The next generation molecular diagnostics platform introduces novel connectivity solution designed to bring testing closer to the patient
ROCKVILLE, Maryland, Sept. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Tetracore today announced that the T-COR 8 portable real-time PCR thermocycler has achieved CE-IVD status under the European Directive on In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices.
The T-COR 8, and proprietary software delivers healthcare providers with a simple, flexible, and accessible molecular diagnostics platform. This unique, and easy to use point-of-care (POC) diagnostic system enables real-time molecular testing in hospitals, clinics, physician offices, and field applications.
Healthcare providers rely on molecular testing to produce accurate identification of infectious agents to aid in selecting targeted therapies quickly. Advances in access to molecular testing support global clinical efforts to improve antibiotic stewardship. Most importantly, near patient diagnostics permits appropriate treatment to begin immediately. Designed for the point of care, the T-COR 8 brings molecular infectious disease testing closer to the patient.
“We are focused on delivering testing to where it is most needed, regardless of the setting,” explains Dr. Bill Nelson MD, CEO of Tetracore. “The T-COR 8 empowers more healthcare providers to perform critical tests where it is needed most.” Tetracore is developing several diagnostic tests for the system targeting respiratory viruses, hospital acquired infections, and gastrointestinal infectious disease panels. Along with the proprietary content under development, the T-COR 8 is capable of performing molecular tests in an “open” mode, allowing researchers and developers to create new tests on the next generation instrument using the built-in custom protocol creator.
The T-COR 8 Features Include:
“Cloud” ready and networkable (WiFi/ethernet) for remote access and data download
8 independently programmable wells
Random access instrument, allowing multiple protocols simultaneously
10.4″ (26.4cm) touch screen w/virtual keyboard
Can be plugged in or run on the built-in battery (up to 4 hours of continuous testing)
Integrated barcode scanner
Download report via network or USB thumb drive
About Tetracore, Inc. Tetracore is a biotechnology company specializing in the development and manufacture of diagnostic devices and assays for the detection of infectious diseases. Located in the Biotechnology Corridor in Rockville, Maryland. Tetracore was founded in 1998 by former United Nations Special Commission biological weapons inspectors and scientists of the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. For more information visit www.tetracore.com or contact us at jkelly@tetracore.com.
DUDERSTADT, Germany, Sept. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Prof. Hans Georg Nader’s youngest daughter, Georgia, will in future be representing the family on Ottobock’s supervisory board, which is currently being formed. Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH, based in the German state of Lower Saxony, is undergoing the conversion to an SE & Co. KGaA. Georgia Nader will therefore also be enlisted to the executive board of Otto Bock Holding GmbH & Co. KG.
Following nearly three decades in his role as CEO at Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH, Prof. Hans Georg Nader (56) will be assuming the leadership of the supervisory board of the future Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA as chairman of the board. Dr Oliver Scheel (49) will take over the role of CEO on 15 January 2018.
The appointment of Dr Scheel, a long-time partner and managing director at consulting company A.T. Kearney and head of their pharma, medical technology and healthcare department who possesses extensive expertise in the subject of transformation management, represents the first time in Ottobock’s history that a manager from outside the family has taken the helm of the German-based “hidden champion” and global market leader in the field of technical orthopaedics.
Longstanding CFO Harry Wertz (60) will exclusively continue his role as CEO with the Otto Bock Holding GmbH & CoKG.
The head of the Nader Family Office, Stefan Hirsch (45), was also enlisted to the executive board of Otto Bock Holding GmbH & Co. KG as part of the developments within the company.
Head of Investor Relations / Corporate Communications Mark C. Schneider Phone: +49(0)30-398-206-222 / mobile: +49(0)151-146-591-35 Email: MarkC.Schneider@ottobock.de
BOSTON and ZURICH, Sept. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — For millions of suffering people, a dream has finally come true: to be able to sleep without snoring. The unconventional innovation of successful Swiss Therapist, Alex Suarez (50), has solved the problem once and for all, and out of 9,000 nominations it has been selected to be awarded the “Ig Nobel Prize” at Harvard University. The Ig Nobel Prize, sometimes referred to as the Anti-Nobel Prize, is a satirical award, which honors scientific achievements “that first make people laugh, and then make them think” (Wikipedia). The Prize is announced in the Cambridge publication “Annals of Improbable Research”. In recent years, this award has enjoyed a high level of recognization amongst scientists.
