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Ardea Biosciences Announces Positive Interim Phase 2a Results For Lead Gout Drug, RDEA594
Ardea Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:RDEA) announced positive interim results from an ongoing Phase 2a, proof-of-concept study of RDEA594, its lead product candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout, as well as additional positive results from completed Phase 1 studies of RDEA594 in normal, healthy volunteers. The Phase 1 results, along with additional preclinical data, were presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology hosted by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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CDC Report Examines Sexual Health, AIDS Rates Among U.S. Teenagers, Young Adults
CDC"s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) examines the sexual health of young adults and teenagers in the U.S., Reuters reports. "The data presented in this report indicate that many young persons in the United States engage in sexual risk behavior and experience negative reproductive health outcomes," the MMWR states (7/16). For the report, CDC compiled data from several different studies involving hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults age 10 to 25. Among other findings, the data indicated that AIDS rates among boys age 15 to 19 increased from 1.3 cases per 100,000 in 1997 to 2.5 cases in 2006. The report also said that new HIV and AIDS diagnoses were highest among young blacks across all age groups (Chicago Tribune, 7/17). Kevin Fenton, director of CDC"s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, said, "It is imperative that all of us at the national and community level work together to ensure STD and HIV prevention programs are reaching young people, particularly in communities with the greatest burden of disease" (Brewington, "Picture of Health," Baltimore Sun, 7/16).
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HIV Diagnoses Among Men In New Orleans Growing, Large Increases Reported Among Blacks
HIV diagnoses among all men in Louisiana declined from 1997 to 2006, but increased in 2007 and 2008 - diagnoses in the New Orleans metropolitan area alone increased by 9 percent from 2007 to 2008, according to the Louisiana Office of Public Health, the New Orleans Times Picayune reports. Of particular concern are the increases among black men in New Orleans. Among black men of all ages, new HIV diagnoses increased by 4 percent from 2007 to 2008, but increased 23 percent for black men age 20 to 24 and 30 percent for those age 45 to 54. The reasons behind the findings are "complex," according to the Times Picayune. Risky sexual behavior, a "declining sense of concern among young people about AIDS and the stubborn cultural stigma of homosexuality in the black community are all believed to be factors," the Times Picayune reports (Sandoval-Griffin, New Orleans Times Picayune, 6/27).
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Health Professionals Experience Difficulty Treating Patients With Dual Mental Health Diagnoses

The Washington Post tells the story of Danny Watt, who drowned in April 2008 after a lifelong struggle with mental health. Watt had a dual diagnosis: a serious mental illness along with abuse of drugs or alcohol. "Danny Watt was a walking symbol of a phenomenon called co-occurring disorders, or dual diagnosis, which is estimated to affect 7 million adults in the United States. ò€¦ About half of all adults who are seriously mentally ill are also thought to be addicted. The mental health community calls this "self-medication." The federal government estimates that 90 percent of people with co-occurring disorders do not get the treatment they need." According to officials interviewed by the Post, ""He is responsible for his care, and he has decisions and choices to make," said William H. Williams Jr., the agency"s director of alcohol and drug services. "When you look at the number of challenges that faced this particular case, I think we did an exceptional job in trying to resolve this young man"s issues."" "But E. Fuller Torrey, a psychiatrist with the Treatment Advocacy Center in Arlington and a prominent critic of the widespread deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients, says forced treatment is essential when people are too mentally ill to realize they need help. "Saying that Danny had responsibility for his care is "fine for someone with substance abuse, but if you"re dealing with psychosis, then there"s no way you"re going to treat someone like that in an unlocked facility," Torrey said. "What you"re looking at is the system is not set up to treat the difficult patients"" (Jackman, 7/28). In an accompanying piece, The Washington Post reports that sometimes 50 percent or more of mental health therapists" and substance abuse counselors" patients suffer from both mental illness and addiction to drugs or alcohol. And treatment facilities sometimes don"t offer good enough observation to keep them from relapsing, they report: "At Cornerstones, Fairfax"s 16-bed residential treatment facility for men and women, a college-dorm-like setting provides structure (meetings, meals, "medication calls") and group activities but not heavy discipline. The doors are unlocked, and clients have the option of walking out. Stays can last as long as six months. Stores that sell alcohol are nearby. The residents are adults and must make their own choices. "People relapse," said Melissa Anderson, the center"s director. "But they come back the next day"" (Jackman, 7/28). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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