By Andrs Cardenal - June 6, 2012 | Tickers: ABT, LLY, GSK, JNJ, PFE | 0 Comments

Andrs is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.

The stock market has become quite uncertain lately, the European crisis keeps getting worse every day, and economic data in the US is nothing to write home about. But investors need to keep their heads cool, volatility creates opportunity, and there is no necessity to assume high risks in order to capitalize on the opportunities created by economic hurdles. Big pharmaceutical companies are an attractive sector where solid businesses with strong cash flows and juicy dividend payments can be found in the current turmoil.

The pharmaceutical business is quite resilient in the face of economic problems, so these kind of companies will not go bankrupt even if there is another recession in the short term horizon. Solid balance sheets and big dividend payments are another characteristic that may become very coveted in times of economic uncertainty. And valuations are attractive too; many of these companies have been getting cheaper through the last years due to investors concerns about patent expirations and thelack of new blockbuster drugs.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is one of the safest companies in the sector, not only drugs are produced by this giant with a market cap of almost $170 billion, but Johnson & Johnson gets 40% of revenue from medical devices and diagnosis and another 23% from consumer products. The company is strongly diversified, both geographically and in terms of products, and although it has faced some quality control problems lately, Johnson & Johnson is a solid long term bet yielding a 3.9% in dividends and trading at a forward P/E ratio of 11.3.

Another strong business with an attractive dividend is Abbott(NYSE: ABT), which has reported strong quarterly profits lately. Abbott's plans are to separate the research-based pharmaceuticals from the medical products business in order to better focus research and capitalize growth opportunities, and this move could bring more visibility to the value of the companys operations. Abbott has a forward P/E ratio of 11.3 and the company yields 3.4% in dividends, which leaves ample upside room in shares of this global business.

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) looks really attractive with a dividend yield of 4.1% and a forward P/E of 9.2. The company is facing increased generic competition in the context of a more risk conscious FDA, which slows down the development of new products. However, Pfizer has more than 90 drugs in its pipeline, although it will take time and effort to develop new products, Pfizer has the resources and the economic scale to go through this transition successfully. The pharmaceutical giant also has an unrivaled commercial and distribution team with presence all over the world, which is a key competitive advantage versus other firms in the industry.

Those willing to take some extra risk and venture into companies going through important patents expirations could consider a position in Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY). The company is one of the most exposed to patent expirations, with more than 40% of current sales encountering generic competition between 2011 and 2013. But Eli Lilly is investing heavily to replenish its pipeline with research and development expenses in the neighborhood of 20% of sales, while most competitors spend around 15% of sales in R&D.

The company has the financial resources to continue investing heavily to develop new drugs, and acquisitions are always another possibility to increase revenues in the future, management is also focused on cutting expenses in order to go through the transition with strong profit margins. Investors in Eli Lilly should expect a volatile ride in the following years, but with a forward P/E below 11 and a dividend yield of 4.9% the stock is cheap and has a considerable potential for gains if management handles the patent loss problem in an effective manner.

There are even better dividend yields in big European pharma companies, and some of them look really attractive from a long term perspective, even considering competitive pressures and economic problems in the old continent. GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) is a global powerhouse with a diversified product base and solid profitability ratios, the company is facing some patents expirations, but at the same time it has strong prospects in new drugs. Paying 5.1% in dividends and trading at a forward P/E barely above 10 the upside potential looks much better than downside risk in GlaxoSmithKline.

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The Right Medicine for Your Portfolio

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

By David Bearman, M.D., Santa Barbara

Recently a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judge opined that Congress did not have cannabis in mind when it passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). And just how does that comport when the facts are that a person is actually disabled and benefits from this medicine and that the ADA calls for accommodation for the disabled? It appears as though we continue to have judges practicing medicine without a license. We have thousands of California doctors recommendingcannabis.

Many people who use medicinal cannabis are disabled under the ADA (they have phantom limb pain, quadriplegia, below-knee amputation, brain damage and the like). Cities must have such accommodations as curb cuts, must require elevators in new buildings. There are few more important accommodations than being able to get the treatment your doctor recommends or prescribes. Blocking access to that medicine is just obscene. Saying its fine to prevent access to an effective affordable medicine with few side effects, recommended by your doctor isheinous.

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Medicine and the ADA

WEDNESDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- More than four decades after the last introduction of fresh treatments for tuberculosis, a new medication for multidrug-resistant strains of the global scourge has shown promise in a multinational trial.