Using the breathing techniques and training method developed by Alex Suarez called “Silent Sleep”, the troublesome problem of snoring can be solved naturally, easily, and in a playful way. The method used to strengthen and tighten the throat musculature and the connective tissue was developed by the Swiss relaxation coach over the course of 15 years. The idea for the Asate Method came to him during his own struggle with heavy snoring and sleep apnoea. Since conventional treatments were not providing him with any relief, the former dojo owner and instructor of Asian martial arts techniques, wanted to apply his knowledge of the yin and yang principle, biorhythms, tension and relaxation, as well as the careful consumption of resources, to create his very own therapy. Inspired by the Australian aboriginal didgeridoo, Suarez developed his own medicinal didgeridoo that is designed to strengthen, massage, and stimulate the connective tissue and musculature in the neck and mouth using targeted exercises.
This gentle alternative to medical devices or surgical intervention has achieved astonishing results that have been confirmed in international studies carried out by pulmonologists, sleep-researchers, and universities. The result of these studies show that in over 80% of cases, a marked improvement in sleeping without snoring can be achieved after only a few weeks using Silent Sleep training. The rapid success amongst the study participants has led to various stages of innovation involving the medical didgeridoo and has resulted in a device that is optimized for use in a therapeutic setting: the “Snadoo”. The significantly smaller instrument, which is made of plastic, can and should provide the user with additional amusement as they recover from their condition because how it is used and the corresponding mobile app are designed to be playful and fun.
Acelity’sinnovative negative-pressure wound therapy system changes the game by enhancing delivery of four therapies on a single device
SANTA CLARA, California, Sept. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Based on its recent analysis of the negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Acelity with the 2017 North American Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy Product Leadership Award for its two new therapies:V.A.C.ULTA™ 4 Therapy System, which incorporates a fifth-generation software upgrade that provides delivery of four therapies on a single device, allowing physicians to treat various wounds with a single system, andV.A.C. VERAFLO CLEANSE CHOICE™ Dressing, which provides clinicians with a novel, adjunctive non-surgical option that may help clean large complex wounds when complete surgical debridement is not possible or appropriate.
Healthcare economies, such as the United States (US), are faced with shifting challenges, including rising operational costs at hospitals, staffing constraints, and cost burdens carried by care facilities for hospital-acquired infections. While US healthcare policies, along with value-based reimbursement models, are a clinical and economic driver in the wound care market, the need exists for wound care companies to integrate their treatment modalities into new care models that better track and manage chronic wounds across various care settings due to the shift from pay-for-service models to pay-for-performance and quality-of-care based payment models. The current chronic wound care market is also significantly fragmented because of the many ways a typical wound can be treated, including active healing dressings, advanced passive dressings, other unique energy- or mechanical-based solutions, and negative-pressure wound treatment systems (NPWT), including vacuum assisted-closure (V.A.C.®) therapy.
“Acelity is a leading provider of advanced wound care solutions,” said Patrick Riley, Principal Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “The company pioneered NPWT, and its advanced V.A.C. VERAFLO™ Therapy combines the benefits of V.A.C.® Therapy and automated topical wound solution distribution and removal to help heal and prepare the wound for closure quickly and effectively. The new V.A.C.ULTA™ 4 Therapy System sets the benchmark with its capability to delivery four therapies through a single device.”
The four therapies include:
V.A.C. VERAFLO™ Therapy with Instillation, which automates alternating cycles of wound cleansing with a topical solution and V.A.C.® Therapy, allowing for wound cleansing and therapy to maintain a closed environment to enhance healing. V.A.C. VERAFLO™ Therapy is poised to become the new gold standard of NPWT, as studies have reported patient outcomes better than the current gold standard V.A.C.® Therapy.
Traditional V.A.C.® Therapy
ABTHERA™ Open Abdomen Negative Pressure Therapy, which provides negative-pressure therapy for temporary abdominal closure to help reduce edema and fluid, empowering primary fascial closure.
PREVENA™ Negative Pressure Incision Management Therapy, which provides NPWT therapy for closed incisions after a surgical procedure.
