Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio (NASDAQ: VIVO) today announced, in conjunction with the Association for Molecular Pathology 2008 Annual Meeting now occurring in Grapevine, Texas, that it anticipates launching a simple, rapid new molecular test for the toxin-producing forms of the C. difficile bacteria in the second half of fiscal year 2009. This innovative molecular test is based upon Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) licensed by Meridian Bioscience from Eiken Chemicals, Ltd. (Japan) in 2006. Clostridium difficile is most common in hospitals and, recent hypervirulent forms of the bacteria have caused increased infection and mortality. C. difficile is carried in the gut of 3% of healthy humans but prevalence in hospital patients tends to be much higher. Elderly people in hospitals being treated with antibiotics are most at risk of developing infection.

The new “LAMP” C. difficile test has been in development for two years and is now completing beta site evaluations. Meridian has successfully completed its FDA pre-submission activities and expects to initiate clinical trials in January with a 510(k) application to follow within 90-120 days thereafter. International revenues are likely in the second half of Fiscal 2009, with U.S. sales to follow FDA clearance.

This new test is based upon the amplification of DNA from toxin-producing strains of the C. difficile bacteria. The procedure is remarkably simple, highly sensitive, and yields results in less than one hour. It requires no expensive capital equipment. The test relies upon a simple 3-step procedure that includes extraction, amplification and detection. The entire amplification is isothermal and results are read in a simple heater/reader. All reagents and disposables will be contained in the final kit package capable of room temperature storage. Meridian believes that the “point-of-care” simplicity of this technology, along with its cost efficient design, makes this innovative methodology ideal for helping to diagnose most acute infectious diseases, especially in those instances where there is a low level of the biological target.

Jack Kraeutler, Chief Executive Officer stated, “Our development of the “LAMP” technology has progressed to a point where we have achieved our goal of simplicity, speed, affordability and broad applicability. This technology will appeal to any size acute care laboratory that is seeking molecular amplification capability with no capital investment and, the ultimate in simplicity and accuracy. We are eager to complete our clinical trials and our subsequent FDA submission. We look forward to satisfying the needs of the infectious disease labs that have reacted so positively to our market research. We believe that today’s laboratories need a choice of rapid diagnostic testing methods. As we move ahead, I look forward to the expansion of the “LAMP” testing menu, as well as continuing to focus on developing rapid immunoassays, to satisfy best the needs of the acute care laboratory.”

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor from civil litigation for forward-looking statements accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements. Except for historical information, this report contains forward-looking statements which may be identified by words such as “estimates”, “anticipates”, “projects”, “plans”, “seeks”, “may”, “will”, “expects”, “intends”, “believes”, “should” and similar expressions or the negative versions thereof and which also may be identified by their context. Such statements, whether expressed or implied, are based upon current expectations of the Company and speak only as of the date made. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation, the following: Meridian’s continued growth depends, in part, on its ability to introduce into the marketplace enhancements of existing products or new products that incorporate technological advances, meet customer requirements and respond to products developed by Meridian’s competition. While Meridian has introduced a number of internally developed products, there can be no assurance that it will be successful in the future in introducing such products on a timely basis. Ongoing consolidations of reference laboratories and formation of multi-hospital alliances may cause adverse changes to pricing and distribution. Costs and difficulties in complying with laws and regulations administered by the United States Food and Drug Administration can result in unanticipated expenses and delays and interruptions to the sale of new and existing products. Changes in the relative strength or weakness of the U.S. dollar can change expected results. One of Meridian’s main growth strategies is the acquisition of companies and product lines. There can be no assurance that additional acquisitions will be consummated or that, if consummated, will be successful and the acquired businesses successfully integrated into Meridian’s operations. In addition to the factors described in this paragraph, Part I, Item 1A Risk Factors of our Form 10-K contains a list of uncertainties and risks that may affect the financial performance of the Company.

Meridian is a fully integrated life science company that manufactures, markets and distributes a broad range of innovative diagnostic test kits, purified reagents and related products and offers biopharmaceutical enabling technologies. Utilizing a variety of methods, these products and diagnostic tests provide accuracy, simplicity and speed in the early diagnosis and treatment of common medical conditions, such as gastrointestinal, viral and respiratory infections. Meridian’s diagnostic products are used outside of the human body and require little or no special equipment. The Company’s products are designed to enhance patient well-being while reducing the total outcome costs of healthcare. Meridian has strong market positions in the areas of gastrointestinal and upper respiratory infections, serology, parasitology and fungal disease diagnosis. In addition, Meridian is a supplier of rare reagents, specialty biologicals and related technologies used by biopharmaceutical companies engaged in research for new drugs and vaccines. The Company markets its products and technologies to hospitals, reference laboratories, research centers, veterinary testing centers, physician offices, diagnostics manufacturers and biotech companies in more than 60 countries around the world. The Company’s shares are traded through NASDAQ’s Global Select Market, symbol VIVO. Meridian’s website address is www.meridianbioscience.com.

Company Intends to Strengthen its Core Business by:

— Leveraging the Best Community-Based Store Network in America

— Enhancing the Customer Experience for Shoppers, Patients and Payors

— Targeting $1 Billion in Annual Cost Reductions by Fiscal 2011

Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (NASDAQ: WAG) today outlined at its Analyst Day conference in Chicago a series of strategic initiatives to create shareholder value. These include enhancing the customer experience for shoppers and patients; further extending its presence in pharmacy, health and wellness services; broadening and deepening its relationships with employers, managed care organizations and PBMs; and major cost reduction and productivity gain. The company expects that these initiatives will result in increased revenue growth and return the company to strong double-digit EPS growth.

Walgreens Chairman and acting Chief Executive Officer Alan McNally, who introduced the conference, said, “Walgreens has an outstanding leadership team with a diverse set of capabilities. We have achieved 34 consecutive years of record sales and earnings, and during the time have developed our fundamental strengths and outstanding assets. We have the best, most convenient, community-based store network in America and our brand is one of the most recognized and trusted in the country. And we have a strong balance sheet, solid credit ratings and financial flexibility.”

McNally commented, “In these difficult economic times, American families are setting new priorities and making new choices. One choice is to shop close to home to save gas and valuable time. Walgreens has a terrific opportunity to be their neighborhood store – their retailer destination of choice in their community – for more of their necessities of life.”

President and Chief Operating Officer Greg Wasson outlined the company’s strategic initiatives to drive growth. “Walgreens 6,500 retail drugstores remain the centerpiece of our strategy for growth and value creation,” said Wasson. “Our intent is to transform Walgreens into a more efficient and customer-focused company serving the needs of shoppers for consumer goods and services and for patients and payors seeking quality pharmacy, health and wellness services that are accessible and affordable.”

Walgreens highlighted seven key initiatives:

 1. Slowing store growth to allow more time to develop the company's management ranks and focus on improving the customer experience, while freeing up capital and enhancing flexibility to invest in Walgreens core business. 2. Re-inventing the customer experience by streamlining merchandise selection and shifting promotional focus toward essential consumer needs. The company is also expanding its private brand products to provide value to customers and higher profit margins to stores, and is focused on growing its e-commerce initiatives. 3. Transforming community pharmacy through a significant new initiative that is expected to reduce the cost of filling prescriptions and increase the time pharmacists spend with patients. The program is currently in 152 stores in Florida and is expected to be in more than 750 Florida stores by the end of fiscal 2009. 4. Expanding Walgreens Health and Wellness division, which now encompasses more than 600 in-store clinics and worksite health centers. Walgreens expects to have more than 800 of these facilities by the end of fiscal 2009. Its in-store Take Care Clinics offer quality and accessible health and wellness services that reduce costs for patients and payors. Its worksite health centers provide employees immediate access to health services and prescriptions at work, while offering new customers and their families the convenience of Walgreens retail stores to fill their ongoing prescriptions and serve everyday shopping needs. 5. Expanding Walgreens leading independent specialty pharmacy business, which now has access to specialty pharmacy and home infusion patients among the 150 million people covered under contracts such as those with Prime Therapeutics and Premera. These patients also benefit from the savings and convenience of having their regular prescriptions filled at Walgreens retail pharmacies. Specialty pharmaceuticals represent more than 80 percent of new medications awaiting FDA approval this year. 6. Becoming a broader, deeper and more valuable provider in both serving the needs of PBMs as clients and working alongside PBMs in serving the broader needs of managed care organizations and employers as clients for Walgreens community-based pharmacy, health and wellness services. 7. "Rewiring for Growth," a major initiative designed to fundamentally reduce costs and improve productivity. The program will align the company's costs, culture and capabilities to its strategy and the realities of the current economic environment. It targets approximately $1 billion in annual cost savings by fiscal 2011 through strategic sourcing of indirect spend, plans to reduce corporate overhead and work throughout the stores, and savings from the initiative to transform community pharmacy. In conjunction with the overall "Rewiring for Growth" effort, Walgreens anticipates incurring total one-time costs of approximately $300 million to $400 million over fiscal 2009 and 2010. 

The company also announced that it anticipates approximately $1.8 billion in capital investments for fiscal 2009, versus $2.2 billion in fiscal 2008. This reflects expenditures for new stores, technology and a new distribution center in Connecticut scheduled to open in January 2009.

Wasson concluded, “Our strategy in the current environment is to continue leveraging and enhancing our fundamental competitive advantage – our convenient, community-based store network. We believe Walgreens is well positioned to execute on its strategies for growth and deliver value to its shareholders.”

About Walgreens

Walgreens is the nation’s largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2008 sales of $59 billion. The company operates 6,479 drugstores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most convenient access to consumer goods and cost-effective health care services in America through its retail drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care Health Systems, which is comprised of: Take Care Consumer Solutions, managers of 247 convenient care clinics at Walgreens drugstores, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health and wellness services at 364 employer campuses.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The following factors could cause results to differ materially from management expectations as projected in such forward-looking statements: seasonal variations, competition, risks of new business areas, the availability and cost of real estate and construction, prescription drug reimbursement rates, and changes in federal or state legislation or regulations. Investors are referred to the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company’s most recent Form 10-K, which Note is incorporated into this news release by reference. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

BOSTON, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ — The Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation has identified five strategic concepts designed to accelerate the integration of critical patient safety imperatives into the fabric of health care. These concepts challenge conventional wisdom, encourage new ways of thinking, and provide a visionary approach to removing the structural impediments to the adoption of patient safety solutions.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080307/AQF053LOGO)

These transforming concepts, thought to be essential to the success of patient safety work and requiring system-level attention and action, include: reforming medical education; enhanced consumer and patient involvement in patient care; the expectation of full transparency in patient care; care integration in and across health care organizations; and restoration of pride, meaning, and joy in professional work.

“By scope and intent, these transformational directives for the field strive to bring clarity to what is needed to drive change and ultimately deliver on the promise of patient safety,” explained Dr. Lucian Leape, a founding member of the Institute and renowned leader in patient safety.

The Institute functions as a think tank dedicated to providing strategic vision for the field, and distinguished members bring a wealth of knowledge to bear in support of the Institute’s efforts.

These thought leaders include Dr. Lucian Leape, Adjunct Professor of Health Policy, Harvard School of Public Health; Dr. Donald Berwick, President and CEO, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; James Conway, Senior Vice President, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; James Guest, President, Consumer Union; Dr. David Lawrence, Chairman and CEO (retired), Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals; Julianne Morath, Chief Quality and Safety Officer, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Dr. Dennis O’Leary, President Emeritus, The Joint Commission; Paul O’Neill, Former Chairman and CEO, Alcoa, and 72nd Secretary of the U.S. Treasury; Dr. Paul Gluck, Immediate Past Chair, National Patient Safety Foundation Board of Directors; and Diane Pinakiewicz, President, National Patient Safety Foundation.

Ms. Pinakiewicz praised the Institute’s leadership for “their unwavering commitment to creating a safer heath care system, applying their extensive experiences, expertise, and insights to not only create a vision for the future, but to develop actionable recommendations to influence change.”

Reform in Medical Education, the first concept addressed by the Institute, is the subject of a Roundtable comprised of Institute members and invited experts. “Medical education in the United States is heavily focused on the acquisition of scientific and clinical facts,” commented Dr. Leape, “but provides students with little of the knowledge and skills they need to communicate and work effectively with patients and colleagues.”

Recommendations and calls to action from the Roundtable will be issued in an Institute white paper, providing the strategic leverage necessary to influence the system, create change, and offer needed focus and direction for those working in the field.

About the Institute and National Patient Safety Foundation

The Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation was founded in May 2007 to provide strategic direction for the field of patient safety. Through its Roundtable process, the Institute will provide vision and context for the many efforts already underway within the health care field and will call for large-scale changes necessary to accelerate patient safety work. The Lucian Leape Institute is a program of the National Patient Safety Foundation(R), an independent not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has been pursuing one mission — improving the safety of patients — since its founding in 1997. For more information, visit http://www.npsf.org/.

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The Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation

CONTACT: Bernadette Lupo, of The Lucian Leape Institute at the NationalPatient Safety Foundation, +1-413-663-2018, [email protected]

Web site: http://www.npsf.org/

CLEVELAND, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ — Mental Health Services (MHS) announced the departure of its long-serving Executive Director, Dr. Steven Friedman, who will assume the position of President and Chief Executive Officer at The Cleveland Sight Center.

“The MHS Board of Trustees has begun the search for executive leadership of the same caliber that Dr. Friedman provided the past 16 years,” noted Dr. Richard Robins, MHS Board Chair. “The agency is deeply indebted to Dr. Friedman and we wish him well in his new position.”

Robins said the MHS Board appointed Susan Neth as Interim Executive Director. Neth has been Chief Operating Officer since 2006 and has the longest tenure of any MHS staff member. She has also served as Director of Homeless Services and as Director of Community Development. A forceful advocate for the rights and interests of homeless persons, Neth holds a Masters Degree in Organizational Development.

In the past year, MHS provided services to nearly 4,000 homeless adults and children, and 11,700 children and adults through crisis and trauma programs.

As Executive Director of MHS, Dr. Friedman became one of Cuyahoga County’s most effective advocates for quality healthcare and supportive services for vulnerable children and adults including those who were homeless, mentally ill, considering suicide and incapacitated by dependency. For homeless adults with mental disabilities, Friedman, through MHS, created the most comprehensive and coordinated scope of services of any agency in Ohio.

In 1995, his vision of a Mobile Crisis Team brought mobile, 24/7, community-based services to adults and children in psychiatric crisis, and he worked with others to document the effectiveness of these services in pioneering, scientific studies published in professional journals.

Under Dr. Friedman’s leadership, MHS developed a solid record of solving or effectively dealing with community problems. The agency has grown from an organization of 15 staff members and an annual budget of $600,000 in 1993 to an operation of more than 200 staff members and a budget of more than $14 million this year.

Now in its 21st year, MHS is certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. MHS is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and The American Association of Suicidology. Outcome data demonstrated that MHS programs help clients achieve housing, sustained recovery and self-determination.

Mental Health Services

CONTACT: Susan Neth of Mental Health Services, +1-216-274-3308

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — More Pennsylvania families will stay warm this winter with additional federal funding allocated to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program — better known as LIHEAP — which opens Nov. 3, Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle B. Richman said today.

“LIHEAP plays a critical role in the lives of low-income families all across Pennsylvania,” said Richman. “With additional federal funding we will be able to help many more families who are struggling with sharply rising household costs, helping them to stay warm and safe.”

On Oct. 14, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced that with the new allocation of federal funds, eligibility for LIHEAP was expanded from 150 percent to approximately 210 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines. For the 2008-09 season, that means a family of four with an annual income of up to $44,443 can qualify.

With the increased federal funding, the Governor also directed DPW to increase the minimum cash grant amount to families from $100 to $300, while raising the maximum crisis grant from $300 to $800.

LIHEAP provides cash grants to help low-income households pay for home heating fuel and crisis grants to address heating emergencies. During the 2007-08 LIHEAP season, nearly 541,000 families were helped through cash grants and more than 184,000 families received crisis assistance.

Cash grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Crisis grants are provided to resolve heating emergencies, such as furnace failures or unexpected fuel shortages. In addition to proof of income and household size, applicants must provide a recent bill or a statement from their fuel dealer verifying their customer status and the type of fuel that they use.

Applications for LIHEAP are available at county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Applications for LIHEAP cash grants are online at http://www.compass.state.pa.us/.

Residents of the nine counties listed below are encouraged to contact the agencies that operate the crisis component in their areas:

   --  Allegheny -- Allegheny County Department of Human Services, (800)       851-3838;   --  Carbon -- Carbon County Action Committee, (610) 377-6400   --  Centre -- Central PA Community Action Agency, (814) 765-1551, Millheim       Community Action, (814) 349-5850, Phillipsburg Community Action       Center, (814) 342-0404;   --  Lackawanna -- Scranton-Lackawanna Human Development Agency, (570)       963-6836;   --  Lancaster -- Community Action Program of Lancaster County, (717)       299-7301;   --  Luzerne -- Commission on Economic Opportunity of Luzerne County, (570)       826-0510   --  Philadelphia -- Energy Coordinating Agency, (215) 587-0060;   --  Wyoming -- Commission on Economic Opportunity of Wyoming Co., (570)       836-4090   --  York -- Community Progress Council of York County, (717) 846-4600 ext.       249.   

The LIHEAP program is also part of Governor Rendell’s Stay Warm PA initiative. Visit http://www.turnsealsave.org/ to learn about available assistance programs, energy conservation and home weatherization tips. Stay Warm PA helps Pennsylvanians find the support they may need to keep their homes warm and families safe.

For more information, call the toll-free LIHEAP Hotline at 1-866-857-7095, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) helps people meet their basic needs by providing health care and other critical support services for children, the elderly, people with chronic diseases, persons with disabilities and low income families and adults in Pennsylvania. DPW is dedicated to promoting, improving, and sustaining the quality of family life; breaking the cycle of dependency while protecting and serving Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens. Visit DPW on the Internet at: http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Household sizes and income limits for LIHEAP’s 2008-09 season are listed below.

   Household Size    Income Limit   1                    $23,110   2                    $30,221   3                    $37,332   4                    $44,443   5                    $51,554   6                    $58,665   7                    $59,998   8                    $61,332     (For each additional person add $5,400).    CONTACT: Stacey Witalec   (717) 787-4592  

Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare

CONTACT: Stacey Witalec of the Pennsylvania Department of PublicWelfare, +1-717-787-4592

Web Site: http://www.state.pa.us/http://www.turnsealsave.org/

MedSynergies Inc., a leading provider of healthcare revenue cycle services and technology, including advanced analytics and reporting platforms, announced a three-year agreement with The CORE Institute (CORE), a private medical practice with offices throughout Arizona providing a wide-range of world-class orthopedic services, to provide revenue cycle services to manage growth, leverage GE/IDX Groupcast(R) technology and allow physicians to focus on the clinical aspect of the business.

Designed to increase accuracy and convenience for patients at its nine locations throughout Arizona, MedSynergies’ services will support its existing locations and assist CORE’s expansion with new clinics opening in underserved markets in Phoenix. Specifically, MedSynergies will allow physicians to focus on patient care by providing services including:

— Payment processing

— Self-pay collections

— Denial management

— Business analytics

— Accounts receivable follow-up

— Database management

— Credentialing

— Consulting services

“With our four-year anniversary this January, we look forward to implementing MedSynergies’ revenue cycle management services to support our patients and physicians throughout Arizona,” said John Emgerholm, chief financial officer of The CORE Institute. “We are continuing to grow in the Phoenix area, and this partnership will help us increase clinical quality through better customer and payment services, timeliness and accuracy of statements. In addition, its highly trained professionals will offer a deeper level of understanding to better serve our patients.”

MedSynergies’ unique offerings provide critical operational analysis, technology and services, enabling revenue improvements in 57 specialties. Its expertise in a broad range of specialties will be key to the success of CORE’s financial plan as its group of more than 30 specialty trained physicians focus purely on orthopedic medicine.

“CORE has a history of commitment to clinical excellence, and we are pleased that they selected our solutions to achieve the same commitment to excellence in their financial management and patient services,” said John R. Thomas, president and CEO of MedSynergies. “We are excited about partnering with CORE and enabling its physicians to focus on what they do best – provide patients with the highest quality orthopedic medicine in Arizona.”

About The CORE Institute:

The Center for Orthopedic Research, also known as The CORE Institute(R) was founded in 2005 to fulfill a vision of orthopedic excellence encompassing the entire spectrum of orthopedic sciences. With over 30 physicians on staff in six clinic locations, The CORE Institute pioneers orthopedic research and development that advances orthopedic knowledge to combine cutting edge technology and excellence in patient care. CORE surgeons are from the top of their medical schools and residency classes and all are sub-specialty trained. Their clinical and research team is dedicated to pioneering research that expands orthopedic knowledge and continues to deliver state-of-the-art care. For more information, visit www.thecoreinstitute.com.

About MedSynergies Inc.:

MedSynergies is a privately held provider of revenue cycle and practice management solutions, consulting services, business process analysis and software integration that improve the daily operations of healthcare organizations, including solutions tailored to the GE/IDX Groupcast and GE Centricity billing environments. MedSynergies operates in 37 states, supports more than 3000 providers in 55 specialties and is dedicated to enhancing the strategic, financial and operating environment of physician clients, MedSynergies serves clinics, hospitalists, specialty medical groups, healthcare billing organizations and ambulatory surgical centers, nationwide. MedSynergies evaluates and implements enhanced processes and information systems that increase the overall quality of the physician practice and central billing office environment through improved billing and collections, reduced costs and operational advisory services. Founded in 1996 and based in Irving, Texas, MedSynergies has approximately 223 employees in five offices across the United States. More information on MedSynergies is available at www.medsynergies.com.

LAKE FOREST, Ill., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Hospira, Inc. , a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new indication for Precedex(R), the company’s innovative drug for in-hospital sedation. This approval allows for use of Precedex in non-intubated patients requiring sedation prior to and/or during surgical and other procedures. The additional indication complements Precedex’s initial approval for the sedation of intubated and mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care setting for up to 24 hours.

“This expanded indication makes Precedex a more versatile product,” said Keith Candiotti, M.D., vice chairman of Clinical Research for the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. “Anesthesiologists now have the data to safely administer Precedex in an operating room setting for a number of outpatient procedures that are growing in volume such as orthopedic, vascular and ophthalmic procedures.”

The FDA approval is based on the results of two randomized, prospective, double-blind, multicenter clinical studies — the MAC and AWAKE trials — which, collectively, looked at 431 patients. The MAC study examined patients that underwent a variety of surgical or diagnostic procedures including orthopedic, vascular, ophthalmic, excision of lesions, breast biopsies and plastic surgery. The AWAKE trial included patients requiring an awake fiberoptic intubation, a specialized anesthesiology technique to facilitate insertion of an endotracheal tube through the nose or mouth for general anesthesia in patients with known or suspected difficult airways.

