American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Emphasizes Awareness and Importance of Calling 9-1-1

Washington, D.C., May 11, 2011– While stroke, heart disease and other cerebrovascular diseases are the fourth leading cause of death in Hispanics – stroke and heart disease account for one in four deaths among Hispanic men and one in three deaths among Hispanic women, – findings suggest that a stroke knowledge deficit is more pronounced among this population. In recognition of Stroke Awareness Month, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is working to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of stroke and the urgency of seeking medical attention among the Hispanic community.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries blood and oxygen to the brain is blocked by plaque or a blood clot (acute ischemic stroke), or breaks (hemorrhagic stroke), destroying up to 1.9 million brain cells per minute. Approximately 795,000 strokes occur each year.

According to the Office of Minority Health, Hispanics between the ages of 35 and 64 are more likely to suffer a stroke than non-Hispanic whites. In a survey of 2,000 women about stroke, Hispanics were less aware of the signs and symptoms of stroke than Caucasians. Furthermore, in a separate study of 25,426 individuals, non-English speaking Hispanic Americans, compared to those who speak English, were also less likely to identify the signs and symptoms of stroke or recognize the need for immediate medical attention.

“Stroke can occur suddenly and without warning, “said Juan Fitz, MD, ACEP spokesperson and Assistant Medical Director, Emergency Department, Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, TX, who rushed his own wife Dina Fitz to an emergency room when she began experiencing the signs and symptoms of a stroke.  “When my wife’s face began to droop and she couldn’t speak, we immediately sought medical attention which we believe helped aid in her recovery.”

With stroke, time is of the essence, so knowing the six primary signs and symptoms of a stroke is crucial. They include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the face or facial drooping
• Sudden numbness or weakness in an arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

“When I had my stroke I knew immediately something was wrong and thankfully I was around others who knew how to respond,” said stroke survivor, Dina Fitz. “But often women – especially Hispanic women – have the tendency to ignore warning signs as they put the health of family members and everyone else first. Recognizing that these symptoms may be signs of a stroke is crucial.”   

In the event that you or someone you know begins to show signs or symptoms of a stroke, ACEP recommends the National Stroke Association’s F.A.S.T. test as a quick screening tool: 

• Face – Ask the person to smile.  Does one side of the face droop?
• Arms – Ask the person to raise both arms.  Does one arm drift downward?
• Speech – Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.  Are the words slurred?  Can they repeat the sentence correctly?
• Time – If the person shows any of these symptoms, time is important. Immediate medical attention may limit the effects of stroke. Therefore, call 9-1-1 or get to the hospital.  Brain cells are dying. “Stroke is a medical emergency,” said Sandra M. Schneider, MD, FACEP, ACEP President. ”If you think you or someone you know is experiencing any of the symptoms of a stroke, it is imperative you call 9-1-1 for immediate medical attention, even if the symptoms go away.”

Support for the campaign was provided by Genentech Inc., a member of the Roche Group.

For more information about Hispanics and stroke, visit www.stroke.org.

 About the American College of Emergency Physicians

ACEP is a national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.  For more information, visit www.emergencycareforyou.org.

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Medical centers throughout U.S. will take part in 14^th annual OHANCAW, May 8-14

NEW YORK, NY, April 6, 2011 – Academy Award-winning actor and producer Michael Douglas, who is recovering from a battle with throat cancer, is urging Americans to get screened for cancer during the 14^th annual Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW), being held nationwide May 8-14 . More than 200 medical centers across the country and the world will offer free oral, head and neck cancer screenings during OHANCAW, which is sponsored by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA). Information about the free screenings and local sites can be found at www.OHANCAW.com.

According to the American Cancer Society, head and neck cancers represent the sixth most common form of cancer in the U.S., with more than 50,000 cases diagnosed annually and over 12,000 deaths.

Mr. Douglas, a screen legend who won Academy Awards as Best Actor for his role in the movie Wall Street and as producer of 1975’s Best Picture One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, was diagnosed with advanced stage IV throat cancer in August, 2010.  Following several weeks of aggressive radiation and chemotherapy, it was announced in January 2011 that the popular movie and TV star had a “complete response” to treatment in that his tumor is no longer detectable by physical examination or medical imaging. Although he must have monthly check-ups because there is a chance of tumor recurrence, Mr. Douglas is confident of complete recovery.

