StemCell Therapy

A few days ago, I predicted that there would be few if any surprises with Illumina's (NASDAQ:ILMN) fourth-quarter results. This was an easy prediction to make: Illumina CEO Francis deSouza's presentation at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference earlier this month included some sneak peeks at the company's Q4 performance.

Illumina announced its Q4 results after the market closed on Wednesday. I was right that there wouldn't be many surprises. But there was one twist. Here are the three most important things to know about Illumina's Q4 results.

Image source: Getty Images.

Illumina reported Q4 revenue of $953 million, up 10% year over year. This figure was well above the consensus analysts' revenue estimate of $942.9 million. However, Wall Street analysts made their Q4 projections prior to deSouza's presentation at the J.P. Morgan conference.

DeSouza told conference attendees that Illumina expected to report Q4 revenue of around $950 million. The company's actual revenue total came in slightly higher than that level.

Product revenue increased by 10% year over year to $812 million, with solid sales for NovaSeq and NextSeq. Services and other revenue rose by 9.3% year over year to $141 million. As anticipated, headwinds in the direct-to-consumer market weighed on Illumina's overall growth.

DeSouza didn't provide a hint about what Illumina's Q4 earnings would be. The average analysts' estimate projected that the company would generate adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.58. Illumina handily beat that estimate, though, announcing Q4 adjusted EPS of $1.70 -- up nearly 29% year over year.

I wrote earlier this week, "If there's anything unexpected in Illumina's Q4 results, it will probably be related to expenses that impact the bottom line." And that's exactly where the one surprise in the company's quarterly update occurred.

Illumina's total operating costs were basically flat year over year thanks largely to an 8.5% decline in research and development expenses. This, combined with a $15 million reduction in cost of service and other revenue, helped boost the company's bottom line.

Illumina projects full-year 2020 revenue growth of between 9% and 11%. The company expects earnings per diluted share between $6.45 and $6.65 based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), with non-GAAP EPS between $6.80 and $7.00.

The company's guidance didn't contain any surprises. DeSouza said at the J.P. Morgan conference that Illumina expected to deliver revenue growth in the 9% to 11% range for full-year 2020. Wall Street analysts were expecting full-year adjusted EPS to come in between $6.80 and $7.00, with the average analysts' estimate slightly above the midpoint of the range.

Francis deSouza said that Illumina's management believes "that this is the decade that genomics becomes available to cancer and genetic disease patients on a mass scale and integrates into standard of care." That view could very well be right.Genomic sequencing is a critical part of personalized medicine. Increasingly more new drugs are being developed that target specific types of cancer and that rely on sequencing.

Illumina's dominant position in the genomic sequencing market and its decades of leadership make it the player to beat in capitalizing on the growth that should be on the way. However, the company has some vulnerabilities, notably including its lack of expertise in long-read sequencing. The planned acquisition of Pacific Biosciences of Californiawould have addressed this issue, but it's now off the table.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Illumina is that, as a growth stock, investors expect higher revenue and earnings growth than the company will be able to deliver over the short term. This could put a damper on the stock at least temporarily. But if deSouza's optimistic view of the future proves to be accurate and Illumina can deliver on its potential, the one-time high-flying stock should take off yet again.

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The 3 Most Important Things to Know About Illumina's Q4 Results - Motley Fool

This interview is a translation of a video discussion posted on Medscape France. It has been edited for clarity.

Michel Zeitouni, MD, MSc: Hello. I am Michel Zeitouni, a cardiologist at the Piti-Salptrire Hospital and a researcher with the organization ACTION Cur (Allies in Cardiovascular Trials, Initiatives and Organized Networks). Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Prof Jean-Claude Tardif to Medscape; we are speaking from the American Heart Association (AHA) 2019 meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Prof Tardif is the research director at the Montreal Heart Institute. He presented a study that made a lot of noise at the AHA, the COLCOT study. COLCOT included more than 4000 patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and found a reduction in cardiovascular events in those who received colchicine compared with the placebo group. Prof Tardif, tell us about the results.

Jean-Claude Tardif, MD: Colchicine is a potent anti-inflammatory drug, and there is an accumulation of data suggesting that inflammation is relevant to the progression of atherosclerosis. The COLCOT study included 4745 patients who were recruited within 30 days of their MI. They all received two antiplatelet agents and a statin, and they underwent angioplasty if necessary. Then they were assigned colchicine at a low dose of 0.5 mg/day or placebo. The average follow-up was 23 months, and we found a 23% reduction in the primary efficacy outcome, which was the combination of cardiovascular death, resuscitated cardiac arrest, MI, stroke, or urgent hospitalization for angina requiring revascularization.

Zeitouni: The inflammation pathway has been in the spotlight ever since the CANTOS study, which used canakinumab, a drug that we have known well for decades and with which we found some benefits for patients with MI. You also looked at tolerability, since it's a question we ask about colchicine; ultimately, it was tolerated rather well.

Tardif: Perhaps it's in part because we used a low dose of 0.5 mg/day, but we saw no difference in the incidence of adverse effects of any cause or severity, and no difference in the occurrence of diarrhea compared with placebo. There was a very slight increase in nausea, with 1.8% in the active group vs 1.0% in the placebo group. There also was a little more pneumonia in the colchicine group (0.9% vs 0.4%).

Zeitouni: You used a rather broad composite endpoint and saw a consistent effect on each component. One thing that struck those who saw your presentation was colchicines effect on stroke. How do you explain the reduction in stroke? Do you anticipate a COLCOT STROKE study?

Tardif: I'm not sure I have all the answers, but we were not the first to see this. There was a meta-analysis of very small, previously published studies that also suggested a benefit for stroke. Now, is this an anti-atherosclerotic effect related to the anti-inflammatory effect of colchicine? Is it an effect that has something to do specifically with the cerebral arteries? Could there be unsuspected effects on central blood pressure? This remains to be seen. It opens up questions that have yet to be answered but deserve to be tested in clinical trials. So, yes, there will be clinical studies on colchicine in stroke.

Zeitouni: Someone mentioned COLCOT-2 in one of the late-breaking trials. Would you tell us about this trial? Colchicine will be used in primary prevention for diabetics.

Tardif: Exactly. Now that COLCOT-1 has been conducted in patients with a recent MI, there is another study called LoDoCo2, in patients with stable coronary disease, that will be presented in 2020. The next frontier will be the high-risk, primary-prevention patients in what we call COLCOT-T2D. This study will involve 10,000 patients with type 2 diabetes who do not have known coronary heart disease. We will assess cardiovascular efficacy, but we will also look at the occurrence of cancer, cognitive disorders, and dementia, because we will be following these patients for 4 years; the COLCOT-1 patients were followed for an average of 23 months.

Zeitouni: So, colchicine may be the new aspirin in these high-risk patients. You saw a reduction in infarct size in the acute phase or the time of remodeling, and a reduction, perhaps, in rhythm disorders. How do you explain the effectiveness?

Tardif: I believe that it is an anti-atherosclerotic effect via the anti-inflammatory effect. I say this because patients were, on average, 13 days post-MI. And when we look at the time at which the events occurthe effect on the stroke, the effect on urgent hospitalizations for anginait seems more related to the anti-atherosclerotic effect than to an effect on ventricular remodeling.

Zeitouni: Another study that was presented at AHA was COLCHICINE-PCI. Those investigators studied patients undergoing angioplasty, to learn whether the administration of colchicine reduced the rate of infarction or periprocedural myocardial damage. The outcomes assessed were biomarkers of myocardial injury. They did not find any difference in these markers, but they did find that inflammation decreased in the colchicine arm as measured by interleukin-6 levels. What are your thoughts on this? Is there a role for colchicine in angioplasty to reduce periprocedural events?

Tardif: The concept was interesting. I think there were, unfortunately, significant methodologic problems in COLCHICINE-PCI. First, the study included only about 400 patients, so the power was extremely limited. Second, the investigators chose to give only one dose of colchicine before angioplasty and not to repeat it afterwards. It was unlikely that we would see any significant longer-term effects. In contrast, COLCOT had not 400 but 4700 patients, and we treated the patients for 23 months. I am struggling to learn from COLCHICINE-PCI. If we want to repeat the experiment, we should do it with longer treatment duration. The finding of a reduction in periprocedural inflammation is the interesting part for me.

