Archives for the 'news1' Category
OneMedForum New York 2010: Key Days for Innovation in Healthcare
Though selected in order to give a platform to lesser recognized businesses, the companies presenting demonstrated the vast diversity of the healthcare and life science spaces.Celgene Acquires Abraxis In $2.9 Billion Deal
Celgene has acquired Abraxis BioScience in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $2.9 billion, reports FierceBiotech.Access Pharma’s Drug Delivery Technology Is a Stealth Asset
Access Pharma (OTC: ACCP.OB) provided an update today on the status of its cobalamin-based oral drug delivery product development programs.[Video Profile] CoreSpine Technologies
One of the most important steps in spinal implant surgery is removing all nucleus material from the lumbar disc before inserting the implant. If any nucleus tissue remains, it can interfere with the bone formation process by acting as a physical barrier to bone growth. Existing nucleus removal instrumentation causes damage to the annulus and vertebral endplates, and is unable to reach all areas of the disc. CoreSpine Technologies of Minneapolis hopes to fill this unmet surgical need. The company is developing the first device to fully remove all nucleus tissue without causing further spinal damage, preparing the way for successful positioning of the implant. CoreSpine’s device seeks to improve surgical outcome while working with emerging spinal implant technologies.
Related video:
Interview with Christine M. Horton, CEO and Founder of CoreSpine Technologies:
An engineering approach to translational medicine
The mechanisms that drive disease have long confounded the medical industry. How much of a part does genetics play? How does the patient’s lifestyle influence his or her risk of developing cancer? What makes one patient respond favorably to a particular treatment, while another suffers severe side effects?FDA draws criticism over Menaflex approval
The Food and Drug Administration is facing criticism following its controversial approval of a new device to treat knee injuries. The federal agency recently cleared Menaflex, developed by New Jersey-based ReGen, despite repeated rejections and concerns about the device’s efficacy. The Wall Street Journal reports that ReGen’s aggressive lobbying campaign on behalf of Menaflex is raising questions about corporate influence on the FDA.
Menaflex is a C-shaped implant designed to reinforce damaged or weakened tissue in the knee. The device was approved under the FDA’s fast-track rules, which do not require clinical trials for products that are similar to those already on the market. Scientists in the FDA’s medical-devices division had twice rejected ReGen’s initial application for fast-track status, arguing that Menaflex was a new kind of device that required extensive testing. ReGen contested the claims and appealed to New Jersey
Brocair publishes new research on aesthetic device space
Brocair Partners recently published its latest research report on the aesthetic medical device market. This report contains a matrix of technologies provided by companies that compete in this market, an overview of the participants in the industry, short company profiles of selected companies, a market and valuation analysis, and an overview of recent corporate transactions. To view the full report, click here.
The report contained the following market overview of the aesthetic device space:
• According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), Americans spent $13.2 billion on aesthetic treatments in 2007.
• The market for energy-based aesthetic devices is estimated to exceed $1 billion by 2011, and it has been growing by 20% annually, although the slump in retail spending is likely to reduce that rate in the short/medium term.
• Clustering: There are three important geographic areas where innovation has
Glaucoma: the first neurodegenerative disease we can cure?
The possibility that Glaucoma could be a.) a neurological disease and b.) curable, suggested by a new study of the disease presented January 28th by Catalyst For a Cure (CFC) at the Glaucoma Research Foundation’s 31st Anniversary Benefit and Celebration, signals a new hope for understanding and treating it. The CFC reported that the cell death that causes vision loss in glaucoma has two distinct phases, and that axonal degeneration precedes neuronal loss, pointing to a therapeutic window for interventions. Furthermore, they found that vision loss from glaucoma can be predicted by observing changes specific to genes and proteins. These findings, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, hint at the possibility of curing the disease by stopping and perhaps even reversing damage to the optic nerve itself, as opposed to treatments aimed at the symptoms, such as those that lower
Spectranetics Releases 12-Month CELLO Study Data
Spectranetics has released 12-month follow-up data from its CELLO study. The data validates the strengths of the company’s Turbo-Booster as demonstrated by an excellent safety profile and high procedural success.
Turbo-Booster functions as a guide catheter facilitating the laser ablation of blockages in arteries. The device removes arterial plaque using ultraviolet energy; the energy ablates blockages into particles, most of which are smaller than a red blood cell. The CELLO study enrolled 65 patients with blockages at or above-the-knee.
The primary endpoint of the study was the percentage reduction in the stenosis (an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel) prior to adjunctive therapy of either balloon angioplasty or balloon angioplasty and stenting.
- Prior to treatment with Turbo-Booster, the mean stenosis was 77%.
- After treatment, the mean stenosis was 42% (and 21% after adjunctive therapy).
- One-year following the procedure, 78% of treated patients were free from target lesion
Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2009
The Cleveland Clinic has unveiled its latest Top 10 Medical Innovations list, highlighting technologies that are expected to have a big impact in 2009. Announced during Cleveland Clinic’s 2008 Medical Innovation Summit,, the list was determined by a panel of Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists.
10. Private Sector National Health Information Exchange: A comprehensive system of electronic health records that link consumers, general practitioners, specialists, hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes, and insurance companies is in the process of being established. Primarily a private-sector effort, this computerized system has the potential to replace paper-based medical files with digitized records of patients’ complete medical history.
9. Doppler-Guided Uterine Artery Occlusion: Fibroid tumors occur in upwards of 40% of women older than 35, triggering pelvic pain, pregnancy complications, and heavy bleeding. There is a new, non-invasive approach to treat fibroids called Doppler-guided uterine artery occlusion, or DUAO.
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