News

A routine blood test could help to predict a patient’s likelihood to survive an aggressive form of skin cancer, researchers say.

A new medical adhesive can be easily removed from delicate skin, resulting in less irritation and damage than traditional kinds of medical tape, according to a recent report.

Thesan Pharmaceuticals has been given $16 million in series A funding to develop novel treatments for inflammatory skin disorders.

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals has received $2.6 million from partner Galderma for the clinical advancement of NovaBay’s “non-antibiotic, anti-infective” Aganocide compound NVC-422, a topical formulation for impetigo treatment.

Lumenis has launched an upgraded AcuPulse CO2 laser that offers four new modes of treatment. Now, AcuPulse with SuperPulse technology offers a total of 10 different modes for treating 34 aesthetic indications, the company reports.

Syneron Medical has initiated a global launch of the Gentle Pro-U series of upgradeable aesthetic laser systems.

Merz has promoted Hyunna Coelho to vice president, commercial excellence, a role in which she will be responsible for sales training and development, corporate communication, sales operations, market research, competitive intelligence, forecasting, and operational analytics for the company in the United States.

LEO Pharma plans to establish five long-term research collaborations in four countries by the end of 2013 in an effort to deliver new treatment options to dermatology patients.

Photocure plans to exit its Allumera cosmetic dermatology business in the United States, the company recently announced.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a supplemental new drug application for Pliaglis (lidocaine 7 percent, tetracaine 7 percent), a topical anesthetic cream.

The Casualties of Cutting : Both government & private-payer reimbursements continue to decline. Will the care that dermatologists provide suffer? All about Apps Clinical Dermatology : Practical dosing tips provide strategies for optimizing psoriasis control with biologics Cosmetic Dermatology : ‘Sensitive skin’ remains a marketing term with no medical definition Cutaneous Oncology : New topical, systemic therapies may improve survival of patients with CTCL Practice Management : Don’t hurry through the EHR selection and purchasing process

With the presidential election behind us and myriad changes about to hit healthcare, dermatologists need to anticipate cuts in reimbursement by not only government, but also private, insurers. And if dermatologists are to combat the impact these declining reimbursements may have on their practices, they need to start implementing more aggressive patient education and retention efforts now.

Dermatologists and other eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) can now review the upcoming meaningful use stage 2 requirements, now that the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services has announced its "final rule" for attestation of meaningful use (MU) stage 2.

Sensitive skin is really a marketing term that has no medical definition. It might amaze you to know that approximately 60 percent of consumers polled in a recent trends study consider themselves to possess sensitive skin.

A patient with complaints about Dr. Derm's medical assistant demanded a refund on his co-pay, then threatened to destroy the doctor's reputation online. The patient returned a week later with worsening cellulitis, Dr. Derm refused to see him. The patient later became septic and he filed a medical malpractice lawsuit. What did Dr. Derm do wrong?

Belotero Balance (Merz), one of the newer hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers, appears to rival other longer-standing dermal fillers in efficacy and safety, offering physicians and their patients a new treatment option for the Aesthetic correction of moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles and folds, says Derek H. Jones, M.D.

Some of the continuing challenges central to the management of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) include improving the survival and prognosis of patients, as well as helping to make proposed treatments more affordable and accessible, says Elise A. Olsen, M.D.

The use of ultraviolet (UV) rays to dry nail polish can spell potential danger for patrons of nail salons, according to Joel Schlessinger, M.D., F.A.A.D., F.A.A.C.S., a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in Omaha, Neb.

Despite the number of currently available options for the treatment of actinic keratoses (AKs), dermatologists are still challenged by the occasional patient with widespread lesions refractory to multiple modalities.

If dermatologists considered the management of autoimmune blistering disorders from the patient's perspective, they might do many things differently. So says John Zone, M.D., co-director of the immunopathology lab at the University of Utah, where he is also chairman of dermatology.

The use of newer and more targeted chemotherapeutic agents can lead to atypical side effects affecting the skin, hair and nails of oncology patients, and these side effects can be different from those typically seen with longer-standing agents, says Beth N. McLellan, M.D., Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University, New York.

Daniel M. Siegel, M.D., is best known in dermatology as president of the American Academy of Dermatology. But this practicing dermatologist and faculty member at State University of New York Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn says he thinks of himself as a "techie guy."

With a dearth of data regarding nonsurgical treatments for lentigo maligna (LM) and lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM), current American Academy of Dermatology guidelines advise caution regarding these therapies, said James M. Grichnik, M.D., Ph.D., at the academy's 70th annual meeting.

The evolution of laser resurfacing has culminated in the ability to truly customize treatments, and the number and frequency of peels, the depth of dermal penetration, and the downtime each patient can dedicate to recovery should all be dialed into the treatment plan, say Jason N. Pozner, M.D., co-owner of Sanctuary Medical Aesthetics Center in Boca Raton, Fla., and Lawrence Bass, M.D., the head of Bass Plastic Surgery in New York.

If you're shopping for an electronic health record (EHR) system, tread carefully during the selection process, especially when it comes to signing the purchase contract. After all the sweat and stress involved with finding the "right" EHR solution, it's easy to let down one's guard as the selection process reaches conclusion.

Dose optimization, including appropriate use of a loading dose regimen, weight-based dosing and adherence to routine maintenance treatment, will maximize the benefits of biologic therapy for chronic plaque psoriasis. But if disease improvement seems less than optimal despite proper dosing, dermatologists should not to give up too soon.

Increased use of mobile technologies such as smartphones is spurring growing acceptance of - and reliance on - dermatology apps. Currently available applications for dermatologists provide reference tools (i.e. textbooks), and a few provide decision support based on information that a dermatologist enters into the application.

In certain cases, phototherapy may be the treatment of choice for patients with psoriasis, surpassing the benefits of even biologics, says Herbert Hoenigsmann, M.D., professor of dermatology, emeritus chairman, department of dermatology, Medical University of Vienna.

Laser resurfacing revolutionized the management of cutaneous photodamage ever since its introduction in the early 1980s. Initially, options were limited to fully ablative carbon dioxide (CO2) devices. Although results were impressive, the lengthy post-procedure downtime and substantial risks for infection, scarring and depigmentation drove the development of alternatives.

As the popularity of botulinum toxins for both cosmetic and therapeutic applications continues to grow, so too does development of new techniques and formulations. IncobotulinumtoxinA (Xeomin, Merz), the newest of the toxin formulations, is a promising product that according to clinical studies exhibits similar efficacy to onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox, Allergan), despite having a distinctly different biological makeup.