“Hospira is excited to be able to provide Precedex to anesthesiologists as an alternative agent that can be used for non-intubated patients undergoing surgical and other procedures requiring MAC, or monitored anesthesia care, as well as those undergoing awake fiberoptic intubation,” said Paula Bokesch, M.D., global medical director, Global Medical Affairs — Drug Development. “As a practicing anesthesiologist, I know the anesthesiology community is going to be eager to use Precedex in this new indication.”

This represents the approval of the first of two new supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDA) that have been filed for Precedex in the past 12 months. The second sNDA, which was submitted to the FDA in 2008, evaluated the long term safety and efficacy of Precedex in mechanically ventilated patients in an intensive care setting.

Indications and Safety Information

Precedex (dexmedetomidine hydrochloride) is Hospira’s proprietary I.V. sedative, and it is a relatively selective alpha-2-adrenoceptor agonist. In the United States, it is the only drug in its class (alpha-2-agonists) approved for continuous I.V. sedation of initially intubated and mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive-care setting for use up to 24 hours. It can be used before, during and after extubation.

Due to the known pharmacological effects, patients should be continuously monitored while receiving Precedex. Precedex should only be administered by persons skilled in the management of patients in the intensive care or operating room setting. Clinically significant bradycardia and sinus arrest episodes in young, healthy volunteers with high vagal tone or with different routes of administration including rapid intravenous or bolus administration have been reported. Hypotension and/or bradycardia may be more pronounced in hypovolemic patients and in patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, and the elderly. Transient hypertension has been observed primarily during the loading dose. The most common treatment-emergent adverse reactions occurring in greater than 2 percent of patients in both intensive care unit and procedural sedation include hypotension, bradycardia, and dry mouth.

About Hospira

Hospira, Inc. is a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company dedicated to Advancing Wellness(TM). As the world leader in specialty generic injectable pharmaceuticals, Hospira offers one of the broadest portfolios of generic acute-care and oncology injectables, as well as integrated infusion therapy and medication management solutions. Through its products, Hospira helps improve the safety, cost and productivity of patient care. The company is headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., and has more than 14,000 employees. Learn more at http://www.hospira.com/.

            Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 --              A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements   

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Hospira cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect Hospira’s operations and may cause actual results to be materially different from expectations include the risks, uncertainties and factors discussed under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Hospira’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, and Hospira’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and incorporated by reference. Hospira undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as the result of subsequent events or developments.

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Hospira, Inc.

CONTACT: media, Dan Rosenberg, +1-224-212-3366, or investors, KarenKing, +1-224-212-3323, both of Hospira, Inc.

Web site: http://www.hospira.com/

GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) announced today the completion of the acquisition of Vital Signs (NASDAQ:VITL).

Vital Signs is a global provider of medical products applicable to a wide range of care areas such as anesthesia, respiratory, sleep therapy and emergency medicine. Vital Signs has a broad product offering of innovative single-patient use products which offer significant cost advantages and improved patient care features, including reducing the likelihood of transmitting infections from one patient to another. Vital Signs will become part of GE Healthcare’s Clinical Systems business, a world-class provider of advanced technologies for patient monitoring, anesthesia delivery and acute respiratory care. The strong strategic fit between the two businesses will offer substantial customer benefits through complementary product and service offerings.

Omar Ishrak, President and CEO of GE Healthcare’s Clinical Systems business commented, “We believe that combining the skills and knowledge of the two companies will create significant added value for our customers, bringing new technologies to healthcare professionals worldwide. Clinical Systems is a key area of growth for GE Healthcare and expanding our skill base and product offering in this area supports our vision of helping clinicians and nurses deliver the best possible care to their patients.”

ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE:

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, performance improvement, drug discovery, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies is helping clinicians around the world re-imagine new ways to predict, diagnose, inform, treat and monitor disease, so patients can live their lives to the fullest.

GE Healthcare’s broad range of products and services enable healthcare providers to better diagnose and treat cancer, heart disease, neurological diseases and other conditions earlier. Our vision for the future is to enable a new “early health” model of care focused on earlier diagnosis, pre-symptomatic disease detection and disease prevention. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

ABOUT VITAL SIGNS INC.

Vital Signs, Inc. and its subsidiaries design, manufacture, and market primarily single-patient-use medical products for the anesthesia and respiratory/critical care markets. Vital Signs also provides devices and services for the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Vital Signs is ISO 13485 certified and has CE Mark approval for its products. In 2007, Forbes Magazine named Vital Signs, Inc. as one of the “200 Best Small Companies in America” based on financial criteria.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ — Cardo Medical, a company engaged in the development of orthopedic medical devices, announces the FDA 510k clearance of its Align 360 Total Knee System. The Align 360 Total Knee System is planned for commercial release during the second quarter of 2009. Cardo Medical’s innovative Total Knee System is the flagship product within its Align 360 platform which has already received FDA clearance for its Uni-Compartmental and Patello-Femoral systems. All three systems feature a unique modular approach and common instrumentation system with a revolutionary concept designed to deliver simplified, reproducible surgical outcomes. Cardo Medical’s Uni-Compartmental System, which was the first product release within the Align 360 platform, has been used successfully in over 500 surgeries to date.

John Kuczynski, Cardo Medical’s Vice-President of Research and Development, commented, “The Align 360 Total Knee System is truly an advanced knee platform. Its femoral component features a funnel-shaped patella track that accommodates the quadriceps angle anatomy for both male and female patients, without the need for gender specific components which provides a tremendous inventory savings for all operating rooms. In addition, the anterior geometry of the femoral component has been designed to reduce antero-medial overhang of the femoral component, which has been clinically proven to be a cause of post-operative knee pain.”

Dr. Andrew Brooks, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cardo Medical stated, “We are pleased to have achieved this regulatory milestone and are excited to have rounded out our Align 360 platform. Our Total Knee System builds upon our Uni-compartmental and Patella-Femoral systems and is designed as a high performance treatment for tri-compartmental arthritis with choice of either a cruciate sparing or posterior stabilizing device. We now have a unique and comprehensive knee system which allows the surgeon to use matched instrumentation for surgical treatment of uni-compartmental, bi-compartmental and tri-compartmental arthritis. Our Align 360 platform boasts a common, modular instrument set and component design heritage and philosophy. Our novel, minimally invasive instrumentation is designed to enable surgeons to achieve superior surgical outcomes. Cardo Medical looks forward to introducing these and other orthopedic design innovations to the US market over the upcoming quarters.”

About Cardo Medical, Inc.

Cardo Medical develops reconstructive orthopedic and spinal surgery products through advanced engineering and focuses on product development, marketing and distribution within the US market. Cardo Medical’s superior engineering talent closely collaborates with leading surgeons around the country to create products that reduce or eliminate joint pain and allow patients to achieve more active lives. The company’s cutting edge products are specifically developed with patients, surgeons and OR staff in mind and are designed to reduce operative time, enhance surgical technique, shorten hospital stays, reduce recovery time and improve outcomes. Cardo Medical’s product portfolio includes devices for knee, hip, spinal fusion and motion preservation arthroplasty and replacement, many of which have already received FDA clearance. Cardo Medical has a robust and innovative product pipeline pending both USPTO and FDA submission and clearance.

Cardo Medical works in small, focused development teams in concert with physicians to rapidly develop products from concept to launch. We are committed to exceeding the standards by which any device company is judged. Please visit our website at http://www.cardomedical.com/ for more information on the Align 360 Total Knee System in addition to our portfolio of other Reconstructive and Spinal Implant systems.

This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), regarding product development efforts and other non-historical facts about expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding the business, technologies and products, financial condition, strategies or prospects. Many factors could cause actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements. These factors include those described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as risks inherent in funding, developing and obtaining regulatory approvals of new, commercially-viable and competitive products and treatments, including the risks that any products under development may fail, may not achieve the expected results or effectiveness and may not generate data that would support the approval or marketing of products for the ailments being studied or for other ailments. In addition, forward-looking statements also may be adversely affected by general market factors, competitive product development, product availability, federal and state regulations and legislation, the regulatory process for new products and indications, manufacturing issues that may arise, patent positions and litigation, among other factors. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. We intend that all forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the PSLRA.

    CONTACT:  Cardo Medical, Inc.              Andrew A. Brooks, M.D., CEO              (310) 274-2036  

Cardo Medical

CONTACT: Andrew A. Brooks, M.D., CEO of Cardo Medical, Inc.,+1-310-274-2036

Web site: http://www.cardomedical.com/

Physicians are less likely to meet with sales reps than they have been in the past, according to recent analysis by Oliver Wyman. According to research, only 56% of physicians will meet with doctors at all, and less than one quarter will sacrifice more than two minutes of their time. The analysis also found that the vast majority of doctors remain highly distrustful of the information they do receive from reps.

This trend has forced major pharmaceutical companies to change their tactics in the hopes of gaining trust, or at least access, from physicians. According to “Pharmaceutical Sales Management” (http://www.PharmaSalesManagement.com), a report from Cutting Edge Information, several companies have restructured their sales force to combat closing doors. Pfizer has reduced its reps-to-doctor ratio to two while Eli Lilly has reduced territory size so fewer reps are calling on each doctor. One large company has gone so far as to eliminate mirroring entirely. In addition to building better relationships with doctors, reps in non-mirrored territories are also held more accountable, as they can no longer rely on other reps to detail difficult-to-access physicians.

As sales reps are becoming trusted less and less, companies are increasingly relying on MSLs to provide a positive perspective on their products.

“Because MSLs typically hold high-level scientific, pharmacy or medical degrees, doctors feel they can talk to them on a peer-to-peer level,” says Elio Evangelista, Research Manager and lead author of Cutting Edge Information’s “The Changing MSL Role” (http://www.MSLPerformance.com/). Because an MSL’s focus is typically to sell the science rather than the brand, doctors are less skeptical of the information provided. However, they are being forced to balance their commercial assistance role with other tasks. Regardless, MSL groups have become a strategic asset in clinical advancement due to their relationships with doctors who run trials of pipeline products.

Both “The Changing MSL Role” and “Pharmaceutical Sales Force Management” provide structure, headcount, and staffing numbers, as well as top field force strategies to gain access to physicians and increase their trust of in-field staff. The results were compiled based on survey data and interviews with executives in top pharmaceutical companies.

 CONTACT INFORMATON:  For more information or to learn about other Cutting Edge Information research, contact: David Richardson Email Contact 919-433-0216  

SOURCE: Cutting Edge Information

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Today, CVS/pharmacy, the nation’s leading retail pharmacy, introduced a new pharmacy health care savings program aimed at helping the uninsured during this economic downturn. Starting November 9, consumers who obtain a CVS/pharmacy Health Savings Pass for a $10 annual enrollment fee can fill a 90-day prescription for one of more than 400 common generic maintenance medications that treat conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol for $9.99 at their local CVS/pharmacy. In addition, the Health Savings Pass will provide access to services and screenings at MinuteClinic, the largest retail health care clinic in the U.S., at a 10 percent discount for cash-paying patients. Both companies are divisions of CVS Caremark , the largest provider of prescriptions in the country.

“The country is facing a very challenging economic environment. People are struggling with health care costs, especially the uninsured and the underinsured,” said Tom Ryan, CVS Caremark Chairman, President and CEO. “As the largest provider of pharmacy heath care in the nation, we felt it was the right time to offer consumers another way to make their health care more affordable.”

“The new CVS/pharmacy Health Savings Pass fits well with our mission to make innovative and high-quality health and pharmacy services safe, affordable and easy to access,” Ryan added. “This new program will not only provide affordability and convenience but also superior service and execution that consumers have come to expect from CVS/pharmacy.”

Consumers can obtain a CVS/pharmacy Health Savings Pass at any of the more than 6,300 CVS/pharmacy locations nationwide, by calling 1-888-616-CARE (2273) or online at http://www.cvs.com/healthsavingspass, where they can also find a complete list of the medications covered. MinuteClinic locations and services can be found at http://www.minuteclinic.com/. MinuteClinic health care centers located in selected CVS/pharmacy stores are staffed by masters-prepared, board-certified nurse practitioners who specialize in family health care and are trained to diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common family illnesses.

About CVS Caremark

With annual revenues of approximately $85 billion, CVS Caremark is the largest provider of prescriptions in the nation. The Company fills or manages more than 1 billion prescriptions annually. Through its unmatched breadth of service offerings, CVS Caremark is transforming the delivery of health care services in the U.S. The Company is uniquely positioned to effectively manage costs and improve health care outcomes through its more than 6,300 CVS/pharmacy stores; its Caremark Pharmacy Services division (pharmacy benefit management, mail order and specialty pharmacy); its retail-based health clinic subsidiary, MinuteClinic; and its online pharmacy, CVS.com. General information about CVS Caremark is available through the Investor Relations section of the Company’s Web site, at http://cvscaremark.com/investors, as well as through the Newsroom section of the Company’s Web site, at http://cvscaremark.com/newsroom.

   Media Contact:                          Investor Contact:   Eileen Howard Dunn                      Nancy Christal   Senior Vice President                   Senior Vice President   Corporate Communications                Investor Relations   (401) 770-4561                          (914) 722-4704  

CVS Caremark

CONTACT: Eileen Howard Dunn, Senior Vice President, CorporateCommunications, +1-401-770-4561, Investor: Nancy Christal, Senior VicePresident, Investor Relations, +1-914-722-4704

Web Site: http://cvscaremark.com/newsroomhttp://http//cvscaremark.com/investorshttp://www.cvs.com/healthsavingspasshttp://www.minuteclinic.com/

PURCHASE, N.Y., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Nutrition 21, Inc., today announced the appointment of Pam McWilliams as vice president and general manager of the Company’s Direct Response Group, effective October 27, 2008. Mrs. McWilliams has more than 22 years of experience in sales, marketing, management and business development within the direct response industry. Mrs. McWilliams’ responsibilities include new business development, sales strategy, vendor operations and management of the Direct Response Group.

Mrs. McWilliams will be based out of Nutrition 21’s headquarters in Purchase, NY and will report to Michael A. Zeher, president and CEO of Nutrition 21, who said, “I am very pleased that Pam McWilliams is joining the Nutrition 21 management team. Her excellent experience, broad background, and relationships in the direct response industry will be valuable assets to our company. I am looking forward to the combination of Pam’s leadership skills, high integrity, and business acumen being an energizing force in leading Nutrition’s 21’s Direct Response Group to even higher levels of performance.”

“I am extremely pleased to join the leadership team at Nutrition 21,” said Mrs. McWilliams. The value the company places on integrity, industry leadership, and supporting high quality brands in the bioscience industry is what attracted me to Nutrition 21. These values create an exciting opportunity to differentiate Nutrition 21 from its competitors, increase market share, and achieve unprecedented levels of customer satisfaction and long term brand loyalty. By drawing from my professional experience and collaborating with the leadership team, Nutrition 21 will continue to implement a direct marketing strategy to deliver cutting edge, high quality nutritional supplements with a demonstrated commitment towards best-in-class customer service.”

For the past two years Mrs. McWilliams was a direct marketing consultant for Propeller Consulting. Prior to that Mrs. McWilliams served for 21 years at Bee Alive, Inc., a direct marketing health and beauty company, most recently as executive vice president. Beginning as a three-person operation, Mrs. McWilliams helped grow the Bee Alive organization to 150 employees while achieving millions in annual sales. Mrs. McWilliams’ responsibilities included management and business development, return on investment (ROI) analysis, marketing and promotion, product development, profit and loss (P&L), expense management, and systems implementation.

About Nutrition 21

Nutrition 21, Inc. , headquartered in Purchase, NY, is a nutritional bioscience company and the maker of chromium picolinate-based and omega-3 fish oil-based supplements with health benefits substantiated by clinical research. Nutrition 21 holds more than 30 patents for nutrition products and uses. Nutrition 21’s portfolio of health and wellness products include: Iceland Health Chromax(R), Iceland Health Advanced Memory Formula(TM), Diabetes Essentials(R), Iceland Health(R) Maximum Strength Omega-3 and Iceland Health(R) Joint Relief. The company also manufactures private label supplements and ingredients for third parties. Nutrition 21 distributes its products nationally through more than 29,000 major food, drug and super center stores throughout the United States and internationally. For more information please visit http://www.nutrition21.com/.

Safe Harbor Provision

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements. The words “believe,””expect,””anticipate” and other similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation: the effect of the expiration of patents; regulatory issues; uncertainty in the outcomes of clinical trials; changes in external market factors; changes in the Company’s business or growth strategy or an inability to execute its strategy due to changes in its industry or the economy generally; the emergence of new or growing competitors; various other competitive factors; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K/A for the year ended June 30, 2008. Actual results could differ materially from the results referred to in the forward-looking statements. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the results referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release will in fact occur. Additionally, the Company makes no commitment to disclose any revisions to forward-looking statements, or any facts, events or circumstances after the date hereof that may bear upon forward-looking statements.

    Company Contact:               Investor Contact:    Alan Kirschbaum                Lytham Partners, LLC    Chief Financial Officer        Joe Diaz, Joe Dorame, Robert Blum    914-701-4500                   602-889-9700  

Nutrition 21, Inc.

CONTACT: company, Alan Kirschbaum, Chief Financial Officer of Nutrition21, Inc., +1-914-701-4500; or investors, Joe Diaz, Joe Dorame, or Robert Blum,all of Lytham Partners, LLC, +1-602-889-9700, for Nutrition 21, Inc.

Web site: http://www.nutrition21.com/

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ — As the daily news unfolds stories of massive home foreclosures, corporate layoffs, and depleted life savings, The Chopra Center for Wellbeing is teaching those impacted how to find balance and peace of mind. In the midst of economic chaos, The Chopra Center serves as an oasis of calm, instructing increasingly popular classes in the time-proven tools of meditation, yoga, and mind-body healing.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080617/LATU012)

“So many have been hard hit by the financial crisis and are struggling to make the best of the situation while coping with feelings of anger, fear, frustration, and loss,” said Chopra Center co-founder and best-selling author, Dr. David Simon.

“Each week at the Chopra Center, we teach guests how to meditate, practice yoga, and use other ancient healing techniques. It’s such a relief and a gift to discover that we don’t have to be at the mercy of the world’s ups and downs and events beyond our control . . . that there are simple but powerful tools that can help us experience a state of calm, centered awareness — no matter what kind of confusion and turmoil is spinning out in the exterior world.”

One of The Chopra Center’s most popular programs is the weekly Perfect Health program designed by Deepak Chopra and David Simon. Perfect Health is the only wellness program in the world that combines a renowned medical staff, a six-day detoxification and cleansing process (known as Panchakarma), and daily foundational teachings in meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda (India’s 5,000-year-old healing system).

“We obviously can’t solve the problem of stress by moving to an island paradise without cell phones, economic upsets, and traffic jams,” said Deepak Chopra. “The world and its demands are only going to become more intense, but we can experience our own islands of inner peace by learning practices that take us beyond the mind’s constant stream of thoughts, worries, fear and mental chatter.

“Meditation and other mind-body healing practices are the most effective way to restore our balance, release stress, and awaken our body’s innate healing response.”

For more information on the Chopra Center’s programs, workshops, and retreats, please call 888.736.6895 or visit http://www.chopra.com/.

About The Chopra Center

The Chopra Center for Wellbeing was founded by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D. in 1996. Located in Carlsbad, California (San Diego County), the Center offers a wide variety of programs, workshops, retreats, and teacher training programs that integrate the healing arts of the East with the best in modern Western medicine. The Chopra Center has helped millions of people around the world find peace of mind, physical balance, and emotional healing. The website http://www.chopra.com/ is your starting point on the path to wellness.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. David Simon https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=79283

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080617/LATU012AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]

The Chopra Center for Wellbeing

CONTACT: David Greenspan of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing,+1-760-494-1610

Web site: http://www.chopra.com/

Astellas Pharma has announced that its immunosuppressant Graceptor capsules 0.5mg, 1mg and 5mg are now available in Japan with the indication of ‘suppression of organ rejection’ and ‘suppression of graft rejection and graft versus host disease in bone marrow transplantation’.

Graceptor is a once-daily modified release formulation of Astellas’s Prograf (tacrolimus, twice-daily formulation). Tacrolimus works as an immunosuppressant by inhibiting activation of T-cell.

Graceptor maintains its efficacy and safety at the similar level with the existing drug, Prograf, said Astellas. Once-daily administration possibly contributes to reduce physical and mental stress for patients who need to take several different medications in a long term. It is expected to improve compliance with its more convenient once-daily dosing option, and may lead to improve long-term outcomes of transplantation.

Once-daily formulation of Prograf has been available with the brand name Advagraf in 19 countries worldwide including Europe. Astellas expects to provide a new option for transplant medication with the new lineup for Prograf family.

PRINCETON, N.J. and SAN DIEGO, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today announced the 2008 recipients of its Community Health Leaders (CHL) Award at its Annual Meeting in San Diego. The CHL Award honors unrecognized individuals who overcome daunting odds to improve the health and quality of life for underserved men, women and children in communities across the United States.

Now in its 15th year, the CHL awardees represent the geographical, cultural, ethnic, social and economic diversity of America. From providing deaf patients better access to medical care with interpreters, to giving low-income children a fair start on their education with eye exams, to violence prevention programs for teens, the awardees have dedicated themselves to tackling some of the most intractable problems affecting the health of their communities.

“The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is proud to recognize and honor these courageous individuals who are leading and shaping health care practice and health policy through local action,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “These Community Health Leaders are truly unsung heroes who have stopped at nothing to help the people of their communities live healthier, better lives.”

This year’s winners join a distinguished and diverse group of 150 previous award recipients. The 2008 Community Health Leaders named today are:

1) STEPHEN BLACK, President & Founder of Impact Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama

Stephen Black, the grandson of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, was raised with a great sense of civic duty. So instead of pursuing a lucrative legal career in private practice after graduating from Yale Law School, he returned to his Alabama roots, believing he had an obligation and social responsibility to help the underserved in his community. In 2004, Black founded FocusFirst, where trained college students provide vision screenings to pre-school children throughout Birmingham, specifically in low-income areas. Black believes poor vision has an impact on how well the children perform academically. Since the program’s launch, FocusFirst has provided free, technologically advanced vision screenings for more than 40,000 children in all 67 counties throughout the state, helping to ensure many of these children begin their education with appropriate vision care.

2) ANITA BUEL, Director, Deaf Community Health Worker Project, Inner Grove Heights, Minnesota

As a Deaf person, Anita Buel is well acquainted with the language, comprehension and communication barriers experienced by many in the same position when seeking medical care. Members of the Deaf community are often excluded from the national health agenda and are rarely mentioned when talking about people for whom spoken English is a second language.

After being diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer as a young mother and not having adequate resources devoted to the Deaf community for her disease, Buel’s leadership through the Deaf Community Health Worker program is responsible for training members of the Deaf community to help Deaf patients access medical services and understand medical issues in their language. Three years ago, a Deaf person with a serious health care problem had no support at the doctor’s office. Today, thanks to Buel’s efforts, Deaf Community Health Workers’ services are now covered by Medical Assistance in Minnesota.

