AAB Scores Victory in NY Laboratory Fees Dispute
According to the American Association of Bioanalysts(AAB), every year the New York Department of Health charges laboratories holding New York State laboratory permits several millions of dollars for equipment, supplies, and travel that the AAB contends is not used for the city’s laboratory regulation program. Approximately 2 years ago, in the discovery process of its lawsuit, the AAB demanded that the New York Department of Health identify and justify every such expense it had incurred since 1998. The Department fought this demand, first in trial court and then in appellate court, claiming that it would be “unduly burdensome” to comply.
The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court recently affirmed the 2003 court ruling in AAB’s favor. The appellate court accepted AAB’s argument, stating: “While we acknowledge that both volume of the inquiries and the records sought may now be ‘unduly burdensome,’ this result is solely due to the defendant’s [the New York Department of Health’s] failure to abide by statutory mandate for the years in question. As their laxity fueled the complexity of this litigation, there can be no abuse in the determination mandating full production.”
“The New York Department of Health has been doing everything possible to avoid having to account for its inappropriate assessments against New York clinical laboratories,” says Mark Birenbaum, PhD, AAB’s administrator. “We are pleased that the courts in New York have so emphatically rejected the efforts of the New York Department of Health to avoid accounting for its noncompliance with the law. The AAB looks forward to bringing this case to trial, where we can expose the Department’s years of abuse and improper practices.”
The AAB expects the trial court to give the New York Department of Health reasonable time to comply and then the lawsuit will go to trial possibly in mid-2005.
Contact: The American Association of Bioanalysts (314) 241-1445; www.aab.org
 Online Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Resource Now Available The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and Medscape have launched a new online resource for health professionals called Medscape Pathology and LabMedicine. The site, which is located at www.pathology.medscape.com, was developed by the two organizations to provide access to research and educational resources for pathologists and laboratory professionals, as well as for physicians and medical personnel from other specialties. Medscape Pathology and Lab Medicine is free to health professionals, and offers expert features and analysis related to laboratory medicine and pathology. The site also includes selected articles from ASCP’s two scientific journals, American Journal of Clinical Pathology and LabMedicine. “America’s health, literally, depends on the quality of medical laboratories in hospitals, physicians’ offices, clinics, and government and private laboratories,” says David Keren, MD, president of ASCP. “This new collaboration with Medscape will help us accomplish our mission of increasing the knowledge not only of pathologists and laboratory professionals, but it also will inform and educate professionals from all other branches of medicine and the health care industry.” Contact: American Society for Clinical Pathology (312) 738-1336; www.ascp.org |
COLA and the University of Wisconsin offer Laboratory Director Education Track
The University of Wisconsin and Clinical Laboratory Accreditation and Education (COLA) are jointly sponsoring a Laboratory Director education track for the CLMA/ASCP ThinkLab ’05 Conference and Exhibition to be held March 5–8 in Chicago. The educational program is designed to meet the needs of physicians who are interested in obtaining the necessary continuing medical education (CME) credits to qualify as laboratory director of a moderate-complexity laboratory. In addition, the program provides clinical laboratory professionals with the knowledge needed for directing and supervising a physician’s office laboratory practice. The education track will allow participants to receive a Laboratory Director certificate in addition to approved CME credits toward the AMA Physician Recognition Award.
The Laboratory Director track is offered through a blended approach in which participants attend four live sessions during the annual conference, followed by six online courses that will be available for 6 months after the conference. The blended conference program is approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for physicians practicing in any CLIA-certified laboratory. The online portion of the Laboratory Director Track will be available to participants through LabUniversity at www.cola.org.
Contact: COLA (800) 981-9883; www.cola.org
CeMines Initiates Price Reductions on Antibody Products
In an action aimed at drawing exposure to its product line in a market that has become saturated, CeMines Inc announced that it has reduced the prices of its antibody products.
Through February 15, distributors and resellers of antibodies interested in selling CeMines’ antibodies will be able to purchase these products at a significant discount from the company’s price lists. Individual researchers interested in purchasing antibodies from the CeMines catalog (www.cemines.com) also will be able to obtain these products at a discounted price.
“We recognize that this is a time when researchers all over the world are planning their experiments. We want to make sure that they have the opportunity to conduct their experiments cost-effectively,” says Joanna Money, vice president and general manager of CeMines BioSystems Division. “Our antibody collection is quite unique, and this sale will enable sellers of antibodies to put the products into the worldwide research market. We are hoping to gain a lot of exposure to our antibody portfolio with this strategy, enhancing the value of CeMines’ products in a crowded market.”
CeMines’ antibodies are targeted primarily at transcription factors and splicing factors. They include a large selection of the FOX and SOX family of antibodies, as well as many antibodies targeted at neural disease and development.
