Recession and Cosmetic Surgery Trends

This being the worst economic recession in decades hasn't left an industry unscathed. Elective spending in particular has been clearly curtailed, and with much of cosmetic surgery being elective, it has been scarred right in the face by the turbulent economy's clout.

Recent figures from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) unravel the magnitude of damage caused, with the year 2008 registering a drop of 9 percent to $11.8 billion in the number of cosmetic surgery procedures in the U.S.

Mars & Venus Differ

The quest of looking more beautiful or handsome has traditionally been a woman's forte, while men only recently realized that they too have the potential to look good and reap its benefits. However, recession seems to have put men back on the track of regression in terms of cosmetic surgery, while they continue to use skin care products. Statistics uncover that for the past couple of years men had been competing quite well with women in terms of cosmetic surgeries, but in 2008, the male surgery decreased by 2 percent, whereas 29% more women have consulted plastic surgeons. Popular cosmetic procedures during the past year were blepharoplasty, liposuction, breast augmentation, laser hair removal, Botox (R) injections, and injectable fillers.

Survival For The fittest

The changed economic scene with all the job cuts, failing businesses, and uncertainty about the future pretty much seems to have snatched away the coziness of livelihood that we became used to during the good times. Jobs are now hard to find, and only if you are lucky, and are among the best of the lot. Increasingly, cosmetic surgery is being seen to make job seekers and holders more competitive and confident. In a survey 756 women between the ages 18 and 64, about 13 percent said that they would consider a medical cosmetic procedure to make them more competent within the job market.

While plastic surgeons may be reaching out for their surgical boxes somewhat less in the current scenario, the longer term outlook is a lot brighter. It is estimated that in excess of 55 million cosmetic surgery procedures will be conducted in 2015.

Does Bad Economy Equal Low Fertility Rate?

The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), 1995, revealed that the number of women using infertility services in the U.S. was 9.3 million, and today if the forecast of some economists is to be believed, the economic crisis could cause the U.S. birth rate to decline.

Aside from the usual infertility problems treated with fertility drugs, the strained economy has its own way of affecting fertility.

Here are some hows and whys?

• According to a story in the LA Times, historical data over the past 75 years suggests that the U.S. fertility rate has declined following economic recessions. Not surprisingly, it was the worst after the Great Depression. Though not as bad as the Great Depression, the recession this time is big enough to be compared head on with its grandpa.

• Further, as a consequence of economic hardships, many couples might decide to either postpone or not have children at all. And it already appears to be happening, as reports from all across the country suggest that the number of men wanting to undergo vasectomy – a medical procedure leading to permanent sterilization, have doubled according to a Web MD article. This seems pretty extreme considering the availability of many other contraceptive methods such as the use of birth control pharma drugs.

• At the same time, some sociologists opine that recession could even lead to more births than less. The reasoning is that job loss will present women with more time and an opportunity to have children and raise them.

• A rather different kind of a baby boom also seems to be occurring and that is of many women opting to donate eggs to fertility clinics, to financially support themselves, an MSNBC report suggests that.

While it will take a couple of months before the actual effect on fertility rate can be assessed, it's seems unmistakable that state of the economy can have some significant repercussions on human fertility.

The UK Diet Supplements Market Overview

A general sentiment to maintain health, protect against illness, tackle specific health problems, up vitality levels and live healthier are driving up the demand for vitamins, minerals and supplements within the United Kingdom. By the year 2006, the UK VMS market was valued at $827 million. The six major players who held a major share (approx. 78 percent) within the vitamins, minerals, and supplements (VMS) market are Holland & Barrett, Bayer, Seven Seas, Boots Healthcare, SuperDrug, and Tesco. By 2011, the UK market for diet supplements is expected to be valued at $868 million.

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Industry Overview: US Home Healthcare Services

About 20,000 home healthcare service organizations across the nation deliver healthcare to 8 million individuals with an acute illness, a long-term medical condition, a permanent disability, or a terminal illness. For the top performing companies, the average revenue in 2007 was $17,340,702. In the coming thirty years, the American population over 65 years of age will double to 70 million. Ageing population coupled with several other make the market for home healthcare service promising.

