Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of oral delivery systems, announced that it has been selected to display its abstract, entitled Pharmacokinetics (PK) and Pharmacodynamics (PD) of Oral Insulin in Healthy Subjects, at the upcoming 68th Annual American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions Conference in San Francisco, highlighting the successful results from its oral insulin trials on healthy volunteers.

The abstract will also be printed in the Scientific Sessions Abstract Book, the June 2008 supplement to the journal Diabetes.

Oramed’s technology will also be included in an oral presentation by Prof. Dr. Lutz Heinemann, CEO of Profil Institute for Metabolic Research, “Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Alternate Insulin Delivery Systems,” on Saturday, June 7, 2008 from 4 pm to 6 pm.

“The selection of Oramed as one of the companies to exhibit at Scientific Sessions is a great opportunity that allows us to present our data from human trials to the leading scientists in the diabetes field from all over the world,” said Nadav Kidron, Oramed CEO.

Oramed’s abstract poster has been assigned presentation number 425-P Clinical Therapeutics/New Technology – Insulin Delivery Systems and is available for viewing throughout the conference. A representative of the company will be available to answer questions on Saturday, June 7 from 6-7PM and from 12-2PM on Monday, June 9 at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center, Hall D.

For more information about the ADA and the upcoming conference, please visit professional.diabetes.

About Oramed Pharmaceuticals
Oramed Pharmaceuticals is a technology pioneer in the field of oral delivery solutions for drugs and vaccines presently delivered via injection. Oramed is seeking to revolutionize the treatment of diabetes through its patented flagship product, an orally ingestible insulin capsule currently in phase 2 clinical trials. Established in 2006, Oramed’s technology is based on over 25 years of research by top research scientists at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center. The Company’s corporate and R&D headquarters are based in Jerusalem.

oramed

Forward-looking statements

Some of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements, including the risks and uncertainties related to the progress, timing, cost, and results of clinical trials and product development programs; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approval for our product candidates; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; and the company’s ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct its research, development and commercialization activities. Please refer to the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a comprehensive list of risk factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Oramed Pharmaceuticals Continue reading →

More than ever, pediatric dental students at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) are working in communities, with special emphasis on serving the underserved.

For more than a decade, the Dental School at UMB, in collaboration with state and national dental associations, has sent its hygiene and dental students out to low-income, inner-city and rural areas where children have limited access to dental care.

This year the School expanded its outreach to six weeks of each student’s dental education. Dozens of projects are scheduled each year all over the state.

[For video 'Pediatric Student Outreach at National Dental Museum,' go to YouTube's UMBchannel]

“We want to imprint in our students that, not that only are they practitioners, but they are part of a community that needs the care of professionals,” says Norman Tinanoff, DDS, MS, program director of the School’s Department of Pediatric Dentistry. “We emphasize that in all four years,” he adds.

Tinanoff says that the students are taught that dentistry is more than a technical surgical specialty. Rather, their education is aimed at experiencing service to the community “in different social environments, especially what they don’t see at the Dental School,” he says.

There are many citizens of Maryland who can’t get access to care. The pediatric student outreach projects include providing dental care to migrant worker’s children on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, recent immigrants and their children who may not have citizenship and may not have access to state and federal programs, the Langley Park Latino community in central Maryland, the Esperanza Center in Baltimore, and rural communities in far northern Maryland and the Eastern Shore.

The School, which is part of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, collaborates in outreach with the Maryland State Dental Association, Maryland Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Hispanic Dental Association, National Dental Association, and others.

Continue reading →

Cordis Neurovascular, Inc.
announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted
Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) approval for the CORDIS ENTERPRISE(TM)
Vascular Reconstruction Device and Delivery System for use with embolic
coils in the treatment of wide-neck intracranial aneurysms.

An intracranial aneurysm is a weakness in the wall of a blood vessel in
the brain that balloons out, forming a thin-walled bubble or sac.
Approximately 30,000 intracranial aneurysms present annually. Some 15,000
patients are treated and up to 4,000 of these individuals are likely to
need vascular reconstruction. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a cerebral
aneurysm bursts and bleeds into brain tissue. In the U.S., stroke is the
third leading cause of death, behind heart disease and cancer. Each year,
about 700,000 people suffer a stroke according to the American Heart
Association.

