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FDA extends PDUFA date for AstraZeneca's ticagrelor NDA

AstraZeneca today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the time to complete its review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for ticagrelor (BRILINTA).

15 Sep 2010

RNAO endorses 'The Economic Case for Universal Pharmacare'

Registered nurses from across Ontario are throwing their support behind detailed economic analysis in a report that concludes a national pharmacare program would improve equitable access to essential medicines, improve health outcomes and save Canadians up to $10.7 billion.

14 Sep 2010

AMCP supports legislation to prohibit financial agreements for delaying marketing of lower-cost generic drugs

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) supports the inclusion of legislative language similar to S. 369 — the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics Act — in appropriations legislation now under consideration by the Senate. S. 369 would prohibit financial agreements between brand-name and generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to delay the marketing of lower-cost generic drugs.

14 Sep 2010

Ill. prepares high risk pool; Calif. residents struggle with rising health care costs

"At first glance, the new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan sounds like welcome relief for jobless Illinoisans who have serious medical issues and are struggling with the loss of employer financed health care. The federally financed $5 billion plan $196 million of which is earmarked for Illinois provides an affordable health insurance option to people who previously were limited to the far more expensive, state run Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan.

13 Sep 2010

Current treatment strategies for mood and addictive disorders

Sober Living in Delray, Recovery Residences, in conjunction with the "Moment of Change - Intervention Approaches for Professionals - 32nd National Conference" is sponsoring the presentation of "Mood Disorders and Addictive Disorders: Current Treatment Strategies" at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 at the Old Calypso Restaurant in Delray Beach, Florida.

10 Sep 2010

Calif. regulators seek $9.9 billion fine from insurer; Few Iowans sign up for high risk pool; N.D. Court rejects ballot measure on drug store ownership

California regulators are seeking fines of up to $9.9 billion from a unit of health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc, citing mismanaged medical claims, failure to pay doctors and other lapses.

10 Sep 2010

Federal appeals court declines to reconsider 'pay-for-delay' on generic drugs

A federal appeals court on Tuesday said it will not revisit its decision to uphold settlements that allow pharmaceutical companies to pay competitors to keep generic versions of their drugs off the market, The Wall Street Journal reports. "In April, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals [in New York] affirmed the legality of a settlement in which Bayer AG, in essence, paid Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., a potential generic competitor, to drop its patent challenge to Cipro, a Bayer antibiotic."

9 Sep 2010

Santarus, VeroScience enter agreement to commercialize CYCLOSET drug for type 2 diabetes

Santarus, Inc., S2 Therapeutics, Inc. and VeroScience LLC today announced that they have entered into a distribution and license agreement granting Santarus exclusive rights to manufacture and commercialize CYCLOSET (bromocriptine mesylate) tablets in the U.S.

9 Sep 2010

CVS Caremark offers $5 million in free flu shots for uninsured patients

CVS Caremark announced today that it will partner with Direct Relief USA to offer up to $5 million in free flu shots to community clinic and health center patients who lack health insurance.

9 Sep 2010

AHRQ releases free evidence-based guides for eight health conditions

HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality today released a series of free evidence-based guides designed to help Spanish speakers understand and compare the risks, benefits and side effects of treatments for eight health conditions.

7 Sep 2010

Almost half of all Americans use prescription drugs each month

Nearly half of all Americans used at least one prescription drug per month in 2008, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bloomberg reports. That's a 10 percent increase over the preceding decade. Over that time, yearly spending by Americans on drugs doubled to $234 billion. "The two biggest-sellers last year were Pfizer Inc.'s Lipitor for high cholesterol and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s clot-buster, Plavix.

4 Sep 2010

Myths, controversy surround health reform law

News outlets are following the politics and rhetoric surrounding the new health law.

4 Sep 2010

Scientists discover how omega-3 fatty acids shut down inflammation and reverse diabetes

Fish oil is touted for its anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic benefits, but scientist weren't sure how the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil work. Now, according to a report in the September 3rd issue of the journal Cell, scientists have nailed how omega-3 fatty acids both shut down inflammation and reverse diabetes in obese mice.

3 Sep 2010

ASIPP announces educational campaign to improve chronic pain patients’ quality of life

In recognition of September's designation as National Pain Awareness Month, the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) today announced that it is planning a month-long educational campaign to improve the quality of life for the approximately 75 million Americans suffering from acute and chronic pain.

3 Sep 2010

National Drug Control Policy announces $22 million grant in DFC program

Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), today announced $22 million in new Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC) grants to 169 communities and 16 new DFC Mentoring grants across the country.

3 Sep 2010

CaPre drug candidate shows promising result on CRP level reduction

Acasti Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. reports significant results on the effects of its anti-dyslipidemic investigational drug candidate CaPre on C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, a biomarker of CardioVascular Disease risk (CVD) and associated with diabetes and obesity.

3 Sep 2010

SXC Health Solutions declares nominal dividend on common shares

SXC Health Solutions Corp., a leading provider of pharmacy benefits management (PBM) services and Health Care Information Technology (HCIT) solutions to the healthcare benefits management industry, announced today that its board of directors has declared a nominal dividend on the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company to effect a two-for-one stock split.

2 Sep 2010

Orexigen and Takeda partner to develop, commercialize Contrave in US, Canada and Mexico

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, today announced that they have entered into an exclusive partnership to develop and commercialize Contrave® (naltrexone SR/bupropion SR), Orexigen's investigational drug for the treatment of obesity, in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

2 Sep 2010

Biodel replaces Linjeta with trade name VIAject

Biodel Inc. announced today that Linjeta™ (pronounced lin-JET-uh) will replace VIAject as the proposed trade name for Biodel's most advanced product candidate.

2 Sep 2010

Thomson Reuters announces acquisition of Healthcare Data Management

Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today announced that it has acquired Healthcare Data Management, Inc. Effective immediately, the company will become part of the Healthcare & Science business of Thomson Reuters. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

2 Sep 2010