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Today's Opinions and Editorials

After a year of national debate, a handful of House Democrats who oppose abortion may be the ones to decide whether health care reform goes forward or not. ... We are puzzled and dismayed that these legislators are willing to waste that opportunity because they say the onerous anti-abortion provisions in the Senate's bill are still not onerous enough (3/14).

15 Mar 2010

GTCR invests in ATI Holdings

GTCR, one of America's leading private equity firms, today announced an investment in ATI Holdings, LLC, a leading provider of physical therapy and operator of outpatient rehabilitation clinics.

15 Mar 2010

Regado Biosciences announces first successful subcutaneous application of an aptamer

Regado Biosciences, Inc., a privately held company leading the development of antithrombotic aptamers with active control agents, announced that Chris Rusconi, PhD, Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Steven Zelenkofske, DO, FACC, Senior Vice President , Chief Medical Officer presented an abstract at the American College of Cardiology on Monday, March 15, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia.

15 Mar 2010

Insurers describe coverage of abortion in states with separate premiums

The Washington Post explores the use of riders on health insurance policies to cover abortion, a proposal that has sparked controversy in the national health overhaul debate. "In North Dakota, where insurers can cover abortions if customers pay a separate premium, the state's largest provider says it sells no abortion policies because no one has asked to buy one," The Post reports.

15 Mar 2010

Democrats confident health overhaul bill will pass despite hurdles

Democrats spent Sunday trying to pull enough votes together in the House to pass a health care reform bill later this week but said they were optimistic that they can get the support they need.

15 Mar 2010

Comparison study of genetic tests for ASD finds CMA with highest detection rate

The Autism Consortium, an innovative research, clinical and family collaboration dedicated to catalyzing research and enhancing clinical care for families with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), announced today that the results of its comparison study of genetic testing methods for autism spectrum disorders is available from the journal Pediatrics through early online release in their eFirst pages today and will appear in the journal's April issue.

15 Mar 2010

FDA questions third-party review of medical devices

The Wall Street Journal: The FDA is considering ending a program that allows medical-equipment makers to have their products reviewed by third-party companies instead of by FDA officials.

15 Mar 2010

High ABI may indicate risk for future heart attacks

The prevalence of abnormal ankle-brachial index (ABI) test results among individuals tested for peripheral arterial disease (PAD)—and who are not considered at high risk of a coronary heart event by Framingham-based risk factors—is high and provides another way to identify those who may be at risk for future heart attacks, say researchers at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 35th Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa, Fla.

15 Mar 2010

'Vaccine court' finds no link between vaccines and autism

A federal court finds no link between vaccines and autism after examining three cases that started in 2007. CNN reports: "A federal court ruled Friday that the evidence supporting an alleged causal link between autism and a mercury-containing preservative in vaccines is unpersuasive, and that the families of children diagnosed with autism are not entitled to compensation.

15 Mar 2010

Perrigo introduces generic Zaditor

Perrigo Company today announced that it has begun shipping Ketotifen Fumarate ophthalmic solution, 0.025%, a generic version of Zaditor™.

15 Mar 2010

Advertising on heath overhaul picks up again

"A slew of interest groups lobbying on the health care overhaul is cranking up the volume of advertising spots and grass-roots organizing this week as Congressional leaders race to put the finishing touches on controversial legislation to remake the nation's medical system," Roll Call reports.

15 Mar 2010

Surprise stimulus temporarily blinds subsequent events

Reading this story requires you to willfully pay attention to the sentences and to tune out nearby conversations, the radio and other distractions. But if a fire alarm sounded, your attention would be involuntarily snatched away from the story to the blaring sound.

15 Mar 2010

Medtronic announces positive STOP AF clinical trial data at 59th American College of Cardiology session

Medtronic, Inc. today announced data from the STOP AF (Sustained Treatment of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation) clinical trial during late-breaking sessions at the 59th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta. The data showed superiority over anti-arrhythmic drugs, with 69.9 percent of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) treated with the Arctic Front® Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter System remaining free of atrial fibrillation (AF) one year after cryoablation, compared to 7.3 percent on drug therapy.

15 Mar 2010

Progenics Pharmaceuticals to advance oral methylnaltrexone for OIC into late stage clinical development

Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it plans to advance oral methylnaltrexone for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) into late stage clinical development and will commence a phase 2b/3 clinical trial of a methylnaltrexone tablet in chronic-pain patients in the second half of 2010. Progenics also announced data from a clinical trial of this methylnaltrexone tablet.

15 Mar 2010

MannKind receives FDA Complete Response letter for AFREZZA NDA

MannKind Corporation today announced that it has received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for AFREZZA™ (insulin human [rDNA origin]) Inhalation Powder for the treatment of adult patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus for the control of hyperglycemia.

15 Mar 2010

Stimulus funds spur Indiana doctors, hospitals to switch to electronic records more quickly

The offer of federal stimulus funds is spurring Indiana health care providers to convert to electronic medical records, The (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Journal Gazette reports.

15 Mar 2010

CytRx plans five Phase 2 clinical trials with oncology drug candidates

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today reported financial results for the twelve months ended December 31, 2009, and affirmed its 2010 milestones of commencing up to five Phase 2 clinical trials with its oncology drug candidates.

15 Mar 2010

COBRA health insurance program changes confuse consumers

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jenny Gold writes about the confusion currently surrounding consumers. "Every day, dozens of confused, laid-off workers call the COBRA Help Center in Long Island, N.Y., a small private company which administers COBRA group health insurance plans.

15 Mar 2010

Cardium Therapeutics closes $11.3M registered direct offering

Cardium Therapeutics, Inc. today reported it has closed its registered direct offering announced on March 9, 2010. The offering resulted in total gross proceeds to Cardium of $11.3 million, which included the full initial offering amount of $10.0 million, plus an additional overallotment amount purchased by institutional investors.

15 Mar 2010

Ranbaxy resolves generic Actos patent litigation

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, along with its wholly owned subsidiary Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. (collectively, "Ranbaxy"), announced today that they have reached an agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America resolving outstanding patent litigation related to Ranbaxy's generic equivalent version of Actos® (Pioglitazone Hydrochloride) 15 mg, 30 mg and 45 mg tablets.

15 Mar 2010