Top Medical Stories 1-9-12

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Lab Decapping Platform Launched

Qiagen N.V. has launched the QIAensemble Decapper automation system to facilitate the handling of liquid-based cytology and other fluid sample for clinical laboratories. The open platform system automates many manual steps required for unscrewing the lids of clinical sample vials, extracting the sample material and pipetting it.

Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) Offers Health Navigator Plan

 

Inland Empire Health Plan in San Bernardino, California, has launched a full-time in-house team whose job is to help members navigate the healthcare system. The program is funded by grants from IEHP and First 5 San Bernardino, and helps IEHP members get preventive care and in general navigating the ins and outs of IEHP.

Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions Launches InfusaTrack

 

Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions launched InfusaTrack, a Web-based infusion room management tool that makes it easier for community rheumatology practices to offer in-office infusion therapy. The new UnfusaTrack tool allows practice administrators to quickly add users and physicians, uses data collected during the dispensing process to automatically generate invoices, and streamlines specialty pharmacy orders.

Olympic Medical Center Receives Telemedicine Grant

 

Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles, Washington, received a $113,466 grant from the US Department of Agriculture to fund a distance learning program for medical providers. It will be used to connect Jefferson Healthcare, Forks Community Hospital and OMC and its Sequim campus through a USDA program called Distance Learning and Telemedicine.

Today’s Medical Stories 1-5-12

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Generic Version of Ritalin LA Hits US Market

 

Actavis Group received approval from the US FDA to market Methylphenidate Hydrochloride Extended-Release Capsules (LA) CII, USP as a generic. The approval includes a 180-day exclusivity period.

Alair Bronchial Thermoplasty System Hits CMS Reimbursement Milestone

Boston Scientific Corporation announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has agreed that as of January 1, 2012, the Alair catheter is eligible for Medicare Reimbursement. This is via a separate “pass-through” payment that will enable hospitals to receive payment for the catheter in addition to Medicare’s payment for the bronchial thermoplasty procedure.

Halo Therapeutics’ HT-100 for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Receives FDA Orphan Designation

 

Halo Therapeutics, LLC, announced the US FDA had granted orphan drug designation for HT-100, a treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). DMD is seen in 1 in 3,500 boys worldwide, and is a progressive and fatal neuromuscular disorder. HT-100, known as halofuginone, is a small molecule drug candidate. Orphan designation is given to therapies for rare diseases.

ATA Lists 7 Telemedicine Market Trends

 

Jonathan Linkous, CEO of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), provided seven market trends that are shaping the future of telemedicine. They include a shift away from reimbursement models, the realization that in many cases telemedicine is the standard of care, and the outsourcing of radiology and other medical services.

Top Medical Stories – 1/4/12

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Hemophilia B Gene Therapy On Horizon?

 

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics has been granted by the US FDA orphan drug designation for its gene therapy program for the treatment of hemophilia B. AMT’s hemophilia B program is being investigated in a Phase I/II study conducted by St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, TN, USA) and University College London (UK). The program consists of an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector that contains the human factor IX gene.

Canada Has Significant Treatment Gap for Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Society recently conducted a survey in Canada and found that three-quarters of caregivers surveyed wished they had sought a diagnosis earlier. The survey found that many Canadians dismiss symptoms of dementia as merely “old age” and don’t respond as if treatable.

TSH Unreliable In Diagnosis of Thyroid Disease?

A study, written by Kent Holtorf, MD, (independently published) titled “Hormone Replacement Therapy in the Geriatric Patient: Current State of the Evidence and Questions for the Future. Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, and Thyroid Hormone Augmentation in Geriatric Clinical Practice” questions the use of TSH testing in hypothyroid diagnosis. TSH is thyroid stimulating hormone, and is considered the gold standard in thyroid testing. The paper suggests that physiological stress, caused by aging or illness, can result in hypothyroid clinical symptoms, but TSH and T3 levels in serum may present as normal.

Consult A Doctor Expands Services

Consult A Doctor announced that its members can now use their Marriott Rewards points to obtain 24/7 access to telemedicine services through its CSA Travel Protection offering. Consult A Doctor provides telemedicine consultation 24/7/365 to board-certified physicians in all 50 states.

 

 

Top Medical Stories 1-3-12

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Brush Your Teeth To Prevent Pneumonia

 

A new study from the Yale University of Medicine found that mouth bacteria changed preceding the development of pneumonia in hospital patients. The study, which was small, seems to indicate a link between oral health and respiratory diseases – in other words, brush your teeth, floss, and you might decrease the odds of respiratory illness like colds, flu and pneumonia.

Tuomey Healthcare System Brings On ICU Telemedicine Monitoring

Tuomey Healthcare System (South Carolina) will partner with Advanced ICU Care in April 2012 to offer 24/7 telemedicine monitoring of ICU patients. This is related to a nationwide shortage of board-certified intensivists. The Advanced ICU Care model allows continuous patient surveillance by board-certified critical care physicians 24 hours a day.