3) DEANN CANUTESON, President of the Full Life Corporation, Kealakekua, Hawaii

As a junior in high school, Deann Canuteson visited a residential care facility for people with developmental disabilities and was shocked at the way people lived. That visit so profoundly impacted Canuteson that she has dedicated her adult life to building a world where people with intellectual and physical disabilities have greater opportunities and can make their own decisions about every aspect of their lives. Through her work at Full Life Corporation on Hawaii’s “Big Island,” Canuteson’s unrelenting advocacy has brought access to much-needed services previously not available for residents of the state. For example, today, approximately 2,500 people with developmental disabilities on the island of Hawaii now have access to services provided through the Medicaid Waiver Program.

4) SCOTT CHARLES, Trauma Outreach Coordinator, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Scott Charles leads the “Cradle to Grave” program, an intervention program he developed to prevent youth violence at one of Philadelphia’s busiest trauma centers. He takes the young people through a reenactment of the final day of a 16-year-old multiple gunshot victim — from the moment he arrives at the trauma center to when his body is taken to the morgue. The goal: to see the real-life impact of getting shot — not just the media images on TV and in movies. This program is a model for other trauma centers since it works to heal patients physically and spiritually. Charles also intervenes directly with gunshot patients while they are in the hospital since they have a one in seven chance of getting shot again.

5) JONATHAN DELMAN, Executive Director, Consumer Quality Initiatives, Roxbury, Massachusetts

Jonathan Delman has struggled with mental illness his entire adult life. Despite facing everyday stigmas surrounding his mental illness, Delman has chosen to help others like himself to improve their experiences. He founded Consumer Quality Initiatives, which partners with consumers and academics to conduct high-quality research on people’s experiences with mental health services. He then provides the results to policy makers and service providers to help them improve services. His work has changed the way the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health cares for residents with mental health issues.

6) DONENE FEIST, State Director, Family Voices of North Dakota, Edgeley, North Dakota

Donene Feist’s commitment to children with special health care needs goes beyond the Family Voices of North Dakota and into numerous communities across the state. She consistently collaborates with families and professional partners to improve the health and health care of children with special health care needs. She has found services for thousands of children with a wide range of complex health needs in a state with few urban centers. She assists families in navigating public and private health systems and insurance plans, and helps them find accurate information and resources for their children.

7) ZAID GAYLE, Executive Director, Peace4Kids, Compton, California

When Zaid Gayle was a teenager, he founded a youth group that promoted learning and self-expression. That experience launched Gayle into a lifetime of service. In 1998, he created Peace4Kids, a “community-as-family” safe haven for foster children in the violent Watts area of South Los Angeles. At Peace4Kids adult volunteers become a consistent presence in the children’s lives. During the past four years, the program has grown from having no budget to having $1 million annually with 10 full-time staff members and nearly 100 adult volunteers. Gayle has also been a key influence in foster care reform in California.

8) JUDI HILMAN, Executive Director, Utah Health Policy Project, Salt Lake City, Utah

As a passionate and gifted community organizer, Judi Hilman has engaged a wide range of Utah residents in a variety of advocacy campaigns. From low-income and disabled persons, to small business owners, Hilman empowers those around her to use their voices to advocate for justice. Hilman co-founded the Utah Health Policy Project (UHPP) in 2006 to help obtain quality, affordable, comprehensive health care coverage for all Utah residents through research, policy advocacy and civic participation activities. Though UHPP is not designed to provide direct services, the agency receives multiple calls per month which are filtered through a safety net with the help of a resource guide that Hilman created. Today, UHPP helps hundreds of individuals each month learn about health policy issues and solutions, the policymaking process and how they can play a role.

9) RAY LOPEZ, Environmental Program Manager, Little Sisters of the Assumption (LSA) Family Health Service, Inc., New York, New York

Ray Lopez works with East Harlem residents to help combat environmental conditions affecting their health, including insect infestation, mold and poor air quality. He helps families control asthma triggers in their homes, reducing costly emergency room visits and school absences. He also developed solutions to the growing bedbug infestation in New York City, including wrapping duct tape around the edge of a cleaned mattress as a kind of sticky moat to prevent re-infestation. These approaches have directly helped hundreds of East Harlem residents resolve their own personal environmental health issues and created a ripple effect as they help relatives and neighbors. Under Lopez’s leadership, LSA has become widely recognized for its environmental interventions, receiving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 2 Environmental Quality Award for its asthma program, which Ray Lopez oversees.

10) MARIA RAMOS, Network Associate Director, Generations +/Northwestern Manhattan Health Network, New York, New York

Five years ago, Maria Ramos saw a need for health services among New York City’s taxi and limousine drivers who frequently suffer from medical conditions as a result of their sedentary work and “on-the-go” eating habits. What began as an opportunity to bring healthcare to those living and working in Harlem and South Bronx communities, today provides healthcare services to drivers at 70 taxi bases across New York, where over 3,000 drivers and their families have access to care. Ramos and her outreach staff travel to area taxi bases daily, utilizing dispatch radios to announce the availability of services for that day. Most services are provided within an hour, which appeals to drivers, who average three customers within that time frame. Ramos’ success has led to other projects, including a collaborative with the taxi bases and the Department of Aging to increase awareness of available healthcare services programs to seniors as she continues to find innovative efforts to meet the healthcare needs of New Yorkers.

For more information about the Community Health Leaders Award program, go to http://www.communityhealthleaders.org/.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit http://www.rwjf.org/.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

CONTACT: Cherie Black, +1-202-745-5052, [email protected], for Robert WoodJohnson Foundation

Web Site: http://www.communityhealthleaders.org/http://www.rwjf.org/

Oregon Health & Science University today announced that Philip H. and Penny Knight have pledged to give $100 million to the OHSU Cancer Institute. The Nike founder’s gift – the largest in the history of OHSU – represents a critical step toward achieving the cancer institute’s ambitious goal to make Oregon’s cancer death rate the lowest in the nation.

In recognition of the transformational impact the donors’ generosity will have on the treatment of cancer, OHSU will rename its cancer institute – the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated center – the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.

The first $2 million of the gift will name the Linda Conant Laboratory Suite, a key component of the Center for Cancer Cell Signaling in OHSU’s new Biomedical Research Building. Conant, who died of breast cancer in January, was a close friend of the Knight family. The remaining $98 million will establish the OHSU Cancer Institute Knight Fund for use at the discretion of the institute’s director. Acclaimed cancer researcher Brian Druker, M.D., assumed that post in 2007 with the goal of making Oregon the national leader in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

“Brian Druker is nothing short of a genius and a visionary,” said Knight. “Unfortunately, cancer touches all of our lives. Penny and I believe because of the work of Dr. Druker and his talented staff that the Linda Conants of the future will have more quality years to spend with their loved ones.”

“We deeply appreciate the Knights’ extraordinary generosity,” OHSU President Joseph Robertson, M.D., M.B.A., said. “This is an historic event for OHSU. The Knights’ gift will not only impact Oregonians with cancer, but will ultimately change the lives of patients around the world. It also represents for Oregonians a tremendous return on their investment in OHSU through the Oregon Opportunity, which was used to build the laboratories needed to recruit world-renowned scientists in cancer and a number of other fields. Today OHSU is in a position to earn additional support on an unprecedented scale, all for the purpose of achieving its highest aspiration: improving the health and well-being of all Oregonians.”

The donation is also “a tremendous expression of belief and confidence in Brian Druker and his strong track record of success,” Robertson said. “This opportunity will allow a most deserving and capable physician-scientist to fulfill the vision we share with the Knights — to win the war on cancer in Oregon and beyond.”

Druker said the impact of the gift will be far-reaching. “This is a transformational gift for the cancer institute and OHSU. I am so proud to have Phil and Penny Knight’s tremendous support in our fight to end cancer as we know it. The Knights understand the urgency of our mission. This gift will save lives.”

Druker, who holds the JELD-WEN chair of leukemia research at OHSU and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, said his top priority is to recruit and retain outstanding cancer researchers and clinicians to the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. In a highly competitive market for top faculty, the gift will help the institute attract researchers from other top cancer centers in the nation while motivating its existing faculty to remain at OHSU. OHSU can create powerful synergies, he said, by bringing the best and brightest minds together in one place, equipping them with the best resources, and supporting their efforts to target the underlying causes of cancer.

The resulting breakthroughs will benefit cancer patients everywhere, Druker said, and Oregonians will benefit from having access to many of them first. “By bringing faculty of the highest caliber to Oregon, OHSU will be better able to provide the latest and most advanced therapies to more cancer patients, while ramping up our statewide cancer screening and prevention efforts through partnerships with community hospitals and healthcare providers.”

A world-renowned researcher and National Academy of Sciences member, Druker led the development of Gleevec, a targeted cancer pill that has revolutionized cancer research. The drug works by targeting and turning off specific proteins in cancer cells that drive the growth of tumors while leaving healthy cells alone. Initially approved to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia, Gleevec is also now approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for six other cancers and is being tested in other forms of the disease.

“This gift’s real impact will be measured by how many Oregonians survive cancer because of what Phil and Penny Knight have made possible,” said Constance French, interim president of the OHSU Foundation. “We are honored and deeply grateful that the Knights have chosen to partner with us in the fight against cancer through this exceptional gift.”

To hear Brian Druker comment on this transformational gift, visit the following link which will be live later today: http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/about/news_events/news/cancergift102908.cfm

ABOUT THE OHSU KNIGHT CANCER INSTITUTE

As the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center between Sacramento and Seattle, the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is committed to translating discoveries into better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. Through a robust basic and clinical research program and compassionate, multidisciplinary care, more than 200 research scientists and medical professionals are working to bring new hope to patients and their families.

ABOUT OHSU

Oregon Health & Science University is the state’s only health and research university, and Oregon’s only academic health center. OHSU is Portland’s largest employer and the fourth largest in Oregon (excluding government), with 12,400 employees. OHSU’s size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support activities not found anywhere else in the state. It serves patients from every corner of the state, and is a conduit for learning for more than 3,400 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to every county in the state.

ABOUT THE OHSU FOUNDATION

The OHSU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that exists to secure private philanthropic support for Oregon Health & Science University. The foundation raises funds from individuals, companies, foundations and organizations, and invests and manages gifts in accordance with donors’ wishes.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Data from a Phase IIIb clinical trial demonstrate that Perforomist(TM) (formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Solution nebulized treatment provided prolonged bronchodilation and increased patient satisfaction compared to albuterol/ipratropium by metered-dose inhaler (MDI). These data were presented today in Philadelphia at CHEST 2008, the annual scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

Perforomist(TM) Solution was approved in 2007 by the FDA for long-term, twice-daily maintenance treatment of bronchoconstriction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is the only FDA-approved nebulized formoterol fumarate.

Results from “In COPD, Nebulized Formoterol Fumarate Provides Prolonged Bronchodilation and Increased Patient Satisfaction Compared to Albuterol/Ipratropium MDI” were presented in a poster session today.

“COPD patients in this study preferred twice-daily treatment with Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution nebulized formoterol fumarate over the albuterol/ipratropium combination MDI,” said E. Rand Sutherland, M.D., M.P.H., National Jewish Health and lead clinical investigator. “These data provide physicians valuable information as they consider treatment options for COPD patients with moderate to severe forms of the disease.”

This multicenter, randomized, open-label, two-period crossover study was conducted in 109 patients with moderate-to-severe COPD to evaluate the safety and efficacy of twice-daily Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution, nebulized FFIS, compared to albuterol/ipratropium MDI four times daily, as well as patient satisfaction and treatment preference. Efficacy was assessed by spirometry at the start and end of each two-week period, the transition dyspnea index, and a treatment satisfaction/preference survey.

In this trial, baseline dyspnea index results at Day 1 were similar between treatments for all subjects and for age, gender and severity subgroups. Transition dyspnea index results at Day 14 indicated that two weeks of treatment with either Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution or albuterol/ipratropium MDI provided improvements in dyspnea > 1.5 for all subjects and subgroups. Additionally, treatment with Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution resulted in a distribution of responses to medication showing greater satisfaction for Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution than albuterol/ipratropium (p0.007).(5)

“We are extremely pleased to announce these study results, and more importantly, the benefits that patients are experiencing with the use of Perforomist,” said Carolyn Myers, Ph.D., president of Mylan’s specialty division, which includes Dey, L.P. “Dey is committed to developing effective treatments for serious illnesses such as COPD, and we are happy to see that patients and health care providers are benefiting from our products”.

The research presented at CHEST 2008 was supported through grants provided by Dey, L.P., which developed and markets Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution. Dey, L.P. is a subsidiary of Mylan Inc. .

About COPD(1)

COPD refers to a number of chronic lung disorders in which the airways in the lungs become narrowed and breathing becomes increasingly difficult. The most common forms of COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema and many patients suffer from a combination of the two diseases.

COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America, behind heart disease, cancer and stroke. Twelve million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD and at least another 12 million have symptoms but have not been diagnosed. COPD is not well understood or recognized – most Americans have not heard of it, not even those who may be living with the condition. The most common cause of COPD is cigarette smoking, which is responsible for an estimated 80 to 90 percent of COPD cases. For patients who smoke, quitting smoking is the single most important step a patient can take to treat or slow down COPD. Estimates of the total incidence of COPD in America range from 24 to 30 million.

About Nebulization

Of the three types of devices used to deliver bronchodilators – nebulizers, metered-dose inhalers, and dry powder inhalers – nebulizers require no special technique or coordination, as the medication is converted into a fine mist that the patient inhales through a mouthpiece or face-mask while breathing naturally.(2) Nebulization is an easy and effective method of delivering medicine directly into the lungs for patients, particularly as their symptoms worsen.(3)

With Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution, nebulization may become a more widely used treatment option for many COPD patients at earlier treatment stages who could benefit from twice-daily maintenance dosing of a nebulized LABA such as Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution. For example, this COPD treatment may be a valuable clinical option for many patients whose symptoms are not adequately controlled with their current therapy.(4) COPD patients should consider asking their doctor whether nebulized treatment may be right for them.

About Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution

Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution is indicated for the long-term, twice-daily (morning and evening) administration in the maintenance treatment of bronchoconstriction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Important Safety Information

Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution belongs to a class of medications known as long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonists (LABAs). LABAs may increase the risk of asthma-related death. Data from a large placebo-controlled US study comparing the safety of another LABA (salmeterol) or placebo added to usual asthma therapy showed an increase in asthma-related deaths in patients receiving salmeterol. This finding with salmeterol may apply to formoterol (a LABA), the active ingredient in Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution.

Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution should not be initiated in patients with acutely deteriorating COPD, which may be a life threatening condition, or to treat acute symptoms. Acute symptoms should be treated with fast-acting rescue inhalers. Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution is not indicated to treat asthma. The safety and efficacy of Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution in asthma has not been established. Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution should not be used with other medications containing LABAs. Do not use more than one nebule twice daily. Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution should be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders, especially coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias and hypertension.

In COPD clinical trials, the most common adverse events reported with Perforomist(TM) Inhalation Solution (>2% and more common than placebo) were diarrhea, nausea, nasopharyngitis, dry mouth, vomiting, dizziness, and insomnia.

Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, at http://www.perforomist.com/ or call 800-755-5560 and ask for Customer Service.

About Dey, L.P.

Dey, L.P., a subsidiary of Mylan Inc. , is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing and marketing of prescription drug products for the treatment of respiratory diseases, respiratory-related allergies, and emergency care medicine. As the U.S. leader in sales of nebulized respiratory medication, Dey, L.P. puts patients first through its development of innovative and affordable therapies. The Web sites for Dey, L.P. include http://www.dey.com/, http://www.accuneb.com/, http://www.curosurfusa.com/, http://www.cyanokit.com/, http://www.duoneb.com/, http://www.epipen.com/ and http://www.perforomist.com/.

About Mylan

Mylan Inc., which provides products to customers in more than 140 countries and territories, ranks among the leading diversified generic and specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world. The company maintains one of the industry’s broadest – and highest quality – product portfolios, supported by a robust product pipeline; owns a controlling interest in the world’s second largest active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer; and operates a specialty business focused on respiratory and allergy therapies. For more information about Mylan, please visit http://www.mylan.com/

   1. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. COPD: Are you at Risk? Fact      Sheet. Available at      http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/copd/campaign-materials/ind      ex.htm.   2. WebMD. "A-Z Health Guide from WebMD." Accessed on May 9, 2006 from      http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/common-topics/default.htm   3. Ibid.   4. Gross, N. et. al. Efficacy and safety of formoterol fumarate delivered      by nebulization to COPD patients. Respiratory Medicine, 2008, 102,      189-197.   5. Data to be presented at CHEST 2008.  E. Rand Sutherland et. al.  In      Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Nebulized Formoterol Fumarate      Provides Prolonged Bronchodilation and Increased Patient Satisfaction      Compared to Ipratropium/Albuterol MDI.  Sponsored by Dey, L.P.  

Dey, L.P.

CONTACT: Dey, L.P. Media Line, +1-800-755-5560 ext. 8363, or CarrieSessine of Powell Tate, +1-202-585-2107, [email protected]

Web Site: http://www.mylan.com/

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ — DST Health Solutions today announced the launch of CareAnalyzer(TM), an analytic solution that combines elements of patient risk (The Johns Hopkins University ACG(R) Predictive Models), care opportunities (HEDIS(R)) and provider performance (NCQA’s pay for performance program). CareAnalyzer helps health plans meet reporting requirements for the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) and effectively identify high-risk members for care management.

CareAnalyzer has been selected by a number of health plans, including CareOregon and FirstCarolinaCare Insurance Company.

“CareAnalyzer combines a variety of data sources to produce actionable information health plans can use to improve the health of their members,” said Steve Sabino, president of DST Health Solutions.

By analyzing patient risk data, predictive modeling and HEDIS requirements, CareAnalyzer helps health plans identify high-risk members with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma or lower back pain. High-risk members then may be enrolled in care management programs that include preventive health screenings and treatment plans tailored to their condition.

“CareAnalyzer helps us identify members who need care management and intervention, which improves health outcomes and will ultimately save employers premium dollars down the road,” said Craig Humphrey, chief operating officer of FirstCarolinaCare. “This tool also allowed us to automate HEDIS reporting, and reduce the staff time needed for this function.”

CareAnalyzer incorporates the ACG System, a scientifically proven software tool for provider profiling, predictive modeling, resource management, and reimbursement rate adjustment. The ACG System was developed by The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and is distributed exclusively by DST Health Solutions.

About DST Health Solutions

DST Health Solutions delivers solutions and business process outsourcing services that improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, increase speed to market and improve customer service for health plans, consumer-directed plans, government plans (Medicare Advantage/Part D and Medicaid) and physician practices. DST Health Solutions’ enterprise applications, and ASP and BPO services support 390 healthcare clients, representing more than 38 million covered lives, 360 million health plan claims, 35 million physician business transactions and 700,000 consumer-directed members annually. For more information about DST Health Solutions, contact 800.272.4799 or [email protected] or visit http://www.dsthealthsolutions.com/.

The information and comments above may include forward-looking statements respecting DST and its businesses. Such information and comments are based on DST’s views as of today, and actual actions or results could differ. There could be a number of factors affecting future actions or results, including those set forth in DST’s latest periodic financial report (Form 10-K or 10-Q) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such factors should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking comment. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements in this press release to reflect future events.

DST Health Solutions

CONTACT: Chris Goldman, Media Relations of DST Health Solutions,+1-816-843-9087

Web site: http://www.dsthealthsolutions.com/

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ — Pittsburgh-based Foundation Radiology Group (FRG) signed a multi-year contract with Charles Cole Memorial Hospital, making FRG their exclusive provider of diagnostic imaging services effective December 31, 2008.

Charles Cole Memorial Hospital is located in Coudersport Pennsylvania and services multiple counties in north central Pennsylvania and south central New York. The Hospital provides a wide range of primary and secondary health care services including a network of ten rural health primary care clinics, inpatient rehabilitation, geriatric behavioral health, long-term care, assisted living, home health and hospice, DME, oncology and wellness services.

Ed Pitchford, Chief Executive Officer of Charles Cole said: “We are pleased to be working with Foundation Radiology. Having continuous access to professional radiology services within the same group will be of great value to our providers and patients. We are also pleased to now be able to obtain specialized interpretations from neurologic, pediatric or women’s health specialists without having to refer patients out of the area. Foundation’s operating model using a combination of on site physicians and central services via teleradiology technology is ideal for rural and remote hospitals such as Charles Cole Memorial Hospital.”

FRG’s board certified radiologists are available 24/7/365 to provide readings in musculoskeletal radiology, neuroradiology, mammography, cardiac CT, interventional radiology, pediatric radiology, brain perfusion, vascular ultrasound, OB/GYN ultrasound and general radiology. With this broad range of capabilities, FRG is ideally positioned to provide subspecialty radiological services to smaller hospitals and outpatient centers that can’t afford to keep subspecialists on staff.

James W. Backstom, M.D., FRG’s chief medical officer, said, “We are pleased to have Charles Cole join our expanding roster of clients. We will provide their patients the best service levels and subspecialty physician expertise available in the industry today. Our unique capability allows us to cost-effectively provide world-class diagnostic imaging professional services to patients in the north central Pennsylvania.”

About Foundation Radiology

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA the Foundation Radiology Group’s mission is to build the pre-eminent diagnostic imaging, radiology service bureau and physician practice group network in the United States. FRG uses state-of-the-art PACS technology, a unique, efficient workflow system, carrier-grade telecommunications infrastructure and the Internet to provide the fastest turnaround times in the industry for diagnostic imaging reads. FRG is focused on serving non-university affiliated health care institutions, with emphasis on serving the rural and suburban hospital segment. It seeks multi-year exclusive contracts for daytime and 7/24/365 radiology full service bureaus. The Group’s administrative office, data processing and primary diagnostic imaging reading center is located at Three Gateway Center, in downtown Pittsburgh, where board-certified radiologists are available 24 hours a day. For more information, please visit http://www.frg-rad.com/.

Foundation Radiology Group

CONTACT: Timothy J. Pisula, Chief Operating Officer of FoundationRadiology Group, +1-412-223-2272

Web site: http://www.frg-rad.com/

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ — TriMix Laboratories LLC today announced a major enhancement to their flagship product TriMix-gel(TM). TriMix-gel(TM) uses the ED gel(TM) (pat. pend.) applicator system. The applicator has been fitted with an adapter to make the use of TriMix-gel(TM) even easier for the patient. The adapter will be included for shipment to patients immediately.

The new adapter is featured on the website http://www.trimixgel.com/. A video there includes a demonstration of an actual patient applying the medicine. TriMix Laboratories President T.J. Harkins says, “The innovative nature of the TriMix-gel(TM) applicator makes it hard to describe in a small sound bite. This video is an important tool in helping ED patients understand how valuable TriMix-gel(TM) can be for them.”

TriMix-gel(TM) has been used by doctors as an alternative erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment. Doctors prescribe TriMix-gel(TM) for patients who have failed on Viagra, Levitra or Cialis type tablets or who cannot tolerate their side effects. Trimix ingredients have been tested and widely prescribed for many years for improvement of sexual health.

