Ernst & Young LLP health care report explores collaboration as key to a patient-centric system

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NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As the US health care industry continues its transformation to a patient-centric system, health care providers face a new imperative to collaborate with other entities to deliver quality care and improved outcomes with greater efficiency at lower costs. Whether driven by financial pressures, demands to improve quality of care or new payment and delivery models focused on quality outcomes, health care organizations are faced with challenges that require collaboration with others. These and other observations were released today in New horizons: collaboration, Ernst & Young LLP's annual publication for the US health care provider industry.

"The forces at work today are unprecedented," said Jon Weaver, Provider Care Sector Leader, Ernst & Young LLP. "Collaboration with stakeholders to share knowledge, pool resources and synergistically enhance patient care has become a common theme. We are in a time when silos are being razed, connections made, and shared purposes linked."

New horizons builds upon Ernst & Young's industry knowledge by featuring insights from in-depth interviews with the following industry leaders:

The report explores new forms of collaboration taking place in the health care sector and examines areas where stakeholders can focus their energies, including:

"As we enter a new era of health care delivery, boundaries between industry stakeholders are continuing to dissolve, leading to exciting improvements in the delivery of patient care," said Jim Costanzo, National Practice Leader, Health Care Advisory Services, Ernst & Young LLP. "With the market and regulatory forces driving the industry toward an outcome-based care delivery model, the highly fragmented majority of health care providers and insurers are seeking ways to work collaboratively."

About Ernst & Young's Provider Care practiceErnst & Young's provider care practice is helping the nation's leading health care providers (including hospitals, health systems, managed care organizations, home health companies and post-acute care facilities) navigate market changes, government activities and care delivery innovations. For more information, please visit http://www.ey.com/US/en/Industries/United-States-sectors/Health-Care.

About Ernst & YoungErnst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit http://www.ey.com.

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Ernst & Young LLP health care report explores collaboration as key to a patient-centric system

NRF Warns of ‘Regulatory Train Wreck’ with Health Care Regulations

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The National Retail Federation told a congressional panel today that the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury have used too much informal guidance and not enough formal rulemaking in developing regulations to implement the new health care reform law, complicating retailers and other employers ability to plan for what will be required in 2014. NRF is concerned that the situation is the latest example of regulatory uncertainty that is hampering businesses attempts to expand and create jobs.

Our nation cannot afford for the ACA to stumble out of the starting gate, NRF Vice President and Employee Benefits Policy Counsel Neil Trautwein said. A cascade of last-minute regulations will create confusion and thus could encourage more employers to back out of coverage. We are trying to help prevent what threatens to become a regulatory train wreck.

Trautwein is scheduled to testify at a hearing being held this afternoon by the House Ways and Means Committees Health Subcommittee on implementation of health care exchanges and other provisions that will be required under the Affordable Care Act beginning in January 2014.

Trautwein said retailers typically plan health care benefits for their employees six to nine months in advance, meaning that details of the 2014 requirements need to be known no later than the end of the first quarter of 2013. Retailers would like to have regulations in place this year, and are greatly concerned that fast-approaching deadlines for key issues might not be met.

Federal agencies have been working hard and fairly cooperatively with business groups, Trautwein said. But rather than issuing formal proposed rules and seeking comments as is normally done under the Administrative Procedures Act, the Administration has issued bulletins, guidance and frequently-asked-questions documents that are welcome but do not make up for the lack of good and fair regulations, he said.

NRF is concerned that the lack of formal regulations is slowing down creation of health care exchanges, which would be established in each state as a new marketplace for health care coverage. In particular, the basic level of coverage that would be required in policies offered through the exchanges and small group plans has yet to be determined because HHS has not yet said what will be included in the essential health benefits package required by the law.

NRF has backed repeal of the Affordable Care Act, arguing that it emphasizes mandates that drive up costs for employers more than steps to make health care more affordable. In the meantime, however, NRF has encouraged fair and effective implementation of the law, and has worked with its member companies and a wide variety of coalitions on compliance. The complexity of the law and the number of coalitions focused on varies issues led NRF to form the Employers Health Care Clearinghouse to coordinate the work of the groups.

