AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF),
the US’ largest provider of HIV/AIDS healthcare, education and prevention
and operator of free AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Latin
America/Caribbean and Asia, today echoed the sentiments of a Washington
Post editorial, “A Question of Will,” (December 18, 2006) which strongly
criticized The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Calling
the Fund an institution in “disarray,” the Post editorial states that the
flaws in the organization stem not only from the current uncertainty
regarding its leadership (Executive Director, Richard Feachem, is stepping
down and the Board’s search for a replacement has stalled), but is
“compounded by uncertainty over its business model.”

“As a provider of free AIDS treatment for patients in need around the
globe, AIDS Healthcare Foundation protested the management structure of The
Global Fund from day one, believing that its dependence on national
governments — often prone to corruption — ultimately hurts AIDS
patients,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

“The Global Fund has made a significant impact on the HIV/AIDS pandemic,
getting lifesaving medicines to hundreds of thousands of people for whom it
was previously out of reach. However, six years after it was created, it’s
time for the Fund to acknowledge the flaws in its processes that keep the
organization from being as effective as possible. The Fund’s own Board of
Directors instructed the staff to make changes to the Country Coordinating
Mechanisms. That request has been ignored. Additionally, the structure of
The Global Fund marginalizes Non-Governmental Organizations — agencies
that, in many cases, are responsible for the provision of medical care on
the ground and whose participation could help remedy these concerns.”

In regards to donor confidence and its effect on the Fund, the Post
editorial further states: “Until the fund’s leadership question is resolved
and until the new leader finds the right balance between hands-off and
hands- on, there will also be uncertainty about the fund’s finances. Over
the past five years, the fund has disbursed just over $3 billion to 136
countries — a quick start for a new agency. But the fund needs to grow,
perhaps providing half of the $8 billion-plus per year that’s reckoned to
be needed to meet the challenge of these three diseases. Without this sort
of boost, there won’t be enough money to deploy the medical tools that
already exist, let alone to make use of new discoveries such as last week’s
on circumcision.”

Mr. Weinstein added, “The Post editorial got it right: until there are
fundamental changes in the structure of the Fund, donor confidence will
continue to be undermined and the Fund will not be able to grow to meet the
continuing challenges of this epidemic.”

AIDS Healthcare Foundation
aidshealth/

Human lung tumors have the ability to eliminate Vitamin D, a hormone with anti-cancer activity, a new study from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) suggests. Results of the study, Abstract Number 2402, are being presented at the 100th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), April 18 to 22, in Denver.

“High levels of Vitamin D help the body produce proteins with anti-tumor activity,” explained principal investigator Pamela Hershberger, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in UPCI’s Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology. “We’ve discovered that lung cancer cells make an enzyme called CYP24, which counteracts the positive effects of Vitamin D. To better study it, we developed the first radioactive-free assay that measures the amount of Vitamin D in tissues and blood.”

According to Dr. Hershberger, this test is sensitive enough to have clinical potential. “We hope this new assay will help identify the best approaches to maintain therapeutic levels of Vitamin D in tissues,” she said.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States in both men and women, killing 160,000 people annually, and remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat. The five-year survival rate remains low, and better treatments are much needed. According to Dr. Hershberger, it is possible that one day Vitamin D could be used as a chemopreventive agent to improve patient outcomes.

This study was supported by UPCI’s Lung Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence.

Source

University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute

Results of American Lung Association clinical research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a simpler, once-a-day regimen of a combination inhaler containing an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting beta-agonist is just as effective as twice-daily inhaled corticosteroid treatment in patients with mild persistent asthma, which may open the doors to more convenient treatment plans for millions of Americans.

“Effective, less intensive alternatives may lead to greater adherence among patients, which would mean better asthma control with a minimum of medication-the goal of asthma treatment,” said Norman H. Edelman, M.D., American Lung Association Chief Medical Officer.