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The Vaccine Market Overview

Till now, vaccines were largely associated with inoculation of infants and kids, but now the market for adult vaccines is growing fast. The global vaccine market stood at US$ 11.42 billion in 2006, growing at a rate of 16.52%, it is said to touch US$ 21.05 billion by 2010, and up to $23.8 billion by 2012. As competition within the industry increases, the vaccine market will resemble the conventional market for pharmaceutical products. Amongst many trends seen within the are that vaccines aimed at anthrax, plague, and smallpox, are being designed to defend against bioterrorist attacks. Also, vaccines to stimulate innate immune responses as well as adaptive are being developed, and more.

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The US Biotech Industry Snapshot

The US biotechnology industry is a vibrant component of the country's economy. Since, the early 1990s the industry has registered a fast growth, with the revenues increasing from $8 billion in 1992 to $39.2 billion in 2003. Further, it is large and complex and is engaged in about 38 areas of sub‐sector elements, from plant and animal life sciences to drug discovery and information technology. The job market forecast of biological technicians, is expected to grow by 28.2 percent between 2004 and 2014.

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Are Pharma Workers Feeling More Insecure Now?

Pharma staffers, despite working long hours in the wake of the shaky economy are beginning to express insecurity about their careers as a recent survey by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing magazine found.

The press release reports that of the 400 readers worldwide who participated in the survey, 64% feared job security. While in 2008 this figure was 55.8%, and 42.7% in 2007.

It's a progressive trend that with each passing year the percentage of those expressing insecurity within the pharma drug industry has increased. And that experts think that the dwindling economy isn't the sole reason. In fact, the expression of job insecurity by pharma staffers is a result of dwindling product pipelines, blockbuster drug patent expirations, and the buzz created by the recent culminated & speculated mergers and acquisitions.

Further, pharma companies aren't laying off more now than a few years ago. However, new hiring has certainly taken a hit, and as is the case for most industries, a “wait-and-see attitude” is being adapted by pharma companies too.

Despite the prevailing insecurity, industry employees still find “Improving patients’ lives” as something that motivates and find meaning in their jobs. But they are also turned off by uncertainties about the future, job cuts and the fact that they're maintaining more than they're innovating.

Decreasing salaries too appear to be a concern to the workers from this domain of the medical industry. Because the numbers reveal that in response to this year's study just 40.2% said they were drawing an annual pay package of $100,000 as against 47.3% in 2008. The biotech industry seems to be doing better, as biotech's turning out profits.

Nevertheless, Keeping up the spirits of the workforce has always been essential for running a company well, and it seem even truer during tough times. Perhaps the responsibility to keep staffers in good spirits lies on the shoulders of both the companies and the employees themselves – perhaps by maintaining a positive outlook, enhancing skills, or whatever works.

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The US Waste Management Industry Snapshot

Put together, the industry and households in the US produce over 200 million tons of solid waste, that translates into generation of about 4.4 pounds of waste per person every single day. The waste management industry, traditionally engaged in the collection, transport, and disposal of wastes is now faced with meeting the raised expectations of the populace, owing to increasing environmental concerns. The three major players in the waste management business are Allied Waste Industries, Waste Management, and Republic Services, and together with 10,000 private sector firms in the business, generate annual revenues to the tune of $50 billion.

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Pharma Fighting Hard – But will it win?

Hit by the tsunami of recessionary economy causing sales to dip and growth rates forecasted to fall below historic levels, pharma drug companies have hit the panic button and are trying out different ways in their quest to survive.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Pfizer's acquisition of Wyeth for US$68 Billion is a striking example. The company has acted to safeguard itself, owing to the plummeting revenues from it's popular drug “Lipitor” and several other products, which would soon be faced with expired patent protection.

But this is being seen as just the beginning of a whole wave of mergers to come by. Some other expected acquisitions are being speculated such as Roche buying out the remaining share of Genentech, Merck merging with Schering-Plough, a merger between Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and more pharma industry mergers.

In fact the general expectation the big pharma companies are all set to taking over smaller player raised the hopes among small biotechnology companies worrying about their own survival soon a bigger firm would approach them with a buy out offer. However, recently panelists attending the BioPartnering North America conference, warned of harboring such an unrealistic expectation that all biotech companies in distress will be rescued. At present pharma firms have their eyes set on other pharma firms rather than biotech product companies.

Job Cuts

Pharma companies are fast reducing their workforce. The Pfizer-Wyeth deal itself if expected lead to a 15 percent reduction of staff for both the firms combined, which translates in to about 130,000 job cuts.

Other recent layoffs include King Pharmaceuticals (KG), (22%, or 760 jobs), KV Pharmaceutical Co (700 job cuts expected), GlaxoSmithKline (10,000 job cuts predicted), and more.

