Tag: HIN

Health Care

Latin American Contract Research Organizations Set to Get More Local Outsourcing Opportunities

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– Currently, multinational companies outsource a larger proportion of their clinical trials than local firms, finds Frost & Sullivan

SAO PAULO, April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — As market penetration stood at only 64 percent in 2013, huge opportunities exist for contract research organizations (CROs) to expand their market share in Latin America (LATAM). Local contracts, which accounted for 21.6 percent of the total market size in 2013, will begin to contribute more to overall revenues. The local development of biosimilars, domestic pharmaceutical companies’ plans to increase the number of clinical trials to comply with regulations, and focus on geographic expansion will give rise to more local contracts for CROs in the region.

Research

Research

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New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Latin American Contract Research Organization Market (http://www.frost.com/p849), finds that the market earned revenues of $438.5 million in 2013 and estimates this to reach $661.3 million in 2019 at a compound annual growth rate of 7.1 percent. The study covers phase I, phase II, phase III and late phase clinical development as well as biostatistics, central laboratory services and data management. Health economics studies, a part of late phase trials, will gain significant traction in the coming years, since they are utilized while deciding which new molecules to include in the list of reimbursed drugs considered by public health services and private insurance plans.

For complimentary access to more information on this research, please visit: http://corpcom.frost.com/forms/LA_PR_FValente_P849-52_27Mar15.

“Multinational pharmaceutical companies tend to outsource about 70 percent of their trials by adopting either a fully outsourced or function-to-function model,” said Frost & Sullivan Healthcare Consultant Sanjeev Kumar. “However, local pharmaceutical companies have lower outsourcing rates that range from 50 to 70 percent in countries across LATAM.”

In Argentina and Brazil, regulatory issues have restrained clinical development, thereby dampening the prospects of CROs in the region. Bottlenecks in the Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria (ANVISA) submission and approval processes have meant that protocol approval takes 12 to 15 months in Brazil and an average of 6 months in Argentina.

In addition, limited outsourcing among big pharmaceutical clients that can conduct in-house R&D and clinical drug testing has restricted CRO market growth. Nevertheless, as large, well-established CROs have begun to use specialized research technologies that can cater to the rising demand for drug development, pharmaceutical clients’ reliance on in-house R&D is likely to reduce considerably. Along with this trend, the rise of innovative therapeutic options as well as the need for increased drug efficacy and safety will promote market development.

“In order to better serve and become the preferred partner of bio-pharmaceutical companies, CROs in LATAM must make an effort to expand their range of services,” noted Kumar. “Mergers and acquisitions with local CROs will be a cost-effective approach to achieve this end.”

Latin American Contract Research Organization Market is part of the Life Sciences (http://www.lifesciences.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan’s related studies include: Global Diabetes Drug Delivery Market, Global CRO Market, Global Stem Cell Market, and Global Infectious Disease Diagnostics Market. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

  • The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
  • The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

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Latin American Contract Research Organization Market
P849-52

Contact:
Francesca Valente
Corporate Communications – Latin America
P: +54 11 4777 5300
F: +54 11 4777 5300
E: francesca.valente@frost.com 

http://www.frost.com

Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150407/8521502174

Health Care

Capita Healthcare Decisions Partner With Medibank to Deliver Safe, Consistent Health Advice for Australians

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BASINGSTOKE, UK, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Capita announces a partnership with Medibank, a healthcare company providing private health insurance and health solutions to almost 3.9 million people throughout Australia and New Zealand.

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As part of a wider relationship, Capita will provide Medibank with its market leading TeleGuides content set, which Medibank have localised for the Australian market. The localisation of the content means Medibank can offer the population tailored, appropriate care advice – facilitating access to the best health advice for service users wherever they may be located.

This will support a team of clinicians to deliver safe, consistent health advice to service users.

The clinical content provided by Capita has been through a robust clinical governance process, and Capita have experience of over 85 million patient encounters worldwide without clinical incident – including powering the NHSDirect helpline in the UK.

The content is written and customised through Capita’s Decision Management Software (DMS) composer. This allows users to both create clinical content and decision pathways, and to present them either by phone, face to face, or on the web and mobile. Users can create and edit content quickly, giving the ability to safely and efficiently implement new and innovative solutions that reflect the latest clinical practice. The highly scalable software has the capability to integrate with any other technology, such as CRM systems, through the open application programming interface (API).  

Richard Atkins, general manager, international, comments on the new partnership:

“Capita Healthcare Decisions has had a presence in Australasia for a number of years. However, the opportunity to now partner with Medibank across the region and into Asia on multi-national, multi-channel decision support services is really exciting. Bringing together our market leading software and clinical content together with Medibank’s longstanding track record in delivering a range of clinical services provides a catalyst for new health models of care for citizens in the region.”

