Medtronic Announces European Launch of Wireless System Allowing Prompt Remote Monitoring and Management of Disease Progression in Patients with Heart Devices

Medtronic CareLink Network Heart Monitoring Technology Has Potential to Improve Care for Millions of Patients with Heart Failure or Arrhythmias Across Europe

August 30, 2007 - VIENNA, Austria & MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medtronic, Inc., (NYSE:MDT) announced today that it has obtained CE Mark approval and is launching the automatic version of the Medtronic CareLink® Network with ConexusT Wireless Telemetry in the European Union.

The Medtronic CareLink Network with wireless telemetry can be programmed to automatically transmit patient and device data on potentially deadly disease progression from an implanted heart device directly to physicians. This has the potential to improve care for millions of patients with heart failure or arrhythmias by allowing prompt monitoring and management of disease progression, which may help prevent sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Compatible devices include cardiac resynchronisation therapy-defibrillators (CRT-D) for patients with heart failure and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for patients with arrhythmias. The Medtronic CareLink Network is also the first and only approved system to allow remote monitoring and alerting of fluid buildup in the thoracic cavity (a precursor of heart failure) via a proprietary feature called OptiVol® Fluid Status Monitoring, potentially preventing heart failure hospitalisations.

According to Dr. John Morgan, Professor of Cardiology, Southampton University, Southampton, England, "This wireless technology is a major step forward in the management of chronic heart disease. For the first time, it allows us unprecedented, immediate access to patient data."

Approximately 14 million people in Europe currently suffer from heart failure1, and a half-million patients die from SCD in Europe each year2. "The prompt alert of major disease progression allows any necessary review of patient therapy and prompt intervention if needed - in many cases there is a good chance we can avoid emergency admissions of patients with heart failure to hospitals. Using this technology we can better manage patients in the primary care setting and potentially reduce their dependence on hospitals," commented Dr. Morgan.

The Medtronic CareLink Network with Conexus Wireless Telemetry enables hands-free transmissions that take place automatically if the patient's device detects a problem, such as an arrhythmia or fluid overload. The new technology offers patients peace of mind knowing physicians will be automatically made aware if certain cardiac problems occur, even in cases where the patient does not feel symptoms. Additionally, it is the only product available that can promptly provide physicians with data comparable to an in-office visit, offering patients more choice and flexibility. The system allows automatic data transmission without interference by cell phones or other electrical equipment via the global standard Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) radio frequency band.

According to Peter Steinmann, Medtronic's vice president of the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management business in Western Europe, "We are delighted that this truly groundbreaking combination of medicine and technology has received CE Mark approval. The Medtronic CareLink Network has already brought increased peace of mind and convenience to 150,000 patients with heart failure or arrhythmias worldwide. The addition of wireless technology has the potential to further improve the care of millions of patients, and potentially reduce the number of sudden cardiac deaths across Europe."

About the Medtronic CareLink Network

The Medtronic CareLink Network is now approved for use with the Concerto® cardiac resynchronisation therapy-defibrillator (CRT-D), and the Virtuoso® single- and dual-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). These devices include the Medtronic-exclusive feature OptiVol Fluid Status Monitoring, which measures fluid build-up in the chest, a symptom of heart failure progression. More than 1,700 clinics and more than 150,000 patients worldwide currently benefit from use of the Medtronic CareLink Network.

The Medtronic CareLink Network with wireless technology is being presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress (ESC), Vienna, 1-5 September 2007. Demonstrations of the new wireless heart monitoring system are available throughout the congress at the Medtronic booth.

About the Wireless Technology

The Medtronic CareLink Network with wireless technology sends device and patient data to physicians via the Internet. Data are reliably transmitted via Medtronic's exclusive Conexus Wireless Telemetry, operating on the Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) radio frequency band, without interference from cell phones or other electrical equipment.

The physician is alerted via text or email that a transmission of new data from their patients has been initiated - this text or email is called a CareAlertT. Once a CareAlert has been received, physicians can review the new patient data and provide care by adjusting device or drug therapy as necessary.

