http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/ Life Sciences & Health Latest News en http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/fileadmin/templates/corporate/images/logo_top.gif http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/ 230 97 Life Sciences & Health Latest News TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:12:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3770&cHash=f427cf7e00df2aa38ebcadad26772ae6 De plannen voor Oss en Schaijk, zoals op 8 juli door Merck aangekondigd, zullen worden uitgesteld... 2 september 2010, Oss  - Merck & Co, Inc, de Raad van Commissarissen van Organon Biosciences Nederland B.V., de Directie van N.V. Organon en de Ondernemingsraad van N.V. Organon maken hierbij het volgende bekend:

De plannen voor Oss en Schaijk, zoals op 8 juli door Merck aangekondigd, zullen worden uitgesteld tot en met 31 december 2010.

De partijen zullen gezamenlijk in goed vertrouwen alternatieven voor business development verkennen en stimuleren, en mogelijke voorstellen evalueren waarin een evenwicht wordt nagestreefd tussen de verschillende belangen van alle belanghebbenden, zoals werkgelegenheid, kennis, continuïteit, toekomstperspectieven en de economische belangen van het bedrijf.

Indien er op uiterlijk 31 december 2010 geen oplossing, acceptabel voor alle partijen, is bereikt, zullen de partijen terugkeren naar hun oorspronkelijke juridische en feitelijke posities. De gerechtelijke procedure, gepland voor 2 september 2010, zal worden opgeschort tot januari 2011.

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Woordvoering wordt gedaan door Monique Mols namens MSD, en Nicole van Straten namens de Ondernemingsraad.]]> Human capital Pharmaceuticals Dutch Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:12:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3768&cHash=833b16811cf8fe53f086852941fd9533 Peter Kingma brings wealth of medical device experience to Nucletron September 3, 2010, Veenendaal, the Netherlands – Nucletron, a knowledge-based leader in radiation oncology, today announced that Peter Kingma has joined the company as Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Service. In his role, Kingma will be managing the rapidly growing global service and sales activities around Nucletron’s precision cancer treatment solutions. Peter Kingma also joins the executive management team. 

“Peter Kingma brings to us a wealth of experience in medical devices as well as a very diverse international background, having spent parts of his working life in South Africa, Germany, Australia and the USA,” said Jos Lamers, chief executive officer at Nucletron. “I am convinced that he will be of significant importance in growing our business of providing innovative solutions for precision cancer treatment worldwide.”

Prior to joining Nucletron, Kingma held various positions at Siemens Medical Solutions, including Global VP Sales & Marketing for CT in Germany and Managing Director Siemens Medical Solutions Australia & New Zealand. His last position with Siemens was Vice President and Business Manager CT Division, USA. In 2009 he joined Cardiac Science Corporation as Senior Vice President for Sales, Service and Marketing.

About Nucletron
Nucletron provides state of the art radiotherapy solutions for cancer treatment that meet the evolving needs of patients, their carers and healthcare professionals around the world.  Nucletron has unmatched global leadership in brachytherapy, a very precise, highly effective and well-tolerated treatment option for healthcare providers, tailored to the needs of individual patients. We work with clinical teams to constantly improve and develop an innovative portfolio of integrated products, software and services that assures excellent patient outcomes.  Headquartered in Veenendaal, The Netherlands, Nucletron employs more than 500 employees, with offices in 15 countries, and products available in more than 100 countries around the world.  Please visit http://www.nucletron.com/ to learn more about our healthcare solutions.]]> Human capital Medical devices English Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:40:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3752&cHash=65d3930c0bb1f76f5f9ecc6d7b57b974 Prof. Dr. Rob Meloen, de oprichter van het biotechbedrijf Pepscan, heeft op 1 september met een... LELYSTAD, Nederland, September 2, 2010 - Prof. Dr. Rob Meloen, de oprichter van het biotechbedrijf Pepscan, heeft op 1 september met een wetenschappelijk symposium afscheid genomen van Pepscan. Tijdens deze bijeenkomst is Meloen door de Provincie Flevoland gehuldigd vanwege het belang van Pepscan voor de life science sector in deze provincie. Namens de provincie Flevoland reikte Andries Greiner, gedeputeerde voor Economische Zaken, Meloen een onderscheiding uit voor zijn verdiensten.

