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Medical technology innovation strives for personal focus, cost-efficiency

Medtronic CEO Bill Hawkins says the products made by his company, like pacemakers, insulin pumps and neurostimulators are the "ultimate personal technologies," according to CNNMoney. He said a shift in his industry is moving towards health information technology that people will depend on and use with their cell phones and laptops.

22 Apr 2010

Non-invasive coronary CTA cost-effective alternative to invasive cardiac catheterization for CAD evaluation

According to a study conducted at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU), non-invasive coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a cost-effective alternative to invasive cardiac catheterization in the care of patients who have positive stress test results but a less than 50 percent chance of actually having significant coronary artery disease (CAD). The study will be published in the May issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

22 Apr 2010

Radical prescription drug reform in New Zealand

Getting access to the latest medication may become a costly affair for New Zealanders. Talks on getting a Trans Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership between the US and New Zealand are taking place. The Researched Medicines Industry Association expects reforms from Pharmac the government’s drug buying agency if the deal is to go through. Some international drug companies have been angered by the control on drugs spending by Pharmac.

22 Apr 2010

Penn State researchers to test education program on patients with high blood pressure

When it comes to chronic diseases, knowledge is power, according to Penn State researchers who will test an education program on patients with high blood pressure to help them manage their disease.

22 Apr 2010

Mandatory cuts for salt content in processed foods on the horizon

This Tuesday The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has urged the US Food and Drug Administration to start regulating the amount of salt in processed foods. This measure according to them can do what years of advising people to cut down on salt have failed to do.

22 Apr 2010

Framingham risk assessment tool fails to predict patients with suspected CAD: Study

If patients with suspected coronary artery disease are excluded from further screening because of a low Framingham score, many patients with substantial atherosclerosis (a build-up of plaque inside the arteries) will be missed, according to a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

22 Apr 2010

SpectraCell Laboratories introduces apolipoprotein E genotyping

Effective immediately, SpectraCell Laboratories now offers apolipoprotein E genotyping. This test determines a person's genetic risk for heart disease associated with the commonly studied gene called apoE, which is involved in the metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides (fats in the blood).

22 Apr 2010

Women and men experience different outcomes at U.S. hospitals: HealthGrades

Women and men experience different outcomes at U.S. hospitals for the same procedures and treatments, according to a new study released today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

22 Apr 2010

Legal case asks who to blame for medical device failure

The New York Times: A legal case now pending asks a question increasingly faced by the medical world -- "who should be held accountable when a company sells a flawed product that can injure or kill patients? Is it the company or the people who run it?"

22 Apr 2010

Medtronic acquires Invatec

Moving to expand its product offering, Medtronic, Inc., announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Invatec, a developer of innovative medical technologies for the interventional treatment of cardiovascular disease.

22 Apr 2010

FDA approves Medtronic's Complete SE Vascular Stent System for PAD

Broadening the scope of innovation for cardiovascular interventions beyond the heart, Medtronic, Inc., announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Complete® SE Vascular Stent System to be used for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the iliac arteries, major blood vessels within the pelvis that supply blood to the lower extremities.

21 Apr 2010

CDI's iCell Cardiomyocytes named to MIT Technology Review's Annual 10 Emerging Technologies List

Cellular Dynamics International (CDI) today announced that CDI's development and commercialization of human cardiomyocytes for drug discovery and toxicity testing, based on the work of CDI co-founder and chief scientific officer, James A. Thomson, Ph.D., on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) technology, have been named to the MIT Technology Review's Annual 10 Emerging Technologies List.

21 Apr 2010

Merck to market and distribute MBL's Td vaccine in the U.S.

MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Merck & Co., Inc. announced today that they have entered into an agreement that provides Merck with exclusive rights to market and distribute MBL's tetanus and diphtheria toxoids adsorbed (Td) vaccine in the United States, with the exception of Massachusetts, where MBL will continue distributing the vaccine.

21 Apr 2010

St. Jude Medical reports 11% increase in first-quarter 2010 net sales

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today reported sales and net earnings for the first quarter ended April 3, 2010.

21 Apr 2010

Abbott's first-quarter worldwide pharmaceutical sales increases by 12.9%

Abbott today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

21 Apr 2010

MicroStockProfit.com: CUR reports net loss of $5,096,983 for third-quarter of 2009

MicroStockProfit.com announces an investment report featuring Neuralstem Inc. The report includes financial, comparative and investment analyses, and industry information you need to know to make an educated investment decision.

21 Apr 2010

A*STAR's BMRC and SIgN award grants for twelve research projects on infectious diseases and immunology

Twelve research projects on infectious diseases and immunology have been awarded grants by A*STAR's Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) and Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) this year.

21 Apr 2010

"Destination therapy" for end-stage heart failure patients

Federal approval for an alternative therapy to heart transplantation led to a new lease on life for a UT Southwestern Medical Center patient who suffered from heart failure for nearly a decade.

21 Apr 2010

Researchers screen Afro-Caribbean students to predict risk of heart disease

Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire are screening an Afro-Caribbean cohort of students this week to gauge their predisposition to heart disease in later life.

21 Apr 2010

New sensor wristband monitors various body functions

A small blood lab that fits into the pocket of a jacket can quickly analyze the risk of blood clots in legs prior to a long distance flight; a sensor wristband for measuring electric smog can warn pacemaker patients of life-threatening exposure: "Smart plastics" can turn such tools into reality.

21 Apr 2010