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The Daily News Archive lists articles that have been posted within the past seven calendar days. You can filter the articles by category by using the navigation at the left.
May 10, 2012 - May 17, 2012
Are House Republicans Caving in on Repealing Obamacare? Doubtful.
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 10:10 am ET, Source: Forbes
Politico is reporting that House Republicans are preparing for the possibility that the Supreme Court upholds the law by drafting new legislation. “When the court rules, we’ll be ready,” House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) told the House Republican Conference on Wednesday.
Poor Health Decisions Cost Billions; New Report Identifies Unhealthy Behavior as Top Concern of Benefit Providers
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 7:00 am ET; Source: PR Newswire via Yahoo!
Poor health choices add billions in cost to the companies, unions, health plans and government agencies that provide pharmacy benefits to Americans. In response, benefit providers are investing as never before to help people make better decisions to improve health outcomes, save money and maintain robust benefits, according to a report issued today by Express Scripts.
Good Cholesterol May Not Lower Heart Risk, Study Suggests
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 10:16 am ET; Source: Bloomberg
Raising good cholesterol, a goal pursued by Merck & Co. and Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) as the next milestone in cardiac care, may not cut heart attack risk, says a study that challenges the development of drugs that may generate billions of dollars in sales.
Specialty Drug Costs a Major Employer Worry-Survey
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 10:59 am ET, Source: Reuters
Employers want to step up programs to encourage healthier behavior among their workers and to control spending on expensive injected specialty medicines, according to a survey by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts Holding Co.
Human Genome in Talks With Potential Suitors
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 9:45 am ET; Source: Bloomberg
Human Genome Sciences Inc. said it’s in talks with “major” pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies about a potential transaction and adopted measures to avoid a hostile takeover by GlaxoSmithKline Plc.
J&J Drug Shows Promise in High-Risk Prostate Cancer
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 11:53 pm ET; Source: Reuters
Adding Johnson & Johnson's advanced prostate cancer drug, Zytiga, to hormone therapy before surgery has been shown for the first time to eradicate tumors in some men with high-risk forms of the disease.
Plavix’s Loss Means Little Gain by Competing Blood Thinners
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 9:42 am ET; Source: Bloomberg
Eli Lilly & Co. and AstraZeneca Plc won’t have an easier time gaining more of the market for blood thinners dominated by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY)’s Plavix after the drug loses U.S. patent protection today.
Pfizer Drug Effective in Rare Children's Cancers, Study Says
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 6:59 am ET; Source: Reuters
A Pfizer Inc lung cancer drug appears to be a highly effective treatment for children with a rare but aggressive type of lymphoma and other cancers, according to data from an early stage study released on Wednesday.
Sagent Pharmaceuticals Announces Launch of Irinotecan Hydrochloride Injection in Single Dose Vials
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 9:00 am ET; Source: GlobeNewswire via Yahoo!
Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the launch of Irinotecan Injection, the generic form of the chemotherapy drug Camptosar(R), in two latex free, preservative free single dose vials. According to IMS data for the twelve-months ended March 2012, the U.S. market for Irinotecan approximated $28 million.
Women Undergoing TAVI Using the Medtronic CoreValve System Have Similar Survival Benefit as Men
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 8:21 am ET; Source: BusinessWire via Yahoo!
Medtronic, Inc. today announced new results from the Medtronic CoreValve ADVANCE Study, which found that women and men benefitted similarly from the Medtronic CoreValve System. The study, presented at EuroPCR 2012, evaluated patients who were at high-risk for surgical aortic valve replacement. The Medtronic CoreValve System is currently limited to investigational use in the United States.
PA Hospital Finances Improving but ‘Volatile’
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 3:07am ET; Source: BizJournals
Pennsylvania’s general acute-care hospitals experienced a slight improvement on their balance sheets in fiscal 2011 as the average statewide total margin for medical centers climbed almost 2 percentage points, according to the latest financial performance report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.
Magellan Health Services Named as Finalist for Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Award from URAC
Thursday, May 17, 2012, 9:00 am ET; Source: BusinessWire via Yahoo!
Magellan Health Services Inc. was named as a finalist for the Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards by URAC, a leading health care accreditation organization.