As the worlds largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad. Retailers operate more than 3.6 million U.S. establishments that support one in four U.S. jobs 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nations economy. NRFs Retail Means Jobs campaign emphasizes the economic importance of retail and encourages policymakers to support a Jobs, Innovation and Consumer Value Agenda aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation. http://www.nrf.com

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NRF Warns of ‘Regulatory Train Wreck’ with Health Care Regulations

Military Update: TRICARE networks eyed to improve veterans' access to care

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By Tom Philpott For The Times

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has proposed opening military TRICARE networks of civilian health-care providers to veterans who cant get timely mental health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

TRICARE networks currently exist to provide health care to military personnel and retirees, their families and survivors.

Two days after Romneys pledge, President Barack Obama signed an executive order with several new initiatives to improve access to mental health-care services for veterans, service members and their families.

One initiative directs the VA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish at least 15 pilot programs involving community-based health providers to expand mental health services in areas not well served by the VA.

Another establishes an interagency task force on military and veterans mental health co-chaired by the VA, the Department of Defense and HHS.

Not mentioned is an initiative to allow the VA to refer veterans in need of immediate mental health care to the TRICARE network, but Rep. Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican and chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said the Romney idea has real merit.

The former Massachusetts governor unveiled it in a speech last week to the American Legion conference in Indianapolis.

Miller, during an interview, suggested Romneys notion is a reasonable step on a path Miller wants to travel giving veterans more access to private sector health care, at the VAs expense, rather than forcing them to commute long distances to a VA facility or to endure long delays to get a VA appointment.

Romneys idea, Miller said, would swiftly address the VAs shortage of providers of mental health care to treat post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury and the epidemic of suicides among veterans by immediately doubling the number of available mental health-care providers.

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RxAnte Closes Series A Financing

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MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --RxAnte, Inc., a health care improvement company providing a new and innovative approach for improving medication adherence, announced today that it has raised a Series A financing led by Aberdare Ventures with additional support from the West Health Investment Fund. The financing will be used to further develop RxAnte's proprietary technologies, commercialize its current offerings, and expand the company's impact on the quality of medication use.

"Adherence to prescribed medicine is a critical issue for a variety of health care organizations, and one of the biggest opportunities to improve health care," said Dr. Josh Benner, Founder and CEO of RxAnte. "RxAnte has pioneered a promising new approach to getting the right adherence interventions to the right patients at the right time. In collaboration with Aberdare and West Health, we're excited to expand our offerings and help more organizations achieve higher quality care at lower cost."

RxAnte uses its patent-pending analytics platform to predict medication adherence for individual patients, target interventions to those most likely to benefit, and monitor and manage programs over time. The RxAnte system reveals which patients respond best to interventions, helping organizations improve the cost-effectiveness of their adherence improvement efforts.

"We are elated to be teaming up with RxAnte," said Paul Klingenstein, Managing Partner at San Francisco-based Aberdare Ventures. "Drug adherence is a simple way to improve care for individuals and get more for our health care dollars. RxAnte has developed a set of superb data tools to accomplish these goals. It is exactly what our health care system needs, and the kind of thing we are trying to do at Aberdare."

RxAnte is currently working with major health plans, providers, care management organizations and pharmaceutical companies to help improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their adherence efforts.

"Through targeted investments in companies focused in advancing cost-effective models of care, West Health can impact the cost of health care externally," said Nicholas J. Valeriani, chief executive of San Diego-based West Health. "RxAnte highlights the kinds of new approaches to medication adherence that have great potential to disrupt the current delivery model and lower the cost of health care."

About RxAnte RxAnte is a health care improvement company that provides a new and innovative approach for driving medication adherence by helping organizations target, manage, and evaluate their adherence support initiatives. The company's patent-pending predictive analytics and decision support solutions turn ordinary claims data into actionable insights and management recommendations that help health care organizations deliver the right intervention to the right patient at the right time. For more information, please visit http://www.rxante.com.

About Aberdare Ventures Formed in 1999, Aberdare Ventures is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm investing in health care innovation, often at the earliest stages. Aberdare invests in visionary entrepreneurs and technologies that are transforming global inefficiencies in health care with new biological, engineering, and information technologies. Eight investment professionals oversee a committed capital base in excess of $400 million in aggregate. The firm has attracted and partnered with many superior early stage companies, repeatedly backing start-up enterprises that have grown to values exceeding $1 billion.