“For patients, a simpler treatment plan means less drugs to take-and to remember to take-every day, fewer prescription refills and perhaps less money spent on medications, and fewer side effects. This is the kind of practical research that is helpful immediately for both physicians and patients alike.”

The study conducted by the American Lung Association’ Asthma Clinical Research Centers, the Leukotriene Modifier or Corticosteroid or Corticosteroid-Salmeterol (LOCCS) Trial compared alternative treatments among 500 adults and children whose mild persistent asthma was well controlled with standard asthma therapy (twice-daily low dose of an inhaled corticosteroid). Subjects were assigned to one of three study groups: one that continued to take the inhaled corticosteroids (fluticasone) twice daily; one that took a combination inhaler containing an inhaled corticosteroid (fluticasone) and a long-acting (inhaled) bronchodilator (salmeterol) once-daily; and one that took the leukotriene modifier, montelukast (pill form) once-daily. Results showed that once-daily fluticasone plus salmeterol was as effective as twice-daily fluticasone treatment; oral montelukast taken once-a-day, however, was not as effective as the twice-daily inhaled corticosteroid treatment but did provide good control for most patients.

“The gold-standard for treatment of mild, persistent asthma is twice-a-day inhaled corticosteroids, but we found that patients doing well on that therapy may be able to step down to a more convenient, once-a-day alternative with no loss of asthma control,” explained Stephen P. Peters, MD, PhD, lead author of the study and Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “The good news is that most patients did pretty well in this trial no matter what treatment regimen they were on, so patients and physicians have more choices for safe, effective treatment and can make their choices based on what works best for the patient.”

More than 22 million Americans have asthma, which caused 1.8 million emergency room visits in 2004. While asthma attacks are caused by increased reaction of the airways to various stimuli, the inflammation underlying asthma is continuous. Medications help reduce airway inflammation and relieve or prevent symptomatic airway narrowing.

“It’s certainly easier to do something once a day rather than twice a day,” said Dr. Peters. “Now physicians can discuss reasonable alternatives for step-down treatment for patients who gain asthma control with standard therapy based on solid evidence from a randomized controlled clinical trial, which is the best way to evaluate and compare treatment alternatives.”

The American Lung Association Asthma Clinical Research Centers Network is the nation’s largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers dedicated to asthma treatment research. The network’s mission is to conduct large clinical trials that will have a direct impact on patient care and asthma treatment. The network consists of 20 asthma clinical research centers based at leading universities across the United States and a Data Coordinating Center managed by a team at Johns Hopkins University. The network is currently conducting two clinical trials evaluating whether treatments for acid reflux are helpful for people with asthma that is difficult to control using standard therapies. For details about current studies and a complete list of Asthma Clinical Research Centers, visit lungusa.

About the American Lung Association

Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time.” For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, log on to lungusa.

Asthma Clinical Research Centers

Amedisys, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMED)(“Company”), one of America’s leading home health nursing companies, today announced that there has been very limited damage and disruptions to its field offices and network systems because of hurricane Gustav. While south Louisiana has experienced significant power outages and damages, the Amedisys corporate headquarters has experienced minimal disruption and all core corporate functions are operational. In addition, the Company’s information and computer network systems are fully operational and, other than in south Louisiana, there have been no disruptions affecting our caregivers in the field. Twelve Company locations along the Gulf Coast are currently either without power or experiencing network communication problems. The Company is working with local energy and telecom companies to address the issues at these locations. Amedisys did not have to activate its out of state disaster recovery backup site.

“Our Amedisys management and staff have displayed significant foresight and leadership in preparing for Gustav. I cannot thank them enough. While we continue to assess the full impact of hurricane Gustav, our corporate systems are operational and we continue to provide our traditional high quality patient care through our other 492 offices nationwide,” stated William F. Borne, Chief Executive Officer of Amedisys.

A local patient hotline has been established to provide patients with answers to their questions and where appropriate, referral services. In addition, Amedisys is working with local, state, and national authorities to ensure patient services are coordinated within the affected areas.