The CORDIS ENTERPRISE(TM) Vascular Reconstruction Device is available
in the U.S. for use in patients with hard-to-treat aneurysms selected for
endovascular neurointervention, an alternative procedure to neurosurgical
clipping. Specifically, the stent is approved to treat wide-neck,
intracranial, saccular or fusiform aneurysms arising from a parent vessel
with a diameter of greater than or equal to 3 mm and less than or equal to
4 mm. Typically, in an interventional procedure, coils (implantable medical
devices made of long strands of very thin, coiled platinum wire) are used
to fill aneurysms to facilitate clot formation and occlude blood flow to
reduce the risk of aneurysm rupture. Some types of aneurysms are difficult
to treat with coils alone, in which case an implantable assist device such
as a stent may be used. The stent acts as a scaffold to hold the coils in
place inside the aneurysm.

Dr. Michel Mawad, Chairman of Radiology at Baylor College of Medicine
in Houston and Investigator in the U.S. clinical trial, said “The CORDIS
ENTERPRISE(TM) Vascular Reconstruction Device is an important advancement
in neuro-stent technology. It is very stable and flexible, and I am hopeful
this stent will help us treat more difficult aneurysms.”

The CORDIS ENTERPRISE(TM) Vascular Reconstruction Device is a new self-
expanding, closed cell design, nitinol stent with good visible proximal and
distal markers and an added feature of a horizontal longitudinal marker on
the delivery wire to facilitate delivery. Pre-loaded onto a delivery system
composed of an introducer and delivery wire for a simple system
configuration, the CORDIS ENTERPRISE(TM) Vascular Reconstruction Device
enables physicians to recapture the stent, and three radiopaque zones
facilitate placement and visibility. The unique and flexible closed cell
design is conformable and provides true vessel reconstruction at the neck
of the aneurysm and an advanced scaffold for excellent coil mass support.

Sam M. Liang, Vice President, Cordis Neurovascular, Inc. said, “Complex
intracranial aneurysms are extremely difficult to treat and it is important
for physicians to have a broad array of options to address these rare and
difficult cases. We’re pleased that Cordis is able to provide another
important advancement in the treatment of aneurysms.”

A Humanitarian Device Exemption is an application that is similar to a
pre-market approval (PMA) application, but exempt from the effectiveness
requirements of a PMA. An approved HDE authorizes marketing of a
Humanitarian Use Device. A Humanitarian Use Device is a medical device that
is intended to benefit patients in the treatment or diagnosis of diseases
or conditions that affect or is manifested in fewer than 4000 individuals
in the United States per year.

The clinical outcomes from the CORDIS ENTERPRISE(TM) Vascular
Reconstruction Device Study, involving patients in Europe and the U.S.,
were assessed by an independent core lab, establishing a new standard for
clinical evidence in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Data from the
independently evaluated clinical study suggest that the CORDIS
ENTERPRISE(TM) Vascular Reconstruction Device is a promising assist device
for the treatment of aneurysms. The effectiveness of the device for this
use has not been demonstrated.

Cordis Neurovascular, Inc.

Cordis Neurovascular, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets medical
devices for neurovascular applications, including cerebral embolization
procedures

Cordis Neurovascular, Inc.
cordis Continue reading →

AspenBio Pharma,
Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: APNB) an emerging bio-pharmaceutical company
dedicated to the development of novel drugs and diagnostics for animals and
humans, today reported on the development status of the company’s human
appendicitis blood test and positive results from preliminary clinical
trials. The company also reported that U.S. federal trademark applications
have been filed for AppyScore and AppyScreen for the planned
commercialization of two new human appendicitis blood tests.

AspenBio Pharma continues to make exciting progress in the development
and testing of its two first-generation blood-based human diagnostic tests
designed to rapidly help diagnose or rule out appendicitis in patients
complaining of abdominal pain. AspenBio has created and optimized a
specialized assay test to detect a marker in the blood associated with
appendicitis and has tested this assay in several on-going research trials
involving hundreds of human patients.

