The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) will present the latest research on treatments for individuals with kidney, prostate and bone cancer; herniated disks; peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and related complications; childbirth difficulties; and more at its 34thAnnual Scientific Meeting March 7 – 12 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif.

Cancer Advances

Using Focal Therapy/3-D Mapping for Prostate Cancer: Look, No Surgery

Interventional radiologist can tailor treatment to each patient’s disease and offer good news in the form of the so-called “male lumpectomy” for men with prostate cancer. “Instead of removing the entire prostate, or freezing the entire prostate or using radiation on the entire prostate, interventional radiologists can visualize where the cancer is and just destroy the cancer,” says study author Gary M. Onik, M.D., interventional radiologist. And details about a better mapping biopsy for determining the extent of prostate cancer will be given.

Killing Kidney Cancer With Cold: Remarkable Results

More than 75 percent of individuals who are diagnosed with kidney cancer have tumors that are 4 centimeters or less in size. A leading cancer center weighs in with remarkable three-year results about the safety and efficacy of freezing – or using cryoablation – for kidney cancer tumors. It’s important that individuals and doctors are aware of the latest treatments advances – especially since the incidence of kidney cancer has been steadily increasing in this country over the past 30 years, notes Christos Georgiades, M.D., Ph.D., interventional radiologist.

Seeing “Lazarus Effect”: Relieving Painful Bone Tumor Pain

Often, individuals’ quality of life can be severely affected when they have metastatic bone disease. Normal daily activities can become difficult when the metastases become painful, appetite diminishes and the need for pain medications increases. An interventional radiology treatment can bring relief to individuals who have very large metastases and who are living with cancer.

Back Pain Treatment

Treating Herniated Disks: Pain Relief From Unexpected Source

Back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. Having a herniated disk can affect how one performs everyday activities and can cause severe pain that influences everything one does. However, invasive surgery for herniated disks could become a thing of the past – especially given the positive results of a minimally invasive interventional radiology injection treatment.

Women’s Health: C-sections and Invasive Placentas

Studying Women’s Health: Making Childbirth Safer

The rate of C-sections in the United States has risen greatly over the past decade, and, in 2005, 30 percent of all births were by C-section, according to recent statistics. Although generally a very safe procedure, complications of C-sections happen rarely and may include injuries to the blood vessels that can cause prolonged and sometimes life-threatening bleeding in the mother. Innovative, interventional radiology treatments are making childbirth safer for women who have C-sections that are complicated by massive bleeding and for those who suffer from the pregnancy condition of “invasive” placenta. The results of two studies detailing the effectiveness of minimally invasive treatments for pregnant women will be presented.

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

Treating Peripheral Arterial Disease: Stem Cell Therapy Advances

Interventional radiologists are putting together the puzzle pieces of stem cell therapy to determine how to regenerate blood vessels to open clogged or narrowed arteries to treat peripheral arterial disease (PAD). A major research center presents its findings on advancing this research with the help of a firefly-like bioluminescence imaging agent and seaweed “bubble.”

Examining Heart Attack Risk: Surprising Look at Framingham Risk Scores (NHANES Data From More Than 6,000 Persons)

About 25 percent of all heart attacks or sudden cardiac deaths in the United States occur in individuals thought to be at low risk. If these individuals could be identified early on, primary prevention – such as initiating lifestyle changes and medical intervention directed at modifying risk factors – could be started before costlier and more intensive treatments are needed. Interventional radiologists can help improve the accuracy of cardiovascular risk prediction that could significantly impact public health.

Seeing the Promise of Drug-Eluting Stents for Critical Limb Ischemia

Interventional radiologists are helping peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients with critical limb ischemia avoid amputation by exploring the treatment of the smaller blood vessels below the knee (typically difficult to treat because of their size) with drug-coated stents. Promising three-year data from a double-arm prospective registry will be presented.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Recommending Treatment for “Silent Killer”

Abdominal aortic aneurysms can be treated successfully by a minimally invasive procedure that eliminates the need to undergo a large abdominal incision from surgery or to clamp the aorta, the main artery from the heart. The durability and effectiveness of minimally invasive endovascular aneurysm repair – over an eightyear period and with nearly 500 patients – will be examined.

