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Update on Cardium Therapeutics' plans for commercial development of Generx

Cardium Therapeutics reported today that its Cardium Biologics division provided an update on plans for the continuing commercial development of Generx™ (alferminogene tadenovec, Ad5FGF-4), a DNA-based angiogenic therapy product candidate for patients with coronary artery disease.

27 Jan 2010

Health Canada approves first post-surgical treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours

Patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) can now take action at an earlier stage of this rare form of cancer to reduce the risk of their disease returning following surgery. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada announced today that Gleevec* (imatinib mesylate) has received conditional approval by Health Canada for the adjuvant (post-surgical) treatment of adult patients who are at intermediate to high risk of disease recurrence following the surgical removal of GIST.

27 Jan 2010

Ablation therapy better than drug therapy for heart rhythm disorder

Treating a common heart rhythm disorder by burning heart tissue with a catheter works dramatically better than drug treatments, according to a landmark study published in the Jan. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

27 Jan 2010

Selective use of DHCA during surgery for CHD in infancy does not impair neurological outcomes

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common birth defects in humans, affecting 8 per 1000 live births with one third of affected children requiring intervention in early infancy. Increasing numbers of survivors combined with developmental expectations for independence, behavioral self-regulation and academic achievement have led to a growing identification of neurobehavioral symptoms in some survivors. A study now suggests that a cooling technique often used in heart operations does not impair neurological outcomes.

27 Jan 2010

Study finds regional hospitals often are better at preventing medical errors than academic centers

Some regional hospitals perform better than academic medical centers at preventing complications and infections that can lead to hospital deaths, Forbes reports. The article looks at the results of an annual study by HealthGrades, a hospital rating company, of Medicare data which found 269 hospitals around the country "with unusually low mortality and complications rates for 26 different procedures and diagnoses."

27 Jan 2010

OrthoPediatrics to distribute ETEX products in U.S. and Canada

ETEX Corporation, an advanced biomaterials company, announced today a distribution agreement with OrthoPediatrics Corp., of Warsaw, Indiana. OrthoPediatrics will market and sell ETEX's nanocrystalline calcium phosphate on a non-exclusive basis in the United States and Canada.

27 Jan 2010

Neoprobe completes license amendment with The Dow Chemical

Neoprobe Corporation, a diversified developer of innovative oncology surgical and diagnostic products, announced today that it has completed a license amendment with The Dow Chemical Company for a variety of antibodies used in its proprietary surgical oncology system called radioimmunoguided surgery or RIGS®.

27 Jan 2010

Medtronic' Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve receives FDA approval under HDE

In a significant development for congenital heart disease patients, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), announced today that its Melody® Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE).

27 Jan 2010

Testing DBS for treating severe long-term depression

Bewernick and colleagues administered DBS treatment in ten patients with severe long-term depression who had not responded to multiple other antidepressant treatments, including psychotherapy, drug treatments and electroconvulsive treatment. After one year of DBS, all patients showed some improvement, and half of them experienced significant improvement in their symptoms of depression, astonishing considering they had not responded to any prior antidepressant treatment. In addition, the patients showed reduced ratings of anxiety and had only minor side effects. Importantly, none of their overall brain functioning was impaired by the DBS treatment.

27 Jan 2010

FDA approves first heart valve conduit that can delay need for open-heart surgery

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the Medtronic Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve and Ensemble Delivery System, the first heart valve to be implanted through a catheter, or tube, in a leg vein and guided up to the heart. This new approach to the treatment of adults and children with previously implanted, poorly functioning pulmonary valve conduits can delay the need for open-heart surgery.

27 Jan 2010

Long-term graft retention is improved through supplementation of fat grafts with ADRCs

Results from Cytori Therapeutics’ preclinical fat grafting study have been published in the February issue of the Annals of Plastic Surgery. This article, entitled “Supplementation of Fat Grafts with Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cells (ADRCs) Improves Long-Term Graft Retention,” examines the science behind cell-enriched autologous fat grafting and its application to cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. The results demonstrate a doubling in graft retention in cell-enriched grafts and provide insight into the mechanisms behind this improvement.

25 Jan 2010

First commercial implants of ATS Medical's ATS 3f Enable Aortic Bioprosthesis performed

ATS Medical, Inc., manufacturer and marketer of state-of-the-art cardiac surgery products and services today announced the first commercial implants of the ATS 3f Enable® Aortic Bioprosthesis were recently performed at the University of Berne Hospital, Berne, Switzerland by Lars Englberger, MD, Mario Stalder, MD, and Professor Thierry Carrel. The procedures were completed using a sutureless technique and the patients are recovering with no complications.

