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Viewpoints: WSJ on Medicare Advantage, Texas Gov. Perry on 'Fed inroads,' Med students' health policy ignorance

The White House has apparently decided that it won't enforce the unpopular parts of its health-care plan until after the 2012 election. The latest evidence is its decision not to slash Medicare Advantage, the program that Democrats hate because it lets seniors choose private insurance options. ... Would this be the same Medicare Advantage that candidate Barack Obama vowed to eliminate, saying in 2007 that "We shouldn't be rewarding the insurance industry for deceiving and defrauding our seniors"? (2/25).

25 Feb 2011

Medtronic acquires chitosan-dextran gel technology for use in functional endoscopic sinus surgery

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that it has completed the purchase of rights to a chitosan-dextran gel technology from Adelaide Research & Innovation Pty Ltd. in Australia, Robinson Squidgel Ltd., and Otago Innovation Ltd. in New Zealand. Medtronic is acquiring this technology for potential use in developing future products for functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS).

25 Feb 2011

CIGNA's integrated disability and medical programs reduce workplace absence

Employees who have both disability and medical coverage from CIGNA, and who also suffer a short-term disabling illness or injury, return to work more often and spend less time away from work on leave than those without the integrated program. This is the conclusion of a new study by CIGNA comparing integrated and non-integrated disability and medical plans.

25 Feb 2011

Neoprobe's Lymphoseek Phase 2 study data published in Annals of Surgical Oncology

Neoprobe Corporation (NEOP), a diversified developer of innovative oncology surgical and diagnostic products, today announced that results from a Phase II study of Lymphoseek® (Tilmanocept) have been published online in the Annals of Surgical Oncology and demonstrate the tracing agent's ability to identify tumor-draining lymph nodes in breast cancer and melanoma patients.

25 Feb 2011

Hospitals and health system innovations designed to increase efficiency, improve outcomes

News outlets report on how certain health care models are performing in these difficult economic times.

25 Feb 2011

HHS offers new grants to help states with insurance rate reviews

These grants are designed to assist states in creating or enhancing their reviews of the premiums charged by health insurance companies.

25 Feb 2011

Medwell commits $2,000,000 investment in Mimetogen

Medwell Capital Corp. today announced that it has committed to invest up to $2,000,000 in Mimetogen Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Mimetogen"), a privately-held, clinical-stage company developing a treatment for dry eye disease. Medwell Capital participated in a Series B equity financing with existing Mimetogen investors, iNovia Capital, MSBi Valorisation and VIMAC Milestone Medica.

25 Feb 2011

Humana CEO hails the importance of the health care consumer

But on Capitol Hill, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., released a fact sheet detailing the profits earned by the nation's five largest insurers — including Humana — and touted health law provisions that would increase transparency from the insurance industry.

25 Feb 2011

New York's Medicaid advisory panel approves plan to cut health spending

The panel's compromise includes an annual spending cap and across-the-board Medicaid provider cuts. Meanwhile, other states also struggle with the rising cost of Medicaid and its impact on the budget.

25 Feb 2011

Poll finds 1 in 5 Americans think health law was repealed

Coverage continues regarding a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Thursday that found a surprising degree of confusion about the status of the federal health overhaul.

25 Feb 2011

Romney responds: He's proud of Mass. health care overhaul

Some suggest the exchange between former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, in which he criticized "RomneyCare," and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is a preview of the 2012 Republican presidential primary.

25 Feb 2011

New policy research brief examines patients at risk of losing care under health center spending cuts

A new policy research brief released today by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services examines the characteristics of patients whose access to health center services is at risk because of a potential $1.3 billion in direct spending cuts for community health centers.

25 Feb 2011

Redesign of donor-liver distribution network could increase transplants by 14%

A redesign of the nation's donor-liver distribution network developed by University of Pittsburgh researchers could result in several hundred more people each year receiving the transplants they need.

25 Feb 2011

NASA certifies Superfocus glasses for astronauts with presbyopia

Superfocus LLC, creators of Superfocus glasses (formerly known as TruFocals) the first adjustable-focus eyeglasses to treat presbyopia, announced today the flight certification of Superfocus by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for use by astronauts on Discovery's final spaceflight (STS-133) and aboard the International Space Station.

25 Feb 2011

New study discloses mechanism controlling Rb2/p130 gene expression in lung cancer cells

Despite innumerable studies on lung cancer, many aspects of the disease have yet to be understood, including the role played by the retinoblastoma-related protein Rb2/p130 in the evolution of the disease.

25 Feb 2011

Warner Chilcott fourth quarter revenue increases 1% to $694.4 million

Warner Chilcott plc today announced its results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2010. As discussed more fully below, our financial position and results of operations in the quarter ended December 31, 2010 as compared to the prior year quarter were significantly impacted by several important transactions in 2009 and 2010.

25 Feb 2011

First Edition: February 25, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about developments in New York's Medicaid program and other state-level news.

25 Feb 2011

Discovery highlights unexpected role for killer protein in 'autophagy'

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have made an important discovery concerning how fledgling cancer cells self-destruct, which has the potential of impacting on future cancer therapies. The Trinity research group, led by Smurfit Professor of Medical Genetics, Professor Seamus Martin and funded by Science Foundation Ireland, has just published their findings in the internationally renowned journal, Molecular Cell.

25 Feb 2011

AMAG fourth quarter total revenues increase to $17.2 million

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a therapeutic iron compound to treat iron deficiency anemia, today reported unaudited consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2010.

25 Feb 2011

Savient launches KRYSTEXXA in the U.S.

Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the official full U.S. commercial launch of KRYSTEXXA™ (pegloticase), which has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of chronic gout in adult patients refractory to conventional therapy. KRYSTEXXA is now the first and only therapy available to address this unmet medical need.

25 Feb 2011