Ahead of World Mental Health Day, today sees the publication of the Mental Health Integration Index, a new research initiative commissioned by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and undertaken by the Economist Intelligence Unit.1 The research explores the challenges of integrating Europeans with mental illness into society and employment, within the European Union’s 28 Member States, plus Norway and Switzerland. Countries have been ranked according to their degree of commitment to support those living with mental illness; the findings demonstrate that while there are many examples of good practice across Europe, the whole region has a long way to go before people with mental illness are adequately supported and truly integrated into their communities.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/72762557-janssen-europe-mental-health-index/
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and Major League Baseball (MLB) are once again teaming up to hit home runs for prostate cancer research and encourage fans to “Keep Dad in the Game” as part of the yearly celebration of Father’s Day and annual Home Run Challenge.
This year Joe Torre, MLB’s Chief Baseball Officer, Hall of Famer and prostate cancer survivor, encourages baseball fans everywhere to support PCF’s efforts to end prostate cancer by delivering an important public service announcement, “to step up to the plate, help save lives and get one step closer to finding a cure.”
“Joe has been a great partner in our progress toward improved treatment outcomes and an eventual cure,” said PCF Founder and Chairman Mike Milken. “His work as well as those by MLB and all 30 Clubs has helped us raise more than $45 million for research programs that are saving thousands of lives.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7729251-pcf-and-mlb-prostate-home-run-challenge/
Abbott announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and launch of the iDesign Advanced WaveScan Studio System. The system acts as the "brain" of the LASIK procedure, generating a high-definition scan that measures and maps irregularities of the eye that may impact vision. From these measurements, the iDesign System creates an accurate and personalized LASIK treatment plan based on the unique "blueprint" of each person’s eyes.
The iDesign System captures more than 1,200 micro readings of the eye, as well as identifying the shape of the cornea, its curvature, how light passes through the eye and pupil diameter under different lighting conditions – all in one, three-second scan that can be used to precisely correct vision.
The development of the sensor technology within the iDesign System was the result of an earlier discovery by Abbott scientists, which NASA used to accurately measure and shape the mirrors in the James Webb Space Telescope to ensure it will transmit high resolution images of deep space back to earth. The telescope is scheduled to launch in 2018.
To view the Multimedia News Release, please go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7571951-abbott-idesign-system-3-d-eye-map/
LivaNova PLC (NASDAQ:LIVN; LSE: LIVN) (“LivaNova” or the “Company”), a market-leading medical technology and innovation company, today recognizes that more than one million people in the United States with drug-resistant epilepsy continue to be treated unsuccessfully with drugs, despite the proven effectiveness of non-drug treatment options. LivaNova’s VNS Therapy®, for example, is a medical device treatment specifically designed for people with drug-resistant epilepsy that is already used by more than 85,000 people around the world.
One in three people with epilepsy has the type that is not well controlled with drugs, called drug-resistant epilepsy. For those people, prescribing more medicine is usually not the most effective option. In fact, research shows that if you haven’t found seizure freedom after your first two drugs, there is a 95 percent chance that no drug or combination of drugs will result in seizure freedom.
“Despite what we know about drug-resistant epilepsy, the majority of people affected by this condition will continue to be prescribed additional medications instead of being evaluated for surgery or seen in a specialized epilepsy facility,” said Jason Richey, president of LivaNova’s U.S. Region and general manager of the Neuromodulation Business Franchise. “This treatment gap means over one million individuals in the U.S. with undertreated epilepsy remain at risk for dangerous side effects of continued seizures, including injury, depression, memory issues and death.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7966451-livanova-vns-therapy-epilepsy/
WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ:WBMD), the leading source of health information, today announced the premiere of WebMD’s Future of Health with Robin Roberts, developed in collaboration with Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts and her independent production company, Rock’n Robin Productions. Each Future of Health episode presents stories about cutting-edge medical breakthroughs, inspiring individuals working to improve people’s lives, and the people that are benefiting from their efforts. The five-part digital video series and related programming, which include feature stories, slideshows, quizzes and a host of video extras, are available at http://webmd.com/futureofhealth.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7282551-webmd-future-of-health/
Significant advances toward cures for blood cancer patients, many of which were funded by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) over the past 65 years, are among the dramatic highlights featured in Ken Burns presents CANCER: THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES, a film by Barak Goodman, to air on PBS stations nationwide from March 30-April 1. The documentary series is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.