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New Medicine Might Fight Drug-Resistant TB, Study Says

NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

New graduates of Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) will converge for a joint commencement ceremony on June 8 at the IZOD Center in the Meadowlands Complex in East Rutherford, N.J. William Karesh, DVM, a pioneer in the One Health movement, will deliver the keynote address.

The One Health initiative encourages collaboration between physicians, veterinarians, and other healthcare professionals to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment.

The health of people, animals, and the planet are inextricably linked, said Karesh, executive vice president for health and policy at Eco Health Alliance, a One Health-focused organization. I'm honored to address this years graduates of Ross University School of Medicine and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. These are the only two schools I am aware of that are putting the concept of One Health directly into its commencement ceremony, recognizing that physicians and veterinarians are equally integral to the future of health worldwide.

RUSM will confer Doctor of Medicine degrees on nearly 900 graduates, while RUSVM will award about 300 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees. The commencement ceremony marks the end of an eventful year for both schools. RUSM graduates, under the leadership of dean and chancellor Joseph Flaherty, MD, landed a record number of residency positions. At RUSVM, newly appointed dean Elaine Watson, PhD has undertaken a strategic plan to develop the schools research agenda and postgraduate education programs.

Andrew Jeon, MD, MBA, president of DeVry Medical International (DMI), will also address the graduates. This will be Jeons first Ross graduation since joining DMI in October 2011. RUSM and RUSVM have a wonderful tradition of educating healthcare professionals to serve society. I have been both impressed and inspired by the energy, enthusiasm, and dedication of our students. It is a privilege to share this occasion with our 2012 graduates, said Jeon.

About Ross University School of Medicine

Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) was founded in 1978 and is a provider of medical education offering a Doctor of Medicine degree program. Students begin their foundational studies in Dominica, West Indies, and complete their clinical training in teaching hospitals throughout the United States. RUSM graduates obtain more US residencies than graduates of any other medical school in the world. For more information about RUSM, visit http://www.rossu.edu/medical-school/.

About Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine

Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM), founded in 1982, is committed to educating highly-trained veterinarians to serve societys needs. RUSVM students complete their academic program on a technologically-advanced campus in St. Kitts, West Indies, before completing the final clinical year of the program in one of the over 20 AVMA-accredited U.S. veterinary schools affiliated with RUSVM. RUSVM is accredited by the St. Christopher & Nevis Accreditation Board (www.gov.kn) and the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (www.avma.org) to offer the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree program. The RUSVM Veterinary Teaching Hospital is the only facility outside the U.S. and Canada accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. For more information about RUSVM, visit http://www.rossu.edu/veterinary-school/.

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Ross University School of Medicine and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine to Recognize More than 1,000 ...

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Metagenics, Inc., a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company focused on reducing chronic health conditions and improving health, announced that it is convening its first Lifestyle Medicine Summit on September 28-30, 2012, in Dana Point, Calif. This landmark professional education event will bring together prominent leaders in this rapidly growing field to share how science-based protocols can be effectively applied in clinical practice to reduce or reverse chronic health conditions and transform lives.

Around the world, the adoption of Western dietary habits, along with increasingly sedentary lifestyles and poorly managed stress, has led to an epidemic of chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and autoimmune diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of two adult Americans has at least one chronic illness, and chronic diseases contribute to seven out of 10 deaths in the U.S.

Internationally known leaders in the field of lifestyle medicine, Jeffrey Bland, PhD, and Mark Hyman, MD, are confirmed speakers, as well as John Gray, PhD, bestselling author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus.

With the worldwide epidemic of chronic disease impacting our health and our economies, there's no debating that lifestyle medicine is a powerful force that cannot only help prevent, but also alleviate many of these illnesses, said Jeffrey Bland, PhD, FACS, CNS, chief science officer for Metagenics, Inc. The Lifestyle Medicine Summit is a unique opportunity to share advancements in lifestyle medicine and nutrigenomic approaches that address and help delay or reverse the onset of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, digestive issues, stress, inflammation, hormones, and cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease.

The Lifestyle Medicine Summit will take place at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, Calif., on September 28-30, 2012.

Confirmed speakers include:

To learn more about the Metagenics University Lifestyle Medicine Summit and to register for the event, visit http://www.metagenics.com/2012summit or call 800-692-9400.