“My experience has taught me the importance of early detection and diagnosis to successful treatment and a positive outcome,” said Mr. Douglas. “I applaud the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance for raising awareness of oral, head and neck cancer and opening the door to free cancer screenings at local facilities throughout our country during OHANCAW.  The screening is quick, painless and free, so I am encouraging everyone to take advantage of this opportunity that could save your life. Do it for your family.”

“When oral, head and neck cancers are diagnosed early, these potentially deadly diseases can be more easily treated without significant complications, and the chances of survival increase,” said Jatin P. Shah, M.D., Ph.D, a world leader in head and neck cancer surgery who is Professor of Surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Chief of the Head and Neck Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and a member of the HNCA Board.  “Many Americans do not recognize the symptoms of these cancers, which underscores the importance of everyone getting screened properly, not just those at high risk such as tobacco and alcohol users.”

About Oral, Head and Neck Cancer

Oral, head and neck cancer  refers to a variety of cancers that develop in the head and neck region, such as the oral cavity (mouth), the pharynx (throat), paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity, the larynx (voice box), thyroid and salivary glands, the skin of the face and neck, and the lymph nodes in the neck. 

Common warning signs are:

• Red or white patch in the mouth that lasts more than two weeks
• Change in voice or hoarseness that lasts more than two weeks
• Sore throat that does not subside
• Pain or swelling in the mouth or neck that does not subside
• Lump in the neck

Other warning signs that occur during later stages of the disease include:

• Ear pain
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing
• Difficulty breathing

The most effective prevention strategy continues to be the cessation of behaviors such as smoking, use of chewing tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption.  Eighty-five percent of head and neck cancers are related to tobacco use.   Research has linked the increase of oral cancer incidence in young adults, a population traditionally at low risk, to the rise of human papillomavirus (HPV), a cancer-causing virus that can be transmitted through oral sex. 

About Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week  

Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW), coordinated by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, is a week annually dedicated to educating the public about these potentially life-threatening but highly treatable cancers, and to promoting prevention, screening and early detection. 

Given the great demand for head and neck cancer screening opportunities and to honor the tradition of holding screenings in April, HNCA is excited to extend its screening promotions from April through May, 2011. Although the climax of the promotions will be held during the 2011 OHANCAW, May 8-14, HNCA is encouraging all supporters to pick a week during April or May that works best for their group to host a free screening event.  For the past four years, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Lilly have provided funding for the free screenings as part of the companies’ support of OHANCAW. For more information, please visit the OHANCAW website at www.OHANCAW.com.

About the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance 

The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA) was established in 2008 to create a coalition in the fight against head and neck cancer. Formerly the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation, HNCA expands on existing strengths to enhance the overall effort in prevention, detection, treatment and rehabilitation. Our mission focuses on six key areas:

• Public awareness
• Professional engagement
• Research
• Advocacy
• Survivorship
• Resources development

The HNCA seeks to enable an organized and strategic alliance of all stakeholders to dramatically shift the stage of discovery of head and neck cancers through united and collaborative efforts in prevention, early detection and research.  Its mission involves:

• Providing support to head and neck cancer patients throughout the year
• Supporting ongoing research in head and neck oncology
• Educating children and adults in the disease process, treatment and prevention of head and neck cancer

SANTA FE, NM, March 11, 2011– Qforma, an advanced analytics and predictive modeling company, today announced the appointments of Elna Hamp to Vice President, Business Development and Joann Flynn to Marketing Manager.

“As our clients’ business models continue to evolve with the changing healthcare landscape, expertise across multiple disciplines is important to Qforma,” said Al Reicheg, Chief Commercial Officer of Qforma. “Our clients will benefit from Elna’s 23-plus years of payer and provider experience as well as sales, marketing and account management expertise, and Joann’s unique dual background in the pharmaceutical and wellness industries.”

Elna Hamp was formerly Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Verisys Corporation. Previously, she worked for Contexo Media, which was acquired by Access Intelligence LLC and Ingenix, Inc., a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. Elna was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for her valuable and long-term contribution to Ingenix. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from Utah State University.

During the past 15 years, Joann Flynn has held various management positions at such companies as inVentiv Health, Publicis and Vox Medica. Most recently, she ran her own nutrition consulting company, Designs for Wellness LLC. Joann holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delaware and a Master of Science degree from the University of Bridgeport, CT.