TriMix-gel(TM) contains active ingredients which are classified as medicine and are listed in the US Pharmacopoeia. Therefore, a patient would need a prescription from his physician to obtain TriMix-gel(TM). For an order form, visit http://www.trimixgel.com/ and click the prescription form. The patient gives the form to the doctor. The doctor faxes the prescription to the pharmacy at 877-387-4649 and the pharmacy ships the medicine directly to the patient.

Typically, the trimix liquid for injection version of the compound would have to be refrigerated and then self injected with a needle at time of use. But the compound in gel form, called TriMix-gel(TM), allows the patient to carry the medicine at room temperature. More importantly, an ED patient will not have to use a needle to self inject before sexual intercourse.

Recently, clinical trials were performed on TriMix-gel(TM). All the test patients were men who failed on Viagra, Levitra or Cialis tablets. These patients were given TriMix-gel(TM). All the test patients received some degree of positive effect from TriMix-gel(TM) in the form of tumescence (enlargement). It was determined that 40% of the test patients achieved a result sufficient for sexual intercourse over Viagra, Levitra or Cialis tablets.

The trial results were published in the Journal of Urology Supplement, J. Urol. 179 (4): 431, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.trimixgel.com/ and click “Drug Studies.”

TriMix Laboratories President T.J. Harkins said, “Our test patients were very impressed with the ‘ease of use.’ We are happy our new adapter is so well received.”

TriMix Laboratories LLC is a medical research and marketing firm specializing in the urological subspecialty of erectile dysfunction. The information contained herein is general in nature and is intended for use only as an informational aid. It does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, or interactions of the products shown, nor is the information intended as medical advice or diagnosis for individual health problems. TriMix-gel(TM) has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). TriMix-gel(TM) is not made under GMP requirements. It is compounded in a licensed compounding pharmacy for the use of an individual patient who has been prescribed TriMix-gel(TM) by a licensed physician. It is not intended for making an evaluation as to the risks and benefits. Before taking any action, consult your Doctor.

    Contact:  T.J. Harkins              TriMix Laboratories              Cherry Hill, NJ              856-428-7008  

TriMix Laboratories LLC

CONTACT: T.J. Harkins of TriMix Laboratories, +1-856-428-7008

Web site: http://www.trimixgel.com/

As a thank you to the community, Health Testing Centers is offering a free Lipid Profile at either of their two South Florida locations.

The Lipid Profile test measures cholesterol with a combination of LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol) and Triglycerides. Test results can be sent directly to you via e-mail or fax within 24 hours and show your results next to the normal ranges. High cholesterol can lead to heart disease, the leading cause of heart attacks. Monitoring cholesterol levels is an important step to reducing your risk of heart attack.

The free tests will be available through the end of 2008. No physician’s referral is required for any tests at Health Testing Centers. To take advantage of the free cholesterol check, call to make an appointment at either of their two South Florida locations:

 Fort Lauderdale Office          N. Miami Beach Office 2760 W. Oakland Park Blvd       1140 NE 163rd Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311       North Miami Beach, FL 33162 

Also available at: http://www.healthtestingcenters.com/locationsfla.aspx.

Health Testing Centers has been providing medical testing for 30 years and helped over 50,000 customers take control of their health. Private health assessment blood screenings are offered at their two locations in South Florida or nationwide by phone or by ordering online at www.HealthTestingCenters.com. Health Testing Centers work with major CLIA-Certified Clinical Laboratories to offer thousands of convenient locations across the country.

About Health Testing Centers: Health Testing Centers offer blood, STD, and other medical tests directly to clients confidentially, conveniently, and affordably (up to 70% off standard laboratory prices) with no physician’s referral necessary. These are the same tests that physicians rely on to diagnose life threatening medical conditions. For more information, visit www.HealthTestingCenters.com or call 954-485-3322.

 Contact: David Lovely Health Testing Centers 1-954-636-2394 Email Contactwww.healthtestingcenters.com

SOURCE: Health Testing Centers

Biosystems International biotech leader in the development of monoclonal antibody based diagnostics for cancer, receives venture capital amounting to 3.5 million Euros ($4.6 million) from VC-funds managed by SGAM AI, a major Pharmaceutical Company in Central Eastern Europe, and private investors. The company will employ these funds to foster R&D of lung, colon and breast cancer diagnostics to be marketed in 2010.

The signing of the investment agreement represents one of the biggest VC deals in the diagnostics research sector within this year. “BSI SAS and its investors pursue a long-term and lasting investment strategy. The renewed commitment strengthens our status as innovator in the field of cancer diagnosis,” said Jean-Pierre Tirouflet, Chief Executive Officer of Biosystems International. Laszlo Takacs, Chief Scientific Officer added : “Benchmarks, preceding the financial agreement, demonstrated the company’s potential as a market leader in the field of monoclonal antibody based cancer diagnostics”.

“The decision to follow our investment in Biosystems International is based on the recent technology validation success. We are now entering in the diagnostic product development phase for early cancer diagnosis. This phase corresponds to a significant increase in value, since Biosystems is targeting cancer indications with particularly high unmet medical need. We are very pleased to have received validation of this strategy by a pharmaceutical partner” explained Jean-Yves Nothias from SGAM AI.

“We are excited to expand our endeavors to the diagnostics field, investment into Biosystems International and the purchase of first refusal rights for the distribution of BSI’s cancer diagnostics on our market is one of the first moves to achieve our long term goal” added the Business Development Director of the Pharmaceutical company. * * *

About Biosystems International

Biosystems International (BSI) is a biotechnology company aiming to become a world leader in the discovery and development of novel diagnostics for diseases with critical unmet needs. Using our proprietary monoclonal antibody proteomics process BSI rapidly discovers novel biomarkers and corresponding antibodies in a single step. The company is currently focused on the discovery and development of diagnostic tests in the areas of cancer and metabolic diseases as well as the development and commercialization of antibody arrays for plasma proteome profiling.

Website: http://www.biosys-intl.com/

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for historical information contained herein, statements made in this release that would constitute forward-looking statements may involve certain risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements made in this release are based on currently available information and the company assumes no responsibility to update any such forward looking statements.

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ — Irvine Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., announced today that as part of its ongoing efforts to identify and meet current and future industry demands, the company has promoted Aryo Nikopour to Vice President of Scientific and Technical Services and added to its staff Chief Operating Officer Greg McParland. These changes come at an opportune time in the company’s growth as it gears up to launch its new subsidiary, Avrio Biopharmaceuticals, in January 2009.

After five years at Irvine and with a cumulative 20-plus years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Aryo Nikopour offers to his new position a solid understanding and knowledge of the company as well as pharmaceutical development. His previous positions at highly reputable organizations such as PPD, Alpharma (Actavis), Solvay Pharmaceuticals and Solvay Animal Health, to name a few, has helped develop his expertise in a range of areas, including chromatographic method development and validation, Extractables/Leachables studies, and implementation of new technologies and capabilities such as Inhalation/Nasal, Biopharmaceutical and Structural Chemistry. Nikopour also has strong experience in scientific staff management, quality control, stability testing and regulatory requirements.

Greg McParland brings to Irvine more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Prior to joining Irvine, McParland was Chief Executive Officer of Girindus America Inc., a member of Solvay Organics. There, McParland lead the R&D focused company through a major transition to become a commercial operation focused on small molecule and oligonucleotide active pharmaceutical ingredients. His additional leadership experience at companies such as Cambrex Corporation, Altergy Systems, NextPharma and Aerojet Fine Chemicals, in the areas of operations, sales and marketing, strategic planning, process optimization, and mergers and acquisitions, will be invaluable to both Irvine Pharmaceuticals and its new company, Avrio Biopharmaceuticals.

“We are looking forward to continued growth under the leadership of Aryo Nikopour and Greg McParland,” said Assad J. Kazeminy, CEO and Founder of Irvine Pharmaceutical Services. “I am confident they will lead us to even greater success as we expand and work to provide ever improving services to our clients.”

Since early 2007, Irvine Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., has experienced extensive growth, and has made significant upgrades in its lab equipment and infrastructure. You can meet Irvine staff and learn more about the company at the AAPS Annual Meeting, booth 1707.

About Irvine

Irvine Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. is a fully integrated services provider that works with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies through all phases of research and development. Founded in 1988 and committed to expansion and services that benefit its clients’ priorities directly, Irvine is a fully cGMP compliant contract testing laboratory located in Irvine, CA. Visit http://www.irvinepharma.com/ or call (877) 445-6554.

Irvine Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

CONTACT: Irvine Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., 1-877-445-6554, Fax,+1-949-951-4909

Web site: http://www.irvinepharma.com/

Theratechnologies (TSX: TH) and EMD Serono Inc., an affiliate of Merck KGaA , Darmstadt Germany, today announced they have entered into a collaboration and licensing agreement for the exclusive commercialization rights to tesamorelin in the United States for the treatment of excess abdominal fat in HIV patients with lipodystrophy. Theratechnologies retains all tesamorelin commercialization rights outside of the US.

This announcement marks the end of the strategic review process initially announced earlier this year and led by the Independent Committee of the Board of Directors of Theratechnologies. Speaking on behalf of the Independent Committee, Mr. Paul Pommier, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Theratechnologies proudly stated: “We are extremely pleased to have entered into this strategic agreement with EMD Serono after a careful and rigorous review of all alternatives available to the Company. EMD Serono’s strong commercialization expertise, demonstrated success and unique understanding of HIV-associated disorders, including lipodystrophy, solidified our decision to partner tesamorelin as it provides us with the best opportunity to maximize the present and future potential of this drug and provide it to patients promptly following approval. We believe this landmark agreement provides a clear validation of tesamorelin’s potential and successful commercialization should provide attractive value to our shareholders in the near term.”

“We are delighted to have EMD Serono as our partner for launching and commercializing tesamorelin in the US. EMD Serono has a major presence in the area of HIV-associated disorders and growth hormone with drugs such as Serostim. Its strong track record of successfully commercializing new drugs as well as its unique expertise in endocrinology and its understanding of HIV-associated lipodystrophy makes EMD Serono an excellent strategic partner to bring the value of tesamorelin to patients in need, post approval,” commented Mr. Yves Rosconi, President and CEO of Theratechnologies.

“We are excited about this collaboration and believe that EMD Serono’s scientific expertise, established physician relationships and highly trained specialty sales force coupled with Theratechnologies’ regulatory experience and understanding of HIV-associated disorders will ultimately benefit patients. Together, I am confident that our teams can maximize the potential of tesamorelin in the marketplace and we are looking forward to the opportunities for tesamorelin in the US once approved,” said Mr. Fereydoun Firouz, President and CEO of EMD Serono, Inc. “This partnership reinforces our commitment to our endocrinology franchise in the US and specifically to the field of HIV-associated disorders. Tesamorelin, with its strong clinical data, will address an important market that we currently cannot serve and is a key addition to our portfolio. Together our organizations are best suited to bring to patients a potential treatment option for an unserved illness,” added Mr. Firouz.

Tesamorelin is a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue with therapeutic potential in a variety of anabolic and lipolytic indications and is in the final stages of its second Phase 3 clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy when used to reduce visceral adipose tissue in HIV patients with lipodystrophy. The purpose of the study is to confirm the results of the first Phase 3 study, concluded in October 2007.

Terms of the Agreement

Under the terms of the agreement, Theratechnologies will receive an upfront payment of US$30 million (CAD$38.7 M) which includes a license fee of US$22 million (CAD$ 28.4 M) and an equity investment of US$8 million (CAD$10.3 M) in Theratechnologies common stock at a price of US$3.67 (CAD$ 4.73) per share by Merck KGaA, providing Merck KGaA a 3.6% ownership in Theratechnologies. Theratechnologies may receive up to US$215 million (CAD$277 M) in total payments, including the upfront payment, and payments based on the achievement of certain development, regulatory and sales milestones. Theratechnologies will be entitled to receive increasing royalties on annual net sales of tesamorelin in the US.

Theratechnologies will be responsible for conducting research and development for additional indications. EMD Serono will have the option to co-develop and commercialize additional indications for tesamorelin in the US. EMD Serono will equally share in the development costs related to such additional indications if it exercises its option. Theratechnologies will, in such case, also have the right, subject to EMD Serono’s agreement, to opt to co-promote such additional indications.

Consummation of this transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and notification to, and regulatory review by, the US Federal Trade Commission and US Department of Justice under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (“HSR Act”), and the expiration of certain statutory waiting periods under the HSR Act. The transaction is expected to close in December 2008.

“These milestone and royalty payments provide Theratechnologies with a fully-financed business plan through the commercialization of tesamorelin for its first indication in the US. Theratechnologies will also have the financial flexibility to pursue the development of a second indication and build the long term value of the compound,” noted Mr. Luc Tanguay, Senior Executive Vice President and CFO of Theratechnologies.

BMO Capital Markets and Lazard acted as financial advisors and Fasken Martineau and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsels to Theratechnologies.

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will hold a conference call and webcast today at 7:30 a.m. to discuss this strategic agreement. To participate, please dial: 416-644-3431 or 1-800-590-1508 (toll free). Please dial-in five minutes prior to the teleconference in order to ensure your participation. The webcast will be available on the Company’s website at http://www.theratech.com/.

A replay of the conference call will be available from 9:30 a.m. today, October 29, 2008, until November 5, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. at the following number: 1-416-640-1917, pass code 21287837# or 1-877-289-8525, pass code 21287837#. The webcast will be posted for 30 days at the link indicated above.

HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy

Several factors including the antiviral drug regimen and the virus itself are thought to contribute to HIV-associated lipodystrophy which is characterized by body composition changes, dyslipidemia and glucose intolerance. The changes in body composition include excess abdominal fat accumulation. There is currently no approved treatment available for HIV-associated lipodystrophy, a condition that can stigmatize patients and discourage HIV treatment adherence.

About Theratechnologies

Theratechnologies (TSX: TH) is a Canadian biopharmaceutical company that discovers innovative drug candidates in order to develop them and bring them to market. The Company targets unmet medical needs in financially attractive specialty markets. Its most advanced program is tesamorelin, which is concluding a confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial for a serious metabolic disorder known as HIV-associated lipodystrophy. The Company also has other projects at earlier stages of development.

Additional information about Theratechnologies

Further information about Theratechnologies is available on the Company’s website at www.theratech.com. Additional information is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About EMD Serono

EMD Serono, Inc., an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a leader in the US biopharmaceutical arena, integrating cutting-edge science with unparalleled patient support systems to improve people’s lives. The company has strong market positions in neurodegenerative diseases, with Rebif(R) (interferon beta-1a), as well as in endocrinology, with Saizen(R) (somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection), Serostim(R) (somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection) and Zorbtive(TM) (somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection). EMD Serono is a leader in fertility treatments, with Gonal-f(R) (follitropin alpha for injection), Luveris(R) (lutropin alfa for injection) and Ovidrel(R) Prefilled Syringe (choriogonadotropin alpha injection). With a clear focus on the patient and a leadership presence in the biopharmaceutical industry, EMD Serono’s US footprint continues to grow, with more than 950 employees around the country and fully integrated commercial, clinical and research operations in the company’s home state of Massachusetts.

For more information, please visit www.emdserono.com

About Merck KGaA

Merck KGaA is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total revenues of EUR 7.1 billion in 2007, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by 30,968 employees in 60 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck’s operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the US subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.

For more information, please visit www.merckserono.net or www.Merck.de

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to the proposed transaction with EMD Serono, including statements regarding the completion of the proposed transaction and other statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. As a result, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is based upon a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Theratechnologies’ control that could cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Further, although the forward-looking information contained in this press release is based upon what Theratechnologies believes are reasonable assumptions, investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on this information since actual results may vary from the forward-looking information. Certain assumptions made in preparing the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, applicable governmental authority approvals, and certain termination rights available to the parties under the agreements. These approvals may not be obtained, the other conditions to the transaction may not be satisfied in accordance with their terms, and/or the parties to the agreements may exercise their termination rights, in which case the proposed transaction could be modified, restructured or terminated, as applicable. The reader is cautioned that these risks and uncertainties are not exhaustive of the risks and uncertainties that may affect any of the Company’s forward-looking statements. The reader is also cautioned to consider these and other risks and uncertainties carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Consequently, all of the forward-looking information contained in this press release is qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements, and there can be no guarantee that the results or developments anticipated by Theratechnologies will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences or effects on the Company, its business, financial conditions or results of operations. Furthermore, the forward-looking information reflects current expectations regarding future events and speaks only as of the date of release of this press release and represents Theratechnologies’ expectations as of that date. Theratechnologies does not undertake to update or amend such forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

 Contacts: Theratechnologies Inc. Andrea Gilpin Vice President, IR & Communications 514 336-7800, ext. 205 [email protected]www.theratech.com

SOURCE: Theratechnologies inc.

WAXHAW, N.C., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ — From the current health care crisis in America to the natural fear of illness and death, many factors block the ability to see beauty, wonder and poetry in medical practice. Bertrand P. Fote has never lost sight of the powerful human element in his work as an emergency physician, and he captures this in his new collection of poems, “Floodgates: Emergency Life in Verse” (published by AuthorHouse — http://www.authorhouse.com/).

“I hope to convey the empathy in medicine, to reach out and show the connection between the soul and body as we tackle the issues of health and sickness,” Fote states. “I hope the reader will enjoy the humor, share the compassion and understand the humanity that the poems expose as they portray patients and doctors as human beings beyond their disease and profession.”

The book begins with “On a lighter note … ,” a section of poems that explores the daily fascinations and amusements in the lives of a doctor and the patients he serves. A rhythmic flow of verse includes such dramatic elements as know-it-all patients, vagrants who repeatedly fall victim to street life, the miracle of flatulence and the presence of grace in the form of a small child.

“Floodgates” then takes the reader down a darker road, where they experience the sorrow that is all too familiar in the emergency room.

The following selection from the poem “Floodgates” illustrates Fote’s expressive style:

"Doctor! Doctor Help me"/ They came in a-crying/ Some fighting death's    cold hands/ Some needing tender love/ "I'm sick! Doctor, treat me"/ They    came in a-looking/ For caring healing hands/ That healing touch they love    

The highs and lows of this profession are explored in detail designed to evoke laughter, new perspectives, empathy and sorrow. Everything is sacred to Fote as a medical doctor, and he sets the stage for readers to witness the silliness, sadness, strength and pain that comprise human life.

About the Author: Bertrand P. Fote is a board-certified emergency physician practicing in North Carolina. Born in the West African nation of Cameroon, he moved to the United States when he was 17. Fote earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of the District of Columbia, graduating magna cum laude. He holds a medical degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University in Alabama. Fote is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Known for his ever-present smile and love of singing, Fote is affectionately called “the singing doctor” by his patients. This approach to his work and daily interactions with patients fuels his writing. Fote’s poetry has been published in several anthologies. He is also the author of “Reflections From Within: A Collection of Thought-Provoking, Mind-Searching Poems.”

AuthorHouse is the premier book publisher (http://www.authorhouse.com/) for emerging, self-published (http://www.authorhouse.com/GetPublished/FAQ.aspx) authors. For more information, please visit http://www.authorhouse.com/.

   EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact:    Promotional Services Department   Tel: 888-728-8467 ext. 5192   Fax: 812-961-3133   Email: [email protected]   (When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)    

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com/.

AuthorHouse

CONTACT: Promotional Services Department of AuthorHouse,+1-888-728-8467, Ext. 5192, Fax, +1-812-961-3133, [email protected]

Web site: http://www.authorhouse.com/

Two physicians describe how some drug companies may promote off-label use — prescribing drugs for a purpose outside of their approved use.

Adriane Fugh-Berman of Georgetown University Medical Center and Douglas Melnick, a physician working in Hollywood, Calif., write in the journal PLoS Medicine that while off-label drug use is “sometimes unavoidable” and sometimes “demonstrably beneficial,” it also has been linked to serious side effects.

Off-label drug use “should be undertaken with care and caution due to the uncontrolled experiment to which a patient is being subjected,” the physicians said.

In development, drugs may be promising for several uses, and companies must choose one or two conditions on which to focus research. If extensive off-label use is anticipated, a company may seek approval for just a narrow indication in order to speed a drug to market, Fugh-Berman and Melnick said.

Another technique is to use drug representatives, even though U.S. drug representatives are not supposed to detail doctors on off-label uses, the authors said.

The authors quote an article in Medical Marketing and Media in which a pharmaceutical industry attorney said: “Before engaging in off-label promotion, companies should ascertain the risk profile, safety, efficacy and potential commercial benefits of the use — without committing that last bit to print.”

Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles (DSALA):

 Who:    Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles (DSALA) with Emcee Mark Wallengren of KOST's Morning Show, Grand Marshal Nancy O'Dell of "Access Hollywood," Kym Johnson of "Dancing with the Stars" and National Buddy Walk Spokesperson John C. McGinley of "Scrubs."  What:   14th Annual Buddy Walk for the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles.  When:   Sunday, November 2, 2008, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM 10:00 AM to 11 AM Check in 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM Festivities 12:00 PM Program & Walk followed by Medal Presentation 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM Lunch is served  Where: Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, CA Race Track Infield; enter at Gate 6 off Colorado Place (free parking)  Program: Begins at Noon and will include a dance number from "High School Musical" with Kym Johnson of "Dancing with the Stars" and her dance students from the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles ages 2 to 52.  Cost $20 per adult Includes access to all activities, lunch and t-shirt (guaranteed with pre-registration)  Registration Information: Call DSALA at 818-242-7871 or go to the website at www.dsala.org. 

Festivities include:

Game Booths, Pony Rides, Dance Pavilion, Arts and Crafts, Rides in the Air Force Mini Jets, LA Galaxy, Race Car show, obstacle course, raffle, vendor information fair, entertainment.

Visuals: 1500 walkers from strollers to seniors, all in teams supporting individuals with Down syndrome walking the infield at Santa Anita Park Racetrack; mini jet rides, games, art centers, dance and acting workshops and a lot of people just having a good time.

Additional Information on Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is the most common genetic condition affecting all ethnicities and approximately 1 in 800 births. Individuals with Down syndrome have an extra copy of the 21st chromosome which causes physical differences and disabilities. Most people with Down syndrome live a rich and productive life thanks to organizations like that DSALA which has been providing services for more then 30 years in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Beckman Coulter, Inc. , announced today that it has signed new sole source agreements with Adventist Health to provide a broad range of core laboratory systems and supplies valued at approximately $36 million over six years. Adventist Health is a not-for-profit, faith-based health care system with facilities in California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031202/BECLOGO)

Under the terms of the new six-year agreements, Adventist Health hospital laboratories will continue to purchase hematology products from Beckman Coulter, and will add the company’s complete line of automated chemistry and immunoassay analyzers and reagents to their owned, leased and managed facilities. An expanding group of more than 38 acute-care affiliate organizations will also be able to purchase systems under the contract.

In making the decision, Adventist Health cited Beckman Coulter’s ability to deliver cutting-edge technologies that can help their physicians deliver prompt and effective patient care. Lowell Church, assistant vice president, said, “We are constantly striving to enhance quality care, increase patient safety and improve outcomes, in addition to controlling costs. Beckman Coulter has the same vision and goals and we look forward to collaborating with them.”