About Metagenics, Inc.

Metagenics, Inc. (www.metagenics.com) is a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company focused on reducing chronic illness and improving health. Founded in 1983, Metagenics serves more than 75,000 healthcare providers worldwide through premium quality, science-based medical foods, nutritional formulas, and lifestyle therapy programs to help their patients achieve a lifetime of good health. Metagenics scientific staffamong the largest in the nutrigenomics industryhas published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been awarded more than 50 international or domestic patents. The companys educational arm, Metagenics University, collaborates with renowned medical experts to annually deliver more than 200 events designed to help healthcare professionals stay on the leading edge of lifestyle medicine and incorporate nutrition into their clinical practice.

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Metagenics Hosts First Lifestyle Medicine Summit to Address Growing Epidemic of Chronic Illness

Police in Medicine Hat were left red-faced Tuesday after a family was mistakenly told their loved one had been killed in a motorcycle crash.

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Wrong family notified about death in Medicine Hat

Programme may be shifted to Exhibition Grounds

With just two days remaining for the annual administration of fish medicine, the district administration is yet to identify an ideal' venue for it.

In-charge Collector of Ranga Reddy district Sudershan Reddy has made it clear that fish medicine will not be given at Katedan.

In all probability, the programme may be shifted to Exhibition Grounds again this year.

Already, the in-charge Collector has written a letter, seeking permission to administer fish medicine to people at the Exhibition Grounds, to General Administration Department (GAD).

In a co-ordination meeting on on Tuesday, in which family members of Bathini Goud, police and revenue authorities were present, the In-charge Collector said that police had expressed their inability to provide adequate security cover at Katedan.

Top Cyberabad police personnel, after conducting a thorough survey of the two venues at Katedan, concluded that the venues were not ideally located' to provide security to large number of visitors, expected to reach venue between June 8 and 9 from various parts of the country. Needless to say, the members of the Bathini family are on tenterhooks.

There are just two-days left. Already, the invites have been sent and we have even declared Katedan as the official venue. Now, authorities say that Katedan is unfit. We don't know about the government's intention towards administration of fish medicine. This is sheer harassment, Bathini Harinath Goud told The Hindu.

Cyberabad DCP Sudhir Babu said that the two venues at Katedan were not ideal for conducting fish prasadam programme. A detailed report highlighting the difficulties in providing security was submitted to the DGP, DCP Sudhir Babu said.

The in-charge Collector said that it would be risky to compromise on security at a venue where thousands from various parts of the countrywere expected to come.

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Fish medicine not at Katedan

Germany's finance minister is rejecting any idea of watering down the diet of austerity and structural reforms being used to combat the eurozone debt crisis.

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German finance minister firm on eurozone medicine

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Biodesix, Inc., a fully integrated molecular diagnostics company dedicated to personalizing medicine, today announced that Paul Beresford, Ph.D., Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Marketing, will join industry veterans on a panel discussing the recipe for the successful commercialization of personalized medicine at the 2012 BIO International Conference being held in Boston, Mass. June 18-21, 2012.

The panel, Commercialization of Personalized Medicine: Stakeholders' Recipe For Success, will take place on Tuesday, June 19th from 3:45-5:00 p.m. EDT. Beresford joins Mara Aspinall, president and CEO of Ventana Medical Systems, a Roche Group; Glenn Miller, Vice President and Head of Personalized Medicine at AstraZeneca; and Ron Andrews, President, Medical Sciences at Life Technologies on the panel. With help from the panelists, who are successfully pioneering diagnostic products for personalized medicine, this session will gauge the power of collaboration to fuel personalized medicine and novel diagnostics, detail early successes, identify major challenges and debate the most attractive models for commercialization.

As personalized therapies continue to see rapid growth from the research side, this is the ideal time to create new business models that optimize the delivery of personalized medicine to patients by providing appropriate incentives to the businesses developing and commercializing these products, said Beresford. I am honored to join this group of innovators in discussing how to best approach this challenge.

Biodesix developed, validated and commercialized VeriStrat, a serum proteomic test currently available to help physicians guide treatment decisions for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The test identifies patients who are likely to have good or poor outcomes after treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs) using a simple blood draw. VeriStrat is based on ProTS, proprietary technology which harnesses the power of mass spectrometry and enables the discovery of specific molecular profiles that characterize a patients condition or likely outcome in response to therapy. Biodesix collaborates with clinical investigators and also partners with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to develop diagnostics that can determine which patients are most likely to benefit from novel therapies.