About Medtronic

Medtronic, Inc., (www.medtronic.com) headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology - alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 27, 2007. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

1 SHAPE Survey Results to the General Public, Annual Congress of the European Society of Cardiology in Vienna, September 2003, http://www.heartfailure-europe.com/index1.php?item=153 (last accessed August 21, 2007)

2 Priori S et al. Task Force on Sudden Cardiac Death, European Society of Cardiology, Summary of recommendations. Europace (2006) 4, 3-18.
Contacts

Medtronic, Inc.
Public Relations (Europe):
Yvan Deurbroeck, +41 21 802 7574
or
Public Relations (U.S.):
Tracy McNulty, 763-514-4553
or
Investor Relations:
Jeff Warren, 763-505-2696

# posted by (hris @ 10:30 AM 0 comments

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Humana Launch Drug Safety Surveillance Program

August 22, 2007 - MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) today announced the launch of a new Pharmacovigilance Initiative at the University's medical campus in Miami. The new program will focus on prescription drug safety -- in particular, the science of detecting and understanding adverse drug events.

"It is estimated that about 2 million people in this country experience a serious adverse drug reaction each year," said University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala. "Clearly, something in our system is not working properly, and this new program will track the problem and offer solutions based on good science and research."

The new Pharmacovigilance Initiative will be undertaken by the University of Miami-Humana Health Services Research Center, a public-private partnership established in 2005 to focus on health services and health behavior research with an emphasis on improving health outcomes for individual patients.

"Pharmacovigilance represents yet another area where the University and Humana have a unique opportunity to bridge the research gap between the bench and the bedside and give consumers a real time, transparent view into the health care system," said Jonathan Lord, M.D., Humana's Chief Innovation Officer.

Although the Center works with a number of entities today to design and produce cutting edge research on conditions like metabolic syndrome, obesity, heart disease and diabetes, the new Pharmacovigilance Initiative will be an independent pursuit aimed at protecting the health and safety of the public, supporting better clinician decision making through reporting on the comparative effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, and contributing to the ongoing dialogue in Washington around drug safety.

"Right now, the reporting of adverse drug events to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is strictly voluntary, and the recent drug recalls and stepped-up black box warnings would suggest something more needs to be done to protect patient safety," said Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School of Medicine. "This new initiative between the Miller School of Medicine and Humana is the right thing to do for the patient, at the right time."

Further complicating the risks of adverse drug events, roughly 21 percent of all medications are prescribed "off label," or for uses other than what they were approved for by the FDA. Little is known about clinical and cost impacts of off-label use.

"We will be looking at a wide range of medications to track trends in side effects and potential adverse events," said William J. O'Neill, M.D., executive dean for clinical affairs and medical director of the Pharmacovigilance Initiative. "For example, we are analyzing the outcomes of 41,000 diabetics in Humana's population, including Avandia users."

Avandia is the diabetes drug that recently came under fire because of a reported increase in heart attack risk.

The Center will be appointing a multi-disciplinary Advisory Board, including a medical ethicist, to provide guidance on the clinical domains of exploration and communicating findings to the public. Beyond Avandia and several other targeted analyses, the University of Miami and Humana expect the Pharmacovigilance Initiative to begin communicating through public releases and a consumer Website a large volume of research findings in early 2008.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 11.3 million medical members. Humana offers a diversified portfolio of health insurance products and related services - through traditional and consumer-choice plans - to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals.

Humana is one of Florida's leading health benefits companies with nearly 1 million medical members statewide, and is the University of Miami's health benefits provider.

Over its 46-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's Web site at http://www.humana.com.

Contacts

Humana Corporate Communications
Mitch Lubitz, 813-732-0386
mlubitz@humana.com
or
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Media Relations
Jeanne Antol Krull, 305-243-4853
jkrull@med.miami.edu

# posted by (hris @ 12:06 PM 0 comments

Humana to Allow Early Prescription Refills in Minnesota Disaster Areas

Company waives prescription refill rule for members affected by storms and flooding

August 24, 2007 - MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) announced today it will allow its health plan members in three southeastern Minnesota counties to obtain early refills of their prescriptions in the wake of devastating thunderstorms and flooding that have struck the region in recent days.