Skepticism

At the same time analysts are skeptical about some aspects of these deals. For example there's apparently no solution to declining sales outlook, as projections about Pfizer-Wyeth will have a combined 2013 total company sales below the 2008 figure of $70 billion. Some suggest that while large-scale mergers between will create cost savings and give these companies time, that won't be sufficient to reinvent pharma.

Survey: Biotechnology Industry will Bounce Back

The biotechnology industry is expected to rebound and outperform healthcare industry and the rest of the market this year, according to findings from an investor perception study released by Thomson Reuters and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) at the 11th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference in New York.

Findings

• Investors have stated that a company’s cash position is now more important.

• More than two-thirds in the study expect greater M&A volume in 2009, with major pharmaceutical companies buying biotech of all sizes, and large biotechs buying smaller biotech companies.

• The study found that most investors are neutral to positive about the policies likely to be pursued by the Obama administration.

• Investors are particularly hoping for greater consistency and predictability from the FDA where higher safety barriers and insufficient resources are cited as primary reasons for limited drug approvals.

• Most investors pay little attention to activism in the biotech sector

• Meeting with management is the most important factor when researching investments, followed by conferences and sell-side research, which is still considered important.

Investors are optimistic about biotech stock performance

• 70% expect biotech to outperform the rest of the market this year.

• 59% consider biotech undervalued, while only 4% say the sector is overvalued.

• 57% expect biotech to rebound during this year; another 30% expect a rebound in 2010.

Investors are less optimistic about research and development

• 60% state overall productivity in 2009-2011 will be the same as in 2006-2008.

• Investors see the best opportunities in mid-cap companies with late-stage pipelines

• 37% of polled investors see opportunity in micro-and small-cap companies, but only 16% favor early stage pipelines over late stage pipelines.

• 67% of investors state the best investment opportunities lie in oncology while 37% see promise in immunology.

Source: Biotechnology Industry Organization

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Birth Control Pill Adverts - Is Bayer Ethically Challenged?

Recently, the German drugmaker Bayer settled the incident over advertising of its blockbuster birth control pharma drug Yaz with a corrective $20 million national advertising. As the news made waves many opined that the episode only cements the reputation of the drugmaker as being the most ethically challenged pharma company around.

But is a single bad ad campaign enough to brand a manufacturer as ethically challenged?

The drug in question is in fact approved by the FDA as a birth control pill with a side benefit in treating premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and improving moderate acne. The problem lies not with the approved effects but with advertising, which has been considered in the FDAs warning letter as broadening the drugs indication, overstating its efficacy, while minimizing serious risks associated with the use of the drug.

The settlement aside, the question is whether the drugmaker is the only entity to run into problems because of advertising. Many advertisements day in and day out are questioned for making misleading claims for all sorts of products and services.

Also, just because an advertisement has been caught violating laws doesn't mean that those others who've violated but haven't been caught are angels. And this may be quite true within the medical industry, because critics suggest that the F.D.A. division that oversees drug promotion has a staff of only 52 people, who can't be expected to keep a tab on thousands of ad campaigns run by drug makers the year over.

While not being an advocate for any particular drug maker, I'd like to point out a just a few of the “ethical initiatives” by the so termed “ethically challenged” company.

Science and Education

Set up "BayLabs" as they're called at various sites in Germany. These laboratories allow schoolchildren to learn about chemistry and biology with carefully prepared experiments and learning programs.

Environment and Nature

In 2004 Bayer became the first private-sector company start a partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for involving the youth in caring for the environment. It's run over a dozen projects around the globe since then.

Health and Social Needs

As an aid to Asian tsunami victims the company provided both money and donations in kind with a total value of EUR 13 million (approx US$ 16.8 million).

You can find out more about the company from the Sustainability & Commitment section on their website.

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5 Reasons Why FDA's Furious Over Narcotics Misuse

The US Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it was beefing up efforts to curb unsafe use of 24 narcotics products used as pharmaceutical drugs. In its first such measure the regulator sent 16 companies making these products letters, asking them to have a "Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS)," in place.

Narcotic products have a chemical composition that simulates the effects of naturally occurring opiates like the opium poppy, and are often prescribed to cancer patients for managing sudden and severe bouts of pain. Though these products have been in use for years now, the question is, why the FDA has come out railing against these prescription drugs?

At least five reasons are the triggers behind the FDA getting tough.

