Opinion: Governments Must Take 'Concrete Action' To Reduce Maternal Mortality, Morbidity
With the U.N. Human Rights Council"s June session coming up, governments have a "chance to prove that they value women"s lives by taking concrete action" to recognize "preventable maternal death as a violation of women"s rights," Mary Robinson and Alicia Yamin, advisory council members of the International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights, write in a Boston Globe opinion piece.
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The number of Americans under care for depression and other mental illnesses nearly doubled between 1996 and 2006, and the overall cost of treating them jumped by nearly two-thirds, according to the latest News and Numbers from HHS" Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. According to the analysis by the federal agency, the number of patients treated for mental disorders, including depression and bipolar disease, increased from 19 million to 36 million. The overall
treatment costs for mental disorders rose from $35 billion (in 2006 dollars) to nearly $58 billion, making it one of the top 5 costliest medical conditions between 1996 and 2006. In addition, the study concluded that: *Heart disease, cancer, trauma-related disorders, and asthma were among the other five most costly conditions in both 1996 and 2006. 
Labopharm Inc. (TSX: DDS; NASDAQ: DDSS) announced it has filed a New Drug Submission (NDS) with the Therapeutic Products Directorate of Health Canada for its novel formulation of the antidepressant trazodone. "We are pleased to file our New Drug Submission to Health Canada," said James R. Howard-Tripp, President and Chief Executive Officer, Labopharm Inc. "We believe the $800 million-plus Canadian market for antidepressants represents a significant opportunity
for our trazodone formulation and we are currently in discussions with potential partners to support the commercialization of our product in Canada." 
Noninvasive imaging (MRI) may aid physicians in the early diagnosis, staging and treatment of diabetes, according to a study performed at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. This is the first study of its kind to apply noninvasive imaging techniques to diabetes research. "With noninvasive MRI we have the ability to evaluate beta cell mass, a major factor of insulin secretion that is significantly reduced in type two diabetes and almost
gone in type one," said Anna Moore, MD, lead author of the study. "We are also able to detect inflammation of the pancreas and vascular changes associated with type one and type two diabetes. This opens a huge area that is closed right now," said Dr. Moore. "Knowing the number of functional beta cells left would allow physicians to develop the most appropriate treatment plans for their patients. 
Worldwide collaborative ties among researchers investigating the debilitating neurological condition multiple sclerosis (MS) have been strengthened thanks to the introduction of the first UK and Australian Fellowship Exchange programme. Dr Julia Morahan is the first person to be awarded the Macquarie Group Foundation Australia and UK MS Society Fellowship and she makes the move from investigating Motor Neurone Disease to research into MS. The initiative cements the relationship
between the UK MS Society and international scientists researching MS and is supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation - the philanthropic arm of Macquarie Group. Dr Lee Dunster, Head of Research and Information at the UK MS Society, said: "More than 2.5million people are living with MS around the world and there is some suggestion this number is rising.