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Titan Spine to release new Endoskeleton TC system in first-quarter 2011

Titan Spine announced that it will begin full commercial release of its new Endoskeleton® TC system first quarter of 2011. The Endoskeleton® TC is an interbody fusion device for the cervical spine. The product received 510(k) clearance in July of this year and has been in limited market release since early August. The device has an acid etched titanium surface and is biomechanically designed to promote spinal fusion.

4 Oct 2010

GlobalNet Services awarded $14M contract to support FDA Unified Registration and Listing System

GlobalNet Services, Inc., a premier information technology provider for businesses and the Federal government, today announced that it had been awarded a $14 million contract to support the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Unified Registration and Listing System (FURLS). This five-year contract, which includes one base year and four option years, supports federal initiatives that require all facilities, which manufacture, process or hold FDA-regulated products to be registered with the Agency.

4 Oct 2010

GSA awards Vision-Sciences FSS Contract for flexible endoscopy solutions

Vision-Sciences, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a Federal Supply Schedule ("FSS") Contract from the General Services Administration ("GSA") for its flexible endoscopy product lines. The contract period is from October 15, 2010 – October 14, 2015. This GSA contract enables access to the company's technology for all federal healthcare facilities, including the Veterans Administration, Indian Health Service, and Department of Defense facilities.

4 Oct 2010

Public hospitals in two Australian states acquire GreenLight HPS laser consoles for BPH treatment

American Medical Systems, a leading provider of world-class devices and therapies for male and female pelvic health, today announced that eight GreenLight HPS® laser consoles have been acquired for public hospitals in the Australian states of Victoria and Queensland. The laser technology will treat patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a non cancerous enlargement of the prostate experienced by 50 percent of men over 60.

4 Oct 2010

Health industry funding more Republicans than Dems, anti-reform political activity ramps up

Politico: "A new portrait of the health industry landscape has begun to take shape, with some of those major players shifting their dollars from the very Democrats who passed the law they seemingly endorsed at the White House. The insurance industry, for instance, has consistently donated more to Republicans than to Democrats ever since August 2009."

4 Oct 2010

X-rays increase risk of developing childhood leukemia

Diagnostic X-rays may increase the risk of developing childhood leukemia, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health.

4 Oct 2010

Massachusetts eHealth Institute names e-MDs as EHR vendor and IOO

e-MDs, an industry leader in the development and implementation of electronic health record (EHR) and practice management (PM) solutions, announced they have been named a selected EHR vendor and Implementation Optimization Organization (IOO) by the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI). The Institute will serve as a Regional Extension Center (REC) in Massachusetts, working to facilitate the adoption of EHR technology by the state's providers. As a selected vendor, e-MDs will help ensure effective implementation and provider achievement of Meaningful Use.

4 Oct 2010

VIVUS announces divestiture of MUSE to Meda

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Meda - an international specialty pharma company - for MUSE®, transurethral alprostadil, for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Under the agreement, Meda will acquire the MUSE assets including the United States and foreign MUSE patents, existing inventory and the manufacturing facility located in Lakewood, New Jersey.

4 Oct 2010

LC Luxuries announces acquisition of domain name CannaCare.com

LC LUXURIES LIMITED today announced that it has acquired the domain name CannaCare.com and will begin developing CannaCare.com as its nationwide physician marketing engine as it relates to the cannabis industry. Development is underway and the Company anticipates the site operational by the end of the year. Bonni Goldstein, MD, a board member for LC Luxuries Limited, will be materially involved with the content and direction of CannaCare.com.

4 Oct 2010

IBM employee-wellness program shows some success for kids

Reuters: "In 2008, IBM launched an Internet-based 'children's rebate program' that let employees and their families choose from a selection of goals revolving around healthy eating, group physical activity, reduced 'screen time' and positive parental role-modeling. A $150 check was offered as incentive to complete the 12-week program. … More than 22,000 employees signed on to participate, representing about half of all employees with children covered by IBM's health plan." About 12,000 completed the program and received the rebate.

4 Oct 2010

FDA clears Orthovita's VITOMATRIX Bone Graft Substitute for dental procedures

Orthovita, Inc., an orthobiologics and biosurgery company, announced that it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market VITOMATRIX Bone Graft Substitute as a bone grafting material in certain dental procedures.

4 Oct 2010

KHN column: Medical loss ratio rule should encourage health care fraud fighting

In this Kaiser Health News column, Louis Saccoccio, executive director of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, makes a case for including health plans' investments in fraud-fighting activities in the medical loss ratio definition.

4 Oct 2010

Life Technologies acquires Ion Torrent for $375 million

Life Technologies Corporation, a provider of innovative life science solutions, today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Ion Torrent for $375 million in cash and stock. In addition, sellers are entitled to additional consideration upon the achievement of certain milestones.

4 Oct 2010

New equation to calculate energy requirement for underweight COPD patients

Malnutrition often goes hand in hand with COPD and is difficult to treat. In a recent study researchers at the University of Gothenburg, have come up with a new equation to calculate the energy requirement for underweight COPD patients. It is hoped that this will lead to better treatment results and, ultimately, better quality of life for these patients.

4 Oct 2010

Otsuka opens Canadian operations

Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical Inc. has opened its first Canadian office, in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Laurent. This marks a major milestone in the continued growth of Otsuka in North America.

4 Oct 2010

Sunrise Senior Living announces purchase and sale agreements with Ventas

Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. announced today that the Company and certain of its affiliates have entered into purchase and sale agreements with Ventas, Inc. and certain of its affiliates to sell to Ventas all of Sunrise's joint venture interests in nine limited liability companies in the U.S. and two limited partnerships in Canada, which collectively own 58 communities managed by Sunrise.

4 Oct 2010

Corning acquires Plaslab

Corning Incorporated announced today that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of all outstanding shares of Plaslab S.A.S. from certain investment funds managed by Qualium Investissement and from the other shareholders of Plaslab. Plaslab is the holding company of Plastiques Gosselin.

4 Oct 2010

FDA clears DFine's new percutaneous radiofrequency ablation device for metastatic spinal lesions

DFine, Inc., developer of minimally invasive solutions for the treatment of vertebral pathologies, announced today the 510(k) clearance of a new platform extension indicated for the palliative treatment of cancer patients. The product, a percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) device, provides localized tumor necrosis of vertebral body lesions where metastatic disease has spread to the spine causing severe pain and discomfort.

4 Oct 2010

Navigant announces acquisition of EthosPartners

Navigant announced today that it has acquired EthosPartners Healthcare Management Group, Inc., a national healthcare consulting group specializing in physician and hospital alignment, physician practice operations management, and physician revenue cycle management. Combining EthosPartners' physician expertise with Navigant's existing healthcare practice capabilities significantly enhances and broadens the solutions that Navigant offers to its clients.

4 Oct 2010

J&JPRD receives FDA Complete Response Letter for tapentadol ER tablets NDA

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) announced today that it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its New Drug Application (NDA) for tapentadol extended release tablets.

4 Oct 2010