President Bush has declared Fillmore, Houston and Winona counties federal disaster areas following the storms and flooding, which killed seven people and damaged thousands of homes.

With flooding and property damage widespread in the area, Humana today has temporarily lifted the normal 30-day restriction on early prescription refills for its health plan members in Fillmore, Houston and Winona counties over the next seven days.

The early-refill waiver on prescriptions is in effect in those counties for all Humana members through August 31, 2007.

Humana is one of Minnesota's largest providers of Medicare health benefits. More than 100,000 members statewide use Humana's Medicare Advantage health plans or Medicare prescription drug plans.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 11.3 million medical members. Humana offers a diversified portfolio of health insurance products and related services - through traditional and consumer-choice plans - to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals.

Over its 46-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's web site at http://www.humana.com, including copies of:

    * Annual reports to stockholders;
    * Securities and Exchange Commission filings;
    * Most recent investor conference presentations;
    * Quarterly earnings news releases;
    * Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls;
    * Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors);
    * Corporate Governance Information.

Contacts

Humana Inc.
Corporate Communications:
Mark Mathis, 312-441-5010
mmathis@humana.com

# posted by (hris @ 3:23 PM 0 comments

ZyDoc(R) Medical Transcription Services Alerts Doctors with Patients Affected by Avandia and Actos Drug Warnings

Using data mining technology, ZyDoc Medical Transcription services automatically notified physician clients which of their patients were using these medications with FDA advisories. ZyDoc's easy-to-use medical transcription service with data mining capability allows any medical practice using dictation to participate in the electronic record revolution to extract vital information from their transcribed medical records without limitations of current EMR systems.

Hauppauge, NY (PRWEB) August 20, 2007 -- On August 14, 2007, the FDA issued a "black-box" cardiac risk warning label warning for the entire class of anti-diabetic drugs, known as thiazolidinediones (TZDs). The class includes Avandia (rosiglitazone), Actos (pioglitazone), and all combo-drugs containing these medications, such as Avandaryl (rosiglitazone and glimepiride), Avandamet (rosiglitazone and metformin) and Duetact (pioglitazone and glimepride). In January 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a MedWatch alert notifying physicians of reports of new onset or worsening macular edema in patients taking Avandia.

Faced with this information, physicians using paper-based medical records had no practical way to identify which of their thousands of patients were taking these medications, unless patients called with questions or they reviewed their charts manually. However, physicians using the ZyDoc Medical Transcription service were automatically notified as to which of their patients were using these medications when they logged into their web-based ZyDoc TrackDoc transcription system on June 11, 2007, following the initial advisory of concerns two months prior to the actual warning release.

James M. Maisel, M.D., ZyDoc Chairman and a vitreoretinal surgeon explains, "As a provider and repository of web-based medical transcription records, we felt an obligation to help our physicians identify patients pertaining to this advisory. Advisories, recalls and warnings have become a growing problem for physicians and patients, as illustrated by recent complications concerning not only medications such as Vioxx and ADHD drugs but devices such as defibrillators, over the counter items such as contact lens solutions and environmental exposure to asbestos that can cause mesothelioma. While most physicians struggle with indentifying their at-risk patients, ZyDoc can easily analyze a physician's previously transcribed word processing documents and extract the vital data. Physicians using the ZyDoc medical transcription service were immediately informed which of their patients might be affected by the advisory as part of their standard operating procedure when they logged on in the morning to review their web-based transcription delivery service accounts. As always, patient confidentiality was not compromised. No one has been able to deliver this type of critical clinical information as part of the daily workflow. Further development of data mining will allow any medical practice using transcription to participate in the electronic record revolution."

Availability
Doctors can obtain information and enroll on the ZyDoc Medical Transcription web site for a free trial of ZyDoc transcription services. Physicians can dictate using the TelDoc 800 telephone system or professional handheld digital recorders. ZyDoc is a leading provider of transcription services for specialty care group practices, ambulatory surgery centers and hospitals. ZyDoc medical transcription is also available as a member benefit through the International Physician Network (IPN), a subsidiary of AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE: ABC).

