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Merck receives FDA approval for redesigned drug container labels

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today is announcing the approval of Merck's redesigned drug container labels that include a new standardized format to improve readability and provide better information on product and strength differentiation.

13 Jun 2011

Pawlenty rips Romney's health plan; other GOP candidates get ready to rumble

In advance of Monday night's GOP presidential contenders' debate, news outlets covered candidates ramping up the rhetoric on health care.

13 Jun 2011

Siemens receives FDA clearance for Biograph mMR system to perform simultaneous PET/MRI scan

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared the Siemens Biograph mMR system, the first device to simultaneously perform a positron emission tomography scan, commonly known as PET scan, and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

From Siemens Healthineers 13 Jun 2011

Medicare politics trigger concerns in debt-deal talks

The Hill reports that some Republican lawmakers are growing "wary" that, in regard to Medicare, a recent Democratic upset in a New York special congressional election is a "canary in the coalmine." Meanwhile, Democrats are working to position themselves as the Medicare protectors -- even as a fact-checker questions some of their comments.

10 Jun 2011

NIAID awards Biota $2.9M grant for development of lead candidate for C. difficile

Biota Holdings Limited advises that its wholly owned subsidiary, Biota Scientific Management Pty Ltd, has been awarded a grant to fund the preclinical development of a lead candidate for the treatment of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile).

10 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 10, 2011

Today's health policy headlines include reports about health law funding and policy particulars, as well as Dems' push to protect Medicaid.

10 Jun 2011

Five senators seek investigation of physician-owned distributorships

Five U.S. senators asked the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services to open an investigation into physician-owned distributorships, middleman entities that allow surgeons to profit from the medical devices they use on their patients, to determine whether they are legal.

10 Jun 2011

FDA draft guidance outlines roadmap for discussion on nanotechnology in regulated products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released draft guidance to provide regulated industries with greater certainty about the use of nanotechnology, which generally involves materials made up of particles that are at least one billionth of a meter in size. The guidance outlines the agency's view on whether regulated products contain nanomaterials or involve the application of nanotechnology.

10 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 9, 2011

Today's headlines include reports from yesterday's action in an Atlanta courtroom where oral arguments were held in an appeal related to the multi-state challenge to the health law.

9 Jun 2011

U.S. FDA announces safety label changes for cholesterol-lowering medication, simvastatin

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today is announcing safety label changes for the cholesterol-lowering medication simvastatin because the highest approved dose--80 milligram (mg)--has been associated with an elevated risk of muscle injury or myopathy, particularly during the first 12 months of use.

9 Jun 2011

State roundup: N.J. plan would cut Medicaid by $500 million

States and territories are eligible for up to $40 million to strengthen and coordinate efforts to prevent chronic disease, the Health and Human Services Department announced Tuesday. The initiative is funded by the healthcare reform law and targets the nation's five leading chronic diseases: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and arthritis.

9 Jun 2011

Siemens Healthcare selects SIS as surgical IT partner

Surgical Information Systems ('SIS') today announced a partnership with Siemens Healthcare expanding the reach of the Siemens health information system portfolio (including Soarian®, INVISION® and MedSeries4®) into the perioperative environment, including the SIS Anesthesia solution.

9 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Blue Shield's profit cap; employees could be surprised by loss of health benefits; involving patients

Blue Shield of California announced Tuesday that it will cap its profits for the sake of making health insurance more affordable. Richer in symbolism than in economic impact, the move seems designed to deflect scrutiny and blame from insurers onto others in the industry, particularly doctors and hospitals. All the same, the steadily rising cost of medical care is where the real challenge lies for the sustainability of the healthcare system.

9 Jun 2011

Maternal-child health disparities need to be addressed in the U.S., says expert

Despite billions of dollars spent on health care each year, the United States ranks 27th out of 33 developed countries for life expectancy at birth. Leading causes of infant mortality are complications related to pre-term birth or low birth weight-outcomes that have been linked with domestic violence.

8 Jun 2011

HCRL's Ozioma online tool offers health information through media

Ozioma is a new online tool from the Health Communication Research Laboratory (HCRL) at Washington University in St. Louis designed to increase the amount of locally relevant health information in communities through media.

8 Jun 2011

ACO defenders emerge as comment period ends

Deadline day arrived Monday for comments on Medicare's much-abused proposal for accountable care organizations. And supporters of the Obama administration championed its pro-patient provisions in the face of criticism from the health industry. Early industry feedback on the ACO rule focused on the expense and complexity it posed for hospitals, doctors and health organizations interested in teaming up to achieve higher quality, better patient care and lower costs.

8 Jun 2011

AHF criticizes HHS Secretary announcement on 'expanded' AIDS funds

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today criticized an announcement by Health and Human services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius yesterday regarding so-called "expanded" funding for cash-strapped state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs).

8 Jun 2011

ITI receives FDA clearance for new Q fever assay kit

This week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the first nucleic acid amplification In vitro diagnostic (IVD) test that detects Coxiella burnetii, the bacteria that causes Q fever.

7 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Reps. on Medicare politics, policies, community pharmacies; Reflections on AIDS

The [Ryan] privatization proposal overlooks the fact that when it comes to rising health costs, Medicare is part of the solution, not the problem. ... Together with health care reform, Medicare can be the driver of innovation due to its sheer market share.

6 Jun 2011

Ohio's Adena Health System chooses eClinicalWorks EHR solution for physicians

eClinicalWorks, a market leader in ambulatory clinical systems, today announced that Ohio's Adena Health System has chosen the eClinicalWorks comprehensive electronic health records (EHR) solution for its 150 employed physicians.

6 Jun 2011