Latest news with #AmericanUrologicalAssociation
Otago Daily Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Pacific Edge chairman staying on
Chris Gallaher. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Pacific Edge chairman Chris Gallaher has delayed his retirement for the second time to ensure stability and continuity on the cancer diagnostics company's board. In March last year, the company announced Mr Gallaher's intention to retire following the appointment of a successor and a structured handover at the end of the year. But in September, the board asked him to remain as chairman into 2025 to provide stability and confidence amid the continued uncertainty over the Medicare coverage status for the company's Cxbladder tests and the ongoing process to recruit his successor. Yesterday, Pacific Edge advised Mr Gallaher had accepted an invitation by the company's directors to seek re-election to the board at its annual shareholders meeting in Auckland on August 6. The statement said the invitation was extended because they believed shareholders' best interests were served with the continuity and stability of Mr Gallaher's leadership while the company continued to navigate the loss of Medicare coverage for Cxbladder products. Mr Gallaher, who joined the board in 2016, was due to retire by rotation and independent directors Sarah Park and Tony Barclay, who were also due to retire by rotation, had indicated they would stand for re-election. Mr Gallaher said the inclusion of Cxbladder Triage in the American Urological Association's new microhematuria guideline had allowed Pacific Edge to view the local coverage determination that ended Medicare coverage of its test through a different lens. As it moved through the process to seek re-coverage, he was happy to continue. — APL
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
AUA Announces 2025-2026 H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellow
AUA Announces 2025-2026 H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellow BALTIMORE, June 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Urological Association (AUA) today announced that Christine Van Horn, MD, MS, has been named the 2025-2026 H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellow. This fellowship aims to equip residents, fellows, and early career urologists with a foundational understanding of the legislative processes that shape health policy. As the Holtgrewe Fellow, Dr. Van Horn will engage in a multi-week fellowship within a congressional office in Washington, DC. During this time, she will actively contribute to key AUA advocacy efforts, including the Annual Urology Advocacy Summit and meetings of the AUA's Public Policy Council and Federal Advocacy Committee. Additionally, she will participate in the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy & Management at Brandeis University. "I'm very excited about the opportunities the Holtgrewe Fellowship provides, especially in learning more about the legislative process,' said Dr. Van Horn. 'I've learned so much over the last several years working with the AUAPAC and the AUA Policy and Advocacy Residency and Fellows Working Group, and I'm excited for the in-depth experiences offered by the fellowship to build on that framework and further strengthen my skills in advocating for our patients and our specialty." Dr. Van Horn is a fellowship-trained endourologist who recently completed her Endourology and Laparoscopic Robotic Surgery Fellowship at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. Dr. Van Horn completed her urology residency at UMass Chan Medical School and earned her medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Dr. Van Horn is deeply engaged in health policy and advocacy through her work with the AUA. She previously served on the AUA Policy and Advocacy Recruitment Work Group Executive Committee for the Trainee Workforce Support Subgroup and is an active member of the AUAPAC Champions Program. She also mentors through the AUA FUTURE Program and is a member of the Urology Care Foundation's Kidney and Adrenal Health Committee. She is also actively engaged in research on gender equity and the urology workforce. 'Dr. Van Horn brings an exceptional depth of advocacy experience to the Holtgrewe Fellowship,' said AUA Public Policy Council Chair Dr. Mark Edney. 'From her work with the AUA's Policy and Advocacy Recruitment Workgroup to her leadership within the AUAPAC Champions Program, she has demonstrated a clear commitment to shaping the future of health policy in urology. Her energy, insight and firsthand clinical perspective make her an outstanding advocate for our specialty on Capitol Hill.' The Holtgrewe Fellowship program was established in recognition of Dr. H. Logan Holtgrewe, former AUA president and past chairman of the AUA's Health Policy Council. The Holtgrewe Fellowship is open to all AUA residents in their research year, fellows and first-year post-graduates. Learn more about the program. About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has more than 23,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. Attachment AUA Announces 2025-2026 H. Logan Holtgrewe Legislative Fellow CONTACT: Corey Del Bianco American Urological Association 443-689-4033 cdelbianco@
Otago Daily Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
‘Resilient' Pacific Edge announces capital raise
Cancer diagnostics company Pacific Edge has announced a $20 million capital raise in tandem with what it describes as a "resilient" full-year financial result. In a statement yesterday, the listed company said the equity raising was about ensuring it had the cash reserves to capitalise on recent clinical and commercial milestones, grow in non-Medicare channels and regain Medicare coverage of its tests. Total revenue was down 16% to $24.6 million while an after tax net loss of $29.9 million was up 1.4%. Total laboratory throughput of Cxbladder tests fell 11.5% on FY24 to 28,894 while commercial tests fell 9.9%. Medicare coverage discontinued in April and Pacific Edge was now focused on regaining coverage for its Triage and Monitor products and obtaining coverage and launch of new products Triage Plus and Monitor Plus. Chairman Chris Gallaher said while the adverse determination was a significant disappointment, it should not overshadow the major strategic progress made over the past year. Cxbladder Triage was included in the American Urological Association's new microhematuria guideline with a grade-A evidence rating, the only biomarker to receive that level of endorsement. With the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a draft price of US$1,018.44 for Cxbladder Triage Plus — a significant premium over the current US$760 price for Pacific Edge's existing tests — the company