Dermot Roche, Medibank general manager of telephone, online & population health said:

“The new partnership with Capita will add to Medibank’s reputation of providing innovative health solutions to both the members of Medibank and the broader Australian population who access health advice when they need it most.  

“We are delighted to partner with Capita and look forward to working with them to deliver appropriate, safe and efficient healthcare advice to Australians,” said Mr Roche.

Note to editors:      

About Capita’s Healthcare Decisions business (formerly Clinical Solutions)      

We transform healthcare decision making.

Our solutions support healthcare providers to make better decisions about their patients, and empower individuals to make better decisions about their own health and wellbeing. Over the past 16 years, our decision support software applications have been used by some of the world’s leading healthcare providers to power over 85m patient transactions. Capita Healthcare Decisions brings together clinical expertise and Silicon Valley innovation to power decision support which delivers more for less and is underpinned by three principles: safe, connected, useful.  For more information go to http://www.capitahealthcaredecisions.com.

Media enquiries:     

Katy Stoneham
Marketing Manager
Capita Healthcare Decisions
Email: katy.stoneham@capita.co.uk

Emily Fear-Gook
Medibank Media and Communications Adviser
Email: Emily.fear-gook@medibank.com.au

Health Care

HAMBS Selects Forum Systems as Cornerstone of Infrastructure Modernization Initiative

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— Creator and Provider of the Hospital and Medical Benefits System Picks Forum Sentry API Gateway to Ensure Agile, Secure Access for its Customers and Partners

BOSTON, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Forum Systems Inc. today announced that HAMBS, a provider of software development and hosting services to Australia’s private health insurance industry, has selected the company’s industry-leading API security gateway, Forum Sentry, to ensure agile, secure access to its application and services, and better serve its customers and partners.

Founded in 1991, HAMBS is the creator and provider of the HAMBS (Hospital and Medical Benefits System) application, Australia’s top health insurance software application. Currently used by 23 health insurance funds, the state-of-the-art HAMBS application enables private health fund organizations to effectively manage their core businesses while maintaining legislative and regulatory compliance requirements.

Similar to many enterprise organizations, HAMBS has seen a rapid growth in the number of apps and services that customers and partners need to access. Many of these applications utilize different authentication and authorization methods, making access even more complex. With Forum Sentry, HAMBS was able to achieve API access that is both agile and secure.

As part of an infrastructure modernization initiative, HAMBS sought to securely expose its APIs to private health insurance funds, third parties and internal clients. Given the sensitive nature of the information being accessed, data security was of paramount importance. HAMBS not only required a secure solution, but also one that could easily integrate with new and legacy apps.

After evaluating several industry offerings, HAMBS initiated a proof of concept with the Forum Sentry API Gateway and one other gateway provider. With its robust security architecture and support of multiple authentication and authorization methods, including Basic Auth and OAuth 2.0, Forum Sentry quickly separated itself from the competition.

“Forum Systems’ security-first approach was a huge factor in our decision to go with Forum Sentry. It truly outperformed all of our evaluation criteria,” said Derek Grocke, Service Delivery Manager at HAMBS. “Additionally, Forum Sentry provided the SOAP-to-REST conversion we needed to enable RESTful apps to communicate with our existing SOAP infrastructure. Needless to say, it didn’t take long for us to conclude that Forum Systems was the best solution for our API security needs.”

Architected for deployment at the network edge, Forum Sentry is the only API gateway to achieve FIPS 140-2 and Network Device Protection Profile (NDPP) compliance. Performing complex access control decisions and enforcement, Forum Sentry acts as both an authorization server and a resource server authenticating inbound credentials with a custom internal database schema; federating these credentials via OAuth tokens for SSO; and delegating authentication to other services and APIs. Delivering secure, seamless integration across channels, applications and infrastructure, Forum Sentry is backed by world-class customer service and support.

“Forum Systems’ support is second to none,” noted John Ginn, System Architect at HAMBS. “They quickly had us up and running and promptly handled all of our requests.”

Another hallmark of Forum Systems is its no-code approach to provisioning and deploying policies. With a simple point-and-click interface, Forum Sentry enabled HAMBS to quickly expose new APIs and build a policy platform that is easy to maintain and extend.

“Serving as the cornerstone of HAMBS’ security architecture modernization efforts, Forum Sentry helps the organization preserve precious time and resources, providing it with the agile, secure infrastructure required to create more applications and better serve their customers and partners,” said Mamoon Yunus, CEO of Forum Systems. “We’re excited to be chosen by the de facto healthcare IT innovator in Australia and look forward to collaborating on their next deployment milestones.”