Contact: CeMines Inc (303) 526-3700; www.cemines.com
| Skinvisible Aids in Tsunami Relief Efforts In cooperation with its ingredient suppliers, manufacturer, and licensee, Skinvisible Inc will donate 2,000 cases (12,000 bottles) of dermal defense antimicrobial hand sanitizer to the relief efforts in Asia’s tsunami-affected regions. In its latest report, sources from the World Health Organization (WHO) say that the relief effort “is a race against time as the fear of disease outbreaks continues to mount.” The immediate priority for the health of the displaced populations in the aftermath of the Southeast Asia earthquake and tsunami remains access to adequate supplies of safe drinking water. Additionally, pressing needs are sanitation, hygiene, shelter, and access to basic medical supplies. With between three and five million people estimated to be without access to such basic needs, disease outbreaks could lead to a significant increase in casualties. “When germs are spread by hand-to-hand or by hand-to-mouth contact, it’s difficult to fight the spread of disease when there’s no water to drink, let alone wash your hands with,” explains Terry Howlett, president of Skinvisible. “Survivors and volunteer workers need a product that offers lasting protection from the spread of disease. Independent studies indicate that the dermal defense formulation kills germs and bacteria for up to 4 hours per application, despite perspiration or repeated hand washing.” “In camps built for 300 people, there are often twice that number living there, with open defecation and urination everywhere,” says C. M. Mathew from ActionAid in India. “Ensuring sanitation and hygiene, along with distributing food, is a key priority of our work.” Contact: Skinvisible (702) 433-7154; www.skinvisible.com |
BD Biosciences Supports World AIDS Day
In recognition of World AIDS Day this past December, BD Biosciences is providing a free reagent kit to each of its BD FACSCount™ System customers. The BD FACSCount instrument and reagent system is used to monitor disease progression in HIV-infected individuals worldwide. The majority of BD FACSCount System customers are in Africa, where AIDS is devastating entire communities. In total, BD Biosciences is providing approximately 30,000 tests around the globe, including countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific region.
“Since 1994, the BD FACSCount System has been used to monitor CD4
T-cell counts in resource-poor countries,” says Jeanne Brosnan, BD Biosciences’ vice president of global HIV/AIDS initiatives. “We are very happy to see that the global response to this crisis is improving and has resulted in many more patients having access to antiretroviral drugs and diagnostic monitoring tests.”
The BD FACSCount instrument monitors disease progression by measuring the absolute count of blood cells infected by HIV—the CD4 T cells. As the disease progresses, the CD4 T-cell count declines. The change in the absolute CD4 count is a critical factor for deciding when to initiate antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected patients, and it plays a key role in the successful treatment of HIV/AIDS. The need for immune status monitoring increases as the number of people receiving treatment grows, making BD Biosciences’ work significant in the battle against HIV/AIDS.
Contact: BD Biosciences (877) 232-8995; www.bdbiosciences.com
Consorta and Radiometer Continue Blood Gas Product Agreement
Radiometer America has signed a second, 3-year agreement to supply its blood gas instruments and related products to shareholders of Consorta Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Consorta shareholders can choose from Radiometer’s blood gas product line, including instruments for the laboratory and point-of-care, and the RADIANCE™ analyzer management system. Instruments covered by the agreement include the ABL™700 series, ABL77 and NPT7 blood gas analyzers, and the TCM™4 and TCM400 series transcutaneous monitors. Accessories and consumables include Radiometers’ AutoCheck™ automated quality control module and the PICO™ and CLINITUBES lines of blood samplers.
“Our new contract continues a long-term relationship with Radiometer,” says Lois Brisben, MT, director, laboratory services, Consorta. “Radiometer’s product breadth, product performance, and low operational cost provide value for [our] members.”