Furthermore, all four therapies utilize Acelity’s advanced SENSAT.R.A.C.™ Technology with EASYCLEAR PURGE™ which employs advanced software and algorithms in addition to multi-lumen technology that work together to monitor and regulate the set pressure continuously at the wound site, as well as helping reduce blockages. Acelity’s recently launched V.A.C. VERAFLO CLEANSE CHOICE™ dressing for use with V.A.C. VERAFLO™ Therapy helps loosen, solubilize, detach, and remove viscous wound exudate without surgical intervention, effectively preparing the wound for closure.
“Acelity’s software upgrade has also improved the ease-of-use factor for the V.A.C.ULTA™ 4 Therapy System,” said Riley. “Acelity has designed the interface to be similar to a mobile phone, with applications (apps) corresponding to each therapy for easy selection; thus, reducing the number of steps needed for therapy delivery.”
Acelity conducts hands-on training for clinicians, as well as transitioning training for customers moving to the new V.A.C.ULTA™ 4 Therapy System. The company also maintains customer, technical and clinical support teams that are committed to providing detailed support to customers for administrative questions, technological troubleshooting, and can give guidance on use of Acelity’s products.
Acelity also recently launched V.A.C. VERAFLO CLEANSE CHOICE™ Dressing. When used with V.A.C. VERAFLO™ Therapy, Acelity’s negative pressure wound therapy and instillation (NPWTi-d) system, the dressing may provide rapid cleansing of wounds with the goal of augmenting the healing environment. The novel therapeutic dressing facilitates removal of thick wound exudate when surgical debridement is not possible or delayed, and offers prompt adjunctive wound cleansing for complex wounds.
In addition, Acelity has led the way in the next frontier of NPWT with its digital health offerings. iOn RESULTS™ Remote Therapy Monitoring works in conjunction with the V.A.C.ULTA™ Therapy System to monitor the therapy units’ performance in the hospital setting. iOn PROGRESS™ Remote Therapy Monitoring delivers the first continuous monitoring and ready intervention for patients receiving negative pressure wound therapy in the home.
Due to Acelity’s commitment to improve patient outcomes through continuous technological innovation and outstanding customer support, Acelity has earned Frost & Sullivan’s 2017 North American Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy Product Leadership Award.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a product with innovative features and functionality that is gaining rapid market acceptance. The award recognizes the quality of the solution and the customer value enhancements it enables.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
About Acelity
Acelity L.P. Inc. and its subsidiaries are a global advanced wound care company that leverages the strengths of Kinetic Concepts, Inc. and Systagenix Wound Management, Limited. Available in more than 90 countries, the innovative and complementary ACELITY™ product portfolio delivers value through solutions that speed healing and lead the industry in quality, safety and customer experience. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Acelity employs nearly 5,000 people around the world.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community.Contact us: Start the discussion.
– Two-year data from the ILLUMENATE European randomized clinical trial (EU RCT) validates durable clinical performance of Stellarex low-dose drug-coated balloon
– Trial includes 328 peripheral arterial disease patients from 18 centers across Germany and Austria
AMSTERDAM and LAS VEGAS, Sept. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, announced the two-year results from the ILLUMENATE European randomized clinical trial (EU RCT) demonstrating the efficacy of Philips Spectranetics’ Stellarex .035″ drug-coated balloon (DCB) for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in comparison to uncoated balloon angioplasty. Marianne Brodmann, M.D., of the Medical University of Graz in Austria, presented the data today as a late-breaking trial at the Vascular Interventional Advances (VIVA 17) Annual Conference.
The ILLUMENATE EU RCT, which is part of a series of five trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of Stellarex for superficial femoral artery and popliteal disease, includes 328 PAD patients from 18 centers across Germany and Austria and compares the Stellarex DCB to an uncoated angioplasty balloon. The results show that at 24 months, 75.9% of patients treated with Stellarex maintained blood flow through the treated segment of the diseased artery, assessed through blinded core-lab adjudicated patency. Only 61.0% of patients treated with an uncoated balloon still maintained blood flow at 24 months. The data shows that Stellarex demonstrates higher efficacy and patency results, and longer treatment durability compared to an uncoated balloon, which is the current standard of care in the United States.
“The Stellarex DCB produced durable results in this rigorous trial, validating earlier findings among the ILLUMENATE trial series,” stated Marianne Brodmann, M.D. “These consistent, top-tier outcomes are achieved with a low-dose balloon.* Stellarex is the first low-dose DCB to demonstrate a significant treatment effect at two years.”