Preliminary results indicate that the company’s first-generation triage
test is highly effective in identifying patients with acute appendicitis.
This marker demonstrates a linear (or direct) correlation to the
histopathologic severity of appendicitis. The test is especially accurate
in patients 30 years of age and under, which is also the age group most
commonly afflicted with appendicitis.

As a result of these positive developments, the company’s R&D team is
designing two separate appendicitis triage blood test systems. The primary
test is the AppyScore system which is based on a blood test result scoring
system designed to be used as an initial appendicitis triage test for
patients entering an Emergency Room /urgent care facility complaining of
abdominal pain. The scoring system is designed to quantify the blood marker
level, which guides the physician in determining not only the presence but
also the stage of appendicitis. Determining the stage of appendicitis helps
the physician assess the level of possible danger and the potential for the
appendix to burst causing complications of a life-threatening perforation.

The AppyScreen system is a second appendicitis screening test which is
being developed as a point-of-care test designed specifically for use in a
physician’s office. This rapid-screen qualitative blood test would be used
by a primary care doctor to quickly screen and identify potential
appendicitis patients — especially children and young adults — who should
immediately go to the emergency room for further appropriate care that may
include a more quantitative AppyScore test.

Appendicitis can advance rapidly. Delays in the diagnosis and care of
appendicitis are associated with serious complications. After basic tests
and examination, a CT scan is the most commonly used emergency room
diagnostic method for ruling out appendicitis for patients with abdominal
pain. Costing $1,500 to $3,000 per procedure, an estimated $4.5 to $9.0
billion is spent annually in the US on CT scans for this purpose. The scans
can take more than four hours to complete and expose patients to ionizing
radiation. While CT scans are still the current medical standard, CT
diagnostic error rates are estimated to range between 15% and 40%, and a
high percentage of CT scan results are simply inconclusive. The present
approach contributes to a significantly large number of unnecessary
appendicitis surgeries due to diagnostic errors.

Every year in the United States alone, approximately 6 million patients
enter emergency rooms complaining of abdominal pain. About 700,000 of these
patients are diagnosed with appendicitis and have emergency surgery to
remove the appendix. However, due to diagnostic errors some 100,000 of
these patients (or approximately one out of seven) who undergo this
emergency surgery end up having a normal appendix removed.

In addition to involving other risks, hospital charges for such
unnecessary (negative) appendectomies are estimated to give rise to
hospital charges of approximately $1.5 billion annually in the US alone.
Additionally, about 95,000 patients are not diagnosed correctly in time and
suffer a potentially life-threatening perforation of the appendix requiring
immediate and more complex emergency surgery. This also results in a more
lengthy hospital stay, a longer recovery or treatment period, and
substantially increased cost.

“When we first started our investigations to develop this blood test,
our main goal was to be able to more accurately identify patients with
appendicitis,” said Dr. John Bealer, a pediatric surgeon based in Denver
Colorado and co-inventor of the test. “In initial clinical studies of
patients with appendicitis, AppyScore has been impressively accurate at
detecting appendicitis. False-negative results for AppyScore have been
exceedingly rare and to date seen only in those cases with minimal
histological evidence of appendicitis. This finding opens up the potential
of two different roles for AppyScore in treating patients. For some
patients, AppyScore could potentially be a stand-alone diagnostic test of
appendicitis. For others, it could also be useful as a triage tool by
determining which abdominal-pain patients are the best candidates for CT
scanning. By both adding new diagnostic information and supplementing
standard diagnostic methods, AppyScore could become very important for the
6 million patients annually who enter emergency rooms with abdominal pain.”

Appendicitis most frequently occurs in patients aged 10 to 30, but can
affect all ages usually presenting as abdominal pain. While this
first-generation test can be falsely-positive in some patients with other
specific inflammatory diseases, these diseases are infrequent in people
less than 30 years of age and generally are less of a diagnostic challenge
than appendicitis.

Appendicitis is especially difficult to diagnose in children and young
adults using a CT scan because of their low body fat. This lack of body fat
results in very poor tissue differentiation on the CT scan. AspenBio
Pharma’s new triage/diagnostic tests also have the potential to enhance
overall safety by reducing the amount of radiation exposure in children
from unnecessary CT scans. Adds Bealer, “Given these factors, we are
particularly excited about what this triage test could mean for helping to
diagnose or rule out the disease in the highest-risk appendicitis
population of children and young adults.”

