Published October 2002

Health-care Briefs

Health fair set for Oct. 19
Virginia Mason Lynnwood is holding a health fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 19 at the medical facility, 19116 33rd Ave. W.

The fair will include breast cancer screenings, a complimentary skin analysis, chair massages, bone density testing and door prizes. Attendees also will get a chance to meet Virginia Mason Lynnwood’s new ophthalmologist.

For those interested in the bone density testing, reservations must be made. For more information, call 425-712-7971.

Bothell-based Microvision
eyes medical market
Microvision Inc. will explore possible uses of its light-scanning and display technology in medical devices with a division of the giant Johnson & Johnson Co.

The Bothell-based company said in early September that it had signed a technology feasibility agreement with Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc. of Somerville, N.J. Under the agreement, details of which were not disclosed, the two companies will work to develop Microvision’s proprietary technology for the medical market. Ethicon will then have limited rights to any resulting products.

Diabetes workshop to feature
television personality Kerr
Graham Kerr, culinary and television personality, with his wife, Treena, who has Type II diabetes, will share their balanced philosophy for healthy eating and living with diabetes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, 3105 Pine St., in Everett.

Dr. Jim Chamberlain will present information on diabetes and heart disease. There also will be a panel of experts, anchored by Dr. Paul Schoenfeld and Dr. George Moore, who will answer questions on all aspects of diabetes management.

Local diabetes programs and diabetes-supply vendors will be available to answer questions and demonstrate new products in the treatment and prevention of diabetes.

Tickets are $10 per person and include a box lunch. To register, call the American Diabetes Association at 425-258-8116.

HealthSouth clinics put MedGem
to use in county
Three HealthSouth physical therapy clinics in Snohomish County have begun using a new, portable metabolic testing device that helps medical professionals assess nutrition, weight management and fitness.

The device, known as MedGem, calculates a person’s resting metabolic rate (RMR), creating a caloric benchmark for losing, maintaining or gaining weight, according to HealthSouth. It works with the help of advanced sensor technology to measure a person’s consumption of oxygen, which fuels metabolism.

“Trying to assess nutrition without knowing your patient’s RMR is like trying to balance your checkbook without knowing how much money you’re spending,” said Bob Day, HealthSouth marketing coordinator.

“By checking our patients’ RMR every few weeks, we can help them understand their unique metabolism and take ultimate control over nutrition, weight and general fitness,” he said.

County clinics using the device are located at 328 S. Stillaguamish in Arlington; 160 W. Dayton St., within the Harbor Square Athletic Club, in Edmonds; and 4310 Hoyt Ave. in Everett.

Seattle Genetics drug clears
first clinical trial
Seattle Genetics Inc. reported the successful completion of its initial clinical trial on a potential drug to treat Hodgkin’s disease and certain lymphomas.

The Bothell-based company said in September that the test of SGN-30, which focused on its safety, showed that it was well tolerated by the 13 patients treated in the study.

Additionally, the drug showed signs of working against the tumors it targets, the company reported. A second trial on the drug candidate is scheduled to begin later this year.

Nastech nets nasal patent
Nastech Pharmaceutical Co. of Bothell recently said it has received a U.S. patent for its nasally inhaled form of morphine, which can be used to treat pain in patients with cancer and other serious conditions.

By delivering it through the nose, the morphine is absorbed directly into the circulation system, working faster and without the same side effects as oral and injectable forms, according to Nastech. The company is conducting a phase 2 clinical trial in cancer patients with episodes of severe pain.

Sonus cancer drug promising
during phase 2 trials
Sonus Pharmaceuticals Inc. recently reported promising results from its ongoing studies of Tocosol paclitaxel’s effectiveness on different types of cancer.

The phase 2 trials evaluated by the company involved 73 patients with bladder, ovarian, colorectal and non-small cell lung cancer. The disease control rate ranged from 37 percent in ovarian cancer to 89 percent in bladder cancer, said Michael Martino, president and chief executive officer of Bothell-based Sonus.

Tocosol paclitaxel is the company’s form of paclitaxel, the active ingredient of Taxol, which is used to treat tumors. But Tocosol reportedly can be given in higher doses and in less time than Taxol.

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