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St. Jude Medical receives approval of first extended-life primary cell neurostimulator for treatment of chronic pain

St. Jude Medical, Inc. has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European CE Mark approvals of EonC, the first extended-life primary cell (non-rechargeable) neurostimulator for the treatment of chronic pain.

13 Aug 2008

Oxygen Biotherapeutics develops gel version of Oxycyte for treating surface wounds

Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc. has announced that the company has developed a gel-like form of Oxycyte that it intends to investigate as a topical application for open wounds, abrasions and burns. Oxycyte is the Company's perfluorocarbon (PFC) therapeutic oxygen carrier.

12 Aug 2008

Newly developed software helps doctors care for premature babies

IBM and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) have announced a 'first-of-a-kind' research project to help doctors detect subtle changes in the condition of critically ill premature babies.

23 Jul 2008

Mobile medics will shape the medical device market

Doctors on the move and domiciliary healthcare workers are changing the way patients are treated and are creating new and exciting opportunities for both medical device manufacturers and the consumer electronics industry, according to research by UK based analysts Wireless Healthcare.

22 Jul 2008

Visualisation software to aid prostate cancer detection

Visualisation specialists See3D, a spin off company of the University of Aberystwyth, is developing unique, sophisticated computer-generated models that will help doctors to improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

22 Jul 2008

FDA settles with Californian hearing device manufacturer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reached a settlement with California hearing device manufacturer Advanced Bionics LLC and its president and CEO Jeffrey Greiner over alleged violations of federal law

17 Jul 2008

Lawmakers to introduce bill that would overturn Supreme Court decision on medical device liability

Democratic lawmakers recently announced plans to introduce legislation in the House and Senate that would overturn a February Supreme Court decision that FDA approval of certain medical devices protects manufacturers from product liability lawsuits filed in state courts, CQ HealthBeat reports.

2 Jul 2008

New device blocks stomach nerve signals - alternative to existing bariatric surgeries

A new implantable medical device, developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic researchers, shows promise as a reversible and less extreme alternative to existing bariatric surgeries, according to findings published in the current issue of the journal Surgery.

26 Jun 2008

Report finds 32% increase in drug industry lobbying spending in 2007

The pharmaceutical industry spent $168 million on lobbying in 2007, a 32% increase over the previous year, according to a report released Tuesday by the Center for Public Integrity, the Wall Street Journal reports.

26 Jun 2008

Identity tags can cause life saving medical equipment to malfunction

Dutch scientists are suggesting that radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) could cause critical care medical equipment to malfunction.

25 Jun 2008

RFID applications in health care may affect medical equipment

The use of radio frequency identification devices appears to have the potential to cause critical care medical equipment to malfunction, according to a study in the June 25 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

24 Jun 2008

Evidence for an increased cancer risk following the use of radioactive Radium-224 in the therapy for Ankylosing Spondylitis

In the course of an epidemiological study, scientists of the Institute of Radiation Biology of the Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health - have established an unfavourable benefit-risk-ratio for ankylosing spondylitis patients treated with Radium-224 therapy (Rheumatology 2008; 47: 855-59).

23 Jun 2008

Without increased funding, California's dominance and public health are threatened, according to new report

The California Healthcare Institute (CHI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) today released a report, "The National Institutes of Health: Fueling Healthcare Innovation in California," urging legislators to support increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - the backbone of the biomedical industry in California, which employs more than 267,000 people in high wage jobs.

11 Jun 2008

Many patients with heart failure miscalculate life expectancy

Many patients with heart failure - especially younger ones and those with more severe disease - significantly overestimate how long they going to live, say Duke University Medical Center researchers.

3 Jun 2008

Bureaucracy has delayed plans for three FDA offices in China

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Friday said that Chinese bureaucracy has delayed plans to establish FDA offices in three cities -- Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou -- that would monitor exports of food, medications, medical devices and other consumer products to the U.S., the Associated Press reports.

28 May 2008

FDA will monitor medical records of Medicare beneficiaries to identify potential prescription drug, medical device safety problems

HHS on Thursday announced the creation of a new program that will allow FDA, state agencies and academic researchers to use medical record data to ensure drugs and medical devices are safe for consumers after they enter the market, the Washington Post reports (Stein, Washington Post, 5/23).

25 May 2008

Pharmaceutical, medical device industries have shifted campaign contributions to Democratic candidates

Pharmaceutical and medical device companies have contributed more to the campaigns of Democratic candidates than Republican candidates in the current election cycle, a "sharp reversal" from previous cycles and "one more sign of the campaign difficulties the GOP could face this November," the AP/Miami Herald reports.

22 May 2008

New efforts to improve medical products for patient safety

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced efforts underway at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that will complement each other to improve patient safety and the quality of medical care.

22 May 2008

Wireless to take healthcare out of hospitals

Hospitals in the US and Europe are increasingly using wireless technology to automate patient care and back office processes. However, according to a report published by Cambridge UK based analysts, Wireless Healthcare, it is technology that supports remote care that will drive the market for wireless based medical devices and applications.

14 May 2008

Senate version of supplemental war appropriations bill would delay Medicaid regulations, increase FDA funds

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday plans to mark up a supplemental war appropriations bill that will include language to block for one year seven new Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush administration, as well as additional funds for FDA, CQ Today reports (Higa, CQ Today, 5/7).

8 May 2008