Uit handen van Greiner ontving Meloen een plastiek van het provinciale symbool , de 'Kiekendief'. In zijn toespraak benadrukte Greiner de groei van Pepscan en de belangrijke positie van het bedrijf voor de biotech innovatie in Flevoland. Pepscan heeft zich onder de wetenschappelijke leiding van Meloen in tien jaar ontwikkeld tot een internationaal vooraanstaand biotech bedrijf op het gebied van 'protein mimicry', het nabootsen van het actieve deel van een eiwit. Op basis van haar innovatieve en gepatenteerde peptidetechnologiën ontwikkelt Pepscan momenteel nieuwe therapeutische peptiden en monoklonale antilichamen. Ook heeft Pepscan meerdere samenwerkingsovereenkomsten met leidende farma- en biotechbedrijven om nieuwe geneesmiddelen te ontwikkelen met behulp van Pepscan's gepatenteerde CLIPS technologie.

Tijdens het symposium werden presentaties gehouden door zeer vooraanstaande wetenschappers, zoals Prof. Andrew Hamilton, de topbestuurder van de Oxford Universiteit, Sir Gregory Winter, de antilichaampionier en oprichter van bedrijven als Cambridge Antibody Technologies en Domantis, en Prof. Jan van de Winkel, CEO van het farmaceutisch bedrijf Genmab.

"Pepscan is Rob Meloen veel dank verschuldigd voor zijn enerverende en stimulerende bijdrage aan de ontwikkeling van ons bedrijf", aldus Wim Mol, CEO van Pepscan. " Zijn vernieuwende ideeën hebben Pepscan gemaakt tot een biotech bedrijf met goede toekomstperspectieven, dat zich concentreert op de ontwikkeling van veelbelovende nieuwe therapeutische peptiden en monoklonale antilichamen".

De taken van Rob Meloen als wetenschappelijk directeur zijn eerder dit jaar overgenomen door Chief Technology Officer Dr. Peter Timmerman en Chief Development Officer Dr. Klaus Schwamborn.]]> Human capital Biotechnology Dutch Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:47:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3751&cHash=659f05b6fd566d6d572a55dd032dc5b5 As from 2010 the Life Sciences Capitals congress will be known as the ‘Dutch Life Sciences & Health... On December 8, 2010 the Dutch Life Sciences & Health Conference will be held in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam. This conference is the main event for the Dutch life sciences sector, offering networking and partnering possibilities and lectures on the latest trends and developments in life sciences. Almost 300 representatives from the Dutch life sciences sector, such as scientists, business executives, entrepreneurs and investors, will attend the congress. The central theme of the 6th Dutch Life Sciences & Health Conference is ‘From Innovation to Commercialisation’.  One of the biggest challenges for (start-up) life sciences companies is to choose the right commercial strategy. The choices made at the earlier stages may have a major impact later on during the development of the company. In particular, changes in regulatory systems, reimbursement systems and the commercial landscape are not always foreseen. The conference features an investors forum where young and start-up companies pitch for capital, exhibition, networking and partnering opportunities, and a plenary programme and workshop sessions addressing industry trends and developments. The last editions of the conference have attracted increasing interest from the international Life Sciences community. More information soon available at www.dutchlshconference.com 

]]> Events Finance English Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:11:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3719&cHash=8682e409580ea5dfc837a29236d9a41d Pharming Group NV announces that it has converted all of the remaining January 2010 bonds. Leiden, The Netherlands, September 2, 2010 - Biotech company Pharming Group NV (“Pharming” or “the Company”) (NYSE Euronext: PHARM) today announced that it has converted all of the remaining January 2010 bonds. The current number of outstanding shares as per today is 355,781,497 from 347,979,345 at August 24, 2010. The increase of 7,802,152 shares stems from:

