Medical imaging specialist Sectra has launched an electronic visualisation table that enables clinicians to work together, combining diagnostic imaging with virtual surgery to improve decision-making efficiency in acute care.

The Sectra Visualisation Table, launched at RSNA 2010 in Chicago, is a 46-inch multi-touch display.

With this technology, multiple users can interact collaboratively with full-size 3D images generated by CT and MRI scanners. They can visualise different kinds of tissues and cut through sections with a virtual knife.

This unique solution allows clinicians to set the care strategy efficiently in multi-trauma cases. It also serves as a platform for virtual autopsies, medical education and clinical conferences.

The table is powered by a Sectra PACS workstation that allows immediate display of high-resolution full-body scans.

Sectra Visualisation Table has been developed in collaboration with a number of research partners: the University of Linköping, Sweden; the Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV); Norrköping Visualization Center C; and the Interactive Institute.

"This is an example of how our close co-operation with research centres allows us to apply the latest technology available in solutions that facilitate daily work for our customers," said Torbjörn Kronander, President of Sectra Imtec AB.

"We have a strong focus on customer value, and the technology should not be there just because it is possible: it should help to increase efficiency and quality in patient care at every step."

Based in Sweden, Sectra develops systems in the growing niche segments of medical imaging and healthcare IT. Sectra's systems are used in most European countries, and in more than 1,100 hospitals worldwide.

 
Sectra Visualisation Table

UK private cosmetic surgery provider The Hospital Group has launched a series of new TV adverts to promote its weight loss procedures.

The 30-second advert, broadcast on daytime Channel 5 from the 15^th November, will reach over 3.5 million viewers.

The advert focuses on the health benefits of bariatric surgery - which has been shown to be effective in combating health problems linked to obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease.

It features real case studies: patients Noelle Hambelton and Zoe Cummings have both undergone bariatric surgery with The Hospital Group, leading to successful weight loss.

A video of the advert can be viewed on The Hospital Group's website and its YouTube channel.

David Ross, Chief Executive of The Hospital Group, said: "We are really excited about our series of adverts, which will help make people aware of the brilliant results bariatric surgery can have on their life.

"At The Hospital Group our consultants ensure that, as well as having an absolute need for a gastric procedure, the patient understands that weight loss surgery isn't a miracle cure and they would need to work with the band to achieve the healthier lifestyle they desire."

By Di Spencer, Pf Web Editor

This week, NICE decided the fate of various cancer drugs amid continued concerns over the impact of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Pierre Fabre’s Javlor for bladder cancer, Novartis’ Afinitor for renal cell carcinoma and Glivec for GIST were all rejected on the grounds that the benefits they offered did not match up to their high prices.

NICE also reiterated its negative decision on Roche’s Tarceva for non-small cell lung cancer. However, its manufacturer may be hoping to secure a future recommendation in a small patient population, following its recent purchase of a diagnostic tool for the detection of EGFR mutations – which are particularly sensitive to Tarceva treatment.

In contrast, Roche’s Herceptin was recommended for the treatment of gastric cancer, so staff at Roche HQ may still get a Christmas party this year.

Following Cancer Research UK’s concerns about the Cancer Drugs Fund last week, regional NHS managers have, this week, expressed worries that the fund may not stretch as far as patients might hope – still leaving local consortia to make tough life or death decisions.

So it is unsurprising that one of the issues on the agenda for the European Parliament this week was the failing current payment scheme for drugs – proving unsustainable as governments cut costs. MEPs also voted against pharma companies being able to provide any promotional information to the public.

Some optimistic reports into possible bestsellers proved that innovation is not dead, however, providing the industry with something to give thanks for. Merck’s highly anticipated drug anacetrapib posted impressive cardiovascular results in Phase III trials, sparking hopes of a future blockbuster, while researchers at the University of Dundee produced evidence that diabetes treatment metformin could be highly successful in Alzheimer’s disease.

Contact the author: diana.spencer@healthpublishing.co.uk

A new technology platform helps clinicians to perform CT scans faster and more efficiently while reducing the radiation dose.

The FAST CARE applications from Siemens Healthcare simplify workflows during scanning and image reconstruction. The system automates operating procedures, suggests parameter settings for image quality and dose level and standardises processes, reducing the doses and examination times.

CT scanners in the Somatom Definition product family that are already on the market can be upgraded to the FAST CARE platform, which will be available on Somatom Definition AS scanners in March 2011 and on Somatom Definition Flash scanners in May 2011.

