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FDA approves Envoy Medical's prosthetic hearing restoration device

On March 17, 2010 the FDA gave approval to Envoy Medical Corporation to market a "First of its Kind" prosthetic hearing restoration device. The approval follows a December 18, 2009 unanimous 15 to 0 vote by an independent advisory panel in favor of approving the Esteem® for moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. The FDA chose an expedited review process, noting that they believe the Esteem® "represents a breakthrough technology."

18 Mar 2010

I-SPY 2: The Biomarkers Consortium launches clinical trial for high risk, fast-growing breast cancers

The Biomarkers Consortium, a unique public-private partnership that includes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and major pharmaceutical companies, led by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), today announced the launch of a highly anticipated clinical trial to help screen promising new drugs being developed for women with high risk, fast-growing breast cancers—women for whom an improvement over standard treatment could dramatically change the odds of survival.

18 Mar 2010

Synergetics launches fully disposable instrument line for retinal surgery

Synergetics USA, Inc., a medical device company that designs, manufactures, and markets innovative microsurgical instruments for ophthalmic and neurosurgical applications, today announced the launch of its newest fully disposable line of hand-held instruments for retinal surgery, Pinnacle 360oTM. The launch occurred at Vail Vitrectomy 2010, a surgical meeting held on March 13 - 17, 2010.

17 Mar 2010

Somanetics first-quarter 2010 net revenues up 18%

Somanetics Corporation reported net revenues of $13.1 million for the first quarter ended February 28, 2010, an 18 percent increase from $11.2 million in the same period of 2009.

17 Mar 2010

SBRT may improve survival rates for lung-cancer patients: Study

A radiation therapy that uses multiple radiation beams to target tumors precisely has been shown to eliminate the primary tumor and ultimately may improve survival rates for lung-cancer patients unable to undergo surgery, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians who led a national clinical trial of the treatment.

17 Mar 2010

Stomach wrap operations more effective than acid suppression tablets in severe acid reflux treatment

Stomach wrap operations may be more effective than acid suppression tablets in the treatment of severe acid reflux, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. The study shows a more pronounced improvement in symptoms shortly after surgery than with drug treatment.

17 Mar 2010

Liver cancer: Treatment with intra-arterial yttrium-90 microspheres promising

An interventional radiology treatment-the use of intra-arterial yttrium-90 microspheres for liver cancer (also known as hepatocellular carcinoma)-shows promise in prolonging life for many patients with this devastating condition, according to researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

17 Mar 2010

Cervical cancer vaccine may protect females from post-surgical recurrence

A vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer also may protect females from post-surgical recurrence of the disease, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

17 Mar 2010

Genetic test helps reduce hospitalization rates for heart patients on warfarin

Hospitalization rates for heart patients taking warfarin, the world's most-prescribed blood thinner, dropped by approximately 30 percent when genetic information was available to doctors prescribing the drug, researchers from Medco Health Solutions, Inc.-- in association with the Medco Research Institute™ -- and Mayo Clinic announced today.

17 Mar 2010

Low-income patients with brain tumors are less likely to be referred to specialty hospitals

African-American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged patients with brain tumors are significantly less likely to be referred to high-volume hospitals that specialize in neurosurgery than other patients of similar age, the same gender, and with similar comorbidities, according to new research by Johns Hopkins doctors.

17 Mar 2010

Radiofrequency ablation helps prolong life of colorectal cancer patients

Approximately half of Americans living with colorectal cancer will develop liver metastases at some point during the course of their disease. Radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive treatment that applies heat directly in the tumor causing cancer cell death with minimal associated injury to the surrounding healthy liver, contributes to prolongation of their life by nearly three years, note researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

17 Mar 2010

Patent applications continue to alter medical landscape to improve patient care

Over the past 40 years, more than 2,400 patents and patent applications-pioneering modern medicine with the devices and drugs that advance minimally invasive treatments-have been filed by members of the Society of Interventional Radiology.

17 Mar 2010

Primary results of CABG sub-analysis presented at ACC meeting

AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) today announced results of a new analysis of the PLATO (A Study of PLATelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) study which showed there were fewer deaths in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who took the investigational oral antiplatelet ticagrelor (BRILINTA™/BRILIQUE™) within seven days prior to having heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft, CABG) compared to those who took clopidogrel.

17 Mar 2010

Colon cancer patients often not treated with recommended level of chemotherapy

New results from a major initiative on the quality of cancer care in the United States show that patients with a common type of colon cancer -- especially older patients -- often are not treated as aggressively with chemotherapy as research shows is necessary to improve survival.

17 Mar 2010

New clinical guidelines: Early diagnosis and treatment of TAD can save lives

When actor John Ritter died suddenly in 2003 from a tear in his thoracic aorta-the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body-that tragedy brought attention to a rare but deadly condition that takes the lives of an estimated 10,000 Americans each year.

17 Mar 2010

Novel procedure opens door to new and future treatment for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer-known as the most fatal cancer with no known effective treatment-requires a radical new therapy. A promising approach may come in the form of tiny gold nanoparticles-loaded with a therapeutic agent to kill cancer-in a novel procedure called "nanoembolization," said researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

17 Mar 2010

Cancer news coverage should also focus on hospice and end-of-life care

Newspaper and magazine reports about cancer appear more likely to discuss aggressive treatment and survival than death, treatment failure or adverse events, and almost none mention end-of-life palliative or hospice care, according to a report in the March 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

17 Mar 2010

IDSA calls for global commitment to develop 10 new antibiotics by 2020

As the deaths and suffering caused by antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections continue to rise around the world, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is urging a global commitment to develop 10 new antibiotics by 2020, known as the 10 x '20 initiative, to address this public health crisis and safeguard patients' health.

17 Mar 2010

Artefill: First and only FDA-approved microsphere-enhanced dermal filler for correction of smile lines

Getting older is a fact of life. Looking older doesn't have to be. Patients now have a non-invasive treatment option to reduce the signs of aging and fight wrinkles for good -- with no downtime. Known for their use of the latest technological advancements, Dr. Gilbert Lee and his team at Changes Plastic Surgery & Spa are now using Artefill, the first and only FDA-approved microsphere-enhanced dermal filler for the correction of smile lines, or the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth.

17 Mar 2010

Gardasil vaccine may protect women from post-surgical recurrence of cervical cancer

A vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer also may protect females from post-surgical recurrence of the disease, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

17 Mar 2010