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Concerns raised about insurance markets under new law

Companies can avoid many standards in the new law by insuring their own employees, rather than signing up with commercial insurers, because Congress did not want to disrupt self-insurance arrangements that were seen as working well for many large employers.

19 Feb 2013

Overall rise in drug costs is less than in previous years

Even though costs for medications will continue to rise in 2013 by as much as 4 percent, the increase is projected to be less than in previous years, according to a report in the advance online publication of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, the journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

16 Feb 2013

Obama's Medicare drug rebate plan could save the government money, but also hit drug industry's bottom line

During his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama renewed a proposal to use drug rebates to save Medicare money -- a step that would trigger strong opposition from pharmaceutical companies.

16 Feb 2013

Treasury pick says he will work to reduce Medicare spending, but offers few specifics

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama's references in his State of the Union address to modest changes to Medicare continue to generate examination.

15 Feb 2013

Mallinckrodt, Actavis enter settlement agreement to resolve Exalgo patent litigation

Actavis, Inc. today announced that it has reached a settlement with Mallinckrodt Inc. on outstanding patent litigation related to Actavis' generic version of the 32 mg dosage strength of Mallinckrodt's Exalgo (Hydromorphone Hydrochloride Extended-Release) tablets.

15 Feb 2013

Tivozanib overall survival results announced by AVEO and Astellas

AVEO Oncology (NASDAQ: AVEO) and Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503) announced overall survival (OS) for tivozanib, an investigational agent, from the Phase 3 TIVO-1 (TIvozanib Versus sOrafenib in 1st line advanced RCC) study in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The final OS analysis, as specified by the protocol, shows a median OS of 28.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 22.5–NA) for tivozanib versus a median OS of 29.3 months (95% CI: 29.3–NA) for the comparator arm, sorafenib.

13 Feb 2013

Health law provisions saved seniors $5.7B on Rx drugs

Seniors have saved about $5.7 billion on prescription drugs since January 2011 because of provisions in the 2010 health care law meant to close the Medicare "doughnut hole," the government plans to announce today.

10 Feb 2013

Roundup: Conn. governor's budget proposal would shed thousands from Medicaid; Insurance rates to rise 2.7% in Mass.; Calif. group wants tighter doc narcotic control

Gov. Dannel Malloy said he would close Connecticut's $1.2 billion budget gap with a mix of spending cuts, including to hospitals and programs for the poor, and new revenues, including the extension of some business taxes that were scheduled to expire.

10 Feb 2013

The Journal of Urology publishes results from BioSpecifics XIAFLEX trials on Peyronie's disease

BioSpecifics Technologies Corp., a biopharmaceutical company developing first in class collagenase-based products marketed as XIAFLEX in the U.S. and XIAPEX in Europe and Eurasia, today announced that The Journal of Urology has electronically published the uncorrected proof of the pivotal IMPRESS (The Investigation for Maximal Peyronie's Reduction Efficacy and Safety Studies) trials on its website.

5 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Obama's 'olive branch' on birth control coverage; Sen. Kirk recounts his stroke therapy; Nurses oppose mandatory flu shots

The Obama administration released the final details Friday of the exemption it will provide religious-affiliated employers from the requirement to include free birth control in employees' insurance policies. Not surprisingly, the announcement didn't seem to mollify any of the critics who'd been arguing that the exemption was inadequate.

4 Feb 2013

Medicare expands competitive bidding program

The new prices will kick in July 1 and are expected to save on average 45 percent for products such as walkers, wheelchairs, oxygen equipment and other medical products.

2 Feb 2013

Selway signs definitive agreement to enter into business combination with HCCA

Selway Capital Acquisition Corporation announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to enter into a business combination with Healthcare Corporation of America, Inc. (HCCA), which is one of the fastest growing PBM's in the market.

31 Jan 2013

U-M to host 11th-annual Depression on College Campuses Conference on Feb. 26-27

Rather than seeking out healthy treatment options, many college students experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety too often resort to unhealthy coping practices like drug use, drinking, or self-injury.

30 Jan 2013

Amneal enters license and distribution agreement with Hanmi for generic Nexium

Amneal Pharmaceuticals, LLC today announced that it has entered into a license and distribution agreement with South Korea-based Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd to acquire exclusive distribution rights to Hanmi's new drug application (NDA), currently under FDA review, for esomeprazole strontium delayed-release capsules.

28 Jan 2013

ED visits involving ADHD stimulant medications are on the rise

A new report shows that the number of emergency department visits involving attention deficit /hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stimulant medications more than doubled from 13,379 visits in 2005 to 31,244 in 2010.

28 Jan 2013

Gilead commences first of two tenofovir alafenamide Phase 3 trials in HIV

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced the initiation of the first of two Phase 3 clinical trials (Study 104) evaluating a single tablet regimen containing tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in treatment-naïve adults.

28 Jan 2013

Actavis seeks FDA approval to market generic Opana ER

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today confirmed that Actavis South Atlantic LLC, which was acquired by Watson in October, has filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval to market Oxymorphone Hydrochloride Extended-release Tablets.

23 Jan 2013

Psychiatrists exposed to COI policies during residency less likely to prescribe brand antidepressants

Psychiatrists who are exposed to conflict-of-interest (COI) policies during their residency are less likely to prescribe brand-name antidepressants after graduation than those who trained in residency programs without such policies, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

22 Jan 2013

Study shows first empirical evidence of exposure to conflict-of-interest policies

19 Jan 2013

State highlights: Calif. governor earmarks money for Medi-Cal expansion; Mental health reforms take shape in Kan., Colo.

Brown earmarked $350 million in his spending plan to help enroll more Californians in Medi-Cal, the state's health insurance program for the poor. Under the proposal, enrollment rules would be simplified to cover residents who are currently eligible but not enrolled.

15 Jan 2013

Prescription Drug News and Research

Concerns raised about insurance markets under new law

Overall rise in drug costs is less than in previous years

Obama's Medicare drug rebate plan could save the government money, but also hit drug industry's bottom line

Treasury pick says he will work to reduce Medicare spending, but offers few specifics

Mallinckrodt, Actavis enter settlement agreement to resolve Exalgo patent litigation

Tivozanib overall survival results announced by AVEO and Astellas

Health law provisions saved seniors $5.7B on Rx drugs

Roundup: Conn. governor's budget proposal would shed thousands from Medicaid; Insurance rates to rise 2.7% in Mass.; Calif. group wants tighter doc narcotic control

The Journal of Urology publishes results from BioSpecifics XIAFLEX trials on Peyronie's disease

Viewpoints: Obama's 'olive branch' on birth control coverage; Sen. Kirk recounts his stroke therapy; Nurses oppose mandatory flu shots

Medicare expands competitive bidding program

Selway signs definitive agreement to enter into business combination with HCCA

U-M to host 11th-annual Depression on College Campuses Conference on Feb. 26-27

Amneal enters license and distribution agreement with Hanmi for generic Nexium

ED visits involving ADHD stimulant medications are on the rise

Gilead commences first of two tenofovir alafenamide Phase 3 trials in HIV

Actavis seeks FDA approval to market generic Opana ER

Psychiatrists exposed to COI policies during residency less likely to prescribe brand antidepressants

Study shows first empirical evidence of exposure to conflict-of-interest policies

State highlights: Calif. governor earmarks money for Medi-Cal expansion; Mental health reforms take shape in Kan., Colo.

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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