About Biodesix: Biodesix is a personalized medicine company focused on the development of diagnostic products that inform treatment decisions and improve patient care. The Companys goal is to give physicians more information about the patient and their disease; understanding the clinically meaningful information contained within each patients molecular profile leads to better care and better outcomes. The Companys unique approach is based on ProTS, proprietary technology which harnesses the power of mass spectrometry and enables the discovery of specific molecular profiles. Biodesix collaborates with clinical investigators to address critical clinical questions, and partners with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to develop diagnostics to select patients most likely to benefit from novel therapies. For more information about Biodesix, please visit http://www.Biodesix.com.

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Biodesix’ Paul Beresford Joins 2012 BIO Panel for Personalized Medicine Commercialization

Detroit Medical Center has appointed Dr. Brian J. O'Neil as its specialist-in-chief of emergency medicine.

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DMC names head of emergency medicine

BALTIMORE, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Sapio Sciences (http://www.SapioSciences.com) is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Exemplar Biomarker Discovery LIMS. This release is the result of Sapio's extensive experience in implementing LIMS with Biomarker Discovery at leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Exemplar Biomarker Discovery addresses these clients' needs for a single, integrated solution to a breadth of requirements.

Personalized Medicine: The Future of Medicine

It has been known that the idea that a "one size fits all" application of a drug to a disease is not practical. Each person has a unique response to a medication that will determine whether that particular drug will work for them or not. Ideally, certain biological markers, a.k.a. biomarkers, would be known that could be measured and used to predict the efficacy of any particular drug for a particular patient. This is the promise of personalized medicine.

With advances in genetics, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics over the last two decades, it is now possible to perform detailed profiling of study subjects' response to treatments. The proper tracking and interpretation of this data can lead to the aforementioned desired patient profiling for a particular drug to have the best chance of success.

Proper interpretation of this data can also lead to the success or failure of a drug in clinical trials. Certain drugs may appear ineffective, but in fact are working for a small subset of the patient population with some combination of biomarkers. If these markers could be discovered, then the patient population can be preselected for suitable candidates, and the drug trial has a greater chance of success, whereas it may fail without such a predictor in place.

A Comprehensive Biomarker Discovery LIMS Solution

While the promise of personalized medicine is great, little actual progress has been made. One of the major reasons for this is the lack of tools to help manage the diverse and voluminous study data, and to interpret that data. At most companies this important data is spread across the organization in various applications, data stores, and spreadsheets. This means that making discoveries becomes extremely costly, time consuming, and sometimes impossible because of the lack of a single integrated view of the data.

Companies developing pharmaceuticals need to be able to track samples in the sense of traditional LIMS applications, but also want to be able to track treatment regimens, subjects and their phenotypic attributes, and assay data. Within the same application there is also the need to take this aggregated data and perform data mining queries and statistical analysis on it. A comprehensive Biomarker Discovery application should include all of the following:

Exemplar Biomarker Discovery LIMS addresses each of these needs while allowing for configurationcustomization meeting each company's specific requirements.

"The Exemplar Biomarker Discovery product release is the culmination of our extensive experience working with leading drug development firms who are aware of the importance of personalized medicine to their future success. Now, for the first time, these firms can get a single solution that addresses everything from sample management through study data management, assay data management, data mining and statistical analysis," says Kevin Cramer, VP of Sales and Marketing at Sapio.

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Sapio Sciences Announces Exemplar Biomarker Discovery LIMS for Personalized Medicine

Howland Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Receives Laboratory Accreditation Status from the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic MedicineHowland, Ohio (PRWEB) June 01, 2012 Howland Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has received Laboratory Accreditation status from the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM). The AANEM established ...

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Howland Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Gets Accreditation

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Foundation Medicine, Inc., a molecular information company that brings comprehensive cancer genomic analysis to routine clinical care, today announced results from two studies using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to provide actionable information about genomic tumor alterations in individual patients cancers across all solid tumor types. The studies, being presented this week in an oral and poster session at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), provide new evidence of the important role and clinical impact of NGS in cancer treatment.

These data follow Foundation Medicines recent launch of FoundationOne, the first pan-cancer, fully informative genomic profile for all solid tumors.

