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Three ESRD products chosen for FDA's Innovation Pathway program

Three products for patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) have been chosen to participate in the FDA's Innovation Pathway, an evolving system designed to help medical devices reach patients in a safe, timely and collaborative manner.

10 Apr 2012

Monitoring necessary for early intervention in Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy patients

A national consortium of researchers has published new findings that could change the standard of practice for those treating Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD), a disease characterized by cornea swelling that can eventually lead to the need for corneal transplantation.

10 Apr 2012

Spacelabs Healthcare launches qube patient monitor

Having received clearance under Section 510(k) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Spacelabs Healthcare is adding the qube patient monitor to its Art of Monitoring portfolio. Inspired by the revolutionary style of the company's XPREZZON patient monitor, qube breaks with tradition to offer a fresh, new perspective in compact monitoring.

10 Apr 2012

States roundup: Aetna goes ahead with small biz coverage hike; 1.2M Texas kids without insurance; Legal immigrants join Mass. health plan

Despite criticism from the state insurance commissioner and several statewide consumer groups, Aetna said Thursday it's going ahead with a recent hike in health care premiums for small businesses. Aetna's new increases, which average 8 percent annually and took effect April 1, were deemed "unreasonable" this week by state Department of Insurance Commissioner David Jones.

10 Apr 2012

FDA approves scan to detect Alzheimer’s disease early

The test uses a chemical called florbetapir, known by the brand name Amyvid, which is a radioactive agent that tags clumps of a sticky substance called an amyloid. Amyloid proteins are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. The chemical, which costs $1,600 per dose, then is detected using a brain imaging technique called positron emission tomography, known as PET scans. For patients who already have some symptoms of cognitive decline, a positive scan suggests that moderate to frequent amyloid plaques are present in the brain, which is consistent with Alzheimer's disease.

9 Apr 2012

Eggs developed from stem cells could change reproductive technology

Scientists have developed human egg cells that have been grown entirely in the laboratory from stem cells. These could be fertilized later this year in a development that will revolutionize fertility treatment and might even lead to a reversal of the menopause in older women.

9 Apr 2012

Cigna expands collaborative accountable care program

Cigna has expanded its collaborative accountable care program through 10 new initiatives with physician groups in seven states - Colorado, Maine, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

9 Apr 2012

Boston University Medical Campus deploys Actifio PAS platform

Actifio, the Protection and Availability Storage (PAS) platform company, today announced results of its deployment at Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC) where it helped to gain control over its diverse, heterogeneous IT infrastructure.

9 Apr 2012

Asheville Radiology Associates outsources billing to Zotec Partners

Zotec Partners, an industry leading provider of specialized medical billing and practice management services for the hospital-based specialty market, announces today that it is taking over billing operations for North Carolina-based Asheville Radiology Associates.

9 Apr 2012

Med-Tek introduces proprietary Opioid Management Program

Med-Tek a developer of Healthcare Technology Networks ("HTN") designed to improve outcomes for patients, physicians, employers and their constituents today announces the launch of its proprietary Opioid Management Program (OMP).

9 Apr 2012

New WHO endorsed diagnostic tool for TB

Up to 30% of the world's population is infected with Tuberculosis (TB), but in many areas of the world, TB diagnosis still relies on insensitive, poorly standardized, and time-consuming methods. A new diagnostic tool, endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), may change that. Dr. Thomas Bodmer shows how it's done in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE).

9 Apr 2012

New text messaging program to manage diabetes

D.C. Chartered Health Plan, Inc., the oldest Medicaid managed care organization in the District of Columbia, is launching a new text messaging program for 50 of its members to help them better manage diabetes, which requires regular care to avoid costly complications.

9 Apr 2012

Idaho's adoption of NPLEx to block illegal methamphetamine sales receives praise

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) today applauded Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter for signing into law real-time, stop-sale technology called the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx) which allows check-out clerks to block illegal pseudoephedrine purchases right at the point of sale and provides law enforcement with valuable criminal data up to the minute.

9 Apr 2012

Japanese MHLW approves Abbott's XIENCE PRIME Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System

Abbott today announced it has received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) for the next-generation XIENCE PRIME Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System for the treatment of coronary artery disease.

9 Apr 2012

NINDS awards NeuroSigma Phase I grant to develop TFN-covered stents

NeuroSigma, Inc., a Los Angeles-based medical device company, today announced it has been awarded a Phase I NIH-STTR grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) for the further development of its Thin-Film Nitinol (TFN)-covered stent for the potential treatment of brain aneurysms.

9 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 9, 2012

In today's headlines, reports about how both Democrats and Republicans are working to woo Seniors -- Medicare politices are central to this effort.

9 Apr 2012

VasoNova receives BSI CE certification for Arrow VPS system

Teleflex Incorporated, a leading global provider of medical devices for critical care and surgery, has announced that its VasoNova Inc. subsidiary has been issued CE certification from its notified body, the British Standards Institution (BSI), to market the company's Arrow VPS system to the European Union.

9 Apr 2012

Scientists discover novel genes that are mutated in stomach cancer

An international team of scientists, led by researchers from the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS) in Singapore and National Cancer Centre of Singapore, has identified hundreds of novel genes that are mutated in stomach cancer, the second-most lethal cancer worldwide.

9 Apr 2012

O2 Concepts reaches full production on new portable oxygen concentrator

O2 Concepts has reached full production on its new state-of-the-art portable oxygen concentrator. The Oxlife Independence was designed for the PROVIDER by delivering the lowest lifecycle costs for today's declining reimbursement environment.

7 Apr 2012

KU researchers receive inventorship credit on NIH-owned Velcade patents

Pillsbury today announced that its clients, the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc., a nonprofit corporation affiliated with KU, prevailed in a closely watched legal battle over cancer drug formulation patents after an arbitration panel ruled in KUCR's favor following years of litigation against the National Institutes of Health.

7 Apr 2012