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Arete Therapeutics Presents Positive Clinical And Preclinical Data For AR9281
Arete Therapeutics Inc. announced the presentation of three posters that validate the mechanistic activity and therapeutic potential of the company"s lead drug candidate, AR9281, an orally-administered soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitor that is in a Phase II clinical program for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. sEH is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of arachidonic acid, a key signaling molecule implicated in diabetes, hypertension and inflammatory disorders.

First Viable Treatment Option For Highly Resistant Form Of CML May Be Provided By ChemGenex's Omacetaxine
ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Limited (ChemGenex) (ASX:CXS) announced that the latest data from its pivotal study of omacetaxine in patients with T315I-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was the subject of an oral presentation and discussion at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The open label Phase 2/3 study (CGX-635-CML-202) investigated the use of omacetaxine, administered subcutaneously in CML patients who had failed imatinib and who have the highly drug resistant T315I kinase domain mutation.
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GOP Sens. Say Sotomayor Filibuster Possible But Unlikely, Obama Defends Judge's Past Comments
Several Republican senators in appearances on various talk shows on Sunday said that they do not expect the GOP to attempt a filibuster to block the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, although none ruled the idea out, the Washington Post reports. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) said that she does not think the "need for filibuster will be there unless we have not had a chance to look at the record fully," adding that the Senate "need[s] to look at the record fully" and in an "expeditious way." Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, on NBC"s "Meet the Press" said that Sotomayor"s 17-year career as a federal judge is "very strong in her favor" and "the kind of background you would look for" in a Supreme Court justice. However, Sessions added that he and other Republican senators are concerned over a remark Sotomayor made in 2001 at a conference on Hispanics in the judiciary. According to the Post, Sotomayor was discussing how her Puerto Rican heritage has influenced her role as a judge when she said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn"t lived that life." Sessions said the remark "goes against the heart of the great American heritage of an independent judge" (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). Judiciary Committee member John Cornyn (R-Texas), appearing on ABC"s "This Week," said that senators "need to know ... whether she"s going to be a justice for all of us or just a justice for a few of us" (Wallsten, Los Angeles Times, 6/1).Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) -- Sotomayor"s sponsor through the confirmation process -- said on "This Week" that she is "virtually filibuster-proof when people learn her record and her story." He added that Sotomayor is "legally excellent" and "not a far-left-wing judge" (Barnes, Washington Post, 6/1). White House Defends Sotomayor"s Comments White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that he thinks Sotomayor would "say that her word choice in 2001 was poor, that she was simply making the point that personal experiences are relevant to the process of judging." In an interview with NBC News that will air this week, President Obama also defended Sotomayor, saying that "if you look in the entire sweep of the essay that she wrote, what"s clear is that she was simply saying her life experiences will give her information about the struggles and hardships that people are going through" (Eggen/Kane, Washington Post, 5/30). Obama also stood by his decision to nominate Sotomayor in his weekly radio and Internet address on Saturday. Obama said that he is "certain that she is the right choice" and that her record as a federal judge "makes clear that she is fair, unbiased and dedicated to the rule of law." While he said he expects "rigorous evaluation" of Sotomayor, Obama said his "hope is that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinkmanship that has bogged down this process, and Congress, in the past" (AP/USA Today, 6/1). First Meetings With Senators Expected This WeekAccording to the AP/Chicago Tribune, Sotomayor is scheduled to hold her first meetings with senators this week, beginning on Tuesday with Sessions and Democratic Sens. Harry Reid (Nev.) and Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (Vt.). Gibbs said a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnnell (R-Ky.) also is possible, adding that he is hopeful there will be other meetings scheduled throughout the week (AP/Chicago Tribune, 5/31).The Wall Street Journal reports that the formal Senate confirmation hearings are not expected to begin for several weeks. The White House would like the Senate to confirm Sotomayor before the August recess so she will be on the bench for the court"s next term, which begins in October. Although some GOP senators say this might not be enough time to fully examine her record, Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed, the Journal reports (Bendavid, Wall Street Journal, 6/1).
Medical Devices

HCL Welcomes Government Proposals For More Flexible NHS, UK

HCL plc, the UK"s largest health and social care recruitment agency, said the Government"s proposals to reform the NHS by devolving power to frontline professionals and patients will mean a greater need for flexible staffing and more collaboration between the public and private sectors. The Government strategy document "Building Britain"s Future", outlines proposals to reduce bureaucracy in the NHS and give patients enforceable rights to high standards of care. The proposals include Personal Health Budgets, faster access to hospital treatment and "clear redress mechanisms" if those entitlements were not met - including the right to request an immediate appointment at another hospital if their local one has no capacity. HCL said that these measures will make it harder for hospital managers to plan patient numbers month on month and thus lead to greater flexible staffing requirements as hospitals need to staff up and staff down quickly to cope with greater patient churn. Kate Bleasdale, Executive Vice Chairman of HCL, said: "We welcome a move away from the top down targets culture to a culture of entitlement that gives more power to frontline professionals. These new proposals pave the way for a more innovative and collaborative partnership between the public and private sectors, particularly in staffing where it is important to maintain the right balance of permanent and flexible healthcare staff to meet the fluctuating needs of the local population. "HCL has close and long-standing relationships with many of the UK"s leading hospitals and we understand that each one"s culture and needs are different. We are committed to working hand in hand with NHS Trusts to ensure that their staffing needs continue to be met, to help them achieve greater efficiency and most importantly ensure faster treatment and better outcomes for patients." HCL plc


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