About ZyDoc Medical Transcription
Founded in 1993, ZyDoc is a privately held, full service, medical transcription company featuring HIPAA compliant web-based records, e-signature, faxing, and legacy integration solutions. Physicians, transcription companies, and hospitals use these services to produce, organize, and distribute multispecialty patient documentation. ZyDoc solves the PC literacy, data entry bottle neck, implementation, and cost issues that plague other clinical documentation EMR companies. The company uses award winning technology, workflow enhancements, and the Internet with ASP applications. ZyDoc is a development partner with SUNY Computer Sciences at Stony Brook, an Olympus authorized distributor, and an IBM speech premiere business partner. In 2004, ZyDoc was ranked 3rd nationally in medical transcription by the Medical Records Institute and has also won awards from the medical informatics, speech recognition, and software industries. The technology platform is augmented by 24-hour US-based support through the ZyDoc Operation Center and features unsurpassed accuracy, customized solutions and five-star service. Highly accurate documents are ensured by accuracy measurement and continuous quality improvement workflow, backed by a staff of US-based level II and III transcription editors, proofreaders and quality assurance team.

James M. Maisel, M.D.
ZyDoc Medical Transcription
631-273-1963
http://www.zydoc.com/

# posted by (hris @ 10:06 AM 0 comments

Review Suggests Caution on Drugs to Raise 'Good' Cholesterol
But a new review of 31 randomized controlled trials published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that so far only modest evidence supports the use of most medications to raise levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ? good cholesterol. Some are even harmful. The authors concluded that while efforts to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad cholesterol") ?have consistently reduced cardiovascular disease risk HDL-based approaches are much more complex and sometimes disappointing." As ...
Bio.com, Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:15:57 EST

FDA Delaying More New Drugs Over Safety
TRENTON N.J. - Under growing scrutiny since the blockbuster painkiller Vioxx was pulled from the market the Food and Drug Administration in recent months has rejected a slew of experimental drugs or delayed their approval and required more data. Besides keeping drugs some patients might desperately need off the market the rejections have battered drug company stock prices and are expected to increase the cost and time it takes to develop a new drug not ...
phillyBurbs Business, Mon, 20 Aug 2007 08:25:31 EST

Safety review on diabetes drug
Posted: Mon 20/08/2007 by Niall Hunter Editor] A review of the possible heart side-effects of the diabetes drug Avandia is due to be completed in October according to the Irish Medicines Board (IMB). The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) of which the IMB is a member is currently performing a re-evaluation of the benefits and risks of taking the drug in view of concerns on its cardiovascular safety and this re-evaluation is due to be concluded ...
Irish Health, Mon, 20 Aug 2007 05:59:05 EST

ZyDoc(R) Medical Transcription Services Alerts Doctors with Patients Affected by Avandia and Actos Drug Warnings
Using data mining technology ZyDoc Medical Transcription services automatically notified physician clients which of their patients were using these medications with FDA advisories. ZyDoc's easy-to-use medical transcription service with data mining capability allows any medical practice using dictation to participate in the electronic record revolution to extract vital information from their transcribed medical records without limitations of current EMR systems. (PRWeb Aug 20 2007)
PRWeb - Daily News Feed, Mon, 20 Aug 2007 04:32:40 EST

FDA's increased scrutiny puts pressure on drug makers
TRENTON Under growing scrutiny since the blockbuster painkiller Vioxx was pulled from the market the Food and Drug Administration in recent months has rejected a slew of experimental drugs or delayed their approval and required more data. Besides keeping drugs off the market that some patients might desperately need the rejections have battered drug company stock prices and are expected to increase the cost and time it takes to develop a new drug not ...
North Jersey.com, Mon, 20 Aug 2007 04:30:53 EST

GlaxoSmithKline Updates Prescribing Information For Avandia In The US
GlaxoSmithKline [NYSE:GSK] today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated US prescribing information for the thiazolidinediones (TZD) class of medicines used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. This approval allows GSK to implement changes in the label for Avandia® (rosiglitazone maleate) as previously committed. [click link for full article]
Health News from Medical News Today, Mon, 20 Aug 2007 03:13:58 EST