The system's name comes from the two needs in CT delivery that it addresses: Fully Assisting Scanner Technologies (FAST) support process optimisation and Combined Applications to Reduce Exposure (CARE) assistance with dose reduction.

The FAST applications simplify and automate CT procedures by supporting doctors and radiologists throughout the process. The anatomy of the patient is automatically taken into account. The applications include FAST Cardio Wizard for cardiac examinations and FAST Spine for spine reconstructions. The support can save significant amounts of time, particularly with emergency patients, and increase the safety of interventions.

The new CARE applications for dose reduction include CARE Profile, which automatically displays the dose distribution for the planned examination; and CARE Dashboard, which displays the activated dose reduction functions so the operator can further optimise the scan processes.

An important innovation within this platform is CARE kV, which suggests the correct tube voltage depending on the patient's anatomy and automatically adjusts other parameters to suit the selected voltage. This improves image contrast, allowing dose reduction by up to 60%. As a result, paediatric CT examinations - normally requiring 80 to 140kV - can be performed with CARE using only 70kV.

"The key innovation of our new FAST CARE platform is that for the first time, dose-reducing and process-optimising functions are operating in tandem," said Dr. Sami Atiya, CEO, Computed Tomography at Siemens Healthcare. "This reflects our aspiration to help our customers to increase their productivity in the clinical environment while ensuring optimal patient care."

Otto Bock Healthcare, a specialist in solutions for people with limited mobility, is launching two new orthotic products to treat drop foot in stroke patients.

At the UK Stroke Forum in Glasgow from 30 November to 2 dcember, Otto Bock will showcase the new Walk on Flex and Walk on Trimable alongside its complete range of stroke products.

Approximately 300,000 people in England are living with moderate to severe disabilities as a result of stroke, which is the single most common cause of severe adult disability.

Foot drop, the inability to raise the foot due to a weakness or paralysis of the dorsiflexor muscles, is a frequent consequence of stroke. Walk on Flex and Walk on Trimable are ankle-foot orthoses that encourage outward rotation of the foot to assist more normal walking. Walk on Flex is suitable for mild to moderate foot drop, while Walk on Trimable offers greater stability in cases of severe foot drop.

Otto Bock's dedicated stroke portfolio promotes rehabilitation and independence by repositioning the joints to provide stability and correction. This leads to more normalised movement patterns and reduces the risk of falls.

"Two thirds of stroke patients still have difficulty crossing the street and suffer from limited walking endurance three months after a stroke, which places great demands on care and rehabilitation," said Philip Yates, Managing Director of Otto Bock Healthcare.

"Otto Bock is committed to working alongside the National Stroke Strategy and supporting NICE Stroke Quality Standards to offer specialist solutions, which provide security, stability and mobility to patients, enabling them to regain their independence."

Otto Bock Healthcare is a leading global supplier of assistive technologies for mobility and independence, including prosthetic and orthotic products.

Walk on Flex and Walk on Trimable

NICE has failed to recommend Novartis’ Afinitor (everolimus) for the second-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Draft guidance concluded that Afinitor does not provide enough benefits to justify its high cost, despite Novartis submitting an amended Patient Access Scheme (PAS).

Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive, said there is ‘too much uncertainty’ around the drug’s cost effectiveness.

A PAS which offered a 5% discount was initially agreed between Novartis and the DH, but a further offer was then devised – and agreed again – following the publication of the first Final Appraisal Determination (FAD).

As a result, the consultation on the original FAD was suspended and a new appraisal began.

“NICE asked the independent Appraisal Committee to consider the newly amended patient access scheme and a further cost effectiveness analysis that NICE asked the manufacturer to provide,” said Sir Andrew. “However, the committee felt that there was still too much uncertainty around how cost effective everolimus is to enable the committee to recommend the drug.”

Evidence suggests that Afinitor increased survival by more than three months compared with best supportive care. Sir Andrew Dillon understood that patients may be unhappy about the decision, but NICE could not provide a recommendation at this difficult financial time.

“We know that patients with renal cancer want to try all the treatment options and are disappointed not to be able to recommend everolimus as a second line treatment option,” he added.

“However, we have to ensure that the money available to the NHS, for treating cancer and other conditions is used to best effect, particularly when NHS funds, like the rest of the public sector, is under considerable financial pressure.”