These studies, along with other results previously presented and published, provide unequivocal evidence of the significant clinical value of NGS-based comprehensive genomic analysis, said Michael J. Pellini, president and chief executive officer, Foundation Medicine. One test, using a very small amount of tissue, can enable physicians to tailor treatment to a patients molecular subtype. With our pan-cancer genomic profile now commercially available, physicians will have a critical decision-making tool to assist them in making the most appropriate therapeutic choices for their patients with cancer.

The first study, Discovery of Recurrent KIF5B-RET Fusions and Other Targetable Alterations from Clinical NSCLC Specimens (Abstract # 7510), was completed in collaboration with researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and assayed cancer-relevant genes in 24 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Highlights of the analysis include:

Many non-small cell lung cancers have oncogenic alterations that may be sensitive to a targeted therapeutic approach, which can lead to better outcomes for individual patients, said Marzia Capelletti, Ph.D., Research Fellow in Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The challenge for physicians is to comprehensively understand the patients cancer by characterizing the genomic profile and develop a rational treatment strategy. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that there is a need to have a reliable tool to identify the particular molecular drivers of a tumor to help select appropriate therapies for individual patients.

An additional study, Next-Generation Sequencing Reliably Identifies Actionable Genomic Changes in Common and Rare Solid Tumors: The FMI Experience with the Initial 50 Consecutive Patients (Abstract #10590), utilized NGS to identify actionable genomic alterations across a variety of solid tumors in the first 304 clinical specimens (poster updated with clinical experience through May 1, 2012) analyzed by Foundation Medicines CLIA-approved laboratory. Alterations were defined as actionable if linked to an approved therapy in the tumor under study or another solid tumor; a known or suspected contraindication to a given therapy; or a clinical trial linked to the alteration. Lung, breast, colorectal, ovarian and pancreatic cancers were the most common solid tumors identified among 16 primary tumor types. In the analysis:

The complex nature of cancer and the transformation of cancer care, prompted by advanced understanding of genomic subtypes and emergence of targeted therapies, make the detection of alterations to guide therapeutic decision-making more critical than ever, said Gary Palmer, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., senior vice president of medical affairs and commercial development, Foundation Medicine, and lead author of the study. This NGS assay makes it possible for clinicians to make the best possible therapeutic choices, minimize the use of ineffective therapies and enhance enrollment in clinical trials appropriate for the individual patient.

Foundation Medicines first commercial offering, FoundationOne, is a fully informative genomic profile that allows any oncologist to use the same technology that informed the studies presented here as a clinical decision making tool in their own practice. FoundationOne uses routine, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples. Test results are provided in a straightforward report that matches detected patients genomic alterations with potential treatment options and clinical trials.

About FoundationOne

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Foundation Medicine Announces New Data Using Next-Generation Sequencing to Detect Cancer-Related Mutations Not ...

CUPACOY, St. Maarten--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) has graduated more than 4,500 physicians since its founding in 1978. The school marked a new chapter in its history on May 26, as members of the St. Maarten government, AUC leadership, and officials from DeVry Inc. gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the start of the initial phase of an extensive expansion of the St. Maarten campus.

The first phase of the campus project, budgeted at around $30 million, will include construction of two new academic buildings housing an anatomy lab, clinical skills training lab, and simulation center, as well as additional study and learning spaces for students. It is the single largest building project in the history of DeVry, which acquired AUC last summer and immediately committed to significant investments in the campus infrastructure.

This is a momentous occasion for both the AUC School of Medicine and the St. Maarten community, said Andrew Jeon, MD, MBA, president of AUC. By joining together to break ground on the campus, we are recommitting ourselves to our mission of educating compassionate and capable healthcare professionals to serve society. These new buildings will be the heart and soul of the AUC campus.

Jeon was joined in the ceremonial first dig by Bill Hughson, president of DeVrys Healthcare Group; AUC leadership; and members of the St. Maarten government, including Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Deputy Prime Minister William Marlin.

Prime Minister Wescot-Williams said she was pleased to see DeVry moving forward with the project just a short nine months since acquiring the school. DeVry is good for AUC and will be a good partner for St. Maarten, she said, adding that her government would continue to explore economic-zone legislation to benefit AUC and other similar institutions.

Deputy Prime Minister Marlin noted that the campus project will help expand the economy of St. Maarten.

