News

A recent study shows that the human body produces chemical compounds similar to the active ingredient in marijuana, and these compounds, called endocannabinoids, play an important part in maintaining healthy skin.

Economists debate whether the United States has reached a full-fledged recession or is simply teetering on the brink, waiting for some sign it will either topple or be pulled back. Meanwhile, as the debate rages, people are dealing with the effects of soaring energy costs, rising unemployment and inflation.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced payment of more than $36 million in bonus payments to many of the more than 56,700 health professionals who satisfactorily reported quality information to Medicare under the 2007 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI).

Dr. Foot has, for years, been prescribing a highly effective oral medication for tinea pedis. One of the known and documented side effects of this oral agent is liver failure.

It is with great pleasure that we announce the addition of Elaine Siegfried, M.D., to the Dermatology Times Editorial Advisory Board. Dr. Siegfried will join Ronald Wheeland, M.D.; Norman Levine, M.D.; and Zoe D. Draelos, M.D., in helping to guide the editorial content of the magazine's print edition, as well as its Web site at www.dermatologytimes.com.

I had a recent personal experience that shocked me into re-examining what we dermatologists do and what our future will be as a specialty.

Surviving lean times demands that dermatologists use a hard line with finances and a soft touch with patients, sources say.

Skin moisturizers may be contributing to the increase in sunlight-induced nonmelanoma skin cancer, results of a murine study suggest, but researchers and dermatologists say further study is needed to determine if the findings translate to humans.

Despite concerns about the U.S. economy, a March 2008 survey by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) showed that nearly one-fourth of the survey's 562 respondents were experiencing increased bookings for existing aesthetic patients versus fall 2007.

While dermatologists offer mixed assessments of the impact of the sluggish U.S. economy on their specialty, they say today's tighter market clearly is intensifying the trend toward noninvasive procedures.

New York - The Skin Cancer Foundation is now accepting applications for its annual awards to support pilot research projects related to skin cancer. The foundation will award four $10,000 grants for basic research and clinical studies that address improved methods of prevention, detection and treatment of skin cancer.

Copenhagen, Denmark - Danish researchers have found that combination therapy using betamethasone dipropionate and calcipotriene is more effective for treating scalp psoriasis than either component alone, HealthDay News reports.

Chicago - The concept of too many cooks in the kitchen does not apply to treating vascular anomalies. In fact, experts say, even dermatologists often need to tap into the expertise of multidisciplinary centers that focus on vascular anomalies and other "orphan" skin diseases in order to offer optimum care - especially for their pediatric patients.

San Francisco - American teens would pay an average of $275 to have never had acne, according to a study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, where researchers surveyed 266 high school students in San Francisco.

Mountain view, Calif. - Iridex Corporation says it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its IQ Laser Systems, according to BioOptics World.

New Brunswick, N.J. - Common moisturizers increase the production of tumors in mice that have previously been exposed to UV rays, according to a study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Long beach, Calif. - Obagi Medical Products announces the launch of SoluCLENZ Rx Gel,a solubilized benzoyl peroxide, used for the treatment of acne, according to marketwatch.

Chicago - Dermatologists warn consumers that black henna tattoos contain para-phenylenediamine (PPD), a harmful chemical associated with a rash and major skin problems, according to PR Newswire.

Mississauga, Ontario - Cipher Pharmaceuticals announces it has entered into a distribution and supply agreement with Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited for Ranbaxy to market, sell and distribute CIP-ISOTRETINOIN in the United States, MarketWatch reports.

New York - Researchers have found mebendazole, a widely prescribed drug used to treat parasitic infections, to be a a viable investigational agent for the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant malignant melanoma, ScienceDaily reports.

San Diego - Artes Medical announces the immediate launch and commercial sale of Food and Drug Administration-approved Elevess, a new hyaluronic acid dermal filler formulated with an anesthetic for patient comfort, according to a press release.

Sacramento, Calif. - The California Assembly’s Committee on Health has defeated a bill that would have required manufacturers - including lipstick-makers - to prove that their products contain no more than “an unavoidable trace of lead,” CosmeticsDesign.com reports.

Rotterdam, Netherlands - Researchers here say that Pegintron, a hepatitis C drug marketed by Schering-Plough Corp., helps stop the post-surgery return of melanoma, Reuters reports.

Ann Arbor, Mich. - New research suggests that a form of laser cosmetic surgery first used two decades ago - but which has since fallen out of favor - could make a comeback in treating facial wrinkles, London’s Daily Mail reports.

London - The issue of whether sun exposure is a major cause of melanoma is the subject of two opposing articles published July 22 on bmj.com, the Web site of the British Medical Journal, HealthDay News reports.

Boston - A recently released analysis shows that studies of prescription drugs following their release on the market are becoming more common in the United States, Europe and Japan, The Boston Globe reports.

Washington - More than 90 percent of physicians base their drug-prescribing decisions on multiple sources of information, according to a new survey conducted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), PRNewswire reports.

Irvine, Calif. - Allergan, based here, has finalized a deal to acquire acne treatment gel Aczone from QLT USA Inc., the Associated Press reports.

Chicago - A national hospital-accrediting agency has issued new requirements aimed at minimizing the kind of physician behavior that can lead to medical errors, the Associated Press reports.