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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.
Jan 31, 2012 - Feb 7, 2012
Centene 4Q Profit Rises 19%
Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 10:05 am CST; Source: bizjournals.com
Centene Corp., the parent of Managed Health Services in West Allis, reported today that its fourth-quarter profit rose 18.6 percent to $30.1 million, compared with a profit of $25.4 million in the prior-year's quarter.
Windsor Health Plan Names New President
Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 8:35 am CST; Source: bizjournals.com
Dr. Hassan Rifaat has been named president of Nashville-based Windsor Health Plan.
UnitedHealth Group Brings Its Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance Program to Safeway Stores in Tucson
Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 10:30 am ET; Source: Business Wire
UnitedHealth Group today announced that Safeway Inc. is joining the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance (DPCA), giving its customers in select markets access to the Alliance’s innovative, community-based programs that use proven approaches to help prevent and control diabetes.
Fallout From Fatigue Syndrome Retraction Is Wide
Monday, February 6, 2012; Source: Nytimes.com
When scientists reported in 2009 that a little-known mouse retrovirus was present in a large number of people with chronic fatigue syndrome, suggesting a possible cause of the condition, the news made international headlines.
Many Doctors Don’t Follow Ovarian-Cancer Screening Guidelines
Monday, February 6, 2012, 6:06 pm ET; Source: The Wall Street Journal
The government estimates that more than 15,000 women died last year from ovarian cancer.
Without Its PBM Partner, Walgreen Is a Sell: Citi
Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 11:13 am ET; Source: Barrons.com
Walgreen doesn’t look likely to restore its partnership with pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, and the loss of prescription business could weigh on the company, wrote Citi analyst Deborah Weinswig in a note today. Walgreen is trying to go it alone in the PBM business, but the company’s sales pitch doesn’t appear to be catching on, Weinswig argues in downgrading the shares to Sell.
Merck Clot Drug Meets Study Goal But Bleeding a Risk
Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 8:59 am ET; Source: Reuters
Merck & Co's experimental anti-clotting drug vorapaxar met the main goal of significantly reducing a host of cardiovascular problems in a large clinical study, but raised the risk of bleeding, the drugmaker said on Tuesday.
IPO Preview: ChemoCentryx
Tuesday, February 7, 2012; Source: Seeking Alpha
Based in Mountain View, California, ChemoCentryx scheduled a $60 million IPO with a market capitalization of $510 million at a price range mid-point of $15 for Wednesday, February 8, 2012.
Women and ICDs: More Complications and Fewer Benefits
Tuesday, February 6, 2012, 5:14 pm ET; Source: Forbes.com
After consulting an electrophysiologist, women are just as likely as men to receive an ICD but they suffer more complications and are less likely to benefit from the device, according to a new study from Canada published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Boston Scientific WallFlex Enteral Stents Shown To Be Safe and Effective in Three Clinical Registries
Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 8:30 am ET; Source: PR Newswire
Boston Scientific Corporation welcomes positive results from three studies of the WallFlex Enteral Stent Systems, a family of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) used to alleviate obstructive symptoms caused by cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.
Telus Enters Cloud-based EMR Biz
Monday, February 6, 2012; Source: Zacks
Telus Health Solutions, a division of Telus Corporation has recently announced the acquisition of Wolf Medical Systems, a leading electronic medical records (:EMR) company providing cloud-based EMR services across Canada in the health space.
Johns Hopkins HealthCare Cuts Medical Claims Backlog by Using TriZetto’s Business Management Services
Tuesday, February 7, 2012; Source: Business Wire
The TriZetto Group, Inc., today announced that Johns Hopkins HealthCare, which serves more than 300,000 members, including approximately 212,000 managed Medicaid beneficiaries, successfully reduced a substantial backlog of medical claims, reduced claims-operational expenses and resolved other administrative issues with the help of TriZetto’s business management services.
IASIS Healthcare Announces First Quarter 2012 Results
Tuesday, February 7, 2012; Source: Business Wire
IASIS Healthcare LLC (“IASIS”) today announced financial and operating results for the fiscal first quarter ended December 31, 2011.
Humana Shares Down 6%
Monday, February 06, 2012, 10:46 am ET; Source: Barrons via Yahoo!