Based upon a potential annual emergency room/urgent care usage of 6
million tests and management’s estimates of a sales price of a few hundred
dollars per test, the annual U.S. market potential for AppyScore and
AppyScreen systems could exceed several hundred million dollars, with the
international market potential at a multiple of that of the U.S.

“We believe that these two first generation triage tests will prove to
be very cost-effective and welcomed innovations for emergency room
physicians who must quickly and correctly diagnose or rule out
appendicitis,” said Richard Donnelly, AspenBio Pharma’s president and CEO.
“Rarely do you find a new healthcare technology that is faster, more
accurate, and much less expensive than current techniques. These
blood-based tests can potentially save the US healthcare system and
insurance providers billions of dollars in reduced numbers of CT scans
alone. Consequently, the AppyScore and AppyScreen tests have legitimate
blockbuster sales potential in the human medical markets worldwide.”

Beginning in 2004, AspenBio commenced the establishment of an
intellectual property portfolio for the appendicitis testing technology and
products. The company has filed for worldwide patent coverage related to
several aspects of the initial discovery and various test applications.
Further enhancement and expansion of the proprietary patent position is
ongoing with respect to the scope of protection for the company’s first
generation and future generation versions of tests. Strong scientific and
technical progress remain the basis for these innovative efforts.

Clinical studies will continue, while activities for securing an
international licensing partner to support FDA approval, distribution, and
marketing will commence in the near future. The company anticipates
submitting an FDA regulatory filing for approval of the tests during the
third quarter of 2007.

About AspenBio Pharma, Inc.

AspenBio Pharma is an emerging bio-pharmaceutical company dedicated to
the discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of novel proprietary
products, including those that enhance the reproductive efficiency of
animals and that have large worldwide market potential. The company was
originally formed to produce purified proteins for diagnostic applications
and has become a leading supplier of human hormones to many of the nation’s
largest medical diagnostic companies and research institutions. The company
has successfully leveraged this foundational science and technology
expertise to rapidly develop an enviable late-stage pipeline of several
novel reproduction hormone analogs for wide-ranging therapeutic use
initially in bovine and equine species. For more information, please visit:
aspenbiopharma.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes “forward looking statements” of AspenBio
Pharma, Inc. (“APNB”) as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”). All statements, other than statements of historical fact,
included in the press release that address activities, events or
developments that APNB believes or anticipates will or may occur in the
future are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on
certain assumptions made based on experience, expected future developments
and other factors APNB believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Such
statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties,
many of which are beyond the control of APNB. Investors are cautioned that
any such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual
results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the
forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including the
ability to successfully complete the development of new products and
produce them economically, secure intellectual property positions including
valid and enforceable patent and trademark rights, execute agreements
required to successfully advance the company’s objectives, retain the
scientific management team to advance the products, obtain additional
funding as and if needed, adverse changes in market conditions and the
regulatory environment, fluctuations in sales volumes, and realization of
intangible assets. Furthermore, APNB does not intend (and is not obligated)
to update publicly any forward-looking statements. The contents of this
news release should be considered in conjunction with the warnings and
cautionary statements contained in APNB’s recent filings with the SEC.

AspenBio Pharma, Inc.
aspenbiopharma Continue reading →

The latest annual report to the nation on the status of cancer shows “considerable progress in reducing the cancer burden in the United States,” including a reduced incidence of oral cancers among men and women.

Continued measurable declines for overall cancer death rates and for many of the top 15 cancers reflect progress in the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer, the report says. However, racial and ethnic disparities in survival and risk of death suggest that not all segments of the population have benefited equally from such advances.

Cancers of the oral cavity, for example, are generally declining among men and women, according to the report. But there are exceptions. Among men, cancers of the oral cavity and larynx were reported in decline in all but Asian/Pacific Islanders. Mortality trends for cancers of the oral cavity among men and women decreased in all populations except for American Indian/Alaska Native men and women and Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latina women.

