Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Appeals Court judges appear skeptical of health law arguments, pepper lawyers with frequent questions

The first federal appeals court hearing related to the health overhaul offered a preview of how the Obama administration will likely approach the case before the Supreme Court, which is expected to be its final destination.

12 May 2011

Sugar boosts effectiveness of first-line antibiotics against chronic bacterial infections

James Collins, a pioneering researcher in the new field of systems biology and a MacArthur Genius, says: "You know the old saying: 'a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down?' This is more like 'a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine work.'

12 May 2011

INESC Porto, FEUP develop software to automatically analyse and validate mammograms

INESC Porto and FEUP developed software to automatically analyse and validate mammograms. The software, Semantic PACS, can be incorporated into hospital IT systems and it categorises each new mammography using automatic descriptive methods and search methods that compare the semantic contents of the images stored.

12 May 2011

State roundup: Daniels signs Ind. law to ban Planned Parenthood funding

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican considering a run for president, signed legislation Tuesday to bar Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding in his state, a move widely seen as a bid to woo influential social conservatives. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and the American Civil Liberties Union went to court to try to block the measure from taking effect.

12 May 2011

GSK, NanoBio initiate two NB-001 Phase 3 trials in cold sores

NanoBio Corporation today announced the initiation of two Phase 3 multicenter trials evaluating NB-001 as a topical treatment for cold sores, a step forward in their OTC licensing agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

12 May 2011

Next stop for health law appeal includes two GOP-appointed judges

As news outlets were chewing over Tuesday's hearing on the health law, the next appeal panel, with two Republican-nominated judges, was announced.

12 May 2011

Accretive Health first quarter net services revenue increases 30% to $163.7 million

Accretive Health, Inc., a leading provider of comprehensive end-to-end healthcare revenue cycle management services and population health management services infrastructure, today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2011.

11 May 2011

Analysis: Ryan's GOP budget plan would cause deep reductions in Medicaid coverage

The analysis, advanced by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Urban Institute, could lead to as many as 44 million people being cut from the rolls in the next decade. Meanwhile, Politico reports that, in the background, some states are fast-tracking their efforts to expand coverage — in keeping with the requirements of the health law.

11 May 2011

SunLink Health Systems third quarter net earnings increases to $2,683,000

SunLink Health Systems, Inc. today announced earnings from continuing operations for its fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2011 of $2,515,000, or $0.31 per fully diluted share, compared to earnings from continuing operations of $469,000, or $0.06 per fully diluted share, for the comparable quarter ended March 31, 2010.

11 May 2011

American Medical Alert first quarter net income increases 18% to $1,046,378

American Medical Alert Corp. a provider of healthcare communication services and advanced telehealth monitoring technologies, today announced operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, the

11 May 2011

China Pharma first quarter revenue increases 20% to $18.1 million

China Pharma Holdings, Inc., a fully-integrated specialty pharmaceuticals company in China, today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2011.

11 May 2011

First Edition: May 11, 2011

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Hilary Abramson writes: "Now comes the hard part. California, which has had a long, sometimes-tortured history of trying to overhaul its health care markets, beat every other state last year when it passed a law creating a health insurance exchange - an online marketplace where millions of uninsured residents will be able to get insurance".

11 May 2011

TSO3 first quarter revenue decreases to $136,628

TSO3 Inc. an innovator in sterilization technology for medical devices in healthcare settings, posted revenues of $136,628 for the first quarter of 2011 ending March 31, for the sale of supplies, accessories and service contracts for the first generation product.

11 May 2011

Two new policy briefs on California health reform law

According to two new policy briefs from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the majority of state residents likely to be eligible for federally mandated health insurance coverage initiatives in California in 2014 are also those who may be least likely to excessively use costly health services: men, singles and those of working age.

11 May 2011

HBA to host panel discussion on Accountable Care Organizations

Accountable Care Organizations: Accountable? Affordable? Achievable?—A panel discussion presented by the Southern California HBA featuring a distinguished group of local healthcare industry leaders.

11 May 2011

Naurex announces completion of $18 million Series A financing

Naurex Inc., a clinical-stage company developing innovative treatments to address unmet needs in psychiatry and neurology, today announced the completion of an $18 million Series A financing led by Adams Street Partners and Latterell Venture Partners.

11 May 2011

Pacira Pharmaceuticals reports net loss of $9.8 million for first quarter 2011

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011, provided an update on the execution of its pre-commercial and launch strategies for EXPAREL, and reiterated 2011 financial guidance.

11 May 2011

Challenges to health law take center stage with appellate court action

President Obama's health care law faces a series of challenges in three appeals courts starting Tuesday as Republican lawyers from 27 states will urge the courts to strike down the law as unconstitutional. In a sign of the high stakes and the partisan divide, one case will feature a rare courtroom clash between the Obama administration's top appellate lawyer and his counterpart from the George W. Bush administration.

11 May 2011

Georgia to review Medicaid changes; Calif. judge rules against freeze on payments for disability services

In any other year, a historic overhaul of the Medicaid system would have overshadowed every health issue in the Legislature. But when lawmakers went home early Saturday morning, Medicaid might not have even been the noisiest health-related debate of the 2011 legislative session. Lawmakers passed a nearly $70 billion budget that included deep cuts to hospitals, nursing homes and dozens of other health programs.

11 May 2011

Journal of Rheumatology publishes positive results from Cimzia Phase III trial in RA

UCB announced today results from a post hoc analysis of the RAPID 1 study published in the Journal of Rheumatology. The results suggest moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with Cimzia, the only approved PEGylated anti-TNF, together with methotrexate, achieved a rapid response associated with improved long-term outcomes one year after treatment began.

11 May 2011