The Official Medical College of Barcelona, Keiretsu Forum Barcelona and Barcelona Activa organized last November 4, 2009 the 1st Healthcare Investment Forum Barcelona’09, in collaboration with Biocat and other institutions. The objective of this forum was to contact young entrepreneurs in the health sector with projects in biotechnology, medical devices, health services and information technology with venture capital investors interested in this sector.
This first edition of the Forum was a success. Over 35 companies presented their projects, of which 12 were finally selected. Three of the finalists were submitted by Hospital Clinic:
The Carlos III Health Institute, a public body under the Ministry of Science and Innovation, has created two new stable cooperative research structures to boost Biobanks and Innovation in Spanish centers. The Hospital participates in these two initiatives, as well as in most of the already operating CIBERs i RETICS.
The RETICS (Cooperative Thematic Networks in Biomedical Research) have an expected duration of 4 years and consist of professionals from different institutions. They aim to promote complementarity of activities, resource sharing and lines of research, development and innovation. The two new structures established this year are the RETICS of Biobanks and the RETICS of Innovation in Medical and Health Technologies.
The largest international clinical trial to date into a preventative HIV gel has found no evidence that the vaginal microbicide, PRO 2000, reduces the risk of HIV infection in women, scientists announced today. This placebo-controlled trial involved 9,385 women at six research centres in four African countries and found that the risk of HIV infection in women who were supplied with PRO 2000 gel was not significantly different than in women supplied with placebo gel. Although ineffective in providing protection, PRO 2000 gel itself was safe to use.
Performing surgical operations without leaving scars has ceased to be a chimera and has become a reality. This is demonstrated by the recent surgical advances made using NOTES (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopy Surgery), an innovative surgical approach that allows surgical access using the body’s natural orifices. The results are all advantageous for the patient: lack of scars, shorter hospital stay and faster recovery. Currently, this type of minimally-invasive surgery is still in the research and development stage. Surgery through the mouth and vagina has been successfully used, but the transanal route (through the anus) is less utilized.
Although progress is being made in reducing the number of child deaths each year, pneumonia still kills more children than any other disease.
Fight pneumonia, safe a child, is the motto for the World Pneumonia Day, a day for the world to focus on the disease that kills more children than any other, pneumonia.