Humana’s hiked its earnings forecasts for 2012, but it wasn’t enough to impress investors.
Wellpoint, Anthem to Put Higher Premium on Primary Care
Monday, February 06, 2012, 6:30 am ET; Source: North Bay Business Journal
WellPoint Inc., the nation’s largest health insurance company and parent of Anthem Blue Cross, said it will pay physicians a higher reimbursement rate for primary care, a move aimed at reducing overall costs by rewarding preventative and quality care while hopefully addressing a nationwide physician shortage.
FDA Questions Amgen Drug for Prostate Cancer
Monday, February 06, 2012, 9:14 am ET; Source: Associated Press via Yahoo!
Scientists for the Food and Drug Administration say that an Amgen drug slowed the spread of cancer to the bone in men with hard-to-treat prostate cancer, though the drug did not extend life and carried significant side effects.
Walgreen Company Stung by Loss of Express Scripts
Sunday, February 2, 2012, 12:21 pm ET; Source: Business Journal
Walgreen Company reported Friday that its pharmacy sales have plunged 8 percent so far this year after failing to reach an agreement to serve Express Script customers.
Express Scripts, Inc. Launches Senior Notes Offering
Monday, February 06, 2012, 8:40 am ET; Source: PR Newswire via Yahoo!
Express Scripts, Inc. announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Aristotle Holding, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Aristotle"), has commenced a private offering of senior notes of a benchmark amount.
Small Pharma With Big Compounds: Final Dance With The FDA
Monday, February 06, 2012; Source: Seeking Alpha
Biotechnology companies spend an extraordinary amount of resources-capital, time, and personnel- to get to this point, a final dance with the FDA seeking drug approval.
Biotech Buyout Portfolio: Momenta Pharmaceuticals
Monday, February 06, 2012; Source: Seeking Alpha
Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, specializes in the characterization and process engineering of complex molecules.
The Curse of Amylin's Diabetes Drug Approval
Monday, February 06, 2012, 08:21 am ET; Source: The Street via Yahoo!
Last week, after more than two and a half years, two FDA rejection letters, and at least a dozen amendments to the application, Amylin Pharmaceuticals received FDA approval for Bydureon, a once-weekly formulation of its existing diabetes drug Byetta.
United Therapeutics to Fight Generic Copy of Lead Drug
Monday, February 6, 2012, 8:43 am ET; Source: Washington Business Journal
United Therapeutics Corp., plans to fight a request from Sandoz Inc. to make a generic copy of its anti-pulmonary hypertension drug Remodulin (treprostinil).
Merck to File Application this Year for Insomnia Drug
Monday, February 06, 2012; 9:22 am ET; Source: Reuters
Two pivotal Phase III trials for the drug suvorexant have been completed. Based on the positive results from these trials, Merck said it plans to file an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2012.
SDIX Announces Collaboration Agreement with BD Diagnostics
Monday, February 06, 2012, 8:32 am ET; Source: Business Wire via Yahoo!
SDIX, a leading provider of biotechnology-based products and services for a broad range of life science, biotechnology, diagnostic and food safety applications, and BD Diagnostics, a segment of BD (Becton Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, today announced the signing of a comprehensive agreement whereby the two companies will collaborate in the development of a microbiology detection solution.
HCA Shares Up After 4Q Profits Surge
February 6, 2012, 11:11 am ET; Source: Barrons
Shares of the nation’s largest hospital chain rose more than 4% or $1.09 a share to $27.55 a share after the company reported that fourth-quarter earnings that spiked due to an acquisition and said it will pay inventors q special dividend of $2 a share.
Sloan-Kettering Chief Accused in Federal Lawsuit
Monday, February 06, 2012, 9:23 am ET; Source: Bloomberg
The head of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center was accused in a federal lawsuit along with biotechnology company Celgene Corp. of using research he helped develop at another cancer institute to start his own company.
Health Management Executes Agreement to Joint Venture Five Hospitals
Monday, February 06, 2012, 9:30 am ET; Source: The Fly on the Wall
Health Management Associates has executed a definitive agreement to joint venture five Oklahoma hospitals.
