News

San Francisco - Cytokine therapies that enhance the T-helper 1 (TH1) response may be the key to effective treatment of mycosis fungoides, according to David P. Fivenson, M.D. The treatments, still in the investigative stage, have potential advantages over existing treatments because their selectivity of action also reduces the risk of nonselectivity-related toxicity, he said, noting that mycosis fungoides is now typically termed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

San Francisco - While lasers and other surgical innovations have emphasized the surgical component of dermatology, the new biologic agents used to treat psoriasis have quietly rejuvenated the medical side of the field, according to Francisco Kerdel, M.D.

Chicago - The Biologics License Application for efalizumab (Raptiva) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis is set to undergo review by the FDA Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee this month.

Chicago - Results of two multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials support the conclusion that the TNF-a chimeric monoclonal antibody infliximab (Remicade) is a highly effective and generally well-tolerated treatment for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, Alan D. Menter, M.D., said.

Database consolidates drug safety, effectiveness data to fully leverageemerging research findings on biologic

New efficacy and safety data continue to impress

San Francisco - For patients who want to smooth out wrinkles and facial lines but who cannot tolerate collagen injections, alternative fillers already in use in other countries are at the cusp of FDA approval. More people than ever are interested in pursuing such anti-aging measures, as worldwide facial aesthetic product sales in the first quarter of 2003 rose to $17 million, an increase of 8 percent over the first quarter of 2002.

New York - Permanent blindness can occur as a complication of facial filler procedures, but it is probably a preventable phenomenon with use of proper injection technique, Sydney Coleman, M.D., said at Emerging Technologies and Techniques in Plastic Surgery, a meeting sponsored by the New York University School of Medicine.

San Francisco - Two new dermal fillers approved for use without a pre-treatment skin test will enable dermatologists to offer patients same-day collagen replacement therapy.

Beverly Hills, Calif. - Hair follicle neogenesis has exciting potential for enabling hair restoration with an unlimited supply of donor material, said Ken Washenik, M.D., Ph.D.

San Francisco - Angiogenesis stimulation is a key strategy for promoting wound closure, and there are now a number of modalities available for achieving that goal, said Vincent W. Li, M.D., M.B.A.

In order to avoid the complications that can present from a surgical eyebrow lift, a study was conducted to test a nonsurgical, noninvasive eyebrow lift method.

Botulinum toxin injected into the prostate reduced symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and was well tolerated, according to the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, preliminary trial (Urology 2003; 62:259-265).

VNUS Medical Technologies announced results of a peer-reviewed, multi-center randomized trial comparing recovery rates and quality of life between patients treated with conventional varicose vein stripping surgery and radiofrequency vein ablation (Closure procedure).

An scientist's accident has led to the development of a blood-clotting powder that works on contact and reportedly is being sold at CVS and Walgreens.

AlphaMed Inc. announced that it received a $500,000 two-year STTR Phase II grant award from the National Cancer Institute to further develop a targeted radiotherapy for metastatic melanoma.

The use of antihistamine cetirizine during the first six weeks of nevirapine-containing antiretroviral treatment does not protect against nevirapine-associated cutaneous reactions, according to the results of a controlled study.

Upsher-Smith Laboratories Inc.'s Amlactin has been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Seal of Approval, which recognizes products that are beneficial to foot health and of significant value when used in a consistently applied program of daily foot care and regular professional treatment.

The FDA approved an expanded indication for Enbrel (etanercept) to inhibit the structural damage of active arthritis in patients with psoriatic arthritis, reported Amgen Inc. and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus is hitting U.S. athletes hard in the form of soft-tissue and skin infections, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Infection.

According to a study of 36 primary care offices in relatively affluent suburban areas of six U.S. cities, one-fourth of people (25.5 percent) tested positive for the virus that causes genital herpes.

AEterna Laboratories reported recently the results of a phase III trial evaluating its drug Impavido (miltefosine) for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis, showing that patients taking Impavido had a 220-percent better cure rate compared with those in a placebo group.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study with metronidazole in patients with mild to moderate seborrheic dermatitis found the drug seemed to lack effectiveness.

Officials in Duchess County, N.Y., introduced a medical database of infectious diseases, skin conditions, and drug information to help physicians and nurses make diagnoses based on visual information, according to reports.

As our overhead costs continue to increase while reimbursements decrease, physicians are motivated to find novel ways to reduce our fixed overhead costs. Nearly every practice has 15 percent of "fat" that has to be cut. Just a few cost-saving strategies will reduce thousands of dollars of overhead, and one of these strategies is to implement an electronic system of archiving medical records.

Q.Is it my imagination, or do physicians seem unusually susceptible to being dragged through long, drawn-out divorce proceedings? What advice do you have?

As professionals with many physician clients, we routinely are asked by physicians throughout the country to answer questions on a variety of topics. However, in our combined experiences, we have never been as inundated with calls as we have in the last year regarding the malpractice insurance situation. Doctors from all specialties and from all regions of the country have called us looking for ways to reduce their malpractice premiums or to find alternatives to their traditional carriers.

Chicago - Autologous fillers not only can fill deep facial lines or lift sagging buttocks, but they also offer particular advantages over other types of fillers.

San Francisco - As facial implants come of age, aging faces look even younger. UltraSoft implants are part of the next generation of ePTFE facial implants designed to be softer, with a wider diameter than their predecessor, the SoftForm implant. Manufactured by Tissue Technologies Inc., San Francisco, the permanent facial implants offer dermatologic surgeons an alternative to injectable or temporary fillers for nasolabial folds or lip augmentation that Nicholas Lowe, M.D., FRCP, believes is safer and more effective.

Hermosa Beach, Calif. - Though not yet FDA-approved for use in the United States, Reviderm Intra is a hyaluronic gel filler with a shelf life that already may have passed, according to Gail Humble, M.D., medical director of Blue Pacific Aesthetic Medical Group in Hermosa Beach, Calif.