Historical successes have included Pharmion, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, and Ablation Frontiers. More recently, Aberdare has been among the first to focus on the transformational opportunities created at the intersection of emerging information technologies with health care, and has established a leadership position in this ecosystem. In addition to the investment in RxAnte, existing commitments to Aviir, Clovis Oncology, Elation EMR, goBalto, Jiff, Omada Health, mc10, and Sonitus reflect this strategy.

About the West Health Investment FundThe West Health Investment Fund's mission is to lower health care costs by investing in innovative patient-centered solutions that deliver the right care at the right place at the right time. This fund, seeded with $100 million from pioneering philanthropists Gary and Mary West, strategically provides capital to early stage mission-aligned companies. The Investment Fund is unique in its philanthropic nature as it commits any returns made from investments to medical research and other charitable activities. The West Health Investment Fund is part of West Health, which also includes the West Health Institute, West Health Policy Center, and West Health Incubator. For more information, find us at http://www.westhealth.org and follow us @westhealth.

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RxAnte Closes Series A Financing

West Health Investment Fund invests in GlySens and RxAnte

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SAN DIEGO, Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The West Health Investment Fund, West Health's fund focused on lowering health care costs, has announced it participated in the recent venture financings of GlySens, Inc. and RxAnte, Inc., two startup companies with innovative technologies that could lower the cost of health care. Financial terms of the investments were not disclosed.

(Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120912/DC72771LOGO)

"Through targeted investments in companies focused in advancing cost-effective and cost-saving models of care, West Health can impact the cost of health care externally," said Nicholas J. Valeriani, chief executive of West Health. "These two innovative companies highlight the kinds of new approaches to diabetes treatment and medication adherence that have great potential to disrupt the current delivery model and lower the cost of health care."

San Diego-based GlySens is developing an implantable, long-term continuous glucose monitoring sensor designed to provide a wireless means to track glucose levels and improve the lives of people with diabetes. The sensor resides completely under the skin and transmits glucose measurements wirelessly to a convenient external display device, so patients may control their blood sugar levels more effectively. The American Diabetes Association reports that in the United States alone, diabetes and its complications are estimated to be responsible for more than $117 billion in direct medical costs.

Virginia-based RxAnte is a health care improvement company that provides a new and innovative approach for driving medication adherence by helping organizations target, manage and evaluate their adherence support initiatives. By using predictive analytics, RxAnte's service helps identify the most effective outreach method to ensure that patients take their medicines as directed by their health care professional.

"Patients get no benefit from drugs they do not take, complex regimens they cannot follow or care they cannot afford," said Dr. Joseph Smith, chief medical and science officer of West Health. "These investments reflect our commitment to increasing the efficiency of health care delivery while decreasing the burdens of complexity and cost."

The $100 million West Health Investment Fund was launched in October 2011 to provide venture capital for companies with cutting-edge health care technologies and services that offer the potential to lower the cost of health care. The Fund is unique in its philanthropic nature as it commits any returns made from investments to medical research and other charitable activities.

ABOUT THE WEST HEALTH INVESTMENT FUND

The West Health Investment Fund's mission is to lower health care costs by investing in innovative patient-centered solutions that deliver the right care at the right place at the right time. This fund, seeded with $100 million from pioneering philanthropists Gary and Mary West, strategically provides capital to early-stage mission-aligned companies. The Investment Fund is unique in its philanthropic nature as it commits any returns made from investments to medical research and other charitable activities. The West Health Investment Fund is part of West Health, which also includes the West Health Institute, West Health Policy Center and West Health Incubator. For more information, find us at http://www.westhealth.org and follow us @westhealth.

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West Health Investment Fund invests in GlySens and RxAnte

Press Freedom Run opens registration

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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

REGISTRATION for the Cebu Press Freedom Fun Run on Sept. 22 is now open.

The fun run has two distances, 3K and 5K, and will be held at the Cebu Business Park. Gun start for both distances is at 6 a.m. at the area fronting the Cebu City Sports Club.

Check our new look and tell us what you think.

The fun run, sponsored by Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc., with the support of Cebu Holdings Inc., is exclusive to members of the Cebu media. It is one of the highlights of the 18th Cebu Press Freedom Week on Sept. 16-22.

