The American Diabetes Association (ADA; Alexandria, Virginia) applauded the signing of the “Diabetes School Care Act,” legislation in the state of Texas that is designed to help ensure that public schools in the state are responsive to the medical and educational needs of students with diabetes.
The ADA, including volunteers throughout Texas, was a primary backer of the bipartisan legislation, which will allow school personnel to be trained in diabetes care appropriate for the student and allow students with diabetes to self manage their disease on school property.
Diabetes management is accomplished with blood glucose monitoring, administration of insulin and other medications, as well as proper nutrition and exercise, the ADA said, noting that many children are able to handle their own daily care, while others may need adult assistance.
New Jersey orders Defibtech AEDs
Defibtech (Trenton, New Jersey) said that the state of New Jersey has ordered 1,682 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for statewide deployment in police cars. Officials from the AED manufacturer said the order represents one of the largest public access AED deployments on record. The cars will be equipped as part of a three-year, multimillion-dollar contract that will result in thousands of Defibtech Lifeline AEDs being placed throughout the state.
“Police officers often are the first to arrive at the scene of an emergency. Having AEDs in police vehicles has proven to save lives,” said Defibtech’s CEO and co-founder, Dr. Glenn Laub, who also is chairman of cardiac surgery and director of the Heart Hospital at St. Francis Medical Center (also Trenton). “New Jersey’s precedent-setting program will add a new dimension to the effort to reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest.”
Large firms dominate wound closure devices
Large companies maintain a hold on the U.S. wound closure devices market, cutting out smaller participants, according to research firm Frost & Sullivan (F&S; Palo Alto, California).
Large participants control this market by offering lower-priced products through large-volume discounts, the F&S report said. As a result, smaller manufacturers are challenged to introduce products or increase market share. However, recent loosening by group purchasing organizations (GPOs) is empowering smaller manufacturers through non-exclusive agreements with buyers. This new approach offers smaller companies a chance to improve their market presence.
The F & S report, “U.S. Wound Closure Devices Market,” reveals that revenue in the sector totaled $1.55 billion in 2004 and can reach $2.28 billion in 2011.
Biophan expands intellectual property
Biophan Technologies (West Henrietta, New York), a developer of next-generation medical technology, reported further expansion of its intellectual property portfolio in recent weeks with 13 new applications filed – resulting in 10% growth – to a total of 140 U.S. issued or pending patents, plus international patents.
The new applications cover manufacturing the high-voltage leads used with implantable cardioverter defibrillators, when used in an MRI environment; various nanomagnetic materials, design details of conductive leads and the use of nanomagnetic material to shield them from MRI-related energy; and patent applications licensed recently from Aachen Resonance for the visualization of stents.
Medinol seeking $2B to $4B in damages from Boston Sci
Medinol (Tel Aviv, Israel) is suing Boston Scien-tific (Natick, Massachusetts) for $2 billion to $4 billion, Rory Millson, the lead attorney representing the Israeli stent manufacturer, declared in his opening statement before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York late last month.
Rather than a lucrative idyllic partnership with the U.S. company marketing and distributing Medinol’s award-winning stents, the two firms have been embroiled in breach-of-contract proceedings for years.
Millson’s opening remarks read like a made-for-TV docudrama, including reference to the FBI inadvertently uncovering Boston Scientific’s “secret” manufacturing facility in Ireland, where it was found to be copying Medinol’s NIRflex stent, he said.
Medinol founders and top executives Kobi and Judith Richter told the Israeli media that they hoped this trial would settle the long and bitter dispute, which failed to find resolution out of court as ordered by presiding Judge Alvin Hallerstein six months ago.
Boston Scientific filed a counterclaim against Med-inol for about $400 million for failing to fulfill its side of the partnership.
— Rae Fishman, MDD Contributing Writer