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20March 2018

Polish drug for lung cancer

Poland's independence from imported cancer drugs could protect citizens from unexpected interruptions in treatment. Work on generic drugs also offers hope that the treatment of serious diseases such as non-small cell lung cancer will become significantly more affordable. Such a drug is being synthesised by the Pharmaceutical Institute in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Polfa Production S.A.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in men worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The number of cases of malignant lung tumours in Poland in 2010 was almost 21,000, of which almost 15,000 were in men and over 6,000 in women. The risk of developing lung cancer is about three times higher in men than in women. Most cases of malignant lung tumours occur after the age of 50, with about half of patients being 65 years old. Poles develop the disease more frequently than the European Union average.

"We are working on a drug for non-small cell lung cancer. It will be the Polish equivalent of a drug containing erlotinib, an active ingredient from the group of protein kinase inhibitors, which is also used in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and sometimes in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer,"," says Rafał Bednarczyk, CEO of Polfa. As he explains, the dosage of cancer drugs depends on the patient's body weight. For this drug, the average dose is 150 mg per day. One pack contains 30 tablets, each containing 25 mg of the active ingredient. One pack lasts for 5 days, costs PLN 2,000 and is reimbursed to patients. When the patent for the original drug expires and a generic drug can be launched on the market, the price usually drops by 30 to 40 per cent. The price is also determined by the rules of the market between companies that develop their own generic drugs. Only a few cancer drugs are manufactured in Poland. The vast majority are imported into Poland, which is why the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) has decided to fund work on a Polish equivalent of the drug for the treatment of lung cancer. In the past, there have been shortages of cancer drugs for Polish patients because companies preferred to place their products on markets where they could achieve a higher price. Parallel imports also take away some of these drugs because they are cheap. Producing our own cancer drugs in Poland protects citizens much better," says Bednarczyk. Source: PAP

Author: POLISH MEDICINE FOR LUNG CANCER 02.06.2015

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20March 2018

Smallest pacemaker

Doctors at the Silesian Heart Centre in Zabrze have implanted the world's smallest pacemaker in a 13-year-old boy. He is the world's youngest patient with a miniature pacemaker, which is ten times smaller than a standard pacemaker. On 12 February this year, a 13-year-old patient was implanted with the world's smallest pacemaker, Micra TPS (Transcatheter Pacing System), at the 1st Clinical Department of Cardiology, Congenital Heart Defects and Electrotherapy at the Silesian Heart Centre in Zabrze. This innovative medical technology was used for the first time in such a young patient. The boy was implanted with a pacemaker that is ten times smaller than a standard pacemaker. The implantation was performed transcatheter, without the need for an incision or the creation of a special subcutaneous "pocket". The young patient had undergone surgery several years ago to close a defect in the ventricular septum. Since then, the boy had experienced regular cardiac arrhythmias, which had been asymptomatic until now. In recent weeks, the patient had been experiencing discomfort associated with periodic disturbances in the electrical impulse conduction in the heart, leading to a significant slowing of the heart rate. This was decisive in the doctors' decision to implant a pacemaker in the patient. Permanent cardiac pacing is the only effective treatment for symptomatic bradycardia. This method reduces symptoms, the frequency of fainting spells and, in high-risk patients, mortality, says Dr Oskar Kowalski, who performed the Micra implantation together with Dr Radosław Lenarczyk.The device monitors heart function, and the microscopic battery has a service life of over 10 years. Once it has been depleted, additional devices can be implanted without any problems, allowing the patient to use this form of therapy over a long period of time," explains Dr Kowalski.The fact that this pacemaker model does not require a silicone-coated electrode – the most unreliable and most frequently damaged or infection-causing element of the systems used to date – is particularly important for such a young patient, who can thus lead an active life,", says Dr Kowalski. The cosmetic aspect of this method of cardiac stimulation is also not insignificant for a teenager. "Implantation via a puncture in the femoral vein means that the patient does not have a scar on the chest, which is typical for the implantation of a conventional pacemaker,"explains Dr Kowalski. The use of the Micra pacemaker in children eliminates another important problem associated with the electrodes of a classic pacemaker – the problem of 'outgrowing' the electrodes. As a child grows after pacemaker implantation, the electrodes used become too short over time, requiring "extension", which in practice means attempting to insert the previously implanted electrodes deeper or replacing these elements. The use of an electrode-free pacemaker completely eliminates this problem. The first implantations of the Micra TPS miniature pacemaker in adults in Poland took place at the beginning of this year in two centres in Poland: in Zabrze and in Poznan.We are delighted that the recently introduced new technology for treating cardiac arrhythmias can already be used in patients who need it," says Dr Kowalski. Author: https://medicalonline.pl/ 22 February 2016
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24February 2015