About Qforma

Qforma is the leading provider of advanced analytics and predictive modeling for the health sciences industry. The company leverages the talents of health sciences executives, physicists, mathematicians and programmers, to deliver actionable insights from large disparate data.  Qforma provides powerful sales, marketing and managed care contracting tools, including physician social network solutions, to help its clients realize significant resource efficiencies. Qforma’s innovative technologies were first developed at the world-renowned Los Alamos National Laboratory.

 Women Scrutinize Food Labels Significantly More Than Skin Care Product Labels

  New Puristics^™ Line of Pure, Effective Personal Care Products
Now Available in North Carolina

PEAPACK, NJ, February 28, 2011 – Findings of a new survey of 300 women living in Charlotte, NC, revealed that women, on average, are exposed to over 20 potentially harmful chemical ingredients or irritants (e.g. dyes, parabens and artificial fragrances) as a result of their daily facial skin care regimen.

 Surprisingly, only one quarter of the women reported being very concerned about chemical ingredients in skin care products. In contrast, 44 percent said they were very concerned about the chemical ingredients contained in packaged foods, according to the online survey conducted by Harris Interactive in December.

 “Despite the growing demand for healthier food products that are devoid of artificial ingredients, antibiotics and other unnecessary additives, most people just don’t question or even understand the long list of chemical ingredients in the products that they apply to their skin every day,” said M’lou Arnett, chief operating officer and co-founder of Scerene Healthcare, Inc., developer of Puristics^™ personal care products.

 Two years ago, Arnett and her business partner, Bob Casale, set out to develop a line of personal care products for everyday life that were as safe to use as they were effective.  This month, North Carolina is one of three exclusive U.S. markets where Puristics^™ personal care products – Puristics Totally Ageless^™ skin care, Puristics Pure Protection^™ feminine products and Puristics Baby creams and lotions – are now available throughout the state in Rite Aid and Harris Teeter stores, and nationally online through www.drugstore.com.

 “We think it’s important for consumers to consider what they’re putting into and onto their bodies, and to understand that they don’t have to give up effectiveness in order to get pure products,” said Arnett. “Our clinical study results were really exciting and prove that impressive results can be achieved without the use of potentially harmful chemicals or irritants.” 

 Specifically, an independent testing lab found a measurable reduction of fine lines and wrinkles in 100 percent of the women participating in the clinical trial after just three weeks of using Puristics Totally Ageless Advanced Skin Rejuvenating Lotion. Additional findings from the study can be found on the Puristics website, http://www.puristics.com.

 Survey Findings
Between December 1 and 14, 2010, Scerene commissioned a Harris Interactive online survey of 300 women age 30 to 55 who reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Figures for age, race, education, region and income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting also was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

 Top findings reveal that consumers are much more attuned to ingredients in packaged food products than those in skin care products:

• When making a purchase decision, twice as many women check the ingredients in packaged food products compared to skin care products (49% vs. 25%).  Forty-three percent (43%) of women who check the ingredients in packaged food report that they know most of the ingredients versus only 16 percent of the women who check the ingredients for skin care products.
• Further, when it comes to potentially harmful chemical ingredients, respondents are significantly less knowledgeable about those ingredients in skin care products than those in food (16% vs. 37%). In fact, less then 1 in 4 have reported that they have ever researched skin care ingredients.
• Most women (70%) are aware of the safety concerns with parabens and artificial fragrances that can be found in skin care products. However, less than one quarter have changed their buying habits to avoid a potentially harmful ingredient in a skin care product compared to more than one half for packaged food.

 In the study, multiple independent sources that monitor and compile the latest data on cosmetic ingredients were used to identify the number of potentially harmful chemicals and irritants in two leading skin care lines.* The numerical value assigned to each representative product provided a basis for determining the number of potentially harmful or irritating ingredients represented in the regimens of the respondents. The individual exposure rating for each participant was calculated based on reported daily skin care regimen and frequency of use.

About Puristics  
Puristics Totally Ageless skin care, Puristics Pure Protection feminine protection and Puristics Baby creams and lotions are free from potentially harmful chemicals like dyes, perfumes and synthetic preservatives, and are recommended for all skin types. Puristics products have the power to work effectively and are non-irritating, even on sensitive skin.  For more information, please visit www.puristics.com.

