Monthly Archives: June 2012

Agensys and Seattle Genetics Announce Interim Phase I Data from ASG-5ME Clinical Trial for Prostate Cancer

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. & BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Agensys, Inc., an affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., and Seattle Genetics, Inc. (SGEN) today announced interim data from a phase I clinical trial evaluating ASG-5ME for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). ASG-5ME is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting the SLC44A4 antigen that is being co-developed by both companies for the treatment of solid tumors. The data are being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting being held June 1-5, 2012 in Chicago, IL.

SLC44A4 is an attractive target in prostate cancer and is present in the majority of patients with both localized and metastatic disease, said Leonard Reyno, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Agensys. The current Phase I data demonstrates the tolerability of this antibody drug conjugate and further evaluation of safety and antitumor activity in patients with castration resistant prostate cancer is ongoing.

It is encouraging to observe these preliminary data with ASG-5ME in prostate cancer, a disease for which late-stage patients need additional therapeutic options, said Jonathan Drachman, M.D., Senior Vice President, Research and Translational Medicine of Seattle Genetics. In addition to prostate cancer, our two companies are continuing to evaluate the potential use of ASG-5ME in other solid tumor indications. In parallel, we are collaborating with Agensys to co-develop ASG-22ME, an ADC targeting Nectin-4 for solid tumors.

Phase 1 trial of ASG-5ME in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) (Abstract #4568) ASG-5ME is being evaluated in a single-agent phase I clinical trial to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and to assess the safety, pharmacokinetic profile and antitumor activity of escalating doses of ASG-5ME. At the time of data analysis, 26 patients were enrolled. The median age of the patients was 69.5 years and the median baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was 82.25.

Key findings, presented by Dr. Michael Morris from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, and clinical investigator on the study include:

The phase I trial is ongoing, with enrollment to two expansion cohorts in chemotherapy nave and chemotherapy exposed CRPC patients planned.

Seattle Genetics and Agensys recently completed enrollment in a phase I pancreatic cancer trial of ASG-5ME dosed weekly. The companies plan to evaluate ASG-5ME in patients with gastric cancer based on preclinical expression data.

About ASG-5ME ASG-5ME is an ADC composed of a fully human antibody directed to SLC44A4, a solute carrier antigen family member identified by Agensys to be overexpressed in epithelial cancers, including more than 80 percent of samples derived from patients with prostate, pancreatic and gastric cancers. The antibody is attached to monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) via an enzyme-cleavable linker using Seattle Genetics proprietary technology. The ADC is designed to be stable in the bloodstream, but to release MMAE upon internalization into SLC44A4-expressing tumor cells, resulting in targeted cell-killing.

Seattle Genetics and Agensys are co-developing and will globally co-commercialize and share profits on a 50:50 basis for ASG-5ME and ASG-22ME. Seattle Genetics also has an option for 50:50 cost and profit-sharing of a third ADC program at the time of investigational new drug submission.

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Agensys and Seattle Genetics Announce Interim Phase I Data from ASG-5ME Clinical Trial for Prostate Cancer

Kimberly-Clark Health Care's 2011 HAI WATCHDOG Awards Recognize Champions In The Fight Against Healthcare-Associated …

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ROSWELL, Ga., June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Kimberly-Clark Health Care today announced the recipients of the second annual HAI WATCHDOG Awards, created to recognize the efforts of dedicated healthcare professionals working together to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The awards program, an initiative of the HAI WATCHDOG Community, facilitates the sharing of best practices among clinicians and recognizes four exceptional participants with an educational grant.

"This year we expanded the reach and recognition of the WATCHDOG Awards by creating independent awards programs in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, and once again the response and quality of submissions exceeded our expectations," said Joanne Bauer, president, Kimberly-Clark Health Care. "The entries address a variety of issues that healthcare facilities encounter, and we hope that by sharing these proven best practices on haiwatchdog.com, healthcare providers feel empowered to share and learn from each other, andcontinue to challenge themselves to strive for and maintain the highest levels of infection control."

