News Summary - 4/22

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Apr 22, 2008

ActiPatch gets Medicaid OK

BioElectronics Corp., of Frederick, manufacturer of the ActiPatch, a portable, disposable electromedical device designed to use the body's own bioelectrical energy to accelerate healing, said it received approval for reimbursement from the Maryland Medicaid program for the use of the ActiPatch for kidney disease patients. According to the company, long-term use of common anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen and Naproxen can have serious complications, such as ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. ActiPatch, on the other hand, works to reduce swelling and pain without side effects, according to the company.

Marriott's Middle East plans

Marriott International Inc., of Bethesda, the world's largest lodging chain, said it will more than double the number of hotels it operates in the Middle East by 2011 as it seeks to expand in the fast-growing tourism market. Marriott will sign new development agreements to increase its Middle East properties portfolio to 65 from 26, J.Willard Marriott Jr., Marriott's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. Marriott's local partners will invest in building most of the hotels, which the company will manage, he said.

U.S. oil policy questioned

A new WorldPublicOpinion.org poll finds a majority of Americans think the U.S. government is failing to prepare for the ultimate depletion of oil reserves. Fifty-seven percent believe the government is acting as if "enough new oil will be found so that it can remain a primary source of energy for the foreseeable future." The U.S. is the world's largest consumer of oil. The poll of Americans is part of a larger international poll on the future of oil supplies conducted in 16 countries around the world by WorldPublicOpinion.org, a global collaborative research project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.

Prometric contract renewed

Prometric, of Baltimore, a provider of computer-based testing and assessment services, announced the signing of a renewed, $75 million, multi-year contract with the Road Safety Authority of Ireland for the delivery of its Driver Theory Test Service. The contract runs for seven years from July 2008. In conjunction with the award, Prometric said it will construct a new European data center, establish candidate call center operations in Ireland, add staff to support the development of a new testing program and training process, and create an updated "green" test center network in Ireland.

Theranostics gets NIH nod

Theranostics Health LLC, of Rockville, which provides physicians and clinicians with highly detailed, personalized information aimed at treating an individual's cancer, announced that it has received an exclusive license from the National Institutes of Health to commercialize its proprietary technology for cancer diagnostics and companion diagnostics. Under the terms of the agreement, Theranostics Health said it will pay NIH the "customary" royalties upon successful commercialization of the technology. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Business execs to be honored

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce will induct three business leaders into the Maryland Business Hall of Fame on Tuesday at its annual membership meeting at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore. They are: Linda Gooden, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services; Karen H. Oertel, president, W.H. Harris Seafood Inc. and Harris Crab House; and John J. "Jake" Oliver Jr., publisher and CEO, The Afro American Newspapers. Including this year's inductees, there are 26 members of the Maryland Business Hall of Fame.

USM applications increase

University System of Maryland schools are showing increases in applications for admission to the next freshman class. The University of Maryland, College Park, leads the increase with a 16 percent jump over last year. The campus expects about 4,125 students in the incoming freshman class. Towson University is reporting a 4.8 percent increase in freshman applications. Applications at Salisbury University are up by 11 percent, and applications at Frostburg State University are 8 percent higher than last year.

New locomotives for MARC

Wabtec Corp.'s MotivePower subsidiary said it received a $95 million order for commuter locomotives from the Maryland Transit Administration, to be used for Maryland's MARC commuter rail service. The locomotives will be built in Boise, Idaho, and delivered this year and next. MARC shuttles more than 30,000 daily riders on three lines, most notably between Baltimore's Penn Station and Washington's Union Station.

Loyola could see name change

The Board of Trustees of Loyola College in Maryland has given preliminary approval to a plan to change the name of the Baltimore- based school to Loyola University. Supporters of the change say it would better reflect the school's offerings, including its graduate and business schools. Skeptics, however, point out that Loyola universities already exist in New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles. Final approval of the name change is contingent on additional market research.