The ILLUMENATE EU RCT has independent evaluation including supervision by a clinical events committee, a data safety and monitoring board, and assessment by angiographic and duplex ultrasound core laboratories. Philips Spectranetics fully funded the ILLUMENATE EU RCT as part of the ILLUMENATE series of five trials to evaluate the benefits of Stellarex .035″ for various patient groups in comparison to an uncoated percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon, which is the current endovascular standard of care.
“We are committed to providing proven clinical solutions that positively impact patient outcomes,” stated Christopher Barys, Image Guided Therapy Devices Business Leader for Philips. “We are proud to have the only low-dose drug-coated balloon with a proven treatment effect at two years compared to the current endovascular standard of care in the U.S. The addition of Stellarex in the Philips portfolio through the Spectranetics acquisition reinforces our commitment to helping physicians decide, guide, treat and confirm the right therapy for their patients.”
The Stellarex drug-coated balloon is designed to restore and maintain blood flow to arteries in patients with peripheral arterial disease. Spectranetics launched the device in Europe in January 2015 and received FDA approval in the U.S. in July 2017. Philips acquired Spectranetics in August 2017 to continue the advancement of its unique portfolio of image-guided therapy solutions to deliver enhanced care for patients.
Visit the Philips and Spectranetics booths (406 and 405) at VIVA 17 to experience Stellarex and Philips’ other innovative offerings that deliver seamless care in the vascular space. Follow the #VIVA17 conversation at @PhilipsLiveFrom throughout the event.
* Low-dose DCBs are those that deliver a dose of only 2 micrograms of the drug paclitaxel per square millimeter, which is lower than some other DCBs on the market.
About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips’ health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 71,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.
International Medical Group Hosts Study Day at UK Office
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — International Medical Group® (IMG®), an award-winning international medical and travel insurance company, is providing specialty training for its UK-based in-house flight team to support continuing professional development (CPD) and revalidation.
Led by IMG’s in-house doctors and nurses, the study day — taking place Sept. 16 and 17 — will include discussions, debates and lectures surrounding travel and aviation medicine. During the event, IMG’s medical flight team also will discuss the company’s flight equipment, policies and procedures. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate of attendance to support CPD and revalidation.
“Our flight team has already proven their extensive knowledge and experience in the medical field,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Geoff Tothill, “but this study day further supports their ability to care for our members.”
Guest speakers at the event will include British Airways Consultant Occupational Physician Dr. Mark Popplestone, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children Clinical Nurse Specialist Mark Clements, and Drum Cussac Chief Operating Officer Chris Job, MBE.
Since December 2012, all doctors and nurses practicing medicine in the United Kingdom have been required to maintain a license to practice, which is evaluated every five years through the process of revalidation.
As part of revalidation, medical professionals must engage in an annual appraisal based on guidance from the General Medical Council. Included in this guidance is the ability to demonstrate CPD through a variety of learning methods.
“Our unique program was developed as a way for IMG to not only provide specialty patient transfer training, but also to serve as a qualified course for revalidation,” Tothill said. “We understand the importance of offering standardized training that enhances our team’s knowledge, skills and performance.”
IMG’s flight team is part of the company’s European medical unit, which launched in December 2016. Led by Tothill and under the clinical leadership of Dr. Georgina Standen and Rachel Benbow, RN, the unit provides a range of medical services to the international insurance industry from IMG’s office in Redhill, UK.
About International Medical Group International Medical Group® (IMG®), a Sirius Group company, is an award-winning international medical and travel insurance company that has served millions of members worldwide since its founding in 1990. A leader in the global benefits and assistance services industry, IMG offers a full line of international medical insurance products, as well as travel insurance plans, medical management services and 24/7 emergency medical and travel assistance. For more information, please visit www.imglobal.com.
Breakthrough research will lead to new photopharmacology applications to help treat and prevent chronic illnesses
HAYWARD, Calif., Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Research published today in Scientific Reports shows that light from RayVio’s 293nm ultraviolet (UV) LED is more efficient than sunlight at producing vitamin D3 in skin samples. Tyler Kalajian and his research team, led by Dr. Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., and supported by Boston University School of Medicine and a Boston University Ignition Award, found that skin samples exposed to RayVio’s UV LED for just 0.52 minutes produced more than twice as much vitamin D3 as samples exposed to 32.5 minutes of sunlight.
