• NovaVision (Boca Raton, Florida) and the Tampa Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said that veterans and active-duty military members with vision loss due to traumatic brain injury and stroke will now gain access to a rehabilitative treatment - NovaVision VRT vision restoration therapy (VRT) - proven to help restore sight. Patients who qualify for NovaVision VRT undergo comprehensive diagnostic testing to map their seeing and blind areas. Based on their visual field deficits, patients receive a customized therapy program to perform daily at home for about six months. NovaVision VRT is based on the science of neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to adapt, form new neuronal connections and compensate for injury. NovaVision makes products to restore the vision of patients with neurological visual impairments.

• Vermillion (Fremont, California) reported the publication of research that details how a protein biomarker called beta-2 microglobulin may aid in the diagnosis of peripheral artery disease (PAD). The findings, which suggest beta-2 microglobulin is elevated in patients with PAD and that the level of the protein is correlated with the severity of the disease, will be published in the September issue of Circulation. Vermillion said it intends to develop a blood test for the diagnosis of PAD and the company's development program is aimed at identifying and commercializing a panel of new biomarkers, which includes the newly discovered role of beta-2 microglobulin. Beta-2 microglobulin levels were correlated with the severity of disease, as determined by ankle blood pressures, and by the distance patients could walk on a treadmill. Vermillion makes diagnostic programs in oncology/hematology, cardiology and women's health with an initial focus in ovarian cancer.

• Wright Medical Group (Arlington, Tennessee) reported U.S. and international release of Pro-Dense Injectable Regenerative Graft, a new bone graft substitute that it said has demonstrated unique and highly favorable metaphyseal bone healing properties compared to autograft in preclinical studies. A composite of calcium phosphate and sulfate, Pro-Dense uses a tri-phasic resorption profile providing the biologic environment to allow the body to quickly and reliably regenerate dense new bone. Extensive animal testing found that new bone regenerated by Pro-Dense was of greater density and greater compressive strength at 13 weeks than the new bone regenerated by autograft, which is widely considered to be the "gold standard" for bone grafting. Additionally, the testing revealed that the bone voids treated with Pro-Dense Graft formed new bone at a faster rate than autograft. Wright Medical Group is an orthopedic medical device company.

• MedPlexus (Sunnyvale, California) reported the general availability of its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) suite of solutions, which include practice management software, electronic health records (EHRs) and a browser-based patient self-service portal. The solution also includes SaaS-enabled services for billing, front-office call management, and practice audit and accounting services. Under the SaaS model, MedPlexus hosts the applications and manages the maintenance, software upgrades and disaster recovery, thus, it said, minimizing the risks and costs incurred by the physician practice and/or healthcare organization while allowing physicians to return to the realm of providing care as opposed to managing technology solutions. MedPlexus makes internet-based administrative, financial and clinical software and services for physician practices.