Computer programme enables detection of laryngeal cancer

The DiagnoScope programme enables the acoustic diagnosis and detection of laryngeal cancer, vocal cord nodules, laryngeal diseases and occupational voice disorders. This computer application is already by the most specialised medical institutions in Poland. The DiagnoScope programme was developed by employees of DiagNova Technologies, a company founded in 2008 by physicists from the Wrocław University of Technology. It operates in the Wrocław Technology Park. The analysis of voice samples and their comparison with the condition of the vocal cords enables the detection of diseases such as nodules, polyps, but also tumourous changes. These are so-called targeted analyses, which ensure a higher efficiency of the examination."Any doctor can easily perform this examination in their practice," said Marcin Just from the research and development department at DiagNova Technologies, speaking about the PAP. He added that the DiagnoScope programme enables acoustic diagnosis and detection of laryngeal cancer and vocal cord nodules.¼ber the PAP. He added that the DiagnoScope programme facilitates acoustic diagnosis and detection of laryngeal cancer, vocal cord nodules, laryngeal diseases and occupational voice disorders¶glicht und darüber hinaus für eine umfassende phoniatrisch-laryngologische Untersuchung geeignet ist und neben der Stimmanalyse auch die Aufzeichnung von Endoskopiebildern ermöglicht. â€ÂÂ"To use our software, all you need is a computer and a similar endoscope camera. Thanks to this programme, the doctor can not only examine the patient, but also collect and catalogue the complete documentation of the disease," said Just. The DiagnoScope Specjalista version is intended for use in small medical practices., said Just. The DiagnoScope Specjalista version is intended for use in small medical practices, while the DiagnoScope Net version is a programme for use in larger clinics, hospitals or medical centres.¤tzen in larger clinics, hospitals or scientific institutions. DiagNova Technologies' main activity is the development and introduction of non-invasive, innovative and cost-effective solutions for medical diagnostics. "We are working to combine different diagnostic methods in order to achieve maximum diagnostic efficiency at low cost," said Just. In December 2014, employees of the company, together with doctors from the clinic for ear, nose and throat medicine, head and neck surgery at the University of Zurich, published a paper in the journal "The Lancet" on the use of the DiagNova system.doctors from the Clinic for Ear, Nose and Throat Medicine, Head and Neck Surgery at the University Hospital in Wrocław. The work on this took two years. Acoustic analysis of voice and speech not only enables early detection of this disease, but is also a cost-effective and efficient method of monitoring the progression of Alzheimer's. The examination takes no longer than ten minutes and consists of recording pre-prepared tests, e.g. the patient must first pronounce a sound ten times and then repeat the same sound as often as they like.It has been found that patients who have to count pronounce this sound very differently. We examine the length of the sound, but also the energy distribution when pronouncing it. The analysis of voice and speech makes it possible to identify difficulties in the connections between the speech apparatus and the brain and thus to identify patients, said Just.¶glicht es, Schwierigkeiten in den Verbindungen zwischen dem Sprachapparat und dem Gehirn festzustellen und so Patienten zu identifizieren”, sagte Just. Er fügte hinzu, dass für die Analyse speziell entwickelte Algorithmen und eine Art Computerprogramm verwendet werden. The examination device itself consists of sensitive microphones and a recording device and does not need to be larger than a mobile phone. It is currently still a prototype. DiagnoScope, on the other hand, is already available on the market. The cost of one of the programme versions ranges from PLN 2,000 to PLN 20,000, depending on the specialisation. DiagNova Technologies, a company that has been operating in the Wrocław Technology Park for six years, also has medical projects related to diseases such as osteoporosis and secondary caries., has also carried out medical projects related to diseases such as osteoporosis and secondary caries. In the near future, it would like to address foreign markets with its offerings.Indian markets. We are applying for certificates that will enable us to do so. The Polish medical market is very modest compared to our neighbouring countriesAnd we are very competitive," summarised Marcin Just from DiagNova Technologies. (PAP) Author: PAP Technology 24 February 2015

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18February 2015

A device that facilitates childbirth and reduces the risk of complications

"Push!" Almost every woman in labour has heard this command at some point. The verbal instruction to push is particularly important when the patient is under epidural anaesthesia. Scientists at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Lafayette have developed a device that signals to the woman during labour how effective her pushing is.