Zeitouni: With all of these results from COLCOT, are we a step further in the fight against the residual risk of our coronary patients. Which postinfarction patients would you treat and for how long?

Tardif: First, which patients? If you remember, at the trial presentation people were saying, "Oh, my goodness, are we now going to add another drug on top of the two antiplatelet agents, the statin, and maybe even an ACE inhibitor?" My answer is, really, is this the most intelligent way to practice medicine?

Zeitouni: It should be personalized.

Tardif: Exactly. Instead of saying, "We will give all medicines to everyone," why not try to tailor them by clinical characteristics? We will obviously do subgroup analyses in COLCOT. It is important to understand that not all the data were analyzed because it became available only a few weeks before the conference. We had put a manuscript together for the New England Journal of Medicine and for the AHA presentation. However, we have work to do in the coming months, analyzing the subgroups as well as others, looking at biomarkersis there a particular genetic profile that could show us the patients who would benefit from colchicine?

Personally, I think it's a bad idea to say that we will give six drugs to everyone. In some patients the disease will be mediated by inflammation, whereas in others it will be mediated by diabetes. So I believe it will be necessary to move toward personalized medicine.

Zeitouni: Precisely, with patients who have inflammation and progressive atherothrombotic disease, and occasionally with some young people, who also relapse despite optimal medical treatment. We have a drug now that is well tolerated, accessible, and with strong evidence.

Tardif: I think we could give it to everyone, but with any medications we give, we should make an effort to understand who in particular benefits.

As to your question about duration of treatment, the average follow-up was 23 months, so perhaps we should treat these patients for 2 years. As I noted, COLCOT-T2D will follow patients for 4 years, but for now I would recommend at least 2 years of treatment.

Zeitouni: Prof Tardif, thank you very much for your explanations and for this study, which will improve the prognosis of our patients. We now know more about inflammation and atherothrombosis, thanks to this type of research.

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Could Colchicine Be the New Aspirin? - Medscape

Believe it or not, here we are: already just a month-plus away from the biggest and best health IT show in the world. It's time to formulate a plan of action.

The HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition, which takes place March 9-13 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

HIMSS20, as veteran conference-goers know, offers a unique opportunity to spend a week hobnobbing with some 45,000 or so of your closest friends. It plays host to health IT professionals of all stripes: vendors, clinicians, health system executives, policymakers, military health leaders, patient advocates and other healthcare professionals from across the globe.

Its 300-plus education sessions offer not just continuing ed credits but invaluable perspectives and best practices from industry experts tackling the biggest challenges in healthcare. Its slate of well-known keynote speakers bring galvanizing words to spark inspiration. It social and networking opportunities are terrific opportunities to share and learn from innovative new ideas.

As veteran conference-goers also know, careful planning of one's time in Orlando is key to getting the most out of all that activity. With so much going on at once across the sprawling convention center, having a flexible but well-considered to-do list is essential.

Beyond some of the obvious points that are repeated each year wear comfortable shoes, as they will log many miles! here's some other advice and information to get the most from your conference experience.

For those heading to HIMSS20 for the first time, its guide for first time attendees is a must-read.

Among its key tips: Book hotels early! (HIMSS suggests making reservations through OnPeak, its official housing company.) HIMSS also offers an orientation webinar that will take place a week to 10 days before the show.

The HIMSS20 guide also offers other key advice: badge pickup, education certification, onsite information desk and complimentary shuttle service to hotels and the airport.

Full conference registration includes entry to the Monday night opening reception, all keynote and Views from the Top sessions, all general education sessions between March 10 and March 12, as well as access to the exhibition floor for those days.

But an extra fee gains access to a jam-packed day of preconference education and networking on Monday, March 9.

There are stalwarts such as the CHIME-HIMSS CIO Forum, the AMDIS/HIMSS Physicians Executive Symposium and the Nursing Informatics Symposium, of course.

But there are plenty of other daylong sessions to pique the interest of professionals from all corners of the healthcare space: aging technology and AI, big data and blockchain, cloud and consumerism and much, much more.

HIMSS20 gets started in earnest on Tuesday, March 10, with the opening keynote and discussion: Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic, George Halvorson, chair and CEO of the Institute for InterGroup Understanding and Dr. Rod Hochman, president & CEO, Providence St. Joseph Health will talk "Digital Health Transformation: The Path Forward."

Throughout the week, other big names scheduled to give keynotes include National Coordinator for Health IT Dr. Donald Rucker, CMS Administrator Seema Verma, former Governors Chris Christie and Terry McAuliffe and baseball great Alex Rodriguez.

When it comes to education sessions, there's no shortage of them. High-level View from the Top presentations will offer industry leaders discussing everything from AI to APIs, value-based care to virtual reality.

And the hundreds of other education session taking place during the week use this handy search function to find the ones most relevant for you cover nearly every topic imaginable: cybersecurity, interoperability, organizational change management, personalized medicine, population health, quality improvement, user experience, venture investment, and much more.

The beating heart of HIMSS20 will be the Exhibition Floor, with more than 1,300 vendors showing the latest in technology innovation, hundreds more targeted education sessions and more pedestrian traffic than some mid-sized cities. Plan your perambulation with this interactive map.

Attendees should also be sure to stop by any or all of the many Specialty Pavilions, such as the Career Expo, Cybersecurity Command Center, Debut Square, Innovation Live, University Row and, of course, the venerable Intelligent Health Pavilion and Interoperability Showcase.

Throughout the week, be sure to keep an eye on social media, too. HIMSS and Healthcare IT News will be offering a stream on new updates via Facebook and Twitter, so follow the hashtag #HIMSS20 for all the latest. Following the feeds of HIMSS' newest class of Digital Influencers is another great way to stay in the loop with all the latest buzz.

The official HIMSS Global Health Conference Mobile App expected to be made available in February is another must-download, with all the info on educational sessions, exhibitor listings, floor maps, news, networking opportunities and more.

And speaking of networking events there's a ton of them on tap for Orlando in March: an array of receptions, meet-ups, community events, HIMSS chapter confabs, the annual awards gala, and many more. See a full listing here.

HIMSS20 takes place March 9-13 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

Continued here:
Some helpful tips to survive and thrive at HIMSS20 - Healthcare IT News

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Predictive Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:POAI) ("Predictive Oncology" or "the Company"), a knowledge-driven company focused on applying artificial intelligence ("AI") to personalized medicine and drug discovery, today announces it has signed a letter of intent to acquire Quantitative Medicine (QM).

Dr. Carl Schwartz, president and CEO of Predictive Oncology, believes the synergies created by the acquisition, if completed, will help the Company accelerate the commercialization of its AI-driven technology and services, "By coupling QM's CoRE predictive modeling platform with our tumor profiling expertise and data we believe we can revolutionize the way precision therapies are developed, said Dr. Schwartz."

QM is a biomedical analytics and computational biology company, founded by Dr. Robert Murphy and Dr. Joshua Kangas, both of Carnegie Mellon University, that has developed a novel, computational drug discovery platform called CoRE. CoRE is designed to dramatically reduce the time, cost and financial risk of discovering new therapeutic drugs by predicting the main effects of drugs on target molecules that mediate disease.

Predictive Oncology's Helomics division has built an AI knowledgebase of drug response profiles from over 150,000 cancer cases, Using AI to leverage that data the information can now be integrated with CoRE to build robust predictive models of how specific types of tumors will react to cancer drug therapies.

"Our goal is to provide researchers in pharma, biopharma and diagnostic companies' with actionable insights that will not only drive the development of new precision therapies, companion diagnostics, and biomarkers, but will also help them design better targeted trials," concluded Schwartz. "Working together, we have the potential to dramatically improve patient outcomes." The transaction is expected to complete in Q1-2020.

Completion of the transaction, which is expected to be completed in the first two quarters of 2020, is subject to the negotiation of a definitive agreement and other terms and conditions.

About Predictive Oncology Inc.