Amedisys, Inc. is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “AMED.”

This press release includes statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements, usually containing the words “believe”, “estimate”, “project”, “expect” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, continued acceptance of the Company’s services in the marketplace, competitive factors, changes in government reimbursement procedures, dependence upon third-party vendors, and the other risks described in the Company’s periodic reports and registrations statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.

Amedisys, Inc.

The first of two reviews in this week’s edition of The Lancet discusses the standards of health and lifestyles of Indigenous people. It is the work of Professor Michael Gracey, of the Unity of First People of Australia, Perth, WA, Australia, and Professor Malcolm King, of the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. There are almost 400 million Indigenous people in the world with low standards of health that are usually linked to malnutrition, poverty, environmental contamination, and prevalent infections. However, as those people shift to more modern or ‘western’ lifestyles, conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes have been on the rise. Physical, social and mental disorders related to misuse of alcohol and other drugs are also increasing. Indigenous people must be encouraged and given the means to take responsibility for issues that affect their health. In this review, the authors discuss indigenous people worldwide but focus on Aboriginal Australians.

The origins of disease in Indigenous infants and children include poor living conditions, malnutrition, and infections. These include ear disease, tooth decay, trachoma, diarrheal diseases, and respiratory infections. Vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, mumps, diphtheria, rubella, whooping cough and tetanus have been controlled in most non-Indigenous populations. But they are still widespread and potentially fatal in many Indigenous groups. The authors write: “This area should be a priority for action by governments and non-governmental organisations.”

Poverty is often a cause of malnutrition. It is frequently worsened by inadequate food storage facilities in the home. In Aboriginal children aged less than 5 years in Australia’s Northern Territory, 15 percent are underweight, 11 percent are underdeveloped, and 9 percent have a much lower than normal or expected weight-for-age. A solid community education involves carers and health workers. The general community can help prevent growth delay.

There are many risks for pregnant Indigenous women: strenuous physical activity such as carrying water over long distances, anemia, urinary tract infections, inadequate prenatal and postnatal care, and gestational diabetes which can predate permanent diabetes. In order to assist these pregnant women, the authors propose cooperation between traditional Indigenous midwives and healers, and health professionals.

The burden of all infectious diseases (from skin infections to HIV) is more elevated in Indigenous than non-Indigenous populations. Children often have skin infections. Widespread illness and death are commonly caused by respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Middle ear infections (Otitis) are common and can lead to permanent deafness. Diarrheal infections are regularly accompanied by other infections, and malnutrition. In many Indigenous groups, including American Indians and Aborigines, rates of HIV/AIDS are high. The authors point out: “The AIDS epidemic is rapidly worsening in the Asia-Pacific region.” From 1994 to 2002, the rate ratios of HIV notifications (those that are formally notified diagnoses) in Western Australia, Indigenous: non-Indigenous, were 2:1 for men and 18:1 for women.

There is a shocking rise in chronic diseases related to lifestyle factors. It is related to the westernization of Indigenous populations. High-calorie, high-fat, high-salt diets, combined with decreasing physical activity and genetic predisposition have lead to an increase in cases of diabetes. 40 percent of all Aboriginal adults in northwest Australia have diabetes. The proportion rises to 60 percent for those aged 35 and over. Some children, as young as five years old, have already became overweight and insulin resistant. Aboriginal children up to 17 years of age in Western Australia have a diagnosis rate for diabetes 18 times higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Heart disease and complications related to drug, tobacco, and alcohol use are also rapidly on the rise. An alarming factor is the rate of lifestyle-related chronic diseases increasing by more than 25 percent per decade, in some Indigenous populations. This is a potential threat for an international public health catastrophe.