ZyDoc Medical Transcription Services Alerts Doctors with Patients Affected by Avandia and Actos Drug Warnings
ZyDoc(R) Medical Transcription Services Alerts Doctors with Patients Affected by Avandia and Actos Drug Warnings Using data mining technology ZyDoc Medical Transcription services automatically ...
Breaking Health News latest RSS headlines - Japan Herald.com, Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:29:09 EST

The Denver Post - FDA takes a heavy dose of caution with drug decisions
Trenton N.J. - Under growing scrutiny since the blockbuster painkiller Vioxx was pulled from the market the Food and Drug Administration in recent months has rejected a slew of experimental drugs or delayed their approval and required more data. Besides keeping drugs some patients might desperately need off the market the rejections have battered drug company stock prices and are expected to increase the cost and time it takes to develop a new drug not ...
Denver Post, Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:11:43 EST

Diabetes drugs to include new warnings
Bottles of Avandia diabetes medication. [File photo] The makers of the drugs GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. have agreed to add the "black-box" warnings the Food and Drug Administration said.
China Daily World News, Sun, 19 Aug 2007 EST

# posted by (hris @ 9:59 AM 0 comments

MEDICAL OFFICE ONLINE BRINGS THE PAPERLESS MEDICAL OFFICE TO REALITY WITH A REVOLUTIONARY SERVICE

Innovative Program Helps Doctors Manage All Their Office Functions In A Completely Paperless Environment.

ST. LOUIS, MO., JULY 2003 . . . In an ongoing effort to provide cost-effective solutions to help doctors' offices become technologically state-of-the-art, St. Louis-based Medical Office Online, Inc. is taking the lead in the industry by unveiling an innovative, online, Total Practice ManagementT service designed to revolutionize the doctor's office. Headed by Dr. John Costello, a practicing physician, Medical Office Online combines scheduling, electronic medical records, prescription writing, letter writing, billing, and image capture functions in a single Application Service Provider (ASP) service.

This advanced approach to practice management offers doctors the ability to accelerate the note-taking or transcribing, and eliminate paper filing functions currently being used in the obsolete paper chart system.

Doctors using the online version simply log-on to their own personal, totally secure, browser-based database at the start of the workday and begin recording patient notes into the computer for each patient visit. At the completion of the visit, it is then saved and is immediately ready to be filed as an electronic claim. (To view a working sample of the technology please visit www.medicalofficeonline.com.)

This new system allows doctors to provide better care for their patients with less work and cost. Essentially, doctors can access a concise summary of all information pertaining to an individual patient's care, including an efficient view of past hospital visits, lab test results, previous medications and much more. They can even view the length of time since a patient's last office visit, allowing doctors to better determine the need to see a patient before refilling a prescription.

The system is tailored for the independent physician or small group of up to 12 physicians. Aside from positively impacting patient care, other goals of the service are to enable the office to become virtually paperless inside of four months, improve patient record-keeping, enhance the communication between the doctor and his patients, and eliminate the daily chores of filing, copying, data re-entry and transcribing.

"I designed this system for my own office because I saw a void in the products on the market," stated Dr. John Costello, president and developer of Medical Office Online, Inc., and a practicing physician who specializes in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. "The service is a complete package with no add-ons, modules or extra options. And it was designed so one database feeds all functions, meaning you will never have to enter the same information twice."

Some of its most innovative qualities include:
· The ability to scan and "attach" the patient's photo ID and insurance cards into the database,
· Automatic capture of CPT and ICD9 charges into the Electronic Medical Record,
· The background tallying of Evaluation and Management (E&M) coding,
· The ability to communicate with all of the healthcare parties such as pharmacies, payers, testing facilities, and regulators, and
· HIPAA compliance.

The service is extremely economical compared to other local server client software options currently available in the market. Priced as an online subscription at only $250.00 per provider per month, it eliminates the need for doctors to purchase expensive software packages. "We wanted to provide doctors with an affordable, easy-to-use system that was well within the price range of every practice situation, from the inner-city to the rural doctor. And the beauty of this service is that it's accessible anywhere, anytime, worldwide, because it is on the Web," noted Dr.Costello.