Additional Resources

About HAMBS

HAMBS provides a wide range of software development and hosting services to Australia’s private health insurance industry. Established in 1991, HAMBS was formed when the then users of the HAMBS application purchased the intellectual property from the original developer of the software. At that time, there were three HAMBS employees looking after 20 member funds.

In a rapidly growing industry with increased regulation, technological advances and in an increased competitive environment, HAMBS continues to grow and expand on the services available to its customers. Today, HAMBS has more than 70 professional staff servicing 23 health funds nationwide, including the hosting of the application and network services for 19 funds. For more information, please visit www.hambs.com.au.

About Forum Systems

Forum Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Crosscheck Networks, Inc., is the innovation leader in API and cloud gateway technology. The industry’s most comprehensive solution for centralized security, identity and governance for SOA, REST and mobile communications, Forum Sentry enables comprehensive threat mitigation and trust enablement, providing enterprises and government organizations worldwide with the foundation for achieving Secure Service Mediation. Processing more than 10 billion transactions per day worldwide, the NDPP-, FIPS- and DoD-certified Forum Sentry API Security Gateway delivers unparalleled protection against HTML-, XML-, SOAP- and REST-based vulnerabilities. Notably, Forum Systems products provide simplified integration and task processing with over 100 built-in, standards-based processing tasks. For more information, please visit www.forumsys.com.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Health Care

Frost & Sullivan Uncovers How Healthcare Providers Can Achieve Better and More Cost-Effective Care Using IT Solutions

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— The healthcare industry can offer efficient customer care and communication through the use of cloud-based data storage solutions.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The Affordable Care Act along with the intense pressure to reduce healthcare costs has affected the state of the healthcare system, leaving an open door of opportunity for the IT Industry. Healthcare reform is driving a shift towards Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), wherein the industry will adopt an outcome-based versus procedure-based focus and reimbursement model.

ACOs are investing in products and technologies to meet the healthcare industry’s needs through various kinds of partnerships. There are substantial opportunities in mHealth, as patients increasingly use mobile apps to access and send information on their health, make appointments, and communicate with their healthcare provider, as well as track their wellness and fitness.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, The Future of IT in the Healthcare Industry in North America, Latin America, and Europe, finds that integrated delivery network (IDN) providers must continue to invest in IT solutions and infrastructure to meet the needs of delivery practices and information utilization.

For complimentary access to more information on this research, please visit: http://bit.ly/1CCMg2t

“By providing use cases and demonstrating ROI, the IT industry can expand the scaled use of mobile and remote technology solutions as part of care delivery and patient/provider workflows,” said Frost & Sullivan Customer Research Director Tonya Fowler. “IT solutions can have a huge impact on the bottom line by enabling shared information across an organization.”

The traditional paradigm of patient-centric care is gradually giving way to member engagement and empowerment, which in turn, has opened up opportunities for healthcare providers in the untapped health and wellness sector. Many competitors have already begun to lay the ground work with investments in staff, resources, and targeted acquisitions.

Meanwhile, device manufacturers seek to retain clients with cutting-edge customer care technologies that generate timely and effective results. The big data trend is pivotal and numerous IT vendors have responded by developing cloud-based solutions for the healthcare industry.

The amount of big data needed to provide better and more cost-effective care is best handled in the cloud. The capacity, flexibility, and pricing models presented by cloud service providers resonate well with the healthcare industry.

“Furthermore, the adoption of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant cloud solutions for data storage and archiving is expanding. Applications in the cloud that support collaboration as well as anytime, anywhere, and any-device needs are growing quickly,” noted Fowler. “Niche healthcare cloud service providers will emerge as top contenders in the market, followed by cloud computing vendors that design solutions for healthcare.”

The Future of IT in the Healthcare Industry in North America, Latin America, and Europe is part of the Vertical Markets in ICT (http://www.ict.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan’s related studies include: Big Data Study 2014, Healthcare IT Trends in Brazil, Top 10 ICT Trends for Africa in 2015, 2014 Latin America Cloud Computing Market, and Profiling the Back Office Workforce Optimization Market. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

  • The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
  • The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us:     Start the discussion

Join Us:           Join our community

Subscribe:       Newsletter on “the next big thing”

Register:         Gain access to visionary innovation

The Future of IT in the Healthcare Industry in North America, Latin America, and Europe
NEA0-67

Contact: 
Clarissa Castaneda 
Corporate Communications – North America 
P: +1.210.477.8481 
F: +1.210.348.1003 
E: clarissa.castaneda@frost.com

http://www.frost.com

Health Care

Australia’s Healthcare Has Good Vital Signs, But Sustainability, Costs And Sources Of Funding Are Critical Areas, Says Frost & Sullivan

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– Onus to shift to consumers for healthcare spending as an aging population, chronic diseases and healthcare expenses grow

SYDNEY, March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — In 2013, Australia’s healthcare per capita hit A$6,200 per annum, making up 9.3% of GDP. This ranks the highest in the Asia Pacific region in terms of expenditure per capita; and second highest as a percentage of GDP; exceeded slightly only by Japan. From 2013 to 2020, Australia’s spending is expected to increase at a CAGR of 3.2% from A$190 billion in 2013 to A$238 billion in 2020, accounting for nearly 10% of GDP then.