Registration is free. Forms are available at the newsrooms of Cebu Daily News (look for Raffy Escoton), The Freeman (Divine Ngujo) and Sun.Star Cebu (Hanz Llerin).

The top three finishers in the mens and womens categories in each distance will receive cash prizes and medals.

The race bib and running shirt will be distributed between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 22, Saturday, at the Cebu City Sports Club.

Since the number of runners is limited to 250, only those who have registered and who show up on race day can claim their race pack. Registration is until Sept. 19, Wednesday, 5 p.m.

The Think Tankers, the group organizing the 100K series and the All-Women Ultra Marathon (Awum), is helping the convenors in the Cebu Press Freedom Fun Run. (PR)

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Press Freedom Run opens registration

Myanmar moves closer to more press freedom

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Myanmar's Information Minister Aung Kyi said the government wants to work with the country's journalists to establish new press freedom laws.

Published: Sept. 12, 2012 at 6:30 AM

YANGON, Myanmar, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Myanmar's Information Minister Aung Kyi said the government wants to work with the country's journalists to establish new media freedom laws.

Aung Kyi, former labor minister and government liaison to pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, has been meeting with journalists in Yangon to discuss media issues, the Irrawaddy news website said.

The move comes after the government did away last month with the requirement of publications to submit their copy to a government censor before publishing them.

However, publishers must submit articles to the Information Ministry's Press Scrutiny and Registration Department after publication to determine if publishing laws have been broken.

Aung Kyi said the Information Ministry will put together a first draft and consult with Myanmar's journalist community before deciding on a version to be presented to Parliament.

He also said he wanted to work through the Myanmar Core Press Council that the government set up last month as its official media liaison and watchdog, the Irrawaddy report said.

"We now feel a sense of freedom," MCPC member Ko Ko told the Irrawaddy, run by expatriate Myanmar journalists operating in Thailand. "We must start working together to write a new law and confine the 1962 law to history."

Zaw Thet Htwe, a spokesman for the independent Committee for Freedom of the Press, said "we will need to wait and see to what extent our ideas are included."

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Coastal water woes wash away

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A swimming advisory sign warns visitors to Oak Island of high bacteria levels near the Oak Island Pier in 2010.

Southeastern North Carolina's beaches had just four water quality warnings during the 2012 tourist season, the area's lowest total in four summers, according to records from the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, beaches in Brunswick County and New Hanover County each had one water quality alert and one advisory. Pender County beaches had no reported issues.

That total is the lowest since 2008, when area beaches notched three advisories in the same time period. Officials with the state's water quality testing program said the low numbers are a positive though the success or failure of a particular season is less about the quantity of issued warnings than protecting swimmers and beachgoers.

We don't really look at it that way, said J.D. Potts, the program's director. Our job is to protect public health, and we do whatever necessary to notify the public whenever we have conditions that don't meet the standards.

State workers routinely visit 240 coastal and estuarine sites up and down the shoreline, testing water samples for enterococci, a bacteria that indicates fecal contamination. Of those, 114 high-traffic sites, designated as tier 1, are tested more frequently; 45 are in the Cape Fear region, including Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach.

If a sample tests positive for the bacteria, officials submit a second sample for confirmation and issue a water quality alert. If the second sample returns the same result, the alert is upgraded to an advisory.

That means we've posted a sign at the location and issued a press release, both advising people not to swim, Potts said. But they still can. We don't have the authority to close beaches, but county and state health directors can do that.

Swimmers exposed to fecal contamination are at risk for staph infections, rashes and diarrhea, among other ailments. Still, beach closings are relatively rare, particularly in ocean-side locations, where conditions are much more variable, Potts said.

There are 24 hours between the time you collect the sample and the time it takes to have the analysis completed in the lab, he said. During that 24-hour time, you've had two high tides and two low tides. A lot of water has come and gone ... so we're posting swimming advisories on the conditions of the water 24 hours earlier.

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Coastal water woes wash away

Not enough sand, money to repair eroded beaches

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SAND KEY (FOX13) -

Tropical Storm Debby not only damaged Pinellas beaches by an estimated $25 million, she also threatens the current $34 million renourishment of Sand Key.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed that there's going to be enough sand in our borrow area to fill the whole project to the south end," county coastal manager Andy Squires said. "So there's a chance we could run short of sand."

