Micro-Tech Endoscopy and Interscope have partnered to collaborate and distribute the EndoRoter System for interventional gastroenterology, according to a Dec. 30 news release. The EndoRoter System also received extended FDA clearance, the release said. It’s the first and only device with clearance for direct endoscopic necrosectomy in walled-off pancreatic necrosis.
Author: Praveen Suthrum
The American College of Gastroenterology released new guidelines for the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. It was the top story in gastroenterology last week. Another top story was about the FDA’s acceptance of a new drug application for an investigational eosinophilic esophagitis treatment.
Diverticular disease increases a patient’s risk for adenomas and advanced adenomas, researchers in Argentina have found. An association between diverticular disease and colorectal cancer has been linked to the co-occurrence of diverticulosis in people with missed CRC and the increased risk for CRC in patients with acute diverticulosis. These findings could reflect a higher risk for neoplasia or the greater difficulty in examining the colon optimally. “Gastroenterologists who perform screening colonoscopy should be aware of this association, which should prompt extra vigilance during colonoscopy,” Oscar Laudanno, MD, the chief of gastroenterology at the Instituto Alfredo Lanari, in Buenos Aires, said.
The American College of Gastroenterology released new guidelines for the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. It was the top story in gastroenterology last week. Another top story was about the FDA’s acceptance of a new drug application for an investigational eosinophilic esophagitis treatment.
Private equity investment in the gastroenterology space has recovered from COVID-19-related delays and is on fire to end 2020. So, what’s in store for 2021? Here, Bill Bolding, senior analyst at Provident and Eric Major, director at Provident, offered insights on the current state of PE investment in GI and made predictions about what 2021 could look like. Note: Responses were edited for style and content. Question: 2020 was disrupted by COVID-19. Now, it seems the firms are making up for lost time. What’s driving the flurry of activity in November and December? Were these delayed deals that were reevaluated? Bill Bolding,…
2020 was a devastating year for global health. A previously unknown virus raced around the world, rapidly emerging as one of its top killers, laying bare the inadequacies of health systems. Today, health services in all regions are struggling to both tackle COVID-19, and provide people with vital care. In another blow, the pandemic threatens to set back hard-won global health progress achieved over the past two decades – in fighting infectious diseases, for example, and improving maternal and child health.
If ever there was a year when clinicians needed some guidance, it was 2020, as the ongoing pandemic and continued advances in our field dramatically altered how we perform some of our most fundamental procedures. Thankfully, this year’s publications did not disappoint, with crucial recommendations offered on multiple topics, including diagnosing and surveilling malignancies, using probiotics, and ensuring patient and healthcare worker safety during COVID-19. These 10 articles (presented in no particular order) represent what I believe to be the key reviews for those involved in the delivery of gastrointestinal (GI) care.
The year was looking bright for Exact Sciences. The company planned to build on its 2019 acquisition of Genomic Health to create a multifaceted diagnostic testing company in 2020, but COVID-19-related disruptions altered the plan for the year. Exact Sciences’ 2020 had several notable events in 2020. Exact: February: Completed 477,000 Cologuard tests in the fourth quarter of 2019 and 1.68 million tests in 2019.
As a year unlike any other comes to a close, several trends emerged in gastroenterology over the past year that will continue to emerge in 2021. Here, six gastroenterologists share their predictions on the future of the specialty: Note: Responses were edited for style and content and presented alphabetically. Fred Askari, MD, PhD, director of the Wilson Disease Program at Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine: COVID-19 has accelerated the move toward virtual visits for our clinic. Virtual visits have been favorably received by many patients, particularly those who drive long distances for appointments. I anticipate virtual visits will make up at least 50 percent…
Chris Shaver, MD, is the CEO at Birmingham (Ala.) Gastroenterology Associates. Here, he offers eight predictions on the future of the specialty in 2021: Question: What’s in store for GI in 2021? Dr. Chris Shaver: Our medium-sized, single-specialty GI practice experienced the very real challenges and uncertainties characteristic of the coronavirus pandemic. Our general approach to this unprecedented event included staying open for business through consolidating provider schedules in our clinics and hospitals, [offering] telemedicine, [making] appropriate adjustments in office staffing and instituting protocols to protect our patients and employees. Along the way, we learned a lot about our business and…