Welsh Health Minister’s Ban on Advertising in Hospitals Will Cost the NHS GBP1 Million

LONDON - Health Minister Edwina Hart’s directive to ban all legal service advertising in hospitals could cost the Welsh NHS trusts GBP1 million in compensation through breached contracts.

New Appointments at London Genetics to Drive Strategy Forward

LONDON - London Genetics Limited, which expedites pharmacogenetic partnerships between the biopharmaceutical industry and London-based centres of excellence in genetics research, announces today several prestigious appointments to its Board and management team. The new appointments, which include Dr Barrie Ward as Chairman, will drive the next phase of the company’s growth as the importance of pharmacogenetics in drug development increases. They bring important commercial, clinical and academic expertise.

Amnis urges pre-squeeze acceleration in Community Services development

The specialist healthcare quality, innovation and productivity improvement enabler, Amnis, has outlined plans to transform the quality and productivity of Community Services.

Malaria Control Method Could Prevent 6 Million New Infant Cases

BARCELONA, Spain -

- The Lancet Publishes New Findings Showing 30% Reduction in Babies Under 12 Months Using a WHO-Recommended Approach, but few African Countries Have Adopted it

Power Plate International Ltd Certified as Medical Device Manufacturer

LONDON - Power Plate International Limited, the leader in Acceleration Training(TM) exercise equipment, today received certification as a Medical Device Manufacturer within the European Economic Area (EEA). This was granted to Power Plate International Limited by the British Standards Institute (BSI), a world leader in the field of Medical Device regulation.

Celebrities Give it Some Welly for Action Medical Research

LONDON -

- With Photo

Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford from The Apprentice, along with Davina McCall are all wearing their wellington boots this Friday to support the UK’s leading research charity Action Medical Research.

Novasep Gains SafeBridge(R) “Potent Compound Safety Certification” for its Le Mans Facility

POMPEY, France - Novasep is pleased to announce that its site in Le Mans - France, specialized in the development and manufacturing of Highly Potent Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPAIs), has received the “Potent Compound Safety Certification” from SafeBridge(R) Consultants, Inc.

Contraceptive Pill Named the Greatest Pharmacy Invention of the Last 150 Years in Chemist+Druggist Competition

TONBRIDGE, England -

The Contraceptive Pill has been crowned the greatest pharmacy innovation of the past 150 years, by leading figures in the drugs industry.

AAF(R) Announces MEGAcel(TM) I Filter with Helior(TM) Media

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -

- MEGAcel I provides the highest efficiency at the lowest resistance in the industry.

Call to Action to Prevent Deaths From Prostate Cancer in Europe

ANTWERP, Belgium -

- Leading Cancer Groups and Archbishop Desmond Tutu Unite in Call to Action in the Fight Against Prostate Cancer

Investment in Health Benefits is on the Up

ANDOVER, England -

Despite the economic downturn, companies are more than doubling their spend on healthcare benefits, according to new research from Simplyhealth’s Bothered Britain Report 2009, which is released this month. The report investigates how attitudes, policy and behaviour have changed in the past year towards health-related issues, as well as looking at newer trends that are impacting on workplace health.

Sanaria Inc. Receives Multi-Year U.S. NIH Phase II Small Business Innovation Research Grant to Enhance Efficiency and Scale-up of its Malaria Vaccine Manufacturing Process

ROCKVILLE, Maryland -

Sanaria Inc. has received additional support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health in the form of a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant. The award for two years is US$1.99 million. Subject to satisfactory progress by Sanaria, continued funding for a third year will bring the total to nearly US$3 million. This new funding will facilitate efforts to increase the efficiency and scale-up of manufacturing and release processes to the levels required for Phase 3 clinical testing, licensure, and commercial launch of Sanaria(TM) PfSPZ, Sanaria’s attenuated whole parasite malaria sporozoite vaccine.

Merck Serono Growth Hormone Injection Device easypod(R) Approved in Japan

GENEVA - Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany, today announced that the Japanese health authorities, the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), have granted a marketing authorization for easypod(R) in Japan. Easypod(R) was developed for exclusive use with cartridges of Saizen(R) (somatropin), Merck Serono’s human recombinant growth hormone for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency.

New Testing Option Extends Scope of Food Safety Screening

HILLEROD, Denmark - FOSS has extended the availability of software functionality that helps to spot adulterated raw milk.