He said rebuilding Sand Key is consuming more sand than expected because T.S. Debby increased the areas to be filled.

The Army Corps of Engineers says emergency repairs to beaches outside the current project area will not be possible until 2013 or later. Right after the storm, the goal was to piggyback the emergency work onto the Sand Key project to save money.

But Jackie Keiser, the Corps' dredging program manager, said there is neither enough money nor sand to pursue that option.

Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota and Lee counties all requested disaster relief for beach repairs. Keiser said it will take the rest of the year to review those requests, then the Corps will have to determine if money is available through the federal Flood Control and Coastal Emergency fund.

None of this is good news for tourism-centric beach towns.

"This is our economic life," said North Redington Beach mayor Bill Queen. His town is the last to be renourished in the current project, and therefore is at the most risk if the sand runs out early.

"This beach, this sand, is our economic life for all these communities up and down Pinellas County. We've got to have that sand here," Queen said.

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Not enough sand, money to repair eroded beaches

Strand Aerospace ties up with AKKA Tech

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Strand Aerospace Malaysia Sdn Bhd aims to become a premier provider of high-end engineering services in Asia-Pacific via its partnership with AKKA Technologies.

Its chief operating officer, Naguib Mohd Nor, said the partnership would allow the company to spread its wings into new engineering services including rail and automotive sectors.

"Right now we have already trained around 10 to 15 engineers and we expect to reach our target of 30 to 35 trained engineers by end of this year.

"AKKA is quite happy with the current level of quality engineers we produced, and our capability to continue to produce the right level of engineers is quite dependent on our relationship with AKKA," he said after signing a Priority Resourcing Agreement with AKKA here today.

He said the partnership is a testament to Strand Aerospace's capability in providing its services globally, and also the high level of confidence and trust that international businesses have in Malaysia.

"Today, much of the high-value design work in Malaysia is outsourced to countries such as Taiwan, Korea and India.

"By growing engineering services domestically, Malaysia can utilise domestic capabilities and manpower, moving the local aerospace industry up the value chain," he said.

AKKA is a multiple engineering services verticals provider, including aerospace, rail, automotive, electronics and maritime domains.

Its vice-president Stephane Woitok said through this agreement AKKA hopes to be able to further capitalise on the high quality of Malaysian engineering resources that Strand Aerospace is developing.

"Strand Aerospace present us with a unique opportunity to benefit from having a European standard resource in an Asian location," he added. Bernama

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Strand Aerospace ties up with AKKA Tech

Potential merger would create world's largest aerospace company

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The Eurofighter Typhoon, sporting the flags of the six nations that have ordered the aircraft, is a collaboration of BAE Systems and Airbus parent company European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. (Odd Andersen/AFP / September 7, 2012)

September 12, 2012, 12:11 p.m.

Airbus parent company European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. and BAE Systems, two European giants in the aerospace and defense business, have acknowledged they are in merger talks in a deal that would create the industry's largest company.

The two companies had combined revenues of more than $94 billion last year, which surpasses Boeing Co.s $68.7 billion in sales.

In a joint statement, the companies said that a potential combination would create a world-class international aerospace, defense and security group.

Under the possible deal, BAE Systems shareholders would control 40% of the combined group's stock and EADS shareholders would own 60%.

Both companies already have a large U.S. presence. In July, Toulouse, France-based Airbus announced it would build a commercial jet manufacturing facility in Mobile, Ala. The planes built there will compete directly with those made by Boeing.

Analysts say that the deal makes the most sense on the defense side of business, now that global defense revenues are on the decline.

EADS and BAE have a history of collaboration and currently work together as partners in a number of projects, including MBDA, a European company that develops and manufactures missiles, and the Eurofighter Typhoon, a modern combat aircraft used by various European militaries.

In accordance with British law, the companies said they have until Oct. 10 to announce either that a deal has been made or that they no longer intend to pursue a transaction.

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Potential merger would create world's largest aerospace company

EADS and BAE may create aerospace giant

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Published: Sept. 12, 2012 at 5:22 PM

PARIS, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Two aerospace giants in Europe, BAE Systems and European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. have confirmed they are discussing a possible merger.

