Medical News

August 19, 2004 — A scientific study published today in the medical journal Dermatology (www.karger.com/drm) reports a breakthrough in the treatment of this prevalent disease that has been highly resistant to treatment efforts. Psoriasis is a chronic disease that affects 2-3% of the general population. Patients suffer from disfiguring, scaly, itching skin lesions and many develop also a form of arthritis. Environmental factors such as trauma and stress are well known to trigger psoriatic lesions in the people who are genetically predisposed. However basic mechanisms of lesion formation have been poorly understood. As a result, conventional treatments of psoriasis are poorly effective. Dissatisfaction with the existing treatments is widespread among patients who often have to wait 6 to 8 weeks for partial clearance of lesions. Yet these patients face repeated occurrences and/or persistence of the lesions because of their genetic predisposition and the commonness of environmental triggers. The physical, psychological and social impairments caused by psoriasis are well known to severely reduce patients`quality of life. Results of the new study published in Dermatology promise a long-awaited breakthrough to these patients. The authors (Sinan Tas and Oktay Avci, Dermatology 2004, Volume 209, Pages 126-131) describe a mechanism-based rational treatment for psoriasis and show rapid regression of psoriatic skin lesions within a day and complete clearance of lesions in all patients within 3 to 4 days without adverse effects.

A Vicious Cycle Broken
The study first looked at the basic mechanisms of the formation of psoriatic lesions and identified operation of a vicious cycle. In the psoriatic lesional skin of patients, the lymphocytes and various other immune system cells are seen to be activated (immune system normally protects us against microbes and other foreign agents). They appear to be attacking and stimulating the epidermal cells that make up the outermost layer of skin. In turn, some of the substances made by the attacked epidermal cells are stimulatory to the immune system. The resulting inflammatory reaction at the psoriatic lesions has long been a target of conventional treatments. Similarly, most of the existing treatments have immunosuppressive action. The new study shows a method of induction of the normal differentiation of attacked epidermal cells in lesional skin and documents rapid disappearances of the auto-reactive lymphocytes and other inflammatory cells from lesional skin upon induction of differentiation. As a result, psoriatic lesions are seen to regress rapidly within a day and to clear completely within the following 1 to 3 days. This unprecedented rapid therapeutic response was seen in all patients and on different forms of psoriatic lesions. An editorial discussion of the new therapy has also been published in the same issue of journal (Kuenzli S et al, Dermatology 2004, Volume 209, Pages 81-83).

Patients who were treated and followed up for more than two years now have shown a lack of long term adverse effects. Moreover, the new treatment appears to render former treatment sites more resistant to recurrences. The reported therapeutic effects were obtained by topical applications of a cream preparation onto lesions. However other pharmaceutical forms and modes of application appear also possible and may simplify the treatment further in coming years. Availability of new treatment to the general patient population awaits additional work and regulatory approval.

For additional information contact:
Sinan Tas, M.D.,Ph.D.
Richard Strasse 64,
58507 Ludenscheid, Germany.
Telephone/Facsimile: + 49.2351.4335214

Please do not rely on the electronic mail solely for correspondence. This is because of security problems with email (unauthorized deletions and alterations of email have been experienced)

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VERSAILLES, Ohio July, 2003 ? Midmark Corporation, the healthcare leader in tabletop sterilizers, today announced it has improved its line of sterilizers for the medical market. These updates to the Ritter M9 and M11 Ultraclave Automatic Sterilizers increase the proven reliability of the products, as well as take their intuitive design to a new level.

?Our success in the medical industry can only be measured by how well we meet our customer?s needs, so we are constantly looking for ways to improve our products and continue our commitment to medical practices and their patients,? said Fred Elsass, Midmark?s sterilizer product manager.

?Through Midmark?s experience and ongoing customer research, we discover efficiencies and deliver them to our customers in the products we produce. The improvements to the Ritter M9 and M11 Ultraclave Sterilizers are just one more example of how we deliver efficiencies through our products to improve our customers? practices.?