Predictive Oncology (NASDAQ:POAI) operates through five segments (Domestic, International, Clinical, CRO and DCHIP), which contain four subsidiaries; Helomics, TumorGenesis, Skyline Medical and Skyline Europe. Helomics applies artificial intelligence to its rich data gathered from patient tumors to both personalize cancer therapies for patients and drive the development of new targeted therapies in collaborations with pharmaceutical companies. Helomics' CLIA-certified lab provides clinical testing that assists oncologists in individualizing patient treatment decisions, by providing an evidence-based roadmap for therapy. In addition to its proprietary precision oncology platform, Helomics offers boutique CRO services that leverage its TruTumor, patient-derived tumor models coupled to a wide range of multi-omics assays (genomics, proteomics and biochemical), and an AI-powered proprietary bioinformatics platform (D- CHIP) to provide a tailored solution to its clients' specific needs. Predictive Oncology's TumorGenesis subsidiary is developing a new rapid approach to growing tumors in the laboratory, which essentially "fools" cancer cells into thinking they are still growing inside a patient. Its proprietary Oncology Discovery Technology Platform kits will assist researchers and clinicians to identify which cancer cells bind to specific biomarkers. Once the biomarkers are identified they can be used in TumorGenesis' Oncology Capture Technology Platforms which isolate and help categorize an individual patient's heterogeneous tumor samples to enable the development of patient specific treatment options. Helomics and TumorGenesis are focused on ovarian cancer. Predictive Oncology's Skyline Medical division markets its patented and FDA cleared STREAMWAY System, which automates the collection, measurement and disposal of waste fluid, including blood, irrigation fluid and others, within a medical facility, through both domestic and international divisions. The company has achieved sales in five of the seven continents through both direct sales and distributor partners. For more information, please visit http://www.predictive-oncology.com.

About Quantitative Medicine Inc.

Quantitative Medicine is a biomedical analytics and computational biology company offering a novel drug discovery platform which dramatically reduces the time, cost and financial risk of discovering new therapeutic drugs by predicting: the main effects of drugs on target molecules that mediate disease; the effects of drugs on other molecules or pathways in the body that could mediate adverse effects; as well as the interaction of these with underlying genetic variations. The platform identifies similarities in relationships of drug candidates screened against a diverse matrix of pathogenic, cellular, molecular and/or systems biology targets. By iteratively adding new data from other existing research or additional experiments, the predictive model is improved. More accurate predictions can be made for previously unobserved effects of putative compounds on target molecules. "Because of the complexity of biological systems, cutting-edge machine-learning methods will be critical for future drug discovery and development."www.qtmed.com

Forward-looking Statements

Certain of the matters discussed in the press release contain forward-looking statements that involve material risks to and uncertainties in the Company's business that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements made herein. Risks and uncertainties relating to a transaction with Quantitative Medicine include no assurance that a transaction will be completed or, if completed, no assurance that the acquisition of Quantitative Medicine would result in anticipated benefits. Further, the acquisition could involve unanticipated costs, distractions to Company management or other risks or adverse effects, and any issuance of equity securities in the transaction would result in dilution to the Company's stockholders, which may be significant. Other risks and uncertainties regarding the Company's securities include (i) risks related to the recent merger with Helomics, including the fact that the combined company will not be able to continue operating without additional financing; possible failure to realize anticipated benefits of the merger; costs associated with the merger may be higher than expected; the merger may result in disruption of the Company's and Helomics' existing businesses, distraction of management and diversion of resources; and the market price of the Company's common stock may decline as a result of the merger; (ii) risks related to our partnerships with other companies, including the need to negotiate the definitive agreements; possible failure to realize anticipated benefits of these partnerships; and costs of providing funding to our partner companies, which may never be repaid or provide anticipated returns; and (iii) other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company that include, among other things, current negative operating cash flows and a need for additional funding to finance our operating plan; the terms of any further financing, which may be highly dilutive and may include onerous terms; unexpected costs and operating deficits, and lower than expected sales and revenues; sales cycles that can be longer than expected, resulting in delays in projected sales or failure to make such sales; uncertain willingness and ability of customers to adopt new technologies and other factors that may affect further market acceptance, if our product is not accepted by our potential customers, it is unlikely that we will ever become profitable; adverse economic conditions; adverse results of any legal proceedings; the volatility of our operating results and financial condition; inability to attract or retain qualified senior management personnel, including sales and marketing personnel; our ability to establish and maintain the proprietary nature of our technology through the patent process, as well as our ability to possibly license from others patents and patent applications necessary to develop products; Predictive's ability to implement its long range business plan for various applications of its technology; Predictive's ability to enter into agreements with any necessary marketing and/or distribution partners and with any strategic or joint venture partners; the impact of competition, the obtaining and maintenance of any necessary regulatory clearances applicable to applications of Predictive's technology; and management of growth and other risks and uncertainties that may be detailed from time to time in the Company's reports filed with the SEC, which are available for review at http://www.sec.gov. This is not a solicitation to buy or sell securities and does not purport to be an analysis of Predictive's financial position. See Predictive's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and subsequent reports and other filings at http://www.sec.gov.

Contact:

Bob Myers651-389-4800bmyers@skylinemedical.com

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Predictive Oncology Inc. Signs Letter of Intent to Acquire Quantitative Medicine (qtmed.com) and an AI Engine (CoRE) that Facilitates Accelerated Drug...

LUND, Sweden, January 28, 2020 / B3C newswire / -- SAGA Diagnostics AB, a cancer liquid biopsy and genomic testing company focused on precision oncology and non-invasive ultrasensitive monitoring of cancer patients, today announces it has entered service agreements with the international pharmaceutical company Servier, based in Paris, France.

These deals exemplify the increased demand we are experiencing for our offerings of ultrasensitive cancer analysis services and analysis kits. We are excited to be working with Servier, who continues to choose us for important translational oncology projects. Lao Saal, CEO of SAGA Diagnostics.

The collaboration will be covering a total of three preclinical/clinical studies and is scheduled to run for approximately two years. In the course of these projects, SAGA Diagnostics will be developing assays and performing liquid biopsy tests on patients from multiple Servier clinical studies using the SAGAsafe technology (formerly known as IBSAFE) to identify and quantify circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA).

SAGAsafe technology is a patented improvement of digital PCR that enables approximately 100-fold increased sensitivity compared to competitor methods, and can be used to quantify mutations in tissue samples as well as liquid biopsies such as blood plasma with unprecedented performance to a limit of detection of ~0.001% mutant allele frequency. The analyses will be run in the SAGA Diagnostics central laboratory in Lund, Sweden.

We have been impressed by the service and ultra-sensitivity performance of SAGAsafes analyses and are looking forward to continue working together. Involving the SAGAsafe technology in these studies means that Servier will now be able to monitor effects at an earlier stage ensuring that we do not miss out on any insights. Brian Lockhart, Director of CentEx-Biotechnology, Servier.

SAGAsafe is part of a portfolio of ultrasensitive technologies, which also includes SAGAsign (formerly known as KROMA) for monitoring chromosomal rearrangements, as well as novel technologies in development. SAGA offers both off-the-shelf analysis services and kits as well as custom-tailored solutions to fit customers needs. SAGAs molecular tools are being used in clinical trials and hospitals for detecting actionable mutations, monitoring treatment response, measuring minimal residual disease, and identifying resistance mechanisms to help direct therapy.

About SAGA Diagnostics ABSAGA Diagnostics AB is a personalized cancer genomics and disease monitoring company that offers molecular genetic testing of tissue biopsies and non-invasive liquid biopsies such as blood samples. With SAGAsafe and SAGAsign services and kits, SAGA helps pharmaceutical companies, scientists, and healthcare providers to detect actionable mutations, stratify patient groups, and monitor treatment response more accurately and to an industry-leading lower limit of detection of 0.001%. Analysis of circulating tumor DNA using these proprietary technologies gives SAGA unique ultrasensitivity, and gives patients peace of mind.Follow us on Twitter@SAGAdiagnosticsandLinkedIn.

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ke Nilsson, BD Director This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.+46 733 01 72 42

Keywords: Circulating Tumor DNA; Neoplasm, Residual; Limit of Detection; Precision Medicine; Liquid Biopsy; Medical Oncology; Genetic Testing; Pharmaceutical Preparations

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SAGA Diagnostics Extends its Collaboration with Servier to Use Ultrasensitive SAGAsafe Technology in Cancer Clinical Trials - b3c newswire

This collaboration is helping us accelerate our search for precision biomarkers to prognosticate disease course and to guide early and effective personalized treatment decisions in Crohns disease patients.

