The Next Vendors at the Physician's Door - Biotech Sequencing Sales...

I think these folks can still give out pens.  Sorry couldn't help myself there, but it could get sticky if fully categorized as pharmacogenomics and with who owns them for the pens   E-Bay might do well in time with some collector's item pens!

Posted this over on the blog and they do offer a free genomics test for any physician who takes the time to learn about their products and one of the first to shift their sales efforts over to the clinical side and less emphasis on the consumer side, and a few laws took care of that too.

DeCode to Accelerate Existing-Product Marketing to MDs and further grow Personalized Medicine…

We all recently heard about the warning letters sent from the state of California to firms selling online personal DNA sequencing over the Internet, and requiring a  physician’s prescription for the service.  One company DeCode, has taken the letter to heart and is revising their marketing plant to actively involve and educate physicians in the process, which is due to become prime in the 3rd and 4th quarters of this year.  The company is located in Iceland and has working partnerships with companies like Illumina, Roche, and Merck and one other location in Illinois.  Illumina in San Diego is a partner who does the diagnostic portions of the testing.   More about the diagnostic testing machines can be read here.

They should have 5 new predictive cancer diagnostics upcoming according to the recent presentation given and have doubled their sales staff, again to focus on educating  the physicians and health care facilities.  In addition, any physician who becomes familiar with their product can sign up for a free test of their own.  They also stated most business is coming now through the health care business channels set up and not from the consumer side.  California, New York, and Maryland require licenses and they are waiting for those to be issued.

The value of the information from these tests is of so small that you would get better bang for your buck from the local fortune teller!

The tests cost about $1000-$2500 each.

You are probably right until they combine more in to one test, but they may have pens. On another item, I just posted this last night at the blog, New Zealand getting in to the medical tourist business?  Any comments or information from you end of things? 

New Zealand seeks 'medical tourists'

Air New Zealand working to help prepare the travel packages.  Now there’s another choice and it is a bit more expensive than other countries, but still much less than the charges in the US.  The airfare is for 2 so you can take your spouse along with you.  Procedures mentioned were coronary by-passes and knee surgeries at 45k and 30k respectively.  So far they have accepted 29 patients from the US and Canada.  The 2 hospitals are also shareholders in the business.  BD

Auckland company Medtral is promoting New Zealand as a destination for "medical tourists" from affluent countries who want "cheap" operations and other medical procedures. A key shareholder in the company, gynecologist Edward Watson - who has been a consultant for pharmaceutical firms including Pfizer and Pharmacia - told the Washington Post the burgeoning business in conducting drug trials in New Zealand showed the potential for relatively cheap non-urgent surgery.

Heh, I was born in one of those hospitals mentioned in the article.

It's really musical beds, people from here go to India or Malaysia as medical tourists and others come from the USA to be tourists here!

We do provide specialist medical services to the Pacific Islands, and I've done my bit there ... seeing government workers sent to us for treatment in private hospitals.

The problem we have of our patients going overseas for treatment is the risk of complications etc, in an unknown quality situation but this is going to be less of concern here as we provide recognized quality care.  And the hospital mentioned ( Mercy, aka Mater Misericordiae when I was somewhat younger ) is the top private hospital in Auckland.

What the tourists will have to swallow though is that doctors here are basically immune from being sued.  If you suffer an adverse event, that would be covered as an accident instead, and presumably tourists would also receive accident insurance coverage.

That is really good information!  Yes it is funny, musical beds but the search for the least cost routing for healthcare drives it.  I don't think anybody really wants to travel for medical care, but it is what is.

My own personal feelings is that I would choose New Zealand over the others probably in a heartbeat, for the exact reason you stated, you have quality healthcare.  I understand not being able to sue as you can't do that in other countries either, but what is the "accident" clause?  Does that cover the bill in case anything goes wrong?  This is interesting to hear about how healthcare operates in other countries.

If you don't mind I would like to have your comments on the blog, it is very helpful information.  I can do it if you like and just sign it as anonymous if you would approve or you could also do it, just trying to make it easy.  Good stuff! 

You can use my comments if you wish.

Basically their medical costs would be covered whilst in NZ if there were an unexpected outcome of treatment aka medical misadventure.

See ACC.

Thanks Graham, I just used a name of "MD from New Zealand", hope that was ok.  Posted over at the blog. 

Ok Graham, we made it to Reuters

If they click through to read at the blog, then they can read your comments on the post. 

http://www.reuters.com/article/blogBurst/investing?bbPostId=BAfMYODD5A1mB4i22hiR9pHlB2Lu7TIR31dnBD1TSZoeVRBX

Barbara

Congratulations. I think you're wasting your time selling hardware and developing software ... just become a full time blogger and live off the adsense!

Thanks Graham, I am trying to see if the site can make a go of it now, so I appreciate any and all visitors.  It is meant to be more for information and really not much chat and conversations, although you can leave a comment, I designed it to be more of a resource than anything else.

If you haven't been on there lately, check out all the Twitter action with twits coming from the floor of the House of Representatives too.  Wild stuff and HIPAA no doubt will need some twitter clauses in time.

I am finding too that I have been first on many stories that appear the next day or a few hours later in the WSJ and ther online papers, depending on what time I am posting. 

I have a lot of pharmacogenomics information on there too, something that will be encompassed in to EHRS one of these days too.  Also there's a lot on medical devices and FDA resources there too. 

I'll know in time whether or not it will be able to provide an income as others have done, and once more thanks to all for the visits!  I appreciate it. 

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