The Ritter M9 and M11 Ultraclave Automatic Sterilizers have a number of new features including:
-Electronic air valve for increased reliability and efficient chamber air removal
-New improved, whisper quiet, automatic opening door
-Convenient front water fill reservoir to maximize space utilization
-A new, user-friendly LCD text display with helpful operation information
-Programmable settings that can be customized for a user?s needs
-Maintenance prompts to remind users when cleaning is recommended

More Reliable, Efficient Sterilization

The Ritter M9 and M11?s new electronic air valve operation removes more than 94 percent of the air from the chamber during the pre-sterilization process, making the sterilizers more efficient overall while enhancing the product?s reliability.

Once the sterilization process is complete, the door opens automatically and quietly to dissipate the steam and provide fast and efficient drying time of instruments. Midmark is the exclusive provider of this patented automatic opening sterilizer door design.

Ease of draining and filling is paramount to busy attendants and helps facilities adhere to regulations regarding a clean working environment. Both the M9?s and M11?s reservoir fill ports and drain tubes are in the front of the unit, not on top or in the back, to make this process more convenient and maximize space utilization.

The display has been updated to a new LCD text display system that indicates cycle selected, cycle temperature and exposure time through a printed display that prompts the user for directions. When the cycle enters sterilization mode and dry mode, the remaining cycle time is displayed with the temperature and pressure.

The LCD display also boasts programmable controls to create different cycle parameters for special sterilization needs, such as varying instrument cleaning instructions, in addition to the existing pre-programmed controls.

Maintenance prompts also help practices remember when to clean the units with a prompt each seven days for the weekly cleaning and once every 28 days for the monthly cleaning.

About Midmark

Founded in 1915, Midmark Corporation is committed to developing quality products, services and technologies that allow healthcare providers to increase effectiveness in their practices. With a full line of high-quality products for the medical, dental and digital diagnostic markets, Midmark?s trusted equipment helps providers deliver more efficient patient care.

Headquartered in Versailles, Ohio, Midmark also has subsidiaries in Torrance and Fresno, California as well as Ernee, France. For more information about Midmark or any of its products, visit the company?s Web site at www.midmark.com.

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Waltham, Mass Oct. 10 2003— A new actuarial study released today says that total savings of approximately 25 to 30 percent on medical liability costs could be achieved if proposed changes in medical liability laws now before the state legislature are approved.
   

Milliman USA, a global consulting and actuarial firm that specializes in insurance, health care, and employee benefits, performed the analysis at the request of the Massachusetts Medical Society. The purpose of the study was to estimate what potential savings in liability costs could be realized if the Society?s legislative medical liability reform package is enacted. The bill, with seven provisions, was filed last December. A public hearing on the bill takes place October 9.
   

?This analysis offers compelling information that liability reform would have substantial benefits for our health care system and our physicians,? said Thomas E. Sullivan, M.D., president of the Massachusetts Medical Society. ?Physicians in Massachusetts are crumbling under the weight of soaring insurance premiums, and it?s affecting patient care. Relief is needed sooner rather than later.?
   

Liability premiums for many Massachusetts physicians rose an average of 20 percent on July 1, following three years of 9, 14, and 12.5 percent hikes. Higher-risk specialties, such as obstetrics and neurosurgery, are seeing even bigger jumps, with some rates doubling. The relentless rise is forcing some doctors to leave Massachusetts, retire early, curtail services, or change careers.
   

Sullivan, a Danvers-based cardiologist in private practice, said that the working environment for physicians in the state continues to deteriorate and that liability costs and concerns have become a driving force behind the erosion. He cited the findings of the Medical Society?s recently-released Physician Workforce Study and its MMS Physician Practice Environment Index as evidence of this situation.

The 2003 Workforce Study found critical shortages in at least eight specialties along with growing difficulty in recruitment and retention of physicians. The Index, a statistical measure of factors affecting the environment in which physicians provide care, plunged 3.9 percent in 2002 ?the second largest drop since 1993 and its ninth straight decline.

?Both studies clearly show the need for liability reform,? said Sullivan, ?The cost of liability insurance has now become the main driver of the Index, and liability concerns are forcing physicians to contemplate career changes as never before. Further, the fear of being sued is real and pervasive and leads to expensive ?defensive medicine,? putting added burdens on our health care system. Tort reform can be a huge shot in the arm, not only for physicians, but also for their patients and the health care system overall. It?s vital medicine for a serious condition, and as an added incentive, it will not cost the state or the taxpayers any money in this era of strained budgets.?