was positioned for "a rapid acceleration of revenue growth" in the United States once Medicare coverage was achieved, Mr Gallaher said. While confident it would regain coverage for Triage, the company said there were no guarantees as to the timing or outcome of the re-coverage process — it could be delayed or not achieved at all. Chief executive Dr Peter Meintjes said the AUA guideline cemented Pacific Edge's position as the market leader in non-invasive bladder cancer diagnostics. In combination with evidence not considered during the finalisation of the determination, the guideline put the company in a strong position to regain Medicare coverage for Cxbladder Triage. The capital raise comprised a placement of $NZ15 million of new ordinary shares to be offered to selected investors and an offer of $NZ5 million of new shares to retail investors, by way of a share-purchase plan. The share issue was priced at $NZ0.10 per share. Mr Gallaher said the new capital would support the company and its operations for over 12 months, giving Pacific Edge the ability to grow testing volume as it worked to regain coverage through planned Medicare reconsideration requests and challenging the non-coverage of Cxbladder Triage through the Medicare appeals process. All of Pacific Edge's directors and senior management intended to participate in the equity raising.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Collaborations for Change: AUA and Pfizer Select Recipients for $1.5 Million Grant Program to Improve Advanced Prostate Cancer Care
BALTIMORE, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Urological Association (AUA) is excited to announce it has selected seven grant winners to split $1.5 million as part of a collaborative initiative with Pfizer External Research & Grants (ER&G) which is aimed to improve the quality of care for individuals with advanced prostate cancer. Following a joint Request for Proposals (RFP), 23 grant proposals were received from urology and urologic oncology institutions and organizations nationwide. After a rigorous review process, seven innovative projects were awarded grant funding, totaling $1.5 million on behalf of the Pfizer-Astellas Alliance. 'The AUA is proud to once again collaborate with Pfizer in supporting forward-thinking research and education in advanced prostate cancer,' said Mark Gonzalgo, MD, PhD, MBA, chair of education at the AUA. 'This grant initiative continues to foster groundbreaking strategies that address unmet needs in care delivery—from earlier diagnosis to individualized treatment approaches. We commend this year's grant recipients for their commitment to improving outcomes and elevating the standard of care for patients navigating this challenging disease.' Congratulations to the following selected applications: 'Addressing Genomic Disparities in Prostate Cancer: A Quality Improvement Initiative for Equitable Access to Germline and Somatic Testing' – Rohan Garje, MD, Miami Cancer Institute 'Advanced Prostate Cancer Collaboration Advances Rural Equity' – Charles Shelton, MD, The Outer Banks Hospital 'AI-Enhanced Quality Improvement to Optimize Genetic Testing in Advanced Prostate Cancer' – Kenneth Nepple, MD, University of Iowa 'Bridging Gaps in Advanced Prostate Cancer Care: A Quality Improvement Initiative in the Bronx' – Christopher Jakubowski, MD, Montefiore Medical Center 'Boosting Precision: Enhancing Germline and Somatic Testing in Advanced Prostate Cancer' – Guru Sonpavde, MD, AdventHealth Foundation Central Florida 'A Clinical Trial to Address Physician- and Patient-based Barriers to NGS Testing' – Catherine Marshall, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University 'Implementing MyNavigator Platform in a High Volume, Rural Advanced Prostate Cancer Practice to Optimize Performance of Multidisciplinary Care Team, Improve Patient Symptom Monitoring, and Collect Real World Data: A Quality Improvement Initiative' – Timothy Richardson, MD, Avident Health, LLC *Pending executed agreements About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 26,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. CONTACT: Corey Del Bianco American Urological Association 443-689-4033 cdelbianco@
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Popular over-the-counter drugs have been tied to cancer
Popular over-the-counter drugs used to treat uncomfortable urinary tract infections may come with a potential cancer risk. The drug is called phenazopyridine hydrochloride and is found in many pills - both generic and name-brand - that are used to treat a urinary tract infection. Women are typically at a higher risk than men for those kinds of infections. The pill, many of which sell for less than $15, are used to help reduce pain, burning and irritation associated with the infections. They promise relief in as little as 20 minutes. Phenazopyridine hydrochloride has been used for decades and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Now, recent studies have raised questions about its use. 'There is no need for this drug,' Rita Jew, who serves as the president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, told Bloomberg. 'The data available from epidemiological studies are inadequate to evaluate the relationship between human cancer and exposure specifically to phenazopyridine hydrochloride,' the report said. There are more than 8 million related visits to healthcare providers in the U.S. each year to treat a UTI, according to the American Urological Association. Many people experience repeat infections, and around 60 percent of women and 12 percent of men will have at least one UTI during their lifetimes. But, even the labels on the drugs recognize that there is risk associated with the products. 'This product contains Phenazopyridine hydrochloride, known to the State of California to cause cancer,' the AZO label says. 'Long-term administration of phenazopyridine HCl has induced neoplasia in rats (large intestine) and mice (liver). Although no association between phenazopyridine HCl and human neoplasia has been reported, adequate epidemiological studies along these lines have not been conducted,' the URISTAT Pain Relief Tablet box notes. Neoplasia is the abnormal growth of cells. It was also listed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Service as a hazardous substance in 2001. Bloomberg also flagged that Phenazopyridine hydrochloride has been blamed for masking serious infections, slowing breathing, upset stomach and reddish-orange urine One adverse effect, known as methaemoglobinaemia, is rare but can be life-threatening. Still, even physicians may not have heard about the ties to cancer. 'It's the first time I'm even hearing about this. I'm totally unaware,' New York-based gynecologist Steven Goldstein told Bloomberg.