Equipment requirements to initiate a Medical Office Online subscription are also minimal. "Most doctors are already realizing the necessity of having broadband Internet access in their offices. Services such as online medical textbooks, laboratory results retrieval and electronic claims filing are standard medical office characteristics today," described Dr.Costello. "So having doctors add a few more off-the-shelf computers for each exam room and the front desk is not a costly outlay. Because the system is Web based, there is no need to install an expensive server or software."

Costello added, "Medical Office Online is changing the way doctors practice Medicine! Our next innovation will be to make this service accessible to patients, so they can view and retrieve their own medical records anywhere in the world. "

For more information about how Medical Office Online can enrich your clinical workday, visit www.medicalofficeonline.com or call 1-877-666-4367.

Medical Office Online, Inc. was established in 1998 and since then, Costello and his staff have been developing, Beta testing and refining the product. The official market launch this summer offers doctors the opportunity to avail of an affordable solution to improve the quality of patient care and enhance the clinician's practice of medicine worldwide. The company, which has five employees, is based in St. Louis, Mo.

# posted by (hris @ 9:33 AM 0 comments

MEDICAL OFFICE ONLINE

Adds Real-Time Patient Access via Web; Expands Customer Base

ST. LOUIS (May 13, 2005) - Medical Office Online, which introduced its innovative Total Practice Management system two years ago, has announced that its paperless medical office system now will enable its subscribing physicians to offer patients direct access to their medical records and billing status in real time.

Because the service is a secure, true Web-based, browser-based, hosted Internet system, patients can access their complete medical record and billing status over the Web from anywhere in the world in real time. The new enhancement offers exactly what President Bush encouraged in his April 2004 speech concerning ways that patient access to their medical record can help the United States improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs.

Patient access coupled with Medical Office Online's other service features - including patient scheduling, electronic medical record (EMR), prescription writing, letter writing, billing, claims filing and image capture functions - makes Medical Office Online a unique Application Service Provider (ASP).

More than 200 health care professionals nationally currently use the service. Many of these offices can offer the substantial efficiencies of a paperless office just beginning to be realized by the healthcare industry, including improved patient care, reduced office overhead, increased revenues, and improved patient and provider satisfaction. All the benefits result directly from the unique Medical Office Online workflow design.

To support the new services, Medical Office Online has added experienced management and qualified staffing to serve health care providers and patients as they use the new service. In addition, the company's improved customer service department will be devoted to getting new clients set up and operational as quickly as possible and will provide personalized training to reduce implementation time and answer clients' questions about the system.

Medical Office Online, Inc. was established in 1998. Since then, the company has developed and refined its offerings to provide doctors with an affordable, state-of-the art solution to improve the quality of patient care and enhance the clinician's practice of medicine. The company recently completed a successful funding round with its Jan.1, 2005 Private Offering.

For more information about Medical Office Online, visit www.medicalofficeonline.com or call 1-866-995-9889.

For more information, contact:
John B. Costello, M.D.
Medical Office Online, Inc.
314-995-9889 or 1-866-995-9889

# posted by (hris @ 9:21 AM 0 comments

New Law Suits

Novartis AG Prexige (lumiracoxib)
Australia's drugs watchdog had ordered the recall of the anti-inflammatory medication Prexige after it was linked to two deaths. Technically called lumiracoxib, Prexige is produced by the Switzerland-based company Novartis AG, which said it had contacted health authorities in 50 countries where the drug is sold about the withdrawal. The move followed a review of eight cases where people suffered severe liver damage after using the Prexige drug. Two of those people died and another two required liver transplants. Prexige is taken by about 60,000 people in Australia and is prescribed for osteoarthritis, post-operative pain, pain related to dental procedures and painful menstruation. The TGA has recommended people taking lumiracoxib seek an alternative medication and have liver function blood tests. Prexige is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, technically called a Cox-2 inhibitor. Another Cox-2 inhibitor, Vioxx or Rofecoxib, was voluntarily recalled by manufacturer Merck in 2004 due to adverse health conditions in patients taking it.

Novartis AG Prexige Legal Help
If you or a loved one has suffered liver damage in this Novartis AG lumiracoxib case, please click the link below to send your complaint to a lawyer who will evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.

Click here for legal help and a free evaluation of your possible case

# posted by (hris @ 11:33 AM 0 comments