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Viewpoints: The debate at AOL about a baby's medical costs; Gov. Jindal says economy's verdict on health law is not good

Late last week, Tim Armstrong, the chief executive officer of AOL, landed himself in a media firestorm when he held a town hall with employees to explain why he was paring their retirement benefits. After initially blaming Obamacare for driving up the company's health care costs, he pointed the finger at an unlikely target: babies. Specifically, my baby. ... ... She weighed 1 pound, 9 ounces. ... I take issue with how he reduced my daughter to a "distressed baby" who cost the company too much money. How he blamed the saving of her life for his decision to scale back employee benefits. How he exposed the most searing experience of our lives, one that my husband and I still struggle to discuss with anyone but each other, for no other purpose than an absurd justification for corporate cost-cutting (Deanna Fei, 2/9)

11 Feb 2014

Nestlé focuses on meeting world's increasing skin health needs

Nestlé S.A. (Nestlé) announced the creation of Nestlé Skin Health S.A., a global leader focused on meeting the world's increasing skin health needs with a scientifically-proven broad range of innovative products.

11 Feb 2014

Gilead submits NDA to FDA for fixed-dose combination of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir for hepatitis C infection

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that the company has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a once-daily fixed-dose combination of the NS5A inhibitor ledipasvir (LDV) 90 mg and the nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir (SOF) 400 mg for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection in adults.

11 Feb 2014

Researchers figure out ways to increase anti-cancer activity in broccoli

While researching methods to increase the already well-recognized anti-cancer properties of broccoli, researchers at the University of Illinois also found a way to prolong the vegetable's shelf life.

11 Feb 2014

MIND program may enable older people with dementia to stay safely in their homes

An 18-month pilot program that brought resources and counselors to elderly Baltimore residents with dementia and other memory disorders significantly increased the length of time they lived successfully at home, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

11 Feb 2014

Exposure to Manga comics promotes fruit intake and healthy snack selection

A recent pilot study in Brooklyn, New York, with minority students found that exposure to Manga comics (Japanese comic art) promoting fruit intake significantly improved healthy snack selection. As snacking accounts for up to 27% of children's daily caloric intake, and childhood obesity has been linked to inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, the results of this study could have wide-reaching implications.

11 Feb 2014

New online resource centre helps to create better strategies for food risks and benefits

Food scare make authorities uneasy. In previous cases, national food safety agencies have not always known how to react, making the public wary. For example, in 2011, the German health authorities incorrectly linked the deadly E. coli outbreak to cucumbers from Spanish greenhouses.

11 Feb 2014

UCLA researchers awarded $6M grant to explore new therapies for spinal-cord injuries

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering has awarded UCLA researchers Dr. Daniel Lu (Brentwood) and Dr. Reggie Edgerton (Bel Air) a $6 million, five-year grant to explore new therapies for the approximately 273,000 Americans living with spinal-cord injuries. Some 12,000 Americans suffer such injuries each year.

10 Feb 2014

Obamacare tweaks continue amid complaints

The government will allow consumers who experience life changes, such as a marriage or the birth of a child, to update their plan choices, the administration said. It is also looking at requiring insurers to accept third-party payments, such as those made under the Ryan White CARE Act, to help people with HIV/AIDS pay for expensive drugs. Meanwhile, The Washington Post examines the history of Accenture, the contractor hired to fix healthcare.gov, and finds troubled projects and allegations of ethical lapses.

10 Feb 2014

FDA grants OTC clearance for AliveCor Heart Monitor

AliveCor, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted the company over-the-counter (OTC) clearance for the AliveCor Heart Monitor, a single-channel ECG (electrocardiogram) recorder, previously available by prescription only. The device is available now for pre-order purchase with shipments beginning in March.

10 Feb 2014

Mallinckrodt announces commercial launch of PENNSAID

Mallinckrodt today announced the commercial launch of PENNSAID (diclofenac sodium topical solution) 2% w/w (PENNSAID 2%). PENNSAID 2% is a topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) approved for use in the treatment of the pain of osteoarthritis of the knees.

10 Feb 2014

Acentia announces acquisition of Business Computer Applications

Acentia, a premier provider of technology and management solutions, today announced it has acquired Atlanta-based Business Computer Applications, Inc., a provider of information technology (IT) services and solutions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies.

10 Feb 2014

First Edition: February 10, 2014

Today's headlines include stories about the health law's coverage gap.

10 Feb 2014

DaVita donates $1.2M to charities across United States

DaVita, the kidney care division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, announced that its teammates donated $1.2 million to charities in more than 1,100 communities across the United States as part of the "DaVita Way of Giving."

10 Feb 2014

TV series House helps doctors diagnose Cobalt intoxication of patient with hip replacement

In today’s edition of The Lancet [Friday 7 February], doctors report the case of a patient with severe heart failure, who in May 2012 was referred to the Marburg University clinic in Germany.

10 Feb 2014

Immunology professor receives 2014 Szent-Györgyi Prize for progress in cancer research from NFCR

Discovering key elements of immune system T cell biology and applying that knowledge to create a new way to treat cancer has earned Jim Allison, Ph.D., the 2014 Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research from the National Foundation for Cancer Research.

10 Feb 2014

pSivida announces financial results for second quarter 2014

pSivida Corp., a leader in the development of sustained release, drug delivery products for treating eye diseases, today announced financial results for its second quarter ended December 31, 2013.

10 Feb 2014

Study examines risks and benefits of testosterone therapy for older men

According to a statement issued today by the Endocrine Society, the risks and benefits of testosterone therapy for older men with declining levels of the hormone need to be fully evaluated.

10 Feb 2014

New study provides important understanding of what drives appetite

While the function of eating is to nourish the body, this is not what actually compels us to seek out food. Instead, it is hunger, with its stomach-growling sensations and gnawing pangs that propels us to the refrigerator - or the deli or the vending machine. Although hunger is essential for survival, abnormal hunger can lead to obesity and eating disorders, widespread problems now reaching near-epidemic proportions around the world.

9 Feb 2014

Consumers might get to keep noncompliant health plans longer

Meanwhile, groups seeking to enroll young people in coverage use techniques honed in political campaigns, and critics of the law call on consumers to take more responsibility for their health.

9 Feb 2014