A Medical Device Daily

A study presented during last month's European Congress of Radiology (ECR) conference in Vienna, Austria, cited the effectiveness of the ColonCAD from Medicsight (London) for the detection of colorectal cancer in symptomatic patients.

Professor Steve Halligan of University College Hospital (London) has been investigating computer-aided detection (CAD) for colorectal cancers in symptomatic patients.

In his presentation at ECR, Halligan provided preliminary results from an ongoing study investigating the potential for CAD to detect colon cancers demonstrated on computed tomography (CT) colonography.

Medicsight said Halligan's study "supports the expansion of the clinical usage of ColonCAD, which has increasingly been advocated for the detection of adenomatous polyps in asymptomatic patients."

The study involved 59 patients, each with proven cancers established by colonoscopy and histology. The patients were examined with Medicsight ColonCAD to analyze paired prone and supine datasets over a range of four user-adjustable CAD filter settings. Across the range of settings, ColonCAD detected 47 to 54 of the 59 cancers (sensitivity range of 88.7%-91.5%).

Overall, the study showed Medicsight ColonCAD to be "very effective" in the detection of colon cancer on CT colonography. Both prone and supine datasets are required for optimal CAD results.

David Sumner, CEO of Medicsight said, "These . . . preliminary results validate and could further extend the potential use of the Medicsight ColonCAD in clinical practice."

Also at the ECR meeting, Sectra (Link ping, Sweden) launched a new model of its full-field digital mammography system providing what the company said is the lowest radiation dose on the market.

Sectra said the next-generation MicroDose Mammography, besides having the low dose, provides "unsurpassed throughput, customized workflow and outstanding ergonomics."

Jesper S derqvist, president of Sectra's mammography operations, said the new version of the system, "combined with our system for management and archiving of digital breast images, enables us to offer our customers a total solution developed to fit all mammography environments, from high-volume screening to clinical mammography."

Sectra said it is the only company offering a mammography system based on a photon-counting detector technology. More than 900 hospitals worldwide use the system daily and more than 40 million radiology examinations are diagnosed in Sectra's system annually.

European branch for Medical Graphics

Angeion (St. Paul, Minnesota) said that its Medical Graphics business has opened a European branch office in Milan, Italy. The office will house the firm's business development manager, as well as technical and field service support dedicated to the company's expanding business.

The company said the new office will facilitate revenue growth in international markets, provide closer marketing support to distribution partners and expand technical support for clinical research.

"Recent growth in our Medical Graphics international cardio-respiratory business, combined with the number of European-based clinical research sites utilizing our diagnostic systems and services, necessitate our presence in Europe," said Rodney Young, president/CEO of Angeion.

Citing the future impact of the new European branch office, he said it will expand the company's "commitment to provide the highest-quality customer care, real-time technical support on a multi-lingual basis, as well as country-specific marketing for our distribution partners."

Young said the new branch office will give the company "the ability to provide a seamless, efficient connection between our corporate resources and our international distribution partners and end-users."

Medical Graphics manufactures non-invasive cardio-respiratory diagnostic systems sold under the MedGraphics and New Leaf brand and trade names. The systems have a wide range of applications in healthcare as well as health and fitness.

Distribution agreement for Medy-Tox type A

Q-Med (Uppsala, Sweden) said it has signed an agreement with Medy-Tox for the exclusive distribution of Medy-Tox Botulinum Toxin type A product in Europe, excluding Russia, and non-exclusive distribution of the product in Japan.

The agreement covers all doses and the indications the product may be used for. Currently sold under the trade name Neuronox, the product may be marketed under a new name in Europe.

The contract is an extension of the development and commercialization agreement Q-Med AB and Medy-Tox, a South Korean biopharmaceutical company, signed in February for collaborative development and distribution of new botulinum toxin products.

Q-Med AB will pay Medy-Tox a distribution price for the product, with no additional upfront or milestone payments.

The global market for botulinum toxin products is valued at $1.2 billion, with the European market expected to exceed $250 million in 2007.

Q-Med produces primarily medical implants, the majority based on its technology for the production of stabilized non-animal hyaluronic acid, or NASHA. The product portfolio includes Restylane for the filling out of lips and facial wrinkles and for facial contouring and Durolane for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee joints.

European office for BodyTel Scientific

BodyTel Scientific (Henderson, Nevada), focused on the development of wireless healthcare products, has opened a representative office in Bad Wildungen, Germany. The new office will serve as European headquarters for BodyTel, which has the stated goal of becoming a market leader in providing healthcare monitoring products and services.

The initial product release will be the GlucoTel Blood Glucose Meter, targeting the growing diabetes sector. The device is a small and easy-to-read meter that wirelessly monitors patients with diabetes using Bluetooth and cellular phone technology. The data is then retrieved by physicians using a secure web site.

Stephan Schraps, president/CEO of GlucoTel Scientific, said, "The opening of this office represents a significant milestone in our global commercialization efforts. We are making tremendous strides in the development of our GlucoTel product and we look forward to communicating future achievements as they occur."