A Medical Device Daily

The European medical technology industry association, Eucomed (Brussels, Belgium), said that it "welcomes" a European Commission (EC) proposal for a decision of the European Parliament concerning the 7th Framework Program for Research 2007-2013, published last week.

The association said it believes that what it termed "this ambitious project" will contribute to "achieving excellence in scientific and technological research in the medical technology field."

Maurice Wagner, the organization's director general, said, "We are pleased to see that a particular emphasis has been placed on the development and validation of new therapies, diagnostic tools and technologies, as well as on efficient and sustainable healthcare systems. This project will provide our industry with new opportunities to improve patient care."

Eucomed said that in its proposal, the EC "clearly recognizes the need to increase the competitiveness of European health-related industries and businesses through the creation of an environment favorable to the small- to medium-sized, research-based companies that are the main drivers of the medical technology industry.

The association said it also welcomes the special attention given to nanotechnology and emerging technologies, "as this is another area where the medical technology industry is very active today."

Eucomed said nanotechnology "offers new hopes for cancer treatment," citing the example of ongoing development of coated nanoparticles that can be injected into cancer-binding and cancer-fighting cells and then be activated by external devices, e.g. magnetically at the cancer site.

Human tissue engineering is "another fascinating medical technology with huge potential for the future," the association said. Tissue-engineered products could soon provide viable treatments for cardiovascular diseases, which cause about 50% of all deaths today.

Eucomed said research is currently under way in the field of heart-tissue regeneration, for example. With donor and mechanical heart valves encountering such problems as limited durability, shortage of supply and the inability to grow (posing a problem for childhood patients), the association said tissue-engineered valves will avoid these problems, being living replacements, capable of growing with the patient.

Research also is being undertaken to develop blood vessels capable of replacing natural vessels or to grow patches of heart muscle tissue to replace damaged tissue, Eucomed said.

Four SHAs choose SurePath test

TriPath Imaging (Burlington, North Carolina) said that Medical Solutions, its distributor in the UK, has been awarded an exclusive five-year contract to supply the SurePath liquid-based Pap test to the four Strategic Health Authorities that comprise the North East, Yorkshire and Humber regions of England.

It is estimated that when fully converted, these regions will perform more than 375,000 SurePath tests annually.

Paul Sohmer, MD, chairman, president and CEO of TriPath Imaging, said that with this contract, the company now has cumulative commitments that represent nearly 25% of the Pap test market in the UK. "We expect to continue to grow our opportunity in the UK as other regions finalize their decisions," he said.

Report pushes researcher training

A new report out of the UK has set out a training pathway for doctors and dentists who wish to follow a career in academic medicine. The report, "Recommendations for Training the Researchers and Educators of the Future," was produced by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration and the Department of Health's Modernizing Medical Careers initiative.

Although the number of doctors in the UK has grown rapidly in recent years, figures for those actually doing research – called "academic clinicians" – have declined, ac-cording to the report.

Health Minister Lord Warner said: "It is critical for research and patients to reverse the decline in the numbers of academic clinicians at a time when the UK is producing more doctors than ever. They play a vital role in developing new medical treatments as well as training tomorrow's doctors and dentists."