“We tested ultraviolet LEDs from different sources and at different wavelengths. RayVio’s 293nm LED showed the most significant potential for vitamin D3 production in the shortest amount of time,” said Dr. Holick, a Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine, and endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center. “This study will lead to a new generation of technology that can be labeled as photopharmacology in which the use of LEDs with targeted wavelengths can cause specific biologic effects in human skin to help treat and prevent chronic illnesses.”
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with osteoporosis, rickets and other metabolic bone diseases and is more prevalent in northern and southern latitudes where sunlight is limited for a significant part of the year. This device for making vitamin D is ideally suited for patients with fat malabsorption syndromes including inflammatory bowel disease and gastric bypass surgery. The research shows that RayVio’s UV LEDs could be used for treating patients that are vitamin D deficient.
A vitamin D3 producing UV LED device could be used on skin areas that experience less exposure to sunlight such as upper legs and arms and abdomen and back thus minimizing risk for developing non-melanoma skin cancer. The UV LED device also emits a much narrower band of UVB light and thereby decreasing likelihood of skin damage that can occur when the skin is exposed to higher wavelengths of UV radiation.
“The potential of digital UV technology for phototherapy is enormous,” said Dr. Robert C. Walker, RayVio’s CEO. “Dr. Holick’s research with our UVB LEDs demonstrates the potential for new applications that can potentially improve and save hundreds of thousands of lives. In the U.S. alone, seventy-five percent of teens and adults are vitamin D deficient. Thanks to the work of the research team and the pioneering work of the Boston University Photonics Center on UV LEDs, we may soon see innovative treatment options like simple integration with a wearable device could aid millions of people.”
About Vitamin D3 Two forms of vitamin D are important to humans: vitamin D2 produced by plants, yeast and mushrooms, and vitamin D3 produced by skin when exposed to sunlight or the appropriate wavelength of ultraviolet light.
Co-authors on the paper, all from Boston University, are T.A. Kalajian, A. Aldoukhi, A.J. Veronikis, K. Persons, and M.F. Holick.
About Boston University School of Medicine Originally established in 1848 as the New England Female Medical College, and incorporated into Boston University in 1873, Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) today is a leading academic medical center with an enrollment of more than 700 medical students and 950 students pursuing degrees in graduate medical sciences. BUSM faculty contribute to more than 950 active grants and contracts, with total anticipated awards valued at more than $693 million in amyloidosis, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious diseases, pulmonary disease and dermatology, among other areas. The School’s teaching affiliates include Boston Medical Center, its primary teaching hospital, the Boston VA Healthcare System, Kaiser Permanente in northern California, as well as Boston HealthNet, a network of 15 community health centers. For more information, please visit http://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/
About RayVio Corp. RayVio Corp. is an advanced health and hygiene company that delivers clean water and environments. RayVio helps protect billions from germs and creates new markets and revenue streams by enabling a new class of products. Its powerful and efficient UV LED technology can be integrated into a variety of applications, powering versatile on-demand solutions that give consumers control over health without chemicals or costly consumables. To learn more, please visit www.rayvio.com.
Philips’ Trilogy offer multiple ventilation modes, real time data sharing capabilities and a long battery life that allows patients to have a near normal quality of life.
SANTA CLARA, California, Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Based on its recent analysis of the home ventilation market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Philips with the 2017 North American Home Ventilation Product Leadership Award for its Trilogy series of home care ventilators. Trilogy ventilators are cost-effective, invasive and non-invasive, with multi-mode capabilities providing easy-to-view and -share data for near-real-time patient care.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic lower respiratory disease is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. The prevalence of respiratory disease creates pressure on care providers and vendors to create population health management solutions to replace existing episodic care protocols. With reimbursements shifting away from traditional fee-for-service models to value-based care, hospitals are increasingly required to demonstrate improvements in care provision to qualify for reimbursements, including faster discharge rates, lower inpatient bed days, lower readmission rates, and better follow-up care and post-treatment management. To address these issues, ventilator manufacturers need to look at a combination of products and solutions to appeal to patients with chronic diseases, both at home and in sub-acute facilities. To help prevent hospitalization, the best ventilation products will be able to share ventilation data seamlessly with care providers.
