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FDA grants Fast Track status for Genzyme's alemtuzumab development program for MS

Genzyme Corporation announced today that its alemtuzumab for multiple sclerosis development program has been granted Fast Track status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This designation covers patients with relapsing-remitting forms of the disease.

15 Jun 2010

Behind the Numbers report: Employers' medical costs to increase by 9% in 2011

The nation's employers can expect medical costs to increase by 9 percent in 2011, a decrease of 0.5 percent from the 2010 growth rate, according to the annual Behind the Numbers report published today by the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Health Research Institute. For the first time, the majority of the American workforce is expected to have a health insurance deductible of $400 or more, as more employers return to "indemnity style" cost-sharing by raising out-of-pocket limits, replacing co-pays with co-insurance and adding high-deductible health plans.

15 Jun 2010

Insulin-producing beta cells can proliferate in patients recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes: Researchers

Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School, working in collaboration with colleagues from Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the University of Brighton, have used a unique collection of pancreas specimens taken from patients who died soon after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes to show that they respond to the ongoing process of destruction by inducing their islet cells to proliferate.

15 Jun 2010

ConjuChem second-quarter net loss decreases to $3.6 million

ConjuChem Biotechnologies today announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2010, ended April 30, 2010.

15 Jun 2010

States, Feds look to expand ACOs and medical homes

Crain's New York Business, on ACOs in New York: "Authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Barack Obama in March, ACOs are intended to reward providers that shift their focus to preventive care and presumably reduce the need for expensive procedures.

15 Jun 2010

ICON, PAREXEL to provide global support for execution of Bristol-Myers Squibb's clinical studies

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced that it has signed agreements with ICON and PAREXEL, two leading providers of clinical development services to the biopharmaceutical industry, for joint strategic, operational and capability support of the company's clinical development program.

From Parexel 15 Jun 2010

ConvaTec presents Vitala Continence Control Device Phase 2 data at 2010 WOCN/WCET joint conference

ConvaTec, a world-leading developer of innovative medical technologies for community and hospital care, today presented data supporting the safety and efficacy of Vitala™, a novel, non-intrusive pouchless ostomy device that provides temporary continence to people with a colostomy. The clinical trial data were presented at the 2010 Joint Conference of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) and World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET), where the new device is being previewed to U.S. and global healthcare professionals.

15 Jun 2010

CMS to hold Medicare claims for four more days

Doctors treating Medicare patients won't be hit with a steep pay cut Tuesday, as previously scheduled, the Obama administration announced Monday. Instead, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is holding claims until Friday, anticipating that Congress will intervene this week. The move is the latest in a string of efforts to prevent Medicare doctors from receiving a 21 percent pay cut, which technically went into effect June 1."

15 Jun 2010

AMA adopts new policies to strengthen physician workforce

The American Medical Association adopted today at its Annual Meeting new policies to strengthen the physician workforce to meet the nation's growing health care needs. The United States faces a shortage of between 124,000 and 159,000 physicians by 2025. Already at least 22 states and 15 medical specialties have reported physician workforce shortages, including in medically underserved regions and front-line specialties including primary care and general surgery.

15 Jun 2010

New form of artificial human skin

Australian researchers are on the road to the discovery of a new form of artificial human skin that could be a boon to burn victims and other patients needing skin grafts. At present the available skin grafts are only 1 millimeter thick and serve only to replace the top epidermis layer.

14 Jun 2010

Parkinson’s disease linked to gene variant and pesticide: Study

Researchers from France reported in their new study that bad genes and exposure to certain banned pesticides could be blamed for development of Parkinson’s disease in men. In their study, published in the Archives of Neurology journal they show that men exposed to pesticides such as DDT and who had inherited genes for Parkinson’s disease were three and a half times more likely to develop Parkinson's than those with the normal version of the gene.

14 Jun 2010

Cheap drug that prevents bleeding may save 100,000 lives each year: Study

Researchers have shown that a cheap and easy to use drug that stops bleeding may save up to 100,000 lives each year from injuries associated with road accidents and violence. The study was published this Tuesday in the acclaimed international journal The Lancet and was conducted by doctors at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

14 Jun 2010

Stryker's facilities in Michigan, US and Suzhou, China earn LEED certifications

Stryker Corporation announced today that two of its manufacturing facilities have earned Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, developed by the USGBC, which provides a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

From Stryker 14 Jun 2010

Studies show rising health costs, ways to slow them

A PricewaterhouseCoopers report suggests a leap in the portion of health costs paid directly by employees will leave the majority of the American workforce with deductibles of $400 or more for the first time next year, The Associated Press/Los Angeles Times reports. "Two years ago, only 25 percent of companies participating in the annual survey said they asked employees to pay deductibles of $400 or more.

14 Jun 2010

My Insurance Expert to sell, distribute ING Term Life Insurance policies

My Insurance Expert, one of the country's leading online services for the comparison and purchase of affordable health insurance plans, is pleased to announce that it has been appointed to sell and distribute ING Term Life Insurance policies.

14 Jun 2010

KHN column – Medicare Advantage: You get what you pay for

In this column for Kaiser Health News, Austin Frakt writes: "The Obama administration seems worried. In an election year, any change to Medicare that adversely affects beneficiaries is a political liability for incumbents.

14 Jun 2010

Aesculap receives FDA clearance for SterilContainer product line for use in STERIS V-PRO systems

Aesculap, Inc. is pleased to announce that the SterilContainer S product line has been cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), (510(k) number, K093649) for use in the STERIS Corporation's V-PRO 1 and V-PRO 1 Plus Low Temperature Sterilization Systems.

14 Jun 2010

PAREXEL, Bristol-Myers Squibb establish strategic partnership in clinical development

PAREXEL International Corporation, a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, today announced that Bristol-Myers Squibb, a global biopharmaceutical company, has established a strategic partnership with PAREXEL to enable greater effectiveness in clinical development.

From Parexel 14 Jun 2010

Feds to issue rules on 'grandfathered' health plans and new law

The Wall Street Journal reports that draft regulations "being developed by the Obama administration say more than half of employer health care plans may lose their grandfathered status and be required to comply with the health overhaul bill approved March 23. The guidelines are likely to touch off fresh disputes between President Obama and opponents of the health care bill.

14 Jun 2010

New Brunswick Scientific, Pall partner to develop new disposable bioreactor systems

New Brunswick Scientific, an Eppendorf Company, and Pall Corporation today announced a joint product development and marketing agreement to create and supply new disposable bioreactor systems.

From Pall Corporation 14 Jun 2010