About Harris Interactive 
Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

About Scerene 
Scerene Healthcare, Inc. (www.scerenehealthcare.com) is a consumer products company based in Peapack, NJ that has developed a line of personal care products under the Puristics brand.  Puristics products deliver pure and effective solutions for consumers’ personal healthcare needs.  Utilizing pure ingredients and proprietary technologies, the Puristics family of products includes three personal care consumer product lines: anti-aging skin care, feminine protection and baby creams and lotions. The co-founders of the company have more than 40 collective years of healthcare and marketing experience with leading consumer healthcare brands.

For more information, please visit www.scerenehealthcare.com.

*Sources used in the analysis included the American Academy of Dermatology (http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/general_cosmeceutical.html), Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel of the Personal Care Products Council (http://www.cir-safety.org/), and the Environmental Working Group (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/).

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For the ninth consecutive year, MCS is pleased to provide public relations support for Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW), which is scheduled for May 8-14, 2011.  Sponsored by The Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA, formerly known as the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation), OHANCAW is an annual, weeklong series of events raising awareness of oral, head and neck cancer and educating people about the disease: its symptoms, risk factors and the importance of early detection. The highlight of OHANCAW is a day of free oral cancer screenings held at participating medical and dental offices, centers and institutions throughout the country and overseas. Health providers are encouraged to take part in these activities.

Given the great demand for head and neck cancer screening opportunities and to honor the tradition of holding screenings in April, HNCA is excited to extend its screening promotions from April through May, 2011. Although the climax of the promotions will be held during the week of May 8-14, HNCA is encouraging all supporters to pick a week during April or May that works best for their group to host a free screening event. The HNCA supports the screening sites who take part in OHANCAW by providing free materials (posters, T-shirts, local media kits) to help set up and promote their event, as well as national publicity.

If you’re a health professional looking for more details about OHANCAW, and how members of your organization can register and organize a screening in your area, visit the official Web site at www.OHANCAW.com

SANTA FE, NM and PRINCETON, NJ, January 31, 2011– Qforma, the leading provider of advanced analytics and predictive modeling technologies for the health sciences industry, today announced the appointments of Ted Pine and Devon Reimer as Vice Presidents of Business Development, and Michael Murphy as Software Engineer.

“As Qforma continues to grow and seek new and different ways to optimize service to our pharmaceutical industry customers, we welcome the addition of Ted, Devon and Michael to our team,” said Al Reicheg, Chief Commercial Officer of Qforma. “All three are sterling professionals whose individual and collective expertise in such areas as analysis, market research, and software design will help our sales and marketing clients leverage competitive advantage for their brands.”  

Ted Pine of Tenants Harbor, ME, joins Qforma from openQ, a leading vendor of key opinion leader management and compliance tools. At openQ, Ted served as Vice President, Sales, helping the company establish clientele in eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide. He was also Senior Director of Strategic Accounts at Leadership in Medicine, a pioneer in the application of social network analytics to the selection and segmentation of key opinion leaders and centers of excellence.  Ted provides Qforma clients with 20 years of expertise in data collection, network mapping, and scientific communications strategy.

Devon Reimer brings 16 years of experience in data mining and market research. Her experience includes 13 years in the pharmaceutical industry where she focused on healthcare analytics spanning a wide range of therapeutic areas. Devon held management positions in market assessment research at such companies as Integrated Marketing Associates, Micromarketing Strategy Partners, and Market Measures/NOP/GfK. Devon resides in Lawrenceville, NJ.

Michael Murphy joins Qforma with a solid background in computer programming and software design. Prior to joining Qforma, Michael was a programmer and Network Administrator for Schafer Corporation in Albuquerque. He is a University of New Mexico graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and lives in Albuquerque, NM.   

About Qforma

Qforma is an advanced analytics and predictive modeling company. Our solutions identify useful patterns in complex data to deliver actionable metrics and information to sales, managed care and marketing teams in the health sciences industry.

Qforma is headquartered in Santa Fe, NM, with offices in Princeton, NJ.  More information is available at http://www.Qforma.com.