Philips offers the Trilogy 100 and Trilogy 200 ventilators as part of its extensive sleep and respiratory care solutions. Both of these products are compact, portable, and have multiple circuit choices to help clinicians caring for patients with different chronic respiratory conditions and ventilation requirements.
“It’s worth noting that, in the United States, clinicians are using Trilogy 100 and Trilogy 200 ventilator units to treat hundreds of thousands of patients with different respiratory conditions,” said Senior Research Analyst, Tanvir Jaikishen. “Philips’ extensive experience in IT really strengthens and distinguishes it from competitors in the home ventilation space.”
Philips’ Trilogy products have a number of standout features:
Digital Auto-Trak, available on both the Trilogy 100 and Trilogy 200, is an algorithm that can detect inspiration and expiration to react and respond to every breath, with a Sensitive Auto-Trak setting for an enhanced triggering response for patients all while compensating for leak.
DirectView reporting software stores and analyzes data and streamline reporting to allow care providers to make adjustments using different ventilation modes as required.
Care Orchestrator, a patient management application, delivers data wirelessly from Bluetooth-enabled Trilogy devices directly to the tablets, mobile devices or desktops of care providers multiple times per day, enabling early intervention if needed.
The Trilogy 100 and Trilogy 200 ventilators display pressure and flow graphically in a waveform format using the Waveform screen. This format enables fast synchronization between the patient and the ventilator, thus allowing for an expeditious transfer from the hospital to a sub-acute or home care setting.
“Philips’ Trilogy ventilation products provide hospitals with improvements in care provision, including faster discharge rates, lower inpatient bed days, lower readmission rates, and better follow-up care and post-treatment management,” said Jaikishen. “This really helps hospitals to better adapt to the emergence of quality-based care payment models in the healthcare industry.”
The Trilogy Series ventilators allow for ease of viewing patient data, the ability to quickly and easily share data, and data analytics on large patient data sets. Philips is a pioneer in the IT and analytics industry and these products’ interplay between data management and patient management is why Frost & Sullivan is recognizing Philip with the 2017 Award for North American Home Ventilation Product Leadership.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a product with innovative features and functionality, gaining rapid acceptance in the market. The award recognizes the quality of the solution and the customer value enhancements it enables.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips’ health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 70,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.
Sizes range from 50-liter to 2,000-liter manufacturing scale
Industry-leading design offers flexibility, scalability and ease-of-use
Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that Celonic AG, a Swiss contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), is upgrading its manufacturing facility with five of Merck’s Mobius® single-use bioreactors.
Celonic, which produces biosimilars and also offers a cell line development platform, will add 50-, 200- and 2,000-liter bioreactors to its development and manufacturing facility in Basel, Switzerland. The upgrade will expand Celonic’s upstream capabilities, improving flexibility and scalability.
“Our extensive portfolio of single-use technologies allows us to support CDMO customers like Celonic as they adopt new technologies and expand their capabilities,” said Andrew Bulpin, Head of the Process Solutions business unit, Life Science at Merck. “Our new Mobius® single-use bioreactors will help Celonic streamline its processes and expand its capacity to better serve clients.”
“For our biotech customers, each step towards market authorization boosts the valuation of their assets, and that’s where Celonic’s breadth of services has been instrumental in creating tremendous value for our partners,” said Konstantin Matentzoglu, CEO, Celonic. “Merck’s Mobius® single-use bioreactors offer a flexible, scalable system that addresses our needs and those of our clients. With the addition of the 2,000-liter bioreactor, we are moving a step closer to our objective of serving customers with commercial manufacturing needs.”
Single-use, disposable equipment and systems have increased in popularity in the biopharmaceutical industry, as they offer many advantages over conventional stainless steel systems, such as improved batch success rates, less cross-contamination risk, decreased water and waste water requirements, shortened project duration and reduced project costs.
At the same time, biopharmaceutical manufacturers are moving toward end-to-end solutions — from process development and scale-up through to manufacturing for pre-clinical, clinical and commercial supply — as they seek to cut costs while increasing quality and efficiency.
Merck’s portfolio of 3- to 2,000-liter Mobius® single-use bioreactors delivers greater flexibility and continuity for scale-up, reducing the need for retraining operators. These are some of the multiple reasons that CDMOs such as Celonic have become early adopters of Merck’s technologies.