The 2011 WATCHDOG Award winners, judged by a panel of infection prevention healthcare professionals, demonstrated measureable results in the area of infection control and addressed a range of issues including ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The Clinician's Choice category recognizes education and awareness programs with non-measureable results and the winner was selected by online public voting of fellow healthcare professionals.

"I was thoroughly impressed with the winners this year. There was a real change in culture and attitude and that's ultimately what made the programs so successful," said Dr. William Jarvis, former Director of the Office of Extramural Research at the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases. "It is my hope that other healthcare professionals learn from these innovative HAI prevention and reduction strategies and are motivated to take action within their own facilities."

2011 Award Recipients

Panel Judged Entries

Fewer than 300 beds:

More than 300 beds:

Healthcare System:

Clinician's Choice:

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Kimberly-Clark Health Care's 2011 HAI WATCHDOG Awards Recognize Champions In The Fight Against Healthcare-Associated ...

PolitiFactNH: Obamacare is not being financed by student loan borrowers

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College loans and universal health care might not seem to be related, but U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte says there is an unusual linkage. Ayotte, a Republican, tied the two issues together last month in a May 8, 2012, email that her office sent to the press titled, “We Can Prevent a Student Loan Rate Increase Without Raising Taxes.” The message, meant to convey Ayotte’s stance on temporarily extending ...

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PolitiFactNH: Obamacare is not being financed by student loan borrowers

Nineteen Extendicare Health Centers Earn National Recognition for Continuous Quality Improvement

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN--(Marketwire -06/04/12)- Extendicare Health Services, Inc. announced today that 19 of its health centers are the proud recipients of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living's (AHCA/NCAL) Bronze - Commitment to Quality, National Quality Award in recognition of their strong commitment to continuous quality improvement.

The AHCA/NCAL Quality Awards - comprised of three levels, Bronze - Commitment to Quality award; a more rigorous Silver - Achievement in Quality award; and a comprehensive Gold - Excellence in Quality award - are the most prestigious recognition of quality within the long-term care profession. "Each one of the award recipients has proven its dedication to improving lives through quality care, and it is a privilege to honor them with this year's award," said Governor Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. "We congratulate these Extendicare centers on their achievement." The Bronze - Commitment to Quality award recognizes dedicated frontline caregivers, administrators, nurses and physicians, who demonstrate their commitment to quality of care in order to meet the needs for our nation's most vulnerable population.

As a Bronze award recipient, these health centers demonstrated their organization-wide commitment to a customer-focused facility mission, defined its principal customers and their expectations, and indicated ways that they are striving to meet their needs.

"The Quality Award program is an independently judged, criteria-based, award program. This year, only 399 long-term care centers nationwide received this noteworthy award and we are pleased to be counted among them. As a company, Extendicare now has 107 centers who have received this award, representing over 65% of our United States operations. We are proud of this accomplishment and thank our team members for their strong commitment to excellence," said Tim Lukenda, Chairman and CEO of Extendicare Health Services, Inc.

AHCA/NCAL's Quality Award is modeled after the criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's premier award recognizing distinguished achievements. AHCA/NCAL's award is designed to support both continuous quality improvement efforts in long-term care by promoting quality awareness and education and to recognize quality achievements.

About Extendicare

Extendicare Health Services, Inc. located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Extendicare Real Estate Investment Trust, or Extendicare REIT, (TSX symbol "EXE.UN"). Extendicare REIT is a leading North American provider of long-term and short-term senior care services through its network of owned and operated health care centers. We employ 37,900 qualified and experienced individuals dedicated to helping people live better through a commitment to quality service that includes post-acute care, rehabilitative therapies and home health care services. Our 263 senior care centers in North America have capacity for approximately 28,200 residents.

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Nineteen Extendicare Health Centers Earn National Recognition for Continuous Quality Improvement

Atossa Genetics to Participate in 5th National Breast Centers of Excellence Conference in Dallas, Texas

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SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire -06/04/12)- Atossa Genetics, Inc., a privately-held health care company focused on the prevention of breast cancer through the commercialization of diagnostic tests that can detect precursors to breast cancer, and through the research, development, and ultimate commercialization of treatments for pre-cancerous breast lesions, today announced that Steven C. Quay, M.D., Ph.D., FCAP, Chairman, President & CEO of Atossa Genetics and Director of the National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health, will conduct a workshop at Active Communications International's 5th National Breast Centers of Excellence conference, June 6-8, 2012, in Dallas, Texas.