Ron Testa, PhD, AUCs medical sciences dean, said the campus development will have a significant impact on the AUC student experience. This allows AUC to follow through and even strengthen our commitment to high academic standards by providing our students with an environment that will support their efforts for success, he said.

The two new academic buildings are slated for completion by August 2013, in time for AUCs fall semester.

About American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

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American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine Breaks Ground on $30 Million Expansion of St. Maarten Campus

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

N-of-One, Inc., provider of Diagnostic Strategy Roadmaps and Treatment Strategy Roadmaps for personalized cancer care, announced today that the company has entered into a strategic collaboration with Foundation Medicine, Inc. to support the development of its fully informative molecular cancer profiles that can be used to guide individualized patient treatment strategies.

Foundation Medicine will use its state-of-the-art genomic sequencing and analytic capabilities on patient tumor samples to detect and analyze molecular alterations in hundreds of cancer-related genes to potentially identify biological markers that may be driving the onset, growth, and spread of an individuals cancer. N-of-One will apply its PrecisionWorks knowledge integration platform for personalized medicine to assist in the transformation of cancer-relevant genomic alteration data identified by Foundation Medicine into clinically relevant information by linking each molecular variation with up-to-date information about relevant targeted therapies and clinical trials that may be effective against the individuals tumor. Foundation Medicine provides its reports to oncologists to help them determine appropriate treatment strategies tailored to each patient based on their specific genomic profile.

This collaboration represents another important step toward transforming next-generation sequencing into a decision-making tool that empowers oncologists to act rapidly and decisively in providing precision treatment strategies for their patients, said Jennifer Levin Carter, MD, Founder and President of N-of-One. We are delighted to work with Foundation Medicine to convert comprehensive cancer-associated molecular data from its market-leading test into customized reports that will help physicians optimize treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes.

N-of-One is a leader in the curation of molecular information, said Kevin Krenitsky, MD, COO of Foundation Medicine. N-of-One has developed a knowledge integration platform that will help us translate genomic alteration data into information that can be provided to clinicians to help them understand and act upon the genomic data we provide. We are excited to collaborate with N-of-One to provide our fully informative genomic profile to benefit patients.

About N-of-One

N-of-One is dedicated to helping oncologists identify optimal personalized diagnostic and treatment strategies for each individual patienteach n of one. Powered by our proprietary PrecisionWorks knowledge integration platform, the N-of-One team develops roadmaps that drive highly informed clinical decision-making by linking data about the molecular variations in each patients cancer cells with leading-edge knowledge, diagnostics, treatments, and technologies relevant to the tumor type. PrecisionWorks also powers solutions that address the unique logistical and procedural challenges of delivering personalized cancer care by streamlining coordination among health care providers, diagnostic companies, payers, drug and technology innovators, and patients. N-of-One works with physicians and therefore does not providemedical advice nor promote any product orservice. For more information, please visit http://www.n-of-one.com.

About Foundation Medicine

Foundation Medicine is a molecular information company dedicated to a transformation in cancer care in which treatment is informed by a deep understanding of the genomic changes that contribute to each patients unique cancer. The company has developed a fully informative genomic profile to identify a patients individual molecular alterations and match them with relevant targeted therapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicines molecular information platform aims to improve day-to-day care for patients by serving the needs of clinicians, academic researchers and drug developers to help advance the science of molecular medicine in cancer. For more information, please visit the companys website http://www.foundationmedicine.com.

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N-of-One Announces Agreement with Foundation Medicine to Provide the First Patient-Specific Genomic Diagnostic ...

Change the way they practice medicine, and you may end up fixing what ails America's healthcare systems.

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Want To Fix Medicine? Fix The Doctors First

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Foundation Medicine, Inc., a molecular information company that brings comprehensive cancer genomic analysis to routine clinical care, today announced that Michael J. Pellini, M.D., president and chief executive officer, will present an overview of the company at the Goldman Sachs 33rd Annual Global Healthcare Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California on Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. (PT).

Dr. Pellini will provide an update on the recent commercial launch of Foundation Medicines first clinical product, FoundationOne, a pan-cancer, fully informative genomic profile designed to help oncologists expand their patients treatment options.