BASEL, Switzerland (PRWEB) January 30, 2020

Genedata, the leading provider of enterprise software solutions for biopharmaceutical R&D, today announced the successful completion of a Data Science Services project in support of the Crohns & Colitis Foundations mission to advance precision medicines for Crohns disease and to improve patients quality of life. Researchers and clinicians collaborated with Genedata data scientists to integrate and analyze multi-omic and clinical data collected from large cohorts of patients with Crohns disease, to identify the most informative biomarkers that can be used to assess the risk to develop serious complications requiring surgery within five years after diagnosis. The combination of certain clinical parameters and specific omic biomarkers has the potential to lead to significant improvement in Crohns disease patient care.

The Crohns & Colitis Foundation, the leading non-profit organization focused on research and patient care in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) for over 50 years, serves as a hub for Crohns disease research with the largest collection of IBD patient data from institutions around the world. To achieve the goal of accelerating treatments and cures, the Crohns & Colitis Foundation looked for a partner to leverage the multitude of longitudinal clinical and molecular data from different omic technologies from large Crohns disease cohorts. In choosing Genedata as its partner to integrate and analyze their vast collection of clinical and high-dimensional molecular data, the Crohns & Colitis Foundation recognized the firms extensive domain expertise gleaned over more than 20 years, along with the benefits offered by its unique precision medicine software platform for translational and clinical research, Genedata Profiler. The Genedata team of expert bioinformaticians leveraged these resources to deliver actionable results that could be used to develop a diagnostic product.

Crohns disease is a chronic, often debilitating disease, for which there is currently no cure. Despite several treatment options, currently we lack predictive tests to determine the optimal treatment strategy early in the disease process, when the opportunity to improve outcomes is greatest. There is a significant unmet need to advance new diagnostic tools to enable precision medicine approaches and to optimize patient care according to the severity of the disease course, said Andrs Hurtado-Lorenzo, Ph.D., Senior Director of Translational Research at the Crohns & Colitis Foundation. We decided to implement cutting-edge data analysis methods to integrate clinical and genomic data from patients, as a strategy to advance our biomarker research efforts. We are pleased to have found in Genedata a trusted and reliable partner who provided us with expert knowledge in big multi-omic data analysis. This collaboration is helping us accelerate our search for precision biomarkers to prognosticate disease course and to guide early and effective personalized treatment decisions in Crohns disease patients.

Commenting on the successful completion of the recent project, the CEO of Genedata, Othmar Pfannes, Ph.D., said, The volume and complexity of multi-omic data together with clinical data is growingly rapidly and is challenging to analyze. Our Data Science Services together with our Genedata Profiler platform is set up to address this challenge and to enable our partners to make data-informed decisions on a per-project basis without having to build their own data infrastructure or hire data scientists. Dr. Pfannes continued, We are proud that our expertise has been helpful to the Crohns & Colitis Foundation.

About the Crohns & Colitis FoundationThe Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is the leading non-profit organization focused on both research and patient support for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The Foundations mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life for the more than 3 million Americans living with IBD. Its work is dramatically accelerating the research process through its database and investment initiatives; the Foundation also provides extensive educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public. For more information, visit http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org, call +1-888-694-8872, or email info@crohnscolitisfoundation.org.

About GenedataGenedata transforms data into intelligence with innovative software solutions and domain-specific consulting services that automate complex, large-scale experimental processes and enable organizations to maximize the ROI in their R&D, spanning early discovery all the way to the clinic. Founded in 1997, Genedata is headquartered in Switzerland with additional offices in Germany, Japan, Singapore, the UK, and the US. http://www.genedata.comLinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube

ContactMiles Fisher-PollardGenedataPublic RelationsPhone: +41 61 511 85 61pr@genedata.com

DisclaimerThe statements in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with uncertainties related to contract cancellations, developing risks, competitive factors, uncertainties pertaining to customer orders, demand for products and services, development of markets for the Company's products and services. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

All product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

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Genedata and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Collaborate to Improve Patient Care in Crohn's Disease - PR Web

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Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/29/2020 -- Intermountain Precision Genomics continues to expand cancer testing through advancements to TheraMap, a test for advanced-stage cancer patients. The new TheraMap test expands the ability to examine a tumor's DNA to provide individualized treatment options.

Cancer is caused by changes in DNA that can make a normal cell become cancerous. Utilizing state-of-the-art genomic technology, TheraMap analyzes and interprets what changes, or gene mutations are present in a patient's tumor DNA.

With the ability to detect important mutation types across more than 500 genes relevant to cancer treatment, relevant gene fusion events including NTRK fusions, and important microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) biomarkers, TheraMap results can be used to personalize treatment for each patient.

In addition to its significant gene panel, another feature that sets TheraMap aside from other cancer tests is the molecular tumor board, a multi-institutional group of clinical experts and precision medicine leaders who review the solid tumor results and provide oncologists with recommendations for specific therapies and treatments.

"Our unique process analyzes the genetic makeup of a patient's cancer and employs a team of skilled Molecular Tumor Specialists to review each solid tumor test and determine how to most effectively treat that cancer case," said Lincoln Nadauld, MD, PhD, oncologist and chief of Precision Health and Genomics at Intermountain Healthcare. "Our team approach gives oncologists confidence, information, and support they need to prepare a customized, targeted treatment plan for each patient."

When compared to traditional diagnostic tests and treatment, TheraMap's methods provide significantly better results for patients at lower overall healthcare costs something patient Jeffery Layne appreciates.

In January 2018, Layne was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer that had spread to other parts of his body and was told that he would have six months to two years to live. Layne's oncologist, Derrick Haslem, MD, associate medical director for the Intermountain Healthcare Oncology Clinical Program, recommended that he try TheraMap.

"The TheraMap test helped to determine exactly what gene mutations were causing Mr. Layne's cancer, allowing us to create an individualized plan for him," said Dr. Haslem.

Utilizing TheraMap's results, Dr. Haslem discovered Layne would be a good candidate for immunotherapy treatment, a personalized infusion that boosts the body's own immune system to fight cancer.

Layne showed a quick response to the treatment with masses under his arms shrinking almost immediately. After just two months of immunotherapy, the masses disappeared and tumors on his lungs were significantly smaller.

"They've come so far in being able to diagnose the problems related to cancer, it's just amazing," said Layne. "As a cancer patient, watching all the progress in precision medicine and cancer research is really encouraging."

Two years later, Layne continues to improve while painting and spending time with his grandkids. View more about Jeffrey Layne's story.

"Intermountain Precision Genomics is pleased with the advances in TheraMap that will continue to help our advanced-cancer patients see better results, which are longer lives and overall improved quality of life," said Dr. Nadauld.

Visit intermountainhealthcare.org/abouttheramap for more information about TheraMap testing.

About Intermountain Precision GenomicsIntermountain Precision Genomics is transforming healthcare by targeting treatment to deliver the highest quality care at some of the lowest costs in the nation, all while helping people live the healthiest lives possible. Intermountain Precision Genomics is a service of Intermountain Healthcare, a system widely recognized as a leader in clinical quality improvement and efficient healthcare delivery. For more information about Intermountain Precision Genomics, please visit intermountainhealthcare.org/genomics.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/intermountain-precision-genomics-announces-advancements-in-personalized-cancer-care-with-expanded-theramap-test-1273295.htm

Link:
Intermountain Precision Genomics Announces Advancements in Personalized Cancer Care with Expanded TheraMap Test - Press Release - Digital Journal

Fifteen additional U.S. airports will begin screening for travelers who may carry the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV),the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today (Jan. 28).

As the total number of confirmed cases in China continues to climb, U.S. health officials aim to prevent an outbreak at home while studying the newfound disease and developing treatments. "At this point, Americans should not worry for their own safety," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said during a news briefing today. For "the individual American, this should not [have] impact on their day-to-day life."