Chronic Kidney Disease/Dialysis Access

Finding that Age Doesn’t Matter: AV Fistulas and Dialysis

Is there a difference in how arteriovenous (AV) fistulas – vascular accesses needed for dialysis treatment – respond in younger and older patients? The results of a comparison study provide information on how interventional radiologists maintain access to chronic kidney disease patients’ circulatory systems to provide life-sustaining dialysis – based on one’s age.

About the Society of Interventional Radiology

Interventional radiologists are physicians who specialize in minimally invasive, targeted treatments. They offer the most in-depth knowledge of the least invasive treatments available coupled with diagnostic and clinical experience across all specialties. They use X-ray, MRI and other imaging to advance a catheter in the body, usually in an artery, to treat at the source of the disease internally. As the inventors of angioplasty and the catheter-delivered stent, which were first used in the legs to treat peripheral arterial disease, interventional radiologists pioneered minimally invasive modern medicine. Today, interventional oncology is a growing specialty area of interventional radiology. Interventional radiologists can deliver treatments for cancer directly to the tumor without significant side effects or damage to nearby normal tissue.

Many conditions that once required surgery can be treated less invasively by interventional radiologists. Interventional radiology treatments offer less risk, less pain and less recovery time compared to open surgery. Visit www.SIRweb.org.

Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the BIO International Convention will take place June 17-20 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. The convention will highlight all the ways that biotechnology, the life sciences, investments, policy, and the international community work together to heal, fuel, and feed the world. This year, the day pattern will change to Tuesday through Friday (previously, the Convention was held Sunday through Wednesday).

The BIO International Convention features keynote sessions from thought leaders, including policymakers, scientists, CEOs and celebrities. Former speakers include President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Michael J. Fox, and Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, among others. The convention will include 175 breakout sessions covering biotech trends, policy issues and technology innovations and the world’s largest biotechnology exhibition – the BIO Exhibition. The preliminary schedule is available at http://www.bio2008.org/schedule.

Recently, the BIO International Convention was named one of the Fastest 50, a list of the fastest-growing trade shows in the country, by Tradeshow Week magazine.

In 2007, the convention attracted 22,366 attendees and exhibitors with approximately one-third from countries outside the U.S. Growth of the meeting, and BIO overall, has paralleled that of the dynamic industry that BIO represents. BIO currently projects more than 20,000 attendees for the 2008 BIO International Convention in San Diego. The convention was last held in San Diego in 2001 and attracted 14,731 professionals.

Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the news media. To register, please visit here. Reporters and editors working full-time for print, broadcast, and online news organizations may register onsite with valid media credentials. All freelancers, college and online publications are strongly encouraged to register in advance by Wednesday, June 4, 2008.

The BIO International Convention helps to support BIO programs and initiatives. BIO works throughout the year to create a policy environment that enables the industry to continue to fulfill its vision of bettering the world through biotechnology innovation. For more information on the global event for biotechnology, including program and housing information, please visit http://www.bio2008.org.

Advance media registration for the 2008 BIO International Convention, the Global Event for Biotechnology, is now available online here.

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and 31 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the annual BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry.

http://www.bio.org

Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services is pleased to announce that it will hold the Third European Conference on Sensory and Consumer Research on 7-10 September 2008. Industry experts will be joining together to hear about cutting edge research and innovative ideas in sensory and consumer research. It will take place at the University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany, one of the largest universities for applied science.

With recent news of a new natural sweetener, Brazzein, which is 2000 times sweeter than sucrose, it is no surprise that food manufacturers are continually striving to introduce their latest research and innovations to the market. The Third European Conference on Sensory and Consumer Research will provide the ideal opportunity to find out how the latest findings in sensory science can be meaningfully used for successful product innovations. The three day conference will also look at the increased importance of sensory science in connection with innovative R&D and marketing, and how information relating to socio-demographic, psychographic and behavioural factors are responsible for consumer preferences.