David Bespalko, corporate vice president of sales in North America for Beckman Coulter, said about the contract, “These agreements are a great opportunity to continue to demonstrate our commitment to improving patient health and reducing the cost of care. Our innovative systems simplify and automate laboratory processes, helping to improve the efficiency of our laboratory partners.”

About Adventist Health.

Adventist Health is a faith-based, not-for-profit health care system with headquarters in Roseville, California and more than 18,000 employees. The system has operations in California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, including 18 acute care facilities; numerous clinics and outpatient facilities, including the largest network of rural health clinics in California; 15 home care agencies; and three joint-venture retirement centers. To learn more, visit http://www.adventisthealth.org/.

About Beckman Coulter, Inc.

Beckman Coulter, Inc., based in Orange County, California, develops, manufactures and markets products that simplify, automate and innovate complex biomedical tests. More than 200,000 Beckman Coulter systems operate in laboratories around the world, supplying critical information for improving patient health and reducing the cost of care. Recurring revenue, consisting of supplies, test kits, service and operating-type lease payments, represents approximately 78 percent of the company’s 2007 annual revenue of $2.76 billion. For more information, visit http://www.beckmancoulter.com/.

    Contacts:  Mary Luthy, Beckman Coulter     Allan Harris, Beckman Coulter               Corporate Communications        Investor Relations               (714) 773-7964                  (714) 773-7620  

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031202/BECLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]

Beckman Coulter, Inc.

CONTACT: Mary Luthy, Corporate Communications, +1-714-773-7964, or AllanHarris, Investor Relations, +1-714-773-7620, both of Beckman Coulter

Web site: http://www.beckmancoulter.com/http://www.adventisthealth.org/

SAN DIEGO, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. today announced its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2008. For the third quarter of 2008, the Company reported a net loss of $17.7 million, or $(0.46) per share compared with a net loss of $27.2 million, or $(0.72) per share, for the same period in 2007. For the nine months, the Company reported a net loss of $59.8 million, or $(1.56) per share, as compared to $79.3 million, or $(2.09) per share, for the same period last year.

Revenues for the third quarter of 2008 were $0.8 million compared with $0.5 million for the same period last year. Revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 were $3.2 million, compared with $0.7 million for the same period in 2007. The increase in revenues is primarily due to revenues recognized in 2008 under collaboration agreements with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.

Research and development expenses decreased to $13.0 million during the third quarter of 2008 compared with $19.8 million for the same period in 2007. For the nine months ended September 30, 2008, research and development expenses were $43.4 million, compared to $57.6 million for the same period last year. The decrease in research and development expenses is primarily due to cost savings related to our restructuring in the fourth quarter of 2007.

General and administrative expenses were $3.5 million for the third quarter of 2008 and $9.6 million during the same period last year. For the nine months ended September 30, 2008, general and administrative expenses were $16.4 million, compared to $26.7 million for the first nine months of 2007. The reduction in general and administrative expenses is primarily due to cost savings related to recent restructurings.

The Company’s balance sheet on September 30, 2008 reflected total assets of $207.7 million, including cash and investments of $118.2 million compared with balances at December 31, 2007 of $276.7 million and $179.4 million, respectively. The Company expects to end 2008 with approximately $100 million in cash and investments.

“We are pleased with the progress of our GnRH program, especially the recent positive results of our 603 study where once a day elagolix showed profound efficacy with minimal impact on bone mineral density. We are also nearing completion of the final preclinical studies of urocortin 2 to allow for long-term Phase II clinical studies and our scientists have just recently identified a clinical candidate from our VMAT2 development program for movement disorders,” said Kevin Gorman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Neurocrine Biosciences. “While we are making great strides in advancing our pipeline, we continue to prioritize expenditures and diligently manage our cash burn.”

R & D Pipeline Update

Neurocrine’s clinical development group and corporate partners have five programs in clinical development. Neurocrine scientists continue to supply Neurocrine’s pipeline to meet the Company-wide goal of bringing one new compound into development each year.

Elagolix for Endometriosis

The Company recently announced the positive safety and efficacy results from the completed 6-month treatment phase of its Phase IIb clinical trial (PETAL Study) using its proprietary, orally-active nonpeptide Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist, elagolix.

The primary endpoint, percent change from baseline in mean bone mineral density (BMD) demonstrated elagolix did not induce significant bone loss over the six month treatment period. Additionally, elagolix also met the secondary endpoints of improvement in endometriosis symptoms using several different scales for endometriosis pain. The 6-month results from this study, together with data from the other Phase II studies, will be the basis for securing agreement on a registration plan with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Company is also currently conducting two additional randomized placebo-controlled Phase II clinical trials. The clinical endpoints for both of these trials are a reduction in pelvic pain associated with endometriosis, utilizing a scale proposed by the FDA. The first Phase II trial includes our selected commercial formulation tablet in two doses, (150 mg and 250 mg); this trial has completed randomization in 155 patients. The Company expects topline results from the first three months of treatment in the first quarter of 2009. The second trial is a four arm comparator trial of two doses of elagolix (150 mg and 250 mg), placebo or leuprolide depot. This trial is being conducted in Central and Eastern Europe. Topline data from this 3-month double-blind trial of approximately 180 patients should be available at the end of the first half of 2009.

Neurocrine is also investigating the potential of certain GnRH antagonists in treating other hormone-dependent diseases in Men’s and Women’s Health.

Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF1) Receptor Antagonists for Anxiety/Depression and IBS

The CRF collaboration between Neurocrine and GSK has identified multiple unique high affinity and selective antagonists for the CRF1 receptor that are currently in clinical development for mood disorders and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). There are currently three distinct CRF compounds in clinical development that have arisen out of the GSK collaboration. The compound (876008) is in a Phase II “proof of concept” trial to evaluate its safety and efficacy in patients with IBS. Approximately 130 patients meeting established diagnostic criteria for IBS have been entered into this cross-over design trial. The trial contains standard assessments of safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics. The clinical endpoints reflect change in symptom frequency and severity and the data should be available later in 2008.

GSK has advanced a novel lead CRF1 receptor antagonist compound, 561679, into a Phase II trial in patients with major depressive disorder. Enrollment of approximately 150 subjects is anticipated in this 6-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

In addition to the two compounds listed above, GSK has also successfully completed a Phase I single dose-escalating clinical trial with a third CRF1 compound, 586529, for the treatment of anxiety and depression.

Urocortin 2 for Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Continues Preclinical Evaluation

Initiation of longer term (up to 72 hours in duration) Phase II clinical trials of urocortin 2 are awaiting additional preclinical data. The Company has identified five preclinical studies necessary to support the longer period of infusion in the clinical program. Two of these five preclinical studies were successfully completed by July 2008. The two completed studies were non- GLP toxicology and safety assessment studies over 14 days of continuous infusion in distinct species models. The favorable results of these studies now await confirmation in the GLP preclinical studies anticipated later in 2008.

Indiplon Update

The Company met with the FDA in July for an end of review meeting related to the December 12, 2007 approvable letter for indiplon capsules. The FDA meeting focused on the three additional requirements outlined in the approvable letter. After exchange of correspondence regarding meeting minutes, the Company is awaiting the FDA’s final version of these minutes to determine the next course of action related to indiplon capsules.

Conference Call and Webcast Today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

Neurocrine will hold a live conference call and webcast today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (2:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time). Participants can access the live conference call by dialing 1-800-894-5910 (US) or 785-424-1052 (International) using the conference passcode 7NBIX2. The call can also be accessed via the webcast through the Company’s website at http://www.neurocrine.com/

If you are unable to attend the Webcast and would like further information on this announcement please contact the Investor Relations Department at Neurocrine Biosciences at (858) 617-7600. A replay of the Conference Call will be available approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call by dialing 1-800-723-5154 (US) or 402-220-2661 (International) using the passcode 7NBIX2. The call will be archived for two weeks.

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on neurological and endocrine diseases and disorders. Our product candidates address some of the largest pharmaceutical markets in the world including endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), anxiety, depression, pain, diabetes, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and other neurological and endocrine related diseases and disorders. Indiplon was licensed from DOV Pharmaceutical, Inc. in 1998. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. news releases are available through the Company’s website via the internet at http://www.neurocrine.com/

In addition to historical facts, this press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are risks and uncertainties associated with Neurocrine’s business and finances in general, as well as risks and uncertainties associated with the Company’s R & D pipeline and Company overall. Specifically, the risks and uncertainties the Company faces with respect to the Company’s clinical programs include, but are not limited to, risk that the Company’s elagolix Phase II clinical trials will fail to demonstrate that elagolix is safe and effective; risk that preclinical data will indicate that urocortin 2 is not suitable for further clinical studies; risk that the CRF1 receptor antagonist candidate’s Phase II proof of concept clinical studies will not support further clinical studies; and overall risk that the Company’s clinical candidates will not proceed to later stage clinical trials. Risks associated with the Company’s indiplon program include, but are not limited to, risk that indiplon approval and subsequent commercialization may be indefinitely delayed or never accomplished. With respect to its pipeline overall, the Company faces risk that it will be unable to raise additional funding required to complete development of all of its product candidates; risk relating to the Company’s dependence on contract manufacturers for clinical drug supply; risks associated with the Company’s dependence on corporate collaborators for commercial manufacturing and marketing and sales activities; uncertainties relating to patent protection and intellectual property rights of third parties; risks and uncertainties relating to competitive products and technological changes that may limit demand for the Company’s products; and the other risks described in the Company’s report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and report on Form 10Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008. Neurocrine undertakes no obligation to update the statements contained in this press release after the date hereof.

                        NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.              Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations                 (in thousands, except for per share data)                                      Three Months Ended    Nine Months Ended                                        September 30,         September 30,                                       2008      2007        2008      2007                                         (unaudited)           (unaudited)   Revenues:     Sponsored research and      development                       $32       $13        $48       $120     License fees and milestones        729       500      3,189        500     Grant Revenue                        -        27          9         72       Total revenues                   761       540      3,246        692    Operating expenses:     Research and development        12,993    19,795     43,406     57,645     Sales, general and      administrative                  3,472     9,571     16,423     26,695       Total operating expenses      16,465    29,366     59,829     84,340   Loss from operations             (15,704)  (28,826)   (56,583)   (83,648)    Other income and (expenses):     Interest income and expense,      net                               (93)    2,413      2,573      6,869     Other income and (expense),      net                            (1,914)     (827)    (5,749)    (2,545)       Total other income            (2,007)    1,586     (3,176)     4,324    Net loss                        $(17,711) $(27,240)  $(59,759)  $(79,324)    Net loss per common share:     Basic and diluted               $(0.46)   $(0.72)    $(1.56)    $(2.09)    Shares used in the calculation    of net loss per common share:     Basic and diluted               38,446    37,990     38,399     37,956                           NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES, INC.              Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations                 (in thousands, except for per share data)                                                       September    December                                                         30,          31,                                                        2008         2007                                                     (unaudited)   Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities     $96,949    $179,385   Other current assets                                   1,861       3,563    Total current assets                                 98,810     182,948    Property and equipment, net                           77,309      82,598   Long-term investments                                 21,255           -   Restricted cash                                        6,441       6,399   Other non-current assets                               3,918       4,709    Total assets                                       $207,733    $276,654    Current liabilities                                  $18,975     $29,907   Long-term liabilities                                 16,366      19,305   Leaseback financing obligation                       108,745     108,745   Stockholders' equity                                  63,647     118,697    Total liabilities and stockholders' equity         $207,733    $276,654  

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.

CONTACT: Claudia Woodworth of Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.,+1-858-617-7600

Web site: http://www.neurocrine.com/

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Biopure Corporation announced today that it had received a notice from the Medicines Control Council (MCC) of South Africa indicating its decision to discontinue the registration of Hemopure [hemoglobin glutamer-250 (bovine)], Biopure’s oxygen therapeutic for human use. The decision is subject to appeal. Biopure intends to appeal the decision promptly and expects to continue to market the product while the appeal is pending. The appeal is estimated to take a year to resolve.

The MCC decision comes after a letter sent to the South Africa Minister of Health on May 22, 2008, asking that the then ongoing clinical trials of Hemopure in South Africa be brought to a halt because of the “evidence against blood substitutes.” The letter was sent by Public Citizen and signed by three of the authors of a so-called meta-analysis of hemoglobin-based blood substitutes published online April 28, 2008, by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The letter to the Minister of Health characterized the results of, and enclosed a copy of, the article.

Biopure expects that an appeal before a hearing body, to be chosen by the Minister of Health, but subject to challenge by Biopure, will succeed. Biopure has done all required reporting on Hemopure’s usage since its approval for marketing in South Africa in 2001, including monitoring and reporting to the MCC on use of the product in the first 80 patients treated. Thereafter, a South African doctor consulting for Biopure collected patient data on more than 200 patients, published an article on that clinical experience and submitted the information to the MCC. Since Hemopure was approved for marketing in South Africa, there have been no serious adverse events required to be reported to the MCC from clinical use of the product in approximately 500 patients. Consequently, an appeal should establish that there is not a basis for this action. Biopure expects that local experts will strongly support its appeal.

Upon learning that the negative communication had been sent to the Minister of Health of South Africa and to each other country where Biopure had ongoing trials, Biopure demanded a retraction and sent an objection to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding Charles Natanson of the NIH signing the Public Citizen letters using his NIH title. Earlier this month, Biopure brought an action against Natanson alleging various torts, including defamation, trade libel and intentional interference with prospective business advantage, seeking injunctive relief and damages. Biopure is announcing the filing of that litigation separately.

The MCC also ordered the halt of clinical trials in South Africa, but Biopure had already stopped patient enrollment in its trials there earlier this year, for reasons of slow enrollment and cost containment.

Biopure Corporation

Biopure Corporation develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals, called oxygen therapeutics, that are intravenously administered to deliver oxygen to the body’s tissues. Hemopure(R) [hemoglobin glutamer – 250 (bovine)], or HBOC-201, is approved for sale in South Africa for the treatment of surgical patients who are acutely anemic. The Company is developing Hemopure for other indications and is supporting the U.S. Navy’s government-funded efforts to develop a potential out-of-hospital trauma indication. Biopure’s veterinary product Oxyglobin(R) [hemoglobin glutamer – 200 (bovine)], or HBOC-301, the only oxygen therapeutic approved for marketing by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission, is indicated for the treatment of anemia in dogs. Biopure has sold approximately 200,000 units of Oxyglobin since its launch.

Statements in this release that are not strictly historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements implying that any appeal will be successful. Actual results and their timing may differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties. These risks include, without limitation, uncertainties regarding the company’s financial position, including its limited cash resources and need to raise additional capital to pursue its business, unexpected costs and expenses, delays and adverse determinations by regulatory authorities, unanticipated problems with the product’s commercial use, whether or not product related, and with product distributors, sales agents or other third parties, delays in clinical trials, and the other factors identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on September 15, 2008, which can be accessed in the EDGAR database at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) website, http://www.sec.gov/. The company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date hereof. A full discussion of the company’s operations and financial condition can be found in the company’s filings with the SEC.

   Contact: Tiana Gorham            Biopure Corporation            (617) 234-6826            [email protected]  

Biopure Corporation

CONTACT: Tiana Gorham of Biopure Corporation, +1-617-234-6826,[email protected]

Web Site: http://www.sec.gov/

PLEASANTON, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ — The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) which just initiated a National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded clinical trial entitled, “A Phase II Trial Exploring the Success of Cryoablation Therapy in the Treatment of Invasive Breast Carcinoma,” has selected the Visica 2(TM) Treatment System from Sanarus Medical as the exclusive technology to be utilized in the cryoablation portion of this study.

The ACOSOG study protocol (designated as Z1072) will evaluate not only cryoablation but also the ability of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to evaluate post-cryoablation efficacy in approximately 100 patients and 20 clinical sites. Patient enrollment into the study is currently anticipated for early 2009. The Phase II Trial is similar to a pilot study conducted by Gary Levine, MD, Medical Director at Hoag Breast Care Center in Newport Beach, Calif., and Steven Poplack, MD, Co-Director of Breast Imaging at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Results of the pilot study will be presented for the first time at this year’s Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 94th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting in Chicago. Both the pilot study and pending ACOSOG clinical trial share the common clinical protocol elements of cryoablation followed by MRI, surgical resection of the tumor and subsequent pathological evaluation.

“Cryoablation has been used effectively for years to treat a number of medical conditions, including benign breast tumors, so it is a natural progression to study its use in the treatment of breast cancer,” said Dr Levine. “We are very encouraged about the promising initial results in our pilot study and believe further research is warranted in order to develop and refine this potential breakthrough breast cancer treatment.”

Cryoablation is a minimally invasive non-surgical procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy tumors. The Sanarus Visica System has predominately been used in the cryoablation of non-cancerous tumors called fibroadenomas since its initial FDA market clearance in March of 2002. This office-based procedure, which usually takes less than 20 minutes, involves placing a small needle into the center of the tumor using ultrasound guidance and subsequently freezing and killing the tumor. The safety and efficacy of cryoablation have been well established in over 2,000 fibroadenomas that have been treated with the System to date.

“We are very pleased that ACOSOG chose cryoablation as the preferred thermal ablation modality over other ablation modalities such as radio- frequency (RF), interstitial laser, microwave, or focused ultrasound,” said John F. Howe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sanarus. “We are equally pleased that the award winning Sanarus Visica 2 Treatment System was selected as the preferred cryoablation system. This speaks volumes to the future potential of our System in expanded applications.”

The Visica 2 System recently received national recognition with a Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award; and the Humanitarian Application of the Year Award from National Instruments.

The ACOSOG is one of 10 cooperative groups funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop and coordinate multi-center clinical trials and is the only cooperative group whose primary focus is the surgical management of patients with malignant solid tumors. Additional information regarding the ACOSOG clinical trial is available to ACOSOG members via the organizations website http://www.acosog.org/ under the heading of the Z1072 Clinical Protocol.

About Sanarus Medical

Sanarus Medical is based in Pleasanton, Calif., and is focused on providing patients and physicians with minimally invasive, office-based breast care management solutions from diagnosis to treatment. Using cryoablation technology, Sanarus has developed proprietary technologies to provide breast surgeons and radiologists with a comprehensive and minimally invasive way to diagnose and treat breast patients. The Sanarus technologies change the way that patients are managed, from an operating room-based, surgically intensive care pathway to a more comfortable, cost effective, office-based care pathway. The company’s Website is http://www.sanarus.com/.

Sanarus Medical

CONTACT: John Howe, President and CEO of Sanarus Medical,+1-925-460-6080

Web site: http://www.sanarus.com/http://www.acosog.org/

BRADENTON, Fla., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ — WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation, a growing North American-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, today announced that Wendy Shusko has been named Chief Operating Officer. Formerly, Ms. Shusko held the position of Chief Financial Officer, having joined the company in early 2000. In her new role as COO, Ms. Shusko will maintain financial responsibilities while broadening her areas of oversight to operations with an initial focus on the newly acquired consumer brands product line.

“WellSpring has been successful in the relaunch of older niche prescription products. We now have the opportunity to show equal success with our new niche consumer products portfolio,” said Ms. Shusko. “I am looking forward to the challenge and am pleased to be able to take part in WellSpring’s continued growth.”

Ms. Shusko has over twenty years’ experience of combined financial and operational experience with sixteen of those years in the pharmaceutical industry. From 1992 until joining the WellSpring team, Ms. Shusko worked in various management and financial capacities for Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation, an international, multi-faceted pharmaceutical company, including Director of Finance and Financial Operations.

“WellSpring’s success thus far can be attributed to driven efforts toward a common vision. I am now asking Ms. Shusko to apply her experience and skills to operations with the anticipation that we will continue that trend in the years to come,” said Dr. Robert A. Vukovich, WellSpring’s CEO and Chairman.

About the Company

WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corp has made the development, marketing and sales of new and novel prescription and OTC drug products its strategic focus. WellSpring’s prescription drug products include Dyrenium (R) (diuretic) and Dibenzyline (R) (anti-hypertension) which are marketed in the US. The firm is an active acquirer of pharmaceutical brands and enhances their value through the development of product improvements and line extensions.

WellSpring is a privately held pharmaceutical company founded in 1999 by Dr. Robert A. Vukovich, the firm’s CEO and Chairman. Dr. Vukovich previously founded and managed Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation of Eatontown, NJ until its acquisition by Shire Pharmaceutical Group in 1999. WellSpring owns and operates an FDA approved manufacturing plant in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Its administrative headquarters are located in Bradenton, Florida. The firm provides contract manufacturing services to the pharmaceutical industry and manufactures prescription and OTC drug products for both the US and Canada.

Contact: Dr. Robert A. Vukovich, +1-941-552-7880, or +1-941-504-1229, or Wendy Shusko, +1-941-552-7881.

WellSpring Websites: http://www.wellspringpharm.com/, http://www.wpcoutsourcing.com/, http://www.wellskin.ca/.

WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation

CONTACT: Dr. Robert A. Vukovich, +1-941-552-7880, +1-941-504-1229, orWendy Shusko, +1-941-552-7881, both for WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation

Web site: http://www.wellspringpharm.com/http://www.wpcoutsourcing.com/http://www.wellskin.ca/

OptumHealth Inc. announced today that its financial services unit has seen a 26 percent increase in its processing of electronic payments and statements, compared with one year ago. The company now processes 11 million claims each month.

The number of health care professionals using OptumHealth’s Electronic Payments and Statements has increased as well, up 30 percent from one year ago to 366,000 today. The system enables health plans to pay claims and send remittance advices electronically to physicians and other health care professionals, eliminating the inefficient and costly use of paper, printing and postage associated with the traditional paper-based claims settlement process.

“The increase in usage is driven by our ability to help health plans, third party administrators, physicians and other health care providers who want to speed settlements, cut expenses and reduce paper work,” said Chad Wilkins, chief executive officer of OptumHealth Financial Services. “Our experience over the past year shows there is growing industry interest in electronic solutions – and our solution in particular – to do just this. In the long run, that will help stem the rising costs of health care and recoup time for patient-centered activities. Everyone in the health care system wins.”

About 83 percent of practices using electronic payment systems report improved cash flow, and 79 percent report improved office efficiencies, according to a recent survey of health care practices conducted by Gilmore Research Group for OptumHealth Financial Services.

“OptumHealth Electronic Payments and Statements is a faster and more efficient way of getting our money,” said Carly Hudson, billing coordinator at Tanglewood Medical Supplies & Pharmacy, Inc. in northern Texas. “When you think about it, checks are archaic. Checks get lost in the mail. With OptumHealth Electronic Payments and Statements, the checks are deposited in our bank account, and we can go to the Web to view remittance advices and also identify denials more quickly.”

Approximately 2.7 billion medical claims are processed annually by health plans and other third-party payers, according to OptumHealth Financial Services. About 20 percent – or about 500 million – are paid with remittance advices transmitted electronically. OptumHealth Financial Services anticipates surpassing 130 million in 2008.