Rhenu Bhuller, Partner and Senior Vice President, Healthcare Asia Pacific, Frost & Sullivan

Rhenu Bhuller, Partner and Senior Vice President, Healthcare Asia Pacific, Frost & Sullivan

In 2013, Australia’s public expenditure was 68% after Japan in first place at 83% and Thailand second at 76%. Healthcare expenditure broken down by sector was 38% in hospitals, 36% in primary care, 20% in capital expenditure and 6% in other recurrent areas. Primary healthcare expenditure increased 61.8% in the last 10 years.

“Naturally with these statistics, sustainability of current levels of expenditure, cost management, and sources of funding are essential factors that need addressing. Privatization of government health service and government funded R&D will be strong focus areas,” said Rhenu Bhuller, Partner and Senior Vice President, Healthcare, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific.

“While Government spending will focus on development of public healthcare infrastructure, adoption and implementation of technology and chronic and infectious diseases control and treatment, private healthcare spending is expected to see consistent growth to 2020 with out-of-pocket spending expected to rise at more than 8% each year,” said Bhuller.

State and territory government funding for hospitals have increased by 78.6% over the last 10 years while non-government expenditure on hospitals increased by 88.6%. In 2013, Australia had 1,355 hospitals, and this is expected to grow largely through more public-private partnerships; such as the Bendigo Hospital and HP with the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

68% of healthcare funding was by the government, whilst the 32% of non government spending was contributed to by 26.3% out-of-pocket, 11.8% private insurance and 8.5% others. Over 2012 and 2013, out-of-pocket spending in Australia grew 8.2% and non-government spending increased 10%. Year-on-year growth in both these areas was more than government spending, indicating the increasing contribution from individuals in healthcare payments.

An aging population and rising incidence of chronic conditions like cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are forcing the government and healthcare providers to take a two pronged approach towards improving health quality and reducing cost of care through exploring chronic disease management programs that help patients stay out of the hospital; and adopting Population Health Management programs that reduce disease cost and risk over a sizeable population. “Moving healthcare delivery from hospitals to primary and community care is a prerogative for the government. Various public and private providers are exploring technology-based solutions to improve efficiency of healthcare services, as well as drive changes in consumer behavior towards preventive healthcare,” Bhuller said. Aged care products and services in areas like home healthcare and remote patient monitoring will be crucial to support independent aging and aging in place. 

The key trends for healthcare in Australia will be that increasingly, consumers will be given responsibility for health, complementary therapies will gain recognition, competition in aged care will intensify, integrated platforms will be a necessity for chronic disease management and a rise of GP super clinics will be inevitable to reduce the load on hospitals.

Complimentary Medicine (CM) includes a wide set of specialty, herbal, and natural or medicines that are regulated under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 and typically includes vitamins and minerals, nutritional supplements, homeopathic medicines and Chinese medicines. Scientific literature documenting the medical and cost benefits of complementary therapies is mounting and spreading awareness around wellness and healthy behaviors has the potential to yield billions in net economic benefit. Clinicians as well as regulators will encourage the use of complementary therapies in healthcare, mainly as a step towards prevention and healthy living.

Australia’s population of over 65 will almost double over the next three decades and government spending on aged care is expected to rise by almost 7% year-on-year. Frost & Sullivan expects increased M&As in this area with the sector witnessing an influx of non-traditional players. “Beyond government paid customers, aged care service providers will target the high-end segment with more sophisticated offerings; such as resort-style facilities and in-home health monitoring,” said Bhuller.

An increase in chronic diseases means a social and economic burden as more people live with a compromised quality of life, and the cost of care will rise and burden healthcare services. Mobile health platforms will emerge as a vital aspect of chronic disease management and consumers will increasing need to invest in home monitoring devices and use apps and emergency response systems. Practitioners and insurers will promote mHealth platforms for chronic disease management that integrate various mobile devices, patient monitoring technologies and apps.