The workshop, titled "Using Unique Molecular Tests to Grow Your Breast Center of Excellence Patient Base," will take place on Friday, June 8, from 2:15-3:15 pm Central Time. Workshop attendees will learn how to:

"I am pleased to have the opportunity to conduct a workshop on molecular tests at this prestigious event," stated Steven C. Quay, M.D., Ph.D., FCAP, Chairman, President and CEO of Atossa Genetics and Director of the National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health. "Our suite of new molecular tests can provide Breast Centers of Excellence with a unique offering to help set them apart in their local markets. By partnering with a national reference laboratory for breast health, Breast Centers of Excellence can show their commitment to best practice and can set the stage for their participation with the next generation of breast cancer prevention, intraductal pharmaceutical treatment of DCIS and related pre-cancerous lesions."

About Atossa Genetics, Inc.

Atossa Genetics, Inc. is a privately held health care company based in Seattle, Washington, that provides a comprehensive set of innovative breast health evaluation products and services that provide accurate and actionable results for personalized cancer prevention and breast health. Atossa has established the National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health, a specially equipped, CLIA-certified laboratory located in Seattle that provides comprehensive test results to guide personalized breast cancer prevention and treatment solutions.

About the National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health

The National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health, a division of Atossa Genetics, Inc., is focused on developing novel, clinically relevant tests for evaluating Breast Health in all women. The National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health, located in Seattle, Washington, is the only CLIA-registered laboratory focused exclusively on breast health. The National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health provides comprehensive test results to guide personalized breast cancer prevention and treatment solutions. For additional information on the ForeCYTE Breast Health Test and the ArgusCYTE Breast Health Test, please visit http://www.NRLBH.com.

About the Breast Center of Excellence Designation

The Breast Imaging Center of Excellence (BICOE) designation is awarded to breast imaging centers that achieve excellence by seeking and earning accreditation in all of the American College of Radiology's voluntary breast-imaging accreditation programs and modules, in addition to the mandatory Mammography Accreditation Program.

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Atossa Genetics to Participate in 5th National Breast Centers of Excellence Conference in Dallas, Texas

Health Council of Canada releases annual progress report on health care renewal

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Progress Report focuses on innovative practices that are achieving results

TORONTO, June 4, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, the Health Council of Canada releases Progress Report 2012: Health care renewal in Canada, highlighting the progress achieved by governments to date in five key areas: home and community care, health human resources, telehealth, access to care in the North, and comparable health indicators since the 2003 health accord was signed.

The report finds that, overall, provinces and territories have met most of what was expected of them in these five areas. They met their commitments to expand home care coverage, to increase the supply of health care providers, to expand use of telehealth services, to improve access to care in the North and to improve public reporting.

Key findings related to five of the accord commitments include:

Although, the report finds that most provincial and territorial governments met their commitments, it also questions whether it was enough to move health care forward. The evidence suggests that since the accords contained vague commitments with few targets, there was more emphasis on putting provinces and territories on similar footing than to push them towards achieving more change and advancements in health care delivery.

"Real progress is made when comprehensive strategies with concrete targets are put in place," said Dr. Jack Kitts, Chair of the Health Council of Canada. "An improved approach to goal-setting and performance measurement in the health system will provide greater impetus to change and achieve higher levels of progress."

The report found that the accords established a series of comparable health indicators for the provinces and territories to report on to the public beginning in 2004. However, comparable reporting only lasted a few years, largely because provinces and territories began to develop reporting frameworks to address their respective planning needs. As a result, the provinces and territories have not consistently reported on progress in the same manner, particularly in a way that is comparable and useful to other governments, the health system and the public. This lack of clear, consistent and comparable information about health system performance makes it challenging for agencies such as the Health Council to provide a national picture to Canadians on progress being made in health systems across Canada.