Sullivan also called attention to a September UMassBoston/McCormack School poll of Massachusetts voters that found a substantial percentage of Massachusetts adults ? 83 percent — believe the issue of medical malpractice insurance in healthcare today is either a ?major problem? or ?crisis? and that 74 percent favor limits on the amount patients can be awarded for ?pain and suffering? or noneconomic damages in lawsuits. The UMass poll is consistent with the findings of several other local and national polls on the issue.

?The bad news is we have huge problem with the current liability system,? said Sullivan. ?The good news is that the public recognizes it.?

The Milliman study examined the likely savings that would occur if the following five of the seven changes in the proposed legislation take place:
?Reduction of the pre-judgment interest rate from its current 12 percent to market rates.
Now, plaintiffs receive a 12 percent annual rate on the dollar amount of any judgment, going back to the date of the filing of the claim.
?Payment of judgments over $50,000 to be made over time rather than one lump sum.
?Consideration of ?future collateral sources? such as health insurance in reducing judgments by those amounts so as not to collect twice for damages.
?Elimination of ?joint and several liability.? All defendants are now equally responsible to satisfy a judgment, no matter who is principally responsible. The change would mean that each of the defendants would not pay any more than their individual share of responsibility.
?Imposition of a firm cap of $500,000 cap on noneconomic damages, including those referred to as ?pain and suffering.? The state now has a cap of $500,000, but a waiver provision exists, allowing judges and juries to bypass the cap, leading to large awards. The proposed legislation provides for a firm cap, unable to be waived. Medical expenses and other economic costs, such as lost wages, would not be capped and would still be covered in full as they are now.
   

Two provisions of the legislative package ? one requiring experts to be certified in the same specialty as the defendant physician and the patient safety section requiring insurers to report aggregate data ? were not evaluated in the study as their impact on costs cannot reasonably be quantified.

Milliman USA?s actuary William Murphy, who conducted the study, said ?the relationship between estimates of medical professional liability costs and insurance prices is complex. It is reasonable to expect, however, that if the projected savings are realized, future malpractice insurance premiums should ultimately be commensurately lower than they otherwise would have been.?

The 25 to 30 percent total saving reflects the aggregate effect of all reforms combined.

Murphy also estimated savings for all five proposed changes as if they were enacted independently of one another. He found each would result in reduced costs: pre-judgment interest by 8.2 percent; periodic payments, by 4.6 percent; future collateral sources, by 4.6 percent; elimination of joint and several liability, by 3.3 percent; and imposition of a firm cap of $500,000 for pain and suffering, by 12.7 percent.

The combined effect of all the changes taken together, however, is expected to be less than the simple addition of the individual benefits because the benefits are not additive, Murphy said. ?Each time you put into effect a reform that reduces costs,? said Murphy, ?that means additional reforms or savings apply to a smaller base. Hence you get less savings as additional reforms are put into place.?

Murphy said the savings would accrue to the ?health care system? ? physicians, hospitals, providers, insurers, patients, businesses ? ?anyone who is helping to pay for the losses,? he said.

In quantifying the above estimated cost savings, Milliman used Massachusetts-specific data where available and data from other states where necessary, adjusting the data to reflect conditions in Massachusetts believed to differ from those in other states. Further, the estimates were calculated using reasonable assumptions for each of the five proposed changes. For example, one assumption in calculating the savings from reducing the pre-judgment interest rate was that any change would result in a savings for all claims that result in a verdict or finding, but only partial savings will be achieved on settlements.   

Also, the costs examined by Milliman in the study were those specifically related to the predominant payers of such costs, that is, insured and self-insured physicians, surgeons and hospitals. Further, estimates of savings in the study apply to total costs borne by medical care providers and their insurers, that is, indemnification paid to claimants, together with defense and other administrative expenses. Finally, estimated savings are in relation to costs as they would exist without the changes.

The latest Milliman study for the Massachusetts Medical Society is available at www.massmed.org/pages/milliman.pdf

The Milliman analysis is consistent with the findings of previous actuarial studies on the effect of caps on medical malpractice insurance. In a separate 10-year study from 1990-2001 of 15 large states, Milliman concluded that states with caps on noneconomic damages have below-average medical malpractice losses. In a study presented to the Ohio Medical Malpractice Commission, Pinnacle Actuarial Resources, an Illinois-based national company, examined six states that have avoided an insurance crisis and found that all have implemented caps on non-economic damages and limits on attorney contingency fees. Actuarial studies by the international consulting firm of Tillinghast, a division of Towers Perrin, have also pointed to similar potential savings with caps on non-economic damages.