The purpose of expanding screenings from five airports to 20 is to identify ill passengers returning from China, and to educate travelers about symptoms of the coronavirus so that individuals can seek medical attention if they suspect they may be infected, added Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Local and state health officials, directed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), remain on the lookout for travelers with signs of respiratory illness or fever who either traveled to China recently or could have made contact with an infected person. In addition, close contacts of infected individuals are being monitored for signs of developing illness; this precaution will help the CDC to catch additional cases and understand how the disease progresses through time, Messonnier said.

"The coming days and weeks are likely to bring more confirmed cases," as well as potential reports of human-to-human transmission within the U.S., said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield. But as of yet, "there is no spread of this virus in our communities here at home," he said.

Related: 10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species

Besides preventing a potential outbreak, CDC officials are developing diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative measures to take down the new virus. Chinese health officials have made the genetic sequence of the virus available online, and using that information, the CDC developed a "rapid" diagnostic test. The agency plans to share the test with domestic and international partners after verifying its accuracy.

As far as treating the viral infection goes, currently, "there is no proven therapy for coronavirus infection," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In China, a select number of patients are being treated with antiviral drugs, including Remdesivir, which was initially developed as an Ebola treatment, and a drug called Kaletra, made of two separate antiviral medications.

"There's no proven efficacy of these" against the new coronavirus, Fauci said. "That is why it's so important that we get isolates of the virus."

By gathering these isolates, or samples, of the virus from infected people, CDC officials hope to design a therapy that will train patients immune cells to detect and destroy the virus, Facui said. Similar treatments, known as monoclonal antibody therapies, were developed for the coronaviruses that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), but were only tested in petri dishes and animal models, he said. These in-development treatments also could potentially treat the new virus, but likely wouldn't target the bug specifically enough to be particularly effective, Fauci said.

The more isolates of the new virus the CDC can procure, the more "robust" and specific its treatment solutions will be, Azar added. The agency hopes to deploy representatives on the ground in China to study isolates from infected people at the epicenter of the outbreak. The Chinese government will allow international experts from the World Health Organization to work on "increasing understanding of the outbreak to guide global response efforts," according to a statement published Jan. 28. The extent of U.S. involvement has not been clarified yet.

Related: Top 10 Mysterious Diseases

In the meantime, CDC officials are already in the midst of developing a candidate vaccine to innoculate individuals against the new virus. Using the data shared by Chinese health officials, the agency identified a "glycoprotein spike" on the virus' surface that enables the bug to enter host cells. The spike shall serve as an "immunogen" for the vaccine, meaning that the medicine will recognize the virus by binding to the structure, Fauci said.

Fauci said that he predicts, "with some cautious optimism," that the CDC could launch aPhase 1 clinical trial of a potential vaccine within the next three months. This initial trial would test the safety of the vaccine; assuming that the results are positive, the agency would then evaluate the state of the outbreak before proceeding to a larger safety and efficacy trial.

"We are proceeding as if we have to deploy a vaccine we are looking at the worst scenario, that this becomes a bigger outbreak," Fauci said.

As compared to their secretive stance during the 2003 SARS epidemic, Chinese health officials have been "cooperative" in meetings with the CDC and other international partners, and forthright with sharing information, Azar noted. Thanks to this transparency, "within one week, the CDC had invented a rapid diagnostic test. Within two weeks, we have a candidate vaccine that we're working on," he said.

That said, the virus continues to spread rapidly in China, and until the U.S. can deploy researchers to the scene, health officials can only work with the data they have at home. Continued transparency is needed to answer important questions about 2019-nCoV, including where the virus came from, whether asymptomatic people can transmit the infection, and how many cases have truly occurred so far, Azar said.

Originally published on Live Science.

See more here:
Coronavirus screening expands to 20 US airports; researchers start work on a new vaccine - Livescience.com

Dr. McKibbens first-hand knowledge and experience in pediatric therapies, pediatric trials, preventative medicine, and clinical regulatory strategy, both at the FDA and in the Industry, make her an excellent addition to our team of Expert Consultants.

ROCHELLE, Va. (PRWEB) January 29, 2020

NDA Partners Chairman Carl Peck, MD, announced today that Dr. Linda McKibben, a former Pediatric Medical Officer/Clinical Reviewer in the Division of Vaccines and Related Products at the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), has joined the firm as an Expert Consultant. Dr. McKibbens expertise includes pediatric therapies, pediatric trials, preventative medicine, public health, health policy, and clinical regulatory strategy.

Prior to joining the FDA, Dr. McKibben served in multiple roles at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as Senior Advisor for Health Services Research at the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Senior Medical Officer in the Office of HealthCare Partnerships (OHP), and Medical Epidemiologist at the National Center for Prevention of Injuries (NCIPC). She has also served as a Senior Policy Analyst/Medical Director of Altarum Institute (Alexandria, Virginia), and Vice President of Health Policy at The Lewin Group (Falls Church, Virginia).

Most recently, she served as a Clinical Trials Medical Consultant for Ripple Effect Communications, where she supported the Deputy Director of Extramural Research at NIHs National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, and as a Medical Consultant in the Integrated Product Development Division of PAREXEL Consulting.

According to Dr. Carl Peck, Dr. McKibbens first-hand knowledge and experience in pediatric therapies, pediatric trials, preventative medicine, and clinical regulatory strategy, both at the FDA and in the Industry, make her an excellent addition to our team of Expert Consultants. We are very pleased to welcome her to NDA Partners.

Dr. McKibben earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, Doctor of Public Health degree in Health Policy from the University of Michigan, Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University, School of Public Health, and bachelors degree in microbiology/pre-medicine from the University of Georgia. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and board certified in preventative medicine.

About NDA PartnersNDA Partners is a life sciences management consulting and contract development organization (CDO) focused on providing product development and regulatory services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries worldwide. The highly experienced Principals and Expert Consultants in NDA Partners include three former FDA Center Directors; the former Chief Executive Officer and Chief Science Officer at the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP); an international team of more than 100 former pharmaceutical industry and regulatory agency senior executives; and an extensive roster of highly proficient experts in specialized areas including nonclinical development, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, CMC, medical device design control and quality systems, clinical development, regulatory submissions, and development program management. Services include product development and regulatory strategy, expert consulting, high-impact project teams, and contract management of client product development programs.

ContactEarle Martin, Chief Executive OfficerOffice: 540-738-2550MartinEarle@ndapartners.com

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Dr. Linda McKibben, Former FDA Pediatric Medical Officer, Division of Vaccines and Related Products, Joins NDA Partners - PR Web

January 28, 2020

By: Nigel Coke, Inter-American Division News, and Adventist Review

We are doing a fabulous job of not moving enough, Jason Aragon said as he started his presentation dubbed, Stand Up, Stand Up.

Aragon was referring to a global survey done on levels of inactivity for 2001 to 2016, which showed that 8 out of 10 adults and children do not engage in enough physical activities on a weekly basis and that this was a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases, mental health challenges, and lower quality of life.

Highlighting figures from the survey, Aragon pointed out that inactivity was no different in all demographics, regardless of whether people are rich or poor.

Doing enough exercise, instead of sitting down daily, will help the oxygen flow to our bodies and in the brain, which will help to give us clarity of thoughts and make better decisions, said Aragon, who is the director of the graduate program in public health and preventative medicine at Montemorelos University in Mexico.

If you want to be rich in terms of your physical fitness, you are the master of your destiny, Aragon said. No other health behavior is as dependent on will power as is exercise, he added. You can be rich when it comes to physical fitness if you put in the work. You can deposit daily to that account.

The Power of Sedentary Behavior

In the Dallas Bed Rest Study of 1966, five individuals were tested for oxygen output and workload (strength) capability after three weeks of total inactivity on bed rest and then after eight weeks of intense physical training. Forty years later, those same five individuals were tested again. The individuals had maintained some regular physical activity over the 40 years. Researchers found that their oxygen output and workload capability had declined over the 40 years (because of aging) about the same amount as it had declined when the five individuals were put on total bed rest for three weeks in 1966. Muscle loss and lowered lung capacity had happened very quickly whenever they stopped physical activity altogether.

Muscle wasting is more accelerated when we are lying down or sitting for long periods than if we were doing physical activities thats the power of moving, Aragon emphasized after describing the Dallas study.