The closing date for abstract submissions is 29 February 2008.

With the new year rapidly approaching, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) already has launched registration for its dynamic and value-packed 2008 conferences.

“There is no other option than to make each year’s event the best and most valuable ever. In addition, 2008 marks a very special year in NACDS history – our 75th Anniversary,” said NACDS President and CEO, Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “NACDS takes great pride in our long standing commitment to successful conferences and meetings that provide timely information, unique networking opportunities, and contribute to the overall advancement of the community pharmacy industry. The early registrations are very promising, as they are even higher than our figures for the 2007 meetings at this time last year.”

The first NACDS-sponsored conference of 2008 is the Regional Chain Conference, which will be held February 3-6 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs, Florida. The conference is specifically tailored to address the challenges facing senior retail executives who operate up to 250 stores.

The main highlight of the Regional Chain Conference is the broad spectrum of educational offerings covering topics from pharmacy, to front-end, to general management, and the peer to peer sharing that occurs as a result of the Chain Member Interactive Idea Exchange sessions. Another valuable feature is the one-on-one business meetings between chain executives and key supplier trading partners. In addition to these networking opportunities, the conference also offers the opportunity to earn pharmacy continuing education credits through selected educational programs.

Now in its second year, the NACDS Successful Selling Conference will take place February 10-12, 2008 at the Lincolnshire Marriott, in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

This “how to” conference provides many unique opportunities for small and medium sized manufacturers who are current or aspiring members interested in developing their business with Drug, Food, and Mass retailers. Members of the NACDS Outreach & Business Development Committee have developed the Successful Selling education program which details how to introduce new products and conduct business in this industry. In addition to understanding these important and unique fundamentals, this event also acts as a great preparation tool for the NACDS Marketplace Conference; the industry’s largest gathering of drug, food and mass retailers.

Also taking place, Walgreens representatives will present their own “How to do Business with Walgreens” where attendees can meet Walgreens executives that work with new vendors on a daily basis. These vendors will also be able to present their product to a member of the Walgreens’ purchasing team – face to face – during 20 minute meetings.

On March 2-4, 2008, the Supply Chain & Logistics Conference will take place at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, Arizona. This conference is the industry’s most significant gathering of its most influential supply chain leaders. Participating individuals include retailers, product manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors who are involved in supply chain, logistics, inventory management, transportation, and/or business-to-business interchange. Additionally, those individuals and companies who provide products and services for supply chain management also participate. Over 23,000 retail outlets will be represented, providing attendees the opportunity to engage in discussion with potential partners and customers. To nurture these prospective relationships, the program includes one-on-one meetings between retailers, manufacturers, and supply chain vendors.

NACDS’ Annual Meeting, the industry’s most influential, strategically-oriented event, takes place April 26-30, 2008 at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida.

For five days more than 2,200 business leaders from drug, food, mass and specialty retailing companies and their supplier counterparts gather to share insights, forge relationships, and explore future opportunities. The meeting will provide numerous opportunities to meet and exchange ideas with key trading partners at the most senior levels.

Long-regarded as our industry’s most prestigious meeting, the Annual Meeting provides a unique opportunity to gain new insights into today’s changing marketplace as well as strengthen relationships, discuss strategic issues, and identify enhanced business opportunities.

This year the NACDS Marketplace Conference will occur June 28-July 1 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. The exhibit and appointment-based show is the largest and most powerful convergence of drug, food, mass, club, and value retailing in the United States, if not the world. It brings together more than 250 retail companies who represent over $500 billion in annual buying power and more than 145,000 stores with 700 manufacturing companies across 11 major categories.

