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Bipartisanship unlikely after health summit; Party unity Obama's next best bet

Democratic and Republican lawmakers each have an opportunity to make bipartisan concessions during Thursday's summit - like warming to malpractice reform or publicly conceding Democratic plans would ultimately lower the deficit, respectively - but political pressure will likely push both sides towards their partisan ranks, Politico reports.

25 Feb 2010

BioMedix Vascular Solutions, Howard University Hospital to participate in Community Health Project and Demonstration

BioMedix Vascular Solutions, Inc. announced today that the company has partnered with Howard University Hospital, Department of Surgery to participate in a Community Health Project and Demonstration focused on diagnosing and treating the potentially life-threatening condition called Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).

25 Feb 2010

Poll: Health bills remain unpopular, but individual provisions get high marks

CNN: "Although the overall health care reform bills passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate are unpopular, many of the provisions in the existing bills are extremely popular, even among Republicans, according to a new national poll. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday also indicates that only a quarter of the public want Congress to stop all work on health care, with nearly three quarters saying lawmakers should pass some kind of reform.

25 Feb 2010

APHA: Congressional leaders have to move forward on health reform focusing prevention and wellness

As President Obama and congressional leaders meet today for a health reform summit, the American Public Health Association urges them to move forward on comprehensive, affordable health reform with a focus on prevention and wellness.

25 Feb 2010

Amicus Therapeutics announces common stock "registered direct" offering

Amicus Therapeutics today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements dated February 25, 2010 with a select group of institutional investors to sell 4.95 million shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase 1.85 million shares of its common stock in a "registered direct" offering. The shares of common stock and warrants are being offered in units consisting of one share of common stock and one warrant to purchase 0.375 shares of common stock at a price of $3.74 per unit.

25 Feb 2010

Lawsuit alleges Medtronic illegally marketed stent device for unapproved use

A complaint filed in federal court last week "alleges Medtronic Inc. illegally marketed a relatively obscure medical device called a biliary stent in ways not approved by federal regulators," The (Minneapolis-St. Paul) Star Tribune reports.

25 Feb 2010

4medica to present IHR solution at Interoperability Showcase in Atlanta

4medica, the leading independent provider of Web-based connectivity between physicians and clinical laboratories, announced today that it will demonstrate the versatility of its Integrated Health Record (IHR™) solution at the 2010 Annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Interoperability Showcase at booth #233 in Hall C of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from March 1-3, 2010.

25 Feb 2010

Kinex Pharmaceuticals announces KX2-391 Phase 2 safety and efficacy clinical trial in men with CRPC

Kinex Pharmaceuticals opened a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of KX2-391 in patients with bone-metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) who have not had prior chemotherapy.

25 Feb 2010

Beyond Blair House: Discussion of public option, 'Cadillac tax' continue

As lawmakers and President Obama discuss health care at the Blair House summit, news reports ply two policy issues in the latest overhaul proposal, the public option and the "Cadillac tax."

25 Feb 2010

Reid upset after Republicans block COBRA benefits extension request

Roll Call: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized Republicans Wednesday after the GOP denied "a unanimous consent request to pass an extension of unemployment insurance and COBRA health care benefits, a move he warned would leave 'out-of-work Americans vulnerable to losing this valuable safety net'" (Brady, 2/24).

25 Feb 2010

E. Fougera receives first generic approval for Imiquimod Cream 5%

E. Fougera & Co., a leading specialty pharmaceutical manufacturer, today announced it has received first generic approval from the FDA for Imiquimod Cream 5% (Rx). Fougera's Imiquimod Cream 5% is rated AB, generically equivalent to Aldara® by Graceway Pharmaceuticals and substitutable for all indications. According to industry data, U.S. sales of the brand named product in 2009 exceed $360 million.

25 Feb 2010

WellPoint executive defends premium increases at congressional hearing

In a congressional hearing Wednesday, an insurance company executive justified proposed premium increases and warned "that pending legislation" could make the problem of high medical costs worse. "The executive, Angela F. Braly, president of WellPoint, made the comments in testimony prepared for a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee," The New York Times reports.

25 Feb 2010

Patented chemical derived from sugar may be an alternative for BPA

Michael Jaffe, a professor of biomedical engineering at NJIT, has received a patent for a chemical derived from sugar. This new material is a derivative of isosorbide and may be able to replace bisphenol A (BPA) in a number of consumer products, including the lining of tin cans.

25 Feb 2010

FDA sets new PDUFA action date for exenatide once weekly NDA

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company and Alkermes, Inc. today confirmed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set a new Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of March 12 for its review of the exenatide once weekly new drug application (NDA).

25 Feb 2010

SonoSite announces final results of modified “Dutch Auction” tender offer

SonoSite, Inc., the world leader and specialist in hand-carried ultrasound for the point-of-care, today announced the final results of its modified “Dutch Auction” tender offer which expired at 5:00 p.m. New York City time on February 19, 2010.

25 Feb 2010

Biovail reports 33% increase in total revenues for fourth-quarter 2009

Biovail Corporation today announced financial results for the three-month and 12-month periods ending December 31, 2009.

25 Feb 2010

Impax Laboratories announces record net income of $0.61 per diluted share for fourth-quarter 2009

Impax Laboratories, Inc. today reported its strongest financial results in its history due to record sales from its Global products sales channel.

25 Feb 2010

Symmetry Medical reports gross profit of $14.0M for fourth-quarter 2009

Symmetry Medical Inc., a leading independent provider of products to the global orthopaedic device industry and other medical markets, announced fourth quarter and full year 2009 financial results for the period ended January 2, 2010.

25 Feb 2010

NeoGenomics' fourth-quarter revenue up 32%

NeoGenomics, Inc., a leading provider of cancer-focused genetic testing services today reported its results for the fourth quarter 2009 and fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.

25 Feb 2010

CFIA approves export of Neovasc's processed pericardial tissue products to Europe

Neovasc Inc., today announced that it has received Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approval to export its processed pericardial tissue products to Europe as an "intermediate product" under the requirements of Annex I of EC Regulation # 2007/2006. This approval allows European customers to import Neovasc's porcine and bovine pericardial tissue materials for use in the manufacture of their own medical devices.

25 Feb 2010