• 5,259,652 shares issued under the Standby Equity Distribution Agreement (“SEDA”) with YA Global Master SPV LTD (“YA Global”) for a cash consideration of €750,000. As per today, €21.2 million remains available under the total €30.0 million SEDA facility with YA Global as entered into in 2009;
• 2,542,500 shares for the conversion of the remaining €0.3 million bonds at a conversion price of €0.12 .This conversion relates to the €7.5 million January 2010 private bonds, which has now been fully cleared. The outstanding number of cashless warrants related to these bonds remains at 12.2 million.

“We are pleased that the January 2010 private bonds have now come down to nil,” commented Sijmen de Vries, Chief Executive Officer. “These latest announcements demonstrate how the Company continues to make progress on improving the capital structure.” About Pharming Group NV
Pharming Group NV is developing innovative products for the treatment of genetic disorders, specialty products for surgical indications, and nutritional products. On June 24, the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion for Ruconest™ (Rhucin®) for the treatment of angioedema attacks. Market Authorization in the European Economic Area is therefore expected to be granted in September 2010. The product is also under development for follow-on indications, i.e. antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and delayed graft function (DGF) following kidney transplantation. The advanced technologies of the Company include innovative platforms for the production of protein therapeutics, technology and processes for the purification and formulation of these products. In July, the partial spin-off of DNage was completed. Additional information is available on the Pharming website, http://www.pharming.com.]]> Finance Pharmaceuticals English Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:22:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3715&cHash=25daf08db0390821f531a29c16b9132e QIAsymphony RGQ System scores with highest possible flexibility and the broadest available range of... Hilden, Germany, and Germantown, MD., September 1, 2010 - Qiagen N.V. (NASDAQ: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today launched its novel QIAsymphony RGQ system. The automated platform has been specifically designed to address the fast-growing molecular diagnostics market, particularly for applications in "Profiling" and "Personalized Healthcare"*. It is the only modular system that covers entire laboratory workflows from the initial sample preparation to the final result. The QIAsymphony RGQ thereby provides its users with an unprecedented level of flexibility: Customers can use the new platform not only to run several existing Qiagen tests, but also to develop and conduct their own PCR-based assays.

The QIAsymphony RGQ system is approved for in-vitro diagnostic use in Europe and launches with several molecular assays for the detection of viruses such as HIV and Hepatitis, as well as a specific test panel for transplantation medicine. All of these products from Qiagen's artus product range have been already validated for clinical use in connection with the new system.* Numerous other products will complement the existing test portfolio over the next months. These products will include tests for biomarkers such as KRAS, EGFR or PI3K in personalized healthcare applications, assays for the detection of influenza viruses, as well as a dedicated women's health panel. This will allow diagnostic and research access to the broadest commercially available PCR-based assay portfolio in the marketplace.

The system also allows customers to run custom laboratory developed tests (LDT) which can be validated for clinical use. In molecular diagnostics, laboratory developed tests account for about 40 percent of the global market volume and for an even higher share of all existing test parameters. Facing stricter requirements from regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this sector shows signs of a growing demand for standardized and clinically proven systems for the development of custom PCR-based assays. With the QIAsymphony RGQ, developers and users of such tests gain access to instruments and reagents that match the highest quality and functionality standards for clinical applications. To date, there are more than 200 such applications that are compatible with the new QIAsymphony RGQ platform.

"The launch of our QIAsymphony RGQ is a very important milestone in further expanding our leading position in molecular diagnostics", said Peer Schatz, Qiagen's CEO. "The integrated and validated system was designed to meet both current and future needs of molecular diagnostic labs. We will continue to complement the system not only by expanding the existing assay portfolio, but also by adding further unique performance features." Future expansions that have been already announced by the company include the integration of the Pyrosequencing detection technology and the capability to detect multiple molecular targets in a single test run, known as Multiplexing.