The Government has allocated almost A$570 million towards establishing 60 GP Super Clinics and expanding 425 existing GP, primary care and community health services. These government sponsored GP Super Clinics providers comprise integrated practices that house practice nurses, AHPs, visiting medical specialists and other healthcare providers to provide primary care services. GP Super Clinics and other models of remote care delivery, such as telehealth at pharmacies and primary care service providers are intended to help move healthcare outside the hospital, a move that Frost & Sullivan believes is crucial to manage long term healthcare costs.

Frost & Sullivan’s 2015 Healthcare outlook comprises global, APAC, individual country and Health IT sections. The full briefing was presented in Sydney on March 19, 2015.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies? Contact us: Start the discussion

Media Contact:

Donna Jeremiah
Corporate Communications — Asia Pacific
P: +612–82478927
F: +612-92528066
E: djeremiah@frost.com

http://www.frost.com

Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150324/8521501869

Health Care HTS

Premera Blue Cross Announces Cyberattack, Offers Protection For Affected Individuals

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MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash., March, 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Premera Blue Cross (“Premera”) announced the organization has been the target of a cyberattack. 

On January 29, 2015, Premera discovered that cyberattackers had executed a sophisticated attack to gain unauthorized access to its Information Technology (IT) systems.  Premera’s investigation further revealed that the initial attack occurred on May 5, 2014. As part of its investigation, Premera notified the FBI and is coordinating with the Bureau’s investigation into this attack.  Premera also worked closely with Mandiant, one of the world’s leading cybersecurity firms, to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the incident and to remove the infection created by the attack. 

“The security of Premera’s members’ personal information remains a top priority. We at Premera take this issue seriously and sincerely regret the concern it may cause,” said Jeff Roe, Chief Executive Officer, Premera. “As much as possible, we want to make this event our burden, not that of the affected individuals, by making services available today to help protect people’s information.”

This incident affected Premera Blue Cross, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, and its affiliate brands Vivacity and Connexion Insurance Solutions, Inc. Premera’s investigation determined that the attackers may have gained unauthorized access to members’ information, which could include members’ name, date of birth, Social Security number, mailing address, email address, telephone number, member identification number, bank account information, and claims information, including clinical information. Individuals who do business with Premera and provided the company with their email address, personal bank account number, or Social Security number are also affected.  

The investigation has not determined that any such data was removed from Premera’s systems.  Premera also has no evidence to date that such data has been used inappropriately.

Premera is beginning to mail letters to approximately 11 million affected individuals today and is providing two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those individuals.  Premera also has established a dedicated call center for its members and other affected individuals. More information can be found at: www.premeraupdate.com. The information involved in this incident dates back to 2002 and individuals who believe they are affected by this cyberattack but who have not received a letter by April 20, 2015, are encouraged to call the number listed at that website.

Along with steps taken to cleanse its IT system of issues raised by this cyberattack, Premera is taking additional actions to strengthen and enhance the security of its IT systems moving forward.

Additional information about Premera’s response to this cyberattack can be found at www.premeraupdate.com.  

About Premera Blue Cross

Premera Blue Cross is a health plan in the Pacific Northwest, providing comprehensive health benefits and tailored services to over 1.8 million people.  Premera Blue Cross is a member of a family of companies based in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., providing health, life, vision, dental, stop-loss, disability, workforce wellness and other related products and services.  Premera Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Contact:
Melanie Coon
Senior Communications Manager, Media Relations
melanie.coon@premera.com
+1 (425) 918-6238

Health Care

UK Healthcare IT Matures with Higher Integration and Commercialization of Pilot Projects

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eHealth initiatives will add impetus to the adoption of HCIT, finds Frost & Sullivan

LONDON, March 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The National Health Service (NHS), along with the Department of Health (DoH) and the UK Government, has set ambitious quality and productivity goals for the healthcare industry. Their keenness to enhance healthcare delivery has attracted significant investments to healthcare IT (HCIT), which, in turn, will help them make optimum and cost-effective use of resources.

Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan

Providers are focusing on electronic health records (EHR), telehealth, ePrescribing, and remote monitoring to achieve cross-border healthcare, long-term management of chronic diseases, and higher patient engagement. Frost & Sullivan’s study, National Initiatives Impacting Healthcare Information Technology (HCIT) in the United Kingdom, finds that the per capita healthcare IT expenditure in the UK in 2014 was $43, next only to Sweden and the US. The UK accounts for 30 percent of Europe’s HCIT budget.

For complimentary access to more information on this research, please visit: http://corpcom.frost.com/forms/EU_PR_AZanchi_9837_6Mar15

Healthcare delivery in the UK is being restructured to improve cohesion among secondary and primary care segments, healthcare professionals and patients. Acknowledging that HCIT solutions have a key role to play in this transition, the Government has increased its budget for HCIT and revamped legal and financial regulations, especially reimbursements.