"What we found this year is that there is more work to be done, especially on comparable indicators. But there is good news. We found a wide array of innovative practices like telehealth services for First Nations in Manitoba or a model of care initiative in Nova Scotia, said John G. Abbott, CEO of the Health Council of Canada. "If practices like these are adopted more widely, they could accelerate progress across Canada."

Progress Report 2012: Health care renewal in Canada describes overall progress in Canada highlighting innovative practices from across Canada demonstrating how this progress has been achieved. The Health Council website provides additional details on the progress being achieved by each of the federal, provincial and territorial governments on these five themes. And, for the first time, the report includes activities from Alberta which recently joined the Health Council this year.

About the Health Council of Canada Created by the 2003 First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal, the Health Council of Canada is an independent national agency that reports on the progress of health care renewal. The Council provides a system-wide perspective on health care reform in Canada, and disseminates information on innovative practices and innovation across the country. The Councillors are appointed by the participating provincial and territorial governments and the Government of Canada.

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Health Council of Canada releases annual progress report on health care renewal

State Announces Intent to Award Four Medi-Cal Contracts to Health Net of California Subsidiary

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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The California Department of Health Care Services has announced its intent to award contracts to Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. to provide Medi-Cal benefits in the Central Valley counties of Kern, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare. Health Net Community Solutions is a subsidiary of Health Net of California, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc. (HNT).

Under the two-plan Medi-Cal managed care model, Health Net Community Solutions would serve as the commercial health plan in each of the four counties.

Health Net Community Solutions would be the new commercial Medi-Cal plan in San Joaquin County; it already serves beneficiaries in Kern, Stanislaus and Tulare counties.

Were delighted the state intends to award us the four contracts, said DavidFriedman, vice president of State Health Programs for Health Net of California. We are committed to collaborating with doctors and hospitals to help provide Medi-Cal beneficiaries with access to quality care.

Distinctions

About Health Net

Health Net, Inc. is a publicly traded managed care organization that delivers managed health care services through health plans and government-sponsored managed care plans. Its mission is to help people be healthy, secure and comfortable. Health Net, through its subsidiaries, provides and administers health benefits to approximately 5.6million individuals across the country through group, individual, Medicare (including the Medicare prescription drug benefit commonly referred to as Part D), Medicaid, U.S. Department of Defense, including TRICARE, and Veterans Affairs programs. Health Nets behavioral health services subsidiary, Managed Health Network, Inc., provides behavioral health, substance abuse and employee assistance programs to approximately 4.9million individuals, including Health Nets own health plan members. Health Nets subsidiaries also offer managed health care products related to prescription drugs, and offer managed health care product coordination for multi-region employers and administrative services for medical groups and self-funded benefits programs.

For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit Health Nets website at http://www.healthnet.com.

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State Announces Intent to Award Four Medi-Cal Contracts to Health Net of California Subsidiary

Genetics, rapid childhood growth and the development of obesity

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Public release date: 4-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mary Jane Gore mary.gore@duke.edu 919-660-1309 JAMA and Archives Journals

CHICAGO A 38-year longitudinal study of New Zealanders suggests that individuals with higher genetic risk scores were more likely to be chronically obese in adulthood, according to a report published in the June issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Obesity is capable of being inherited and genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have started to uncover the molecular roots of heritability by identifying multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with higher adult body mass index (BMI), the authors write in their study background.

"In this study, we asked how SNPs with replicated GWAS evidence for association with adult BMI relate to growth across the first four decades of life and to adult obesity in a birth cohort followed up prospectively from birth through 38 years of age," Daniel W. Belsky, Ph.D., of Duke University, Durham, N.C., and colleagues write in the study background.

Study participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, an investigation of health and behavior in a complete birth cohort. The 1,037 study members (52 percent were male) were born between April 1972 and March 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand. Assessments were performed every few years starting at birth until 38 years.

Children with higher genetic risk scores (GRSs) had higher BMIs at every age assessed from age 3 through 38 years. Children at high genetic risk were 1.61 to 2.41 times more likely to be obese in their second, third and fourth decades of life and were 1.90 times more likely to be chronically obese across more than three assessments compared with children at low genetic risk, according to study results.