With an increase of 14 percent, Qiagen's automation business has seen a strong revenue growth in the second quarter of 2010. Instrument sales thereby also add to long-term reagent and consumable sales, which account for 85 percent of the company's business. Qiagen has already registered a significant amount of pre-orders for the QIAsymphony RGQ system.

The QIAsymphony RGQ is composed of three modules: the award winning "QIAsymphony SP" for sample preparation, the new "QIAsymphony AS" for assay setup, and Qiagen's real-time PCR detection platform "Rotor-Gene Q". Two of its unique features include continuous sample loading and the ability to run different tests for each sample. These features address a critical requirement in "Profiling" and "Personalized Healthcare" applications, where laboratories typically process a variety of different samples such as blood or tissue and have to test them for different molecular targets.

More information about QIAsymphony RGQ is available on Qiagen's European websites at http://www.qiagen.com/mc/QIAsymphonyRGQ.

* The tests are currently not available in the United States for in-vitro diagnostic use. They have not been cleared or approved by authorities including the United States Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory agency in the United States for human diagnostic or other clinical use.

About Qiagen
Qiagen N.V., a Netherlands holding company, is the leading global provider of sample and assay technologies. Sample technologies are used to isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from biological samples such as blood or tissue. Assay technologies are used to make such isolated bio-molecules visible. Qiagen has developed and markets more than 500 sample and assay products as well as automated solutions for such consumables. The company provides its products to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and applied testing customers for purposes such as forensics, animal or food testing and pharmaceutical process control. Qiagen's assay technologies include one of the broadest panels of molecular diagnostic tests available worldwide. This panel includes the digene HPV Test, which is regarded as a "gold standard" in testing for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer, as well as a broad suite of solutions for infectious disease testing and companion diagnostics. Qiagen employs more than 3,500 people in over 30 locations worldwide. Further information about Qiagen can be found at http://www.qiagen.com/.]]> Diagnostics English Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3713&cHash=537df5c9309cebdf8e532f3e5edc8e16 On July 8, Organon’s U.S. parent company MSD (Merck) announced a worldwide restructuring program....

This week there were no new media items available from the sources we use for the MSD news dossier / Deze week waren er in de door ons gebruikte bronnen geen nieuwe media items beschikbaar voor het MSD/Organon dossier 

Bekijk hier het Dossier Organon / MSD op de LSH website ]]> Human capital Sector Pharmaceuticals Research news Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3711&cHash=5f54a12066269f17652122309d2e5521 Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics reported its results for the first half year of 2010. AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, August 31, 2010 - Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (Euronext: AMT), a leader in the field of human gene therapy, today reported its results for the first half year of 2010.

Highlights Glybera(R):

• EMA initiated MAA review in 01/2010
• Approval progressing on schedule for decision mid 2011
• Novel biomarker for Glybera(R) activity identified
• Hemophilia B: Phase I/II started
• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: to benefit from EUR 4 million innovation credit
• sRNA: silencing gene therapy technology achieves 80% cholesterol reduction
• Supervisory Board nominations: 3 new industry professionals slated to join board
• Key financial figures in line with guidance
• Cash & cash equivalents of EUR 13.5 million at June 30, 2010

"We are very pleased with the key milestones we have achieved in the first half year of 2010 in the Glybera(R) approval process which seems firmly on track. Our dialogue with the EMA is very encouraging and we look forward to the Agency's decision with confidence. We also continue to make progress with our pipeline, not only on the partnership front for programs such as Hemophilia B, but also in our early stage efforts," said Jorn Aldag, chief executive officer of AMT. Operations Glybera(R) for Lipoprotein Lipase Deficiency (LPLD)

In January 2010, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) commenced review of AMT's Marketing Authorization Application. In May 2010 AMT received questions (Day 120 questions) regarding the application. In July we met with the EMA, to clarify the questions they raised, enabling AMT to align its response strategy. We are now working towards an official response to the EMA Day 120 questions, due by the end of 2010.