1. Widespread Use: The drugs targeted by the FDA are the most extensively prescribed and used medications. Going by the 2007 figures, pharmacies in the United States doled out about 21 million prescriptions for these 24 narcotic products, and were consumed by approximately 3.7 million Americans.

2. Ineffective Earlier Measures: The FDA was aware of the havoc these chemicals were causing and it did try to reign in on them by means of mandatory label warnings and by working together with other federal agencies. However, the problems seem to have had no effect, and instances of drug misuse, abuse and accidental overdoses have increased over the past decade.

3. Increasing Non-medical Use: The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data shows that non-medical use of prescription pain relief drugs in Americans 18-25 has increased from 4.1% in 2002 to 4.6% in 2007. And for those aged 26 & Over, the increase has been from 1.6% from 1.3% over the same period.

4. The Products' Addictive Power: The products included in FDA's present hit list are those, which are based on extended-release formulas for long-lasting effects. But despite their efficacy in damping severe pain they carry the risk of being highly addictive. And this makes them perfect candidates for abuse, and they often are abused for their euphoric effects.

5. The FDA is now Empowered to Act!: This isn't quite a reason inherent in unsafe use of drugs, but it still is the necessary condition for the FDA action. It was only in 2007, that the USFDA got the power to require risk-management plans. Otherwise it would still have been negotiating changes to drug labeling and promotion with the drug making companies from the medical industry.

Hopefully, the new measures will harness the beast of prescription drug abuse.

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The Stem Cell Debate - Is It Settled?

The wait for those in support of embryonic-stem-cell research funding seems to be over, as the President Obama is expected to sign an executive order overriding the federal funding limits put on by the former administration. And leading to the rebirth of stem cell research.

Those against stem cell research contend that stem cells research amounts to abortion, because it moves forward at the expense of destroying human embryos, which are fertilized eggs and in early stages of becoming a baby. And abortion is murder, so stem cells research amounts to killing. So when the Bush administration put a cap on funding it was believed that religious convictions had won over science.

But was it really a victory, especially if you consider that stem cells have the potential to be grown into any type of cell the human body has, and thus making them an excellent resource to treat and manage debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, paralysis, diabetes and more.

Who gets to win or lose?

It seems that despite the convincing power of immorality aspect ascribed to stem cell research, many opinion polls have indicated that a majority of Americans think that stem cell research holds a lot of promise to eventually bring down human suffering than cause it. Perhaps, there would have been some breakthroughs in treatments already, if the big biotechnology product companies hadn't shied away from stem-cell research due to the politics involved.

What's more unpleasant is that a political football match is being played with something as noble as scientific research and which has the potential to save so many lives.

The debate probably isn't settled in the minds of those with the opposing views, and it may never be. But if biotechnology isn't given the respect it deserves, it would choose to grow in a place where it gets the freedom to. For instance, The Shandong Stem Cell Engineering Research Center in China reports, via UPI, that they've successfully cloned five human embryos for medical research!

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Economic Recession - Hospitals aren't Spared

In its most recent update published on January 28, the IMF announced that world growth is forecast to fall to its lowest level since World War II. And with the US being one of the worst hit, the hospital business, an integral part of the medical marketplace, and often regarded as recession proof is beginning to feel the heat.

Despite the fact that hospitals aren't hit the way the way the automotive sector or the retail has been, and that people will continue to fall sick irrespective of the economy, it seems that the number of people seeking medical care and the profitability of hospitals don’t walk hand-in-hand.

Growth stunted & patients decreasing

A recent report by the American Hospital Association (AHA) finds that the sputtering economy has already led to 45% of hospitals to postpone forthcoming capital projects, with about 13% being forced to completely stall any expansion projects already underway. The AHA report included 639 hospitals in the study.

Further, experts believe that even though people continue to fall sick they're postponing, most treatments if not all, which can be classified as elective. The credit for the prevailing scenario goes to all the layoffs and the slowing economy. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics the month of December saw some of the worst layoff figures, as there were 2,275 mass layoff actions, involving 226,117 workers.

What seems worse is that aside from foregoing elective treatments, patients seem to be avoiding essential drugs, with many actually abusing prescription drugs, such as narcotic painkillers , sedatives and tranquilizers and stimulants.

As a consequence, hospitals are reeling under delayed hospital equipment and supply purchases, declining patient visits, reduced staff with no fresh hiring, unpaid medical bills, in addition to ceasing any construction projects. The AHA survey, released in November last year found that patient visits were static or had decreased during the third quarter of 2008, and the cases of unpaid medical bills for hospitals registered a hike of 8%.