One third of women giving birth in the United Kingdom receive anaesthetics that are known to prolong the duration of labour. One reason for this is that the drugs used for anaesthesia block the signals sent from the nerve endings to the brain, which normally signal when to push. This is not insignificant, as a longer labour carries a higher risk of complications for both the mother and the child. The device developed by the scientists from Lafayette is attached to the head of the unborn child and the woman's perineum using electrodes. It is connected to a standard laptop and provides information about the baby's movements and the mother's muscle contractions. The effectiveness of the pushing is displayed on a clear diagram and by means of a sound whose pitch and pulse frequency depend on the current effectiveness of the pushing and the baby's movements. The invention was tested on a group of 45 women, while another group of 24 women in labour served as a control group. It turned out that the average duration of the pushing phase was 19 minutes shorter for women who used the device (58 minutes compared to 77 minutes), which was associated with a lower incidence of complications than in women in the control group. Author: medexpress.pl 18 February 2015

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10February 2015

GyroNeck – Łódź invention for examining cervical spine disorders

An innovative device for examining functional disorders of the cervical spine has been developed by a team of scientists from the Technical University of Szeged and the Medical University of Szeged. GyroNeck is designed to simplify the rehabilitation process for patients in conjunction with special software.

The entire system was developed by a team of specialists from the Department of Medical Rehabilitation at the University of Szeged Medical School and the Department of Microelectronics and Information Technology at the University of Szeged Technical University. A patent application has already been filed. GyroNeck is a small, lightweight device that is placed on the patient's head so that it sits perfectly on the top of the head. It is connected to a computer that reads information about the position and movement of the head relative to the screen in real time. The collected data is analysed, and after the examination is complete, special software suggests a probable diagnosis related to cervical spine disorders," explained Robert Ritter, one of the device's developers from the Department of Microelectronics and Information Technology at the Technical University of ÅAccording to him, thanks to the automation of the examinations and the recording of the entire examination process for each individual patient, it is possible to increase the number of patients examined per day and simplify the rehabilitation process. The entire system consists of a measuring device that is attached to the patient's head in a special holder resembling headphones, software for receiving and processing the data, and a 120 x 80 cm screen. The screen displays test charts prepared by a team of doctors from the Department of Medical Rehabilitation at the Medical University of Szeged.The patient is asked to imitate the pattern displayed on the screen. The computer records every head movement and then compares it with the knowledge database contained in the programme. The patient's task is to imitate the pattern displayed on the screen. "The computer records every head movement and then compares it with the knowledge database contained in the programme to indicate the percentage probability of the occurrence of the individual cervical spine disorders examined," added Ritter. Work on the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of June/beginning of July this year. The research team is currently collecting measurement data for the knowledge database system and developing an expert algorithm. "It is a system for making decisions about the patient's state of health. Based on the historical data presented to it, it will be able to determine the type and extent of damage to the cervical spine of the patient currently being examined. Our team is currently in the phase of examining patients and describing the measurement results in a way that is understandable to the computer," explained the co-developer of the system. Once the work is complete, GyroNeck will be offered for sale or licensed as a technology. Author: PAP – Science in Poland 10 February 2015

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9December 2014

EU Court of Justice changes its opinion: an organism incapable of development is not an embryo

An organism that is not capable of development does not constitute a human embryo, which is why processes involving human eggs can be patented in the European Union, according to a ruling by the European Court of Justice, thereby reversing its decision of three years ago. In 2011, the Court recognised unfertilised human eggs that had been stimulated to divide and develop as human embryos. At the time, the scientific community viewed this decision as an attack on medical research in the EU. Many scientists have high hopes for stem cell research and see it as an opportunity to cure various diseases, restore mobility to paralysed people or grow organs for transplants. Until now, the Court of Justice's ruling prohibiting the patenting of processes using unfertilised ova in the EU has prevented the commercialisation of medical discoveries in this field. Today's ruling by the Court of Justice, which allows the patenting of the use of such an organism for industrial or commercial purposes, paves the way for the development of biotechnology in the EU. In its latest ruling, the Court of Justice defines how the term "human embryo" is to be understood: "An unfertilised human egg cell must necessarily have the innate capacity to develop into a human individual. Consequently, the fact that a human egg cell activated by parthenogenesis begins a process of development is not sufficient to consider it a human embryo." However, if an egg cell has the innate capacity to develop into a human individual, it should be treated in the same way as a fertilised human egg cell. The British High Court of Justice referred the question of the interpretation of the term "human embryo" to the European Court of Justice, which is to rule on a legal dispute between the International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) and the British Patent Office. The question at issue is whether methods using unfertilised human eggs that have been activated by parthenogenesis, i.e. development from an egg without sperm, can be patented. The 1998 EU Directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions states that the use of human embryos for industrial or commercial purposes may not be patented, and the above-mentioned ruling by the Court of Justice three years ago recognised eggs stimulated to develop without sperm as human embryos. The British court wanted to clarify whether the term "human embryo"" refers only to organisms that can initiate a developmental process leading to the formation of a human individual, since, according to the current state of science, organisms such as those covered by the patent applications cannot develop into a human being. Author: medexpress.pl 09.12.2014
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