“Between 2013 and 2020, the European commission proposes to use the Connecting Europe Facility and the European Regional Development Fund to drive healthcare interoperability,” said Frost & Sullivan Healthcare Research Analyst Shruthi Parakkal. “Further, several successful pilot projects for HCIT have been carried out since 2010, demonstrating improved outcomes and significant scope for the commercialization of these projects.”

The UK’s long-term healthcare initiatives have given a boost to HCIT’s market penetration. However, the failure of several large investment projects compelled the Government to introduce the eHealth strategy and eHealth 2011-2017 action plan. These initiatives stand out for the shift in focus from a nation-wide strategy to locally-managed solutions.

“The eHealth strategy is expected to enrich collaboration among care segments, facilitate patient centricity, and improve interoperability,” noted Parakkal. “The establishment of interoperability standards and amendment of the EU medical-device directive to include HCIT solutions is expected to further accelerate the maturity of HCIT solutions.”

National Initiatives Impacting Healthcare Information Technology (HCIT) in the United Kingdom is part of the Connected Health Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan’s related studies include: Drivers for Healthcare R&D Investment in Asia-Pacific, Optimizing Operations in the Ever-Changing Environment of Healthcare Providers, The Russian Biopharmaceuticals and Biomedicine Market, and eHealth Initiatives across Emerging Markets in APAC. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact
Anna Zanchi
Corporate Communications – Europe
P: +39-02-4851-6133
E: anna.zanchi@frost.com
http://www.frost.com

Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150311/8521501556

Health Care

Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer: SARAH Study Completes Enrolment, Results Expected Late 2016

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Launched by the Assistance Publique – Hopitaux de Paris in December 2011, ‘SARAH’ – the French national collaborative randomized controlled study of yttrium-90 resin microspheres versus sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has enrolled more than 400 patients; results expected late 2016.

PARIS, March 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — SARAH, a large French study of patients with advanced, inoperable primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC) has completed patient enrolment, exceeding its 400-patient target, according to its principal investigator, Professor Valerie Vilgrain MD, PhD, Department of Radiology, Beaujon Hospital, Assistance Publique – Hopitaux de Paris (AP-HP) and Universite Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cite, France.

Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150304/732289-a
Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150304/732289-b

The randomized controlled SARAH study, sponsored by the AP-HP, directly compares the efficacy of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT, also known as radioembolization) using yttrium-90 [Y-90] resin microspheres (SIR-Spheres®Y-90 resin microspheres, Sirtex Medical Limited, Sydney, Australia) versus sorafenib (Nexavar®, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany), a systemic therapy that is the current standard of care for patients with inoperable advanced HCC. “SARAH is the largest randomized study everto compare selective internal radiation therapy–or any liver-directed therapy– against the standard-of-care systemic therapy in the treatment of primary liver cancer.  The SARAH study team is delighted that  enrolment is now complete, with results expected in late 2016,“ Prof. Vilgrain said.

SARAH (SorAfenib versus Radioembolization in Advanced Hepatocellular carcinoma) is a Phase III multi-centre prospective randomized open-labelled study for patients in France with advanced HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C) with or without portal vein thrombosis and no extrahepatic spread, or whose disease has progressed or recurred after previous therapies; and who are ineligible for surgical resection, ablation or liver transplantation.[1],[2]

The primary goal of the SARAH study is to assess if radioembolization with Y-90 resin microspheres provides an increased survival benefit compared to sorafenib in patients with advanced HCC.  The study is also comparing the quality of life of patients and other measures such as the tolerability of the treatments.

Coordinated by Professor Valerie Vilgrain, more than 25 specialist cancer centres throughout France are involved in this study. SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres were selected for the test arm of this independent, collaborative national study. “Target enrolment was reached in around three years, which is remarkable for a single-country trial of this size in a hard-to-treat cancer with few proven therapeutic choices,” Prof. Vilgrain noted.

Sorafenib was established as the standard treatment for patients with advanced HCC following the results of the pivotal SHARP randomized controlled trial, which demonstrated an increased median overall survival from 8 to 11 months compared to placebo.[3] However, 80% of patients receiving sorafenib also experienced treatment-related adverse events.

SIRT with SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres is an approved treatment for inoperable liver tumours. It is a minimally-invasive treatment that delivers high doses of high-energy beta radiation directly to the tumours. SIRT is administered to patients by interventional radiologists, who infuse millions of radioactive microspheres (diameter between 20-60 microns) via a catheter into the liver arteries that supply blood to the tumours. By using the tumours’ blood supply, the microspheres selectively target liver tumours with a dose of radiation that is up to 40 times higher than conventional radiotherapy, while sparing healthy tissue.

