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Today's OpEds: Insurance premium caps; Doc shortage; High-risk pool

The insurer's proposed premium hikes are staggering, but the problem is that medical costs have been growing considerably faster than inflation. AB 2578 would help put a check on unjustified hikes ... The Assembly passed the bill last month, and we urge the Senate to follow suit (7/2).

3 Jul 2010

Exposure to carbon monoxide, air pollution does not increase preterm delivery risk

While pregnant women may worry about the effects of air pollution on their health and that of their developing child, exposure to carbon monoxide and fine particles in the air during pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of preterm delivery or preeclampsia -- a serious condition that arises only during pregnancy -- according to results of a study headed by a University at Buffalo epidemiologist.

2 Jul 2010

WaferGen Biosystems to raise $7 million in registered direct offering

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., a leading developer of state-of-the-art genomic analysis systems, today announced that it has received commitments from certain investors to purchase approximately $7 million of previously unissued securities in a registered direct offering. The investors include the Chairman and CEO, Alnoor Shivji, who has agreed to purchase $1 million of securities in the registered direct offering.

2 Jul 2010

Watson Laboratories receives FDA approval for Tacrolimus ANDA

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration on its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Tacrolimus 5 mg capsules, the generic equivalent to Astellas' Prograf® capsules.

2 Jul 2010

Eli Lilly, Alnara sign definitive merger agreement

Eli Lilly and Company and Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced they have signed a definitive merger agreement whereby Lilly will acquire Alnara, a privately held biotechnology company developing protein therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic diseases. Alnara's lead product in development is liprotamase, a non-porcine pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT).

2 Jul 2010

Studies demonstrate analgesic properties of synthetic cannabinoid

A new compound similar to the active component of marijuana (cannabis) might provide effective pain relief without the mental and physical side effects of cannabis, according to a study in the July issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

2 Jul 2010

Study: ONGLYZA and metformin improve HbA1c levels for adult patients with type 2 diabetes at 76-weeks

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and AstraZeneca today announced results up to 76-weeks from a Phase 3 study of ONGLYZA(TM) (saxagliptin) as initial combination therapy with metformin, which produced long-term glycemic improvement (as measured by glycosylated hemoglobin level (HbA1c)) in treatment-naive adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on diet and exercise compared to treatment with an investigational 10 mg dose of saxagliptin or metformin alone.

2 Jul 2010

PhenotypeIT launches integrated Corporate Health and Wellness Management Platform

PhenotypeIT, Inc. announced today the launch of its PhIT™ platform, the first truly integrated Corporate Health and Wellness Management Platform that predicts disease and chronic health conditions before their onset and provides critical aggregated data to employers to reduce costs. The PhIT platform accurately assesses the impact of current and future health conditions, and assesses the cost implications of these conditions and related loss of productivity for the employer.

2 Jul 2010

Over 28,000 patients access myMDAnderson web-based portal for personal health information in one year

Just one year after The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center launched its secured, Web-based portal for personal health information, more than 28,000 patients (57 percent) who logged into myMDAnderson - a personalized, online connection to the center - have accessed their personal medical information, test results and records.

2 Jul 2010

Fluidigm's IFC platform products help perform digital-PCR measurements on single gene

Utilizing Fluidigm Corporation's Dynamic Array™ and Digital Array™ integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs), Stanford University researchers to have discovered a much larger spectrum of differences between individual cells than has previously been demonstrated. Among these differences are the communication capabilities that emerge from the interactions of genetic circuitry that mediates cell-to-cell communication.

2 Jul 2010

XenoPort reports equity awards to new employee under Inducement Award Plan

XenoPort, Inc. reported today that equity awards were made to a new employee subject to the terms and conditions of the XenoPort 2010 Inducement Award Plan. The employee was granted options to purchase an aggregate of 75,000 shares of XenoPort's common stock and restricted stock units representing an aggregate of 5,000 shares of XenoPort's common stock.

2 Jul 2010

Modified Citrus Pectin holds promise against prostate cancer

Researchers at Columbia University recently analyzed the positive effects of Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) on human and mouse prostate cancer cell lines. The results, as reported by lead researcher Dr. Aaron Katz in the most recent publication of Integrative Cancer Therapies, show that MCP inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent cancer cells in a time and dose-dependent manner.

