When we think about our favourite apps, social media sites or video games, chances are we’re not considering how they might improve our health, further clinical research, or even save lives in the operating room. Doctors, healthcare professionals and patients are increasingly engaged with digital devices – technology that may have begun as entertainment, but has now evolved to hold a much more impactful place in our lives. Take a look at three of the most talked about tech trends that are changing the landscape of traditional health care. Quantitative Self and Personalized Big Data A new movement.. READ MORE »
Over the past 20 years, 3D printing has made incredible leaps forward – from paper products to spare parts for the space station, it seems there are few limits to what the technology can create. And those limits have been stretched even further by recent innovations in live tissue printing. Known as bioprinting, the process has enabled scientists to engineer bones and tissue from samples of a patient’s own cells, and it has tremendous potential in the areas of prosthetics, organ replacement and clinical research. With the power to change how drugs are tested and how disease is treated, 3D.. READ MORE »
Available in several Toronto wellness clinics and featured on a recent episode of Dr. Oz, intravenous vitamin therapy is gaining traction as a natural way to combat everything from low energy to advanced cancer. But does it really work? Nobel prize-winning scientist Linus Pauling thought so, and his well respected clinical research on the benefits of vitamin C goes back as far as the 1970s. Since then, researchers have continued to test the effects of super-high doses of vitamin C on terminal cases of cancer. And the results have meant years of successful remission for numerous patients. These days, vitamin.. READ MORE »
Most of us can relate to food label confusion. We’re already overwhelmed with the sheer number of options staring out from overstuffed grocery store shelves – and the chorus of instructions in our heads to watch out for gluten, dairy, soy, this fat, that sugar, and to quickly calculate how one serving would translate into amounts a real person actually eats…it’s exhausting. For the most part, consumers just end up giving in, throwing the can in the cart and moving on. It’s no wonder North America is plagued by epidemics of obesity, diabetes and general malnutrition – no one really.. READ MORE »
Social media presence is an integral part of business marketing, an essential platform from which to draw the attention of and establish relationships with consumers. Brands are built online and reputations can also be destroyed based on social media chatter. Organizations big and small are aggressively pursuing strategies that will make them more visible and accessible online. But what about Big Pharma? Surprisingly, a recent report from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics reveals that out of the 50 largest drugmakers in the world, only half engage with social media. And yet, more and more patients are turning to online.. READ MORE »
From Big Pharma to biotech, research scientists to practicing clinicians – the industry is intently focused on developing more highly effective drug delivery systems. In recent years, clinical research has revealed innovative solutions in the form of nanodiamonds, microneedles, gold particles, silk and protein clusters; all of which represent a step forward with regard to precision and patient safety. It’s all about effectively targeted techniques that offer professionals better ways to administer medicines, track their effectiveness, and minimize unwanted side-effects. And now scientists have discovered what may prove to be the most significant advance yet – electronically controlled drugs that.. READ MORE »
In recent years, there’s been quite a bit of buzz around Big Pharma’s expansion into BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China. For industry superstars, emerging markets have proven fertile ground for clinical research, manufacturing, drug discovery, and numerous other outsourced operations. But as activity begins to slow in the BRIC, Pharma is already looking elsewhere for new profit and growth potential. According to the Wall Street Journal, there are several major developments slated to unveil next year in the Middle East. Amongst other treatable conditions, diabetes is of growing concern throughout the region – and has prompted companies.. READ MORE »
We often think of acetaminophen as a fairly innocuous pain medicine, great for headaches, hangovers and sore joints. However, the FDA recently recommended we re-consider just how much of it we’re ingesting. The agency is instructing health care professionals to discontinue prescribing and dispensing prescription combination drug products that contain more than 325 milligrams (mg) of acetaminophen per tablet, capsule or other dosage unit. When taken in combination with other drugs, patients often fail to keep track of acetaminophen – and while there is no evidence to suggest taking more does your body good, clinical research reveals that taking too much.. READ MORE »
To legalize, or not to legalize? When it comes to cannabis, it’s a question that has generated quite a buzz throughout North America over the last several years. Adding fuel to the fire is the recent legalization of marijuana south of the border where pot shops are now open for business across Colorado and Washington states. In Canada, the proven therapeutic benefits of marijuana, well documented by clinical research, have put pressure on law makers to regulate its sale, making the substance more widely available to prescription holders. And this month, the government has complied, developing new legislation that licenses.. READ MORE »
When we think about precious gems and beautiful fabrics, complex medical procedures are most likely the last thing that comes to mind. For researchers at the universities of Melbourne, Sydney and Tufts however, silk and diamonds have proven invaluable in a new drug delivery system. Nanodiamonds have been around for years, helping bring cancer-fighting therapies directly to tumours without hurting the surrounding tissues. They form clusters that bind to the injected drug, releasing it slowly, and keeping harmful side effects to a minimum. By targeting tumours more efficiently, nanodiamonds have helped reduce patient suffering. And now, researchers have discovered how.. READ MORE »
