November 28th:
Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Global Restructuring;
Elimination of 7,000 Jobs; To Close or Sell 5 Plants
Merck & Co. reported that it will cut about 7,000 jobs, or 11
percent of its work force, and will close or sell five of its 31
manufacturing plants by the end of 2008 in the first phase of a
reorganization strategy meant to save up to $4 billion by the end of
the decade. The restructuring announcement comes as Merck faces the
loss of patent protection for its blockbuster cholesterol drug Zocor
next June, plus billions in potential liability from its recalled
painkiller Vioxx. Zocor sales are expected to plummet in 2006
because of competition from generic drug makers. Whitehouse Station,
N.J.-based Merck also said it will revamp its supply chain and
outsource some manufacturing as part of the reorganization. Merck
said the cuts are intended to reduce the company's cost structure,
increase efficiency and enhance competitiveness
November 29th:
HealthTronics Displays Latest Imaging Technology
HealthTronics, Inc. unveiled the MultiVantage, its newest x-ray
imaging device for multipurpose surgical suites, at the Radiological
Society of North America's (RSNA) 91st Annual Meeting.
The MultiVantage is designed for intra-operative and specialized
imaging in operating rooms, surgery centers and diagnostic imaging
departments. With an isocentric C-arm for imaging and a unique
pivoting table that positions the patient out of the imaging field
for unencumbered four-sided accessibility, the MultiVantage is an
optimal device for the growing demands of hospitals and surgery
centers. The device is used for a wide array of procedures
including: general, orthopedic, gastrointestinal, vascular and
urologic surgery, pacemaker placement, as well as both diagnostic
and vascular imaging.
Carotid Artery Stenting Improves Thought Process
Stenting of the carotid artery significantly improves cognitive
speed and may improve memory function in some patients, according to
research presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological
Society of North America (RSNA).
Every year, approximately 600,000 Americans experience a stroke,
one-quarter of which are caused by carotid arterial occlusive
disease, or a narrowing of the carotid arteries. Until recently,
surgery was the treatment for this disease, but carotid artery
stenting has emerged as an accepted minimally invasive alternative.
While stenting is known to be an effective treatment for stroke
prevention, little is known on the treatment's effects on cognitive
function.
The results of stenting procedure done on 26 patients showed that
cognitive speed increased significantly after stenting, regardless
of the patient's age or the severity of the stenosis. In addition,
the researchers found a correlation between the degree of vessel
stenosis and perfusion deficit, or decreased blood flow, in the
brain area on the side of the stenosis. Increasing the blood flow by
stenting resulted in an increase in memory function in patients with
perfusion deficit.
November 30th:
Medtronic Issues Physician Advisory Regarding Limited Subset
of Pacemakers
Medtronic, Inc. announced it is advising physicians that it found
that a potential separation of interconnect wires from the hybrid
circuit may affect a small subset of Sigma(R) series pacemakers.
Although there have been no reported injuries or deaths and the
overall incidence rate is low, Medtronic is advising the medical
community and regulatory agencies. The defect may present clinically
as loss of rate response, premature battery depletion, loss of
telemetry or no pacing output.
Medtronic has observed an interconnect wire separation in 19
devices, an incidence of approximately 0.05 percent, in the affected
subset of Sigma pacemakers. Approximately 28,000 Sigma pacemakers
are subject to the advisory worldwide, of which approximately 6,650
are in the United States.
December 1st:
Wyeth Wins $32 Million U.S. Contract For HIV Research
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the pharmaceutical division of Wyeth, has
been awarded a five-year, $32 million contract from the Division of
AIDS of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),
part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the development
of therapeutic HIV vaccines in conjunction with researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and Beth
Israel/Deaconess Hospital in New York City. Through the HIV Vaccine
Design and Development Teams (HVDDT) program, Wyeth will develop and
clinically evaluate novel adjuvant-enhanced plasmid DNA (pDNA) and
peptide based vaccines for use in a prime-boost therapeutic regimen
to help treat HIV infection.
Swallowing Pill-Sized Video Camera Gives Gastroenterologists A
New Tool for Diagnosing and Evaluating Esophagus Diseases
Patients can now swallow pill-sized, disposable cameras to help
gastroenterologists diagnose and evaluate diseases of the esophagus,
or swallowing tube. This diagnostic tool is a further modification
of capsule endoscopy, which has been used clinically since late 2001
to examine the small intestines.
FDA cleared the first version of the esophageal device (PillCam(TM)
ESO, manufactured by Given Imaging, Israel and marketed by InScope,
a division of Ethicon Endo-Surgery, a Johnson & Johnson company,
Cincinnati) on November 29, 2004.
This esophageal capsule endoscope is a smooth plastic capsule
about the size of a large vitamin pill that has tiny video cameras
at each end. The pill glides down the esophagus taking about 2,600
color pictures, which are transmitted to a recording device worn by
the patient. After 20 minutes, the doctor has video images to make a
careful evaluation and even make a diagnosis. The disposable capsule
is passed naturally, usually within 24 hours.
The esophageal capsule is used to screen patients with suspected
esophageal diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
and Barrett's esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition.
Traditional endoscopy uses a long, thin flexible tube, called an
endoscope, to go through the sedated patient's mouth and down the
throat into the esophagus. The endoscope has a tiny camera with a
light, so the physician can view close-up images of the esophagus
lining. It is expected that capsule endoscopy will be used together
with traditional endoscopy in the case management of esophageal
diseases.
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