As of today we remain confident in the approvability of Glybera(R). Our assessment is based on the following:

• Our response to the EMA does not require further clinical trials with additional new to be treated patients. We expect to be able to formulate our response satisfactorily by submitting data and further analyses from already treated patients.
• More, highly relevant, data from our last clinical trial CT-AMT-011-02 AMT strongly suggest that Glybera's effects are lasting (one year) via a mechanism that causes clearance of chylomicrons, the fat carrying particles which are responsible for pancreatitis in LPLD patients.
• Overall we have developed a clear response strategy, which, if executed with no unforeseen adverse events or delays, should allow us to remain on track for a positive EMA decision in the middle of 2011.

Hemophilia B
Further to their 2009 agreement to co-develop a vector-gene combination for the treatment of Hemophilia B, AMT and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the USA have successfully transferred Factor IX to AMT's manufacturing platform and have demonstrated proof of concept in animals in 2010. The multicenter, dose escalation study with this vector-gene combination began in March, 2010 at University College London Hospital in the United Kingdom guided by Prof. Amit Nathwani. The first patient has been dosed successfully and demonstrated good results both in terms of clinical benefit and side effects. Further enrolment of patients is expected in the second half of 2010.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
In support of its program to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, AMT received an investment credit from SenterNovem (now Agentschap.nl), the Dutch government innovation agency, in January 2010. The credit comprises a loan covering 35% of the costs of the project through to 2013 with a maximum of EUR 4 million. The loan is repayable only if AMT successfully commercializes the program. AMT has shown proof of concept in a pre-clinical model with its optimized construct for exon skipping using its proprietary AAV technology.

Parkinson's Disease
Together with the University of Lund, Sweden, AMT is diligently working on the preclinical development of a gene therapy for delivery of the GDNF gene to the brain. Efficacy data in an animal model of PD is anticipated to be available by the end of the current year

sRNA
Elevated levels of cholesterol are a major risk factor and contributor to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Early research at AMT demonstrates that after a single intravenous injection of a silencing gene therapy in animal models, the serum cholesterol levels were reduced by 80% with no signs of toxicity. It is therefore reasonable to expect a similar effect in patients, resulting in reduced risk for atherosclerosis or CVD. Such a long-term, perhaps life-long active gene therapy could eliminate the need for maintenance statin therapy.

Supervisory Board changes
During the period ended June 30, 2010, Alexander Ribbink and George Morstyn retired from the Supervisory Board and AMT thanks them for their substantial contributions. On April 28, 2010, AMT's co-founder Sander van Deventer was appointed to the Supervisory Board, and in addition Joseph M. Feczko, Steven H. Holtzman and Francois Meyer were nominated to the Supervisory Board for consideration at the Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on September 20, 2010.

Financials

Results comparison
Total net loss for the period ended June 30, 2010 amounted to EUR 9.4 million, in line with the net loss for the period ended June 30, 2009 which also amounted to EUR 9.4 million.

The main item within operating costs reflects the investment in Glybera(R) to support the registration process. Development of our Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy program, which is 35% funded by a research credit from SenterNovem through to completion of a Phase I clinical study continues. Expenditure on our other development projects has been reduced as we are constrained by our current resources and are focusing on the successful completion of the Glybera registration process. Research and development costs increased to EUR 8.1 million for the period ended June 30, 2010 from EUR 7.1 million in the same period of 2009. At the same time, general and administrative costs decreased to EUR 1.8 million in the period ended June 30, 2010 from EUR 2.9 million in the same period of 2009.

Net interest income/(cost) decreased to EUR (0.0) million for the period ended June 30, 2010 from EUR 0.5 million in the same period in 2009 as a result of the Company's decreasing cash balance combined with continuing low market interest rates for deposits.