Adiposity rebound, when children begin to gain body fat after losing it during early childhood, occurred earlier in development and at higher BMI for children at higher genetic risk, the results indicate.

Higher genetic risk also predicted faster growth and increased obesity risk in children with normal-weight and overweight parents, the study results note. The authors comment that the GRS contributed "independent and additive information" to the prediction of children's growth and their risk for obesity in adulthood beyond the family history information.

"Thus, the results present compelling evidence that SNPs identified in GWASs of adult BMI and other obesity-related phenotypes predispose to more rapid growth in childhood, leading to increased risk for obesity in adulthood, and provide information not forthcoming from a simple analysis of family history," the authors conclude.

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Genetics, rapid childhood growth and the development of obesity

First Bedside Genetic Test Could Prevent Heart Complications

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First Bedside Genetic Test Could Prevent Heart Complications

A genotyping test from a Canadian biotech company enables timely personalized drug treatment.

For some cardiac patients, recovery from a common heart procedure can be complicated by a single gene responsible for drug processing. The risk could be lowered with the first bedside genetic test of its kind. The test shows promise for quickly and easily identifying patients who need a different medication.

Quick test: This shoebox-sized device from Spartan Bioscience supports the first bedside genetic test. Spartan Bioscience

After a patient receives a heart stenta small scaffold that props open an arteryhis or her doctor will prescribe a blood thinner to prevent platelets from building up inside the device. However, for some 70 percent of patients with Asian ancestry and 30 percent of patients with African or European ancestry, a single genetic variant will prevent one of the most commonly prescribed blood thinners from working. Alternatives exist, but they are more expensive, so hospitals could use an easy way to identify who does and does not need the more expensive drug.

Canada's Spartan Biosciencehas developed a near "plug-and-play" genotyping device that allows nurses and others to quickly screen patients at the bedside, perhaps while they are undergoing the stent placement procedure. Users take a DNA sample from a patient's cheek with a specialized swab, add the sample to a disposable tube, and then place the tube and sample in a proprietary shoebox-sized machine and hit a button. Shortly thereafter, the user receives a printout of the patient's genetic status for the drug-processing variant. The whole procedure takes about an hour. Most clinicians currently have to wait several days for similar information to come from off-site genetics testing companies.

"For six years we've been plugging away at this, and we finally broke through about a year and a half ago," says Spartan Bioscience founder Paul Lem. He says the simple test came to life with innovations at every stepfrom the special swab that collects the right amount of DNA, to the chemicals in the disposable reaction tube, to the software that automates the DNA readingand a team with diverse backgrounds including his in medicine and molecular biology and others' in optical hardware.

Lem has kept an eye on other companies trying to create a bedside genetic test, some going after the same variant, and calculates that over $1 billion in capital has been spent over the last five years in this area.

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute researchers conducted a proof-of-principle trial for the device and found that the bedside test is effective at quickly identifying carriers of the drug-processing variant and can be performed by nurses with minimal training. The findings were published in The Lancet last week.

"The stakes are pretty high" for the risks associated with the variant in the test, says Euan Ashley, a cardiologist with Stanford's Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease. Patients who receive a stent implant after a heart attack or as a preventive measure are at risk for serious adverse events if their bodies cannot process a commonly prescribed anti-platelet drug into its active form. "There's a startling number of people who carry the variant, which leaves them at risk," says Ashley. "Being able to get an answer within an hour or twowhen you are thinking of a patient's heartis a pretty compelling case for [testing for it]."

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First Bedside Genetic Test Could Prevent Heart Complications

Foundation Medicine: Personalizing Cancer Drugs

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It's personal now: Alexis Borisy (left) and Michael Pellini lead an effort to make DNA data available to help cancer patients. Credit: Christopher Harting

Michael Pellini fires up his computer and opens a report on a patient with a tumor of the salivary gland. The patient had surgery, but the cancer recurred. That's when a biopsy was sent to Foundation Medicine, the company that Pellini runs, for a detailed DNA study. Foundation deciphered some 200 genes with a known link to cancer and found what he calls "actionable" mutations in three of them. That is, each genetic defect is the target of anticancer drugs undergoing testingthough not for salivary tumors. Should the patient take one of them? "Without the DNA, no one would have thought to try these drugs," says Pellini.

