A Medical Device Daily

Japan Technology Group reported plans to present a showcase of Japanese innovations in the fields of medical and physical sciences, food, cosmetics and web/software in the U.S. this month.

The showcase will be held March 18 at the Science Center in Philadelphia, registration beginning at 8 a.m.

The showcase will feature Japanese research institutions and graduate schools specializing in the biosciences, as well as material and computer sciences, among them Nagoya University, Tokyo University of Science and Kyushu Institute of Technology.

Aside from universities, companies such as Ogawa & Co, BITS Co., Red-Ion Medical and BioMatrix Research will be showcased.

Japanese Technology Group said that the event grows from the Japanese government’s recent deregulation that makes it possible for researchers at national universities to seek out alliances with the private sector, including those abroad.

Among the 16 technologies to be showcased during the event are ones dealing with inflammatory diseases and obesity, medical devices and diagnostics, and a system for monoclonal antibody production.

Taro Yaguchi, president of Japan Technology Group, said he hopes this showcase will set a precedent for Japanese universities and their spun-off companies and start-up efforts.

“This is the first time several Japanese companies and universities are actively promoting their out-licensing portfolio technologies in search for collaborative partners outside of Japan,” Yaguchi said. “This event signifies the beginning of a trend where the Japanese start-up businesses and research institutions are attempting to globalize their operations to the U.S.”

China approves two Staar lenses

Staar Surgical (Monrovia, California) said it has received approval from China’s State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) to market the company’s Visian Toric Implantable Collamer Lens to ophthalmologists and other eye care professionals for the treatment of nearsightedness and astigmatism.

The SFDA also granted approval to market the Staar Visian ICH, an implantable collamer lens, to correct hyperopia or farsightedness.

Thee approvals in China are for treatment of myopic patients with refractive errors between -3.00 and -20.0 and astigmatism up to six diopters. The hyperopic approval is for patients with refractive errors between +1.0 to +4.0.

“This approval has significant strategic importance for [us] and positions us for continued growth in China,” said Barry Caldwell, president/CEO. “Approval of both the Visian Toric ICL and the Visian Hyperopic ICL represents a solid endorsement of the Staar technology.”

Caldwell noted that the Visian Myopic ICL was approved in China in July 2006, “and has enjoyed significant growth. With these additional approvals, we are positioned to expand our presence in a market where the demographics are very favorable.”

Staar said that Market Scope, a leading source for ophthalmic market data, says there are more than 500 million myopes and nearly 50 million hyperopes in China, making it the largest potential refractive market in the world.

Staar said that in South Korea, where the population is believed to have a myopia rate similar to that of China, phakic implant procedures are estimated to have reached 7% of the LASIK market. According to data presented at an ophthalmic meeting during January, Staar’s Visian ICL and TICL were used in approximately 60% of the South Korean procedures. “Our goal in China over time is to at least replicate the market penetration we are achieving in South Korea,” Caldwell said.

Made of Staar’s biocompatible Collamer material, the ICL, TICL and ICH are the only minimally invasive foldable lenses of their kind approved for the Chinese commercial market, according to the company.

As a result of the foldable design, the ICL procedure allows an incision up to 50% smaller than competing technology, Staar said, and its placement in the eye behind the iris “provides a more aesthetically pleasing outcome.”

Cardiograph handset from Chinese firm

In other China med-tech news, Qiao Xing Mobile Communication (Beijing), one of the leading domestic manufacturers of mobile handsets through its CEC Telecom (CECT) subsidiary, reported the launch of its new C7000A cardiograph mobile handset.

The C7000A has a cardiograph function via which users will be able to perform a basic cardiograph, which they can send to doctors via multimedia messaging service (MMS) through a GPRS network.

The company said doctors will then be able to provide medical advice by sending a text message back to the mobile phone. If there is a serious problem, doctors can call the patient directly.

The handset can run for more than 120 days in standby mode without a recharge, and offers a large, 3-inch LCD screen.

Wu Zhi Yang, chairman of Qiao Xing Mobile, said, “We dedicate a large amount of resources to our efforts to develop highly differentiated handsets. The C7000A ... represents a breakthrough in the use of mobile handset technology. We have been able to incorporate a piece of advanced medical technology that could possibly save lives.”

Toshiba to sell Medicsight systems in Japan

Medicsight (London) said it has signed a preliminary agreement with the System Integration division of Toshiba Medical Systems (Tokyo) for the sale of Medicsigt’s MedicRead Colon and ColonCAD software solutions throughout Japan.

Toshiba Medical, a global provider of medical imaging systems, will work with Medicsight to obtain product approval in Japan.

The companies said they have identified the need for radiologists and gastroenterologists in Japan to be trained in the use of the software to help them to interpret CT colonography (CTC) images and rapidly identify suspicious regions for detailed evaluation.

Medicsight and Toshiba hosted CTC training workshops at the Japanese Digestive Disease Week conference in Kobe last October and said they would “continue to work together on similar market development initiatives in 2008 and beyond.”