AMWA offers cervical cancer guidelines

The American Medical Women's Association (AMWA; Alexandria, Virginia) has released new cervical cancer prevention guidelines advocating for HPV (human papillomavirus) testing as part of screening in women age 30 and older, and for HPV vaccination for all girls age 11 and 12 — along with catch-up vaccinations for other girls who qualify for vaccination.

AMWA said it is the first medical organization to recommend that clinicians use these new technologies as part of an integrated strategy and that insurance companies pay for them.

The organization's move also underscores the growing role of cervical cancer detection and prevention strategies that target HPV, the virus which is the primary cause of cervical cancer. Studies have shown the traditional Pap test to be between about 50% to 70% effective at detecting pre-cancerous cervical lesions.

The guidelines were announced at the North American Congress of Women in Medicine, held last week in Orlando, Florida.

Last June, the FDA approved an HPV vaccine for girls and women age 9 through 26. The vaccine was shown in clinical studies to be 100% effective at preventing disease caused by the two types of HPV that account for 70% of all cervical cancers.

Omnicell restates earnings for 2006

Omnicell (Mountain View, California), a provider of patient safety technology, reported amended results for the year ended Dec. 31.

Omnicell said that during the course of the year-end audit, Omnicell detected an accounting error that understated revenue associated with interest on retained customer leases in each of the four quarters of 2006. After correcting for the error, revenue and net income have increased from prior reported results.

For the year ended Dec. 31, revenue was $154.7 million, $1.6 million higher than previously reported. Net income was $10.4 million, or 36 cents a fully diluted share, an increase of $1.1 million or 4 cents a share as compared to previously reported.

Non-GAAP results: Excluding the impact of recording $8.1 million in share-based compensation expenses related to SFAS No. 123(R), non-GAAP net income was $18.5 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2006, or $0.64 per fully diluted share, an increase of $1.2 million or $0.04 fully diluted per share higher than previously reported. Non-GAAP results, as presented in the attached consolidated statements, exclude certain expenses for the applicable periods.

Omnicell is a provider of systems and software solutions for patient safety and operational efficiency in healthcare facilities.