Starting this spring, for about $5,000, any oncologist will be able to ship a sliver of tumor in a bar-coded package to Foundation's lab. Foundation will extract the DNA, sequence scores of cancer genes, and prepare a report to steer doctors and patients toward drugs, most still in early testing, that are known to target the cellular defects caused by the DNA errors the analysis turns up. Pellini says that about 70 percent of cases studied to date have yielded information that a doctor could act onwhether by prescribing a particular drug, stopping treatment with another, or enrolling the patient in a clinical trial.

The idea of personalized medicine tailored to an individual's genes isn't new. In fact, several of the key figures behind Foundation have been pursuing the idea for over a decade, with mixed success. "There is still a lot to prove," agrees Pellini, who says that Foundation is working with several medical centers to expand the evidence that DNA information can broadly guide cancer treatment.

Foundation's business model hinges on the convergence of three recent developments: a steep drop in the cost of decoding DNA, much new data about the genetics of cancer, and a growing effort by pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs that combat the specific DNA defects that prompt cells to become cancerous. Last year, two of the 10 cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration came with a companion DNA test (previously, only one drug had required such a test). So, for instance, doctors who want to prescribe Zelboraf, Roche's treatment for advanced skin cancer, first test the patient for the BRAFV 600E mutation, which is found in about half of all cases.

About a third of the 900 cancer drugs currently in clinical trials could eventually come to market with a DNA or other molecular test attached, according to drug benefits manager Medco. Foundation thinks it makes sense to look at all relevant genes at oncewhat it calls a "pan-cancer" test. By accurately decoding cancer genes, Foundation says, it uncovers not only the most commonly seen mutations but also rare ones that might give doctors additional clues. "You can see how it will get very expensive, if not impossible, to test for each individual marker separately," Foundation Medicine's COO, Kevin Krenitsky, says. A more complete study "switches on all the lights in the room."

So far, most of Foundation's business is coming from five drug companies seeking genetic explanations for why their cancer drugs work spectacularly in some patients but not at all in others. The industry has recognized that drugs targeted to subsets of patients cost less to develop, can get FDA approval faster, and can be sold for higher prices than traditional medications. "Our portfolio is full of targets where we're developing tests based on the biology of disease," says Nicholas Dracopoli, vice president for oncology biomarkers at Janssen R&D, which is among the companies that send samples to Foundation. "If a pathway isn't activated, you get no clinical benefit by inhibiting it. We have to know which pathway is driving the dissemination of the disease."

Cancer is the most important testing ground for the idea of targeted drugs. Worldwide spending on cancer drugs is expected to reach $80 billion this yearmore than is spent on any other type of medicine. But "the average cancer drug only works about 25 percent of the time," says Randy Scott, executive chairman of the molecular diagnostics company Genomic Health, which sells a test that examines 16 breast-cancer genes. "That means as a society we're spending $60 billion on drugs that don't work."

Analyzing tumor DNA is also important because research over the past decade or so has demonstrated that different types of tumors can have genetic features in common, making them treatable with the same drugs. Consider Herceptin, the first cancer drug approved for use with a DNA test to determine who should receive it (there is also a protein-based test). The FDA cleared it in 1998 to target breast cancers that overexpress the HER2 gene, a change that drives the cancer cells to multiply. The same mutation has been found in gastric, ovarian, and other cancersand indeed, in 2010 the drug was approved to treat gastric cancer. "We've always seen breast cancer as breast cancer. What if a breast cancer is actually like a gastric cancer and they both have the same genetic changes?" asks Jennifer Obel, an oncologist in Chicago who has used the Foundation test.

The science underlying Foundation Medicine had its roots in a 2007 paper published by Levi Garraway and Matthew Meyerson, cancer researchers at the Broad Institute, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They came up with a speedy way to find 238 DNA mutations then known to make cells cancerous. At the time, DNA sequencing was still too expensive for a consumer testbut, Garraway says, "we realized it would be possible to generate a high-yield set of information for a reasonable cost." He and Meyerson began talking with Broad director Eric Lander about how to get that information into the hands of oncologists.

