Urologix Inc. (NSDQ:ULGX) is heralding the results of a long-term study on its enlarged prostate treatment device.
Data from a study published in The Journal of Urology show that the Minneapolis-based medical device manufacturer’s Cooled ThermoTherapy (CTT) is safe and effective at treating both symptoms and obstruction associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the company reported.
The study, which was conducted at the Mayo Clinic, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and several other medical centers, tracked 96 percent of patients through its duration and showed that CTT treatment results were "well maintained" through 5 years, the company said.
“Durability is the name of the game. The better the results hold up over time, the fewer retreatments and the greater the benefit to cost ratio. In this context, the five-year data from the Urologix Cooled ThermoTherapy Catheter study are very reassuring," University of Texas study investigator Dr. Claus Roehrborn said in prepared remarks.
Only 11 percent of the men in the study went on medication for BPH during the study after treatment with the CTT, according to Urologix. The men in the study group averaged 67 years of age and had an average prostate size of 50 grams, which is typical of men taking one or even two chronic medications for their BPH, the company said.
Here’s a roundup of recent clinical trial and scientific study news:
- Spray-on skin found effective in burn treatment study
Avita Medical Ltd. (ASX:AVH) announced that a pilot clinical study of 4 patients suffering from deep dermal flame burns to their legs “healed quickly” following treatment with ReCell Spray-On Skin from Avita Medical in combination with a biological dressing “and were able to return to work and activities of daily living with relative ease.”
Read more - SpinalMotion begins MRI friendly cervical disc study
SpinalMotion Inc., developer of the investigational Kineflex lumbar and Kineflex |C cervical disc implants for treating degenerative disc disease (DDD), reported that it has started enrolling patients in an international clinical study evaluating the Kineflex|CI cervical artificial disc designed to optimize MRI imaging following disc implantation.
Read more - Regenerative medicine startup Juventas completes phase 1 heart failure trial
Cleveland Clinic spinoff Juventas Therapeutics successfully completed a phase 1 clinical trial of its regenerative medicine technology in heart failure patients. Cleveland-based Juventas’ technology, JVS-100, works by recruiting stem cells from the bone marrow to create new blood vessels. In addition to heart failure patients, the company is investigating the treatment of patients suffering from critical limb ischemia (CLI), a severe obstruction of the arteries that reduces blood flow to hands, feet or legs, reports MedCity News.
Read more - Study: Evidence-based therapies for STEMI improved survival when used correctly
There has been a steady increase in the use of evidence-based therapies for the treatment of STEMI in recent years, which has been associated with a large and sustained reduction in mortality, a new Swedish study shows. The study was published in the April 27 issue of the JAMA. In the paper, its researchers note that there is only limited information on the speed of implementation of new evidence-based and guideline-recommended treatments and its association with survival in real-life patients with STEMI, reports HeartWire.
Read more - Health literacy levels help predict mortality in patients with heart failure
Heart-failure patients with a low degree of health literacy — defined by their self-declared poor ability to read and understand patient-education literature or fill out hospital forms on their own — showed an increased risk of death from any cause in a survey-based cohort study, reports HeartWire.
Read more - Study: Bone suppression significantly increases lung nodule detection
Riverain Medical announced the publication of a peer-reviewed observer study in the May 2011 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. The issue includes research performed at the University of Chicago Medical Center on the ability of radiologists to improve their detection of subtle lung nodules using chest X-rays aided by Riverain Medical’s bone suppression technology. The study showed significant improvements in the physicians’ performance in locating nodules when bone suppression technology was applied.
Read more - BioControl commences study on CardioFit system for HF
BioControl Medical announced first patient enrollment in the INOVATE-HF (INcrease Of VAgal TonE in Heart Failure) clinical study at Northwest Texas Heart Hospital, Amarillo, Texas, by study investigator Dr. Suresh Neelagaru. INOVATE-HF is a global, multi-center investigational device exemption (IDE) clinical study to determine the safety and efficacy of BioControl Medical’s CardioFit system, an implantable electrical stimulation device designed to improve heart function in patients with congestive heart failure.
Read more - Acucela touts study of dose-dependent visual cycle modulation
Acucela Inc. announced the publication of a new paper in Retina: The Journal of Retinal and Vitreous Diseases evaluating the safety and tolerability of ACU-4429, a novel, small-molecule visual cycle modulator (VCM). The paper was co-authored by Dr. Ryo Kubota, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Acucela, along with collaborators from Retina Foundation of the Southwest and Otsuka Pharmaceutical, and details the first-time demonstration of a non-retinoid therapeutic in a convenient, oral pill form effectively targeting the visual cycle in a dose-dependent manner.
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