Cash and cash equivalents amounted to EUR 13.5 million at June 30, 2010, a decrease of EUR 9.1 million compared to EUR 22.6 million at December 31, 2009. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents mainly stems from the operational cash outflow which amounted to EUR 8.9 million for the period ended June 30, 2010 (compared to an operating cash outflow of EUR 9.5 million for the period ended June 30, 2009).

Outlook
The Company's expenditure continues in line with budget. However, as AMT has not yet reached the point of generating significant revenues that could fund operations we continue to explore additional opportunities for funding, including non-dilutive sources such as grants and/or collaborations with partners. In addition, AMT is also tracking opportunities for raising additional capital in conjunction with its bankers. The outlook for the year remains unchanged.

Conference call and webcast presentation
AMT will conduct a conference call open to the public today at 3.30 p.m. CET, which will also be webcast. Netherlands dial in: +31(0)20-712-1304; US dial in: +1-718-354-1361; UK dial in: +44(0)20-7138-0821. Confirmation Code: 1128246

To listen to the conference call live via the internet, visit the investor relations portion of the AMT website at http://www.amtbiopharma.com/. Please go to the website 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download and install the necessary audio software.

The archived webcast also will be available for replay shortly after the close of the call.

About Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics
AMT is a leader in the development of human gene based therapies. Using adeno-associated viral (AAV) derived vectors as the delivery vehicle of choice for therapeutic genes, the company has been able to design and validate what is probably the first stable and scalable AAV production platform. This proprietary platform can be applied to a large number of rare (orphan) diseases that are caused by one faulty gene. Currently, AMT has a product pipeline with several AAV-based gene therapy products in LPLD, Hemophilia B, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Acute Intermittent Porphyria, and Parkinson's Disease at different stages of research or development. AMT was founded in 1998 and is based in Amsterdam.]]> Finance English Pharmaceuticals Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:59:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3706&cHash=c185539632756bf6217ef158d4ed9c07 Integrates ScienceDirect, Scopus and Targeted Web Content; Offers New Search and Discovery... AMSTERDAM, August 30, 2010 - Elsevier, (http://www.elsevier.com/) a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the launch of SciVerse (http://www.sciverse.com/), an innovative platform that integrates the company's key products and encourages the scientific community to collaborate on the development of customized search and discovery applications. Elsevier has committed to releasing the APIs (application programming interfaces) for all of the content on SciVerse and will offer application development support tools on the site. "SciVerse is a start of a new journey for Elsevier where we plan to provide customized search and discovery solutions and increase interoperability within our products and third party services," said Jay Katzen, Managing Director, Academic & Government Products, Elsevier. "We recognize that it is critical to involve the researchers and librarians in the creation of solutions as they are in the best position to identify and address their search and discovery challenges. By providing our content APIs later this year, we will empower researchers and developers to build custom applications to enhance their workflow and share these applications with the scientific community within SciVerse."

A multi-phased initiative aimed at accelerating science through applications targeted to specific researcher needs, at launch SciVerse will include SciVerse Hub beta, a module that integrates ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), Scopus (http://www.scopus.com/) and targeted web content from Scirus, Elsevier's science-specific Internet search engine. SciVerse Hub beta allows for a single search across its integrated content with results ranked by relevancy and without duplication, saving valuable researcher time.

Combining familiar resources with new efficiencies, SciVerse also enables interoperability among ScienceDirect, Scopus and the new SciVerse Hub beta. For example, ScienceDirect users who also subscribe to Scopus will now be able to access key author information without leaving the article, and link directly into comprehensive lists of all an author's documents and citations in Scopus.

SciVerse Hub beta will include three search and discovery applications at launch:

• Methods section search application - allows researchers to search only the methodology and protocol sections of full-text articles.
• Matching Sentences application - returns search results with the query words highlighted in the full sentence where they appear.
• Prolific Authors application - prominently displays the most prolific authors for each search result.