25 Jan 2010

Institute of Medicine urges healthcare providers to take steps to battle hepatitis B and C

The Institute of Medicine, a branch of the US National Academy of Sciences, is urging healthcare providers to take steps to battle liver-damaging hepatitis B and C, which are often overlooked viruses.

25 Jan 2010

Prostate cancer: Surgery in county hospitals, radiation or hormone therapy in private facilities

Researchers at Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego and colleagues have found that prostate cancer treatments varied significantly between county hospitals and private providers. Patients treated in county hospitals are more likely to undergo surgery while patients treated in private facilities tend to receive radiation or hormone therapy. These findings were published online by the journal Cancer on January 25.

25 Jan 2010

Researchers identify new gene signature that predicts cancer recurrence in certain breast tumors

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have discovered a gene activity signature that predicts a high risk of cancer recurrence in certain breast tumors that have been treated with commonly used chemotherapy drugs.

24 Jan 2010

Connecticut relief agencies join forces to deliver medical aid

Save the Children and AmeriCares have partnered to bring medical aid to more than 85,000 Haitians affected by the earthquake. Westport-based Save the Children's emergency response team in Haiti has distributed more than 16.5 tons of medical supplies in the town of Leogane and at the general hospital in Port-au-Prince – supplies donated by AmeriCares, the global health and disaster relief organization based in Stamford, Conn.

24 Jan 2010

Insertion of tiny heart pump without surgery

Cardiologists at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago are leading the Midwest in offering improved treatment options to patients, from the most advanced techniques in angioplasty, to lowering the amount of radiation exposure during heart scans, to opening an innovative clinic that treats heart disease and depression together.

23 Jan 2010

Renowned heart specialists to discuss new cardiovascular treatment and patient care at public forum

World-leading cardiovascular specialists, researchers, family physicians and the public will learn what's new in cardiovascular treatment, patient care and research at the second annual Peter Munk Cardiovascular Symposium, Partnerships in Integrative Patient Care, on January 29 and 30 at the Toronto Metropolitan Hotel.

23 Jan 2010

Interventional cardiologist accesses coronary arteries through radial artery on the inside of wrist

In an innovative new procedure, interventional cardiologist Ramesh Mazhari, MD, is one of only a few in the Washington, DC, region to access the coronary arteries through the radial artery on the inside of the wrist.

23 Jan 2010

Limiting depth of sedation reduces risk of postoperative delirium in elderly patients

A common complication following surgery in elderly patients is postoperative delirium, a state of confusion that can lead to long-term health problems and cause some elderly patients to complain that they "never felt the same" again after an operation. But a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that simply limiting the depth of sedation during procedures could safely cut the risk of postoperative delirium by 50 percent.

23 Jan 2010

Surgery News and Research

Update on Cardium Therapeutics' plans for commercial development of Generx

Health Canada approves first post-surgical treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours

Ablation therapy better than drug therapy for heart rhythm disorder

Selective use of DHCA during surgery for CHD in infancy does not impair neurological outcomes

Study finds regional hospitals often are better at preventing medical errors than academic centers

OrthoPediatrics to distribute ETEX products in U.S. and Canada

Neoprobe completes license amendment with The Dow Chemical

Medtronic' Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve receives FDA approval under HDE

Testing DBS for treating severe long-term depression

FDA approves first heart valve conduit that can delay need for open-heart surgery

Long-term graft retention is improved through supplementation of fat grafts with ADRCs

First commercial implants of ATS Medical's ATS 3f Enable Aortic Bioprosthesis performed

Institute of Medicine urges healthcare providers to take steps to battle hepatitis B and C

Prostate cancer: Surgery in county hospitals, radiation or hormone therapy in private facilities

Researchers identify new gene signature that predicts cancer recurrence in certain breast tumors

Connecticut relief agencies join forces to deliver medical aid

Insertion of tiny heart pump without surgery

Renowned heart specialists to discuss new cardiovascular treatment and patient care at public forum

Interventional cardiologist accesses coronary arteries through radial artery on the inside of wrist

Limiting depth of sedation reduces risk of postoperative delirium in elderly patients

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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