A "potential combination would create a world-class international aerospace, defense and security group with substantial centers of manufacturing and technology excellence in the U.K., USA, France, Germany and Spain as well as in Australia, India and Saudi Arabia," the companies said in a joint statement.

The companies have long been rivals of U.S. industrial giant Boeing Co. They also have a "long history of collaboration," the joint statement said.

Besides other collaborations, BAE and EADS are working together on the Eurofighter and MBDA joint ventures.

Any deal struck would have to be approved by both company boards, by shareholders of each company and by regulators, the statement said.

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EADS and BAE may create aerospace giant

BAE, EADS discuss creating aerospace giant

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LONDON/BERLIN (Reuters) - Britain's BAE Systems and Airbus-owner EADS plan to merge into a $48 billion aerospace and defense giant that would overtake rival Boeing in sales, and insulate the pair from U.S. and European defense budget cuts. In the biggest shake-up in Europe's aerospace and defense sector since a 2000 pan-European merger created EADS under joint French and German control, the pair ...

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BAE, EADS discuss creating aerospace giant

Ball Aerospace Names Tim Harris Vice President and General Manager for National Defense

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BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has selected Tim Harris to lead its national defense strategic business unit. As vice president and general manager for national defense, Harris will oversee programs and direct all new defense-related business pursuits.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120912/LA72608)

Harris has more than 30 years of design, manufacturing, project and systems engineering and program management experience. Since joining Ball Aerospace in 1996, he has served as director of business development for defense programs, and program director for several demanding mission areas including the Space Based Space Surveillance program, a Ball satellite launched in 2010 to track space debris. He has been instrumental in establishing Ball as an industry leader in space missions, space-based sensors and high performance star trackers.

"Tim has been a major contributor to Ball's success in recent years," said Rob Strain, Ball Aerospace's chief operating officer. "He has developed significant new business opportunities, led strong program performance and enhanced customer relationships, proving that he's the right person to lead the company's national security space programs."

In 2011, Harris was recognized with the Gabe Award, the company's highest honor, to acknowledge his continuous outstanding professional service and successful ability to enhance competitiveness while producing an exemplary body of work. A former Ball Aerospace president, R.H. 'Gabe' Gablehouse is credited with spearheading the company's significant growth in the 1970s and 1980s.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. For more information visit http://www.ballaerospace.com.

Ball Corporation (BLL) is a supplier of high quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,500 people worldwide and reported 2011 sales of more than $8.6 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates, " "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at http://www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; political instability and sanctions; and changes in foreign exchange rates or tax rates. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the recent global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding the U.S. government budget and debt limit; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

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Ball Aerospace Names Tim Harris Vice President and General Manager for National Defense

Birth-defect mechanism found by BYU biochemists

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Public release date: 11-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Joe Hadfield joe_hadfield@byu.edu 801-422-9206 Brigham Young University

The cellular cause of birth defects like cleft palates, missing teeth and problems with fingers and toes has been a tricky puzzle for scientists.

Now Professor Emily Bates and her biochemistry students at Brigham Young University have placed an important piece of the developmental puzzle. They studied an ion channel that regulates the electrical charge of a cell. In a new study published by the journal Development, they show that blocking this channel disrupts the work of a protein that is supposed to carry marching orders to the nucleus.

Without those instructions, cells don't become what they were supposed to become be that part of a palate, a tooth or a finger. Though there are various disorders that lead to birth defects, this newly discovered mechanism may be what some syndromes have in common.

Bates and her graduate student, Giri Dahal, now want to apply the findings toward the prevention of birth defects particularly those caused by fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

"What we think might be the case is that this is the target for a few similar disorders," Bates said. "The big thing that we have right now is that this ion channel is required for protein signaling, which means that developmental signaling pathways can sense the charge of a cell. And that's exciting for a lot of different reasons."

For example, the new study might also have implications for the battle against cancer. With cancer, the problem is that cells are receiving a bad set of instructions that tells them to multiply and spread. If they can devise a way to block the ion channel, it may stop those cancerous instructions from getting through.

"This protein signaling pathway is the same one that tells cancer cells to metastasize," Bates said. "We're planning to test a therapy to specifically block this channel in just the cells that we want to stop."