The number of people diagnosed with advanced RCC each year is less than 4000. But those eligible for Afinitor, who have received first-line treatment (Sutent) sunitinib and are still fit enough to receive a second-line treatment, would be lower.

Pharma’s current innovation model which links R&D costs with drug prices needs to change in light of the current economic problems, the European Parliament has been told at a hearing.

The recent pharmaceutical price cuts and tightening of health care budgets across Europe is proof that governments can no longer afford the existing pricing methods, Members of the European Parliament (MEP) heard.

Eva Joly MEP, French Green party, said the current model “not only fails to promote innovations but has also become far too expensive for both developed and developing countries”.

Both Germany and Spain have recently announced their intention to pay less for pharmaceutical products.

MEPs were reminded back in May the EU Council Conclusions on Global Health called for further exploration of innovation models, which removes the cost of R&D from the price of medicines. Also, a resolution was adopted at the World Health Assembly (WHA) that called for the development of new models of biomedical innovation.

Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, Directorate-General for Research, European Commission, said that new models are necessary to introduce an “innovation ecosystem” which would lead to “open innovation”.

A number of initiatives to combat financial issues are already in progress including the UNITAID Medicines Patent Pool Initiative, which aims to cut the costs of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis drugs through persuading patent holders to share their intellectual property so that generic versions can be manufactured in poorer countries.

During the hearing, Paul Rubig MEP, Austrian European People’s Party, called for price limits across Europe to be monitored by an EU body, instead of the current regulations. He said that regional regulatory authority would give politicians “a chance to understand better what national governments and national systems are doing and what are the positive effects of different models”.

He highlighted the findings of a study by the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) which shows that lowering drug prices severely reduces the number of new medicines making it to market. The study also showed how wrongly applied regulations can also reduce the value of pharma projects and curtail future resources.

GSK has agreed a deal with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories for its US penicillin manufacturing site and product portfolio.

The US rights for the Augmentin and Amoxil brands will be transferred by GSK under the terms of the agreement.

Jean-Paul Reynaud, Senior Vice President, Antibiotics and Emerging Markets Supply, said the site has had “a long and successful history with GSK” but the sale will enable them “to focus resources on our newer portfolio of differentiated products”.

GSK will retain the existing rights for the two brands outside the US.

Dr. Reddy’s said the acquisition would allow the company to enter the US penicillin-containing antibacterial market.

“This acquisition is in line with our strategy to significantly scale up our generics business in North America while providing an opportunity to explore additional synergy with our other businesses,” said Abhijit Mukherjee, President and Head Global Generics Business, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories.

Established in 1984, Dr. Reddy’s is a global pharmaceutical company.

The EMA and the European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCePP) have launched the E-Register of Studies.

The register will increase the availability of information on the utilisation, safety and effectiveness of medicines used in clinical practice.

The database is a publicly accessible resource for the consultation of pharmaco-epidemiological and pharmacovigilance studies conducted by academic centres and other research organisations.

The ENCePP, which is led by the EMA, is intended to enhance the way medicines are monitored once they have been approved by facilitating the conduct of high quality, multi-centre, independent, post-authorisation studies.

The neutral register with include both positive and negative study results. It will promote the exchange of information and hopes to increase collaboration within the scientific community and prevent organisations duplicating research.

The launch of the database is the latest milestone achieved by ENCePP. Recently it adopted the ENCePP Code of Conduct, and also launched the public consultation of the Guide on Methodological Standards for pharmacoepidemiological studies and an inventory of resources.

The register can be found here.

The EMA and the European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCePP) have launched the E-Register of Studies.

The register will increase the availability of information on the utilisation, safety and effectiveness of medicines used in clinical practice.

The database is a publicly accessible resource for the consultation of pharmaco-epidemiological and pharmacovigilance studies conducted by academic centres and other research organisations.

The ENCePP, which is led by the EMA, is intended to enhance the way medicines are monitored once they have been approved by facilitating the conduct of high quality, multi-centre, independent, post-authorisation studies.

The neutral register with include both positive and negative study results. It will promote the exchange of information and hopes to increase collaboration within the scientific community and prevent organisations duplicating research.

The launch of the database is the latest milestone achieved by ENCePP. Recently it adopted the ENCePP Code of Conduct, and also launched the public consultation of the Guide on Methodological Standards for pharmacoepidemiological studies and an inventory of resources.

The register can be found here.