Amgen Scholars Europe Programme Convenes Undergraduates From 15 Countries for Innovative Science Research

CAMBRIDGE, England -

- Symposium Offers Unique Opportunity to Meet Peers and Leading Scientists; Discuss Hands-On Summer Research Projects

/C O R R E C T I O N — Merck Serono S A/

GENEVA - In the news release, “Merck Serono Growth Hormone Injection Device easypod(R) Approved in Japan” issued on 16 Sep 2009 07:00 GMT, by Merck Serono S A SWX:SEO over PR Newswire, we are advised by a representative of the company that the last sentence of the fourth paragraph has been changed from “In Japan, easypod(R) will be launched in September 2009″ to “In Japan, easypod(R) will be launched in the course of 2009″ as originally issued inadvertently. Complete, corrected release follows:

New Collaborations and Breakthrough Advancements in RNA-Based Drug Development Programs Lead Santaris Pharma A/S to Establish US Operations

HOERSHOLM, Denmark and SAN DIEGO, California -

- Denmark-Based Santaris Pharma A/S Appoints Leading RNA Industry Expert Art Levin Ph.D. as President of US Operations and Chief Development Officer

Children’s Hospital in Colorado Rounds off List of 24 Cord Blood Transplant Centers Worldwide Enrolling for ExCell Trial Studying StemEx(R) for Leukemia and Lymphoma

DENVER, Colorado and JERUSALEM - Children’s Hospital of Colorado and the Gamida Cell-Teva Joint Venture announced today that Children’s Hospital is enrolling patients for the ExCell study. Children’s Hospital is the 24th in a series of cord blood transplant sites worldwide, five of which are children’s centers, participating in the study in the U.S., Spain, Italy, Hungary and Israel. The trial is researching the safety and efficacy of StemEx as a therapeutic treatment for patients with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

SecureWorks, Inc. Streamlines the PCI AOC and FFIEC ITO Self-Assessment Questionnaire Processes with Predefined Assessment Programs and Affiliate Compliance Summary Reports

ATLANTA and LONDON -

SecureWorks(R), a leading, global provider of security services, is streamlining the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Attestation of Compliance (AOC) and FFIEC Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) Self-Assessment Questionnaire processes with Predefined Assessment Programs. These programs are preconfigured with assessment questions based on the PCI and FFIEC guidelines. An organisation’s affiliates (vendors, partners, internal departments, and service providers) are then rated in accordance with their compliance with these regulations.

New Nominee for WHO Regional Director for Europe

COPENHAGEN - Zsuzsanna Jakab has been nominated as the new WHO Regional Director for Europe by the WHO European Region’s governing body in Copenhagen. Mrs Jakab, the first representative of Hungary to lead a WHO region, is currently Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. She was one of five candidates for the post.

Guided Delivery Systems, Inc. Successfully Treats First Patient with Mitral Regurgitation

SANTA CLARA, California -

Guided Delivery Systems, Inc. (”GDS”) announced the first successful percutaneous implantation of the GDS Accucinch(R) System for mitral valve repair. The procedure was performed by Prof. Dr. med. Joachim Schofer of Medizinisches Versorgungszentrum, Hamburg University Cardiovascular Center in Hamburg, Germany. The GDS Accucinch System significantly reduced the patient’s mitral regurgitation without requiring open heart surgery.

Amgen to Present Pivotal Data From Four Phase 3 Studies at the ECCO 15 - ESMO 34 Congress

THOUSAND OAKS, California -

- Key Denosumab and Vectibix(R) (Panitumumab) Data to be Presented

STALLERGENES: Immunotherapy Tablet Containing Recombinant Allergen (rBet v 1) of Birch Pollen: Positive Results for a Phase IIb/III Trial

ANTONY, France - Stallergenes S.A. has announced the first results of a new phase IIb/III clinical trial (VO59.08) conducted in allergic rhinitis caused by birch pollen and concerning the development of a sublingual immunotherapy tablet containing the recombinant allergen of this pollen, rBet v 1.

Dornier Announces Premium Urological Workstation with Integrated Lithotripsy

MUNICH -

Dornier is pleased to announce the addition of the Gemini to its product portfolio. The Gemini is a premium urological workstation with integrated lithotripsy, providing the best in class urological functionality.

McGraw-Hill Medical Wins 2009 BMA Medical Book of the Year Award

LONDON -

McGraw-Hill Medical won a number of honours and awards at the British Medical Association’s Medical Book Competition awards ceremony, including two category first prize awards and the contest’s top prize, Medical Book of the Year. The coveted award went to the ground-breaking Robotic Surgery: Theory and Operative Technique by Drs Farid Gharagozloo and Farzad Najam.