Press Release

Drug Safety Concerns Drive National “Know the Label” Campaign
PDR Network & Partners Collaborate to Improve Patient Safety, Reduce Medical Liability

• FDA’s current and complete prescribing information reaches U.S. physicians through liability carriers
• Physicians will earn free CME credits while keeping updated on changing drug labels

MONTVALE, N.J. – January 25, 2011 – PDR Network, The Doctors Company and other professional liability carriers and their partners today announced a new national “Know the Label” campaign to improve drug and patient safety in the United States.  At the center of the campaign is a new online service where physicians can earn free continuing medical education (“CME”) credits by reading or reviewing the full FDA-approved labeling for the most commonly prescribed drugs. The new service is being delivered to all U.S. physicians and other healthcare providers electronically via the websites of PDR Network, the liability carriers, other partners, and via electronic health records systems (“EHRs”), which are being rapidly adopted by physicians as a result of underwriting by the federal government, U.S. health plans and hospitals.

“Keeping current on FDA-approved drug labeling enhances patient safety and reduces professional liability risk,” explained David Troxel, M.D., medical director for The Doctors Company, the country’s largest professional liability carrier. “Busy physicians can find themselves unaware of all information in the drug labels or of changes to the labels for the medications they prescribe. The “Know the Label” campaign and the CME credits we are providing with PDR Network to all U.S. physicians, at no charge, is a key part of our effort to motivate physicians to review the labels on a regular basis and stay abreast of the details for the drugs they prescribe.”

National statistics confirm that nearly 30 percent of medical malpractice suits involve pharmaceuticals, and the FDA-approved labeling is often the standard to which physicians are held in these suits.

A White Paper commissioned by PDR Network from the medical malpractice defense specialists, Vaslas, Lepowsky, Hauss & Danke LLP, and recently published in the Food and Drug Law Institute’s Update magazine surveys hundreds of medical malpractice lawsuits in key jurisdictions and highlights the direct link between FDA-approved labeling and the standard to which physicians are held in U.S. court. Notable in the paper is the quote, “A physician’s first reading of the full FDA-approved drug label should not occur during trial prep.” 

“We commissioned this legal review because over 25 percent of drugs have clinically relevant changes to their FDA-approved labels annually,” explained Edward Fotsch, M.D., CEO of PDR Network, which provides digital drug information and services to U.S. physicians, and publishes the Physicians’ Desk Reference. “The mission of PDR for 65 years has been to deliver important drug information to physicians and other U.S. prescribers. ‘Know the Label’ services now deliver additional value online via our many partners, including EHR vendors.”

The “Know the Label” campaign is being launched in concert with the FDA’s efforts to provide up-to-date and complete prescribing information to physicians.

“We know that physicians and other prescribers are increasingly busy and can struggle to find time to stay current with all the changes in pharmaceutical labeling,” explained Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA. “We congratulate The Doctors Company and PDR Network for finding a practical and novel way for physicians to access the full updated labeling through electronic means and have it available at the point of prescribing. This effort dovetails nicely with our Safe Use Initiative and our intent to reduce preventable harm from pharmaceutical products.”

“Full updated FDA-approved drug labeling is an important service for physicians, and integration into their EHRs is key to making this information available at the point of care,” noted Michael Stearns, M.D., president and CEO of e-MDs, Inc., a leading national EHR vendor. “We are pleased to be delivering this service in our partnership with PDR Network and to offer the additional benefit of free CME to our physicians.” 

“Our cloud-based EHR platform, athenaClinicals®, allows athenahealth to provide up-to-date information to our physicians,” explained Evan Grossman, vice president of product strategy for athenahealth. “The PDR information and drug Alerts are an example of the importance of real-time updates for busy providers where athenahealth and PDR do the work and integration, and the physicians benefit, including free CME.”

Physicians are required to obtain CME credits to maintain their state licensure to practice medicine. Many states require patient safety focused CME and often physicians must pay to take CME-accredited courses.

For more information, visit www.thedoctors.com or www.pdrnetwork.com.

About athenahealth
athenahealth, Inc. is a leading provider of web-based business services for medical groups. athenahealth’s service offerings are based on proprietary web-native practice management and electronic health record (EHR) software, a continuously updated payer knowledge-base, integrated back-office service operations, and automated and live patient communication services. For more information, please visit www.athenahealth.com or call (888) 652-8200.