About OptumHealth Financial Services

OptumHealth Financial Services is a business unit of Golden Valley, Minnesota-based OptumHealth, a consumer solutions company that makes the health care system easier to navigate and helps people live life to the fullest. OptumHealth Financial Services includes OptumHealth Bank, Member FDIC, one of the largest administrators of health savings accounts (HSAs) in the country, and Administration Resources Corp., a leading third-party benefits administrator. More information about OptumHealth Financial Services can be found at www.OptumHealthFinancial.com.

About OptumHealth

OptumHealth Inc. helps individuals navigate the health care system, finance their health care needs and achieve their health and well-being goals. The company’s personalized health advocacy and engagement programs tap a unique combination of capabilities that encompass care solutions, behavioral solutions, specialty benefits and financial services. Serving more than 60 million people, OptumHealth is the nation’s largest health and wellness company. It is a business unit of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH). More information about OptumHealth can be found at www.OptumHealth.com.

SKILLMAN, N.J., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ — ConvaTec, a world-leading manufacturer of ostomy and wound care products, announced today the launch of SUR-FIT Natura(R) Low-Pressure Adaptor, a new post-operative ostomy device. The product offers clinicians and ostomy patients a simple and gentle solution to manage abdominal pain in the days and weeks following surgery.

The SUR-FIT Natura(R) Low-Pressure Adaptor is a flexible ring that goes between the skin barrier and pouch to create added finger space allowing the user to attach the pouch without contact with the abdomen. The result is that the fingers absorb the pressure required to snap the pouch to the skin barrier because the connecting takes place away from the skin.

“The development of SUR-FIT Natura(R) Low-Pressure Adaptor came from listening to the unique needs of ostomy patients and clinicians following surgery,” said Nino Pionati, President, Ostomy Care Business Unit at ConvaTec. “We believe that this product addresses an unmet need in the care and comfort of the ostomy patient and also allows them to gain confidence in using the product after surgery.”

Ostomy surgery is a procedure to remove parts or sections of the small or large intestine due to Crohn’s disease(1), ulcerative colitis(2), trauma, cancer or other pathological conditions. A new exit for effluent (digested food or fecal matter) is then created with the remaining intestine.(1,2) After surgery, patients typically wear an ostomy device — a skin barrier that adheres around the stoma and a pouch that collects the effluent.(2) The SUR-FIT Natura(R) Low-Pressure Adaptor is designed to absorb the pressure required to snap the pouch to the skin barrier because the connecting takes place away from the skin.

Abdominal tenderness after ostomy surgery may last for days or weeks, depending on the patient and the surgical procedure performed. Once tenderness subsides, the SUR-FIT Natura(R) Low-Pressure Adaptor may be removed thus creating a lower profile (closer to the body) system composed of the skin barrier and pouch only. The SUR-FIT Natura(R) Low-Pressure Adaptor will work with any ConvaTec Moldable Technology(TM) skin barrier in flat and convex shapes. The ring, or flange, size of the SUR-FIT Natura(R) Low-Pressure Adaptor must match the ring or flange size of the skin barrier.

“ConvaTec is committed to improving patient care and comfort and we hope that products such as the SUR-FIT Natura(R) Low-Pressure Adaptor decrease the pain and discomfort associated with ostomy surgery,” said Pionati.

About ConvaTec

ConvaTec is a leading developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies that have helped improve the lives of millions of people worldwide. With four key business divisions — Ostomy Care, Wound Therapeutics, Continence and Critical Care and Infusion Devices — ConvaTec products support health care professionals from the hospital to the community health setting. From its headquarters in Skillman, New Jersey, the company oversees more than 8,000 employees in over 90 countries serving consumers and their health care professionals on six continents. For more information, please visit http://www.convatec.com/.

SUR-FIT Natura and ConvaTec Moldable Technology are trademarks of ConvaTec Inc.

   AP-006038-US    References   

(1) Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Organization Web site. Viewed at: http://www.ccfa.org/info/surgery/surgerycd. Accessed on October 29, 2008.

(2) Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Organization Web site. Viewed at: http://www.ccfa.org/info/surgery/surgeryuc. Accessed on October 29, 2008.

   Contacts    Punnie Donohue   Weber Shandwick   Phone: 212-445-8163   [email protected]    Nimisha Savani   ConvaTec   Phone: 908-904-2522   [email protected]  

ConvaTec

CONTACT: Punnie Donohue of Weber Shandwick, +1-212-445-8163,[email protected]; or Nimisha Savani, ConvaTec, +1-908-904-2522,[email protected]

Web Site: http://www.convatec.com/

West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) and RehabCare Group, Inc. (NYSE: RHB) today announced they have reached a comprehensive management and consulting agreement. Under the agreement, RehabCare will provide onsite management, marketing and patient care coordination for the multi-hospital system’s post-acute services, including care management, inpatient rehabilitation, medical/surgical and outpatient therapy services.

“After a great deal of analysis and reflection, we decided that a partnership with RehabCare is the best way to achieve our vision of creating a seamless integration of system-wide post-acute care and ensure that the highest level of rehabilitation services are available to our patients and families,” said Christopher T. Olivia, President and Chief Executive Officer of WPAHS. “This business approach will help us most quickly add new clinical services for an ever-growing post-acute population, as well as deliver a more coordinated continuum of care for patients within the West Penn Allegheny Health System. It also is a very important investment as we expand our capabilities in rehabilitation services, especially at West Penn Hospital and Alle-Kiski Medical Center.

“RehabCare brings over 25 years of experience managing patients in these complexly regulated and resource intensive environments with superior outcomes. Combining RehabCare’s proven track record in this area with our system’s national reputation for high-quality complex healthcare will improve the quality of life for many western Pennsylvania families.”

The West Penn Allegheny Health System includes Allegheny General Hospital and West Penn Hospital, both in Pittsburgh; Alle-Kiski Medical Center in Natrona Heights; Canonsburg General Hospital in Canonsburg; The Western Pennsylvania Hospital-Forbes Regional Campus in Monroeville; and Allegheny General Hospital-Suburban Campus in Bellevue.

John H. Short, Ph.D., RehabCare President and CEO, said the company is pleased to be partnering with some of the best-regarded names in healthcare in western Pennsylvania. “The WPAHS family of hospitals has been synonymous with excellence and innovation in patient care, as well as a commitment to education and public service,” said Dr. Short. “We are excited to be affiliated with a premier healthcare provider, as well as to expand our presence in the region with one of our largest hospital system contracts to date.”

Dr. Short said RehabCare will be looking to build and expand WPAHS post-acute services and making certain capital investments in IT infrastructure and other resources to support that growth. Specific services will vary for each hospital, but the overarching objectives are to increase awareness and utilization of WPAHS services, develop advanced rehabilitation specialty programs, explore and invest in market growth opportunities and ensure timely and appropriate placement of post-acute patients through a coordinated care management process.

“We know from experience that patient outcomes are impacted by a provider’s ability to place each person in the right care setting, at the right time, and we will blend our clinical knowledge with sound business intelligence tools to create a system that more effectively transitions patients through the WPAHS continuum of care,” he said.

Olivia said RehabCare services will begin at Allegheny General and West Penn Hospitals on November 17, 2008, and the remaining hospitals on December 8.

About West Penn Allegheny Health System: West Penn Allegheny Health System (www.wpahs.org) serves Pittsburgh and the surrounding five-state area, featuring some of the oldest and best-known names in health care in western Pennsylvania. From the system’s inception, its hospitals have been in the vanguard of patient care, medical research and health sciences education.

The system’s six hospitals house nearly 2,000 beds and employ more than 13,000 people. Together, the hospitals admit nearly 79,000 patients, log in excess of 200,000 emergency visits and have more than 4,000 newborn deliveries each year. Combined, the hospitals are a leader throughout the region in percentages of total surgeries, cardiac surgeries, neurosurgeries and cardiac catheterization procedures. In addition, the West Penn Allegheny Health System Physician Networks include nearly 700 primary care doctors and specialists in 233 office locations – each offering outstanding, patient-focused care.

About RehabCare: Established in 1982 and headquartered in St. Louis, MO, RehabCare (www.rehabcare.com) is a leading provider of rehabilitation program management services in partnership with more than 1,200 hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in 42 states. The company also owns and operates freestanding rehabilitation and long-term acute care hospitals across the country. RehabCare is included in the Russell 2000 and Standard and Poor’s Small Cap 600 Indices.

BIO Investor Forum takes place October 29, 2008 – October 31, 2008 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Listed below are the BIO Investor Forum presenter profiles. For in-depth information about the event, visit http://investorforum.bio.org/opencms/bif/2008/.

Business Wire is the official news wire for BIO Investor Forum. Breaking news releases and photos are available at http://www.tradeshownews.com, Business Wire’s trade show, conference, and event news resource.

 Company:                         Acceleron Pharma Date of Presentation:            October 29, 2008 Media Contact:                   Paul Kidwell, 617-296-3854 Phone:                           617-649-9234 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.acceleronpharma.com  Acceleron is a privately held biopharmaceutical company committed to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize novel biotherapeutics that modulate the growth of bone, muscle, fat and the vasculature to treat musculoskeletal, metabolic and cancer-related diseases. ACE-011, a novel bone forming agent, is the Company's lead program and is being developed to reverse bone loss in diseases such as cancer-related bone loss. ACE-031, the lead program in our muscle franchise is being developed to treat serious diseases involving the loss of muscle mass and function. In addition, the company is advancing through preclinical development product candidates that control angiogenesis and others that inhibit fat accumulation.   Company:                         Allon Therapeutics Inc. Date of Presentation:            Thursday, October 30, 1:45 pm Ticker Symbol & Exchange:        TSX:NPC Media Contact:                   Aaron Keay, Director, Investor Relations Phone:                           C: (604) 323-6911 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.allontherapeutics.com  Allon Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing the first drugs that impact the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Allon's lead clinical program is focused on Alzheimer's disease. In February 2008 the Company announced positive results in a Phase IIa clinical study for amnestic MCI, a precursor to Alzheimer's disease, showing statistically significant, dose dependant, and durable efficacy on human memory. The Company also has a Phase II trial underway in schizophrenia cognitive impairment.  The Company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "NPC" (Neuro Protection Company) and based in Vancouver.   Company:                         Athersys, Inc. Date of Presentation:            October 30th, 2008 Ticker Symbol & Exchange:        NASDAQ: ATHX Media Contact:                   William (B.J.) Lehmann Phone:                           (216) 426-3580 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.athersys.com  Athersys is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of therapeutic product candidates designed to extend and enhance the quality of human life. The Company has multiple clinical and preclinical stage programs. In addition to its lead product candidate, ATHX-105 for the treatment of obesity, the Company is developing other orally active pharmaceutical product candidates for the treatment of metabolic and central nervous system disorders. Athersys is also developing MultiStem(R), a patented, adult-derived "off-the-shelf" stem cell product platform for multiple disease indications, including damage caused by myocardial infarction, bone marrow transplantation/oncology support, ischemic stroke and other indications.   Company:                         BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc Date of Presentation:            October 30 at 2:45 Ticker Symbol & Exchange:        Nasdaq BMTI Media Contact:                   Kearstin Patterson Phone:                           615-517-6112 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.biomimetics.com  BioMimetic Therapeutics is developing and commercializing bio-active recombinant protein-device combination products for the healing of musculoskeletal injuries and disease, including orthopedic, spine and sports injury applications. BioMimetic received marketing approval from the FDA in 2005 for its first product, GEM 21S, for regeneration of bone and periodontal tissue loss resulting from periodontal disease. Currently, the Company has clinical trials ongoing with its product candidates Augment(TM) Bone Graft and Augment(TM) Injectable Bone Graft in multiple orthopedic bone healing indications including the treatment of foot and ankle fusions and the stimulation of healing of fractures of the wrist. The Company's lead product candidates all combine recombinant human platelet derived growth factor (rhPDGF-BB) with tissue specific scaffolds to actively stimulate tissue healing and regeneration.   Company:                         Celladon Corporation Date of Presentation:            Friday, October 31, 2008, 9:00 a.m. Media Contact:                   Stacie D. Byars, WeissComm Partners Phone:                           206.660.2588 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.celladon.net  Celladon is a privately held biotechnology company developing molecular therapies for the treatment of heart failure. The company's products target the key enzyme deficiency in advanced heart failure, SERCA2a, which regulates calcium cycling and contractility in heart muscle cells. Celladon's first generation product candidate, MYDICAR(R), delivers the gene for the SERCA2a enzyme and is being tested in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Celladon is also developing small molecule activators of SERCA2a for acute heart failure. The Company is based in La Jolla, California and founded by Roger J. Hajjar, M.D and Kenneth R. Chien M.D., Ph.D. Current investors include Enterprise Partners, Venrock Associates, and Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation. To learn more about Celladon, visit Celladon's website at www.celladon.net.   Company:                         Epilepsy Therapy Project Date of Presentation:            10/30/2008 Media Contact:                   Joyce Cramer Phone:                           540-687-8077 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             http://www.epilepsy.com/etp/about_etp  The Epilepsy Therapy Project is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to a singular focus: overcoming the funding gaps and roadblocks that slow the progress of new therapies from the lab to the patient. Epilepsy Therapy Project seeks to improve incentives and encourage commercial investment in new therapies. Acting as both a catalyst and clearing house for innovative research and the early commercialization of new therapies, the Epilepsy Therapy Project brings together financial resources, scientific insights and business expertise from leading academic and commercial industry participants. To invest your contributions effectively, we have assembled an outstanding staff and team of clinicians, researchers, and pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and finance industry advisors. These scientific and business advisory board members make funding decisions and provide support to advance.   Company:                         ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc. Date of Presentation:            October 30, 2008; 2:15pm Media Contact:                   Jennifer Ayotte Phone:                           (902) 423-6610 ex 315 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.immunovaccine.com  ImmunoVaccine Technologies Inc. (IVT) is a private clinical-stage biotechnology company developing infectious disease and therapeutic cancer vaccines for human health. IVT's vaccines which use breakthrough VacciMax(R) and DepoVax(TM) enhancement and delivery platforms with validated antigens will position IVT as a key player in development of premium vaccine products. In December 2007, IVT signed a binding MOU to acquire Pennsylvania-based Immunotope Inc. The acquisition enables IVT to create an entire pipeline of proprietary therapeutic cancer and infectious-disease specific vaccines. In January 2008, IVT licensed its technology to Pfizer Animal Health, marking a pivotal step in achieving its vision of delivering breakthrough vaccines.   Company:                         InNexus Biotechnology Inc. Date of Presentation:            October 30, 2009 Ticker Symbol & Exchange:        TSX: IXS.V OTCBB: IXSBF.OB Media Contact:                   Jeff Morhet Phone:                           480-862-7500 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.ixsbio.com  InNexus is a drug development company commercializing the next generation of monoclonal antibodies based on its DXL(TM) technology, which improves the potency of existing antibody products while opening new markets and disease applications.  In a short period of time, InNexus has assembled facilities, resources, a stellar Scientific Advisory Board, staff and milestones yielding multiple pre-clinical candidates targeting cancer and other commercial opportunities. InNexus has launched into pre-clinical development its first four products, DXL625 and DXLr120, both for the prospective treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other immune disorders that include rheumatoid arthritis, DXL702 for the treatment of breast cancer and DXL1215 targeting endometriosis.   Company:                         ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Date of Presentation:            Friday, October 31, 2008 Ticker Symbol & Exchange:        ISTA - Nasdaq Media Contact:                   Justin Jackson Phone:                           212-213-0006 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.istavision.com  ISTA Pharmaceuticals is an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company. ISTA's products and product candidates addressing the $4.7 billion U.S. prescription ophthalmic industry include therapies for inflammation, ocular pain, glaucoma, allergy, and dry eye. The Company currently markets three products and is developing a strong product pipeline to fuel future growth and market share. The Company's product development and commercialization strategy is to launch a new product every 12 to 18 months, thereby continuing its growth to become the leading niche ophthalmic pharmaceutical company in the U.S.   Company:                         MethylGene Inc. Date of Presentation:            October 30, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. PT Ticker Symbol & Exchange:        MYG : TSX Media Contact:                   Karen McTavish Phone:                           514-337-3333 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.methylgene.com  MethylGene Inc. is a publicly-traded, clinical stage, biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for cancer. The Company's product candidates include: MGCD265, an oral, multi-targeted kinase inhibitor targeting the c-Met, Tie-2, Ron and VEGF receptor tyrosine kinases which is in Phase I clinical trials for solid tumor cancers; MGCD290, a fungal Hos2 (HDAC) inhibitor used in combination with azoles for fungal infections which is also in a Phase I clinical trial; and MGCD0103, an oral, isoform-selective HDAC inhibitor which has been in multiple clinical trials for solid tumors and hematological malignancies and is licensed to Celgene Corporation and Taiho Pharmaceutical.   Company:                         Oncolytics Biotech Inc. Date of Presentation:            Oct. 29, 2008 Ticker Symbol & Exchange:        TSX:ONC, NASDAQ:ONCY Media Contact:                   Cathy Ward Phone:                           403.670.7370 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             www.oncolyticsbiotech.com  Oncolytics Biotech Inc. is conducting a broad clinical trial program in the U.S. and the U.K. with the objective of developing REOLYSIN(R) as a human cancer therapeutic. The current clinical program includes 12 Phase I/II or Phase II human trials examining REOLYSIN(R) alone or in combination with radiation, chemotherapy, or immune modulation.  This broad clinical program is designed to identify targets for late- stage registration trials with REOLYSIN(R). The current program is treating patients with a wide variety of advanced cancers including head & neck, sarcoma, non-small cell lung, melanoma and ovarian.   Company:                         Zelos Therapeutics, Inc. Date of Presentation:            October 30, 2008 Media Contact:                   Alan Roemer, CFO Phone:                           (610) 825-1468 E-mail:                          [email protected] Web:                             http://www.zelostherapeutics.com  Zelos Therapeutics is developing therapeutics for the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone diseases. Our lead clinical compound, ZT- 031, is a parathyroid hormone (PTH) analog that has demonstrated increases in bone formation. ZT-031 is entering Phase 3 registration studies and has the potential to become a leading therapy to treat osteoporosis in the growing PTH market. In addition, Zelos Therapeutics is evaluating potential orthopedic uses of ZT-031's bone formation properties for fracture repair, trauma and use as a surgical adjunct. 

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DENVER, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Global Med Technologies(R), Inc. (“Global Med” or the “Company”) (BULLETIN BOARD: GLOB) , an international e-Health, medical information technology company, today announced that its Wyndgate Technologies(R) (“Wyndgate”) division has licensed its SafeTrace Tx(R) transfusion management software to MIMA, an independent physician group in Brevard County, Florida. The system is now live in MIMA’s blood bank. MIMA is one of the first physician groups in the country to implement transfusion software in a private accredited Physician Owned Laboratory (POL). Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040226/GLOBALMEDLOGO)

Mary Lawrence, MT DLM (ASCP), Administrative Lab Director for MIMA commented, “When we made the decision to install a transfusion management system in our lab, we had no idea that there were no similar installations. We quickly realized that we were breaking new ground in our industry and needed the guidance of an innovative company with a customer focused team.”

MIMA’s decision to invest in its own blood bank was driven by patient and physician need. With a large Oncology practice and state-of-the-art cancer center, MIMA chose to open a blood bank to offer their patients lower cost outpatient services and a better transfusion experience. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments commonly require extensive transfusion support. When MIMA went online, it had no previous paper or legacy systems; it started an entirely new blood bank. MIMA’s unique implementation is creating interest in the blood bank community. Medical Laboratory Observer, an industry journal, featured an article on MIMA in its September 2008 issue.

Ms. Lawrence continued, “We were impressed by the range of features and capabilities in Wyndgate’s products after reading the annual CAP Today Blood Bank System Review. Our AABB consultant confirmed our findings. After narrowing the field to three companies, we made our decision based on Wyndgate’s extensive safety features and their ability to interface with Orchard Harvest, our existing laboratory information system (LIS). We were also very impressed by Wyndgate’s Professional Services Department and their ability to implement our software quickly.”

SafeTrace Tx is a transfusion management software system designed to raise the standard of care for patients, improve safety, reduce waste and increase efficiency. SafeTrace Tx provides comprehensive tracking of orders, specimens, blood products, derivatives, and accessories with a complete testing and transfusion history in one consolidated record. These complex features will assist MIMA’s technologists in selecting appropriate blood products for their patients. SafeTrace Tx is designed to support the full scale of transfusion services from enterprise-wide centralized facilities to small, individual laboratories.

Kimberly Stone, RN MT(ASCP), Transfusion Services Supervisor for MIMA, remarked, “We were very impressed with the overall features in SafeTrace Tx. The software’s Patient-At-A-Glance(R) Bar is an important feature for our technologists. It allows our staff to access medical information about a patient in one convenient location without switching to multiple screens and flags problem areas in the patient’s profile with easily defined color coding.”

Wm. Scott Dustin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Wyndgate Technologies, stated, “MIMA’s use of transfusion management software in a physician owned lab is a pioneering concept for their industry. We are thrilled to have been chosen to provide the solutions and implementation team to assist MIMA in realizing their new transfusion service. Ms. Lawrence and her team have thoroughly researched and created a comprehensive lab to provide exceptional services for their patients.” Mr. Dustin continued, “Working with MIMA has opened new opportunities for Wyndgate. We see great market potential for implementations of this kind in other independent physician groups throughout the country.”

About MIMA

MIMA is Brevard County, Florida’s largest, most comprehensive independent physician group. Headquartered in Melbourne, MIMA has eighteen locations with more than 120 Board Certified physicians providing medical expertise in 25 different medical specialties, including Hematology and Oncology. MIMA’s lab is unique among Physician Owned Laboratories. Its core lab is comparable to a laboratory serving an average 350-bed hospital. MIMA has the area’s largest infusion clinic for the administration of outpatient chemotherapy and other injectables and is the only POL in the country to offer a transfusion service in a nationally accredited lab. MIMA now provides laboratory services at seven of their Brevard County locations.

About Global Med Technologies(R), Inc.

Global Med Technologies, Inc. is an international medical software company which develops regulated and non-regulated software products and services for the healthcare industry. As a leading provider of blood and laboratory software applications and services, Global Med’s products are deployed in 20 countries and serve over 1,600 transfusion centers, blood banks and laboratories.

Global Med’s U.S. division, Wyndgate Technologies(R), provides Vein-to- Vein(R) tracking through its Donor Doc(TM), SafeTrace(R), SafeTrace Tx(R) and ElDorado Donor(TM) software products. Each year, Wyndgate’s products and services manage more than eight million blood components, representing over 27% of the U.S. blood supply.

Global Med’s European subsidiary, Inlog, SA, is a leading provider of donor center and transfusion management systems as well as cellular therapy software, laboratory information systems and quality assurance medical software systems internationally. Inlog’s products include EdgeBlood*, EdgeTrack*, EdgeCell, EdgeLab and SAPANET.

Global Med’s U.S. division, eDonor(R), provides a web-based donor relationship management system that integrates recruitment, scheduling, retention and fulfillment for national as well as local community blood centers and hospitals. eDonor’s products and services are designed to complement Global Med’s strong line of international blood management and laboratory information software and service solutions.

