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Medical Device and Diagnostics Public RelationsBioness, Inc.
More than 200,000 people in the U.S. suffer a stroke each year, and millions more suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other conditions affecting the nervous system. The effects of these conditions on the nervous system are profound, and often leave individuals struggling with physical disability and deficits of the hand, arm and/or leg. These limitations are particularly frustrating because they take away a person’s independence. Not only are patients unable to do the things they love—such as sports and travel—but in some cases they are unable to simply complete the daily tasks of life, such as getting dressed in the morning, brushing their teeth, and cooking for themselves.
Enter Bioness, Inc., a company that has developed an advance in the field of neurostimulation that offers hope for those suffering from mobility issues following a neurological condition or event. Bioness’ devices are externally-worn neurostimulation systems designed to restore function and provide recovery to individuals who suffer from neurological conditions and disorders. The Foot Drop System L300™ is designed to target the roughly 2.5 million individuals in the U.S. who suffer from foot drop. The H200® Hand Rehab System is designed for the roughly 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. who suffer from upper extremity hemiparalysis often caused by stroke, TBI and SCI.
Bioness engaged Schwartz Communcations to promote its FES technologies at the community and trade level, and drive informed patient demand. While this campaign was successful, at the beginning of 2009 Bioness presented new business goals to Schwartz, focusing on the MS and stroke patient communities – Bioness’ two largest patient populations that had not been specifically targeted with the PR campaign. Bioness wanted to reach these large audiences through high profile national media, in addition to the grass roots local PR and trade exposure the company was receiving. EnteroMedics
EnteroMedics, Inc. (St. Paul, Minn.) engaged Schwartz Communications to develop and implement a public relations campaign to help drive enrollment in the clinical trial of its VBLOC™ Therapy system for obesity. EnteroMedics developed an implantable, investigational device that could be a less-invasive alternative to surgery. VBLOC Therapy is intended to block signals carried on the vagus nerves between the brain and the digestive system that control sensations of hunger, satisfaction and fullness. Unlike bariatric surgeries, VBLOC Therapy does so without altering the anatomy.
When a clinical study has strict criteria for participation, a tight deadline and a tight budget, Schwartz has proven that PR can be a powerful and effective tool to recruit patients.
Hologic
FullTerm™, the Fetal Fibronectin Test (fFN) manufactured by Hologic, Inc., is a simple, noninvasive test that provides valuable information about the likelihood of premature birth to women with known risk factors and to their physicians. The test detects fetal fibronectin—the “glue” that holds a baby in place in the womb—in a pregnant woman’s vagina. The presence of fetal fibronectin in the vagina from weeks 22 to 35 is a strong sign of possible preterm birth. If the test is negative, a woman has a less than one percent chance of delivering within the next 14 days. A positive result indicates an increased risk of delivery within the next 14 days and provides important information that can help a woman and her physician prepare for a potential preterm birth.
When FullTerm, the Fetal Fibronectin test received FDA clearance, the test was used primarily on women presenting with preterm labor symptoms in the hospital setting. Today, Hologic is focused on marketing the test as a predictive tool at routine prenatal appointments for high-risk pregnant women.
I-Flow Corporation
I-Flow Corporation (NASDAQ:IFLO) manufactures and markets the ON-Q PainBuster® Post-Operative Pain Relief System. I-Flow has built a reputation in the medical and health care industry as an innovator in drug delivery technology. Through product innovation, I-Flow has emerged as a leader in the growing field of pain relief, offering cutting-edge therapies to physicians and their patients. I-Flow is located in Lake Forest, Calif., and is available on the Web at www.iflo.com.
ON-Q PainBuster reduces the need for patients to take narcotics (such as morphine) following surgery by delivering anesthetic directly to an incision site continuously over the course of five days. ON-Q PainBuster has been found to reduce narcotics intake by 40 to 70 percent depending upon the surgery and helps patients get out of the hospital and back to their normal lives faster. ON-Q was cleared by the FDA in May 1998, and since then I-Flow has been focused on building a wealth of clinical data to support the use of ON-Q for different types of surgeries and drive physician demand. Organ Recovery Systems
Founded in 1998, Organ Recovery Systems is a Chicago-area start-up developing technologies and services to improve the quality and quantity of organs, tissues and cells for transplantation. The company is organized into three operating groups: the Medical Devices Group, developing perfusion-based “life support” devices for the preservation, treatment and transport of organs for transplantation; a Perfusion Services Group that helps transplant centers and organ procurement organizations (OPOs) employ proprietary perfusion techniques for evaluation and therapy of donor kidneys prior to transplant; and the Charleston, S.C., Research Center that develops new technologies for cell and tissue cryopreservation and evaluation. More information about Organ Recovery Systems is available at www.organ-recovery.com. Proxima Therapeutics
Proxima Therapeutics develops and markets site-specific therapies that deliver brachytherapy, or internal radiation therapy, for breast and brain tumors. Its devices target radiation to the area where tumors are most likely to recur, minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. Proxima’s proprietary radiation delivery technology may have future applications for treating other solid tumors.
Proxima has developed the MammoSite Radiation Therapy System for breast cancer and the GliaSite Radiation Therapy System for brain cancer. Schwartz initial PR campaign focused on MammoSite, which delivers accelerated partial breast irradiation and facilitates the adoption of breast conservation therapy for patients and physicians.
About 40 percent of breast cancer patients who are eligible for a lumpectomy still choose total mastectomy over breast conservation therapy, despite published data demonstrating that the survival benefits are the same. Many of these patients decline breast conserving lumpectomy because they are unable to endure the time and travel burdens imposed by six to seven weeks of traditional external beam radiation therapy. MammoSite internally delivers targeted doses of radiation via a balloon catheter directly to the tumor site over the course of five days, minimizing radiation exposure to healthy tissue. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the MammoSite for use in May 2002. SleepApneaInfo.com
SleepApneaInfo.com is the world’s first educational web site devoted solely to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and serves as the educational landscape for an issue-awareness campaign, entitled, “Sleep Well, Be Healthy,” that was commissioned in May 2004. The non-branded awareness campaign is committed to educating the public about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), its symptoms and effects, and helping to improve the lives of the 18 million Americans afflicted with the condition. By serving as an objective, comprehensive resource for OSA sufferers, their family and friends, SleepApneaInfo.com strives to raise awareness of the health risks of obstructive sleep apnea and make progress toward increasing diagnosis and treatment rates. For more information, visit www.SleepApneaInfo.com. Syncardia Systems
Founded in 2001 by cardiologists at the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center, SynCardia Systems develops biomechanical cardiac replacement and assist devices. Its CardioWest™ Temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-T) is designed for severely ill patients with end-stage congestive heart failure. The device serves as an in-hospital bridge-to-transplantation for patients at imminent risk of death.
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