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Foundation Medicine: Personalizing Cancer Drugs

Baxter Announces Collaboration with Chatham Therapeutics for Factor IX Hemophilia B Gene Therapy Treatment

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DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Baxter International Inc. (BAX) today announced that it has entered into an exclusive global agreement with Chatham Therapeutics, LLC, an affiliate of Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), for the development and commercialization of potential treatments for hemophilia B utilizing Chathams gene therapy technology.

The collaboration will allow Baxter to investigate Chathams Biological Nano ParticlesTM (BNP), an advanced recombinant adeno-associated virus-(rAAV) based gene therapy technology that has shown potential therapeutic benefit in early clinical studies. A small independent study involving six patients using Chatham technology components was the topic of a 2011 article in The New England Journal of Medicine.i This agreement will involve the next generation of this gene therapy technology, which Baxter and Chatham will investigate through U.S.-based hemophilia B clinical trials. Baxter has obtained global rights for the marketing and commercialization of the new treatment.

''This collaboration demonstrates Baxters ongoing commitment to scientific innovation in advancing treatment options for patients living with hemophilia. This initiative complements Baxters extensive hemophilia portfolio and helps to address unmet needs of hemophilia patients,'' said Ludwig Hantson, Ph.D., president of Baxters BioScience business.

Baxter made a $25 million upfront cash payment for the development and advancement of the program through early clinical trials, and will record this amount as a special pre-tax in-process research and development charge in the second quarter of 2012. Baxter may make additional payments over the next several years based on certain development and commercial milestones.

''This agreement initiates a clinical development collaboration dedicated to advancing a potential long-term treatment paradigm for hemophilia patients. We look forward to working with Baxter and view this transaction as the optimal path toward providing a sustainable therapeutic to a worldwide patient population,'' said Jade Samulski, Vice President at AskBio and Co-Founder of Chatham Therapeutics.

Hemophilia B is the second most common typeof hemophilia (also known as Christmas disease) and is the result of insufficient amounts of clotting factor IX, a naturally occurring protein in blood that controls bleeding.ii Hemophilia B occurs in about one in 25,000 males, with approximately 4,000 people in the United States currently diagnosed with the disease.iii Hemophilia B is often a debilitating, chronic disease with complications that include bleeding episodes, hemophilic arthropathy (bleeding into a joint) and hospitalization.iv

Baxter is pursuing a number of research opportunities in hemophilia. The company is conducting a Phase I/III clinical trial of BAX326, a recombinant Factor IX being evaluated for the treatment of patients with hemophilia B, and expects to file for U.S. approval by the end of 2012.

About Baxter International Inc.

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.

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Baxter Announces Collaboration with Chatham Therapeutics for Factor IX Hemophilia B Gene Therapy Treatment

First issue of WIRED re-released as an iPad app

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Are you a fan of WIRED Magazine? The first issue of the Cond Nast tech magazine appeared back in January of 1993 with futurist Bruce Sterling talking about war and MIT Media Lab's Nicholas Negroponte pontificating about "What's wrong with HDTV." WIRED fans who want to relive the past of the future (think about it...) can now get a free iPad version of that first issue.

To read WIRED 1.1.1, you're going to need to have the existing WIRED Magazine app (free), which is loaded into the iOS Newsstand. Look for an icon for "The Premiere Issue Revisited" to download the material, but make sure that you have a lot of free space on your iPad to hold the 1.3GB file. You'll also need a lot of time to download that issue.

The first issue has been replicated, annotated, and includes a full photo archive and a 12,000 word oral history. For WIRED readers or those curious about a tech magazine that has survived almost 20 years when others have gone by the wayside, it's an awesome read. The two-page Apple PowerBook advertisement is worth the download time alone!

[via The Verge]

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First issue of WIRED re-released as an iPad app

Playing dress-up at annual Leo get-together

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A Roman centurion and a pirate.

A pharaoh and a group of ancient Greeks.

Participants of the Leo Advisers Dialogue Session.

(From left) Leos dressed as a viking, Halloween character and Roman officer.

A group consisting of Leos dressed as North American Indian maidens and a military officer (right).

