News archive
January 2008
US oncology group aims to revolutionise cancer
care with free online service
A website set up by Georgia Cancer Specialists (GCS) in the US aims to
change the way oncology professionals prescribe chemotherapy to cancer
patients. 30 January 2008
Medical Simulation
Corporation sets up medical skills training suite in Germany
MSC has parnered with CardioSkills Company of Frankfurt to provide an
interventional skills training experience for physicians and their staff. 30
January
Roche increases diagnostics capability with
acquisition of Ventana
Pharmaceutical and diagnostics company Roche has bought US diagnostics
company Ventana Medical Systems for about $3.4 billion. 30 January
Boston Scientific gains EU approval for new
defibrillators
Boston Scientific Corporation has been awarded CE Mark approval for its
Cognis and Teligen defibrillators. 30 January
Summit on revolution in personalised medicine
caused by molecular diagnostics advances
Recent advances in genetic knowledge are transforming molecular imaging,
molecular diagnostics and informatics to create stunningly precise
diagnostic tools capable of assessing and treating a growing number of
critical diseases. The first international Molecular Summit on 5-6 February
will address this revolution in medicine. 30 January
Sysmex and bioMérieux form joint venture for
Japanese diagnostics market
Sysmex Corporation will take a 34% equity stake in bioMérieux Japan Ltd,
which will change its name to Sysmex bioMérieux Co Ltd. The new company will
market bioMérieux in-vitro diagnostics products Japan. 30 January 2008
An invitation to Europe’s largest forum on
breast cancer
The 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) will be held in Berlin 15
- 19 April 2008
Smiths Medical receives FDA clearance for
implantable injection system. 30 January
WaferGen develops SmartChip real-time PCR
system and oncology gene panel assays
WaferGen Biosystems has completed development of its whole genome, high
throughput gene expression real-time polymerase chain reaction platform. 29
January
Artificial virus shells to be used as containers
for nano-manufacturing
Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and The Scripps
Research Institute in California are designing an artificial viral shell
that could be used as a nano-container for molecular-scale engineering. 29
January
Michelson
Diagnostics announces successful OCT imaging of oral cancer tissue
The tests, conducted by University College Hospital, London, show that the
company's optical coherence tomography imaging technology could
revolutionise head and neck cancer diagnosis and treatment. 25 January
Infrared
light may reverse dementia and memory loss
Researchers at the University of Sunderland have shown that regular exposure
to low-level infra-red light can improve learning performance and trigger
regeneration of the cognitive function of the brain. 25 January
Quidel and bioMérieux form alliance in rapid
diagnostics
Quidel Corporation and bioMérieux have formed an alliance to market products
worldwide and co-develop new rapid diagnostic tests using Quidel’s rapid
test development capability and bioMérieux’s extensive library of antibodies
and antigens. 16 January
Cepheid launches GeneXpert
molecular diagnostic system
Cepheid has begun shipment of its next generation GeneXpert self-contained
automated molecular analysis system. It automates and integrates DNA testing
and can test 60 targets in a single cartridge. 16 January
Zonare ranked top in portable ultrasound
systems
Zonare Medical Systems has been ranked Best in KLAS as the top hand carried
ultrasound vendor in the KLAS Top20: Year-End Report for 2007. 16 January
Siemens introduces MicroScan WalkAway plus
automated diagnostic systems
Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics has introduced the MicroScan WalkAway
plus Systems for mid- and high-volume clinical diagnostic microbiology
laboratories. They offer simultaneous automation of overnight, rapid and
specialty panels that test for both gram negative and gram positive
bacteria. 16 January
BD gains EU and US approval for rapid MRSA test
BD Diagnostics has gained European approval for its BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay
for MRSA and SA in nasal and wound specimens and US FDA clearance to use the
test on positive blood cultures. The test can give results in two hours. 16
January
Varian acquires Chinese medical
equipment distributor
Varian Medical Systems has taken over the largest independent distributor of
medical x-ray tubes in China, Pan-Pacific Enterprises, for the purpose of
marketing, sales, and distribution of Varian x-ray imaging products in
China. 16 January
Elekta to acquire oncology informatics supplier
CMS
Elekta AB has announced it is in negotiations to acquire US oncology
informatics company CMS for US$75m. The negotiations are expected to be
completed by mid March 2008. 16 January
UK strategy to improve cancer services
The UK government has published a five-year cancer strategy focussing on
prevention and improving services. The report identifies the need to tackle
the serious shortage of radiotherapy capacity and radiographers, delays in
uptake of new cancer drugs and the need to encourage the spread of improved
surgical techniques. 15 January
FEI joins with FOM to develop single-atom
imaging
FEI Company, a leading developer of electron microscopes, and the
Netherlands-based Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), have
announced a joint nanotechnology research project to develop a new
generation of microscopes. 10 January
US Preventive Medicine to expand into UK
US Preventive Medicine, a company that is building the first network focused
on prevention in the United States and internationally has signed a letter
of intent with iHealth UK Ltd. to jointly develop three preventive medicine
businesses in the United Kingdom. 10 January
GE
Healthcare and Novavax collaborate on flu vaccine manufacturing system
The collaboration leverages GE Healthcare's bioprocess solutions and design
expertise and Novavax's virus-like particle (VLP) and manufacturing platform
to develop a pandemic influenza vaccine manufacturing solution for selected
international countries. 10 January
Lack of nanotechnology
safety roadmap hindering companies
A US survey of New England-based nanotechnology
companies has found that these firms lack a clear roadmap of government
environmental, health and safety
expectations and regulations for successful commercialization, as well as
the information needed to meet those expectations. 10 January
Brain imaging of autistic children shows
malfunctioning grey matter
A novel imaging technique has been used to discover malfunctioning grey
matter in autistic children in the brain areas that govern social processing
and learning by observation. 10 January
European approval for Boston Scientific
defibrillator
Boston Scientific Corporation has gained the CE Mark approval for its Livian
cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator, which treats heart failure
and helps protect patients at risk of sudden cardiac death. 9 January
UK government report on the potential risks of
nanotechnology
The report Characterising the Potential Risks posed by Engineered
Nanoparticles, covers the activities of five Task Forces and descibes
progress on meeting 19 objectives set out in an previous study in 2005. 9
January
Delayed defibrillation in hospital
reduces survival
A study of patients who suffer a cardiac arrest in hospital has shown that
they are more likely to survive if their hearts are shocked back into rhythm
within two minutes, but 30% of such patients aren’t getting help fast
enough. 9 January
Intelligent software to help build perfect robotic hand
Scientists in Portsmouth and Shanghai are developing intelligent software to
analyse the detailed movement of the human hand and help replicate the
movement in a robotic hand. 9 January
Philips acquires Respironics for $5.1bn
Respironics, a US maker of sleep disorder devices, has agreed to a takeover
by Royal Philips Electronics (Philips) for approximately US$ 5.1 billion.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2008. 8
January 2008
Philips adds Visicu and Emergin to
patient monitoring stable
Royal Philips Electronics announced in December two US takeovers that are
expected to grow its patient-monitoring business. Emergin is a privately
held company that produces medical alarm systems while Visicu supplies
monitoring systems for ICU patients. 8 January 2008
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