ERLANGEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- More than 500,000 patients suffer from epilepsy in Italy. Not all of them can be treated sufficiently with available anticonvulsive medication. Therefore the medical device company cerbomed GmbH from Erlangen, Germany, announces that, from March 2013 on, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (t-VNS) with NEMOS will be available to Italian epilepsy patients. To address the Italian market, cerbomed is cooperating with MARVAMED, a medical devices sales specialist experienced in the Italian neurology market. This is the first, successful step in extending into new European markets. Cooperations with further European distributors should follow in the course of the year. MARVAMED's managing director, Dr. Pierluigi Bertolotto, has more than 20 years experience in neuromodulation and neurosurgery. He has both technical know-how and a network with experts in the field of epilepsy. His company, MARVAMED, based in Genoa, is a distributor specializing in medical products for neuromodulation and functional neurosurgery. "Hard-to-treat epilepsy patients suffer severely, and currently there are only a few therapy alternatives. I am glad to announce that with the transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulator NEMOS, a promising therapy option is now available in Italy, too", Bertolotto declares. "We are happy to cooperate with MARVAMED. Such an effective and experienced … Continue reading →

By Barbara Bronson Gray HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) - A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel will weigh on Friday the merits of a new therapy for some people with epilepsy who have seizures that don't respond to medication. Smaller and thinner than an implantable defibrillator, the battery-powered, programmable device, called the RNS System, is placed just under the skull during surgery. Electrodes reach from the device to the one or two places in the patient's brain that create the abnormal electrical activity that causes seizures. The device works by short-circuiting nerve cells in that area to normalize brain activity before a seizure is triggered. "This is the first responsive neuro-stimulation system ever designed," said Frank Fischer, president and CEO of Mountain View Calif.-based NeuroPace Inc., which developed the device. "Our long-term results show that patients have a reduction of 50 percent or more in their seizure frequency, compared to baseline, and a lessening of seizure severity." The device is designed specifically for people aged 18 and older with partial-onset epilepsy, which occurs when one or more fixed locations in a person's brain start the cascade of nerve firing that creates a seizure. NeuroPace has done … Continue reading →

Reports on PharmaPoint: Epilepsy - Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022 for U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China & Japan added at ReportsnReports.com store. Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) February 21, 2013 PharmaPoint: Epilepsy - US Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022- The main drivers for growth in this market includes the launch of new AEDs with novel MOAs; healthcare reform, which will increase treatment rates; and a also growing elderly population with twice the risk of developing epilepsy. PharmaPoint: Epilepsy - UK Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022 - The main driver for growth in this market is the launch of new AEDs and the continued uptake of recent AEDs, although this is affected by government pricing and reimbursement regulations. PharmaPoint: Epilepsy - France Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022- The main driver for growth in this market is the launch of new AEDs with novel MOAs and the lower-than-average rate of generic substitution in France compared with other countries, although this may change during the forecast period due to government cost-cutting strategies. PharmaPoint: Epilepsy - Germany Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2022 - The main factor for the decline in this market is the … Continue reading →

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SynapDx Corporation is joining a select group of autism-focused companies to present at the inaugural Autism Investment Conference, held today in New York, NY and sponsored by Autism Speaks. SynapDxs CEO Stanley Lapidus will share his vision for addressing the unmet needs in autism diagnosis as part of the panel entitled Diagnostics and Enabling Technologies. Lapidus will also update the community on SynapDxs research efforts to further development of its breakthrough blood-based autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnostic test, designed to help clinicians identify children with autism earlier than they do today. SynapDxs blood-test approach measures differences in RNA gene expression to distinguish between children with a higher risk for ASDs from those without. The test could hasten the diagnostic process and help children at risk for ASDs secure access to the right evaluations and treatment as early as possible. Open to investors, analysts and executives in the life sciences and healthcare, the Autism Investment Conference is designed to educate the investment community on the scale and diversity of business development opportunity in ASD. Through a series of panels, companies developing products aligned with unmet needs in ASD are able to showcase their efforts and network with investors. … Continue reading →

