Health News and Scoops

LEWISVILLE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Orthofix International (NASDAQ:OFIX) announces that its sports medicine
division, Breg, has ranked #14 of all businesses in Mexico in the Great
Place to Work® Institute’s survey for 2011. The Breg Mexico facility,
located in Mexicali, received top honors for its positive culture and
work environment.

“We could not be more proud of our Mexico operations”

“We could not be more proud of our Mexico operations,” said Brad Lee,
Breg CEO. “Our team in Mexicali is dedicated to building a great place
to work. They continue to set the bar higher every year, moving from #71
in 2009, to #27 in 2010 and now #14 this year. One of the core beliefs
in the Orthofix and Breg “Culture of Accountability” is Value People.
Our Mexicali employees have taken this to heart and live it every day.
This award reflects their commitment.”

Companies that appear on the Great Place to Work list are evaluated and
selected based on employee responses to the Institute’s Trust Index®
proprietary survey and Culture Audit® questionnaire. Established in
1991, The Great Place to Work Institute provides Trust Assessments and
produces “Best Companies to Work For” lists in over 40 countries,
surveying over 1.5 million employees annually.

For more information about Breg Sports Medicine, visit www.breg.com.

About Orthofix

Orthofix International, N.V. is a global medical device company offering
a broad line of minimally invasive surgical and non-surgical products
for the spine, orthopedic, and sports medicine market sectors, that
address the lifelong bone-and-joint health needs of patients of all ages
– helping them achieve a more active and mobile lifestyle. Orthofix’s
products are widely distributed around the world to orthopedic surgeons
and patients via Orthofix’s sales representatives and its subsidiaries,
and via collaborations with other leading orthopedic product companies.
In addition, Orthofix is currently collaborating and investing in RD
activities with leading medical institutions such as the Musculoskeletal
Transplant Foundation, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the University
of California San Francisco and New York University. For more
information about Orthofix, please visit www.orthofix.com.

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DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/400295/germany_ultrasound)
has announced the addition of the “Germany
Ultrasound Systems – Market Trends Till 2016” report to their
offering.

“Germany
Ultrasound Systems – Market Trends Till 2016”

This market report provides vital market data on the ultrasound systems
in Germany. It includes key market subcategories such as stand-alone
systems and portable systems.

The report also provides historic and forecasted market size in terms of
value ($mn), volume (units) at each level of segmentation-, average
selling price ($) for each product type (last level of segmentation)
with growth rate, and market shares (%) of companies at sector and
category level. The market size and average price is forecasted till
2016 and market share of companies provided for 2010.

Scope:

• Market size – Value ($mn), volume (units) for each level of
  segmentation from 2005 to 2010, and forecast till 2016.
• Cross sub-category comparison – Historic (2005 to 2010), and growth
  forecast (2010 to 2016), and market value for 2010.
• Average selling price ($) for each product type (2005 to 2016).
• Market share of companies at category level for 2010.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Table of Contents

2. Introduction

3. Scope of the Report

4. German Market for Ultrasound Systems, 2005-2016

4.1 Ultrasound Systems, Revenue ($ mn) by Sub-Category, 2005-2016

4.1.1 Stand Alone Ultrasound System, Revenue ($ mn) by Segment, 2005-2016

4.1.2 Portable Ultrasound System, Revenue ($ mn) by Segment, 2005-2016

4.2 Ultrasound Systems, Volume (Units) by Sub-Category, 2005-2016

4.2.1 Stand Alone Ultrasound System, Volume (Units) by Segment, 2005-2016

4.2.2 Portable Ultrasound System, Volume (Units) by Segment, 2005-2016

4.3 Ultrasound Systems, Average Price ($), 2005-2016

4.4 Ultrasound Systems, Company Shares (%), 2010

Companies Mentioned:

• ESAOTE S.p.A.
• GE Healthcare
• Hitachi Medical Corporation
• Mindray Medical International Limited
• Philips Medical Systems
• Siemens Medical Solutions
• SonoSite, Inc.
• Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/400295/germany_ultrasound

Source: ABMRG

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DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/606736/germany_hearing_im)
has announced the addition of the “Germany
Hearing Implants – Market Trends Till 2016” report to their offering.

“Germany
Hearing Implants – Market Trends Till 2016”

This market report provides vital market data on the hearing implants in
Germany. It includes key market subcategories such as cochlear implants
and bone anchored hearing aids (BAHA).

The report also provides historic and forecasted market size in terms of
value ($mn), volume (units) at each level of segmentation-, average
selling price ($) for each product type (last level of segmentation)
with growth rate, and market shares (%) of companies at sector and
category level. The market size and average price is forecasted till
2016 and market share of companies provided for 2010.

