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Massachusetts eHealth Institute names e-MDs as EHR vendor and IOO

e-MDs, an industry leader in the development and implementation of electronic health record (EHR) and practice management (PM) solutions, announced they have been named a selected EHR vendor and Implementation Optimization Organization (IOO) by the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI). The Institute will serve as a Regional Extension Center (REC) in Massachusetts, working to facilitate the adoption of EHR technology by the state's providers. As a selected vendor, e-MDs will help ensure effective implementation and provider achievement of Meaningful Use.

4 Oct 2010

VIVUS announces divestiture of MUSE to Meda

VIVUS, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Meda - an international specialty pharma company - for MUSE®, transurethral alprostadil, for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Under the agreement, Meda will acquire the MUSE assets including the United States and foreign MUSE patents, existing inventory and the manufacturing facility located in Lakewood, New Jersey.

4 Oct 2010

LC Luxuries announces acquisition of domain name CannaCare.com

LC LUXURIES LIMITED today announced that it has acquired the domain name CannaCare.com and will begin developing CannaCare.com as its nationwide physician marketing engine as it relates to the cannabis industry. Development is underway and the Company anticipates the site operational by the end of the year. Bonni Goldstein, MD, a board member for LC Luxuries Limited, will be materially involved with the content and direction of CannaCare.com.

4 Oct 2010

IBM employee-wellness program shows some success for kids

Reuters: "In 2008, IBM launched an Internet-based 'children's rebate program' that let employees and their families choose from a selection of goals revolving around healthy eating, group physical activity, reduced 'screen time' and positive parental role-modeling. A $150 check was offered as incentive to complete the 12-week program. … More than 22,000 employees signed on to participate, representing about half of all employees with children covered by IBM's health plan." About 12,000 completed the program and received the rebate.

4 Oct 2010

FDA clears Orthovita's VITOMATRIX Bone Graft Substitute for dental procedures

Orthovita, Inc., an orthobiologics and biosurgery company, announced that it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market VITOMATRIX Bone Graft Substitute as a bone grafting material in certain dental procedures.

4 Oct 2010

KHN column: Medical loss ratio rule should encourage health care fraud fighting

In this Kaiser Health News column, Louis Saccoccio, executive director of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, makes a case for including health plans' investments in fraud-fighting activities in the medical loss ratio definition.

4 Oct 2010

Life Technologies acquires Ion Torrent for $375 million

Life Technologies Corporation, a provider of innovative life science solutions, today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Ion Torrent for $375 million in cash and stock. In addition, sellers are entitled to additional consideration upon the achievement of certain milestones.

4 Oct 2010

New equation to calculate energy requirement for underweight COPD patients

Malnutrition often goes hand in hand with COPD and is difficult to treat. In a recent study researchers at the University of Gothenburg, have come up with a new equation to calculate the energy requirement for underweight COPD patients. It is hoped that this will lead to better treatment results and, ultimately, better quality of life for these patients.

4 Oct 2010

Otsuka opens Canadian operations

Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical Inc. has opened its first Canadian office, in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Laurent. This marks a major milestone in the continued growth of Otsuka in North America.

4 Oct 2010

Sunrise Senior Living announces purchase and sale agreements with Ventas

Sunrise Senior Living, Inc. announced today that the Company and certain of its affiliates have entered into purchase and sale agreements with Ventas, Inc. and certain of its affiliates to sell to Ventas all of Sunrise's joint venture interests in nine limited liability companies in the U.S. and two limited partnerships in Canada, which collectively own 58 communities managed by Sunrise.

4 Oct 2010

Corning acquires Plaslab

Corning Incorporated announced today that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of all outstanding shares of Plaslab S.A.S. from certain investment funds managed by Qualium Investissement and from the other shareholders of Plaslab. Plaslab is the holding company of Plastiques Gosselin.

4 Oct 2010

FDA clears DFine's new percutaneous radiofrequency ablation device for metastatic spinal lesions

DFine, Inc., developer of minimally invasive solutions for the treatment of vertebral pathologies, announced today the 510(k) clearance of a new platform extension indicated for the palliative treatment of cancer patients. The product, a percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) device, provides localized tumor necrosis of vertebral body lesions where metastatic disease has spread to the spine causing severe pain and discomfort.

4 Oct 2010

Navigant announces acquisition of EthosPartners

Navigant announced today that it has acquired EthosPartners Healthcare Management Group, Inc., a national healthcare consulting group specializing in physician and hospital alignment, physician practice operations management, and physician revenue cycle management. Combining EthosPartners' physician expertise with Navigant's existing healthcare practice capabilities significantly enhances and broadens the solutions that Navigant offers to its clients.

4 Oct 2010

J&JPRD receives FDA Complete Response Letter for tapentadol ER tablets NDA

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) announced today that it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its New Drug Application (NDA) for tapentadol extended release tablets.

4 Oct 2010

Onconova enters agreement with FDA for Estybon Phase 3 trial SPA

Onconova Therapeutics®, Inc. announced agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for the design of a pivotal Phase 3 trial for Estybon™ (ON 01910.Na) as monotherapy in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), diseases affecting the production of healthy blood cells in the bone marrow.

4 Oct 2010

Emdeon acquires Chamberlin Edmonds

Emdeon Inc., a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management solutions, today announced it has completed the acquisition of Chamberlin Edmonds & Associates, Inc., a leading provider of government program eligibility and enrollment services to over 200 acute care facilities in 31 states. Chamberlin Edmonds' technology-enabled services assist hospitals in lowering the incidence of uncompensated care, reducing bad-debt expense and increasing overall cash flow.

4 Oct 2010

FDA approves NovaBone Putty MIS Delivery System for orthopedic surgery

NovaBone Products, a medical device company, today announces the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the NovaBone Putty® MIS Delivery System designed for use in minimally invasive orthopedic procedures.

4 Oct 2010

Meda completes Alaven acquisition

Meda has completed the acquisition of Alaven and has taken over its operations. The acquisition will benefit Meda both short term and long term. The acquisition will add the therapeutic focus to include both gastroenterology and women's health; areas that Meda operates in outside of the US. In addition, Alaven has a strategic OTC platform that accounts for approximately 25% of sales. Alaven will further diversify Meda's revenue base in the US, as well as serve as a platform for commercializing strategic pipeline opportunities.

4 Oct 2010

Agile completes enrollment in AG200-15 Phase 3 contraceptive patch study

Agile Therapeutics, Inc., a pharmaceutical development company specializing in women's healthcare products, today announced the Company has completed patient enrollment in its pivotal, Phase 3 NEW CHOICE Study of AG200-15, Agile's lead contraceptive patch. Agile's NEW CHOICE Study enrolled 1500 women at over 100 sites throughout the U.S. The study is comparing the efficacy and tolerability of AG200-15 to a low-dose, oral contraceptive.

4 Oct 2010

FDA provides Celsion guidance for Thermodox NDA to treat primary liver cancer

Celsion Corporation, a leading oncology drug development company, announced that the Company has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the requirements for non-clinical studies have been met for the New Drug Application (NDA) of ThermoDox.

4 Oct 2010