Biotech drug manufacturer Amgen Inc. is reporting that a new drug under testing has been shown to prevent bone loss in men with prostate cancer.

The drug, denosumab, was clinically tested on more than 1,400 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation treatment. It showed that the drug helped reduce the risk the risk of osteoporosis and fracture in men receiving treatments for prostate cancer that can cause bone loss, the company said Monday

People with Alzheimer's who exercise regularly had less brain damage than those who did not exercise, a preliminary study suggests. The findings may indicate that staying physically fit could slow the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease and lead to development of a treatment, researchers hope.

Researchers from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City studied 57 people with early Alzheimer's. Their physical fitness was assessed by measuring their peak oxygen demand while on a treadmill, and brain shrinkage was estimated by MRI scans

Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois is pushing a bill requiring insurance companies to cover the costs of treating children with autism. The governor wants insurance companies to cover up to $36,000 a year for treatments such as speech and occupational therapies for children with autism.

If the bill is passed, policies would also include the cost of psychiatric services. These costs would have to be paid until the child is 21-years old

Researchers studying more than 100 families linked to autism from the Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan said they had identified at least six new genes that may provide families new hope for future treatment.

The finding, published in the July 11 issue of Science, shows that autism is not only caused by the deletion of some genes but also by turning off other genes. These genes cause disruptions in the brain's ability to form new connections in response to experience

Babies conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or test tubes might be just as healthy as those conceived naturally, a new study says. Researchers from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, said that contrary to popular belief, the IVF treatment does not increase the risk of developmental problems during early infancy.

Lead researcher Dr. Karin Middelburg said the study assessed spontaneous movements, known as general movements, in 125 infants conceived following IVF at three months of age and compared then with a control group of 90 babies born naturally to sub-fertile couples. Sub-fertile couples are those who were referred to the fertility clinic for fertility evaluation or treatment