Professor Malcolm Grant (pictured), an authority on genetic technology, has been named by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley as his choice of Chair for the new NHS Commissioning Board.

The national board, which has been called the biggest quango in British history, will commission primary medical care and specialist health areas, as well as controlling the allocation of NHS resources.

Professor Grant, currently Provost of University College London, will be interviewed by the Health Select Committee before his appointment but is expected to take up the post at the end of October.

A qualified barrister and lawyer, Professor Grant has worked in the Local Government Commission and been a UK Business Ambassador. He is a recognised authority on the regulation of biotechnology.

Malcolm Grant commented: “We need to build on the very best NHS qualities of dedicated public service, professionalism and pride, and seize the opportunity to create long-term stability and focus on getting constant improvement in quality and openness to innovation.”

Grant’s commitment to new healthcare technology is reflected in his recent statement: “We know that there will be a revolution in the next few years as we try to ensure that improvements in diagnostics and pharmacogenetics and self-care and self-treatment are brought home to patients, giving them the capacity to control their own medication and their own choices.”

The NHS Commissioning Board will provide strategic leadership for NHS commissioning. It will directly commission primary medical care and some specialised healthcare; support and regulate the Clinical Commissioning Groups; allocate NHS resources; and promote patient choice and information.

Andrew Lansley said: “Professor Grant has distinction and authority, is outstandingly capable and has excellent leadership skills, demonstrated by his success at UCL. He has a strong track record of delivery in complex public sector organisations, and shares the public sector ethos and values of the NHS.”

The FDA has approved LeGoo from Pluromed, a gel that allows surgeons to temporarily stop blood flow during surgery involving blood vessels.

The temperature-sensitive gel forms a plug when injected in the bloodstream, stopping blood flow during surgery for up to 15 minutes, allowing surgeons to join blood vessels without clamps or elastic loops.

In cases where the plug needs to dissolve sooner, the surgeon can dissolve the gel plug by applying a cold pack or cold saline to the blood vessel.

The gel has been shown by clinical trials to avoid blood vessel damage and prevent blood flooding in the surgical area.

“LeGoo is an innovative device that offers surgeons an additional aid during vascular surgery,” said Christy Foreman, Director of the Office of Device Evaluation in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “The gel’s unique properties may facilitate surgeries that entail the joining or grafting blood vessels.”

The FDA based the approval on studies showing that LeGoo is both biocompatible and non-toxic. Clinical trials involving 110 patients undergoing bypass surgery without stopping the heart proved that LeGoo was as safe and effective as vessel loops, commonly used to stop blood flow during coronary bypass surgery.

Based in Massachussetts, USA, Pluromed specialises in injectable plugs to control bleeding during surgery, based on its proprietary polymer technology.

The FDA has approved MediPurpose’s new range of foam wound care products, MediPlus, containing antibacterial silver.

The products are indicated for use on chronic and traumatic wounds, including ulcers (arterial, diabetic and venous), pressure soles, donor sites, surgical incisions/excisions, and first and second degree burns.

The dressings use antibacterial silver control to provide an effective barrier to bacterial penetration.

Michael Riddle, Vice President of Wound Care at MediPurpose, said: “Our ability to provide cost effective wound care solutions is an integral part of MediPurpose’s value proposition. We can now supply a range of antibacterial dressings at prices that will allow healthcare professionals to offer these beneficial products to a larger population of patients.”

The company also launched its new Foam Ag, Comfort Foam Ag and Super Foam Ag dressings, part of the MediPlus range.

The products are expected to be available in the fourth quarter in the US.

The FDA has approved Calgary Scientific’s medical imaging device, ResolutionMD Mobile, as a mobile diagnostic app for use in the US.

The new technology gives physicians remote access to patient images and reports stored within any healthcare facility, enabling clinical diagnosis of the patient from any location.

Dr James A. Brink, Professor and Chair of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at Yale University School of Medicine, said: “The ability to view diagnostic quality images on mobile devices promises to speed healthcare delivery, particularly for urgent conditions or after hours.”

The mobile app promises complete security and advanced capabilities through minimal bandwidth, even on 3/4G wireless. The technology also ensures that patient image data cannot be lost or stolen, and no highly sensitive or confidential patient data is ever retained on the device.

Dr Byron Osing, CEO and Chair of Calgary Scientific, said: “Lost or stolen patient data is a critical issue in the medical IT sector, with regular announcements of significant HIPAA compliance fines being levied and legal settlements in the tens of millions of dollars.”

“The FDA clearance of the ResolutionMD solution is a key strategic step forward for the Medical IT sector in enabling a high performance and secure ‘mHealth’ paradigm, as well as ensuring that vast regions of the world that are currently dependent upon wireless connectivity can now leapfrog directly into the realm of advanced medical solutions," added Dr Osing. 

Non-diagnostic versions of the app are already licensed under OEM agreements with global leaders in medical imaging and information technology.

The software has also been approved by Health Canada, has acquired the CE Mark for distribution in the EU, and is available on Apple iPhone and iPad devices. 

Calgary Scientific is a provider of accessible, advanced visualisation solutions in medical imaging and web, mobility and collaboration enablement technologies, used to help industries achieve secure access with their existing technology.

The first antibiotic inhaler device has been launched in the UK to treat chronic lung infections in adults and older children with cystic fibrosis (CF).

The TOBI Podhaler (pictured) from Novartis is a hand-held inhaler that delivers a new dry powder form of tobramycin to fight chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) lung infections, a common cause of death in people with CF.

The new device is estimated to save almost half an hour treatment time per day in people with CF over the age of 6, increasing their independence and quality of life.

CF affects 9,000 people in the UK. A life-threatening condition, it makes the lungs vulnerable to chronic infections.

Clinical studies have shown that treatment with tobramycin inhalation powder reduces treatment time by 72% compared with the nebulised drug.

Professor Stuart Elborn, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Queen’s University, Belfast, commented: “People with CF have to endure a lengthy regimen of treatments and physiotherapy every day, so the time saved using tobramycin inhalation powder is significant.”

The new tobramycin inhalation powder has been produced using Novartis’ patented PulmoSphere technology. In trials, it was successfully inhaled in 5–6 minutes, whereas the nebuliser solution takes 20 minutes. For a twice-daily regimen, this saves approximately 28 minutes per day.

The dry powder inhaler is also less vulnerable to bacterial growth than the nebuliser, and needs no battery.

“We are proud to be launching TOBI Podhaler: a product that clearly demonstrates how we are applying innovative technology to better meet the needs of people with CF, helping them to lead independent and active lives,” said Dr Tim Cave, Medical Director of Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK.

Based in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis supplies a diversified portfolio of healthcare products including pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and drug delivery devices.