Massachusetts Health Insurers Report Their Operating Earnings Dropped in First Quarter
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 6:24 pm ET; Source: Boston.com
After registering sharply higher earnings in 2011, the state’s nonprofit health insurers posted falling operating income -- and in two cases, operating losses -- for the first quarter of this year as they handled more medical claims.
Protestors Disrupt WellPoint Annual Meeting
Wednesday, May 16, 2012; Source: Associated Press
WellPoint shareholders are rejecting a call for more disclosure about the health insurer's political contributions after a shout-filled, contentious annual meeting.
Just Who Should Control Your Healthcare Spending?
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 3:55 pm ET; Source: Forbes.com
What simple healthcare reform has reduced medical costs by up to 30%, while preserving quality of care?
Aetna Building National ACO Network
Wednesday, May 16, 2012; Source: Healthleadersmedia.com
Aetna Inc. is developing commercial ACO and ACO-like relationships with several providers.
Americans’ Well-Being Continues to Improve, According to New Data
Wednesday, May 16, 2012; Source: Business Wire
Americans’ overall well-being reached 70.0 in April, a 20-month high, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (WBI).
CVS Caremark Focus on Medication Adherence Saves PBM Clients Nearly $2.4 Billion in 2011
Wednesday, May 16, 2012; Source: PR Newswire
CVS Caremark today released its annual Insights Report, which reviews drug trend and highlights key issues in pharmacy care. In 2011, the drug trend for the company's pharmacy benefit management (PBM) employer clients (2.1 percent) and health plan clients (2.2 percent) represented the company's lowest recorded trend for the past seven years.
OraSure In-Home HIV Test Kit Moves Closer to FDA Approval
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 8:16 am ET; Source: Bloomberg.com
OraSure Technologies Inc. soared 32 percent in early trading after U.S. regulatory advisers backed its bid to bring to market the first at-home HIV test that lets people get results without using a doctor or laboratory.
New Bid to Prevent Alzheimer's Early
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 6:36 pm ET; Source: The Wall Street Journal
An Alzheimer's drug to be tested mostly on an extended family predisposed to the disease will mark the first large-scale trial of an experimental treatment on people who don't yet show signs of memory loss.
GlaxoSmithKline Closes on Theravance Deal
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 10:02 am ET; Source: Associated Press
British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC has closed on a deal that boosts its interest in biotechnology company Theravance Inc. by 10 million shares.
Baxter Announces Advate Approval in China for the Treatment of Hemophilia A
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 9:00 am ET; Source: Business Wire
Baxter International Inc. today announced the approval of ADVATE [Recombinant Human Coagulation Factor VIII for injection] for the control and prophylaxis of bleeding episodes in individuals with hemophilia A (congenital factor VIII deficiency) in China by the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA). It is estimated that more than 50,000 people in China are living with hemophilia A.
Studies of Medtronic IN.PACT Drug-Eluting Balloons Show Significant Benefit in Peripheral and Coronary Arteries
Wednesday, May 16, 2012; Source: Business Wire
Physicians presented today at EuroPCR 2012 the results of two multicenter, randomized controlled trials, the BELLO and PACIFIER studies, each one showing statistically significant advantages of using an IN.PACT drug-eluting balloon from Medtronic, Inc. over a corresponding conventional treatment for coronary and peripheral artery disease.
Renal Denervation Technology From St. Jude Medical Demonstrates Significant Reduction in Blood Pressure
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 2:47 am ET; Source: Business Wire
St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced that preliminary data demonstrated the company’s EnligHTN renal denervation system was safe and effective for the treatment of resistant hypertension.
Medicare Cheaters Are Soaking the Taxpayers
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 3:00 am ET; Source: Philly.com
Last year, the federal budget took a hit of $60 billion due to Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse, according to the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.
WV Looking to Expand Medicaid Managed Care
Sunday, May 13, 2012; Source: Dailymail.com
West Virginia is looking at changing the way Medicaid provides health care to some of its sickest people, and advocates for those who rely on this government program are questioning the move.
New Caution Urged Over Sole Oral MS Drug On the Market
Monday, May 14, 2012, 5:30 pm ET; Source: The Wall Street Journal
The FDA says the only oral multiple-sclerosis drug on the market — Novartis’s Gilenya — shouldn’t be used in patients with a recent history of stroke or some heart problems.
