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Catalyst Health Solutions acquires Walgreens Health Initiatives

Catalyst Health Solutions, Inc. today announced it has completed its acquisition of Walgreens' pharmacy benefit management (PBM) subsidiary, Walgreens Health Initiatives, Inc. (WHI). Catalyst funded the transaction with a combination of cash on hand and amounts available under its credit facility.

13 Jun 2011

Frontal cerebral thermal transfer can eliminate insomnia symptoms

People with primary insomnia may be able to find relief by wearing a cap that cools the brain during sleep, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Monday, June 13, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS).

13 Jun 2011

Policy issues related to dual-eligible patients, cancer medication coverage attract headlines

The Associated Press reports that seniors are facing Medicare cost barriers which sometimes lead them to not fill cancer drug prescriptions. Also, CQ HealthBeat reports that a special team within the Department of Health and Human Services is working on finding ways to save money and improve care for patients on both Medicare and Medicaid.

13 Jun 2011

Aetna announces acquisition of Genworth's Medicare Supplement business

Aetna today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Genworth Financial, Inc. to acquire Genworth's Medicare Supplement business and related blocks of in-force business. Genworth is a leading provider of Medicare Supplement coverage. The business has more than 145,000 Medicare Supplement members.

13 Jun 2011

Positive preliminary results from CytRx bafetinib Phase 2 trial for relapsed B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced that preliminary results from its ENABLE Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial demonstrated that bafetinib, the Company's Bcr-Abl, Lyn and Fyn kinase inhibitor, was clinically active in a group of patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) who have failed several other treatments for their cancer.

13 Jun 2011

Turning the tables: Brits fear American health system

Two years ago, Britons were outraged when U.S. politicians like Sarah Palin, in the debate over health care reform, turned this country's National Health Service into a public whipping boy, denouncing it as "evil," "Orwellian" and generally the enemy of everything good and true.

13 Jun 2011

Milestone completes $13 million round of equity financing

Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc., a cardiovascular drug development company, announces the completion of a $13 million round of equity financing.

13 Jun 2011

Parties continue to clash over ways to curb Medicare spending

Amidst a pitched political debate over the federal deficit, all sides agree that health care spending must be addressed. Still, Medicare continues to cause considerable political differences. At the same time, a new CBS poll finds that Americans have "mixed feelings" about what should happen to the health insurance program for senior citizens.

13 Jun 2011

New tool to rapidly assess risk of aggressive, violent behavior by children and adolescents

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have developed a tool to rapidly assess the risk of aggressive and violent behavior by children and adolescents hospitalized on psychiatric units. Ultimately, they hope to use the questionnaire to improve treatment and prevention of aggressive behavior in schools and in the community.

13 Jun 2011

Some Democrats may not hold steady against Medicaid cuts

There may be more to read from what wasn't included in Sen. Jay Rockefeller's letter to the White House on Thursday than what was in it.

13 Jun 2011

Severe sleep apnea increases risk of gestational diabetes and preterm birth in pregnant women

Sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Monday, June 13, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS).

13 Jun 2011

Daytime sleepiness influences brain's response to food and affects eating behavior

Daytime sleepiness may affect inhibitory control in the brain when viewing tantalizing, high-calorie foods, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Monday, June 13, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS).

13 Jun 2011

Panetta: Finding savings in military health care programs on to-do list

President Obama's nominee to lead the Pentagon has made it clear military personnel programs, once considered sacrosanct, will be scrutinized as the administration looks for spending cuts.

13 Jun 2011

Study reveals positive impact of Soliris on long-term outcomes in PNH patients

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of research that provides further insight into the clinical consequences of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and positive impact of Soliris® (eculizumab) therapy on long-term outcomes.

13 Jun 2011

New drug more effective than standard treatment to prevent heart-attack deaths

Robert Storey, Professor of Cardiology at the University of Sheffield's Department of Cardiovascular Science, presented findings today that confirm one in five deaths in the year following a heart attack could be prevented if a new drug, ticagrelor, was used instead of the standard treatment, clopidogrel.

13 Jun 2011

Announcement of Congressional Wellness Caucus slated for today

Meanwhile, The Hill reports on what motivated some first-term members of Congress to run for the House of Representatives even though they had never held office before.

13 Jun 2011

Survey reveals increase in drinking, cannabis use and psychological distress

The latest survey of Ontario adults from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows increasing rates of daily drinking and cannabis use and high levels of psychological distress. The results of the 2009 CAMH Monitor survey, the longest running survey tracking mental health and addiction indicators among adults in Ontario, were published today.

13 Jun 2011

inVentiv Health acquires i3 CRO

inVentiv Health, Inc., offering best-in-class clinical, consulting and commercial services to the healthcare industry, today announced it has completed the acquisition of i3, a top-tier contract research organization (CRO) to the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries. i3 was previously owned by Ingenix, a UnitedHealth Group company.

13 Jun 2011

Mayo Clinic will not participate in ACO program

The Mayo Clinic says it will not be part of a critical piece of national health care reform under the government's proposed rules. The prestigious Rochester clinic is raising questions about accountable care organizations, or ACOs, which are supposed to be updated — and better — versions of health maintenance organizations.

13 Jun 2011

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics redesigns standard laboratory carboy

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has redesigned the standard laboratory carboy, adding a variety of ergonomic features that improve ease of use in advanced biopharmaceutical fluid handling and solution storage applications. These improvements are based on extensive input from professionals who work in laboratory and pharmaceutical environments.

13 Jun 2011