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Insurers post strong earnings, but may hold back on bragging rights

Two leading insurers reported second-quarter earnings with rising profits this week.

29 Jul 2010

FDA approves Cuvposa Oral Solution for chronic severe drooling in children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cuvposa (glycopyrrolate) Oral Solution to treat chronic severe drooling caused by neurologic disorders in children ages 3 years to 16 years.

29 Jul 2010

Humana collaborates with HealthCompare to facilitate online health insurance

Humana, one of the nation's leading health and supplemental benefits companies, has entered into an arrangement with HealthCompare,a one-stop online guide to help individuals and families easily research, compare, buy and enroll in a health insurance plan at the right price. While this arrangement is new for Humana and HealthCompare, it builds on both organizations' efforts to help consumers make healthcare decisions with confidence and success.

29 Jul 2010

Metabolix second-quarter net loss decreases to $9.5 million

Metabolix, Inc., a bioscience company focused on developing sustainable solutions for plastics, chemicals and energy, today reported financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2010.

29 Jul 2010

GOP continues call for health law repeal; Census releases uninsured data

The Washington Post: New census data reveal big differences among states in the rate of uninsured people under age 65. Massachusetts has the lowest rate, 7.8 percent, and Texas the highest, 26.8 percent. "The statistics are for 2007 and show health insurance coverage by state and for each of the country's roughly 3,140 counties. The numbers do not include the impact on millions of people who lost their jobs and health insurance after the recession began in December 2007."

29 Jul 2010

Etubics enters Phase I trials for next generation vector vaccines

Etubics Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company developing next generation vector vaccines, has entered into Phase I trials at Duke University with its ETBX-011, a therapeutic vaccine candidate that is intended to treat Carcinoembryonic Antigen expressing cancers such as colorectal cancer. Etubics dosed its first patient yesterday. Etubics was recently granted clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Investigational New Drug application to begin studying ETBX-011 in humans.

29 Jul 2010

Bioniche, Synerx announce FDA approval and launch of Isosulfan Blue Injection 1%

Bioniche Pharma, a leading developer and manufacturer of injectable pharmaceuticals, and Synerx Pharma, LLC announced today the FDA approval and launch of Isosulfan Blue Injection 1%.

29 Jul 2010

Cerner second-quarter revenue increases 13% to $456.0 million

Cerner Corporation today announced results for the 2010 second quarter that ended July 3, 2010, delivering strong levels of bookings, revenue, earnings and cash flow.

29 Jul 2010

CMX157 shows potential to suppress replication of HIV in Phase 1 clinical trial

Chimerix, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing orally-available antiviral therapeutics, today announced the publication of research results demonstrating the potential of CMX157 (hexadecyloxypropyl tenofovir) to effectively suppress replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that cannot be treated with currently available nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), including tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Viread), due to the development of multi-drug resistance. Earlier this year, Chimerix initiated a dose-escalating Phase 1 clinical trial of CMX-157 to evaluate drug safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics.

29 Jul 2010

Rite Aid agrees to pay $1 million to settle medical privacy questions

The Wall Street Journal: "Rite Aid Corp. agreed to pay $1 million to settle potential violations of government privacy rules after regulators said it failed to protect customers' and employees' financial and medical information. The drug-store chain's agreement with the Federal Trade Commission requires the company to establish an information-security program and obtain a third-party audit of its compliance to that effect every two years for the next 20 years."

29 Jul 2010

Response Biomedical closes $8 million common share private placement

Response Biomedical Corporation announced today that it has closed its previously announced private placement of common shares for gross proceeds of approximately $8 million. The Company issued 13,333,333 common shares at a price of C$0.60 per share.

29 Jul 2010

Boston Scientific announces launch of Neuroform EZ Stent System in U.S. and Europe

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the U.S. and European launches of the Neuroform EZ(TM) Stent System, its fourth-generation intracranial aneurysm stent system designed for use in conjunction with endovascular coiling to treat wide-necked aneurysms. The Company plans to launch the product immediately in both markets.

29 Jul 2010

NIH grants $14.85 million to complete two floors of NRI at Texas Children's Hospital

Neurological research at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital is getting a big boost in the form of a $14.85 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to complete two floors of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital.

29 Jul 2010

Hospitals focus on forming ACOs, resolving insurer disputes

News outlets report on hospital issues, including forming accountable care organizations and disputes with insurers.

29 Jul 2010

Increased SIRT1 protein can delay delay aging, extend lifespan

Researchers watched two groups of mice, both nearing the end of a two-day fast. One group was quietly huddled together, but the other group was active and alert. The difference? The second set of mice had been engineered so their brains produced more SIRT1, a protein known to play a role in aging and longevity.

29 Jul 2010

Athersys reports positive results from MultiStem phase I clinical trial in heart attack patients

Athersys, Inc. announced today positive results from its phase I clinical trial of MultiStem®, its allogeneic cell therapy product, administered to individuals following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), more commonly referred to as a heart attack. The study results, based on four months of post-treatment patient data, demonstrate that MultiStem was well tolerated at all dose levels and also suggest improvement in heart function in treated patients.

29 Jul 2010

Assurant second-quarter net operating income increases 53% to $152.2 million

Assurant, Inc., a premier provider of specialty insurance and insurance-related products and services, today reported results for the second quarter and first six months of 2010.

29 Jul 2010

Inhibition of MMPs can offer therapeutic benefit in Huntington's disease: Study

A new study reveals that an enzyme linked with multiple disorders is also involved in the generation of toxic, neuron-killing protein fragments in Huntington's disease (HD). The research, published by Cell Press in the July 29 issue of Neuron, provides insight into Huntington's pathology and proposes new therapeutic strategies for this devastating incurable disease.

29 Jul 2010

Anti-fraud efforts backed by AARP; Seniors cautioned about rebate cons

AARP on Tuesday "threw its influence" behind a number of plans to reduce Medicare fraud, including the bipartisan Medicare Fraud Enforcement and Prevention Act, which would increase penalties on nabbed fraudsters and supply more claims data to enforcers, The Hill reports. Separate legislation, "the Fighting Fraud with Innovative Technology Act, would bolster Medicare's claims screening process before payments are sent out" (Lillis, 7/27).

29 Jul 2010

Aggressive prostate cancer patients tend to retain denser bones

Men who develop prostate cancer, especially the more aggressive and dangerous forms that spread throughout the body, tend to retain denser bones as they age than men who stay free of the disease, suggests new research from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health.

29 Jul 2010