Interest in a randomized controlled study of SIRT using Y-90 resin microspheres in this patient population was based on a substantial number of open-label single-group studies as well as a large multi-centre European study on the long-term outcomes related to survival and safety of SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres in patients with inoperable HCC.[4] In 13 open-label single-group studies with a total of 400 patients with advanced HCC, the combined estimation of the median overall survival after radioembolization with Y-90 microspheres was 15 months, with a range of 7-27 months.

Current Availability of SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres 

SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres are approved for the treatment of inoperable liver tumors in Australia, the European Union (CE Mark), Argentina (ANMAT), Brazil, and several countries in Asia, such as India and Singapore. SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres also have a full Pre-Market Approval (PMA) by the FDA and are indicated in the United States for the treatment of non-resectable metastatic liver tumors from primary colorectal cancer in combination with intra-hepatic artery chemotherapy using floxuridine.

About Hepatocellular Carcinoma 

HCC typically occurs in people whose livers have become severely damaged or cirrhotic, due to conditions such as hepatitis or alcohol abuse. It is one of the ten most-common cancers in the world, with nearly 750,000 cases diagnosed annually, and the second most common cause of cancer deaths.[5] It occurs with greatest frequency in regions where viral hepatitis B or C are most often diagnosed, such as in Asia Pacific and Southern Europe.

Hepatocellular cancer can be cured by surgery, either by resecting the diseased parts of the liver, or by transplantation with a liver from a healthy donor. However, the great majority of patients with HCC have disease which is too advanced for surgical interventions, and as a consequence their survival may range from a few months to two or more years depending largely on the state of their liver function at the time of their diagnosis and the extent of tumour invasion.

References:  

  1. SorAfenib versus Radioembolization in Advanced Hepatocellular carcinoma (SARAH): http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01482442.
  2. Vilgrain V, Abdel-Rehim M, Sibert A et al. Radioembolisation with yttrium-90 microspheres versus sorafenib for treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (SARAH): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials 2014; 15: 474.
  3. Llovet J, Ricci S, Mazzaferro V et al for the SHARP Investigators Study Group. Sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. New England Journal of Medicine 2008; 359: 378-390.
  4. Sangro B, Carpanese L, Cianni R et al on behalf of European Network on Radioembolization with yttrium-90 resin microspheres (ENRY). Survival after 90Y resin microsphere radioembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma across BCLC stages: A European evaluation. Hepatology 2011; 54: 868-878.
  5. GLOBOCAN. Liver Cancer Incidence and Mortality Worldwide in 2012. http://globocan.iarc.fr/Pages/fact_sheets_cancer.aspx accessed 10 February 2015.
Health Care

New Healthcare Insurance Scheme Strengthens Demand for Low-Cost Medicines in Indonesia, Finds Frost & Sullivan

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— Healthcare market in the country offers significant revenue opportunities for multinational drug makers

JAKARTA, Indonesia, March 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Indonesia is rapidly evolving into one of the most attractive healthcare markets for investors. In spite of the initial regulatory hurdles in setting up manufacturing units in Indonesia, companies from every healthcare sector, including hospitals, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, continue to look at the country as a major investment destination.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Indonesia Healthcare Outlook (https://www.frost.com/p80f), finds that Greater Jakarta remains the most promising market due to strong infrastructure support, accessibility, and the presence of major hospitals. Kalimantan and Papua (outer Jakarta) too offer attractive potential. The manufacturing hub, currently in Bandung and Surabaya, is likely to move to newer areas such as Sei Mangke in North Sumatra and Tanjung Lesung in Banten as well as to the existing free-trade zone in the Riau Islands of Batam, Bintan and Karimun.

For complimentary access to more information on this research, please visit: http://corpcom.frost.com/forms/APAC_PR_DJeremiah_P80F-52_30Jan15.

The implementation of the Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) insurance scheme has spiked patient volumes significantly, heightening the demand for hospital beds, medical devices, affordable medicines and diagnostic services. A few clinics in Bandung reported up to a 200 percent rise in patient volumes in the first 2 months after the scheme’s implementation.

“Through JKN, government-run hospitals are looking to improve access to and affordability of healthcare in rural areas, thus spurring the demand for drugs,” said Frost & Sullivan Healthcare Industry Manager Siddharth Dutta. “JKN is likely to fuel the need for drugs in the lower end of the market rather than the large-scale substitution of premium products.”