Global Med’s U.S. subsidiary, PeopleMed(R), Inc., provides cost-effective customized software validation, consulting and compliance solutions to hospitals and donor centers.

For more information about Global Med’s products and services, please call 800-996-3428 or visit http://www.globalmedtech.com/, http://www.peoplemed.com/, http://www.inlog.com/, http://www.edonor.com/, and http://www.wyndgate.com/.

*FDA 510(k) clearance required prior to sales in the U.S.

This news release may include statements that constitute forward-looking statements, usually containing the words “believe,””estimate,””project,””expects” or similar expressions. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this news release.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040226/GLOBALMEDLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, [email protected]

Global Med Technologies, Inc.

CONTACT: Company, Michael I. Ruxin, M.D. of Global Med Technologies,Inc., +1-303-238-2000, [email protected]; or Investors, Paul Holm,President of portfolio pr, +1-212-888-4570, [email protected]

Web site: http://www.globalmedtech.com/

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Those patients who were most compliant with surgeon recommendations after bariatric surgery lost 35 percent more weight the first year and tend to keep more weight off even after five years, according to new patient and bariatric surgeon surveys conducted by Harris Interactive(R), for the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

The survey of 208 gastric bypass patients and 201 gastric band patients found that on average compliant patients lost more than 123 pounds the first year, while the less compliant lost 92 pounds. At the five year mark, compliant bariatric surgery patients lost more than 127 pounds while less compliant patients lost 100 pounds. Bariatric surgeons also place a high value on follow-up care programs. In a separate survey of 282 bariatric surgeons, 94 percent said follow-up care is just as or even more important to successful outcomes than the surgery itself. Both surveys were sponsored by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.

“While surgeons have always understood the importance of follow-up care, this survey helps quantify how much of a difference it really makes,” said Scott Shikora, MD, ASMBS President and Chief of General Surgery, Bariatric Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. “Compliance can mean the difference between a good result and a great result.”

Surgeons typically recommend post-surgical activities including regular exercise, nutritional counseling, maintaining a food diary, psychological counseling, diet modification, keeping doctor’s appointments and participation in support groups. However, 66 percent of surgeons believe there is no consensus on what constitutes bariatric surgery follow-up care. About half (48%) say they did not receive bariatric surgery follow-up care education as part of their training or fellowship.

Surgeons believe regular exercise (67%), changing eating habits (58%) and support group attendance (34%) are the most difficult components of aftercare for patients and that while both groups of patients face compliance challenges after surgery, gastric band patients have a more difficult time with it than gastric bypass patients (59% vs. 49%). In addition, surgeons indicate that missed doctor appointments, insurance issues and long-distance travel are the reasons they do not see their patients more often.

“Techniques in bariatric surgery are consistent, but follow-up care tends to vary from bariatric program to bariatric program,” said Alan Wittgrove, MD, a past president of the ASMBS and medical director of the Wittgrove Bariatric Center and Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla. “There are a lot of good programs out there but there is a need to standardize follow-up care so patients can achieve the best outcomes possible.”

Gastric band patients who participated in five or more components of aftercare lost 30 percent more weight and reported having a significantly better quality of life than gastric band patients who participated in four or less. Compliant gastric bypass patients also lost more weight than their less compliant counterparts, but their success was not linked to any specific number of post-surgical activities. Gastric bypass patients (77%) indicated greater ease in complying with doctor recommendations than gastric band patients (66%).

It’s not only what patients and surgeons do after surgery that can determine success. The vast majority of surgeons have patients engage in educational activities, nutritional counseling, medically supervised diet and exercise programs, support groups, and goal setting prior to surgery. Patients who felt prepared were twice as likely (39% vs. 18%) to say compliance after surgery was easy than those who felt “very or somewhat” unprepared for surgery. Surgeons believe commitment to diet, exercise and making lifestyle changes are the most important factors that patients should know about to succeed after surgery.

According to the survey, surgeons believe patients choose gastric bypass over gastric banding because it results in more weight loss (51%), they knew someone who had it (40%), to lose weight more quickly (34%) and for “better comorbidity resolution” (23%). They say patients choose gastric banding over bypass because it’s less invasive (63%), safer (59%), reversible (55%), results in fewer complications (41%) and because they knew someone who had it (25%).

Life Before Surgery

On average, patients tried 24 diets and exercise programs before surgery and have been obese for about 20 years. Two-thirds (67%) of patients reported having an average of five obesity-related conditions. They considered bariatric surgery for about three years before deciding to have surgery and about one-quarter of them were denied insurance coverage about three times before getting approval. About 60 percent of patients report that their health worsened during this waiting period. Improving their health (25%), losing weight (20%) and resolving disease (17%) were top reasons patients opted for bariatric surgery while only 3 percent said they wanted surgery for cosmetic reasons. Almost three times as many patients thought they were more likely to die from obesity (64%) than from bariatric surgery (24%).

Surgeons say most patients come on their own accord (44%) or are referred from a primary care practitioner (36%). Most patients come to the surgeon requesting a specific type of procedure (68%).

About the Surveys

Online surveys were conducted in April and May 2008 among 282 surgeons and 409 patients (208 gastric bypass surgery patients and 201 gastric band surgery patients).

Bariatric and general surgeons who performed bariatric surgery for at least three years, and at least 100 surgeries during their career were recruited from the ASMBS, the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), and Harris Interactive’s Physician Panel and the American Medical Association (AMA) master file. Patients who had gastric bypass or gastric banding surgery in the previous one to five years were recruited from Harris Interactive’s Chronic Illness Panel, general population panel and eRewards Patient data were weighted to be representative of U.S. obese adults ages 18 and older. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the online survey, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. A full methodology is available.

The survey sponsor, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, a Johnson & Johnson company, develops and markets advanced medical devices for minimally invasive and open surgical procedures, focusing on procedure-enabling devices for the interventional diagnosis and treatment of conditions in general and bariatric surgery, as well as gastrointestinal health, gynecology and surgical oncology.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research that is powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit http://www.harrisinteractive.com/.

About ASMBS

The ASMBS is the largest organization for bariatric surgeons in the world. It is a non-profit organization that works to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery and is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about bariatric surgery as an option for the treatment of morbid obesity, as well as the associated risks and benefits. It encourages its members to investigate and discover new advances in bariatric surgery, while maintaining a steady exchange of experiences and ideas that may lead to improved surgical outcomes for morbidly obese patients. For more information on the ASMBS, visit http://www.asmbs.org/.

Contact: Keith Taylor, 212-527-7537, or Vanessa Kelepecz, 212-527-7544

ASMBS

CONTACT: Keith Taylor, +1-212-527-7537, or Vanessa Kelepecz,+1-212-527-7544

Web Site: http://www.asmbs.org/

Four notable medical and educational institutions have formed a landmark consortium that is expected to streamline the way bench science is translated into bedside practice that could benefit millions of people. Christiana Care Health System, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Delaware will pool their talents and expertise as the Delaware Valley Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (DVICTS).

The Institute brings together the capabilities of four primary medical and educational institutions with close affiliations to three other academic institutions, 33 hospitals, over 130 research and clinical specialty centers and 14 schools and colleges. Innovative collaborations will be established between experts in medical practice, health economics and policy, population sciences, public health, and biomedical and materials sciences. The primary goal will be not only to develop new therapies and programs but also to improve when, how and where healthcare is delivered. The DVICTS will be led by a steering committee of 12 individuals–three representatives from each of the four lead institutions.

“We’re using our strengths, sharing our data, involving the communities and eliminating the usual compartmentalized infrastructure to open the doors to new ideas,” explains Robert L. Barchi, MD, PhD, President, Thomas Jefferson University. “Our education plan is a key component–being jointly developed with our partners. We’re training a new cadre of scientists who will understand both the clinical and translational side of medicine.”

“Discoveries that could fuel groundbreaking, real-world practices are limitless,” emphasizes Robert Laskowski, MD, President and CEO, Christiana Care Health System. “The DVICTS will have a direct impact on the lives of people in Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania and southwestern New Jersey.”

Joint projects of member institutions are already underway. Molecular genetic markers are being developed to tailor and individualize cancer therapy and research is being carried out on the use and applications of proton beam therapy (housed at Jefferson) for cancer treatment. A biomathematics initiative is investigating the movement of fluid in bone tissue–an innovation that could revolutionize orthopedics. Medical informatics is giving patients a way to save all of their medical records on a single microchip. New devices such as a robotic exoskeleton will give individuals with limited movement freedom from their disabling conditions.

Tom Ferry, Senior Vice President, Hospital Operations for Nemours and CEO of the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, believes this partnership is a natural extension of the collaboration that many of the Institute’s members have enjoyed for years. “Expanding the collaboration of our four institutions and including the many other organizations will enable even greater achievements in the future.”

One of the goals of the DVICTS is to acquire new grants that could collectively fund greater research discoveries. “This is team science and team medicine,” says Patrick T. Harker PhD, President, University of Delaware, “that most certainly will have national and international implications. This institute will combine the best doctors and researchers at these leading medical institutions with the University’s researchers and scientists across a broad range of disciplines. What we can do together could change the practice of medicine.”

About Thomas Jefferson University

Thomas Jefferson University, the largest freestanding academic medical center in Philadelphia, is comprised of Jefferson Medical College, Jefferson College of Graduate Studies, Jefferson College of Health Professions and the Jefferson School of Health Policy and Population Health. Jefferson is regarded nationally as one of the best universities offering a range of comprehensive programs for the education of health professions. Jefferson Medical College serves as the medical school for the state of Delaware.

About Christiana Care Health System

Christiana Care Health System, based in Wilmington, Delaware, is one of the largest health care providers in the mid-Atlantic region, serving all of Delaware and portions of seven counties bordering the state in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.

About Nemours

Nemours is one of the largest children’s health systems in the nation and owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children as well as the Nemours Children’s Clinic with multiple locations in Delaware, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Bryn Mawr, Newtown Square, and Lancaster), New Jersey (Voorhees and Atlantic City) and Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola).

About the University of Delaware

The University of Delaware, located in Newark, Delaware, was founded in 1743 and offers over 100 academic majors with a distinguished faculty that includes internationally renowned scientists.

SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Earlier this year, Thomas Beatie became one of the most talked-about people on Earth when he announced that he was history’s first pregnant man. This November, Discovery Health presents the only documentary featuring professional footage of Thomas and his wife, Nancy, through the final weeks of his pregnancy, the landmark birth of their child and their eventual return home. PREGNANT MAN premieres Tuesday, November 18, at 9:00 PM ET/PT on Discovery Health. In addition, an encore presentation of PREGNANT MAN will air the following day, Wednesday, November 19, at 9:00 PM ET/PT.

PREGNANT MAN provides the only all-access look inside the everyday household of America’s most unconventionally conventional family. Originally born female, Thomas, 34, underwent multiple medical treatments to biologically, socially and legally re-identify as a man. After marrying, the couple decided to start a family, but Nancy was unable to have children. Faced with this reality, Thomas made the unprecedented decision to suspend his testosterone treatments in hopes of becoming pregnant. Following successful artificial insemination, he gave birth to a healthy baby girl in June 2008.

Since announcing Thomas’ pregnancy on national television, the Beaties have become a worldwide media obsession. Seeking to satisfy an insatiable public curiosity, journalists from countless countries have requested interviews and pictures of the family. The Beaties have ignited nonstop conversation and interest among everyday people from all walks of life–some extremely supportive of the family, and others outraged at what they interpret as disregard for familial and societal norms.

In PREGNANT MAN, Thomas and Nancy welcome viewers into their idyllic suburban world in scenic Bend, Ore. Before Thomas’ pregnancy, the Beaties looked and acted just like any other married couple in the neighborhood–but once the world learned of Thomas’ news, their charming Pacific Northwest town became the center of a global media storm. Constantly pursued by the press, Thomas and Nancy are barely able to leave their house to go to work each morning. Meanwhile, their neighbors are left to ponder the couple next door that is both drastically different yet strikingly similar to them. PREGNANT MAN is an engrossing examination of family, gender and tolerance in America today.

PREGNANT MAN is a co-production of September Films and Discovery Health. Sara Kozak is the executive producer for Discovery Health and Sheldon Lazarus is the executive producer for September Films.

About Discovery Health

Discovery Health Media includes the Discovery Health and FitTV television networks and online assets including http://www.discoveryhealth.com/, as well as its Continuing Medical Education (CME) business and Discovery’s first stand-alone VOD service, Discovery Health On-Call. Discovery Health Media is part of Discovery Communications , the world’s number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit http://www.discoverycommunications.com/.

Discovery Health

CONTACT: Chris Finnegan, +1-240-662-7589, [email protected]

Web Site: http://www.discoverycommunications.com/

KENILWORTH, N.J., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Schering-Plough Corp., today announced that a study published in the November 2008 issue of the medical journal, Anesthesiology (Vol. 109, No. 5)(1) demonstrated that sugammadex produced a significantly more rapid recovery from profound rocuronium-induced muscle relaxation than the conventional reversal agent neostigmine. Importantly, this is the first comparative study to demonstrate that rapid reversal of profound rocuronium-induced muscle relaxation is possible. In the study, the median time to recovery was 2.7 minutes in the sugammadex group versus 49.0 minutes in the neostigmine group.

Sugammadex is a novel selective relaxant binding agent that works in an entirely new and unique way to encapsulate the muscle relaxant molecule and render it inactive. Sugammadex is approved and marketed in the European Union as BRIDION(R).

“This study demonstrates that sugammadex is the first agent to permit rapid reversal of a profound level of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade,” said lead author R. Kevin Jones, M.D., attending anesthesiologist, Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, Laguna Hills, Calif. “This finding with sugammadex will likely have important clinical implications for how muscle relaxation is managed, providing anesthesiologists with greater control in maintaining the level of blockade necessary during surgery, while allowing for rapid recovery once surgery is completed.”

The study, known as the Signal trial, was a Phase III, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, safety-assessor blinded study that compared the efficacy and safety of sugammadex versus neostigmine/glycopyrrolate in the reversal of profound rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade. Traditionally, reversal of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) such as rocuronium or vecuronium has been achieved by using acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as neostigmine. However, these older agents cannot rapidly reverse profound neuromuscular blockade.

Neuromuscular blockade plays several critical roles in general anesthesia. Anesthesiologists use muscle relaxation to improve surgical conditions and to facilitate intubation and mechanical ventilation. Reversal agents reverse the effects of muscle relaxants, enabling patients to regain normal muscle function sooner and breathe on their own again.

Studies have shown that in clinical practice, patients are often extubated before complete recovery has occurred, leaving the patients at risk of associated postoperative complications such as airway obstruction or pulmonary complications. Residual neuromuscular blockade, which is an important cause of NMBA-associated morbidity in surgical patients, was not reported in any patient in this study.

“These results demonstrate the efficacy of sugammadex in rapidly reversing profound rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade, an option that is not possible with conventional reversal agents,” said Robert J. Spiegel, M.D., chief medical officer and senior vice president, Schering-Plough Research Institute. “This study shows that sugammadex offers advantages over neostigmine and may help improve anesthesia management in the millions of surgeries where muscle relaxation agents are used.”

Key Findings

In the Signal study, sugammadex or neostigmine was administered at reappearance of 1-2 post-tetanic counts (profound neuromuscular blockade). The primary efficacy endpoint of the study was time from sugammadex or neostigmine/glycopyrrolate administration to return of the train-of-four (TOF) ratio to 0.9. Profound neuromuscular blockade reversal with sugammadex 4 mg/kg was about 17 times faster than with neostigmine 70 mcg/kg (geometric mean times were 2.9 minutes versus 50.4 minutes, respectively [P

The study enrolled surgical patients, aged 18 years or older with American Society of Anesthesiology physical status I-IV. Seventy-four patients were randomized to receive sugammadex (4.0 mg/kg) or neostigmine (70 mcg/kg) plus glycopyrrolate (14 mcg/kg) and completed the study. Anesthetized patients received an intubating dose of rocuronium (0.6 mg/kg), with maintenance doses (0.15 mg/kg) as required. Neuromuscular monitoring was performed by acceleromyography.

In the study, sugammadex was well tolerated in the 37 patients who received the treatment, and its safety profile overall was comparable with that of neostigmine. Safety data from the study showed that the most frequently reported adverse events (AEs) for patients in both groups included procedural pain, nausea and incision-site complications. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported for two patients in the sugammadex group (postoperative infection and postoperative ileus) and three patients in the neostigmine group (nausea/pain/dyspnea, gastric perforation/procedural complication and postoperative ileus). No SAE was considered study drug-related. Only one patient (neostigmine group) discontinued from the study because of two SAEs (gastric perforation/procedural complication) and subsequently recovered. No cases of hypersensitivity were reported in the study.

Text of the full study titled, “Reversal of Profound Rocuronium-induced Blockade with Sugammadex: A Randomized Comparison with Neostigmine,” can be found on the Anesthesiology website at http://www.anesthesiology.org/.

Important Safety Information about BRIDION

BRIDION (sugammadex) was approved for marketing by the European Commission in July 2008. BRIDION should only be administered by or under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. The use of an appropriate neuromuscular monitoring technique is recommended to monitor the recovery of neuromuscular blockade. The use of BRIDION in patients with severe renal impairment is not recommended.

In clinical trials, the most commonly reported adverse reaction was metal or bitter taste. Also commonly reported were anesthetic complications, indicative of the restoration of neuromuscular function, including movement of a limb or the body or coughing during the anesthetic procedure or during surgery, grimacing, or suckling on the endotracheal tube. In a few individuals, allergic-like reactions (i.e. flushing, erythematous rash) following sugammadex were reported.

Status of Sugammadex New Drug Applications

In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2008 issued a “not-approvable” letter for sugammadex for the reversal of muscle relaxation during general anesthesia. This action was taken by FDA despite a unanimous recommendation for approval by the FDA Advisory Committee on Anesthetics and Life Support in March 2008. Schering-Plough plans to work with the agency to address the issues, which are primarily related to hypersensitivity/allergic reactions, and remains committed to bringing this important medical advance to those who are waiting for it in the United States.

In Japan, a New Drug Application seeking marketing approval of sugammadex has been filed with the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and is currently under review. New Drug Applications for sugammadex also have been filed with health authorities in a number of other countries and are currently under review.

Schering-Plough acquired sugammadex through its combination with Organon BioSciences in November 2007.

About Schering-Plough

Schering-Plough is an innovation-driven, science-centered global health care company. Through its own biopharmaceutical research and collaborations with partners, Schering-Plough creates therapies that help save and improve lives around the world. The company applies its research-and-development platform to human prescription and consumer products as well as to animal health products. Schering-Plough’s vision is to “Earn Trust, Every Day” with the doctors, patients, customers and other stakeholders served by its colleagues around the world. The company is based in Kenilworth, N.J., USA, and its Web site is http://www.schering-plough.com/.

SCHERING-PLOUGH DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information in this press release includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the plans for, the potential of and the potential market for BRIDION. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations or forecasts of future events. Schering-Plough does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from Schering-Plough’s forward-looking statements, including market forces, economic factors, product availability, patent and other intellectual property protection, current and future branded, generic or over-the-counter competition, the regulatory process, and any developments following regulatory approval, among other uncertainties. For further details of these and other risks and uncertainties that may impact forward-looking statements, see Schering-Plough’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including Item 8.01 of the company’s 8-K filed Oct. 21, 2008.

Endnote

(1) Jones RK, Caldwell JE, Brull SJ, Soto RG Reversal of Profound Rocuronium-induced Blockade with Sugammadex: A Randomized Comparison with Neostigmine. Anesthesiology. 2008;109(5):816-824.

Schering-Plough Corporation

CONTACT: Media: Robert J. Consalvo, +1-908-298-7409 (office), or+1-908-295-0928 (mobile); or Investors: Janet Barth, +1-908-298-7436 (office),or Joe Romanelli, +1-908-298-7436 (office)

Web Site: http://www.anesthesiology.org/http://www.schering-plough.com/

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Romark Laboratories, a privately held biopharmaceutical company, today announced the presentation of studies of nitazoxanide at the upcoming 59th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), also known as The Liver Meeting(R), and the 50th Anniversary Meeting of the International Association for the Study of the Liver (IASL) in San Francisco, October 31 – November 4, 2008.

   Nitazoxanide Abstracts   --  "Evaluation of a 4 Week Lead-In Phase with Nitazoxanide (NTZ) Prior to       Peginterferon (PEGIFN) Plus NTZ for Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C:       Final Report," J. Rossignol et al., Sunday, November 2, 4:15 PM PST       (Oral Session  IASL #87), and Tuesday, November 4, 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM       PST (AASLD Presidential Poster  #1848)    --  "Potential Role for Nitazoxanide in Combination with STAT-C Agents for       the Inhibition of HCV Replication Without the Development of       Resistance," Korba, et al. Sunday Nov. 2, 5:30 PM PST (Oral Session        #115)    --  "Nitazoxanide (NTZ) is an Inducer of eIF2a and PKR phosphorylation,"       Elazar et al., Tuesday, November 4, 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM PST (Poster       #1881)    STEALTH C-3 Fully Enrolled  

In addition, Romark announced it has completed enrollment of patients into its U.S. clinical trial to evaluate nitazoxanide for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 (STEALTH C-3). The STEALTH C-3 (Studies to Evaluate Alinia for Treatment of Hepatitis C) study began enrollment in April 2008, and 112 patients were ultimately enrolled at 13 centers in the U.S. Data from a planned interim analysis is expected in early 2009.

A Phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, STEALTH C-3 is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of nitazoxanide in combination with peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys(R), Roche) and ribavirin (Copegus(R), Roche) in treatment naive patients with chronic hepatitis C infected with genotype 1. The primary objective of this trial is to evaluate sustained virologic response (SVR) with a treatment regimen of 4 weeks of nitazoxanide lead-in therapy followed by 48 weeks of standard of care plus nitazoxanide versus 4 weeks of placebo lead-in followed by 48 weeks of standard of care and placebo.

About Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is the most common cause of chronic hepatitis in the U.S. and may eventually lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. The disease is transmitted by contact with HCV-infected blood. A large majority of those infected do not show symptoms, but fatigue, abdominal pain and nausea can be common. The current standard treatment of care, peginterferon and ribavirin, is effective in about half of all patients treated. According to the Centers for Disease Control, HCV affects an estimated 4.1 million Americans.

About Romark Laboratories

Romark Laboratories (http://www.romark.com/), a privately held biopharmaceutical company, has discovered and developed a new class of small molecule antivirals known as thiazolides. The Company is developing nitazoxanide, the first of the thiazolide class, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, and is developing other new thiazolides for treating viral diseases including chronic hepatitis B. Alinia(R) (nitazoxanide) is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and marketed by Romark for the treatment of infections caused by Cryptosporidium or Giardia.

