News

National report - Gardasil presents no significant safety concerns. That was the consensus of a Center for Disease Control (CDC) advisory committee following a review of safety studies of the human papillomavirus quadrivalent vaccine, manufactured by Merck, two years post-approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Wilmington, Mass. - Dusa Pharmaceuticals has stopped developing Levulan photo dynamic therapy for acne, after mid-stage trials failed to show statistically significant results.

Toronto, Canada - In honor of World Psoriasis Day on Oct. 29, the Psoriasis Education Program (PEP) announces its new Web site www.psoriasisinfo.ca, MarketWatch reports.

Chicago - From the sexual proclivities of senior citizens to the continuing spread of HIV, the state of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) worldwide is more dire than casual observers would guess, says one expert.

Las Vegas - When it comes to office efficiency and patient management, experts’ advice runs the gamut, from choosing patient-friendly palliative care to properly using physician extenders.

Las Vegas - The most common diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma diagnosis in the practice of dermatology is mycosis fungoides (MF), according to Peter W. Heald, M.D., professor of dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., who spoke here at the 27th Annual Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference.

Las Vegas - Throughout the next five years, fractionated lasers and combined-wavelength treatments will continue to lead growth in the dermatologic laser surgery segment, says a leading dermatologic laser surgeon.

Las Vegas - To paraphrase English surgeon and anatomist Sir Ashley Paston Cooper, the best surgeon is the one who makes the fewest mistakes.

Las Vegas - One American dies from malignant melanoma every hour, according to Darrell S. Rigel, M.D., M.S., co-director of the 27th Annual Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference, and clinical professor of dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York.

Las Vegas - A meticulous history and scalp examination are key in diagnosing and managing hair loss in women, says Jerry Shapiro, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., department of dermatology, New York University, New York, and department of dermatology and skin science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, in a presentation at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference here.

Las Vegas - "There are problems with corticosteroids," says Alan B. Fleischer, Jr., M.D., professor and chair of dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Las Vegas - Although topical anesthetics have long been a mainstay for dermatologists, physicians have relatively little clinical data with which to evaluate them, an expert says.

Las Vegas - The availability of a broad range of hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers has allowed dermatologists to employ greater creativity in correcting not only facial lines and wrinkles, but also age-related volume loss, an expert says.

Las Vegas - As new biologic drugs navigate through the FDA approval process, the amount of efficacy data - including comparative studies - available to dermatologists is growing, says a leading psoriasis clinician and researcher.

Las Vegas - Nonsurgical modalities can provide safe, effective treatment for carefully selected low-risk nonmelanoma skin cancers, an expert says.

Las Vegas - "It?s my bias that every practice should be using photodynamic therapy (PDT.) It is so useful," says C. William Hanke, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P.; president, American Academy of Dermatology; visiting professor, dermatology, University of Iowa-Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.

Las Vegas - Everyone needs a working knowledge of cosmeceuticals, even if you?re a skeptic, says Hilary E. Baldwin, M.D, vice chair and associate professor of dermatology, department of dermatology, State University of New York, Brooklyn, N.Y., in a presentation here at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference.

Las Vegas - Treating tough pigmentary disorders requires combining current therapies while keeping abreast of emerging therapies including new sunscreens, resurfacing procedures and promising monotherapeutic bleaching agents, says an expert.

Las Vegas - As injection techniques and aesthetic applications for Botox (botulinum toxin A, Allergan) expand, knowing the facial anatomy and tempering patient expectations remain critical to success, an expert says.

Las Vegas - The evolving nature of infectious diseases that attack the skin requires dermatologists to maintain constant vigilance, an expert says.

Las Vegas - A selection of recent cases offer lessons ranging from potential causes of drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (DISCLE) to comorbidities associated with seborrheic dermatitis, says a physician familiar the cases.

Las Vegas - Kawasaki disease (KD), also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, is the most common cause of acquired cardiac disease in children, and it is important to understand its pathogenesis in order to diagnose and treat the child, says Sheila Fallon Friedlander, M.D., clinical professor, pediatrics and medicine, University of California San Diego Medical Center, Rady Children?s Hospital, San Diego.

Las Vegas - When an adult female presents with acne, it can be very helpful to do a hormonal evaluation, including a menstrual history, use of cosmetic and skincare products and clinical signs of cutaneous androgen excess, says Diana S. Berson, M.D., in a presentation here at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference.

Las Vegas - "TIMS (topical immune modulators) are safer than topical steroids if you don?t feed them heavily to monkeys," says Lawrence A. Schachner, M.D., chairman and Harvey Blank Professor of Dermatology, professor of pediatrics, and director, division of pediatric dermatology, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Fla.

Data from two large, phase 4 trials indicate that long-term, intermittent, once-daily therapy with tacrolimus ointment is an effective treatment for pediatric patients with stabilized atopic dermatitis, Docguide.com reports.

New Brunswick, N.J. ? A Johnson & Johnson-funded patient study suggests that J&J?s experimental drug ustekinumab was more effective at treating psoriasis than Amgen?s Enbrel, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Results of a recent study show that 68 percent of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis experienced improvement in scalp psoriasis within the first 12 weeks of treatment with efalizumab, Docguide.com reports.

Keraderm, which develops phototherapy treatments for infections, has announced it will introduce a $100 phototherapy treatment for onychomycosis in 2009, upon completion of current pivotal trials and pending marketing clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), PRNewswire reports.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a blood cancer drug may cause a serious skin reaction in some patients, the Dow Jones Newswire reports.