Aragon was presenting on the second day of a health summit hosted by the Inter-American Division (IAD) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, January 22-26, 2020. Attendees included church leaders and health ministry directors from across IAD.

During the presentation, the university professor engaged the attendees in physical exercises to illustrate and reinforce the need for physical activities.

In redefining retirement, Aragon posited that retirement is not about finding a place to sit but about being able to move and enjoy life and do things for yourself, not the sedentary lifestyle that was often the case during working life.

In concluding, he warned the audience that if they want to outwalk death, they would have to walk at a quicker pace than they were currently moving.

The muscles grow weaker as we get older. The stronger our muscles, the better we can combat aging. Move as if your life depends on it, because it does.

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.

See the original post here:
Health Leaders Are Challenged To 'Get Up, Move, and Live Longer' - Adventist Review

There is one group that by their actions, rather than words, loves a good screening test; the top hospitals for heart and cardiac surgery, our premier academic medical centers. Researchers [1] called administrators at these top hospitals inquiring about their executive wellness programs. For the unacquainted, these executive wellness programs carry out half and one-day evaluations of executives, or the wealthy worried well specifically looking for diseases to be treated, as well as lifestyle, behavior modifications. Since the authors are cardiologists and cardiovascular disease remains the #1 cause of death they focused on the testing provided.

The Results

Of the 12 tests, none of them are recommended by the ACC/AHA (American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association), the USPSTF (United States Preventative Services Task Force, or ACPM (American College of Preventative Medicine) to be applied indiscriminately to asymptomatic adults.

And you can be sure that members of the faculty at all these institutions were involved in setting those standards. There are flaws, freely acknowledge, in the study. Most importantly, the information came from administrators, not the actual clinicians so perhaps these tests were not applied to everyone, without consideration of their symptoms or risk. And while we have the charges, in a world of medical opacity, we dont really know what was paid by insurance or out of pocket. But the researchers' final point is, to my mind, the most important, so I will leave them the last words.

In addition to clinical care, the top cardiology hospitals also provide medical education. Offering executive physicals with tests that are not recommended for healthy persons to anyone who can pay out of pocket potentially sends the message to trainees that a 2-tier health care system is acceptable, and that evidence is not important. Furthermore, indiscriminate screening can create a cascade effect and thus violate the principle of primum non nocere (first do no harm) wherein unnecessary tests may create a chain of events resulting in additional ill-advised tests or treatments that may cause avoidable physical or psychological harm.

[1] Researchers were from Washington University School of Medicine and the St. Louis School of Medicine not part of the top 20, so no conflict of interest although the cynical might cry sour grapes.

Source: Assessment of Cardiovascular Diagnostic Tests and Procedures Offered in Executive Screening Programs at Top-Ranked Cardiology Hospitals JAMA Internal Medicine DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.6607

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A New Form of Health Inequality - American Council on Science and Health

Medical costs will continue to outpace general inflation by close to 3 times with the regional average expected to be 13.6 per cent in 2019, says the Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) Key Medical Trends in the Middle East and North Africa report.

This is anticipated to grow to 14 per cent in 2020. As the cost of delivering health benefit programmes continues to rise across the region, employers are working with the likes of Mercer Marsh Benefits to develop smarter healthcare plans and embrace wellness and preventive medicine.

Regionally, the top three health risk factors influencing medical costs are respiratory conditions, diseases of the circulatory system and endocrine and metabolic diseases.

Type 2 diabetes remains a significant concern across the Middle East, with KSA having the highest prevalence of the condition (31.6 per cent) followed by Oman (29 per cent), Kuwait (25.4 per cent), Bahrain (25 per cent), and the UAE (25 per cent).

With several countries in the region looking to introduce mandatory healthcare regimes, employers will need to combat the over utilisation of benefits and the underutilisation of primary care. The commercialization of the hospital sector, together with the increasing availability of healthcare is driving an uptake in healthcare services and the resulting costs.

Employers face a challenge in balancing the cost of healthcare provision with the quality needed to meet regulatory standards and employee needs.

The top three causes for the increasing costs the region faces are; (1) the over prescribing of low-value health tests and procedures, (2) high cost pharmaceuticals and (3) overly lengthy inpatient stays.

Julio Villalon Garcia, Mercer Marsh Benefits Leader, Middle East & Africa, said: Although there are clear challenges facing us, the region is making significant investment into tackling some of the issues raised in this report, specifically by encouraging employees to take greater personal responsibility for their own well-being through more visible support for preventative care. The MEA region is a global leader in adopting virtual health consultancies and telemedicine, and 88 per cent of our respondents are either considering or already support this new technology the global figure is 78 per cent.

In time, I expect employees to develop a better understanding of their own healthcare needs. This, together with improved access to preventive care and simpler and more user-friendly technology, has the potential to allow medical inflation to be better managed. -- Tradearabia News Service

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Regional healthcare costs at 3 times the rate of inflation - Trade Arabia

Twin sisters have opened a vet surgery which treats pets with herbal remedies including mistletoe and medicinal mushrooms.

Reagan and Jordan Carnwath, 29, grew up 'obsessed' with animals and in their childhood would bring sick or injured creatures home to care for them.

The identical twins both studied veterinary medicine at the University of Glasgow, and Reagan graduated in 2013 with Jordan completing her studies a year later.

After finishing her studies, Reagan moved to Dumfries and Galloway to work in a rural veterinary surgery, but in 2017 she returned to her home city and established Herbal Vet Scotland.

Unlike most vet surgeries, regular services such as spaying and neutering are not performed at the practice, in Glasgow's South Side.

Instead, complementary holistic treatment is given in addition to regular medical care provided elsewhere, on a referral basis meaning medical records can be accessed.

Pet owners could be issued with recipes for meals to cook for their pets, and acupuncture could be performed as a form of pain relief.

But Reagan says the business is the 'first of its kind' in Scotland, and their patients include cats, dogs, and horses.

She stays at the Glasgow branch while Jordan travels further afield in Scotland to visit patients on their farms.

Reagan said: "We're the only dedicated herbal practice of its kind in Scotland.

"If animals need conventional treatments we'll send them back to their regular vets but we choose to model on holistic medicine and it seems to work well.

"In North America it's really big with vets that work in this way.

"It's important because it shows these treatments are effective.

"A lot of people worry about coming across a vet like us and wonder how effective it is.

"We're not replacing conventional veterinary care.

"We see a lot of animals with skin diseases and cancers.

"We're not saying 'we can cure cancer', but we have a whole lot of treatments we do such as injections of mistletoe and diet changes.

"One of our patients got diagnosed with a rare form of cancer of the adrenal gland and the vet said it would be weeks to months to live.

"We saw the dog and started him on weekly injections of mistletoe and now he's doing really well - he's full of energy and acting like a puppy again.

"We won't say we've cured him, but he's living a really good quality of life.

"He's on medication to control his blood pressure, that's the only conventional medicine he's on.

"He's also on a home cooked diet and medicinal mushrooms as well."

Both sisters believe that raw diets, including raw meat, can be beneficial to animals - but they also provide owners with recipes for home cooked meals.

Reagan, from Cambuslang, Glasgow, said: "We give the owners recipes and they cook them up at home.

"They cook a big batch up and can freeze it so it's not too time consuming.

"An advantage is you know exactly what's going on.

"Dog food can be quite processed with meat derivatives."

Herbal powders, creams and ointments are also prescribed as treatment, along with mistletoe injections.

Reagan said a home cooked diet and herbal treatments can be 'preventative' and keep animals healthier so they don't need as much conventional veterinary care.

She said: "Some conventional medicines like steroids are super cheap but others are really expensive.

"We offer puppy and kitten consultations to get diets right, reducing needs for over vaccination - setting them up to be as healthy for as long as possible.

"It's preventative.

"It's really the future of preventative medicine."

Reagan added: "Since little girls we were obsessed with animals and we've been lucky to grow up and realise our dream to become vets.

"We were animal mad and always bringing injured ones home to our mum, much to her delight."

See original here:
Scots twins open vets to treat pets with herbal remedies including mushrooms and mistletoe - Daily Record

The bathroom scale..friend or foe?

Todays discussion is about our second ingredient for change Monitoring.

