Jan 22 2013
Health Robotics reported today that it conducted a retrospective review of records for all "live" patient doses at its global Oncology Robot customers as of December 4, 2012, right after Intelligent Hospital Systems announced that their RIVA medical device had produced that same day its "first-ever chemotherapy patient dose".
Gaspar DeViedma, Health Robotics' Executive Vice President and Board Member, stated: "As of December 4, 2012, and not including the old generation robots with patents licensed to Loccioni [APOTECAchemo], Health Robotics "live patients" experience with both its 1st generation and 2nd generation robots were 343,200 doses on the old CytoCare technology, and 615 doses on the new i.v.STATION platform, for a total of 343,815 doses compared to 1 total chemo dose for RIVA. This sets the record straight after RIVA's much ballyhooed announcement last month, especially if compared with Health Robotics' proven "live" support for 60 chemotherapy and monoclonal antibody therapy active ingredients[1]."
Health-System Pharmacists are still questioning why it took so long for RIVA to make its first-ever chemotherapy dose at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre [Toronto], especially given the fact that IHS' precursor (Technology 2000) announced the chemotherapy robot as far back as a 1989 ASHP Journal article[2]. Moreover, IHS issued many chemotherapy installation news[3] releases at University of California San Francisco (12/2006, and same hospital again in 12/2009), Fresenius Kabi (02/2009), Royal Victoria in Barrie, Canada (01/2010), and Baxter Australia (02/2010). What really happened to all these other RIVA chemotherapy installations that had been waiting for many years before Princess Margaret ? Why St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg has yet to implement its own 1989 invention after all these years? Should hospitals really expect 5+ years RIVA installation cycles?
[1] Asparaginase. Azacitidine, Bendamustin, Bevacizumab, Bleomycin, Bortezomib, Busulfan, Carboplatin, Cetuximab, Cisplatin, Cladribine, Clofarabine, Cyclophosphamide, Cytarabine, Dacarbazine, Dactinomycin, Daunorubicin, Decitabine, Docetaxel, Doxorubicin, Epirubicin, Etoposide, Fludarabine, Fluorouracil, Gemcitabine, Gemtuzumab, Ibrituximab, Idarubicin, Ifosfamide, Infliximab, Irinotecan, Ixabepilone, Liposomal Doxorubicin, Melphalan, Mesna, Methotrexate, Mitomycin, Mitoxantrone, Mitumomab, Nelarabine, Nimustine, Ofatumumab, Oxaliplatin, Paclitaxel, Panitumumab, Pemetrexed, Raltitrexed, Rituximab, Streptozocin, Tabalumab, Thiotepa, Topotecan, Trabecitabine, Trastuzumab, Treosulfan, Vinblastine, Vincristine, Vindesine and Vinorelbine.
[2] Am J Hosp Pharm 46(11): 2286--93 1989. St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg.
[3] https://www.arxium.com/