Spinal Dysraphism

Celebrating 100 years of caring for childrenMONTREAL, Oct. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 36th edition of the Canada Shrine Bowl will take place on Saturday, October 5 at 1 p.m. at Concordia Stadium, 7200 Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal. Each year, the game raises awareness about our patients and the pediatric specialty care thousands of them receive annually. Shriners Children’s Canada will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and has provided pediatric specialty care to thousands of patients over that time. This year’s game will also feature two patient ambassadors, Finley and Émerick, to proudly represent the hospital. This year's matchup is between the Concordia University Stingers against the Sherbrooke University Vert & Or. The public is invited to attend this annual event in support of Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada. Kevin Regimbald, head coach of the Vert & Or, and Brad Collinson, head coach of the Concordia Stingers, are all set for this superb sporting match between the two teams. This year, Montreal Alouettes player, Kristian Matte, will be the guest of honor. Accompanied by the Karnak Shriners, he will co-chair the opening and closing ceremonies of the game. Finley Finley was born with congenital scoliosis, missing and misshapen vertebrae, along with several rib anomalies. In addition to these spinal conditions, she faces spina bifida occulta, ketotic hypoglycemia, and severe asthma. Despite these challenges, Finley has never let her diagnoses define her. Since the age of 1, she has been traveling from Calgary to Montreal to see Dr. Ouellet at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada. Thanks to the expert care she receives, Finley can enjoy her favorite activities—swimming, biking, gymnastics, and dancing. Her greatest joy comes from doing handstands and cartwheels, proving that nothing can hold her back! Émerick Émerick, 8 years old, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which made it hard for him to move. After a long, three-year wait for surgery at another hospital, his family found hope at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, known for its quick and excellent care. Within months, Émerick had a life-changing surgery called selective dorsal rhizotomy, which has helped him gain independence. Now, he can kick a soccer ball, walk with special aids, and stand longer without support. In just six months, Émerick has made incredible progress, showing his determination and the amazing support he has received. The public is welcome to attend the Shrine Bowl. The doors will open at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 5. To purchase tickets, go to Stingers.ca | Buy Tickets. If you cannot attend the game but still wish to donate for our patients, you can send an e-transfer to moncontribution@shrinenet.org (include your full name and address to receive a tax receipt). About Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada Established in Montreal in 1925, Shriners Hospital for Children ─ Canada is the only Canadian facility within the extensive Shriners Hospitals network. A bilingual hospital, it offers ultra-specialized acute orthopedic care to children from Canada, the United States and around the world. The hospital's mission is to promote health and provide treatment and rehabilitation for infants, children and young adults with orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions such as scoliosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, clubfoot, hip dysplasia and cerebral palsy. The hospital is committed to excellence and innovation in clinical practice, research and education. Affiliated with McGill University, the hospital enables resident physicians and healthcare professionals to take advantage of its facilities on the Glen site to further their training and experience. In addition to offering a patient- and family-centered care environment, the hospital is present in communities across Canada through telemedicine, outreach clinics and satellite clinics. Laure Moureaux, Communications Advisor, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada 514-282-7222 / Cell: 514-207-2267, lmoureaux@shrinenet.org Chloe Ricciardi, Public Relations, Concordia University 514-796-7969, chloe.ricciardi@concordia.ca

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dignify Therapeutics (Dignify), a leading developer of therapies for bladder and bowel dysfunction, recently received two significant research grants from the NIH. These grants add to the previous $20 million in research funding the company has received to advance multiple therapeutics for bladder and bowel disorders. Grants include R43DK138600 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and R43AG088838 from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Dr. Karl B. Thor, Chief Scientific Officer and Investigator on the grants indicated; "We are very grateful that multiple Institutes at the NIH support the severe, unmet, medical need for therapies to restore control of bladder and bowel dysfunction. These therapies are directed toward the elderly and people with neurological conditions such as spinal injury, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, and diabetes. The needs of these populations are typically not discussed publicly by those afflicted and their caregivers and thus remain an unrecognized and underappreciated burden for them." He further emphasized; "Bladder and bowel dysfunction are top reasons for institutionalization of the elderly due to the heavy burdens associated with domestic caregiving. Similarly, restoration of bladder and bowel dysfunction in people with spinal injury is more important to them than restoration of their ability to walk." The new grants will allow Dignify to expand its therapeutic research and development efforts into providing innovative drug therapies for treating urinary and fecal incontinence, respectively. Similar to the unmet medical need for drugs to induce on-demand voiding in the elderly and people with neurological conditions, there is also a severe need in these same populations to prevent incontinence episodes. Dr. Qiaojuan Zhang, Principal Investigator on grant R43AG088838, will join Dignify from Duke University Department of Neurology to lead the NIA-sponsored research. About Dignify Therapeutics Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify's mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, "on-demand" pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions. The company has been funded by RA Capital Management, Eshelman Ventures, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NIDDK, NINDS, NICHD, NIA, US Defense Department, and the One NC Small Business Program. Dignify is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. SOURCE Dignify Therapeutics WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

REDMOND, Wash., July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in its 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule, announced its intent to create three new supply codes in its direct Practice Expense (PE) Database to describe the inFlow Voiding Prosthesis and facilitate appropriate payment rates for related physician services. Vesiflo appreciates CMS' acknowledgment of inconsistencies in pricing for the relevant physician service codes by the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to whom decisions about payment and coverage have been delegated by CMS. Per CMS, the creation of the new supply codes should help the MACs to establish more consistency and appropriate inclusion of the inFlow in pricing for these services. Continue Reading Vesiflo Kevin Connolly, CEO of Vesiflo, applauds CMS' proposal, stating, "The inFlow voiding prosthesis is the only alternative to life-long use of urinary catheters for women with impaired bladder function due to life-altering neurologic conditions like MS, spinal cord injury, spina bifida and multiple system atrophy. It is frustrating for prescribing physicians to be responsible for purchasing supplies to treat these patients and then have to repeatedly challenge the MACs for appropriate payment. We are grateful to CMS for acknowledging the challenges that inconsistent and uncertain payment creates for patient access and for proposing to create new supply codes to facilitate the setting of consistent and appropriate payment rates that account for the device costs." The supply codes that CMS proposes to create describe the inFlow Measuring Device (SD370) with a proposed price of $140, the inFlow Valve-Pump (SD371) with a proposed price of $495, and the inFlow Activator Kit (SD372) with a proposed price of $1,250. If finalized, these codes would take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, at which time Vesiflo plans to initiate national sales. Jerry Stringham, President of the reimbursement consulting firm Medical Technology Partners, added, "While some of the MACs have established appropriate payment, others have continued to underpay for inflow-related services. We welcome and fully support CMS' statement in the 2025 proposed rule that the MACs should establish appropriate payment for inFlow and that the payment rate needs to incorporate the components of the inFlow system. This will simplify the process of establishing appropriate and consistent fee schedules for each of the MACs." Comments on the proposed rule are open until Sept. 9, 2024. Vesiflo is the manufacturer of the inFlow™ voiding prosthesis used by women with permanent urinary retention. For more information, go to . Please contact: Susan Robinson, [email protected] Contact: Susan Robinson [email protected] 425-242-6373 SOURCE Vesiflo