GlobalMed Partners With HP For Mobile Telemedicine Carts and Tablet PCs

 

GlobalMed announced it will partner with HP to introduce three new mobile telemedicine carts and a tablet PC solution powered by HP Workstations and EliteBook PCs. The GlobalMed i8500 Series Mobile Telemedicine Carts combine the power of the HP Z210 SFF Workstations with HP L2105 Widescreen LCD Touchscreen monitors.

New Florida Health Information Exchange Launches

HIE Networks LLC has launched, created by the Florida Health Data Network. It is described as a secure, cloud-based statewide health information exchange and currently has about 1 million Florida patients on file, or about 5% of the state’s population. They expect to increase the records to about 12% of the state’s population by 2Q 2012.

Top Medical Stories 12-29-11

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One in Three Florida Healthcare Dollars Unnecessary

A poll of Florida physicians by Patients for Fair Compensation and Oppenheim Research found that in Florida, one in three dollars spent on healthcare is for unnecessary tests and treatments. Physicians apparently order them to keep from being sued, rather than because they are necessary. They apparently refer to it as “defensive medicine.” This amounts to approximately $40 billion each year.

Affinity Health Systems Wants to Offer Telemed Services

Affinity Health Systems Inc. in Newark, NJ, wants to begin offering telemedicine services to three Wilmington schools: Prestige Academy, Kuumba Academy, and East Side Charter School. They hope to use grant money from the Affordable Health Care Act to pay for the services.

HealthSpot Wants Telemedicine Kiosk to Be an ATM for Healthcare

 

HealthSpot (Columbus, OH), is a telemedicine startup that is offering its Care4 Station kiosks to pharmacies, grocery stores and employer sites as an alternative to retail medical clinics. The kiosk is a telemedicine videoconferencing system that also includes integrated digital medical equipment for taking temperatures and blood pressure.

Houston Health Information Exchange Goes Live

The Greater Houston Health Information Exchange (GHHIE) completed its initial launch as after two physician groups successfully exchanged secure clinical messages. The two doctor groups were the Northwest Diagnostic Clinic, P.A., and the Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants, P.A., which did their info exchange in mid-December. The GHHIE plans to begin widely offering the services in the Greater Houston area in January 2012.

Top Medical Stories 12-28-11

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Cord Blood America Inks Exclusive Agreement

Cord Blood America, Inc., has signed an exclusive agreement with the National Children’s Leukemia Foundation to store stem cells at its Las Vegas facility. Cord Blood America is the parent company of CorCell, which facilitates umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation for expectant parents and their children.

Delcath Systems Signs Deal With Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital

Delcath Systems, Inc. signed an initial launch and training agreement with the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital (Frankfurt, Germany) for the Delcath Hepatic CHEMOSAT Delivery System. Delcath will provide JW Goethe with logistics and clinical training support for working with chemosaturation therapy using the CHEMOSAT system. The CHEMOSAT system is used to treat liver cancer metastases with melphalan.

Abaxis Veterinary Labs Now Offering Quantitative Lyme Test

Abaxis Veterinary Reference Laboratories (AVRL) Division (Olathe, KS) is now offering a quantitative antibody test for canine Lyme disease. Invented and developed by Abaxis, Inc., it measures a combination of antibodies to peptides that mimic certain antigens of the Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete.

Mylan Launches Generic Version of Hypertension Drug Teveten

Mylan, Inc., received final approval from the FDA for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Eprosartan Mesylate Tablets (400 mg and 600 mg), which is the generic version of Abbott Laboratories’ Teveten Tablets. They are used to treat hypertension. According to IMS Health, Eprosartan Mesylate Tablets have U.S. sales of about $4.9 million in the 12 months ending June 30, 2011.

 

Top Medical Stories – 12-27-11

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MGMA Survey Suggests Docs May Shift Back To Paper Records!

The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) asked and received a contingency plan from the federal government regarding ANSI X12 version of the 5010 transaction standards – in other words, if doctors can’t meet the standards by January 1st, they want to be able to still get reimbursement from health insurers. Essentially, MGMA surveyed physicians to see if they were ready for the changes and found that only 13.9% were ready. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) indicated an extension is possible. In fact, the survey indicated about a quarter of physicians were considering shifting back to paper just to make sure they could make the claims.

NIH Wants To Speed Up New Treatments

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) created the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), whose focus is speeding the development of new medical treatments from the research stage to clinical practice. The office’s initial budget will be $575 million.

HealthLeaders Media Published Top 12 Healthcare Buzzwords for 2012

 

Because where would we be without words and phrases like “palliative intensive care” and “positive deviance or disruptive innovation.”