Scope:

• Market size – Value ($mn), volume (units) for each level of
  segmentation from 2005 to 2010, and forecast till 2016.
• Cross sub-category comparison – Historic (2005 to 2010), and growth
  forecast (2010 to 2016), and market value for 2010.
• Average selling price ($) for each product type (2005 to 2016).
• Market share of companies at category level for 2010.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Table of Contents

2. Introduction

3. Scope of the Report

4. German Market for Hearing Implants, 2005-2016

4.1 Hearing Implants by Sub-Category, Revenue ($ mn), 2005-2016

4.2 Hearing Implants by Sub-Category, Volume (Units), 2005-2016

4.3 Hearing Implants, Average Price ($), 2005-2016

4.4 Hearing Implants, Company Shares (%), 2010

Companies Mentioned:

• Advanced Bionics Corporation
• Cochlear Limited
• Med-EL

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/606736/germany_hearing_im

Source: ABMRG

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Would you believe that rather than the doctors and physicians themselves, it is the patients who believe that the health industry can only get better.

A new national study among 2,547 physicians and consumers revealed that consumers have a more positive outlook on the future of health care reform in the U.S.

The study was conducted by HCD Research and the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO) during April 10-12, to obtain physicians’ and consumers’ perception of U.S. health care reform. Respondents were also asked to provide their perceptions of specific health care-related industries and professions.

The study will be conducted on a monthly basis among physicians and consumers to measure perceptions of the health care reform process in the United States. Each month, an overall metric score will be reported for physicians and consumers to monitor trends and perceptions. The metric is comprised of two questions.

One question measures the perceived progress of health care reform; and the other question determines whether respondents perceive that health care reform is heading in the right direction. The metric is reported on a scale ranging from -100 points to +100 points.

Physicians and consumers were also asked to provide favorability ratings for the following industries/professions related to health care. The ratings are based on a scale ranging from -100 points to +100 points, with -100 representing “not at all favorable” and +100 representing an “extremely favorable” rating.

Source

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO |
Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:48pm EDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) – A U.S. federal appeals court affirmed the right of Myriad Genetics to patent two genes linked to breast cancer, overturning a lower court ruling that threatened a key element of the biotech business.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in a ruling on Friday backed Myriad’s right to patent two “isolated” human genes — BRCA1 and BRCA2 — that account for most inherited forms of breast and ovarian cancers.

Women who test positive using Myriad’s gene test, called BRACAnalysis, have an 82 percent higher risk of breast cancer and a 44 percent higher risk of ovarian cancer in their lifetimes.

Some groups have protested that patenting human DNA is immoral and unethical and impedes genetic research. But attorneys representing biotechnology companies expressed relief, saying the lower court’s decision, if left standing, could have been potentially devastating to the industry.

“It would completely turn the industry upside down,” said James Crowne, a spokesman for the American Intellectual Property Law Association.

The precedent-setting case is likely to be further appealed, either to the full bench of the appeals court or to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation on behalf of the Association for Molecular Pathology and more than 20 other plaintiffs had sought to have Myriad’s gene patents invalidated.

The appeals court said the genes isolated by the company can be patented because Myriad is testing for distinctive chemical forms of the genes, and not as they appear naturally in the body.

One member of the three-judge appellate panel dissented, saying that despite Myriad’s process of isolating a human gene it still could not be patented.

“We’re not overjoyed but we’re breathing a sigh of relief,” said Jim Mullen, a patent expert with the law firm Morrison Foerster. “Myriad is almost certainly going to go to the Supreme Court.”

The appeals court also said that Myriad’s method for screening potential therapies was patentable.

The judges did, however, agree with the district court that Myriad’s method of analyzing DNA sequences did not involve sufficient transformation, and thus could not be patented.

The court’s backing for the patents on the two genes was very important to Myriad’s molecular diagnostic testing, Richard Marsh, the company’s general counsel, told Reuters.

“It’s even more important for the biotech industry because, going forward, personal medicine is very reliant on isolated DNA,” he said.

Bruce Wexler, a patent expert at the law firm Paul Hastings, said the ruling means the appeals court has recognized that DNA takes on a different molecular structure when it is isolated and removed from the body.

“That is a very significant result that is very important to the biotech industry,” Wexler said.

Sandra Park, an attorney for the ACLU, expressed disappointment with the decision and said there was a lot of evidence to suggest that isolating the gene by removing it from the body does not change it fundamentally.

“That ruling will continue to have the effect of preventing our clients, including geneticists, from doing the testing and research they want to do,” Park said. “We’ll certainly be consulting with our clients about next steps both with this court and the Supreme Court.”

The industry is also watching a case (Prometheus Laboratories v. Mayo Collaborative Services) at the Supreme Court over whether certain diagnostic tests can be patented.

Goldman Sachs analyst Isaac Ro said the Myriad ruling lifts a “near-term” threat to investors, but because of the major ramifications for genetic research and the biotech industry, he expects the case to be heard by the Supreme Court before 2012.

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