To continue reading this article please go to this web page of the American Dental Association Continue reading →

AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a
biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel
cancer medicines, today announced it has acquired from Kirin Brewery Co.,
Ltd. an exclusive license to develop and commercialize Kirin’s highly
potent and selective, once-a-day, oral VEGF receptor inhibitor, KRN951, in
all territories outside of Asia. Financial terms of the agreement were not
disclosed.

KRN951 is currently completing a 30-patient Phase I clinical trial in
patients with advanced solid tumors in which the maximum tolerated dose of
KRN951 has been established. Results recently presented at the
EORTC-NCI-AACR meeting in Prague by lead investigator Dr. Ferry Eskens of
the Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam,
found that of seven patients with refractory renal cell carcinoma enrolled
to date, all have achieved either a partial response or stable disease as
defined by the trial protocol, with one patient exhibiting a response
lasting more than 2.5 years. Treatment with KRN951 in the trial was
well-tolerated. The most common side effect seen in the trial was
hypertension — an expected mechanism-based toxicity. Blood pressure was
readily controlled by standard antihypertensive agents in all but one of
the patients who developed hypertension during the trial.

AVEO expects to commence Phase II clinical studies for KRN951 by
mid-2007. Given the strong activity signal in the Phase I trial, AVEO
initially plans to develop KRN951 for the treatment of renal cell
carcinoma, but also intends to develop this well-tolerated VEGF receptor
inhibitor as a combination treatment in multiple solid tumor types. AVEO
will apply its unique Human Response Prediction(TM) Platform to identify
optimal chemotherapy combinations, as well as additional patient
populations likely to respond to KRN951 monotherapy and combination
therapy.

“The licensing of KRN951 is a significant event for AVEO, as we
continue to build out a clinical-stage portfolio of targeted therapies
intended to serve major unmet medical needs in cancer,” said Tuan Ha-Ngoc,
president and chief executive officer of AVEO. “AVEO’s strategy has been to
develop a balanced portfolio of products that address the major pathways
implicated in cancer. Like AV-412, AVEO’s EGFR/HER2 inhibitor currently in
Phase I clinical trials, KRN951 is directed against a validated target
demonstrated to be important in multiple cancer types but has unique
properties that confer upon it the real potential to become best-in-class.”

“The benefit of VEGF receptor inhibition in multiple tumor types is now
well-accepted,” added Dr. Rick Klausner, former director of the National
Cancer Institute and a member of AVEO’s Scientific Advisory Board.
“Notwithstanding this, however, the field also recognizes that, as has been
the case with many other novel mechanisms, first generation inhibitors may
be sub-optimal in important respects. There is no doubt that a significant
opportunity remains for a potent, specific, and well-tolerated VEGF
receptor inhibitor, particularly one with the target selectivity of this
compound that can easily be combined with other anti-cancer drugs.”

“We are very pleased to be partnering KRN951 with AVEO,” said Katsuhiko
Asano, President of Pharmaceutical Division, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.
“Although Kirin had the opportunity to partner KRN951 with a number of
different companies, we believe that AVEO’s unique expertise in cancer
biology and commitment to translational medicine offer the best chance for
realizing the benefit that KRN951 may have for cancer patients.”

About KRN951

KRN951 is a novel, oral angiogenesis inhibitor that is highly potent
and specific for VEGF receptors 1, 2 and 3. Angiogenesis inhibition has
demonstrated benefit for patients with a wide range of cancer types,
including renal cell carcinoma, metastatic breast cancer, colorectal
cancer, and non- small cell lung cancer. Due to its specificity, KRN951 may
be more readily combined with standard chemotherapy as well as other
targeted therapies, potentially increasing the breadth of its clinical
utility. AVEO’s translational research effort, comprising its Human
Response Prediction(TM) Platform, offers an opportunity to exploit KRN951′s
unique characteristics and will provide further insight into potential
clinical settings, tumor subtypes and responsive patient populations.