The SEED Center has become an approved in-network provider for United Healthcare, making autism evaluation and treatment more affordable for families in Stamford and the entire state of Connecticut. Stamford, CT (PRWEB) February 21, 2013 Connecticut law requires that specified group health insurance plans provide coverage for autism evaluation and treatment. Treatments for autism spectrum disorders must be considered a medical necessity, and must be diagnosed and ordered by a licensed physician, psychologist or clinical social worker in accordance with a patient's treatment plan. Treatments for autism related disorders can include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, applied behavioral analysis or ABA therapy, social skills training, and more. Being an in-network provider of autism treatment services is great news for families in Connecticut, says SEED Center President and Co-Founder Evan Schermer. Even though autism evaluation and treatment are mandated by state law, there are very few in-network providers for these services in Connecticut, he says. Before, families with children with autism would have to pay out of pocket for services received out of network and submit a claim to their insurance company to be reimbursed, if they were even eligible. Receiving these same services from an in-network provider takes much … Continue reading →

"I'm constantly reminding myself not to limit myself what is possible with her." -Lt. Gov. Brian Calley says of six-year-old daughter Reagan SAGINAW, MI Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley told a group of about 50, many parents of autistic children, that he knows firsthand how difficult it is to raise a child with autism. Calley, the father of a six-year-old autistic daughter, Reagan, championed state legislation signed into law in April 2012 that requires insurance companies in Michigan to cover costs associated with diagnosis and treatment of autism. "I was really honored to be able to personally sign the legislation," he said. "The governor was visiting National Guard troops inAfghanistanwhen the legislation passed and made it to our governor's desk, and my constitutionalprivilegeis to sign legislation in the absence of the governor." The statewide insurance mandate, which Calley said is the first in Michigan in 20 years, took effect in October 2012. But the work is far from over, Calley told the group gathered at Mid-Michigan Children's Museum for the monthly Great Lakes Bay Autism Center meeting. Because treatment of autismwas previouslynot covered by anyhealth insurance plans in the state, he said, there are stillvery few professionals in Michiganequippedto diagnose … Continue reading →

Boys outnumber girls when it comes to autism diagnoses, and researchers may have uncovered one reason why. Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls, but whether that trend is rooted in biological differences between the genders or the fact that girls might simply hide their symptoms better, hasnt been clear. The gender-based difference could be due to factors that increase the risk among boys, or, alternatively, factors that protect girls. Researchers led by Elise Robinson of Harvard Medical School decided to investigate the latter, and determine whether there might be something about being female that protected girls from the the developmental disorder. The team analyzed data from two large samples of twins, one from Sweden and the other from the U.K. They theorized that if something were protecting girls from autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), then families of girls who actually did develop them should have a greater than average risk, and that risk would overwhelm whatever protection they received from their gender. In other words, girls would have a higher threshold for developing ASDs they would have to be faced with a heavier burden of whatever genetic or environmental risk factors cause ASD in … Continue reading →

DENVER, Feb. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Swedish Medical Center has been named the first and only Comprehensive Stroke Center in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region by the Joint Commission, the prestigious national medical accreditation organization. This new level of certification recognizes the advanced technology, staff and training that comprehensive stroke centers must have to provide state-of-the-art complex stroke care. "Colorado takes great pride in recognizing Swedish Hospital's status as a Comprehensive Stroke Center," said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. "Efforts like these go a long way to giving Coloradans the best possible medical treatment and to making our state the healthiest in the country." The certification underscores the hospital's long-standing commitment to health and wellness for citizens across the state, and throughout the region. "Our new designation acknowledges the exemplary care we have provided to patients in Colorado and the region for years," said Chris Fanale, M.D., Stroke Medical Director at Swedish Medical Center. "This is a true example of collaboration and innovation. We have the most outstanding team and technology this region has to offer." The 14th hospital in the country to achieve this certification, Swedish Medical Center was awarded this high-performance credential by the Joint Commission for its advanced … Continue reading →