Monitoring is exactly what it sounds like, we take a measure as the baseline (the starting point) and then we continue to measure and track the results of our efforts to see if our change plan and the actions we take are having the desired effect.

So, lets look at how were going to use this concept to build our skills for change and talk about the number one tool for positive changes to our health and body composition, the bathroom scale. As a career personal trainer, I coach health and wellness through nutrition and exercise and I understand the sensitivity, the emotion, and the challenges associated with our physique culture, perceptions of body image and our health. And the bathroom scale is not without a little controversy.

The short and sweet answer is a resounding YES, followed with DAILY, possibly even twice daily, upon rising and before bed. Lets look at why it may have been, and continues to be, a little controversial. Ask 10 trainers or give it a quick google and youll find that there are those that think monitoring (see what I did there?) your weight is not a good idea.

It starts with physiology. Our bodies are composed primarily of water, the average human being has a baseline level that fluctuates between 45% and 75%, depending on age, gender and body composition (fat mass vs. lean mass). So, lets assume that a healthy individual has a baseline of 60% water. Now, this baseline level varies with nutrition, activity level, exposure to the sun, wind, etc. and as a woman, it also fluctuates with your menstrual cycle. A 150 lb individual is about 68 kg, which translates into 41 litres of water. A 5% change to that baseline, which happens all the time, can result in + or of approximately 4 lbs!

Its often assumed that weighing yourself might be adverse psychologically, causing depression, promoting body dysmorphia, or at the very least, a negative self-perception. The idea that we might not understand that water levels fluctuate with salt, or alcohol intake, or a womans menstrual cycle, and that seeing the number on the scale jump around a little, could cause some serious psychological issues has been put to the test and found to be false. One study on the effects of daily self-weighing in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine presented the findings of a randomized controlled trial comprised of 91 men and women and it concluded that there were no adverse psychological effects. The researchers recommended daily self-weighing as a primary weight control strategy. It turns out that the scale is not our enemy.

Back to the concept of monitoring. How can you change what you dont track? In several other recent studies participants were required to weigh themselves daily, that was it. Just get on the scale, same time, every day. It turns out that weighing yourself daily resulted in significant and clinical weight loss. They called it adoption of weight control measures simply put, if you track something, you pay attention to what might affect it.

In the field of industrial and organizational psychology its known as the Hawthorne Effect (I had to use that one) it was first recognized in the 1950s in an analysis of earlier studies of productivity done at Western Hawthorne Electric. The initial study results were confusing to researchers. It didnt matter what was being manipulated, production went up. If the lights were dimmed productivity improved, but if they were brightened it also improved! It wasnt until years later researchers realized that it wasnt the specific intervention, but the observation that improved productivity. When someones watching production goes up!

If your goal is to lose bodyfat and improve your body composition, the number on the scale has to down, its that simple. The concept of swapping bodyfat for muscle or losing inches without change on the scale is wrong, the rates of change are just not the same. Muscle growth is challenging, it takes time and effort to build strength and size. Now this is entirely anecdotal, but I competed in drug-tested bodybuilding competitions and over the course of 8 years my stage weight went from 204 lbs to 220 lbs. As a professional trainer with a goal of winning National and International titles I gained an average of 2lbs of muscle per year.

Monitoring is critical to successful change and if youve decided to start weighing yourself daily, just take note that your weight goes up and down for a variety of reasons and that tracking and recording your weight wont result in a nice straight line. The points on that line will fluctuate up and down, but as long as that trend is dropping, youre on target!

Sean Hawthorne is the owner and operator of OneLife Health and Wellness, Kelownas first and longest running private, personal training facility. While working in Dubai, UAE as a Contracts and Project Manager, Sean decided to leave his successful career in Civil Engineering Technology and pursue his passion for health, fitness and helping others achieve their goals. He returned to Canada in 2001, taking formal education in Exercise Science and starting his career in the field of health and fitness. Working in collaboration with their clients, Sean and his team of health and fitness professionals strive to continually improve their skills and to help everyone reach their goals.

Contact Sean:

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HAWTHORNE: Monitoring, the bathroom scale - Pentiction Western News

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Instruction

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Power of regenerative medicine - KCTV Kansas City

Cape Cod, MA- Leadership Cape Cod is excited announce the launch of the 28th annual Community Leadership Institute and the class of 2020. Between January and May, 26 professionals and developing leaders will attend 11 sessions across Cape Cod meeting and learning from prominent community leaders in business, healthcare, the arts, education, social services and more. While participating in the course participants will also work together to develop and engage in community service projects benefiting local non-profit organizations on Cape Cod.

The Community Leadership Institute (CLI) is the foremost program offered by Leadership Cape Cod and has run since 1992. CLI has fostered the growth of existing and potential community leaders on Cape Cod and graduated more than 700 people who have learned about leadership from prominent community leaders. This rigorous and diverse program is presented annually from January to June immerses participants in all areas of the Cape Cod community and professional fields, including: healthcare, social services, education, business, government, law, environment, media and the arts. Participants learn about current and developing issues facing Cape Cod and the Islands, how to become more involved in providing the leadership needed to help address these challenges.

Class members complete a community service project to benefit a local non-profit and a commencement ceremony is held in June. Through this course and community service participants gain access to individuals working to solve the Capes most pressing issues. Students are encouraged to think about their role in creating solutions to local and regional challenges. CLI alumni include local and state politicians, business and nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, health care professionals and members of the media.

Leadership Cape Cods Community Leadership Institute (CLI) class of 2020 is comprised of: Rochelle Ricki Ackell (Cape Abilities), Kayla Baier (AmeriCorps Cape Cod), Jamie Brids (My Generation Energy), Courtney Butler (Town of Wellfleet), Andrew Coleman (YMCA of Cape Cod), Kim Devine (Cape Cod 5), Stephen Dignam (The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod), Kathryn Eident (WCAI-FM), Nivia Fagundes (Integrative Medicine Holistic Wellness Center), Richard Falzone, Christine Hochkeppel (Salty Broad Studios), Tamora Israel (The Cordial Eye Gallery and Artist Space), Stephen Katzenback (Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital), Emily Kelly-Joseph (Cape Wellness Collaborative), Anne Mayo, Tarraza Millard (Cape & Islands Workforce Board), Margeaux Prendergast Weber (Cotuit Center for the Arts), James Quitadamo (The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod), Pamela Sears (The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod), Lisa Simundson (Orleans Chamber of Commerce), Jeffrey Skeiber (Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital), Blane Toedt (The West End), Emily Tullock (Cape Media News), Tara Wallace, Danielle Wilson (May Institute), Steven Xiarhos (Yarmouth Police Department).

The first session of the 2020 class took place on January 9th at Joint Base Cape Cod with presentations from Colonel Virginia I. Gaglio Chief of Staff and Air Component Commander, Massachusetts Air National Guard and Assistant Adjutant General (Air) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, State Military Division, Judy Walden Scarafile - Managing Director of the Major Crisis Relief Fund, Matthew Burke Co-President of Cape Cod 5.

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Leadership Cape Cod Announces CLI Class of 2020 - Cape Cod Today

Common myths about low back pain could lead to more pain, ineffective care and unwarranted anxiety, researchers say.

Low back pain is the worlds leading cause of disability, and its often associated with costly care that can sometimes be harmful, Peter OSullivan and colleagues write in an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Myths about back pain are common and can be reinforced by the media and well-meaning clinicians, the authors note.

This misinformation can lead people to fear back pain, respond to it in unhelpful ways and drive poor health care, OSullivan said in an email. Myths often cause negative emotional responses such as fear, distress and loss of hope, he added, as well as behaviors like over-protecting the back and avoiding movement, activity and work.

OSullivan, a specialist physiotherapist with the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, told Reuters Health that almost daily he comes across patients who hold unhelpful beliefs.

In their editorial, OSullivan and his colleagues identify 10 common myths about low back pain and counter each of them with back pain facts that are supported by evidence.

Among the myths are the idea that low back pain will become persistent and will worsen with age, that pain is always a sign of tissue damage and requires rest, and that scans and invasive procedures are always needed to diagnose and treat low back pain.

In fact, the authors write, the evidence says that persistent back pain can be scary, but its rarely dangerous or life-threatening and its unlikely to leave you in a wheelchair.