The initial applications offer an example of the possible solutions that can be built using content APIs and were developed by NextBio, a provider of a SaaS (Software as a Service) platform for life sciences researchers which includes ontology-based semantic tools. Elsevier began collaborating with NextBio in 2009.

Elsevier will begin rolling out its APIs on SciVerse in Q4 of this year including content APIs for ScienceDirect, Scopus, and SciVerse Hub beta. In opening up this trusted content to development by the worldwide scientific and developer communities, SciVerse will allow for collaboration on applications that meet specific researcher challenges and enable the creation of customized solutions for efficiently finding, using and re-using SciVerse content.

"As a physician scientist, there is vast amount of information that is available for potential discoveries which has limited my ability to find and consume the right information in the time I have available for research," said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, Palmetto Health/ University of South Carolina School of Medicine. "Applications that provide more intelligent results will significantly improve my workflow. I am very excited about the first SciVerse applications and eager to see new additions as the larger community begins development." For more information about SciVerse, please visit http://www.info.sciverse.com. About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com/) and Cell (http://www.cell.com/), and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), Scopus (http://www.scopus.com/ ), Reaxys (https://www.reaxys.com/), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com/) and Nursing Consult (http://www.nursingconsult.com/), which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite (http://www.scival.com/) and MEDai's Pinpoint Review (http://www.medai.com/), which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively. A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com/) employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC (http://www.reedelsevier.com/), a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).]]> Sector Research news Academic institutes Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:43:00 +0200 http://www.lifescienceshealth.com/news/news-details/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3769&cHash=30fe025e6db954df0d31b11bbdb36426 iE33 xMATRIX system offers expanded clinical applications in cardiac ultrasound imaging Stockholm, Sweden – Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) announces enhancements to the iE33 xMATRIX cardiac ultrasound system designed to provide a more complete imaging solution for adult echocardiograms. In addition to the ergonomic design of the new X5-1 transducer, which aims to improve comfort and efficiency for the clinician, the system has been developed to help advance patient care by enabling expanded cardiac-related diagnostic capabilities related to ischemic disease detection, structural heart disease assessment, as well as systolic and diastolic heart failure and arrhythmia. These new features, which benefit both clinicians and patients, will be displayed at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Stockholm, August 28 through September 1.

“The new iE33 xMATRIX ultrasound system represents a significant breakthrough in ultrasound; technology that gives clinicians new diagnostic tools and helps them examine patients more quickly,” said Andrew Hatt, interim general manager, Ultrasound, for Philips Healthcare. “In addition, clinicians who have experienced scanning fatigue will appreciate that the X5-1 transducer combines the ergonomics of 2D transducers with the three-dimensional technology they need, to make the most informed patient care decisions possible.”

Continuing the tradition of simplified, patient-focused healthcare solutions, new features of the iE33 xMATRIX ultrasound system include outstanding 2D and 3D image quality utilizing a single transducer, near instantaneous acquisition of 3D volumes, new 3D workflow tools and visualized color Doppler flow pattern during 3D exams. With the X5-1 and iRotate, a clinician can more easily obtain challenging 2D views, such as apical two-chamber. Rather than manually rotating the transducer and searching for a window that isn’t obscured by ribs, rotation is achieved electronically to maintain the best acoustical window. When used in stress echo, iRotate allows clinicians to complete an entire stress echo protocol from the standard windows following peak exertion without rotating the X5-1 transducer.

The iE33 xMATRIX ultrasound system also offers a 3D stress echo solution that can be incorporated with conventional 2D stress echo. After acquiring a volume, clinicians can then use the system’s advanced iSlice software to obtain short axis views of the heart’s apex. This constitutes additional clinical information that is not routinely obtained by ultrasound. More information can be found at: http://bit.ly/PhilipsatESC2010.]]> Diagnostics Medical devices English Sat, 28 Aug 2010 10:56:00 +0200