Merck is a premier supplier of process development and clinical-stage manufacturing solutions, materials and services needed for the production of biopharmaceutical drugs. The company is committed to delivering superior bioreactor technology to manufacturers, several of which are already collaborating with the company in that space in North America, Europe and Asia.
About Celonic Celonic AG is a privately owned CDMO based in Basel, Switzerland. Celonic offers include comprehensive GMP development and manufacturing services for New Biological Entities (NBEs) and Biosimilars worldwide. Applying empathy, efficiency and excellence, Celonic goes one step beyond expectations in all business aspects in order to help its clients attain their goals more efficiently and reliably. Celonic’s services include the development of cell lines, production processes, as well as the GMP and non-GMP manufacturing of biopharmaceutical drug substances. In addition, Celonic licenses its proprietary CHOvolution™ cell line technology to clients, drug developer and service provider. Visit www.celonic.com to learn more.
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About Merck Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck generated sales of €15 billion in 66 countries.
Founded in 1668, Merck is the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the “Merck” name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — In 2016, the World Health Organization issued a report recognizing psoriasis as a chronic, disfiguring, disabling, non-communicable disease that deserves global attention. Yet, the report noted, knowledge regarding the global burden of psoriasis is limited. Psoriasis affects approximately 125 million people worldwide; however, little is known regarding prevalence or incidence of the disease in regions outside of the U.S. and Europe.
Paper authors (Back Left to Right) Luigi Naldi, Chris Griffiths, Carsten Flohr, Darren Ashcroft, (Front) Matthias Augustin, and Tamar Nijsten at the conclusion of the symposium, “The Epidemiology of Psoriasis: Towards a Global Psoriasis Atlas,” held during the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) meeting in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
A new scientific report, entitled “Global State of Psoriasis Epidemiology: A Workshop Report,” recently published in the British Journal of Dermatology, chronicles the global health challenges in psoriasis epidemiology and highlights the ambitious plan for a web-based Global Psoriasis Atlas (GPA) database that will document the prevalence and incidence of psoriasis worldwide.
This report resulted from a workshop held by the International Psoriasis Council (IPC), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization composed of psoriasis experts from around the world, which examined the current state of psoriasis epidemiology and introduced the vision and development of the GPA. Professor Christopher Griffiths of the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, corresponding and first author of the report, IPC immediate past-president and GPA director, led a panel of key experts who identified the challenges associated with assessing psoriasis epidemiology and described resources (eg, registries, country-specific databases) that can be used to understand trends and patterns of psoriasis epidemiology.
The panel discussed the need to view the overall health burden of psoriasis at the patient level and beyond the level of the skin. In this approach, the increased risk of inflammatory conditions, including psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, depression, metabolic syndrome, and liver disease, can be recognized and treated. The structure and development of the GPA were introduced as a rigorous and standardized approach and as a leading resource for estimating the true burden of disease in all countries.
“The data collected by the GPA will demonstrate to health care providers and policymakers around the world that psoriasis is not an inconsequential condition,” Griffiths said. “The GPA will be a resource that will help improve treatment and patients’ access to care worldwide and to recognize psoriasis as a health care priority.”
The IPC has joined with two other global organizations – the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) – to develop the atlas. The project’s first phase, which will begin this year, will be to comprehensively review current psoriasis literature and gather data on psoriasis from as many countries as possible. Once the database is established, the project’s second phase will be to establish a core set of rigorous methods for collecting data throughout the world.
Ultimately, the GPA is expected to spur improvement in, and equality of, health care planning for psoriasis in every country.
About IPC: Founded in 2004, the International Psoriasis Council (IPC) is a dermatology-led, voluntary, global nonprofit organization dedicated to innovation across the full spectrum of psoriasis through research, education and patient care.
Global Psoriasis Leadership: With more than one hundred board members and councilors from thirty countries, IPC embodies the global expertise of multi-specialty psoriasis key opinion leaders. These leaders include representatives from dermatology, basic science, translational research, genetics, epidemiology, cardiology, psychology, international clinical trials, and direct patient care.
Mission: IPC’s mission is to advance the care of people with psoriasis worldwide, through education, research and advocacy.