Getting older is not a cause of back pain, they add, and evidence-based treatments can help at any age. Persistent low back pain is rarely related to tissue damage and scans rarely show the cause of back pain.

Low back pain is not caused by poor posture while sitting, standing and bending, and its also not caused by weak core muscles. Injections, surgery and strong drugs usually arent effective for persistent back pain in the long term. Finding low-risk ways to control pain is key.

Dr. Houman Danesh, director of Integrative Pain Management at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, said its common in his experience, too, to find patients holding beliefs like those in the list of myths.

I usually have to spend a portion of my office visit untangling them, the most common being patients who say they have a herniated disc from 20 years ago and have chronic back pain. That is a rare occurrence, Danesh, who was not involved in the editorial, told Reuters Health in an email.

It is sad and frustrating when patients take on a false identity based on a myth and lose a large part of their quality of life.

Danesh disagreed, however, with some of the authors advice. For instance, there are cases when strong medications, injections or surgery can be used to treat low back pain, so that is not entirely a myth, he said.

There are times these treatments are necessary, and a medical evaluation is needed to determine the best course of treatment.

OSullivan said research into understanding back pain has increased, but societal beliefs and clinical practice were slow to catch up.

Clinicians and doctors must spend time to ask patients what they understand about their back pain its cause, consequences and how best to care for it and then provide practical ways to manage it, he said.

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Researchers: Myths may worsen low back pain and promote ineffective treatments - The Union Leader

When Breighl Robbins gave birth to her daughter nearly three years ago, she experienced what many new moms come up against: My awareness and attention was completely on Phyllis to such an extreme that I wasnt taking care of myself anymore, recalls the 30-year-old, who realized that while she was fortunate enough to have help with her baby, she herself suddenly felt ill-equipped to handle the emotional and physical challenges of the postpartum period. What was missing was someone communicating to me or giving me the tools that I needed to take care of myself well. Now, after consulting with doctors and doulas alike, Robbins, who began her career in public health and integrative medicine, has set out to fill that void with the launch of Ebi (family in Yoruba), a line of wellness essentials made with the fourth trimester in mind.

Self-care is a vital piece of having a healthy and holistic postpartum experience, Robbins explains, gesturing toward her trio of plant-based products, which are formulated with balancing botanical ingredients safe enough for your mini-me. Bottled by hand in her Boston studio, an oil blend of sunflower, sesame seed, and almond can be used for C-section scars, itchy nipples, and diaper rash or, simply, a much-needed massage, while the nutritive oat tops found in the tisane support healthy milk production and energy levels. Consider too Ebis take on the traditional sitz bath, which can help heal perineal tissue post-pregnancythough anyone is sure to delight in its relaxing herbal blend and amber-hued glass packaging: It looks very good in your bathroom, Robbins, wearing a ruffled Batsheva frock, says with a laugh.

Robbins is taking Ebi beyond the vanity as well, thanks to organic cotton nursing pads and underwear, complete with an invisible leak-proof liner and a compression band thats made from Repreve, an eco-friendly fabric containing recycled materials; this spring, she will also partner with Domino Kirkes Carriage House Birth as well as Doula Trainings International to better equip mothers-to-be: Youre stepping into this new role, she muses. Its not the body you once knew; youre not the person you once knew. I think taking the time to pause and acknowledge that is something a lot more women are starting to become aware of.

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Meet Ebi, the Brand Bringing Self-Care to the Postpartum Experience - Vogue

Gary from Carmel writes, You have helped me out in the past so thought Id get your opinion on this. On a recent show, a doctor was talking about which foods to eat and which to avoid. He said that you should be eating nuts, but dont eat cashews, as they are not a nut, but rather a seed, and contain high levels of lectin. I always thought that cashews were a tree nut just like walnuts, etc. Can you shed some light on this for me?

Dear Gary,

In this case, Im afraid my opinion would not be worth much. I needed the expertise of horticulturist, Pat Regan, who humbly describes himself as a friend who spends a lot of time pondering plant parts and identification.

Pat explains that the names we commonly use often distort the scientific terms for plant parts. Fruit and vegetable are typically considered the worst abused but nut probably comes in first place, he says.

All true nuts are seeds, but not all seeds are nuts, says Pat.

Kind of like all trees are plants but not all plants are trees?

Absolutely.

So a nut is a type of seed. Got it.

Botanically, he continues, a nut is a dry fruit with one seed and a thick hard shell. Think of acorns, hazelnuts, chestnuts or hickory nuts. On the other hand, cashews come from a fleshy fruit, not a hard shell. They are more like plums, apricots, cherries and olives.

Cashews, says the Integrative Medicine Department at UC Davis, are technically not a nut. Although they grow on trees, they are really seeds that grow from a strange-looking fruit called a cashew apple.

Incidentally, Pat continues, peanuts (a legume), walnuts, almonds and pecans are not true (botanical) nuts, either. Nor are pine nuts, pistachio nuts and Brazil nuts, and yet most would call me a nut for saying so.

As for lectins, these are proteins that occur naturally in most raw plants, including cashews. The good news is that cooking destroys the activity of these proteins one reason why cashews are always sold roasted or steamed.

The other reason is that raw cashews are enclosed in a shell that contains a resin called urushiol, the same rash-causing substance found in poison ivy. Heat inactivates urushiol another reason cashews are always sold shelled and roasted or steamed.

One last word about nuts in general, including the not true nuts. They are a good source of protein, micronutrients, healthful fats and disease-fighting antioxidants. And according to the Micronutrient Information Center at Oregon State University, consuming a variety of nuts on a regular basis is associated with a lower risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

To which Pat adds, It does not sound like eating cashew seeds is such a bad idea. Thank you, friend.

Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian nutritionist affiliated with the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.

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Nutrition: A look at nuts that are not nuts - Duluth News Tribune

Chien-Shan Cheng, 1, 2,* Jing-Xian Chen, 3, 4,* Jian Tang, 1, 2 Ya-Wen Geng, 1, 2 Lan Zheng, 3, 4 Ling-Ling Lv, 3 Lian-Yu Chen, 1, 2 Zhen Chen 1, 2

1Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, Peoples Republic of China; 2Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, Peoples Republic of China; 3Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, Peoples Republic of China; 4Workstation of Xia Xiang, National Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, Peoples Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Zhen Chen; Lian-Yu ChenDepartment of Integrated Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, Peoples Republic of ChinaTel +86-21-6417-5590 ext. 83628Email cz120@mail.sh.cn; lianyu_chen@hotmail.com

Purpose: Paeonol, a natural product derived from the root of Cynanchum paniculatum (Bunge) K. Schum and the root of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. (Ranunculaceae) has attracted extensive attention for its anti-cancer proliferation effect in recent years. The present study examined the role of paeonol in suppressing migration and invasion in pancreatic cancer cells by inhibiting TGF- 1/Smad signaling.Methods: Cell viability was evaluated by MTT and colonial formation assay. Migration and invasion capabilities were examined by cell scratch-wound healing assay and the Boyden chamber invasion assay. Western Blot and qRT-PCR were used to measure the protein and RNA levels of vimentin, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and TGF- 1/Smad signaling.Results: At non-cytotoxic dose, 100 &Mgr; and 150 &Mgr; of paeonol showed significant anti-migration and anti-invasion effects on Panc-1 and Capan-1 cells (p< 0.01). Paeonol inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal-transition by upregulating E-cadherin, and down regulating N-cadherin and vimentin expressions. Paeonol inhibited TGF- 1/Smad signaling pathway by downregulating TGF- 1, p-Smad2/Smad2 and p-Smad3/Smad3 expressions. Further, TGF- 1 attenuated the anti-migration and anti-invasion capacities of paeonol in Panc-1 and Capan-1 cells.Conclusion: These findings revealed that paeonol could suppress proliferation and inhibit migration and invasion in Panc-1 and Capan-1 cells by inhibiting the TGF- 1/Smad pathway and might be a promising novel anti-pancreatic cancer drug.

Keywords: paeonol, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, TGF- 1/Smad signaling, epithelial-mesenchymal-transition, Cynanchum paniculatum

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Paeonol Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion Through | CMAR - Dove Medical Press