August 23-27, 2008 marks the date for the NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference, to be held at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. The conference represents the largest single gathering of retail pharmacy executives from drug, food and mass and their supplier counterparts. This is where pharmacy decision makers from more than 150 leading retail companies meet for cutting-edge educational programming and to review business plans, pharmacy products, and related services from more than 320 exhibitors.

Later in 2008, the RFID/Track & Trace Health Care Industry Adoption Summit will offer the latest information on RFID and track and trace technology. In 2007, more than 480 executives from various disciplines within the pharmaceutical retailing and manufacturing supply chain community attended to network with peers from across the RFID product and services supplier community. More details regarding 2008′s Summit will be available in the coming months.

The 2nd Annual Pharmaceutical Sales & Marketing Executive Congress, scheduled for March 31 – April 1, 2008 in Bethesda, Maryland USA, is now accepting applications for speaking abstracts and sponsorship.

Today, more than ever before, pharmaceutical sales and marketing executives are facing challenges from all sides. Internally, the pressure to fill pipelines, demands for more R&D results, and competition from generics demand new outcomes from pharmaceutical marketing and sales teams across the board.

Externally, new U.S.-based regulatory (e.g. post-approval monitoring), legislative, and patent issues continue to loom. Changes affecting the sales and marketing functions of the industry are inevitable as a new administration takes control of the FDA, FTC and other agencies in 2009 – regardless of which party captures the White House.

The 2008 Congress offers a refreshing and comprehensive agenda that will address the most pressing issues for the industry and provide insightful perspectives on:

–understanding and adhering to the new rules of marketing pharmaceuticals
–building competitive advantage in the market
–developing patient education, compliance and partnership programs
–retaining strong relationships with physician and physician groups
–optimizing metrics and maximizing ROI
–creating effective engagement models for DTC, OTC, Specialty Pharma, Biotech brands and generics team leaders
–capitalizing on new media channels for sales, marketing, PR and promotions

As of November 8, 2007, the distinguished roster of preliminary speakers includes:

* Ellen Shapiro, Director, Division of Communications, Center for Drug Evaluation Research (CDER), FDA
* Scott M. Lassman, JD., Partner, WilmerHale LLC
* Kathy Kastner, Chief Executive Officer, The Health Television System Inc.
* Paul J. Savidge, Vice President Global Labeling & Promotion Compliance, Bristol-Myers Squibb
* Wayne Pines, Senior Consultant and Member, APCO Worldwide
* Ilyssa Levins, President, HCIL LLC
* Liliana A. Gil, Worldwide Director for Marketing Services & Hispanic Marketing, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Services
* Nayan Shah M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, and Association of Physicians of Asian Indian Origin (AAPI)
* Harry Sweeney, Chairman and CEO, Dorland Global Health Communications
* Ed Silverman, Award Winning Journalist, The Star Ledger and Founder of Pharmalot
* John Mack, Publisher, Pharma Marketing News and The Pharma Marketing Blog
* Hugo Stephenson, M.D., President, iGUARD.ORG
* Glenn Byrd, Director, Regulatory Affairs, PDL BioPharma Inc.
* Mark Bard, President, Manhattan Research
* John S. Lenart, Product Director, Arestin Orapharma
* David Lampinski, Associate Director, Commercial Analytics, Sepracor
* Peter Simpson, Ph.D., President, Segmedica Inc.
* Ganesh Vedarajan, Principal, ZS Associates
* Bruce Grant, Senior Vice President, Digital Strategy, Digitas Health
* Richie A. Bavasso, President, Exploria
* Jan Malek, Director, IBSG- Life Sciences, Cisco Systems
* Rob Likoff, Chief Executive Officer, Group DCA
* Sam Rottela, Principal, Sam Rotella & Associates
* Kelley Conners, Principal, Healthcare Consulting LLC

If your client or team would like to share a case study or be included in the agenda, topic abstracts and speaker profiles are currently being accepted. For more information, please contact:
Don Buford, CEO, iiBIG
Email: donb@iibig.com

Early conference sponsors include Exploria SPS, ZS Associates, DriecTeam CSO, and Segmedica.

