Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) Opens RAPS Europe In Brussels

The Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS), the world’s largest international membership organization of regulatory professionals in the medical device, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology sectors, announced the opening of its European office in Brussels. RAPS Europe will support RAPS programs, events and operations throughout Europe and serve as the organization’s base for European operations. RAPS, which is headquartered near Washington, DC, USA, also opened an office in Tokyo last year.

Alzheimer’s Society Comment On New Data Observing The Cost Effectiveness Of Aricept (donepezil)

New research presented at the annual meeting of ISPOR suggests that prescribing Aricept on diagnosis of either mild or moderate Alzheimer’s disease would save the NHS money.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) currently recommends that Aricept is not prescribed to people in the mild stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This study, sponsored by Eisai, takes into account factors not considered by NICE, including cost of caregiver time. It suggests that savings to the NHS and society would be £7,100 per patient over a ten-year period if people with dementia are prescribed Aricept earlier.

Medimix International To Exhibit At American Society of Clinical Oncology AGM

Medimix International, a leader in global healthcare marketing research for life sciences industry, announced that it will be exhibiting at the 45th AGM of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which will take place in Orlando, Florida from May 29-June 2, 2009. The annual ASCO meeting is considered to be the premier educational and scientific event in the oncology community, a forum for cutting-edge scientific and educational developments in oncology with a focus on personalizing cancer care.

The Gout & Uric Acid Education Society (GUAES) Announces New Survey Results Highlighting Major Gaps In Public Awareness Of Gout

The Gout & Uric Acid Education Society announced that new survey results reveal alarming gaps in the public’s awareness of gout, a painful and potentially debilitating form of arthritis that affects three to five million Americans. In a survey of more than 2,000 Americans, 65% of adults admitted to being “not at all knowledgeable” about gout and just over 70% did not know that gout is a form of arthritis. In fact, gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis among adults.

Pixantrone Phase 3 Data To Be Presented At The 2009 American Society Of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI) (Nasdaq and MTA: CTIC) announced that data from CTI’s pivotal phase III EXTEND (PIX301) trial of pixantrone in patients with advanced, relapsed aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) will be presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, which will be held from May 29 to June 2, 2009 in Orlando, Florida.

Ruth Pettengell, M.D. of St. George’s Hospital, University of London, an investigator on the study, is scheduled to present the data on Monday, June 1, 2009 during the Lymphoma and Plasma Cell Disorders session that will be held from 2:00 PM-6:00 PM Eastern Time. The presentation, abstract #8523, is titled, “Randomized Phase III trial of pixantrone compared with other chemotherapeutic agents for third-line single-agent treatment of relapsed aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”

Alzheimer’s Society Comment – Care Quality Commission Survey Reveals Malnutrition In Hospitals

Around one in five hospital patients who have trouble feeding themselves do not get help with meals, according to the survey released by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

‘It’s appalling that thousands of vulnerable people who rely on the help of others to eat are being denied vital support. One quarter of all hospital beds are occupied by people with dementia, who may have difficulty swallowing; forget how to eat or stop being able to recognise food.

Mark G. Watson Named Executive Director Of Radiological Society Of North America

The Board of Directors of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) is pleased to announce that Mark G. Watson will become the Society’s executive director on April 1, 2009. Watson comes to the position with nearly 20 years of experience working in key capacities at RSNA and has served as the Society’s interim executive director since September 2008.

Assistant executive director for finance and administration at RSNA for the past 15 years, Watson was selected after a thorough candidate search by Korn/Ferry International in conjunction with RSNA’s board of directors and executive director search committee.

Bayer Announces Upcoming Presentations Of Campath(R) And Leukine(R) Data At The 50th Annual Meeting Of The American Society Of Hematology

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that data on Campath(R) (alemtuzumab) and Leukine(R) (sargramostim) will be presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) from December 6-9, 2008 in San Francisco, California.

Clinical investigators from leading oncology and hematology research centers will present data through several oral and poster presentations reporting important findings in leukemia-related disorders, such as prognostic indicators for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and side effects such as chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

News From The American Chemical Society Oct. 15, 2008

LEDs may help reduce skin wrinkles, researchers report

Researchers in Germany are describing a potential alternative to Botox and cosmetic surgery for easing facial wrinkles. Their study, scheduled for the November 5 issue of ACS’ Crystal Growth & Design, a bi-monthly journal, reports that high intensity visible light from light emitting diodes (LEDs) applied daily for several weeks resulted in “rejuvenated skin, reduced wrinkle levels, juvenile complexion and lasting resilience.” LEDs are the miniature lights used in an array of products, from TV remote controls to traffic lights.

American Society Of Hypertension Updates Guidelines To Address 7-Fold Mortality Increase In Hypertensive Patients With Diabetes

Updated guidance published in the current issue of the American Society of Hypertension’s (ASH) Journal of Clinical Hypertension addresses the urgent need for physicians to take a more integrated, individualized approach to treating hypertension (high blood pressure) in patients with diabetes by treating the intricacies of each patient profile, rather than focusing on the disease in isolation. Early initiation of medications that block the renin