About FoundationOne

FoundationOne is a fully informative genomic profile that complements traditional cancer decision tools and often expands treatment options by matching patients with targeted therapies that may be relevant to the molecular changes in their tumor. Using next-generation sequencing, FoundationOne interrogates all genes somatically altered in human cancers that are validated targets for therapy or drivers of oncogenesis based on current knowledge. It reveals all classes of genomic alterations including base substitutions, insertions, deletions, copy number alterations and select rearrangements. Each patients genomic profile is reported to the physician matched with targeted therapies and clinical trials that may be relevant based on the molecular blueprint of their tumor. Results are supported by the latest scientific and medical evidence. FoundationOne has been optimized to fit easily into the clinical workflow of a practicing oncologist. It is available for all solid tumors and clinical grade results can be obtained from as little as 50ng of DNA obtained from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples. FoundationOne is a laboratory-developed test performed at Foundation Medicines CLIA-certified facility and is currently available for all solid tumor types. Please visit http://www.foundationone.com for more information.

About Foundation Medicine

Foundation Medicine is a molecular information company dedicated to a transformation in cancer care in which treatment is informed by a deep understanding of the genomic changes that contribute to each patients unique cancer. The company has developed a fully informative genomic profile to identify a patients individual molecular alterations and match them with relevant targeted therapies and clinical trials. Foundation Medicines molecular information platform aims to improve day-to-day care for patients by serving the needs of clinicians, academic researchers and drug developers to help advance the science of molecular medicine in cancer. For more information, please visit http://www.foundationmedicine.com.

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Foundation Medicine to Present at Goldman Sachs 33rd Annual Global Healthcare Conference

Medical schools should widen the pool of talent from which doctors are recruited by making it easier for youngsters from poorer backgrounds to study medicine, a report has urged.

Labour's former health secretary Alan Milburn, the government's independent reviewer on social mobility, accused medicine and other professions of failing to make "any great galvanising effort" to open their doors to disadvantaged students.

His update on progress since an earlier report in 2009 will say that there should be more effort to give teenagers from state schools work experience in the professions, including one-year foundation courses at medical schools.

But representatives of the professions insisted they were already taking action to open up their ranks to a broader range of candidates.

Louis Armstrong, chairman of the organisation Professions for Good, said: "Professions are now much more aware of the need for, and value of, diversifying both their membership and their routes of entry.

"Many professions now have a range of ways to join and qualify, including non-graduate routes."

Milburn's report is expected to say that 83% of jobs created in the next decade will be in the professions, increasing the proportion of the working population in professional careers from 42% to 46% by 2020.

This ought to provide an opportunity for increased movement between the classes of the kind seen in the 1950s, as long as the doors to jobs are kept open for people from all backgrounds, the report is expected to say.

But Milburn told the Guardian: "We won't get a more mobile society unless we create more of a level playing field of opportunity.

"With medicine and with too many other professions, I see no great galvanising effort to change.

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Medicine And Law 'Shut Out' Poorer Students

Research key to developing quality addiction care programs

Newswise Philadelphia, PA (May 30, 2012) Dr. Frank Vocci has been named as the third Co-Editor of Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). He joins Senior Editor Dr. George F. Koob and current Co-Editors Dr. Shannon C. Miller and Dr. Martha J. Wunsch. Dr. Vocci, PhD, is President and Senior Research Scientist of Friends Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Vocci previously served as Director, Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and Chief, Drug Abuse Staff, Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He is President-Elect of The College on Problems of Drug Dependence.

Dr. Vocci joins Journal of Addiction Medicine at a critical time, with the journal experiencing such recent changes as inclusion in PubMed, a commitment to increase issue count from four issues to six issues a year, and an addition of electronic publication ahead of print.

We are excited to welcome a leader with such stature to our Journals editorial team. Dr. Voccis background in the development of medications and clinical trials as well as his interest in blending research with practice makes him ideal for this post, stated Dr. Lori D. Karan, Treasurer and Publications Council Chair, ASAM.

Dr. Vocci has worked on cutting edge clinical research in the areas of addiction disorders, substance abuse disorders, and the medical consequences of drug abuse. His clinical experience includes studying an implantable form of buprenorphine (PROBUPHINE), evaluating the effects of depot naltrexone (VIVITROL) on formerly opiate dependent prisoners before their release from prison and then for six months following release, and ensuring that the Friends Research Institutes Torrance clinic participates in multi-center trials evaluating treatments for methamphetamine and cocaine dependence.