Limited sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities are available. For more information, please contact:
Kellie Swanstrom, VP, Business Development, iiBIG
E-mail: kellies@iibig.com

On Wednesday, November 28, 2007, the New York City Health Department, together with Pace University’s Lienard School of Nursing, hosts the second annual World Trade Center Health Registry Meeting and Resource Fair. During the evening event, anyone interested in the health impact of 9/11 can hear the latest findings from the World Trade Center Health Registry, which tracks the mental and physical health of 71,000 people affected by the disaster. The meeting also provides an opportunity for the public to ask questions and learn more about ongoing health research.

The Health Department is currently re-surveying registrants to learn more about their health status six years after the disaster. During the meeting, researchers will provide updates on this effort and others to determine whether new symptoms or conditions have emerged.

Lisbon is hosting the 4th European Conference on Rare Diseases 2007 Lisbon (ECRD 2007 Lisbon) on November 27th and 28th. The European Commission DG SANCO will use this platform to launch an unprecedented public consultation regarding European action in the field of rare diseases (1). Over 400 participants are expected to attend.

This event is organised by The European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) (2) and nine partners (3), it is taking place under the patronage of the Portuguese Ministry of Health, in the context of the Portuguese EU Council Presidency and is supported by the Public Health Programme of the European Commission DG SANCO.

The conference is a unique opportunity for patients, health care professionals, policy makers and industry representatives to interact with decision-makers from the European Commission and member states and debate on key policies and actions that will improve the lives of people affected by rare diseases.

Other hot topics such as advanced therapies and patient mobility in an enlarged Europe will be debated. The event, which stresses “patients at the heart of rare diseases policy development ” will also address patients’ needs in terms of medical, paramedical and social care, as well as unveil the results of a large survey on patients’ needs and expectations concerning access to health services in Europe.

ECRD 2007 Lisbon will also be the opportunity to discover the Portuguese draft National Plan for Rare Diseases and other important milestones in health policy.

The Conference will take place on Marriott Hotel. Terkel Andersen, President of EURORDIS, and Prof. Torrent I Farnell, Director of Dr. Robert Foundation (Spain), are the committee co-chairmen. Key speakers will be available to answer your questions at a Press Conference on November 27th at 12 noon.

Dates and location
November 27th and 28th 2007
Marriott Hotel, Lisbon (Avenida dos Combatentes, 45, 1600-042 Lisboa).

http://www.rare-diseases.eu

(1) Rare Diseases: A rare disease is considered as that when it affects less than one in 2000 people. In a total population of 459 million citizens (EU) this could mean as many as 230,000 individuals for each rare disease. Most rare diseases do only affect some thousands, hundreds or even a couple of dozens patients. These “very rare diseases” make patients and their families particularly isolated and vulnerable. It is worth noting that most cancers, including all cancers affecting children, are rare diseases.
There are about 7 000 different rare diseases. Because they are rare, the existing information is insufficient; diagnosis is not easy: some patients have to wait more than twenty years to have the right diagnosis.

(2) EURORDIS: The European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) represents more than 300 rare disease organisations in 34 different countries, covering more than 1,000 rare diseases. It is therefore the voice of the 30 million patients affected by rare diseases throughout Europe.
EURORDIS is a non-governmental patient-driven alliance of patient organisations and individuals active in the field of rare diseases, dedicated to improving the quality of life of all people living with rare diseases in Europe. It is supported by its members and by the French Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM), the European Commission, and corporate foundations and the health industry. EURORDIS was founded in 1997. Further details concerning EURORDIS and rare diseases are available at: http://www.eurordis.org

(3) Conference’s Partners: The 4th European Conference on Rare Diseases 2007 Lisbon is organised by EURORDIS and its nine partners: AFM Telethon, Barretstown, Climb, Fundacio Doctor Robert, FEDER, Frambu, Orphanet, Rare Disorders Denmark, State Institute for Drug Control SUKL.