A Medical Device Daily

Advanced Medical Institute (AVMD; Sydney, Australia) reported that Intelligent Medical Technologies (IMT), its 93%-owned subsidiary, has received approval from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research Human Research Ethics Committee to proceed with its pharmokinetic clinical study designed to test the use of its ultrasonic nebulizer device to deliver drugs used to treat sexual dysfunction.

Dr. Jacov Vaisman, president, CEO and chairman of AVMD and director of IMT, said that the study "will compare the efficacy of a single dose of medication delivered as an inhalant vs. the administration of the same medication in a 10 mg pill."

Carried out by a contract research organization, the testing is scheduled to begin in May 2006 and be completed in 2H06. The company said it plans to file an application to include the nebulizer on the register of medical devices with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (the Australian FDA) and the European Medicines Agency during "the next several months and hope to begin commercialization of the device later this year."

Vaisman said, "Based on our 13 years of experience . . . we believe that the use of nebulizers as a method of medication delivery will increase substantially over the next few years and that the commercialization of our nebulizer device offers exceptional commercial opportunities for our company. It is our view that pulmonary delivery systems, such as our patented nebulizer, will enable sexual dysfunction medications to be delivered at a lower dosage than is currently able to be delivered through existing oral treatments and that the medication will be faster-acting than clinically effective oral treatments. As a consequence, we believe that this delivery system will substantially reduce the incidence of adverse side effects arising from taking sexual dysfunction medications and the speed of action will increase the attractiveness of these medications to the consumer," he continued.

AMI, through AMI Australia, is a provider of treatment programs for erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. The company operates 21 treatment clinics and sales centers in Australia and New Zealand, including a centralized call center in Australia. AMI said that it and its predecessor company began treating erectile dysfunction patients "successfully six years prior to the launch of Viagra, in 1999, in Australia."

MedAire garners contract with Emirates

MedAire (Tempe, Arizona) reported that it is expanding its level of in-flight medical assistance services that it provides to Emirates, one of the world's leading airlines.

Emirates' cabin crew will obtain vital signs data from a passenger who becomes ill in flight with a new passenger health monitoring system, Tempus, from UK-based Remote Diagnostic Technologies .

Tempus records a passenger's blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, ECG, blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. The data is then sent via the in-flight communications system to MedAire's 24/7 MedLink Global Response Center where board certified emergency physicians review the data, assess the situation and advise the crew and/or medically-qualified onboard volunteer on a course of action.

Dr. Cliff Webster, senior vice president medical services for Emirates, said, "We are confident that with Tempus our customers will receive the best medical care available on board aircraft today."

Joan Sulllivan Garrett, MedAire founder and chairman, said, "With the Tempus on board, it will better enable our physicians to differentiate between serious and minor medical conditions and help support the decision making that must take place in these situations."

Emirates' pursers and senior flight stewards are trained in the use of the Tempus system, which also sends high-resolution pictures from the aircraft to the MedLink Global Response Center to help physicians with further assessment and treatment. Emirates' crew contacts MedLink by satellite telephone from either the flight deck or a seat phone and is able to make contact from anywhere around the globe.

In addition to helping with immediate situation, MedLink monitors an onboard situation until the aircraft reaches its destination.

Emirates describes itself as the world's second most profitable airline and among the 20 largest international airlines. It is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which it describes as one of the few cities in the world that pursues an open-skies policy, with more than 110 airlines in free and fair competition.

DiaSys in pact with Guatemalan firm

DiaSys (Waterbury, Connecticut) said that it has signed a new three-year distribution agreement with Labymed in Guatemala that guarantees minimum orders of $656,000 for the DiaSys's parasitology and urine sediment workstations and consumable products. Labymed, founded in 1978, also represents Beckman Coulter and Instrumentation Laboratory .

"Since December 2005, DiaSys Corporation has entered into seven new three-year distribution agreements that guarantee minimum orders of $14.9 million in Latin America. We will continue to extend our sales initiative throughout 2006," said Gregory Witchel, company CEO.

DiaSys manufactures medical laboratory equipment, consumables and infectious disease test-kits to healthcare and veterinary laboratories. The company operates in Europe through its wholly owned subsidiary based in Wokingham, England, and through distributors in South America.