In addition, the Milliman study on the potential impact of the Massachusetts Medical Society?s legislation follows an extensive June 2003 study of medical malpractice litigation by the Employment Policy Foundation of Washington, D.C. (www.epf.org) a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and education foundation founded in 1983 that focuses on workplace policies and trends.

The EPF?s major findings were that unlimited, uncapped medical malpractice litigation adds nearly $98 billion to the cost of hospital and physician services; increased the annual cost of employer-provided health insurance by nearly 13 percent; decreased by nearly 3 million people the number of workers and their families covered by employer-provided health insurance; caused a six percent decline in physicians in the US and causes lost access to critical medical services for some 14 million people; and resulted in malpractice underwriting losses of $8.6 billion in 2001 - double that of 10 years earlier.

The Massachusetts Medical Society, with more than 18,000 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the physicians and patients of Massachusetts. Founded in 1781, the MMS is the oldest continuously operating medical society in the country. The Society owns and publishes The New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal Watch family of professional newsletters, AIDS Clinical Care, and produces HealthNews, a consumer health publication. For more information, visit www.massmed.org

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March 3, 2004 — Varian Medical Systems (VMS), headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA, designs and manufactures integrated systems of equipment and software for treating cancer with radiation therapy, as well as X-ray tubes for original equipment manufacturers, replacement X-ray tubes and imaging subsystems. The company?s primary focus is the development of intensity modulated radiation therapy and image-guided radiation therapy products and processes. VMS claims to be the leading supplier of radiotherapy systems for treating cancer and the world?s leading independent supplier of X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors.

Company Intelligence Reports provide a full review of the company’s activities, from its origins to its latest corporate activity, including mergers and acquisitions, agreements, divestitures, major purchasing contracts and litigation. Sections are included on products, international activities and R&D, as well as a full, in-depth five year financial analysis. An introduction to each report and a full table of contents is provided for review. More than 60 Company Intelligence Reports are currently available.

For a complete index of this report click on http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/45385

About Research and Markets Ltd.
Research and Markets Ltd. are Europe’s largest resource for market research. R&M distribute thousands of major research publications from the world’s leading publishers, consultants and market analysts. R&M provide you with the latest forecasts on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest market trends.

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CLEARWATER, FL August 4, 2003 ? Research conducted at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Fla. indicates that an extract of the musaceas (plantain and banana) plant may play a role in the prevention and treatment of cancer, lending credence to anecdotal evidence from patients and healthcare providers who have used or recommended the extract as an alternative therapy.

Previous studies have shown that musaceas extract contains high levels of polyphenols, substances that exhibit anti-carcinogenic activity. The extract is also the basis for the patented formula manufactured by the study?s sponsor, CellQuest, Inc. (www.cellquest.com), under the brand name CellQuest.

?Cancer kills more than 6 million people worldwide each year, making it the largest single cause of death. And while the current treatment strategies of radiation and chemotherapy kill some tumor cells, some others are resistant,? says CellQuest President Edward Ameen. ?That realization is what prompted our search for natural alternatives, which ultimately led us to the musaceas plant. It?s gratifying that our research efforts are lending support to our theory.?

In the study, directed by Q. Ping Dou, Ph.D., lead investigator and an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology with Moffitt?s Drug Discovery program, the likely active ingredients of CellQuest — hydrolyzed tannins — were tested in varying concentrations on human leukemia Jurkat T cells, prostate cancer cells, breast cancer cells and normal, non-cancerous cells.

The typical strategy of many cancer treatments is to bring about ?apoptosis,? or programmed cell death, in tumor cells. Certain proteins and enzymes such as proteasomes help tumor cells proliferate while simultaneously inhibiting the immune system?s natural ability to cause death in the diseased cells.

The Moffitt study bears out the hypothesis that CellQuest inhibits proteasomal activity in cancerous cells, halting their growth and inducing death of the tumor cells. The study also found that CellQuest had no effect on the body?s human natural killer cells, which aid the immune system in eradicating unwanted cell growth, or on normal healthy cells. This evidences CellQuest?s ability to selectively target tumor cells, in contrast to the typically non-discriminating action of most conventional therapies.