There are a total of eleven risks factors to collectively explain 37 percent of the Australian Indigenous disease burden:

??? Tobacco use
??? Alcohol
??? Drug use
??? High body mass
??? Physical inactivity
??? Low intake of fruit and vegetables
??? High blood pressure
??? High cholesterol
??? Unsafe sex
??? Child abuse
??? Intimate partner abuse

These factors can all contribute to disease or injuries and violence.

The authors quoted health statistics of 193 countries to illustrate the Indigenous Health Gap. All Australian men aged 15 to 60 years combined had the seventh lowest probability of dying in 2003. All Australian women combined had the 12th lowest probability. But looking at Indigenous Australians alone, they were down at 131st in the list – below East Timor.

The authors write: “The [Australian] Government is now committed to closing this gap and other forms of long-term disadvantage that Indigenous Australians have??¦These gaps will probably not be closed by the target date of 2030 despite our best efforts and irrespective of various strategies, social and medical, that have been proposed??¦Regrettably, inadequate attention seems to have been given to potential gains that could be achieved through more meaningful involvement of Indigenous Australians and their communities in this task.”

The authors recommend a series of interventions, in maternal and child health, nutrition, infectious diseases, and lifestyle diseases to help close the gap. They write in conclusion: “Health standards of Indigenous peoples are unacceptably poor, but there is no need to despair; correction of the present situation needs a radical reorientation of previous strategies that have been ineffective or virtually non-existent. Apart from the approaches we propose??¦also important is to enable, train, and encourage Indigenous people to take responsibility for programmes and services that affect their health and for them to work closely with existing health-care systems. Emphasis on the urgent need for local, regional, and international statistics about Indigenous health is important to allow assessment of future trends and usefulness of interventions…At present most countries have no statistics or only unreliable information about the health of their indigenous groups. It is virtually impossible to measure progress over time without adequate data.”

In closing, they add: “The first Australian death from swine flu occurred very recently in a young desert-dwelling Aboriginal man. He had underlying medical conditions and his demise highlights the susceptibility of large numbers of Indigenous people to such infections. Many Aboriginal people died even in very remote parts of Australia during the great influenza pandemic of 1918.”

“Indigenous health part 1: determinants and disease patterns”
Michael Gracey, Malcolm King
Lancet 2009; 374: 65-75
The Lancet

Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)

Autistic people living in Somerset are benefiting from one of the few specialist Autism and Asperger Syndrome support teams in the country. Somerset Partnership and NHS Foundation Trust’s, Asperger Syndrome Consultancy Service, is made up of a team of specialists who offer help, advice and support to both clients and their carers.

The Trust’s team consists of two social workers, a community nurse, an occupational therapist and two part-time psychologists.

When necessary, the service contracts support from experienced autism-aware professionals in the county’s speech and language therapy services (for people with learning difficulties), and advocacy services.

Autism is a life-long developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates and relates to other people. Conditions on the so-called ‘Asperger Spectrum’ can cover everything from someone with the most severe learning disabilities right up to people who are geniuses.

Because Aspergers Syndrome (AS) patients do not ‘look’ disabled parents often say that other people think their child is misbehaving; while adult sufferers may feel misunderstood.

The main symptoms of the condition are difficulties with social communication, social interaction and social imagination. People have trouble using both verbal and non-verbal language and take everything literally.

Someone with the condition can find it difficult to understand facial expressions, tone of voice, jokes and sarcasm and may not recognise other people’s emotions and feelings.

Additionally, they may not fully appreciate the concept of danger or the need to plan ahead. This can leave people feeling vulnerable if their daily routines change suddenly or they are placed in unfamiliar situations.

Pat O’Connell, a social worker and manager with the Somerset Partnership Trust’s Asperger Syndrome Consultancy Service, said: “We work with people aged 18 and up who have an IQ more than 70 and suffer from AS. The first stage is for a community mental health team first to assess the patient for eligibility.

“We receive referrals for diagnostic assessments or for professional advice according to the complexity of the problems that people are facing. We also support and train other professionals,” said Pat.