The government's role in uplifting the spirit of hospitals is being thought to be instrumental as Medicare and Medicaid account for about half of the hospital business industry.

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Study: Stem Cell Transplant Reverses Multiple Sclerosis

Researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine appear to have reversed the neurological dysfunction of early-stage multiple sclerosis patients by transplanting their own immune stem cells into their bodies and thereby "resetting" their immune systems.

"This is the first time we have turned the tide on this disease," said principal investigator Richard Burt, M.D. chief of immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases at the Feinberg School. The clinical trial was performed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where Burt holds the same title.

The patients in the small phase I/II trial continued to improve for up to 24 months after the transplantation procedure and then stabilized. They experienced improvements in areas in which they had been affected by multiple sclerosis including walking, ataxia, limb strength, vision and incontinence. The study will be published online January 30 and in the March issue of The Lancet Neurology.

"We focus on destroying only the immune component of the bone marrow and then regenerate the immune component, which makes the procedure much safer and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy with cancer drugs," Burt said. After the transplantation, the patient's new lymphocytes or immune cells are self-tolerant and do not attack the immune system.

"In MS the immune system is attacking your brain," Burt said. "After the procedure, it doesn't do that anymore."

In previous studies, Burt had transplanted immune stem cells into late-stage MS patients. "It didn't help in the late stages, but when we treat them in the early stage, they get better and continue to get better," he said.

Source: EurekAlert!

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Are Best Hospital Lists Worth their Salt?

Recently, a study found that the top-rated U.S. hospitals had a 27 percent lower death rate than other hospitals. So are the best ranked hospitals within the healthcare market really the best places for patients to seek treatment from.

They probably are to quite an extent and the ratings more credible if it's also known that the health care ratings organization is an independent one, such as is the case with HealthGrades.

So many top-rank lists

But consulting a single organization's ranking lists might not serve to be the final answer in your search for the best place to get medical care from. Perhaps, including the results of other agencies such as the Leapfrog Group, which surveys over 1,300 hospitals nationally, or The Joint Commission, which tracks different kinds of medical care rendered, or even the U.S. News' analysis of more than 5,453 medical centers to produce an Honor Roll based on 16 specialty rankings may also come in handy.

However, referring to several such reports, might at times, turn out to be confusing, because they might not appear to agree on who the best hospitals after all are. And some of the very best on one list simply might not figure on another. For instance, if one study analyzes just high volume and low risk procedures, while the other takes account of difficult and highly specialized treatments, the results would naturally be quite different. Or if one just assessed the hospitals' equipment & supplies, the outcomes would be radically different.

Cheeky Critics

Also, despite these lists being reliable in assessing the factors they rate the health care facilities on, are not without critics. The much debated Federal nursing home rating system is a glaring example, as some think that the assessment doesn't consider a broader view of all that takes place inside nursing homes. Nevertheless, it does consider something, which is better than nothing.

It seems in the end that many of these lists do provide reliable assessments, but search for a perfect hospital should always take into account the patient and her family's needs and limitation. As a result the top rank lists would be truly meaningful when they are used while considering the proximity, the abnormal medical condition, the medical procedure advised, affordability, and a host of such factors for which the patient and her family are perhaps the best judges.

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How to choose the right gloves for cleanroom gloveboxes?

Glove box gloves come in a wide variety incorporating different materials and designs. The importance of using the right kind of gloves can't be ignored because it can have negative repercussions on operational effectiveness, safety, cost and dexterity for the cleanroom staff as well as the object handled. Consequently, a forethought before the final purchase decision based on some information about the types of options available and other considerations, will help you make the right purchase.

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Personal Care Products - Dark Horse During Recession

At a time when sales of products across industries are struggling to keep up with their past records, some industries such as personal care products appear to have shown resilience despite hostile economic trends.

A look at the U.S. Department of Commerce stats show that most industries are up against some really rough weather. The whole of the industry recorded a decline of 3.1% in sales when compared to the numbers from last year. And if you consider the retail sales figures alone then December of 2008 has been pretty bad with the sales falling by 2.7% to US $343.2 billion. These numbers are pretty scary because they are worst ever since the early 1990s.

Despite the falling retail sales figures the personal care products registered a rise in sales of 5.65% to US $20.92 billion for December 2008, when compared with the December 2007 data.