About AVEO

AVEO is a private biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery
and development of novel cancer therapeutics. The Company utilizes its
proprietary, genetically-defined cancer models for the identification and
validation of novel cancer targets, and has begun to build an impressive
portfolio of drug discovery and development programs around these
high-value targets. AVEO also uses its Human Response Prediction(TM)
Platform to identify genetic profiles that correspond with patient
responsiveness. AVEO expects to commence Phase 2 clinical studies by
mid-2007 for KRN951, its oral, second-generation VEGF receptor inhibitor
and most advanced clinical program. AV-412, AVEO’s EGFR/HER2 inhibitor, is
currently in Phase I clinical trials. AV-299, a novel anti-HGF mAb, is
currently being manufactured by Xoma under a supply agreement in
anticipation of entering the clinic in early 2008. AVEO is located in
Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit the company’s
website at aveopharma.

About Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.

Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. is a research-driven company, producing a wide
range of consumer food and pharmaceutical products. Kirin focuses on its
areas of strength: kidney disease, cancer and hematology, immune disorder
and infectious diseases. It markets erythropoietin for end-stage renal
disease and G-CSF for cancer patients in Asia. The company is committed to
scientific progress, pharmaceutical advancement and the creation of
products that benefit worldwide people’s welfare. More information about
the company can be found by visiting kirin.jp/.

AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
aveopharma Continue reading →

Diabetelogia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), published a series of research papers today examining a possible link between insulin glargine (brand name, Lantus) and cancer. Findings from these research papers are conflicting and inconclusive, and the American Diabetes Association cautions against over-reaction until more information is available.

Four different population based studies were reported and published in Diabetelogia and the data within these studies and between these studies are conflicting and confusing. Until more information is available, the American Diabetes Association advises patients using insulin not to stop taking it.

For patients using glargine and considering switching to another form of insulin, the data in these studies make it unclear as to whether any one type of insulin increases the risk of cancer more than other types of insulin.

Patients concerned about these studies or their insulin regimen should talk to their doctor and should not stop taking their insulin on the basis of the findings reported here.

Insulin is a hormone normally produced by the pancreas that helps the body use glucose for energy. All people with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin to survive; many patients with type 2 diabetes also need to take insulin to control their blood glucose.

Glargine insulin, which as been widely used since 2000, is an artificial form of insulin that is typically administered once a day.

Source
American Diabetes Association

View drug information on Lantus. Continue reading →

While many people believe that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) amounts to feeling gloomy in the winter, a University of Rochester research review emphasizes that SAD is actually a subtype of major depression and should be treated as such.

Lead author Stephen Lurie, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of Family Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, also noted that SAD is sometimes missed in the typical doctor’s office setting.

“Like major depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder probably is under-diagnosed in primary care offices,” Lurie said. “But with personalized and detailed attention to symptoms, most patients can be helped a great deal.”

New, preliminary studies link SAD to alcoholism or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, not all people with SAD will have ADHD, according to the review article for the American Academy of Family Physicians.

“The important message here is that if you are a patient who has been diagnosed with a mental illness of any kind, don’t just assume that any new mental or emotional problem is due to that illness,” Lurie said. “Specifically, if you have ADHD and you feel worse in the winter, don’t just assume it’s your ADHD getting worse. It could actually be SAD – and you should see your doctor because ADHD and SAD are treated entirely differently.”

Although SAD has only been studied in adults, parents of children with ADHD should be sensitive to seasonal patterns of behavior and report any changes to a doctor, Lurie said.

Emerging evidence also shows that a pattern of seasonal alcohol use or abuse is associated with SAD. Patients might be self-medicating to cope with an underlying depression, researchers said.

Treatment for SAD includes light therapy, medications such as antidepressants, and cognitive behavior therapy. Each option seems to be effective, Lurie said, but none has been proven superior.

For some patients, SAD is precipitated by darker days causing a shift in 24-hour hormonal rhythms. The loss of natural light outdoors can be replaced with treatment by indoor light-therapy units designed for SAD. Light therapy is best delivered in the morning, when it can regulate the daily pattern of melatonin secretion, the review said.

Treatment with cognitive therapy has been shown to improve a person’s dysfunctional thoughts and attitudes and other symptoms in patients with major depression, but no large studies have established whether this type of treatment is effective for SAD.

Doctors often prescribe antidepressants such as Zoloft for SAD. But most of the clinical studies have compared the drug therapy to a placebo pill rather than to light therapy, making it difficult to determine if one treatment is better, the review said.