Taking Truvada to Prevent H.I.V. Also Comes With Risks
Monday, May 14, 2012; Source: Nytimes.com
A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration took a historic step last week when they recommended that the agency for the first time approve a drug that healthy people can take once a day to prevent H.I.V. infection.
BCBS-RI Will Hold Free Bone Density Screening
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 10:05 am ET; Source: providencejournal.com
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island will hold a free bone density screening Tuesday, May 29, from 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m at the St. Martin de Porres Center, 160 Cranston Street, Providence.
Cardinal Health Settles With U.S. Over Pain Pills
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 9:23 am ET; Source: The Wall Street Journal
Cardinal Health Inc. said Tuesday it has agreed to settle with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration over alleged large-volume shipments of addictive pain pills in Florida.
Roche Alzheimer's Drug Picked for Major Test
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 11:00 am ET; Source: Reuters.com
Roche Holding AG's Genentech unit has won the right to try its experimental Alzheimer's drug crenezumab on people with no signs of dementia - the first such trial to gauge whether early intervention can help prevent or slow the disease.
Drug Companies are Testing Health Technology
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 9:02 am ET; Source: Forbes.com
Drug companies are dipping into health technology – or at least skimming the surface.
Boston Scientific Launches Redesigned Stent in Europe
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 5:27 am ET; Source: Bizjournals.com
Boston Scientific of Natick is planning a Europe launch of a redesigned version of the Innova Self-Expanding Bare-Metal Stent System, which was recalled last May due to a potentially life-threatening defect, Mass High Tech reports.
Medicare on Life Support
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 3:00 am ET; Source: Journalgazette.net
Earlier this month, the Medicare Trustees, the board charged with assessing the program’s financial health, released its 2012 report confirming that Medicare is on an unsustainable path and will become insolvent in 2024.
Romney Medicare Plan Draws a Stark Contrast
Tuesday, May 15, 2012; Source: Nytimes.com
President Obama and Mitt Romney agree on one thing about Medicare: the differences between them are huge. Each man says his opponent’s policies would end Medicare as it now exists, undermining the rock-solid guarantee of health care for older Americans.
Walgreens Launches New and Improved Prescription Savings Club as Approximately 1 in 4 U.S. Adults Lack Adequate Prescription Drug Coverage
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 8:53 am ET; Source: Business Wire
Approximately one in four U.S. adults lacks adequate prescription drug coverage1, and with both cost savings and access to health care top of mind for many Americans, Walgreens has introduced a new and improved Prescription Savings Club program - providing members greater value and covering a more comprehensive range of medications than any similar offering by any major drugstore chain in the marketplace today.
City May Dump BCBS-NC Insurance
Sunday, May 13, 2012; Source: Heraldsun.com
City officials may dump Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina as their government’s health insurance carrier and go with a different company, despite Blue Cross’ hometown ties.
How Obamacare Tackled the Pitfalls of Employer–Sponsored Insurance Reforms
Monday, May 14, 2012, 7:35 am ET; Source: Forbes.com
Last weekend, I explained why the discriminatory tax treatment of employer sponsored insurance is the original sin behind America’s exceedingly expensive health-care system.
Batteries Pose Risk to Kids
Monday, May 14, 2012, 9:21 am ET; Source: The Wall Street Journal
ER visits by kids who’ve ingested batteries are rising, and of particular concern are little round “button” batteries found in many watches and other small devices, which can cause severe injury if they lodge in the esophagus.
Stiefel Receives US FDA Approval of Fabior Foam, 0.1%
Friday, May 11, 2012, 7:48 pm ET; Source: PR Newswire
Stiefel, a GSK company, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the New Drug Application for Fabior (tazarotene) Foam, 0.1%.
New AVONEX Dosing Innovations for People With Multiple Sclerosis Now Available in US
Monday, May 14, 2012, 8:00 am ET; Source: Business Wire
Biogen Idec announced that two new dosing innovations designed to help patients receiving once-a-week AVONEX (interferon beta-1a) for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are now available in U.S. pharmacies.
St. Jude Medical Continues Strong Show of PCI Optimization Technologies at EuroPCR
Monday, May 14, 2012, 8:00 am ET; Source: Business Wire
St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced it will display a number of technologies from the company's wide array of clinical solutions and launch its next-generation PressureWire Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) assessment guidewire at EuroPCR 2012.