LLS has been a driving force behind treatment breakthroughs for patients with blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. As the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to finding cures for blood cancer patients, LLS has invested more than $1billion in research to advance lifesaving treatments and cures.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7409151-lls-cancer-research-pbs-series/
Phenogen Sciences, Inc. today announced the availability of BREVAGenplus, an easy-to-use predictive risk test for the millions of women at risk of developing sporadic, or non-hereditary, breast cancer. The test is an enhancement of the company’s first generation product, BREVAGen®. BREVAGenplus assesses both clinical risk factors and genetic markers known to be associated with sporadic, or non-hereditary, breast cancer to determine a woman’s five-year and lifetime risk of developing the disease. The test is designed to facilitate better informed decisions about breast cancer screening and preventive treatment plans for Caucasian, Hispanic and African-American women, age 35 years or above, who have not had breast cancer, lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and have one or more risk factors for developing breast cancer.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7337351-phenogen-sciences-introduces-brevagenplus-breast-cancer-risk-assessment-test/
Northwestern Mutual, presenting sponsor of the Rose Bowl Game, today announced that its float in the 127th Rose Parade presented by Honda in Pasadena on Jan. 1, 2016, will support the fight against childhood cancer.
The theme of this year’s parade is Find Your Adventure. Northwestern Mutual will dedicate its float design to the greatest adventure and dream of 13-year-old Peyton Richardson of Sugar Land, Texas, who is in treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Northwestern Mutual is committed to raising awareness, accelerating the search for cures to childhood cancer and providing support to families battling the disease.
Peyton, an aspiring ballerina, would like to see the performances of the distinguished ballet companies of the world and have a ballet lesson with one of their principal dancers. Peyton’s adventure will be brought to life in flowers by Fiesta Parade Floats.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7422154-northwestern-mutual-rose-bowl/
Denny’s, one of America’s largest full-service restaurant chains, today announced its commitment to sourcing and serving 100 percent cage-free eggs in all of its U.S. restaurants by 2026. Denny’s is the first within the family dining segment to commit to 100% cage-free eggs, underlining the brand’s dedication to the humane treatment of animals within its supply sourcing and its ongoing focus on quality, flavor and guest satisfaction.
“We believe our guests care about how their food is sourced and so do we. For more than 60 years, we have listened to our guests to understand what they care about the most, without sacrificing on quality, taste or value,” said John Miller, Denny’s president and chief executive officer. “The humane treatment of animals remains an important part of our brand’s sourcing strategy, and our commitment to this transition underscores our confidence in the ethical evolution of supplier capabilities.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7731351-denny-s-commits-cage-free-eggs/
“Someone special at St. Jude would like to say hello,” this is what Guests at Chili’s® Grill & Bar Highland Springs restaurant heard after choosing to donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® during this year’s Create-A-Pepper campaign. It’s often difficult to connect how an add-on donation at the end of a meal or coloring a pepper while at Chili’s can have an impact on the kids at St. Jude, but over the past 15 years, each donation and pepper has added up to more than $64 million to support St. Jude’s mission of Finding cures. Saving children®.
This year, Chili’s is showing how a little action can create a big impact by continuing to connect those who care with those in need of care. ChiliHeads at Highland Springs in Beaumont, Calif. surprised everyday Guests with a special thank you for their donation to St. Jude. Guests came in expecting a normal dining experience and got something completely different. After a donation, Guests received a video call from a St. Jude survivor who personally shared their story and the difference each donation makes in ensuring that no family ever receives a bill.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8227251-chilis-st-jude-create-a-pepper/
Following FDA approval of the AspireSR® generator for the VNS Therapy® system in June 2015, more than a thousand patients with drug-resistant epilepsy across the United States have received this new treatment option. Many of these patients are experiencing benefits which have positively impacted their lives – and are sharing their stories during Epilepsy Awareness Month with the hope of encouraging others to seek new treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy. Numerous hospitals nationwide have begun providing the AspireSR device to patients with drug-resistant epilepsy – a condition that affects as many as one-third of people with epilepsy, causing them to have seizures in spite of treatment with antiepileptic medications.
The VNS Therapy system is a minimally invasive option in which a medical device is placed under the skin in the upper chest area during an outpatient procedure. The device sends mild electrical pulses through the vagus nerve to areas of the brain known to be associated with seizures. The new AspireSR generator takes the VNS Therapy technology a step further – detecting relative heart-rate increases that are often associated with seizures in people with epilepsy and providing responsive stimulation in an attempt to stop and shorten seizures and improve recovery.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7651751-livanova-aspiresr-treatment/
Findings from continued clinical studies of investigational chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy, CTL019, demonstrate its potential role in the treatment of certain types of lymphocytic leukemia. In one long-term study of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), results showed that 36 of 39 pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) ALL, or 92%, experienced complete remissions (CR) with CTL0191.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7393851-novartis-new-ctl019-clinic-data-acute-lymphoblastic-leukemia/