Bates, who received her Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard, authored the study with several BYU students. The experience has already helped launch two students into prestigious graduate programs: Brandon Gassaway is at Yale for a Ph.D. in molecular biology and Ben Kwok is at Ohio State University for dental school.

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Birth-defect mechanism found by BYU biochemists

‘Mad Cow’ blood test now on the horizon

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Public release date: 11-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Associate Professor Andrew Hill a.hill@unimelb.edu.au 61-425-784-778 University of Melbourne

Using newly available genetic sequencing scientists discovered cells infected with prions (the infectious agent responsible for these diseases) release particles which contain easily recognized 'signature genes'.

Associate Professor Andrew Hill from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Bio21 Institute said these particles travel in the blood stream, making a diagnostic blood test a possibility.

"This might provide a way to screen people who have spent time in the UK, who currently face restrictions on their ability to donate blood," he said.

"With a simple blood test nurses could deem a prospective donor's blood as healthy, with the potential to significantly boost critical blood stocks."

Mad Cow disease was linked to the deaths of nearly 200 people in Great Britain who consumed meat from infected animals in the late 1980s.

Since 2000, the Australia Red Cross Blood Service has not accepted blood from anybody who lived in the UK for more than six months between 1980 and 1996, or who received a blood transfusion in the UK after 1980.

The research is published in this week's Oxford University Press Nucleic Acids Research journal http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/09/08/nar.gks832.full.

Lead author Dr Shayne Bellingham said the breakthrough might also help detect other human neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

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'Mad Cow' blood test now on the horizon

PASSINGS: Robert Morgan Fink, Gene Vollnogle, Dorothy McGuire Williamson

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Robert Morgan Fink

Biochemist at UCLA

Robert Morgan Fink, 96, a retired UCLA biochemistry professor whose groundbreaking research with his biochemist wife included developing a new technique in the late 1940s to study the thyroid, died Wednesday of natural causes at his Pacific Palisades home, said Suzanne Coppenrath, one of his two daughters.

He was a pioneer who "is remembered as a very good scientist who did important work," said Elizabeth Neufeld, former chairwoman of the department of biological chemistry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

At the University of Rochester, Fink met his future wife, Kathryn, a fellow graduate student. After marrying in 1941, they worked together at Rochester on the Manhattan Project, which would produce the atom bomb.

The head of the project at Rochester was Dr. Stafford Warren, who recruited the Finks to join the UCLA faculty after he was named the first dean of its school of medicine. When the couple came to UCLA in 1947, space for experiments was limited and at first they conducted research at hospitals in the San Fernando Valley and Long Beach.

The Finks were perhaps best known for a 1948 breakthrough in thyroid biochemistry called the "paper chromatography technique." They used radioactive "tracer" chemicals on small samples of the thyroid and other body tissues, which caused them to essentially photograph themselves and expose new and previously inconceivable detail.

The technique worked so well that the Finks were able to isolate and identify a dozen new biological compounds. The approach was later adapted to determine if chemotherapy was helping cancer patients.

In 1978, Robert Fink retired from UCLA as a biochemistry professor. His wife was assistant dean for student affairs at UCLA's medical school when she died at 72 in 1989.

Born Sept. 22, 1915, in Greenville, Ill., he was one of six children of a glove salesman who eventually owned the factory.

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PASSINGS: Robert Morgan Fink, Gene Vollnogle, Dorothy McGuire Williamson

Acceleron Founder Dr. Tom Maniatis To Receive The 2012 Lasker Award in Medical Science

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

Acceleron Pharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing protein therapeutics for cancer and orphan diseases, announced that Tom Maniatis, Ph.D., an Acceleron co-founder and Professor and Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, is to be honored with the 2012 Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science. The Albert and Mary Lasker foundation award is considered to be one of the most prestigious scientific prizes and the Special Achievement Award recognizes its recipients for exceptional leadership and citizenship in biomedical science. Dr. Maniatis will be presented with the Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science on September 21st in New York City.

Dr. Maniatis is a pioneer in the development of gene cloning technology, and he has published extensively in the field of eukaryotic gene regulation. In particular, he identified numerous genetic defects that underlie the inherited human illness -thalassemia. Dr. Maniatis is widely known for his seminal work developing gene cloning technologies and applying those methods to discovering the genetic bases of human diseases. His book, The Cloning Manual, has become a world-wide resource.