Romark Laboratories

CONTACT: Daniel Budwick, +1-212-477-9007 ext. 14, of BMC CommunicationsGroup, LLC for Romark Laboratories

Web Site: http://www.romark.com/

WAYNE, N.J. and EMERYVILLE, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — A new survey of more than 1,000 American adults revealed that general knowledge regarding liver cancer risk factors and treatment options is limited, even among individuals with a connection to the disease. According to the GfK Roper survey, among those aware of the disease approximately 60 percent are unable to name a single symptom associated with liver cancer and more than 40 percent are unaware of treatment options.

To address this lack of knowledge and awareness of liver cancer in the United States, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , in partnership with leading advocacy organizations the American Liver Foundation (ALF) and Vital Options International, today announced the launch of Living with Liver Cancer — a program designed to educate patients and caregivers about liver cancer signs and symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, screening and available treatment options.

The centerpiece of the program is the Living with Liver Cancer Web site (http://www.livingwithlivercancer.com/), which serves as a resource for people seeking more information about liver cancer and liver disease. To expand access and availability of the program to a wider audience, information on the Web site will be translated into several different languages, including Chinese and Spanish. More than 600,000 cases of liver cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year, including 15,000 cases in the United States.(1,2)

“There is a need for greater understanding of liver cancer among those affected by this deadly disease,” said Dr. Arun Sanyal, Division Chair of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. “Many individuals in this country are living with liver disease and, as the survey confirms, do not know they may be at risk for developing liver cancer. Living with Liver Cancer offers information that will help these patients learn their risks, know their symptoms and open a dialogue with their physician sooner, so they can achieve the best possible outcome if they are diagnosed with liver cancer.”

The Living with Liver Cancer program also features regional educational events for those diagnosed with or at risk for the disease. The first event in the United States will take place in San Francisco later this year and is intended to reach individuals affected by liver disease and liver cancer, including newly and previously diagnosed liver cancer patients as well as at-risk populations, such as those infected with the hepatitis B and C virus, individuals co-infected with hepatitis C and HIV, and those with alcohol-related cirrhosis. This interactive forum will help patients, their loved ones and caregivers learn more about the disease and available resources. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions to a medical professional who specializes in treating liver cancer. Please visit the Living with Liver Cancer Web site for more information.

“Although liver cancer poses a serious threat to life, there is hope for increased survival through new treatments and procedures that are the result of intensive research efforts conducted throughout the world,” said Dr. Allan Wolkoff, incoming Board Chair of the American Liver Foundation. “Prevention and early diagnosis remain of paramount importance. That is why the Living with Liver Cancer campaign and Web site are such important tools for anyone affected by liver disease and at risk for liver cancer.”

About Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. More than 600,000 cases of liver cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year (more than 400,000 in China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, 54,000 in the European Union, and 15,000 in the United States) and the incidence is increasing. In 2002, approximately 600,000 people died of liver cancer including approximately 370,000 in China, South Korea and Japan, 57,000 in the European Union, and 13,000 in the United States.(3,4)

Liver cancer often results from certain liver-related illnesses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol abuse, fatty liver disease, and exposure to chemicals. Additionally, HIV patients infected with hepatitis C have approximately a five times greater risk of developing liver cancer than patients infected with HIV alone.(5)

Treatment options for liver cancer patients are limited and depend on the stage of the malignant disease, underlying liver function and the patient’s overall condition.(6) Five standard treatments are used to treat liver cancer: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy (e.g., transarterial chemoembolization), percutaneous ethanol injection and targeted therapy.(7)

About the Survey

The GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media survey was conducted in July and August 2008 in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Mexico, China and Japan via telephone interviews using a computer assisted telephone interviewing program. All interviews were among national samples of adults (18+) who were randomly selected to take the survey using a random digit dial (RDD) or equivalent random selection method. Approximately 1,000 interviews were completed in each country.

Completed interviews were weighted to match national norms and to help ensure a reliable and accurate representation of the public. At the 95 percent confidence level, the margin of error for the total sample in each country is, on average, +/- 3 percentage points.

The survey was sponsored by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

About Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. is the U.S.-based pharmaceuticals business of Bayer HealthCare LLC, a subsidiary of Bayer AG. Bayer HealthCare is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry, and combines the activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care, and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals comprises the following business units: Women’s Healthcare, Diagnostic Imaging, General Medicine, which includes Cardiology and Primary Care and Specialty Medicine, which includes Hematology, Oncology and Multiple Sclerosis. The company’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human health worldwide by diagnosing, preventing and treating diseases.

About Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of people with cancer. The company, in collaboration with Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is developing and marketing Nexavar(R) (sorafenib) tablets, a small molecule drug. For more information about Onyx, visit the company’s website at: http://www.onyx-pharm.com/.

About the American Liver Foundation

The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization promoting liver health and disease prevention. The ALF provides research, education and advocacy for those affected by liver-related diseases, including hepatitis.

Although liver disease is among the ten major causes of death in the United States, there was no national voluntary health agency devoted exclusively to combating liver diseases until 1976, when the ALF was formed by a consortium of doctors from the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD).

Since 1979, the Research Awards Program has provided more than US$21 million for research. More than 650 qualified scientists and physicians have pursued careers in liver disease research and treatment as a result of receiving the ALF and AASLD grants early in their careers.

No other voluntary organization in the nation provides a voice for the 30 million Americans with liver disease. The ALF makes a measurable difference in the fight against liver disease by providing financial support for medical research, education for patients and health care professionals, and advocacy and information for patients and their families, and by creating public awareness initiatives about liver wellness and disease prevention.

No matter how you become involved your support of the ALF will make an impact on the 30 million people living with liver disease. Make the commitment to help in your own way today.

To learn more about The American Liver Foundation, Hepatitis and the over 100 other liver diseases, visit us at: http://www.liverfoundation.org/.

About Vital Options International

Vital Options International is a not-for-profit cancer communications organization with a mission to facilitate a global cancer dialogue. Founded in 1983, Vital Options was the first organization for young adults with cancer, before expanding to include people of all ages and cancer types with its innovative programs such as The Group Room(R), a weekly cancer talk radio show.

Using creative multimedia technology, Vital Options enables patients and their loved ones to interact and speak directly with noted oncology medical professionals and researchers in the US and Europe, while supporting the efforts of the advocacy community.

Vital Options is headquartered in Southern California, with a European division based in France at the American Hospital of Paris. For more information or to listen to archived shows, go to http://www.vitaloptions.org/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our annual and interim reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

This news release also contains “forward-looking statements” of Onyx within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements include without limitation, statements regarding the timing, progress and results of the clinical development, safety, regulatory processes, and commercialization efforts of Nexavar. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those anticipated. Reference should be made to Onyx’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the heading “Risk Factors” and Onyx’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for a more detailed description of such factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward- looking statements that speak only as of the date of this release. Onyx undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events, or circumstances after the date of this release except as required by law.

Nexavar(R) (sorafenib) tablets is a registered trademark of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(1) Ferlay J, et al., GLOBOCAN 2002. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide. IARC CancerBase No.5, Version 2.0. IARCPress, Lyon, 2004. Available at: http://www-dep.iarc.fr/. Accessed May 2008.

(2) 2005 Cancer Register System (CRS) annual report, http://crs.cph.ntu.edu.tw/crs_c/annual.html. Accessed May 12, 2008.

(3) Ferlay J, et al., GLOBOCAN 2002. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide. IARC CancerBase No.5, Version 2.0. IARCPress, Lyon, 2004. Available at: http://www-dep.iarc.fr/. Accessed May 2008.

(4) 2005 Cancer Register System (CRS) annual report, http://crs.cph.ntu.edu.tw/crs_c/annual.html. Accessed May 12, 2008.

(5) Giordano TP, Kramer JR, Souchek J, Richardson P, El Serag HB. Cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in HIV-infected veterans with and without the hepatitis C virus: a cohort study, 1992-2001. Arch Intern Med 2004;164:2349-2354.

(6) American Cancer Society. What is Liver Cancer? Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_1X_What_is_liver_cancer_25.a sp. Accessed April 10, 2007.

(7) Adapted from National Cancer Institute. Adult Primary Liver Cancer. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/adult-primary- liver/patient. Accessed May 8, 2008

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CONTACT: David Freundel of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals,+1-973-305-5310; or Julie Wood of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-510-597-6505

Web site: http://www.livingwithlivercancer.com/http://www.onyx-pharm.com/http://www.liverfoundation.org/http://www.vitaloptions.org/

DURHAM, N.C., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Parion Sciences, Inc. and Kainos Medicines, Inc. today announced that they have entered into an agreement to co-develop Parion’s proprietary epithelial sodium channel blocker, P-552, for the treatment of dry mouth associated with primary Sjogren’s syndrome.

Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate in the clinical development of P-552. Kainos will provide funding to help advance the program through the end of Phase II clinical testing, supplying up to $25 million upon completion of all milestones. Parion will be responsible for the oversight of the clinical development program while Kainos will provide CMC (chemistry, manufacturing and controls) expertise. Upon the successful completion of the Phase II program, Parion and Kainos will determine the Phase III clinical development and commercialization of P-552.

In a Phase I/II clinical study completed in April 2008, P-552 was found to be safe and tolerable in subjects with primary Sjogren’s disease. The study demonstrated promising results in several key quality of life parameters including mouth dryness, mouth comfort and ability to sleep, as assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

“Sjogren’s syndrome patients are seeking effective relief of their dry mouth. By combining the talents and expertise of two proven development teams, we believe we can accelerate the clinical development of P-552 to effectively address this unmet need,” said M. Ross Johnson, Parion Chief Executive Officer. “This partnership represents the second application of our portfolio of sodium channel blockers as we continue to expand Parion’s unique technology and novel compound library into other diseases requiring mucosal hydration.”

“I am very pleased that Kainos and Parion will be working together on the development of P-552,” said M.C. Kang, Kainos Chief Executive Officer. “Strategically, each partner brings its complementary expertise to the collaboration. This will provide a comprehensive and complete development program for P-552 and support the business strategy of Kainos Medicines.”

Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) blockers, such as P-552, are unique therapeutic agents developed to maintain and stimulate hydration on the body’s mucosal surfaces, including those of the lung, mouth, nose, eye and gastrointestinal tract. Improving the mucosal hydration in the mouth addresses quality of life problems associated with oral dryness caused by Sjogren’s syndrome.

Sjogren’s syndrome is a chronic disorder that occurs when a person’s immune system attacks and destroys moisture-producing glands, including the salivary and tear glands. There are currently no specific topical pharmaceutical medications to alleviate the symptoms of dry mouth associated with Sjogren’s syndrome, which can cause difficulty with chewing and swallowing, decreased sense of taste, hoarseness, coughing and an increase in dental cavities.

About Parion Sciences

Based in Durham, NC, Parion Sciences is a privately-held, development- stage pharmaceutical company that is leveraging its proprietary small molecule chemistry and epithelial biology expertise to discover and develop an innovative pipeline of therapies for diseases resulting from the failure of the body’s mucosal defenses, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), cystic fibrosis, bronchiactesis and Sjogren’s syndrome. Parion’s lead product candidate, P-552, is currently in Phase II clinical development for the treatment dry mouth associated with Sjogren’s syndrome. The company is also collaborating with Gilead Sciences on the development of drug candidates for pulmonary diseases. For more information, please visit http://www.parion.com/.

About Kainos Medicines

Based in Seoul, South Korea, Kainos Medicines is a privately-held company that focuses on the in-licensing and development through proof of concept of diverse and promising, early-stage drug candidates for clinically relevant targets. Subsequent to proof of concept, the company will seek strategic partnerships to complete the development of successful drug candidates through global regulatory approval and commercialization. Kainos Medicines USA, Inc., based in Morrisville, NC, provides the preclinical and clinical development activities to obtain the safety and efficacy data for the Kainos drug candidates.

Parion Sciences, Inc.

CONTACT: Paul Boucher, Sr, Director, Finance and Business Development,Parion Sciences, Inc., +1-919-313-1195

Web site: http://www.parion.com/

Active Biotech (NASDAQ OMX Nordic: ACTI) has presented data regarding the 57-57 project at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting, a premier event for specialists in the field of rheumatology, held in San Francisco October 24-29*.

In a completed Phase Ib trial twelve patients have been treated for 84 days at various dose levels of ABR-215757. The maximum tolerable dose (MTD) for ABR-215757 was defined as 4.5 mg/day. The overall safety profile throughout the study was very favorable.

In a subset of patients treated with 4.5 mg/day ABR-215757 the global gene expression pattern was investigated at various time points after treatment. The new data presented indicate that treatment with ABR-215757 modulates gene expression related to immune function. Among these genes were a set of interferon (IFN) responsive genes, the expression of which are often altered in SLE patients and may contribute to the disease development. The results also suggest a number of candidate genes that could be used to follow effects of ABR-215757 in the further clinical development using RNA expression analysis.

“These results confirm previous data and strengthens the role for ABR-215757 as a future treatment of SLE”, commented Tomas Leanderson, President & CEO Active Biotech.

Lund, October 28, 2008

Active Biotech AB (Publ)

Tomas Leanderson President & CEO

* For further information and to take part of the complete poster “Effect on Interferon-inducible Gene Expression Signature by ABR-215757, a New Drug in Development for SLE”, please visit www.activebiotech.com .

About SLE and 57-57

SLE – Systemic Lupus Erythematosus – is a disease that can cause inflammation and damage to the connective tissue in many different organs. The disease, which progresses in “flare-ups” interspersed by relatively symptom-free periods, primarily affects women of childbearing age. An estimated 500,000 Americans have been diagnosed with SLE; however, surveys indicate that the prevalence may be much higher. The autoimmune attack affects many different organ systems and may eventually lead to severe secondary symptoms, such as kidney failure. Progress and symptoms of the disease vary widely, depending on the organs affected. Without treatment, SLE can be life-threatening.

The 57-57 compound is a novel oral immunomodulatory quinoline compound for chronic treatment of SLE. A clinical Phase Ib trial for 57-57 has been concluded and the data are currently being compiled. The study proceeded to the highest permitted dose level in the study protocol to ensure that the documentation concerning the compound is as comprehensive as possible ahead of continued clinical development. The Phase Ib study was a dose-escalation, multi-center study in which the compound’s safety was studied using step-wise increases in dose levels. The total treatment duration was 12 weeks and the study principally documented the candidate drug’s safety and pharmacokinetic properties. In addition, various efficacy parameters were studied in the form of biomarkers for disease activity. It was performed at three hospitals in Sweden – the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Uppsala University Hospital and Lund University Hospital, in addition to a number of clinics in Russia. A Phase II/III trial is planned to start mid 2009.

About Active Biotech

Active Biotech AB (NASDAQ OMX NORDIC: ACTI), headquartered in Sweden, is a biotechnology company with R&D focus on autoimmune/inflammatory diseases and cancer. Projects in pivotal phase are laquinimod, an orally administered small molecule with unique immunomodulatory properties for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, as well as ANYARA for use in cancer targeted therapy, primarily renal cancer. Further key projects in clinical development comprise the three orally administered compounds TASQ for prostate cancer, 57-57 for SLE and RhuDex(R) for RA. Please visit www.activebiotech.com for more information.

Active Biotech is required under the Securities Markets Act to make the information in this press release public. The information was submitted for publication at 08:30 a.m. CET on October 28, 2008.

This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Copyright Copyright Hugin AS 2008. All rights reserved.

 Active Biotech AB (org. no. 556223-9227) P.O. Box 724, SE-220 07 Lund, Sweden Tel +46 46-19 20 00 Fax +46 46-19 11 00  

SOURCE: Active Biotech

STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ — This November, Philips Norelco will partner with the charitable organization Movember to raise awareness for prostate cancer, a disease that affects one in six American men. Movember, the month formerly known as November, has emerged as an annual, global “‘Mo’-vement” to raise funds for prostate cancer research. The sole beneficiary of these funds in the U.S. is the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), which provides funding for more than 1,500 prostate cancer research projects at 150 institutions worldwide.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081028/NY41992 )

As a proud supporter of Movember, Philips Norelco will encourage men across the country to grow a moustache (or Mo’) during the month of November in a united front to bring awareness to the startling statistics about prostate cancer.

“How men wear facial hair is an indication of their personal style, and Philips Norelco makes products for every look,” said Jacopo D’Alessandris, senior director of customer marketing for Philips Norelco. “We’re excited to partner with an organization like Movember that encourages men to have fun with their style while helping an important cause.”

Participants are asked to start the month of November clean shaven. Throughout the month men can grow their moustaches and groom and style them to reflect their individual personalities. The Mo’ then becomes the catalyst to discuss men’s health issues with friends, family, co-workers and even strangers. And, much like the ubiquitous charity ribbon, the Mo’ serves as a badge of solidarity for this important issue. The “Mo’-vement” concludes at gala parties across the country – in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Aspen, Chicago and San Diego – where men ultimately will shave off their Mo’s in celebration of Movember.

Rodney Cutler, Philips Norelco grooming expert and owner of CUTLER salons in New York and Miami, helps guide men into new grooming territory. “Many men don’t have experience with growing a moustache, but it shouldn’t be daunting,” said Cutler. “With the right tools and a few styling tricks-of-the-trade, anyone can grow a Mo’ that reflects their style.” Cutler offers a few grooming tips on how to look your best:

   --  A Mo' to call your own.  Think of your face as a blank canvas. You       need the right tools to create a masterpiece. Whether you're grooming       the perfect Mo' or trimming your soul patch, use a Philips Norelco       All-in-One Grooming Kit so you can shape and style with your       imagination being the only limitation.   --  Don't Get Burned.  Facial grooming includes shaping and trimming       sideburns, which should be no longer than one third of the way down       the side of a man's ear and shaved in a downward direction to avoid       trimming into the hairline   --  Be a Boy Scout.  Always be prepared with a portable shaver that packs       up neatly and can be tossed into an overnight bag.  Philips Norelco       cordless shavers hold more than a week's worth of charge time and can       be rinsed clean so you can get on with your day.   --  A cool splash. Any shaving regimen should end by splashing cool water       on the face and neck, as this closes pores and cuticles and minimizes       any post-shave sting.   --  For More Information.  Visit http://www.shaveeverywhere.com/ for more grooming       tools and tips.     For further information, please contact:   Philips Consumer Lifestyle   Shannon Jenest   203-351-5769   [email protected]    About Royal Philips Electronics  

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 133,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of US$42 billion (EUR 27 billion) in 2007, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.

About Movember

Movember is a global charity event that invites men to grow moustaches (or Mo’s) for the month of November. The moustache serves as the ‘hairy ribbon’ and the vehicle by which participants in Movember raise funds and awareness for men’s health – specifically prostate cancer.

Movember aims to reduce the number of preventable male deaths by raising funds and creating awareness about prostate cancer among males age 25 to 40. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in men. One in six American men will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime, and cases are expected to double over the next 15 years. This makes it the number one cancer threat to the lives and health of men in the country. Funds raised by Movember go directly to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and will be invested in some of the most promising prostate cancer research being conducted in the world today. The goal is to find new and better ways to prevent, detect and treat prostate cancer…and one day find a cure.

Since Movember’s inception in 2003, almost 200,000 Mo Bros have sported a Mo and more than $29 million has been raised globally for prostate cancer research. For more information please visit http://www.movember.com/.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

Movember’s beneficiary partner is the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), the world’s largest philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, the PCF has raised more than $350 million and provided funding for more than 1,500 prostate cancer research projects at 150 institutions worldwide. The PCF has a simple, yet urgent goal: to find better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. More information at: http://www.pcf.org/.

Philips Norelco

CONTACT: Shannon Jenest of Philips Consumer Lifestyle, +1-203-351-5769,[email protected]

Web Site: http://www.movember.com/

WELLESLEY, Mass., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Xceed Molecular, a pioneer in the development of cost-effective, easy-to-use gene-expression analysis systems, announced that renowned breast cancer researcher and Xceed collaborator, Dr. James L. Wittliff, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Louisville, will be a featured speaker at the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) Annual Meeting. Dr. Wittliff’s presentation, “Predicting Breast Cancer Outcome with Gene Expression Signatures on the Ziplex System” is scheduled from 3 to 4 pm on Thursday, October 30, in the Dallas 1-2 Room. The company also announced that it will feature its award-winning Ziplex Automated Gene-Expression System at the conference in booth 519. Currently available for research use only, the Ziplex System is the first integrated system for automated gene-expression analysis. It comprises an automated hybridization workstation, TipChip consumable arrays, reagents, and analysis/reporting software. The AMP 2008 Annual Meeting and Exhibits takes place October 29 through November 2, 2008, at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.

“Visitors to the AMP conference will have a great opportunity to hear Dr. Wittliff’s presentation on his exciting research predicting risk of breast cancer recurrence and to learn how the Ziplex System is integral to his study process,” said Xceed’s President and CEO, David Deems. “The Ziplex System is rapidly becoming the standard platform for the nation’s leading institutions performing translational research. Xceed designed the Ziplex System with turnkey functionality and significant advances in automation, array format, parallel sample processing, and analytics to minimize complexity, user interaction, and variability between users and sites.”

According to Dr. Wittliff, “Advantages of the Ziplex automated system to our research include retention of tissue biopsy custody and the rapid, reproducible analyses of gene subsets to investigate breast cancer behavior in order to identify clinically relevant molecular signatures.”

Dr. Wittliff was among the first investigators to prove that the expression of estrogen receptors in breast cancer predicted a patient’s response to hormone therapy. This finding led to collaborations with the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project (NSABP), establishing Tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer and use of receptor proteins as tissue biomarkers of a patient’s prognosis and response. With NEN/Dupont, Dr. Wittliff developed the original FDA-approved kits for assessing receptors in biopsies. His laboratory was designated the National Reference Facility for performing quality assurance (QA) surveys of receptor testing for historical clinical trials in North America and for establishing the College of American Pathologists QA Surveys. In recognition of his contributions to medicine, the University of Innsbruck, Austria, awarded Dr. Wittliff, Doctor of Medicine honoris causa. The American Association for Clinical Chemistry honored him with an award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry in a Selected Area of Research; he is also the recipient of the Distinguished Scientist’s Award by the Clinical Ligand Assay Society. In 2004, the American Cancer Society recognized his lifetime achievements with the Goldsmith Research Excellence Award. His research team is now working with Xceed to develop clinically related tests for breast and other cancers using its proprietary Ziplex System. Dr. Wittliff’s discoveries and development of a unique tumor marker database resulted in the filing of new patents for the University of Louisville and the licensing of his technologies.

About Xceed Molecular (http://www.xceedmolecular.com/)

Xceed’s vision is to advance molecular diagnostics by successfully translating novel multiplex tests into routine clinical practice and to create robust diagnostic solutions to improve disease outcomes. Our products comprise the award-winning Ziplex System for automated gene-expression analysis (available in the US and Canada for research use only), gene-expression services, and pre-configured arrays – Xpress Chips. Xceed is also developing multiplexed genomic tests for the Ziplex platform, both internally and with strategic partners. Xceed’s R&D and manufacturing are headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with executive offices in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Xceed Molecular

CONTACT: Media, Caroline Grossman, +1-781-771-5579,[email protected]; or Company, Susan Josey, +1-972-317-8948,[email protected]