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A selection of today's opinions and editorials

"The American people deserve facts and a fair discussion of what's most important as Congress tackles healthcare reform. AARP and the American Medical Association are committed to preserving the best of our current system and to working to improve it with policies that expand coverage, improve quality and make insurance more affordable" (Jennie Chin Hansen and J. James Rohack, 10/19).

19 Oct 2009

Health providers make cuts, changes and gambles in face-off with economy

News reports this weekend highlight several developments as medical providers respond to changing economic forces, and in some cases, clashes of personality.

19 Oct 2009

White House hedging bets on public option in health bills

The Associated Press "The White House is waiting for Congress to settle on a final health care bill, even though President Barack Obama has a clear preference in favor of at least one specific — the much-debated public option, advisers said. Obama, however, will not demand that legislation include a government-run insurance plan intended to drive down costs through competition with private insurers, they said."

19 Oct 2009

FDA approves GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals' Cervarix for prevention of cervical cancer

The FDA today approved Cervarix, a new vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and precancerous lesions caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18. The vaccine is approved for use in girls and women ages 10 years through 25 years.

19 Oct 2009

Analysts urge Democrats to tailor health reform pitch to women

Politico reports that provisions addressing women's concerns about health care may help Democrats build public support for their overhaul plans and grease the passage of a bill.

19 Oct 2009

Workers to pay more for health care next year, consultants say

Co-pays and deductibles are likely to increase in 2010 for employees, Hewitt Associates, a consulting group, says.

19 Oct 2009

SEIU opts out of ad campaign opposing tax on 'Cadillac' plans

The healthcare negotiator for one of nation's most powerful unions made clear that it opposes a tax on high-cost-insurance plans, despite abstaining from an multi-union campaign objecting to the plan," The Hill reports. "The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was not among the 27 unions to sign on to an ad criticizing a proposed tax on 'Cadillac' insurance plans that was included in the Senate Finance Committee healthcare bill."

19 Oct 2009

Durham VA Medical Center receives Daxor's BVA-100 Blood Volume Analyzer

Daxor Corporation, a medical instrumentation and biotechnology company, today announced the receipt of a signed trial agreement from the Institute for Medical Research at the Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center of Durham, North Carolina.

19 Oct 2009

Young adults struggle finding health care coverage

Young adults represent the largest group of uninsured people while they also increasingly report mental health issues in college.

19 Oct 2009

Medicaid expansion could hit struggling state budgets

"The government programs that provide health care to the poor would expand to cover nearly one in five Americans under health insurance legislation pending in Congress, putting pressure on federal and state budgets," USA Today reports.

19 Oct 2009

Amarin selects Medpace as CRO for its Phase 3 AMR101 MARINE clinical study

Amarin Corporation plc today announced that it has executed an agreement with Medpace, Inc. (‘Medpace’), a leading Contract Research Organization (CRO) with expertise in conducting clinical trials in cardiovascular and metabolic disease, to engage their services in the execution of its Phase 3 clinical trials with AMR101 in patients with very high triglyceride levels (the AMR101 MARINE Study) and mixed dyslipidemia.

19 Oct 2009

Is 'model health system' Geisinger replicable elsewhere?

Geisinger Health System, in central Pennsylvania, has been widely hailed as a model for health reform by leading Democrats including President Obama, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. But, its success may hinge on "a rare combination of factors" including "a relative lack of competition, its stable patient base, and the fact that its 800 doctors are on salary," as well as an in-house pharmacy and insurance plan that covers one-third of its patients.

19 Oct 2009

Health reform bills may not protect consumers from treatment denials

"Despite growing frustration with the way health insurers deny medical treatments, major healthcare bills pending in Congress would give patients little new power to challenge those sometimes life-and-death decisions," The Los Angeles Times reports.

19 Oct 2009

New data on Phase 3 SIMPONI clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis

New long-term data from two pivotal, Phase 3 clinical trials showed that patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving SIMPONI(TM) (golimumab) every four weeks achieved sustained improvements in signs and symptoms and physical function response through one year. These new data were presented today at the 2009 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Scientific Meeting.

19 Oct 2009

Insurers, other health businesses examine effect of reform bills

Health care industry CEOs are analyzing their wins and losses in the bills being considered in Congress.

19 Oct 2009

eHealth launches new website to help consumers learn about Medicare health plan options

Today, eHealth, Inc., parent company of eHealthInsurance, the leading online source of health insurance for individuals, families, and small businesses, announced the launch of a new online service to help consumers learn about, and get access to, quality Medicare health plan options.

19 Oct 2009

Amgen receives Complete Response Letter for the Biologic License Applications for Prolia from FDA

Amgen Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Complete Response Letter for the Biologic License Applications (BLA) for Prolia(TM) (denosumab) in the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

19 Oct 2009

Sigma-Aldrich launches SAGEspeed, a program for developing human disease models in rodents

Sigma-Aldrich® (Nasdaq: SIAL) today announced the launch of SAGEspeed(TM), a program to develop human disease models in rodents using its proprietary novel CompoZr(TM) Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) gene editing technology (http://www.compozrzfn.com).

19 Oct 2009

Yissum scientists invent new design of TeraHertz-ray

Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd., the technology transfer arm of the University, today announced that Professor L.D. Shvartsman and Professor B. Laikhtman, from the Racah Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, have invented a novel design of TeraHertz-ray, or T-ray, lasers.

19 Oct 2009

Children's Hospital Boston's CRAFFT substance abuse diagnostic test helps identify high risk sexual behavior

Alcohol and drug use are known contributors to adolescents engaging in dangerous sexual activity; leading to substantial health risks such as unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted illnesses, drug overdoses and alcohol poisonings. Yet, research suggests that fewer than half of pediatricians report screening patients for substance use and at-risk sexual behavior.

19 Oct 2009