Contact: Radiometer (800) 736-0600; www.radiometeramerica.com
| Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Also May Reduce Risk of Blood Clots Statin drugs, which are commonly used to lower high cholesterol blood levels, have been shown to possibly decrease the risk for thrombotic complications of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), a disease associated with blood clotting and recurrent fetal loss. Research conducted on animal models has shown success in using the drug fluvastatin to inhibit the factors causing development of thrombosis. Current treatments for thrombosis include the use of blood-thinning drugs like warfarin, which, according to the Cleveland Clinic, does not dissolve blood clots, but can prevent their formation and further growth. However, this treatment is difficult for patients to take because of the need for frequent blood monitoring, potential bleeding complications, and the cost and inconvenience due to multiple drug interactions. The study, led by D.E. Ferrara and researchers from Morehouse School of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, and the University of Milan, Italy, suggests that Statins may replace warfarin, or provide an alternative therapy pending more study in human trials. “Statin drugs appear to decrease abnormalities that increase the risk of thrombosis associated with antiphospholipid antibodies,” says Robin Brey, MD, commentating author of the Statin drugs study. “Additionally, Statin drugs seem to decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke independent of their effect on cholesterol lowering, and are relatively free of serious side effects,” says Brey. “However, clinical trials must be performed to see if their protective effect in patients with aPL holds up.” The National Organization for Rare Disorders reports that APS is characterized by recurring blood clots in individuals before the age of 45 and also may be associated with repeated spontaneous abortions in young women. Contact: Blackwell Publishing Inc (781) 388-8507; www.blackwellpublishing.com/press |
 Frost & Sullivan Award SomaLogicSomaLogic Inc, a privately held proteomics company, announced recently that it has received Frost & Sullivan’s 2004 Technology Innovation award in the field of biomarkers. Frost & Sullivan’s Technology Innovation award for biomarkers is given to a company (or individual) that has carried out new research that resulted in innovations that either have or are expected to provide significant contributions to the biomarker field in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. It recognizes the quality and depth of a research and development program, as well as the vision and risk-taking that enabled the recipient to undertake such an endeavor. In the study conducted by SomaLogic—Biomarkers: Promising Research, Potential Applications and New Developments—Frost & Sullivan recognized the potential of the company’s proprietary photoaptamer arrays to set the standard for the simultaneous analysis of large numbers of proteins in clinical samples. “We are honored by this award, particularly since Frost & Sullivan reviewed the full range of technologies for biomarker discovery and development,” says Larry Gold, PhD, chairman and chief science officer of SomaLogic. “As a proteomics-based diagnostics company, the discovery of new biomarkers and patterns of biomarkers—protein signatures—is at the very heart of what we do.” SomaLogic’s arrays use photoaptamers to capture and bind target proteins, avoiding many of the challenges associated with antibody-based arrays. Photoaptamers are single-stranded nucleic acids (most often DNA) that assume three-dimensional shapes and bind their target molecules with high affinity and specificity. Because they can also form specific covalent bonds with their target proteins, photoaptamers are ideal for an array of applications. Background proteins can be washed away under harsh conditions (reducing noise), and the amount of protein present can be assessed using a simple universal protein stain. Neither of these approaches can be used with antibodies. Moreover, by eliminating the cross-talk associated with secondary antibodies, photoaptamer arrays substantially increase the number of simultaneous measurements on each clinical sample. “SomaLogic’s technology promises to deliver a scale that approaches that of 2-D gel electrophoresis but with performance comparable to ELISAs,” says S. Ravi Shankar, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst. “SomaLogic [received the] award for technology innovation for its outstanding efforts in developing protein array technology that could help overcome the industry’s twin challenges of robustness and scalability,” Shankar continues. Contact: SomaLogic Inc (303) 625-9000; www.somalogic.com |
New Award Recognizes Laboratory Innovation and Technology Advancement
The Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA), a multidisciplinary, nonprofit scientific association spanning diverse industries and technology sectors, has established a $10,000 ALA Innovation Award that will recognize conference participants who present innovative laboratory technologies or new, highly useful technology advances and applications.
Those who conduct podium presentations displaying vision, originality, seminal technology, applications, and strategies are eligible for the award.
“To our knowledge, this is the first time an award of this magnitude has been established and funded by a nonprofit organization in this sector,” says Greg Dummer, ALA’s chief administrative officer.
A panel of 11 experts in laboratory technologies judge the award. The judges will conduct preliminary screening of abstracts prior to the conference, then conduct rigorous evaluation and select the winner.
The ALA also announces the discontinuation of LabFusion, the organization’s Boston-based conference and exhibition focused on laboratory technology applications in the biopharmaceutical industry.
“We believe it’s in the best interests of the ALA and our dedicated worldwide membership base that we direct our energies and talents toward enhancing our nonprofit association’s educational strength and value through LabAutomation and related programs,” says Peter Grandsard, PhD, ALA president. “While LabFusion’s content resonated within the global scientific community, we think we can accomplish more and provide even greater educational value by building on the core strengths of LabAutomation, now and into the future.”
According to the association, the ALA will continue to focus on investing in strategic initiatives and programs that help professionals develop, optimize, and capitalize on emerging laboratory technologies to enable improved processes across numerous industries. For example, the ALA has implemented many key changes for LabAutomation2005, which took place January 30 through February 3, 2005, in San Jose, Calif. Changes included a fully revamped educational program, enhanced plenary session content, an improved exhibition floor plan, and point-counterpoint sessions on timely issues impacting the field of laboratory technology.
Contact: Association for Laboratory Automation (866) 263-4928; www.labautomation.org