Boston Scientific Announces CE Mark and European Launch of Innova Self-expanding Bare-metal Stent System
Monday, May 14, 2012, 9:00 am ET; Source: PR Newswire
Boston Scientific Corporation announces CE Mark and European market launch of the Innova Self-Expanding Bare-Metal Stent System, which is designed to treat peripheral vascular lesions in arteries above the knee, specifically the superficial femoral artery (SFA) and proximal popliteal artery.
Oregon's Idea For Fixing Medicaid Hits The National Stage
Monday, May 14, 2012, 6:22 am ET; Source: opb.org
The federal government has taken the unprecedented step of giving Oregon almost $2 billion, for what amounts to a health care experiment.
GOP's Medicare Plan Has Some Candidates Playing Defense
Monday, May 14, 2012; Source: Kaiserhealthnews.com
The budget plan advanced by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has become a hot topic in many congressional races.
NH Executive Council OKs $2.3 Billion Medicaid Contract
Thursday, May 10, 2012; Source: Fosters.com
On a split vote, members of the governor's Executive Council approved a $2.3 billion contract Wednesday establishing a managed care system for Medicaid recipients.
Will Buying Health Insurance Across State Lines Reduce Costs?
Friday, May 11, 2012, 11:52 am ET; Source: Forbes.com
During the debate over ObamaCare, Republicans have consistently promoted an alternative approach that involved allowing individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines.
UnitedHealthcare, Cigna Mindful of Individual Plan Market
Friday, May 11, 2012, 11:56 am ET; Source: Bizjournals.com
In this week’s print edition, I have a story on the growing market for people buying health coverage on their own — and what insurers are doing to reach customers in that market.
American Financial Agrees to Sell Health Care Business
Thursday, May 10, 2012, 8:57 pm ET; Source: Bizjournals.com
American Financial Group, Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Medicare supplement and critical illness business unit for $295 million.
Can Getting Sick Give You Cancer? New Research Says Sometimes, Yes
Wednesday, May 10, 2012, 8:11 pm ET; Source: Forbes.com
The Prestigious Journal The Lancet came out with a study today that merits a double- take.
Express Scripts Stock Rises After 1Q Growth Report
Friday, May 11, 2012; Source: Associated Press
Shares of Express Scripts are climbing after the pharmacy benefits manger reported prescription growth in its first quarter since splitting with drugstore chain Walgreen.
Diet Pill Maker Arena Pharmaceuticals Wins Backing of FDA Advisers
Friday, May 11, 2012, 9:40 am ET; Source: Minyanville.com
In a stunning turn of events in less than two years, diet pill maker Arena Pharmaceuticals won the backing of a panel of government advisers to sell what may be the first new weight-loss treatment in the US in more than a decade.
OncoMed Files For $115 Million IPO
Friday, May 11, 2012, 9:14 am ET; Source: bizjournals.com
OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. is seeking $115 million in an initial public stock offering, the company said Friday.
Heart Procedure More Effective Than Drug for Erratic Rate
Friday, May 11, 2012, 8:00 am ET; Source: Bloomberg.com
A procedure that destroys part of the cardiac tissue responsible for the most common type of heart rhythm disorder is more effective than drug therapy at keeping the erratic rate in check, a study found.
AmerisourceBergen Names Tim G. Guttman Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Friday, May 11, 2012, 8:30 am ET; Source: Business Wire
AmerisourceBergen Corporation today announced that Tim G. Guttman, 53, has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.
Omnicare Announces Agreement With DEA
Friday, May 11, 2012, 9:03 am ET; Source: Reuters.com
Omnicare, Inc. today announced a civil settlement with the United States Department of Justice relating to a previously-disclosed investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA") of alleged errors and deficiencies in dispensing controlled substances by certain Omnicare pharmacies.
Medicare Billing Flagged at 4% of U.S. Pharmacies: Government
Thursday, May 10, 2012, 1:31 pm ET; Source: Chicagotribune.com
A U.S. government examination found questionble billing practices for Medicare prescription drug coverage at 4 percent of American pharmacies, particularly independent retail drugstores.
MinuteClinic Opens Two Locations in San Antonio
Friday, May 11, 2012, 8:17 am ET; Source: Bizjournals.com
Rhode Island-based MinuteClinic has opened two walk-in medical clinics in San Antonio inside recently opened CVS/pharmacy stores.
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