[NCC-73515]

I guess it would be big news on any website if it were true.

[MonsieurHood]

Originally Posted by NCC-73515

I guess it would be big news on any website if it were true.

It's true. I'll give you five reasons why we aren't hearing about it. Somali Pirates, Blago doesn't know when to bow out, Obama prepares for inauguration, The economic crisis, Isreal\Palestine violence. They have the technology, but they'll probably lose it when the next Palestinian rocket hits the University.

[NavyRaven]

Originally Posted by Big D

Medical adhesives have been around for a while, but I've never heard of them being used for skin repair until now. A nice innovation, with a lot of obvious applications. Medical glues, and even household superglue, have previously been used for repairing everything from broken teeth to holes in heart muscles.

Military medicine is often where a lot of innovation happens. The US army, for instance, has been using subcutaneous needle-free injection systems - primitive hyposprays, basically - to inoculate its troops for years now.

I like living in 'the future' sometimes.

Not just the Army, but all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Also, it's not subcutaneous, as it uses pnuematic (air) pressure to inject a thin stream of the desired serum into the muscular tissue as you would a needle, but much quicker, and with much less pain. That is, unless you flinch badly.

[Big D]

There are tons of new medical technologies being tested and developed all the time; they just don't all receive immediate front-page news coverage

[Elizadolots]

Right...this is still in testing. I know of companies which have done amazing things (because I work for a Venture Capital firm and we've invested in them) and there are newsbits here and there.....but until it gets out of testing and into mainstream, it's not going to be a big story.

[jerhanner]

Originally Posted by MonsieurHood

It's true. I'll give you five reasons why we aren't hearing about it. Somali Pirates, Blago doesn't know when to bow out, Obama prepares for inauguration, The economic crisis, Isreal\Palestine violence. They have the technology, but they'll probably lose it when the next Palestinian rocket hits the University.

You forgot Brad & Angie, Brittany Spears, and Lindsey Lohan! I mean, totally!

[MrQ1701]

Technology is amazing. I can't wait to see the advancements in the next 50 years!

[vuedoc]

Originally Posted by Elizadolots

Right...this is still in testing. I know of companies which have done amazing things (because I work for a Venture Capital firm and we've invested in them) and there are newsbits here and there.....but until it gets out of testing and into mainstream, it's not going to be a big story.

Not to mention the USFDA. They had one big victory with thalidomide and now they're putting many new treatments including pharmaceuticals, prodecures, and devices many years away from when we should be having the benefit of them.

[Elizadolots]

Well, any drug or process has to go through a lot of FDA hoops, it's true.

The problem is, if they don't subject the drug or process to a ton of testing and there are complications, lawsuits happen.

Think about VIOXX which passed all FDA tests, but turned out to have HUGE problems*...Merk will be recovering from that for years.

I'd suggest that we establish a rule that treatments which have not passed the rigorous tests can be used if the patient signs off on a statement that he/she will not take legal action if the treatment fails, but face it, if it failed, when it went to court it would be presented as the person was under duress due to illness, so his/her family should get a ton of money for the death.

*Vioxx was approved by the FDA as a drug appropriate for a very small percentage of RA sufferers, but because Merk actively advertised the drug to mainstream America loads and loads of people took it...I think by the time it was pulled, upwards of 50% of people diagnosed with RA were on Vioxx. One of my strongest beliefs is that we need to outlaw advertising directly to patients (as Canada has).

[vuedoc]

Eliza:

I couldn't agree more with eliminating direct to consumer advertising. It really hurts more than it helps. I get so aggravated every time I see a comercial like that. What I was referring to about the FDA getting in the way was more directed to lifesaving treatments and procedures in which the patient has nothing to lose. While I was working in Israel, I witnessed a new type of cancer treatment that was producing incredible results, better than any type of chemotherapy treatment beforehand. That was 15 years ago and the USA has yet to benefit from it.