Cellzome Technology Used to Unravel Novel Regulatory Mechanism in Cancer Signaling Pathway

HEIDELBERG, Germany -

- Integrated Chemical Genetics and Proteomics Approach Identifies new Potential Drug Targets in Wnt Pathway

Forest Laboratories UK Ltd Submits Marketing Authorisation Application for the First Dry Powder Inhalation Antibiotic for Cystic Fibrosis Patients

LONDON - Forest Laboratories UK Ltd, (a wholly owned subsidiary of Forest Laboratories Inc) announced that following the successful completion of its pan-European multi-centre phase III study (the Freedom Study), it has applied to the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) to licence its new formulation dry powder colistimethate sodium for inhalation (Colobreathe(R)) for use by Cystic Fibrosis patients. The new formulation which was wholly developed by Forest Laboratories UK has previously been granted orphan drug status by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) and when approved Colobreathe(R) will be made available throughout the EU in conjunction with its chosen partner Grünenthal GmbH.

Medical Imaging Equipment Finds Significant Uptake in Ghana, Finds Frost & Sullivan

CAPE TOWN, South Africa -

Ghana’s healthcare industry is experiencing growth across a range of sectors. However, the drive towards improved diagnostic capability has led to high demand for medical imaging devices.

Pieris AG Enters into Anticalin Collaboration With Allergan, Inc.

FREISING-WEIHENSTEPHAN, Germany - Pieris AG today announced that they have entered into a collaboration agreement with Allergan, Inc. (NYSE: AGN) that combines Pieris’ proprietary Anticalin technology with Allergan’s expertise in drug delivery and ophthalmic drug development with a goal of developing agents for the treatment of serious ocular disorders.

Frost & Sullivan: First Responders’ Communication Interoperability - A Vital Need for Life-Saving Services

LONDON -

- Frost & Sullivan to Host Analyst Briefing on the C3I market on Tuesday, 22 September, 2009 at 14:00 BST

22nd ECNP Congress 2009: The Role of Genetic Factors in Adult ADHD

ISTANBUL - At the 22nd ECNP Congress, Dr. Barbara Franke, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands, presented today the latest findings in the identification of ADHD risk genes. “Converging evidence suggests that ADHD aetiology has a robust genetic component”, said Franke. Heritability of adult ADHD appears even higher than that in children: whereas a sibling of a child with ADHD has a 3-4-fold increased risk compared to control children, this risk-increase is 17-fold for a sibling of an adult ADHD patient. Major breakthroughs are expected from the International Multicenter persistent ADHD CollaboraTion (IMpACT), which is investigating the largest clinical ADHD sample worldwide.

Early Administration of Aggrenox(R) is Effective and Safe After Acute Ischaemic Stroke or TIA

INGELHEIM, Germany -

- For Healthcare Media Outside the U.S.A., Canada, and Japan

Early secondary prevention with Aggrenox(R) (extended-release dipyridamole [200 mg] plus ASA* [25mg]) is at least as effective and safe as initial treatment with ASA 100 mg alone after an ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA). Results from the EARLY[1] study, presented for the first time at the 13th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies in Florence on 15 September 2009, showed that while functional outcome at 3 months was similar between the two treatment groups there were numerically fewer recurrent ischaemic events in patients who received Aggrenox(R) from the first day after their ischaemic event compared to those patients who received ASA as initial therapy.

Helsinn Partners With Eisai for Gelclair in Italy

LUGANO, Switzerland - The Swiss pharmaceutical group Helsinn and Eisai Italy, subsidiary of the Japanese pharmaceutical company, have signed a licensing agreement for the commercialization of the medical device Gelclair in Italy.

Wyeth Presents Data from Five-Year Vertebral Fracture Prevention Study with Bazedoxifene

COLLEGEVILLE, Pennsylvania -

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE), announces findings from a placebo-controlled Phase 3 study of bazedoxifene 20 mg extended to five years, which indicated a significant reduction versus placebo in new vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. These and other data were presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) Annual Meeting in Denver, Colo. Bazedoxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), is under clinical investigation for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

All Roads Lead to Frost & Sullivan Excellence in Healthcare Awards Banquet

LONDON -

Frost & Sullivan will host its prestigious ‘Excellence in Healthcare Awards Banquet’ on Thursday, October 8, 2009, at the Guoman Charing Cross, London.