John Friend, aged 48, was only diagnosed with AS in January this year.

He said: “We are so blessed to have the team here in Somerset. For the last 8 months I have had treatment second to none.

“Now I know what is wrong with me I am able to take appropriate action.

“It explains so much about why I have struggled all through my life. At school I was told I was a lazy child, so I became a lazy child. I was dyslexic and I had to teach myself reading by recognising the ‘shape’ of words.

“I have never held down a job for more than three months. Just being in people’s presence ‘burns’ – people with AS crave companionship, not company.

“It is so important to catch a child by the age of 5 so we can teach them that having AS is actually a blessing and a gift which must be nurtured. If you don’t catch it early enough it becomes the biggest curse of self-doubt.”

Pat O’Connell added: “People with AS say they feel like an alien in society – as if they are walking around in a bubble.

“People often come to us in a situation where they might lose their home or job and can’t cope. Sometimes they haven’t got anywhere to live and are generally depressed and anxious.

“Some don’t want to be labelled because of the stigma. However, other people in society are getting along so well they don’t actually need any help from us at all.”

“Our aim is to provide the best possible outcome for anyone with the condition in Somerset by helping them to understand their circumstances and live a life that’s as enjoyable as possible.”

Sources
Pat O’Connell, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
(Asperger Syndrome Consultancy Service)
and
Judith Smith – Planning & Communication Manager
Somerset Partnership and NHS Foundation Trust
and
Paul Courtney
NHS Communications Manager
Somerset NHS Specialist Communications

Scientists from the University of Leeds have made a fundamental step in the search for therapies for amyloid-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes mellitus. By pin-pointing the reaction that kick-starts the formation of amyloid fibres, scientists can now seek to further understand how these fibrils develop and cause disease.

Amyloid fibres, which are implicated in a wide range of diseases, form when proteins misfold and stick together in long, rope-like structures. Until now the nature of the first misfold, which then causes a chain reaction of misfolding by other proteins, was unknown.

Funded by the University of Leeds and The Wellcome Trust, the research published in Molecular Cell is the culmination of four years of work led by Sheena Radford, Professor of Structural Molecular Biology and Deputy Director of the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology at the University of Leeds.

She explains: “We wanted to discover what happened to make a perfectly normal protein into one which was prone to aggregation because if we can stop the very first event, which causes a snowball effect, it provides us with new targets for future therapies.”

The team first had to make a protein called beta-2 micro globulin, which when folded in a particular way is known to have a major role to play in the formation of amyloid fibres. These fibres particularly affect patients with kidney disease where they create deposits that can accumulate in the joints.

“Working kidneys get rid of beta-2 microglobulin,” says Professor Radford. “But if you don’t have properly functioning kidneys, you get a build up of the protein which can result in dialysis-related amyloidosis, which can be very painful.”

The researchers went on to solve the structure of this misfolded variant of beta-2 micro globulin – the first time its structure in its dangerous form has been directly shown. This allowed them to witness the properties that encourage other proteins to misfold and become amyloidegenic too.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to obtain high definition 3D images to view the structures, they found that only a small change or misfold in the protein made it unstable, causing it to become highly excitable and dynamic. This made it more likely to stick to other proteins, influencing their structure and starting off the snowball effect of aggregation.

“We saw that the variant protein bumped into others, stuck to them and changed their structure so that they too were amyloidegenic,” says Professor Radford. “This is a huge step forward, not just for renal patients, but in our fundamental understanding of how amyloid fibres may form in other diseases as well. Many amyloid diseases are due to changes in protein structure and our next steps will be to see if similar changes are taking place with other protein types.”