However, domestic companies, especially in the pharmaceutical sector, still have a long way to go in terms of quality, efficiency and innovation. Further, Indonesia’s physical infrastructure is considered sub-standard, as the archipelagic nature of the country makes it difficult to keep the national healthcare infrastructure together. Hospitals are unevenly distributed with maximum concentration of the Java and Sumatera islands.

Private healthcare services are addressing this gap in healthcare. It is helping meet the needs of the rapidly growing patient pool, which is also looking for quality care. Private healthcare is also opening up revenue streams for foreign and non-traditional healthcare companies. For instance, the in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) sector has more foreign companies than domestic, with approximately 80 percent of the market held by multinationals such as Roche (www.roche.com), Abbott (www.abbott.com), BioMeriux (www.biomerieux.com) and Sysmex (www.sysmex.com).

“The healthcare segment will remain a focal point for investors as streamlined processes like the implementation of e-catalogs or online pricing systems by the Indonesian government facilitate market entry,” remarked Dutta. “The system will help control medical device prices and create healthy competition among foreign and domestic suppliers in the country.”

For now, establishing partnerships with or acquiring local drug makers and distributors will provide quick access to the thriving Indonesian healthcare space. Considering that the Indonesian government prefers goods with local content – to stimulate domestic sourcing while procuring –foreign participants must leverage their strong finances and branding by having local partners to manage the business.

Indonesia Healthcare Outlook is part of the Life Sciences (http://www.lifesciences.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan’s related studies include: End-User and Regional Perspectives on the China Healthcare IT Market, Multi-parameter Patient Monitoring Market in Asia-Pacific, Global Orthopedic Implant Market, and Global Wound Care Market Outlook. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

  • The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
  • The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

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Corporate Communications – Asia Pacific
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E: djeremiah@frost.com

Carrie Low
Corporate Communications – Asia Pacific
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Corporate Communications – Asia Pacific
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Shena Agusta
Corporate Communications – Indonesia
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E: shena.agusta@frost.com

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Health Care

European Hantavirus Diagnostics Market Tops US Market as a Result of Higher Disease Prevalence

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— Frost & Sullivan says existing competitors’ dominance of the niche market raises entry barriers

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The European Hantavirus diagnostics market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8 percent, outperforming the U.S. market, which registered 3.7 percent. The European market is more robust primarily due to Hantavirus’ high prevalence rates in Russia, Scandinavia, Finland and Belgium. However, the U.S. market has higher mortality rates (50 percent) associated with the disease, even though it has no more than 40 reported cases every year.

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New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds the Hantavirus testing market in Europe and the U.S. were worth $5.5 million and $0.023 million respectively in 2013, and estimates this to reach $7.3 million and $0.028 million by 2018.

Gain complimentary access to portions of Frost & Sullivan’s European and US Hantavirus Diagnostics research: http://bit.ly/1CcRUYq

“Since Hantavirus diagnostics is a niche market, competitors such as Immunospec and FocusDx have an advantage in the U.S. because of their established clientele,” said Frost & Sullivan Healthcare Research Analyst Aishwarya Vivekanadan. “This is likely to raise the entry barriers for new participants.”

Owing to the severity of Hantavirus infections, there is an urgent need for rapid diagnostic tests that can be easily conducted and used in field conditions. Acknowledging this unmet demand, diagnostic companies have been striving to develop faster, sensitive and more accurate tests.

“Currently tests take hours to days to detect the virus, mainly due to the lack of sensitivity to the different strains of the disease,” said Vivekanadan. “There is a need for diagnostic tests that are not only efficient but can identify the various strains of this virus to better cure it. A faster and more sensitive diagnostic test will go long way in saving lives, especially in the U.S. where mortality rate is almost 50 percent.”

Scientists have already launched a new diagnostic method based on a highly dispersed immunoelectrode prototype amperometric immunosensor. This model has been employed successfully in field conditions for testing rodent sera.

The earnest research and development (R&D) initiatives of diagnostics companies can lead to the discovery of new ecological paradigms regarding the virus. It could also aid superior understanding of the nature of episodic zoonotic epidemics such as those caused by Ebola virus, SARS CoV, Nipah virus, Machupo virus, and hantaviruses that are still undiscovered.

European and US Hantavirus Diagnostics is part of the Life Sciences (http://www.lifesciences.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan’s related studies include: Briefing for the Bracing Devices and Support Market in the United States, Long-term Care in Extended Facilities and Nursing Homes in the United States, Industry Financial Review of the Global Laboratory Research Tools Market, and Optimization and Efficiency Drive in Hospitals in Western Europe. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

  • The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
  • The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us:     Start the discussion

European and US Hantavirus Diagnostics
9837-52

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Jennifer Carson
Corporate Communications – North America
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E: jennifer.carson@frost.com

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