Air Liquide : Acquisitions in homecare in Australia and South Korea

07/22/2010 - Air Liquide, which ranks 1st in Europe and 3rd in the world for homecare, continues to develop its offer of services through targeted acquisitions -
The market for homecare is growing throughout the world. Air Liquide, which ranks 1st in Europe and 3rd in the world for homecare, continues to develop its offer of services through targeted acquisitions in Australia and South Korea.

Air Liquide announces the acquisition in Australia of 70% of the company Snore Australia, a major player in the field of sleep diagnosis. These diagnoses help to identify and assess the degree of disorders in conditions such as sleep apnea.


Created ten years ago, this company makes over 15,000 sleep diagnoses per year in its thirteen sleep laboratories. With 72 employees, its annual revenue amounts to €5.6 million. In Australia, it is estimated that around 480,000 people suffer from sleep apnea, of which only 25% have been diagnosed to date.

Air Liquide also announces the acquisition of 70% of Medions Homecare, the leading South-Korean company in home ventilation. Created in 1989, Medions Homecare treats around 400 patients thanks to a team of 18 people, for an annual revenue of €3 million. Air Liquide will use the acquisition of Medions Homecare as a basis for developing its home oxygen therapy and sleep apnea activities in this country of 48 million inhabitants. The market for homecare in South Korea is growing by more than 15% every year... Air Liquide's Press Release -

Nonin Medical Recognized as a Supplier to the Award-Winning Philips Respironics Alice© PDx™ System

June 10, 2010 - Nonin Medical, Inc., a leading innovator of noninvasive physiological monitoring solutions, announced that it is a named supplier for a 2010 Medical Design Excellence Award winning product—the Philips Respironics Alice© PDx™ Diagnostic System.

The Alice© PDx™ portable diagnostic recording device is intended for Obstructive Sleep Apnea screening, follow-up and diagnostic assessment of cardio-respiratory sleep disorders. It enables patients to be tested outside of the lab without compromising study results and helps clinicians avoid the costs associated with retesting.


Incorporating Nonin Medical’s proven PureSAT® pulse oximetry (SpO2) technology, the Alice PDx system uses Nonin’s OEM III SpO2 module. An easy-to-integrate oximetry solution, the OEM III module’s compact design, power efficiency and expanded output capabilities provides manufacturers with dependable, accurate performance and maximum flexibility... Nonin Medical's Press Release -

Philips Respironics : Prestigious GSMA Award

March 3, 2010 - Philips Respironics and Cinterion Wireless Modules Win Prestigious GSMA Award for Best Embedded Mobile End-to-End Service – Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) and Cinterion Wireless Modules, the global leader in cellular machine-to-machine (M2M) communication modules, announced that the Philips Respironics System One sleep therapy solution won the prestigious Best Embedded End-to-End Service Award, part of the GSMA’s Embedded Mobile Competition. The M2M solution integrates one of Cinterion’s award-winning Evolution Platform modules and, for the first time, marries mobility and reliable two-way wireless communications with significant advancements in sleep apnea therapy to help millions of patients and their healthcare providers who must meet rigorous new reporting standards. The device currently operates on the nPhase AT&T network in the U.S. and will roll out in markets around the world over the coming year.

Sleep apnea is a potentially life threatening condition that occurs when a person repeatedly stops breathing during sleep. System One provides treatment by delivering a specific flow of pressurized air through a mask to keep the airway open. The new solution integrates Cinterion’s award-winning TC65i module to enable two-way, anywhere wireless communication between the patient’s device and doctor. The Cinterion module sends sophisticated patient breathing data from the device to a secure EncoreAnywhere™ Web-based platform. Physicians log on to EncoreAnywhere to obtain timely, detailed breathing reports and respond with prescription air pressure changes sent instantly over-the-air to the device providing immediate patient relief. Cinterion’s TC65i module provides on-board memory to store reports that detail every breath a patient takes for up to five days... Philips Respironics' Press Release - Cinterion Wireless Modules' Press Release -

Chelsea Therapeutics : Positive Interim Analysis of Phase II Trial of Droxidopa in Fibromyalgia

July 1, 2010 - Independent Data Monitoring Committee Sees Meaningful Efficacy in Multiple Treatment Arms Trial Focusing on Novel Droxidopa/Carbidopa Combination Therapy No Significant Adverse Events or Safety Concerns Observed in Any Treatment Arm - Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. (Nasdaq:CHTP) announced the completion and favorable outcome of an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) review of the safety and efficacy data from approximately half the target enrollment in Chelsea's Phase II trial of droxidopa in fibromyalgia.

The purpose of this scheduled DMC meeting was to review the efficacy of each dose group and determine if the efficacy data supported dropping underperforming arms in order to increase the power in those arms most likely to demonstrate a clinically relevant therapeutic benefit. Following their assessment of each of the 12 arms using the study's primary endpoint, a reduction in pain as measured by the Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, the DMC recommended that 7 of the 12 arms of the trial be continued to completion. This recommendation was based solely on their efficacy analysis, as there were no observed safety concerns associated with any arm of the study. As a result of this recommendation, the study will now focus primarily on multiple doses of droxidopa in combination with 50mg carbidopa.

"The DMC's recommendation aligns with our assumption going into the trial that by pairing droxidopa with carbidopa to limit peripheral metabolism of droxidopa, we should be able to drive efficacy of droxidopa in the treatment of fibromyalgia... Chelsea Therapeutics' Press Release -

Weinmann's NP 15 : New Sleep Apnea Mask

19 April 2010 - Weinmann kicks off international sales of its new nasal pillow mask NP15. The name reveals the mask's distinguishing feature: the sound level of the mask at 15 dB(A) makes it by far the quietest mask for its application.

Based on its examination of several international studies on the human face, Weinmann has developed a mask fit for NP 15 that offers great wearing comfort and thus improves patient compliance with therapy. Other innovative features that promote patient comfort and therapy efficiency include very flexible anchoring options and tube guidance, which lets the patient direct the tube over his head or along the side of his head and fix it in place. Two ball-and-socket joints give the patient unlimited freedom of movement while keeping the mask firmly on the face... [PDF] Weinmann's Press Release -