Source:
Clare Elsley

University of Leeds

Most Americans believe children should be given a higher priority in disaster planning and response, according to the results of a nationwide survey released today by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The poll found:

1. 76 percent of Americans agree that if resources are limited, children should be given a higher priority for life-saving treatments

2. 75 percent believe that if tough decisions must be made, life-saving treatments should be provided to children rather than adults with the same medical condition

3. 92 percent agree that if there were a terrorist attack, our country should have the same medical treatments readily available for children as are now available for adults

Yet, the country’s strategic national stockpile of medical countermeasures that can be used to respond to a range of biomedical threats is significantly lacking in medications for children – much of what is available to treat adults is unavailable in doses or preparations approved for use by children.

The AAP coordinated the national survey in partnership with the Children’s Health Fund. A six-question telephone survey of 1,030 U.S. residents was conducted Sept. 30 through Oct. 5, 2010. The majority of people surveyed in all groups supported giving higher priority to children and their needs over adults. Opinions remained consistent across various demographics, including region, household income, education, age, race, gender and political party.

“The AAP’s views about prioritizing children’s needs during disasters are shared by the American people,” said AAP President O. Marion Burton, MD, FAAP. “Children represent about 25 percent of the U.S. population. The poll shows that the general public believes we must be better prepared to meet the physical and mental health needs of children in the aftermath of a disaster. Focused attention and federal resources including continuation of the work of the National Commission on Children and Disasters are key to improving this situation.”

The poll comes on the heels of an October 6 report delivered to the President and Congress by the National Commission on Children and Disasters, which highlighted persistent gaps in disaster preparedness for children. The Commission calls for the development of a national strategy to ensure children are given a higher priority before, during and after disasters. The report includes more than 100 recommendations to federal, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations to improve protections for children.

Irwin Redlener, MD, FAAP, president of the Children’s Health Fund, stated “Not only is prioritizing the needs of children the right thing to do, it is an essential part of disaster planning in general. Failing to understand and respond to the needs of children in emergencies can undermine the entire response plan.”

“The fundamental needs of children can be anticipated, and we must prepare to meet those needs,” said Steven Krug, MD, FAAP, chair of the AAP Disaster Preparedness Advisory Council. “There is still much to be done to improve pediatric emergency preparedness and our ability to meet the needs of children during disaster response and recovery.”

Source:

American Academy of Pediatrics

Oridion Systems Ltd. (SIX Swiss Exchange: ORIDN). Oridion Systems Ltd. has received an FDA 510(k) clearance for its Capnostream(TM)20 Monitor with Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM).

The Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM), the latest Oridion Smart Capnography(TM) initiative, utilizes sophisticated algorithms to integrate the real time measures and interactions of four complex parameters – end tidal CO2 (EtCO2), respiration rate, pulse rate and SpO2 (oxygen saturation) into a single index value. The result is displayed on a scale from 1-10, where 10 indicates optimal pulmonary status.

By using the Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM), clinicians can quickly and easily assess a patient’s ventilation status and monitor a patient’s changing condition, thus facilitating more timely interventions to reduce patient risk and improve outcomes.

The Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM) has been clinically validated as evidenced by medical research studies conducted and presented at major conferences in 2008 and 2009. At the recent annual meeting of the Society for Technology in Anesthesia (STA) in San Antonio, Texas, research findings were presented by Dr. David Gozal, MD from Hadassah University Hospital and Prof. Ya’acov Gozal, MD from Shaare Zedek Medical Center, both in Jerusalem, on the validity and application of the Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM) in the pediatric population. The study concluded the Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM) would be “particularly useful for non-expert personnel monitoring patients undergoing procedures requiring sedation or recovering from them”. Based on a further study on its reliability in the post-operative setting, Prof. Ya’acov Gozal stated that since the Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM) is displayed as a single value, “it may simplify the monitoring of patients in a busy PACU.”

In addition, a study presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) in Orlando, Florida in October, 2008, demonstrated how the Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM) provides an accurate, uncomplicated and inclusive assessment of a patient’s ventilatory status.

