”For individuals who have already developed a measurable memory decline, a positive scan for amyloid is the most accurate predictor of progression to Alzheimer’s disease,” a researcher said.

Slashing vaccine costs: Several drug companies have pledged to cut the prices on potentially life-saving vaccines for people in the world’s poorest countries. The companies include: GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson’s Dutch division Crucell, Bharat Biotech and Sanofi SA’s vaccine unit Sanofi Pasteur. For example, GSK said it would cut the price of its vaccine for rotavirus by 67 percent to $2.50.

Can’t trust it: Pharmaceutical companies are using their cash to influence the content of medical journals, the American Scholar reports. “All journals are bought — or at least cleverly used — by the pharmaceutical industry,” says Richard Smith, former editor of the British Medical Journal.

Good sign for Obamacare? In Massachusetts, Romneycare has grown more popular over time, according to a recent poll that compared residents’ support of the law two years ago to today. Will Americans similarly warm up to Obamacare over time?

Social media and HIPAA: KevinMD has a list of seven tips for physicians on how to avoid HIPAA violations in social media.

Bad day for Exelixis: Shares of Exelixis lost a fifth of their value Monday after the cancer drug developer reported the deaths of six patients who took an experimental treatment in clinical trial.

http://www.medcitynews.com