THIS MONTH
Point of care market analysis
The point of care (POC) testing market is estimated to be worth US$10 billion worldwide and accounts for approximately 36% of the US$28-billion global in vitro diagnostics testing market, according to Espicom. POC diagnostics testing is predicted to grow rapidly in the forseeable future. In many hospitals, it already accounts for 20% of diagnostics testing and it has extended beyond the hospital into primary care surgeries and the home. A two-volume guide to the market and its current issues features a competitive comparison of 80 leading companies, market evaluation and an appraisal of research and innovation in the industry. www.espicom.com/poc
The industry can take heart
Ninety-one percent of European Union (EU) decision-makers and opinion formers are favourably disposed towards the medical technology industry. This is the finding of a perception survey conducted by Eucomed, the European medical technology industry association. One hundred and fifty opinion formers were interviewed; they comprised 66 from the European parliament, 39 from the European Commission, 22 from nongovernmental organisations, 12 from Member States and 11 from international media. Only 7% said they “knew nothing” about the industry; 64% believe that medical devices and technology issues will become more important. Personal contact and the media were cited as the most important sources of information on the industry. More interviewees believe that the regulatory framework for medical devices should be separate from medicinal product regulation than those who believe it should be combined. The two most well known areas of technology for the interviewees are cardiovascular interventions and hearing aids. www.eucomed.be
Genetic blood test
A new approach to checking blood type could save thousands of lives, according to its developers, the Bloodgen Consortium. This group is made up of academic institutions, national blood transfusion services in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic and The Netherlands, and Spanish biotech company Progenika Biopharma. The development of the Bloodchip has taken three years and cost €3 million; €2 million came from the EU and €1 million from Progenika. It is designed to particularly benefit patients receiving multiple transfusions and requiring a perfect blood-type match. Over time these patients develop antibodies that reject imperfectly matched blood, which can lead to serious or life-threatening illness. The developers hope that the Bloodchip will replace traditional serological testing. It has already been trialled on 3000 patients and the results compared with serological tests. www.bloodgen.com
e-Health action required
More co-operation between the various national programmes and harmonised e-Health road maps are required if e-Health is to be deployed across Europe. These topics were addressed at the first World of Health IT Conference in October 2006. The meeting was organised by COCIR, the European trade association for the radiology, electromedical and health-care IT industry, and HINE, a Deloitte market research project for e-Health. A new plea has gone out to the European Commission and Member States to remove the current barriers that prevent sufficient economy of scale and thereby effective solutions in Europe. www.cocir.org
Meanwhile the latest smart card reader for the French e-Health programme has been launched. Prium-3S offers simultaneous processing of the three cards used in the French SESAM-Vitale system. The programme links 210000 health-care professionals with the national health insurance system. www.xiring.com
EDMA restructure
The European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association has established several new Task Forces as part of its restructuring programme. These include “Tenders,” “Public Affairs,” and “Reimbursement.” The association has also reassessed its role in relation to national association members and redesigned its website to allow easier access to information. In addition, four new representatives have been elected to its Executive Committee. They come from Diasorin, LifeScan, Beckman Coulter and BioRad. www.edma-ivd.be
Nanodirectory
An international directory of suppliers of microtechnology, nanotechnology and advanced materials is being collated. The IVAM directory aims to help users secure the best suppliers and partners from the huge number of companies operating worldwide. Two hundred companies are currently listed and more are being added. An industry-by-industry listing makes the search easy and detailed profiles are posted on the web site. www.ivam.de.
Chinese RoHS
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulation comes into force in China on 1 March 2007. The RoHS Directive in Europe restricts the use of six hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products and since 1 July 2006 all applicable products must comply. The Chinese regulation is more complex than EU legislation, more far-reaching and requires compulsory certification to sell products in China, says ERA Technology. Courses are available on the Chinese differences. www.era.co.uk
Research interest
freeRandD.com is a website designed to bring together university students and industry. Companies can post up projects that they want students to work on as their senior design project. Postings are free until 1 February 2007.