“We are encouraged and delighted by this FDA clearance,” said Gerry Feldman, President of Oridion. “Oridion has worked hard to develop safer and easier patient safety technologies. The Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM) will make sophisticated determinations of pulmonary adequacy far more efficient for the diagnosing clinician. More importantly, it will enable the general floor nurse to confidently decide when to call for help. Our mission is to take risk and cost out of medicine and the Integrated Pulmonary Index(TM) is an important success on that journey.”

Oridion is the global leader of capnography monitoring solutions and its Microstream(R) capnography technology is the standard of care in ventilation monitoring.

About Oridion

Oridion Systems Ltd. (oridion) is a global medical device company specializing in patient safety monitoring. The Company operates through wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States, Europe, and Israel.

Oridion develops proprietary medical devices and patient interfaces, based on its patented Microstream(R) technologies, for the enhancement of patient safety through the monitoring of the carbon dioxide (CO2) in a patient’s breath. These products provide effective, proven airway management and are used in various clinical environments, including procedural sedation, pain management, operating rooms, critical care units, post-anesthesia care units, emergency medical services, transport, alternate care and other settings where patients’ ventilation may be compromised and at risk.

Certain statements made herein that are not historical are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “estimate” “project” “intend” “expect” “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, our ability to maintain profits, the market demands for our Capnography products, our ability to focus our team on the Capnography business, changes in general economic and business conditions, inability to maintain market acceptance to the Company’s products, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, rapid changes in the market for the Company’s products, loss of market share and pressure on prices resulting from competition, introduction of competing products by other companies, inability to manage growth and expansion, loss of key OEM partners, inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, inability to protect the Company’s proprietary technology.

Furthermore, this press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The Company’s shares issued have not been, and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or under any of the relevant Securities Laws of any state of the United States. The Company’s shares may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, to, or for, the account of any US person (as defined in regulation S under the Securities Act) in or into the United States, or by use of the US mail, or by any means or instrumentality of United States interstate commerce, absent registration, or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act.

Oridion Systems Ltd
oridion

Autism Speaks, the world’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, is a sponsor of the first-ever International Autism Conference (IAC) in Manila, Philippines. The conference, reaching out to the Asian autism community and organized by the Autism Hearts Foundation and Autism Hearts Philippines, is being co-sponsored by Autism Speaks with partners UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, Philippine Society for Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics and the Autism Society of the Philippines.

The IAC will gather medical experts from around the world to present the most current research, knowledge and information on diagnosis, assessment and treatments of autism spectrum disorders ASD, as well as to review current policies to create a baseline from which to support individuals on the spectrum and their families. The conference will also launch the Global Autism Public Health Initiative in the Philippines (GAPH Philippines), a partnership between the Autism Hearts Foundation and Autism Speaks. The GAPH initiative is an innovative, integrated approach with partners worldwide that focuses on increasing public and professional awareness of ASD; increasing research expertise and international collaboration through training of autism researchers, with a focus on epidemiology, screening and early diagnosis, and treatment, and enhancing service delivery by providing training and expertise to service providers in early diagnosis and intervention.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will serve as the Keynote Speaker and the First Gentleman, Attorney Jose Miguel T. Arroyo, will be the honorary conference chair. Both will attend the IAC opening ceremony on Wednesday, February 3.

“Autism Speaks is pleased to formalize our relationship with the Philippines,” said Andy Shih, Ph.D., Autism Speaks vice president for scientific affairs. “Autism Speaks has already made a $1 million commitment to speed our international collaboration efforts in the areas of science, research and epidemiology. We have translated screening and diagnostic instruments in at least eight languages, spoken by an estimated 1.75 billion people worldwide, an essential first step in local diagnosis of individuals with autism. Once prevalence can be estimated by these diagnostic efforts, GAPH can support countries such as the Philippines in crafting policy and shaping services to serve their local populations impacted by autism.” Dr. Shih will be speaking at the conference, along with two other Autism Speaks experts.

About Autism: Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 110 children in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The prevalence of autism increased 57 percent from 2002 to 2006. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.

Source:
Jane E. Rubinstein
Autism Speaks