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WellPoint guidelines may bolster federal 'comparative effectiveness' investments

The health insurer WellPoint has announced guidelines for using comparative effectiveness studies to pit drugs against one another and determine which works best, the Indianapolis Business Journal reports. "Congress has also approved $4.1 billion in the past 15 months to fund comparative-effectiveness studies and a new agency that specializes in them.

28 May 2010

Report: High-risk pool funding may fall short of need

A $5 billion fund to create high-risk pools in the states as part of the health overhaul may fall short of meeting the needs of uninsured people with health problems if state and federal officials closely monitor the program, according to a new report by the National Institute for Health Care Reform, an automaker-sponsored think tank, Kaiser Health News reports.

28 May 2010

CSL Behring granted authorization to market Berinert for HAE in Italy and Luxembourg

CSL Behring announced today it has been granted national marketing authorization in Italy and Luxembourg to market Berinert® for the treatment of acute hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks in any body location. This latest authorization brings the number of countries to 28 (in Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australia) in which Berinert is now licensed.

28 May 2010

PCA-Rx represents next generation of chelation technology for ASD patients

According to the Center for Disease Control, autism has risen to an epidemic rate of 1 in 100 in the U.S., up from 1 in 150 in 2007. While controversy looms regarding its cause, many parents of autistic children believe a correlation exists with toxin accumulation. To give autism spectrum disorder sufferers a natural alternative to chelation therapy, Maxam Nutraceutics has introduced PCA-Rx.

28 May 2010

Uroplasty reports strong sales growth for Macroplastique in fourth-quarter 2010

Uroplasty, Inc., a medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets innovative proprietary products to treat voiding dysfunctions, today reported financial results for the fourth fiscal quarter and full year ended March 31, 2010. The results were highlighted by continued strong U.S. sales growth for Macroplastique and a reduction in operating and net loss compared to the prior year.

28 May 2010

Study measures effects of BPA on male reproductive system

Increasing Bisphenol-A levels in urine are associated with worsening male sexual function, according to a Kaiser Permanente study appearing online in the Journal of Andrology.

28 May 2010

Last defendant in 6-year Calif. Medicare fraud case sentenced

The Associated Press/San Jose Mercury News: A $15 million Medicare fraud case in California has ended as the last of 17 defendants was sentenced this week to 30 months in prison.

28 May 2010

States examine costs of health law's Medicaid expansion detailed in new report

Reuters examines how Medicaid expansion might affect various states, with new findings from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: "Under conservative estimates, Maine's Medicaid spending will decrease 1.5 percent and Colorado's will slip 0.5 percent, according to the study.

28 May 2010

Hamilton Thorne announces vendor partnership agreement with Leica Microsystems

Hamilton Thorne Ltd., a leading provider of advanced laser systems and instruments for the stem cell research and fertility clinic markets, today announces a vendor partnership agreement with Leica Microsystems GmbH of Wetzlar, Germany, a leading global designer and producer of innovative high-tech precision optics systems for the analysis of microstructures.

28 May 2010

Salix Pharmaceuticals to sell $300 million of 2.75% convertible senior notes due 2015

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell $300 million aggregate principal amount of its 2.75% convertible senior notes due 2015. In addition, Salix has granted the underwriters an overallotment option to purchase up to an additional $45 million aggregate principal amount of notes on the same terms and conditions.

28 May 2010

NICE denies availability of Sorafenib liver cancer drug on NHS

Sorafenib (brand name Nexavar) will not be made available on the NHS for people with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of primary liver cancer.

28 May 2010

Some young adults must wait for new law's insurance coverage option to kick in

The new health law's requirement that young adults be able to remain on their parents' health plans until they turn 26, is raising some questions from hopeful parents: "when exactly the new benefit begins, who exactly is eligible and who decides." But the answer to all those is: "It depends. ... the decision about when to start the new benefit is being made by lots of different players in the health system.

28 May 2010

Celsis International updates Drug Master Files with FDA

Celsis International, the global leader in rapid microbial detection, announced it has recently updated its Drug Master Files with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to include information on testing both non-sterile and sterile raw materials, in-process solutions and finished goods on the Celsis system.

28 May 2010

Study shows different factors related to issues of hunger, inadequate nutrition in children

Approximately 49 million people, including 17 million children, experience household food insecurity - the lack of resources required to sustain the nutritional needs of family members - according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, this number may be even higher when examining the specific food needs of children.

28 May 2010

Medicare brochure mailing draws GOP ire

Republicans are criticizing a taxpayer-funded brochure sent to 40.2 million Medicare beneficiaries explaining changes to the program under the new health law.

28 May 2010

CardioGenics Holdings announces further update on status of its agreement with Merck Chimie

CardioGenics Holdings Inc., developer of the ultra-sensitive QL Care™ Point-Of-Care analyzer and products for the immunoassay segment of the In-Vitro Diagnostics market, announced today a further update regarding the status of its agreement with Merck Chimie S.A.S., one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of magnetic beads for the diagnostics market.

28 May 2010

American Academy of Pediatrics retires 2010 policy statement on female genital cutting

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has retired its 2010 policy statement on female genital cutting (FGC).

28 May 2010

Feds will pay the bulk of Medicaid expansion costs under overhaul, study finds

"As states complain about the burden of expanding health care to millions of poor Americans under the new federal health-care law, a study released Wednesday suggests their claims may be overstated. The issue is the cost of expanding Medicaid ... and the report from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured says states are likely to reap huge benefits for relatively little cost, and may even end up in the black."

28 May 2010

Flextronics to expand existing partnership with Citrix Systems

Flextronics today announced that it will expand its existing partnership with Citrix Systems, Inc. to include the joint design of Citrix's next generation hardware for WAN optimization and secure access appliances and primary outsourcing partner. Flextronics has provided manufacturing and logistics solutions to Citrix for more than five years.

28 May 2010

Corvalen M introduced for treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms

Fibromyalgia affects as many as one in 50 Americans, 90 percent of whom are women. Yet, despite its nearly epidemic status, patients still often rely on pharmaceutical options solely for treatment. That's why Bioenergy Life Science, Inc. has introduced Corvalen M, a natural treatment option for fibromyalgia symptoms.

28 May 2010