2 Jul 2010

HMS acquires AMG-SIU for $26.2 million

HMS today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Allied Management Group (AMG-SIU), a leading provider of fraud, waste, and abuse prevention and detection solutions for healthcare payors, in an all-cash transaction. AMG-SIU is based in Santa Ana, California.

2 Jul 2010

HMS purchases $9.8M building in Irving, Texas

HMS today announced it has purchased the building in Irving, Texas where a majority of HMS's employees are located. The purchase price was $9.8 million.

2 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 2, 2010

Today's health policy headlines include the latest developments regarding Virginia's legal challenge to the federal health care overhaul.

2 Jul 2010

Two questions to identify families whose young children suffer from hunger

Asking parents just two simple screening questions could help health care providers and social workers to easily and quickly identify families whose young children are suffering from hunger, enabling early interventions that could prevent serious health consequences, according to a new study led by University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers. The study, published July 1 in the journal Pediatrics, analyzed data gathered from more than 30,000 families nationwide, about a quarter of whom suffered from hunger.

2 Jul 2010

MedAptus awarded U.S. patent for "Method and System for Processing Medical Billing Records"

MedAptus®, the market leader in charge capture technologies, announced today that it has been awarded U.S. patent number 7,685,002 entitled "Method and System for Processing Medical Billing Records." The patent pertains to MedAptus' automated process for completely and accurately capturing both professional and facility charges in outpatient settings.

2 Jul 2010

Shire presents positive data from TKT-025 EXT Phase I/II study for VPRIV in type 1 Gaucher disease patients

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced positive data from its long-term extension to its open label Phase I/II study (TKT-025 EXT) for VPRIV® (velaglucerase alfa), the company's enzyme replacement therapy for patients with type 1 Gaucher disease. The data were presented at the 9th Annual European Working Group on Gaucher Disease (EWGGD) in Cologne, Germany, and add to the growing body of clinical evidence which supports the safety and sustained efficacy of VPRIV.

2 Jul 2010

EU requirement for HIV, hepatitis screening of ART couples at each donation unnecessary, distressing

European legislation that requires all couples undergoing assisted reproduction treatment (ART) to be screened for HIV and hepatitis at the time of every sperm or egg donation is unnecessary, expensive, and potentially distressing for patients, the 26th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard Monday.

2 Jul 2010

Imaging algorithm distributed in top-down fashion reduces unnecessary cervical spine radiographs

An imaging algorithm produced by a radiology department and distributed through the medical director's office, in a top-down fashion, enabled a large, academic medical center to significantly reduce the number of unnecessary cervical spine radiographs (X-rays) in the emergency department, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

2 Jul 2010

Medical News

Today's OpEds: Insurance premium caps; Doc shortage; High-risk pool

Exposure to carbon monoxide, air pollution does not increase preterm delivery risk

WaferGen Biosystems to raise $7 million in registered direct offering

Watson Laboratories receives FDA approval for Tacrolimus ANDA

Eli Lilly, Alnara sign definitive merger agreement

Studies demonstrate analgesic properties of synthetic cannabinoid

Study: ONGLYZA and metformin improve HbA1c levels for adult patients with type 2 diabetes at 76-weeks

PhenotypeIT launches integrated Corporate Health and Wellness Management Platform

Over 28,000 patients access myMDAnderson web-based portal for personal health information in one year

Fluidigm's IFC platform products help perform digital-PCR measurements on single gene

XenoPort reports equity awards to new employee under Inducement Award Plan

Modified Citrus Pectin holds promise against prostate cancer

HMS acquires AMG-SIU for $26.2 million

HMS purchases $9.8M building in Irving, Texas

First Edition: July 2, 2010

Two questions to identify families whose young children suffer from hunger

MedAptus awarded U.S. patent for "Method and System for Processing Medical Billing Records"

Shire presents positive data from TKT-025 EXT Phase I/II study for VPRIV in type 1 Gaucher disease patients

EU requirement for HIV, hepatitis screening of ART couples at each donation unnecessary, distressing

Imaging algorithm distributed in top-down fashion reduces unnecessary cervical spine radiographs

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

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