He has received numerous awards for his contributions to the field of addiction medicine, including a Meritorious Executive award from President George Bush for his management of the NIDA medications development program, a Distinguished Service Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence for his work on the development of buprenorphine as a treatment for opiate dependence, and the Vernelle Fox Award from the California Society of Addiction Medicine. He also received the FeDerSerD (Italian Addiction Society) award.

Dr. Voccis research interests include developing medications for treating nicotine and stimulant dependence and evaluating best practices for treatment of opiate users with criminal justice involvement. He is beginning two new projects this year. The first is collaboration with UCLA to evaluate the effects of buspirone on the subjective effects and craving associated with methamphetamine. The second is a pharmacokinetics project with a new formulation of nicotine. The pharmacokinetics project with this new nicotine formulation presages a smoking cessation trial.

Dr. Vocci maintains a keen interest in improving the quality of clinical trials that evaluate treatments for substance abuse disorders. The use of adaptive clinical trial designs, improvements in medication adherence, and discovery of markers of sustained improvement that predict post-treatment outcomes are three areas he believes will become more prominent in clinical trials in substance abusing populations in the near future.

According to Drs. Koob, Miller, and Wunsch, bringing Dr. Vocci on board as a Co-Editor will be a wonderful new direction for the journal. Besides his prominence in the field of addiction medicine, his vast expertise in clinical trials will help strengthen the journals content, which is key to improving the quality of addiction care.

Journal of Addiction Medicine is the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. It is currently in its sixth year of publication and features peer-reviewed articles focused on developments in addiction medicine as well as on treatment innovations and ethical, economic, forensic, and social topics.

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Leading Clinical Researcher Frank Vocci Joins Journal of Addiction Medicine

ATLANTA, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Morehouse School of Medicine today announced the creation of an endowed academic chair devoted to issues related to sexuality and religion. The Marta S. Weeks and David E. Richards Endowed Chair in Sexuality and Religion will develop innovative health and pastoral services as well as teaching, research and public leadership related to issues that bridge the topics of sexuality, religion and medicine.

"Through this unique chair, Morehouse School of Medicine will provide national and international leadership addressing the challenges of sexuality and sexual health in the worlds of medicine and religion," said David Satcher, M.D. Ph.D., 16th Surgeon General of the United States and founder of Morehouse School of Medicine's Satcher Health Leadership Institute and its Center of Excellence for Sexual Health.

The Marta S. Weeks and David E. Richards Endowed Chair in Sexuality and Religion is a major accomplishment of more than a decade of work by Satcher, who in 2001 released the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior. That document outlined a framework of initiatives to strengthen the national dialogue on sexual health. It recognized that sexuality and religion are deeply connected in the United States and that public health would benefit from coordinated efforts of leaders in public health and religion as well as other major constituencies with deeply held beliefs relating to sexuality.

"While the chair will address sexual health issues in all communities, it will place a particular emphasis on underserved populations which is integral to Morehouse School of Medicine's mission," added Satcher. "The continuing disparities in access to quality health care services for minorities, poor people, and other disadvantaged groups results in a weakened public health infrastructure, which ultimately affects everyone."

The endowed chair will focus its efforts on:

For more information on Morehouse School of Medicine and the institution's latest endowed chair in sexuality and religion, please visit http://www.msm.edu.

About Morehouse School of MedicineMorehouse School of Medicine is one the nation's most widely recognized community-based medical schools, established to recruit and train minority and other students from disadvantaged backgrounds as physicians, biomedical scientists and public health practitioners. The institution's mission places special emphasis on primary care training; development of model community-based health services and the conduct of research and translation of discovery to benefit vulnerable populations and ultimately eliminate health inequities.

The School offers doctoral programs in medicine and biomedical research; and master of science degree programs in public health and clinical investigation. It also sponsors graduate training (residency) programs in family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, public health and preventive medicine, and general surgery.

Morehouse School of Medicine annually ranks as one of the top U.S. medical schools in the percentage of graduates practicing primary care specialties. The School ranks # 1 in the first-ever study of all U.S. medical schools in the area of social mission. Such recognition underscores the vital role that MSM plays in the nation's health care system.

Morehouse School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is also a member of the Atlanta University Center Consortium, the world's oldest and largest association of historically black colleges and universities. For more information about Morehouse School of Medicine, visit us online at http://www.msm.edu.

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Morehouse School of Medicine Establishes Endowed Chair in Sexuality and Religion