About e-MDs
e-MDs is a leading developer of healthcare software solutions headquartered in Austin, Texas. The company, founded in 1996 by a primary care physician, remains physician and clinical informaticist managed and actively participates in national health information technology and interoperability efforts. e-MDs Solution Series™, with more than 30,000 users nationwide, is the standard for affordable and integrated EHR and practice management software solutions, including clinical, financial and document management modules designed to automate medical practice processes and chart management. e-MDs’ Solution Series version 6.3 is a CCHIT Certified® 2008 Ambulatory EHR additionally certified for Cardiovascular Medicine and Child Health. The e-MDs Solution Series’ comprehensive suite of products facilitates improvements in clinical care, a reduction in medical errors and optimization of business practices. As testimony to our focus on ease of use and functionality, e-MDs has ranked at the top of all independent, unbiased, physician surveys thus far. For more information, please visit www.e-mds.com.

About The Doctors Company
Founded by doctors for doctors in 1976, The Doctors Company (www.thedoctors.com) is relentlessly committed to advancing, protecting and rewarding the practice of good medicine. The Doctors Company is the largest national insurer of physician and surgeon medical liability with 55,000 member physicians, $3 billion in assets, an A rating by Fitch Ratings and an A- rating by A.M. Best Company.

About PDR Network
PDR Network, LLC is the leading distributor of drug labeling information, product safety Alerts and REMS programs, including Physicians’ Desk Reference (PDR^®), the most highly trusted and commonly used drug information reference available in the U.S., PDR.net, mobilePDR^® and Health Care Notification Network (HCNN), the only service providing specialty-specific electronic delivery of FDA-approved safety Alerts to physicians and other healthcare providers. HCNN is governed by the not-for-profit iHealth Alliance. For more information, visit www.pdrnetwork.com.

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Press Contact
Thomas Eck
PDR Network
(201) 358-7424
thomas.eck@pdr.net

Leading pharma analytics company and MCS client Qforma (www.qforma.com) was featured this week in NJBIZ, in a section called “Making It,” which profiles how different NJ businesses are handling the economic downturn’s challenges and opportunities.  Al Reicheg, Qforma’s Chief Commercial Officer, was interviewed and photographed for the full-page article, which appeared in yesterday’s issue of NJBIZ. The article explores the colorful history, unique services and recent success of this company, which has offices in Princeton and SantaFe. Check out this week’s issue to read the full article, which NJBIZ subscribers can also access online by clicking here: http://www.njbiz.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83689:targeted-marketing-keeps-firms-on-track&catid=135:other-news&Itemid=2

In June 2010, MCS conducted media relations activities for client MannKind Corporation at the American Diabetes Association’s 70th Scientific Sessions, where Phase III data were being presented for MannKind’s lead investigational product, AFREZZA™ – a novel, ultra rapid acting insulin being developed for adult patients with diabetes that is currently under regulatory review by the FDA.

MCS’ mission was to seize the spotlight from other significant ADA news, including major, controversial clinical trials, to help build awareness of AFREZZA within the diabetes community. To ensure that AFREZZA was one of the meeting’s top newsmakers, MCS leveraged the 12 AFREZZA abstracts that were being presented at ADA, one of which included an abstract highlighted in The Lancet, the world’s leading medical journal, and presented during a special ADA symposium. Highlighting AFREZZA’s unique attributes and the latest clinical findings, MCS developed press materials and conducted remote and onsite media relations to secure 10 interviews for MannKind executives and positive coverage in dozens of top mainstream, trade and social media outlets, including FOX News, Medscape Medical News, XM Radio and the blog Diabetes Mine, reaching an audience of over 400 million to date.

For the 8^th consecutive year, MCS is proudly providing PR support to Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW) on behalf of our client Head and Neck Cancer Alliance (HNCA), a national nonprofit group dedicated to the prevention, early detection and research of head and neck cancers.  The HNCA is sponsoring the 13^th annual OHANCAW nationwide April 12-18, 2010.

In addition to its primary mission of promoting awareness of head and neck cancer and providing free cancer screenings and other activities the HNCA is this year endeavoring to educate the public on a newly emerging risk factor associated with these cancers.  Citing the now well-established link between oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cancers of the tongue, throat and tonsils, the HNCA has expanded its list of at-risk populations for these cancers to include sexually active adults who engage in common sexual behaviors, such as open-mouth kissing and oral sex. Tobacco and alcohol use continue to be major risk factors for cancers of the oral cavity, head and neck.

More than 140 sites nationwide will offer free oral, head and neck cancer screenings to the public during OHANCAW 2010.  More information about head and neck cancer, OHANCAW, the free screenings and other activities can be found at www.OHANCAW.com.