Contact: Leslie Orr

University of Rochester Medical Center

View drug information on Zoloft. Continue reading →

Sales of Merck’s HPV vaccine, Gardasil, declined by a third this year, and three years after the FDA approved the drug an estimated three out of four women remain unvaccinated despite millions spent on advertising and lobbying for government mandates. A recent marketing study offers a reason.

Michelle Steward, assistant professor of marketing at Wake Forest University, and several colleagues conducted an experiment with women, ages 18 to 30, and found that they were more likely to consider being vaccinated for HPV after participating in a survey than as a result of commercial advertising or a government mandate.

“The educational cues in the survey are the least coercive and appear to prompt more thinking about the risks of not being vaccinated than laws, which may produce a negative backlash or advertisements, of which consumers might be skeptical,” said Steward.

“The results would suggest that Merck’s money may be best spent engaging people through a survey on relevant health topics to get the consumer to think about their own risks. There’s nothing to suggest that there would be any difference in males’ reactions. If Merck gains FDA approval to market Gardasil for boys, the advantages of surveys versus mandates or advertising would remain the same.

“Determining how best to move consumers from hearing about a drug or vaccination to actually using the product should rival R&D in importance to a firm,” Steward said.

The study, “The Influence of Different Types of Cues-to-Action on Vaccination Behavior: An Exploratory Study,” will be published in the spring edition of the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice.

Steward is available to discuss the study and its implications for the marketing of health-related products.

Continue reading →

Simbionix USA Corporation, the world’s leading provider of medical education and simulation training products for medical professionals and the healthcare industry, is launching two new hands-on training systems- the Lap Nepherctomy simulation module and the VirtaMed TURPSim. Both solutions will be revealed for the first time at the AUA annual meeting in San Francisco next week.

The Lap Nephrectomy simulation system is a unique replication of one of the most advanced laparoscopic procedures. While studies show that the laparoscopic nephrectomy procedure offers improved quality of life at lower costs, it is at the same time considered to be a challenging surgery with a steep learning curve. The solution provided by Simbionix will enable urologists to practice the procedure in a virtual clinical environment without risks to patients or recurring training costs. It is expected that the potential for unlimited access to training may reduce intra-operational complications associated with this procedure.

The new VirtaMed TURPSim simulation system is the latest development from VirtaMed who joined forces with Simbionix in 2009 to provide GYN and Urologist surgeons with the most advanced training systems for endoscopic surgery. Trans-Urethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) is the current gold standard in the treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH). With a wide range of prostate anatomies, pathologies and operative complications, this technique requires skills training and experience to achieve optimal results. The new VirtaMed TURPSim provides comprehensive training on the skills necessary to perform this procedure and will enable practice of complete TURP procedures using an authentic resectoscope.

Gary Zamler, Simbionix CEO, commented “Simbionix is a pioneer in the field of medical education, and for the past ten years has continuously introduced ground breaking technology that has changed and shaped the face of medical education. Our commitment to the medical community is to provide all medical fields with new and advanced training tools, as demonstrated by these latest developments intended for urologists. Our strong partnership with VirtaMed is based on this same philosophy intended to advance clinical performance.”

“The combination of TURPSim and HystSim provides a realistic platform for full procedural training in both urology and gynaecology. We are excited to continue our collaboration with Simbionix to ensure that every training center has the option to add the TURPSim to its training portfolio,” says VirtaMed CEO Stefan Tuchschmid. “VirtaMed will continue to focus on developing new simulators with the highest possible realism, and Simbionix is a partner who supports us in every possible way.”

About Simbionix USA Corporation

Simbionix is the world’s leading provider of simulation and training products for medical professionals and the healthcare industry. Founded in 1997, the company is committed to delivering high quality products, advancing clinical performance and optimizing procedural outcomes. Simbionix cooperates with physicians on a regular basis to produce the most reliable and effective training and supporting systems

About VirtaMed

VirtaMed is a Swiss based company with an interdisciplinary background in medicine and engineering. The HystSim(TM) and TURPSim(TM) systems are the first VirtaMed product and provide instructional teaching and training of hysteroscopy and the transurethral resection of the prostate. VirtaMed’s mission is to develop state-of-the-art training tools for endoscopic surgery of highest possible realism, all with the ultimate goal to improve the quality of patient care.

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