LANGKAWI: MORE than 1,000 members of Leo and Lions Clubs from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei descended on Langkawi recently for the three-day 39th Multiple District 308 Leo Forum.

Those who arrived early on the first day were taken on a tour of the island's Geopark.

Opening the forum in the evening was Anthony Cheong, council chairperson of Multiple District 308. This was followed by the Fellowship Night with the theme of "Retro & Futurism".

Most of the participants were sportingly dressed to suit the theme. Roman centurions seen mingling with cowboys, while an Egyptian pharaoh was accompanied by his retinue.

There were also pirates, Arabian princes and belles of the ball.

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Playing dress-up at annual Leo get-together

Freedom Fighter P. Bhaskaran Passes Away

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 26 February 2007 P. Bhaksaran, the veteran filmmaker, poet, lyricist and freedom fighter, died here yesterday afternoon at the age of 83. He leaves behind his wife and four children. He was suffering from acute Alzheimers disease and was taking rest at his city home. Yesterday morning he developed chest pain. He was taken to a hospital but passed away soon.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said Bhaskarans demise was a great loss to the cultural sphere. Several leaders, including former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran and state ministers, were among the early visitors to his house as the news spread.

A freedom fighter who attracted youngsters to the freedom movement and later to the communist party through his popular poetry and songs, he was imprisoned for six months during the British rule.

Author of several books, he has directed some 50 films including Neelakkuyil, the first neorealistic film in Malayalam that won the Presidents medal in 1954. He was also chairman of the Asianet, the first private television channel in Malayalam.

Bhaskaran, who dominated Malayalam cinema along with Vayalar Ramavarma as top-notch lyricist for long, had penned hundreds of songs known for their romantic charm and soft lyrical touch most of which are hugely popular still.

He was instrumental in freeing Malayalam film music from the influence of the Hindi and Tamil playback styles in the 1950s, by writing simple and lucid lines set to original music by veteran directors. Still, many of his widely appreciated scores are hailed for their ghazal touch. Bhaskarans vintage numbers, most of them composed by K. Raghavan and M.S. Baburaj, form part of the Malayali nostalgia.

His songs in the 1960s launched careers of top singers including K.J. Jesudas and Jayachandran, and made S. Janaki one of the most favorite female voices in Malayalam.

Hailing from Kodungallur in Thrissur district in Kerala, Bhaskarans early writings were inspired by the freedom struggle and the leftist agitations to create an egalitarian society. One of his early popular poems was Vayalar Garjikkunnu, penned as a literary tribute to the revolutionaries of the Punnapra-Vayalar peasant uprising.

Later, he distanced himself from the communist party and its ideology and his subsequent poems are known for their humanism and romanticism.

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Freedom Fighter P. Bhaskaran Passes Away

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Taiwan's leading personal computer maker Acer Monday took another shot at gaining a foothold in the tablet market, unveiling two new products running on Microsoft's much-anticipated Windows 8 operating system. Acer showed off the tablets -- named W510 and W700 -- on the eve of Computex, Asia's largest IT fair, which is held in Taipei this week for the 32nd time, with Windows 8 expected to be a key focus.

"Windows 8 is a historic moment for the worldwide Windows eco-system," said J. T. Wang, Acer's chairman, at a briefing in Taipei where the company also unveiled its new Aspire S7, a small laptop that runs on Windows 8.

Acer, which has been struggling to branch into the tablet computer sector, cut several hundred jobs in Europe last year to reduce operating expenses.

While Apple itself is not present at Computex, the fair will nevertheless highlight the company's importance, since much of what happens there will be in response to market trends set by the American brand.

Windows 8 is touted as Microsoft's long-awaited riposte to the rise of Apple and mobile devices powered by Google's Android operating system. There is no official release date but reports have predicted an October launch.

"In our view, the touchscreen experience enabled by Windows 8 is a massive step forward -- simply because it makes computing more intuitive," said Jim Wong, corporate president of Acer.

Computex features more than 1,800 exhibitors registering 5,400 booths, up two percent from a year ago.

The organisers estimate that the IT fair will draw 36,000 foreign buyers who may place bulk orders worth up to $28 billion.

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