Some reasons behind the rise

At the same time experts attribute the increase in sales activity for personal care products to several factors.

The first is of course the holiday season and festivities, when people spend on gifts, decorations, partying, etc. Experts think that this Christmas many people bought skin and personal care products as cheaper alternatives for more expensive gift items. Further, many retailers came up with huge and attractive discounts, which almost forced consumers to spend on personal care items. Whatever the reasons, in the end all of it did boost the sales.

World over, the performance of different retail sectors has been pretty dismal. For instance, according to the British Retail Consortium statistics the month of December 2008 has been the worst in the past 14 years, with the sales declining by 3.3 percent when compared to the activities of the previous year.

All in all the personal care industry sales in the US fared better than most other industries and also it's own kind, when pitted against the sales data from other parts of the world such as the UK.

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FDA: Skin Numbing Products Can Be Life Threatening

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a Public Health Advisory to alert consumers, patients, health care professionals, and caregivers about potentially serious and life-threatening side effects from the improper use of skin numbing products. The products, also known as topical anesthetics, are available in over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription forms.

Skin numbing products are used to desensitize nerve endings that lie near the surface of the skin, causing a numbness of the skin. These topical anesthetics contain anesthetic pharmaceutical drugs such as lidocaine, tetracaine, benzocaine, and prilocaine in a cream, ointment, or gel. When applied to the skin surface, they can be absorbed into the blood stream and, if used improperly, may cause life-threatening side effects, such as irregular heartbeat, seizures, breathing difficulties, coma, or even death. FDA has received reports of adverse events and deaths of two women who used topical anesthetics before laser hair removal. In February 2007, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory - “Life-Threatening Side Effects with the Use of Skin Products containing Numbing Ingredients for Cosmetic Procedures,” to warn consumers about these products.

The FDA strongly advises consumers not to:

• make heavy application of topical anesthetic products over large areas of skin;
• use formulations that are stronger or more concentrated than necessary;
• apply these products to irritated or broken skin;
• wrap the treated skin with plastic wrap or other dressings; and
• apply heat from a heating pad to skin treated with these products.

and

The following summarizes advice for patients if a topical anesthetic is recommended for their use:

• use a topical anesthetic that contains the lowest strength, and amount, of medication that will relieve the pain;
• apply the topical anesthetic sparingly and only to the area where pain exists or is expected to occur;
• do not apply the topical anesthetic to broken or irritated skin;
• ask their healthcare professional what side effects are possible and how to lower their chance of having life-threatening side effects from anesthetic drugs; and
• be aware that wrapping or covering the skin treated with topical anesthetics with any type of material or dressing can increase the chance of serious side effects, as can applying heat to the treated area while the medication is still present.

Go to the FDA release

Pee on Paper to Treat TB – Here's How?

Effective treatment of tuberculosis entails adhering to lengthy TB pharma drugs regimen. To ensure that people follow through the duration of treatment scientists have found a clever way in which simply peeing on paper can lead you to comply with treatment.

Tuberculosis or TB is an airborne infectious disease that's curable. However it requires strict compliance with TB drugs for months. And many people, especially in poor countries drop out in the middle because the drugs can trigger nausea and other side effects. This in turn is leads to a relapse with drug resistant strains of bacteria, making treatment difficult. The consequences are evident from TB statistics. According to the WHO, TB afflicts millions worldwide – of the 9.2 million cases newly diagnosed in 2006, 1.7 million people succumbed to the disease.

The Pee based approach to TB treatment

Staff from the Innovations in International Health (IIH) project at MIT, recently devised a program which uses paper-based diagnostics called “XoutTB” with text-messaging technology and service to improve tuberculosis (TB) treatment compliance in poor countries.

At the heart of the program lies a rewards schedule, whereby patients complying with to the TB drug regimens consistently for 30 days are rewarded with cell-phone minutes, encouraging them further.

To track compliance, the participants are required to pee on a paper-based diagnostic equipment, which is dispensed once each day. The device is able to detect the metabolites of the TB drug in urine – accurately assessing whether the drugs were consumed or not. Also the reaction between the drug molecules in urine and the chemicals embedded in the paper devices uncover a code that the participants need to text-message to a central database. A consistent record of compliance for 30 days is rewarded with free minuets.

It's simple and hopefully will turn out to be quite effective, as the trials are still on. While the real work is still accomplished by the good old TB drugs, the pee based diagnostics are central to making that happen. Now, that's what I'd call real waste management!

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