The results of Dou?s research didn?t surprise Florida resident Louis Sanchez, 26. In 1997, Sanchez was diagnosed with testicular cancer and, two years later, with lymphoma. In college at the time, Sanchez says he was hesitant to undergo chemotherapy treatments for the lymphoma. Nonetheless, he began preparing for the possibility that his education might need to wait while he underwent treatment. It was the Friday before his first treatment that an acquaintance told him about CellQuest.

?I didn?t want to quit school, and my friend?s faith in CellQuest was so strong that I decided to try it for one week before beginning chemo. When I went in for a scan at the end of that week, the tumor had shrunk,? says Sanchez, who is now in remission.

?I opted not to undergo chemo and continued to take CellQuest, but also decided to have surgery at six months for my own peace of mind. Afterward, the surgeon said it appeared that something had burned the tumor. When I told him about CellQuest, he wasn?t at all shocked. In fact, he shared his personal belief that the cure for cancer ultimately will be natural.?

Ameen concludes: ?Louis?s story is just one of several we?ve received. And while we are obviously encouraged with the results of Dr. Dou?s research and the anecdotal reports, we also realize that more extensive research is key if we are to conclusively demonstrate the efficacy of the musaceas plant extract in boosting the body?s immune system fighting cancer naturally.?

About CellQuest, Inc.
Based in Clearwater, Fla., CellQuest, Inc. developed and now markets a patented formula based on the extract of the musaceas (plantain and banana) plant that scientific studies indicate has the ability to boost the body?s immune system. Called CellQuest?, the product is available for purchase as a liquid supplement or as a topical gel via the Company?s website, www.cellquest.com, or by calling, toll-free, (877) 565-5566.

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Evanston, IL February 1 2004–The Kidney Cancer Association (KCA) has made a $10-thousand contribution to fund research sponsored by the American Foundation for Urologic Disease (AFUD). AFUD Manager of Corporate Development Jodi Miller welcomed the gift as, ?Wonderful news!? AFUD?s goal is the prevention and cure of urologic disease through the expansion of research, education and patient advocacy.

?We are pleased to make the first of what we hope will be a series of contributions to AFUD directed at encouraging interest in kidney cancer research,? said Bill Bro, KCA Chief Executive Officer. ?Our medical board has endorsed the direction of research funds to AFUD; because they?ve been at the forefront of urologic disease research for more than a quarter century,? he added.

In 2003, Bro was appointed a voting member of AFUD?s Kidney Health Council, and the KCA and the Kidney Health Council are planning to collaborate on the publication of a new booklet about renal cancer. More information about AFUD?s current research projects is available on the organization?s website: http://afud.org/research/scholars/current.asp.

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February 29, 2004–Health sector development in Turkey has not been dynamic in recent years, largely due to the effects of the earthquakes that hit its northern region in the second half of 1999. The effect on the national economy has been considerable, draining resources. However, with the launch of the Second Health Project, with aid from the World Bank, there are signs of renewed initiative in the sector. Turkey continues to take further steps in acceding to the EU. The progression sees national legislation, inclusive of that regulating the healthcare sector, being increasingly aligned with EU guidelines. The medical device market has continued to grow well in recent years, albeit slowly, despite the country?s continuing economic problems. The level of public health spending, having been hit hard in the mid 1990s, has recovered in recent years. Future growth prospects therefore remain bright, if still uncoordinated and uneven.

MediSTAT currently reports on over 70 countries in more than 4,000 pages of in-depth market data. Incorporating primary source material with Espicom’s vast healthcare business database, MediSTAT provides a complete review of key medical markets. Each extensive report includes vital market data, background information and statistics, population trends, health status, health expenditure, organisation & administration, hospital services, medical personnel, healthcare development, import & export figures and essential industry contacts.

For a complete index of this report click on http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/45460

About Research and Markets Ltd.
Research and Markets Ltd. are Europe’s largest resource for market research. R&M distribute thousands of major research publications from the world’s leading publishers, consultants and market analysts. R&M provide you with the latest forecasts on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest market trends.

For additional information on ResearchandMarkets.com, their range of reports or their value-added services, visit their web site at http://www.researchandmarkets.com or mailto:press@researchandmarkets.com

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