Cigna Net Falls 37% on Charges, Slower Revenue Growth
Thursday, February 2, 2012, 9:46 am ET; Source: The Wall Street Journal
Cigna Corp.'s earnings fell 37% amid acquisition-related charges and accounting changes, and the health insurer forecast lighter-than-expected earnings and rising use of medical services in the new year.
Medicare Advantage Premiums Down 7 Percent On Average, Enrollment Up 10 Percent
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 9:00 am ET; Source: Business Wire
Medicare Advantage premiums have fallen by 7 percent on average and enrollment has risen by about 10 percent since this time last year, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today.
Humana Names President of Government Unit
Thursday, February 2, 2012, 6:34 am ET; Source: bizjournals.com
Humana Inc. announced Wednesday that Tim McClain has been named president of its Government and Other Business unit, which includes all Humana military lines of business.
BioScrip To Sell Few Pharmacy Businesses To Walgreen
Thursday, February 2, 2012, 8:17 am ET; Source: Reuters
BioScrip Inc said it will sell certain assets of its community specialty pharmacies and centralized specialty and mail service pharmacy businesses to Walgreen Co, the largest U.S. drugstore chain, for about $225 million.
Merck & Co. Swings To Q4 Profit On Lower Charges
Thursday, February 2, 2012; Source: Associated Press
Merck & Co. swung to a fourth-quarter profit because of lower restructuring and other charges and higher sales of most of its key drugs.
Pfizer Believes Only a Small Number of Birth-Control Pill Packs Are Faulty
Thursday, February 2, 2012, 8:51 am ET; Source: The Wall Street Journal
Pfizer has recalled about a million packs of birth-control pills on concerns that incorrect packaging could lead to unplanned pregnancies, but says it believes only 30 packs actually had the troublesome glitches, the WSJ reports.
New Study for Alkermes' Vivitrol
Wednesday, February 1, 2012; Source: Zacks
Alkermes plc recently announced the commencement of an open-label pilot study (n=30) of Vivitrol in adult prisoners who have a history of pre-incarceration of opioid dependence, a chronic brain disorder.
Mylan Receives Tentative FDA Approval for Generic Version of Lipitor
Thursday, February 2, 2012, 7:30 am ET; Source: PR Newswire
Mylan Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Mylan Laboratories Limited (formerly Matrix Laboratories Limited) has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets, 10 mg (base), 20 mg (base), 40 mg (base) and 80 mg (base). Atorvastatin Calcium is the generic equivalent to Pfizer's Lipitor Tablets, indicated for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and hypercholesterolemia.
Meta-Analysis Confirms Benefits Of Statins In Women
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 12:59 pm ET; Source: Forbes.com
Although clinical trials have consistently found a beneficial effects for statins, some critics have questioned the strength of the evidence in women, who are often under-represented in clinical trials.
Sigma-Aldrich Acquires BioReliance
Wednesday, February 1, 2012; Source: Zacks
Life science and technology company, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation completed the acquisition of BioReliance Holdings Inc., from private equity firm Avista Capital Partners for $350 million in cash.
Device Makers, FDA Agree on Fees
Thursday, February 2, 2012; Source: The Wall Street Journal
Medical-device companies have reached a tentative deal to pay the Food and Drug Administration $595 million over five years to increase the number of federal workers who approve devices and get new devices on the market faster.
Boston Scientific Saving Cash For Possible Acquisitions, CFO Capello Says
Thursday, February 2, 2012, 12:26 pm ET; Source: Bloomberg.com
Boston Scientific Corp. will reserve most of the $1 billion in free cash it expects to generate in 2012 for acquisitions, with plans to use 25 percent to buy back shares, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Capello said.
Rite Aid Pharmacists Help Provide Protection Against Pertussis
Thursday, February 2, 2012, 10:04 am ET; Source: Business Wire
As the number of confirmed cases of pertussis in the United States continues to climb, Rite Aid pharmacists are reminding people that the pertussis booster vaccine, Tdap, is available at more than 3,200 Rite Aid pharmacies nationwide.
Aetna Profit Rises, Helped By Low Claim Costs
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 8:43 am ET; Source: Reuters.com
Health insurer Aetna posted a sharply higher quarterly profit in line with Wall Street's target as its members' low use of health services kept claim costs down.