Dark Report Offers Free White Papers Re. LIS

The Dark Report offers a number of white papers, several of which are written by Mark Terry (that would be me), including the recent: “Transferring Laboratory Data Into The Electronic Medical Record: Technological Options For Data Migration In The Laboratory Information System.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top Medical Stories – November 16, 2011

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Hemophilia B Therapy Is Granted European Orphan Designation

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics’ gene therapy program for the treatment of hemophilia B has been granted orphan designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The designation has several benefits, but of primary interest is 10 years of market exclusivity from product launch and access to the central authorization procedure.

 

1 in 5 Americans On Drugs For Psychiatric/Behavioral Disorders

Medico Health Solutions, Inc. issued a report titled “America’s State of Mind.” The report analyzed trends in mental health medication among approximately 2.5 million insured Americans from 2001 to 2010. Of the findings, women take more mental health meds then men and antidepressants are most common. That said, since 2001 the number of men on atypical antipsychotic medications had quadrupled.

 

Elsevier Adds New Features to BrainNavigator

 

Elsevier announced it had added new features to its online research tool, BrainNavigator. The new version is BrainNavigator 3.2 and includes a “cell counter” that it claims will make cell counting obsolete. This may or may not make histologists frightened of being put out of work, but only time will tell.

 

Validation Study to Begin for Non-Invasive Melanoma Assay

DermTech (La Jolla, CA) announced it will present results from a study that indicates its novel melanoma biomarker can be used with a high-throughput, low-cost qRT-PCR platform. Early results show it can successfully discriminate melanoma with 100% sensitivity and 85% specificity. The test, MelDTect, is based on the Epidermal Genetic Information Retrieval (EGIR) approach that uses a patented adhesive-based method to obtain cells from the upper layer of the skin and genetic analysis to predict disease probability.

Top Medical Stories – September 19, 2011

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Data Presented In Support of Roche cobas HPV Test for Cervical Cancer Screening

Roche presented data from the ATHENA study (Addressing THE Need for Advanced HPV Diagnostics) that showed that HPV DNA tests, including the Roche cobas HPV Test, was appropriate for primary screening of cervical cancer. The data was published in the online edition of The Lancet Oncology, and was presented at the 27th annual International Papillomavirus Conference.

Merck Serono Acquires Rights To Experimental MS Drug

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA (Germany), recently acquired worldwide exclusive rights to PI-2301, an experimental multiple sclerosis drug developed by Peptimmune Inc. Pi-2301 has been tested in Phase 1b clinical trials for multiple sclerosis and will soon begin two more clinical trials.

Blood Clot Treatment Now Available in the U.K.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Ltd. announced that ELIQUIS Black Triangle Drug (apixaban), an oral medication for the treatment of blood clots in adult patients, is now available in the U.K. The drug is used for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events (VTE, i.e. blood clots) in patients who have had elective total hip or knee replacement surgery.

Health Problems of Caregivers Examined

Dr. Michael Petty, RN, PhD, will present a study, “Family Caregivers: Supporting the Support System” at the 15th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America. Petty, noting that 52 million people in the U.S. provide unpaid care to adult family members and friends with health issues, will discuss the problems facing these caregivers.

New Treatment Options for Lupus?

A team of researchers with RNL BIO and the Samsung Bioscience Research Institute of Samsung Medical Center, have published the results of a research study examining the use of adult stem cells to treat lupus. The study was published in Arthritis and Rheumatism (Impact factor: 8.435) on September 15, 2011.

Top Medical News – September 16, 2011

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U.K. Research Report Finds Patients Would Pay To Be Seen Sooner

A research report by Simplyhealth found that 59% of survey participants would pay to be seen privately if it meant they were diagnosed quicker. The report is something an indictment of the U.K.’s National Health Service, with slightly over 50% of survey participants believing they are waiting longer than ever for care.

Japanese Patent Issued for Possible RNAi Cancer Therapy

Silence Therapeutics plc announced they had been issued a patent by the Japanese Patent Office for “Use of Protein Kinase N beta.” This locks in Silence Therapeutics’ use of PKN3 for testing of the molecule as potential cancer agents.

PROLOR Biotech Publishes Comparative Factor VIIa Study

PROLOR Biotech, Inc., published the results of a comparative study of its biobetter longer-acting version of the hemophilia drug Factor VIIa in mice. The study compared PROLOR’s CTP-modified Factor VIIq with the commercially available recombinant Factor VIIa.

NanoPass Inks Licensing Agreement With Circassia For Vaccine Delivery Technology

NanoPass Technologies signed a licensing agreement with Circassia Ltd. for its MicronJet, a microneedle intradermal delivery device. The agreement allows Circassia to use the MicronJet with many of its products, includings its cat and ragweed allergy therapies.