Discover the Science of Health
Fueled by new cancer therapeutics, last year the annual new molecular and biological entity approval count from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) saw its highest year since 1997. One-third of the novel products approved by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) are used to treat cancers of the blood, breast, colon, prostate, skin and thyroid.
Roche is one of 10 biomedicine companies included in Technology Review’s 50 Most Innovative Companies (TR50) for 2012 [1].
TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, is a nonprofit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” The annual TED conference brings together some of the world’s most fascinating people to talk briefly about science, business, the arts and global issues facing our world. TEDMED, an independent event operating under license from the TED conference, is a three day annual conference where cutting-edge science and technology leaders “connect, understand and inspire” to advance the art of health and medicine with new ideas, the latest science and innovative technology.
A new study published in the medical journal Pediatrics reports on the prevalence of youth participation in a dangerous strangulation game, commonly referred to as the “Choking Game” [1]. The game involves obstructing blood flow to the brain by tightening a scarf, rope or belt around the neck. When the belt is removed and blood returns to the brain, the participant experiences a euphoric high. The game, researchers report, is played purely for the purpose of experiencing a high; it is non-sexual in nature and is not the same as autoerotic asphyxiation.
Over the past decade, collaborative research efforts to support the discovery and development of medicines has increased dramatically. Last month, the National Institutes of Health and Eli Lilly and Company announced a new collaboration: they will generate a publicly available resource to profile the effects of thousands of approved and investigational medicines in a variety of advanced disease-relevant testing systems [1]. In-depth knowledge of the biological profiles of these medicines may enable researchers to better predict treatment outcomes, improve drug development, and lead to more specific and effective approaches.