Humana Inc. Fourth Quarter Earnings Sneak Peek
Wednesday, February 1, 2012; Source: The Wall Street Journal
S&P 500 component Humana, Inc. will unveil its latest earnings on Monday, February 6, 2012. Humana is a managed health care company that offers health and supplemental benefit products
Breast Cancer Surgery Rules Are Called Unclear
Wednesday, January 31, 2012; Source: Nytimes.com
Nearly half of women who had lumpectomies for breast cancer had second operations they may not have needed because surgeons have been unable to agree on guidelines for the most common operation for breast cancer, a new study finds.
Medtronic Announces First Patient Enrollment in Clinical Trial Assessing Guideline-Based Heart Failure Management in Primary Care Setting
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 9:00 am ET; Source: Business Wire
Medtronic, Inc. today announced the initiation and first patient enrollment in a clinical study that will evaluate gaps in the implementation of evidence-based treatment guidelines among chronic heart failure patients post-hospital discharge.
Pfizer and Eli Lilly, Squeezed by Generics, Beat Forecasts
Tuesday, January 31, 2012; Source: Nytimes.com
Competition from low-cost generic drugs squeezed quarterly profits at Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly & Company, the companies reported on Tuesday, but each was able to weather those declines somewhat with help from other medicines.
Dendreon Hires John Johnson as New President, CEO
Tuesday, February 1, 2012; Source: Associated Press
Cancer drug maker Dendreon Corp. on Wednesday named former Eli Lilly and Savient Pharmaceuticals executive, John H. Johnson, as its new president and CEO.
Prostate-Cancer Drugs Improve Survival in Trials
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 9:16 am ET; Source: The Wall Street Journal
The results from two trials of experimental drugs for advanced prostate cancer add to recent progress against the disease, the WSJ reports.
Pfizer Recalls 1M Birth Control Packs After Mixup
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 8:53 am ET; Source: Associated Press
Pfizer Inc. is recalling 1 million packets of birth control pills because of a packaging error that could leave women with an inadequate dose of the hormone-based drugs and raise the risk that they will get pregnant accidentally.
Auxilium Recieves Cautious Assessment For Xiaflex, Says Leerink
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 9:41 am ET; Source: theflyonthewall.com
Leerink said the IQWiG released its assessment for Auxilium's/Pfizer's Xiaflex for Dupuytren's contracture and Esai's Halavan for breast cancer.
A Boom In The Prostate-Cancer Market
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 10:37 am ET; Source: Barrons.com
On the cusp of a major transformation, the metastatic prostate-cancer market could grow from approximately $1 billion to $8 billion by the end of the decade.
Why Charles River Laboratories International May Be About to Take Off
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 10:18 am ET; Source: Fool.com
Here at The Motley Fool, I've long cautioned investors to keep a close eye on inventory levels.
Covidien's Solitaire Ok'd For Trial
Tuesday, January 31, 2012; Source: Zacks
International health care products major Covidien’s Solitaire FR revascularization device has been cleared for investigational use in the Interventional Management of Stroke (“IMS III”) trial.
Cardinal Health Introduces Diagnostic Procedure Trays
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 8:30 am ET; Source: PR Newswire
Cardinal Health today announced the launch of its new line of standard diagnostic procedure trays designed to help increase efficiencies and minimize waste in acute drainage, biopsy and basic diagnostic procedures.
Boston Scientific Announces 1st Implant/Market Launch of PROMUS Element Plus
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 8:33 am ET; Source: theflyonthewall.com
Boston Scientific announces first patient use and European market launch of the PROMUS Element Plus Everolimus-Eluting Platinum Chromium Coronary Stent System.
Walgreens Offering Free Blood Pressure Testing at All Pharmacies and Take Care Clinics Throughout February for American Heart Month
Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 8:30 am ET; Source: Business Wire
Prevention and early detection of today’s leading diseases are the pillars of Walgreens Way to Well Commitment, a health initiative that in February brings free blood pressure testing to all Walgreens pharmacies and Take Care Clinics nationwide, every day throughout the month.
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