In addition to these scientific accomplishments, Dr. Maniatis has been instrumental in creating successful biotechnology companies. He was a co-founder of Genetics Institute, where he chaired the scientific board and served on the board of directors for more than 17 years. During this time, Genetic Institutes gained FDA approval for several protein-based drugs, including recombinant human erythropoietin, Factor VIII and Factor IX, as well as bone morphogenic proteins. Dr. Maniatis was also a co-founder of ProScript Inc., which discovered the drug Velcade (bortezomib). Dr. Maniatis is currently a member of the board of directors at Acceleron.

Mark Ptashne, Ph.D., the Ludwig Chair of Molecular Biology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, a co-founder of Genetics Institute and Acceleron, and a previous Lasker awardee said, Ive worked with Tom for many years in both basic science and biotechnology,he is simply the best.

Tom has had an enormous impact on the scientific community and an equally impressive contribution to the discovery and development of innovative medicines at several biotechnology companies, said John Knopf, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Acceleron. I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing and working with Tom since I joined Genetics Institute 30 years ago. I personally continue to benefit significantly from his involvement at Acceleron as does our entire team of world-class scientists.

About Acceleron

Acceleron is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company committed to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize novel protein therapeutics for orphan diseases and cancer. Accelerons scientific approach takes advantage of its unique insight to discover first-in-class therapies based on the TGF- protein superfamily. Acceleron utilizes proven biotherapeutic technologies and capitalizes on the companys internal GMP manufacturing capability to advance its therapeutic programs rapidly and efficiently. The investors in Acceleron include Advanced Technology Ventures, Alkermes, Avalon Ventures, Bessemer Ventures, Celgene, Flagship Ventures, MPM BioEquities, OrbiMed Advisors, Polaris Ventures, QVT Financial, Sutter Hill Ventures and Venrock. For further information on Acceleron, please visit http://www.acceleronpharma.com.

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Acceleron Founder Dr. Tom Maniatis To Receive The 2012 Lasker Award in Medical Science

Proteonomix Retains Numoda Corporation to Provide Clinical Trial Services for Phase 1 Trial with UMK-121 in End-Stage …

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PARAMUS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Proteonomix, Inc. (PROT), a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based upon the use of human cells and their derivatives, today announced that Numoda Corporation will provide a range of specific clinical trial services for a Proteonomix-sponsored Phase 1 clinical trial with its patent-pending mobilization technology UMK-121 in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Numoda is leading provider of clinical trial information and logistics services to life sciences companies.

Initiating this clinical trial represents a major milestone for Proteonomix and we are delighted to report additional progress toward this goal, said Proteonomix Chief Technology Officer Steven Byle. UMK-121 combines two existing FDA-approved drugs with the intention of mobilizing mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow to the peripheral circulation. This proprietary drug combination is designed to reduce inflammation and increase angiogenesis to restore liver function, potentially extending the life of ESLD patients awaiting liver transplant. We hope to begin this trial in the upcoming months.

Earlier this month, Proteonomix signed a master agreement with Numoda for clinical trial services. In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Proteonomix permission to conduct a Phase 1 clinical trial with UMK-121 in patients with ESLD.

About Proteonomix, Inc.

Proteonomix is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics based upon the use of human cells and their derivatives. The Proteonomix family of companies includes Proteoderm, StromaCel, PRTMI and THOR Biopharma. Proteoderm is a wholly owned subsidiary that has developed an anti-aging line of skin care products. StromaCel develops therapeutic modalities for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and plans to file an IND application for treatment of patients who have suffered post-myocardial infarction. Proteonomix Regenerative Translational Medicine Institute, Inc. (PRTMI) intends to focus on the translation of promising research in stem cell biology and cellular therapy to clinical applications of regenerative medicine. Additional information is available at http://www.proteonomix.com and http://www.proteoderm.com.

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Proteonomix, Inc. cautions that statements made in this press release constitute forward-looking statements and makes no guarantee of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from projections. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the time statements are made.

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Proteonomix Retains Numoda Corporation to Provide Clinical Trial Services for Phase 1 Trial with UMK-121 in End-Stage ...