Medtronic has launched its T2 Altitude expandable corpectomy device for spinal stabilisation and correction worldwide.

The expandable vertebral body replacement cage features a self-locking mechanism that removes the need for placing a set screw during surgery, using bone graft to create contact to encourage fusion with the device.

Doug King, Senior Vice President and President of Medtronic Spinal, said that the new product demonstrates the company’s “long-term commitment to therapies for complex spine disorders for spinal tumour, trauma and deformity patients”.

Cancer patients can also benefit from the product. If the cancer has spread to the spine, the surgeon may replace the affected vertebrae with the T2 Altitude device.

More than 150,000 spinal fractures occur in North America every year, of which approximately 11,000 are spinal cord injuries.

Based in Memphis, Medtronic Spinal provides advanced treatment through the collaboration with surgeons and researchers to offer affordable, minimally-invasive products and medical technologies for neurological, orthopaedic and spinal conditions.

Global revenues from small-molecule targeted cancer therapies are expected to reach $27.3bn in 2015, a new report predicts.

visiongain’s Small-Molecule Targeted Cancer Therapies: World Market 2011-2021 found that the overall market generated $20.3bn last year but is set to grow as more patients are diagnosed with cancer.

Dr Syed Ahmed, a senior healthcare industry analyst, visiongain, says there is still “an under-met need for therapeutic agents” and the therapies “remain a crucial part of the pharmaceutical market from 2011 to 2021.”

The report found that there were more than 13 million patients worldwide diagnosed with cancer in 2009. But there may be as many as 20 million new cases by 2025, it says.

Targeted cancer therapies block the growth and spread of tumours by interfering with with molecules involved in tumour growth and progression. Most of these are either small-molecule drugs or monoclonal antibodies.

The market is currently dominated by Novartis’ Glivec/Gleevec (pictured), the report says, but ‘blockbuster’ brands are set to lose their patent protection in the next ten years paving the way for generic competition.

“A strong R&D pipeline for small-molecule cancer therapies makes this industry segment dynamic and promising for pharmaceutical companies," said a report analyst.

Sanofi has appointed David Meeker as CEO of Genzyme to incorporate its Rare Disease and Multiple Sclerosis franchises.

He will join the company’s Group Management Committee, reporting to Sanofi’s CEO, Christopher Viehbacher.

He said that David’s “medical and business experience will be essential to move Genzyme’s broad portfolio of products forward and deliver much-needed therapies to patients”.

Mr Meeker joined Genzyme in 1994 as medical director to work on the company’s Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy programme. He has since held various positions at the company, including President of Global Rare Disease Business, and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2009.

Sanofi is a global healthcare provider, which develops and distributes therapeutic solutions in diabetes care, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health.

The ruling by a European court banning patents on inventions derived from stem cell research has been described as ‘devastating’ for biotech researchers and life science companies that depend on their findings.

The Court of Justice of the EU has ruled that inventions requiring the use of human embryos (at whatever stage of development) as base material are excluded from patentability, even if the patent does not itself refer to such use.

The ruling could see an end to UK investment in stem cell research and life science companies that rely on it, including medtech companies developing diagnostics and therapies relating to this area of biotechnology.

The regenerative properties of stem cells from human embryos is a key discovery of the biotech sector, and the new ruling excludes Europe from what has been hailed as the medical breakthrough of the new century.

Researchers have predicted that stem cell research could deliver effective therapies for degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

“This is a devastating decision that will stop stem cell therapies’ use in medicine,” said Pete Coffey, a researcher at UCL. “The potential to treat disabling and life-threatening diseases using stem cells will not be realised in Europe.”

Patent attorney Dr. Richard Gibbs, Associate at Marks & Clerk, noted: “This decision may do serious damage to stem cell research and technology in Europe. Those with existing patents will be uncertain of their enforceability; those intending to apply may need to reconsider their options.

“The potential for successful commercialisation is the major pre-requisite for attracting much-needed funding and investment in the arena of stem cell technology, and this decision significantly impacts that potential.”

Religious campaigners against stem cell research have praised the ruling as a victory for their view that individual life begins at conception.

In the US, the current administration has overturned the previous ban on stem cell research – but if a future government restores the ban, a medical breakthrough at the heart of a new life science industry sector could be lost to the Western world.

Seven medical devices, diagnostics and healthcare IT have been named in Cleveland Clinic’s Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2012.

The list of medical devices and therapies was chosen by a panel of physicians and scientists at Cleveland Clinic, named one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by the US News & World Report survey.

The annual list recognises new techniques, therapies and approaches to treat medical conditions.

The selection criteria for qualifying in the Top 10 Medical Innovations required nominations to:

• Have significant potential for short-term clinical impact (either a major improvement in patient benefit or an improved function that enhances healthcare delivery)
• Have a high probability of success
• Be on the market or close to being introduced
• Have sufficient data available to support its nomination.

The Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2012 are:

10. Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Reduce Disease Threat

9. Novel Diabetes Therapy: SGLT2 Inhibitors

8. Harnessing Big Data to Improve Health Care – Health care data requires advanced technologies to efficiently process it. Analytics can be applied to better hospital operations and tracking outcomes for clinical and surgical procedures.

7. Active Bionic Prosthesis: Wearable Robotic Devices

6. Implantable Device to Treat Complex Brain Aneurysms

5. Increasing Discovery with Next-Generation Gene Sequencing

4. Medical Apps for Mobile Devices

3. Concussion Management System for Athletes – Patient management tools can instantly detect brain injuries at the moment of contact.

2. CT Scans for Early Detection of Lung Cancer

1. Catheter-Based Renal Denervation to Control Resistant Hypertension

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical centre that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education.