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MedQuist and CBay to acquire Spheris

Spheris, a leading global provider of clinical documentation technology and services, today announced that it has entered into an agreement under which MedQuist Inc. and CBay Inc., portfolio companies of CBaySystems Holdings Ltd. and leading providers of medical transcription software and services, have agreed to purchase substantially all of Spheris' assets pursuant to a transaction that is to be implemented under Section 363 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.

3 Feb 2010

Lawmakers sound off on President's budget and health costs

While White House Budget Director Peter Orszag testified on Capitol Hill about President Obama's fiscal 2011 budget, some members expressed concern about health costs, McClatchy reports.

3 Feb 2010

House Dems' next step in health reform: Repeal of insurance antitrust exemption

Lawmakers "hoping to revive President Barack Obama's stalled health care overhaul have started writing a compromise bill, but it's unclear when the legislation will be ready for votes, a top House Democrat said Tuesday," The Associated Press reports. "The measure would change the massive Senate-approved health bill to what bargainers from the White House, Senate and House agreed to last month, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said in a brief interview.

3 Feb 2010

BD Diagnostics launches Be a Flu Fighter initiative to increase awareness and prevent influenza

BD Diagnostics, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), today announced the launch of the Be a Flu Fighter initiative, aimed at increasing awareness and prevention of influenza.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 3 Feb 2010

FDA approves Labopharm's OLEPTRO antidepressant for MDD

Labopharm Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved OLEPTRO(TM) (trazodone hydrochloride) Extended Release Tablets, a novel once-daily formulation of the antidepressant trazodone, for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. OLEPTRO(TM) utilizes CONTRAMID(R), Labopharm's clinically validated technology that controls the release of active substances within oral medications.

3 Feb 2010

AP offers advice on choosing Medicare Advantage plans

Consumers can switch from original Medicare plans to Medicare Advantage plans until March 31 and to help them understand the options, The Associated Press offers answers to frequent questions about Medicare Advantage plans.

3 Feb 2010

Drug company CEOs under pressure

Dow Jones Newswires/The Wall Street Journal on Severin Schwan, chief executive of Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG: "'It is difficult to gauge the impact of the planned U.S. healthcare reform on the pharmaceutical industry,' Schwan told reporters at a media conference to detail 2009 earnings. 'On the one hand, more U.S. citizens will be getting access to healthcare, which is positive. At the same time, pressure on drug prices will certainly increase,' he added." The wire service adds that he also said "decisions on generic biosimilars will be key" (Greil, 2/3).

3 Feb 2010

Daiichi Sankyo initiates Phase III trial of edoxaban in reducing recurrent VTE complications

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, announced today that it has initiated a new large-scale pivotal Phase III trial for edoxaban, its investigational oral Factor Xa inhibitor. This new study, called HOKUSAI (pronounced hoe·koo·sigh) VTE, is evaluating the safety and efficacy of edoxaban in reducing recurrent venous thromboembolic (VTE) complications in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism (PE).

3 Feb 2010

The debate over selling insurance across state lines

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz writes that Republicans in Congress have proposed this concept in the past "and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., embraced it as part of his 2008 presidential campaign. Advocates - including some insurers and small business groups - say it would give the more than 17 million Americans who buy individual coverage a greater choice of plans and the possibility of lower prices.

3 Feb 2010

I.I.I. highlights fraud and abuse in New York's automobile insurance system

Fraud and abuse in New York's no-fault auto insurance system cost consumers and insurers nearly $230 million in 2009, constituting a "fraud tax" of $1,561, or 22 percent of every no-fault claim, according to Dr. Robert Hartwig, an economist and president of the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

3 Feb 2010

Sonomax Hearing Healthcare to report on financing arrangement with Benvest New Look Income Fund

Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc. announces that with reference to its previously-announced conference call scheduled for February 4th, 2010 at 11:00 AM EST, in addition to updating investors on the results of Sonomax's initiative to license its new Self-Fit(TM) headset technology at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and the company's outlook for 2010 and beyond, the company will also report on the $1.74 million non-dilutive financing arrangement that it has entered into with Benvest New Look Income Fund.

3 Feb 2010

BRAF drugs may accelerate tumour growth in cancer patients with faulty RAS gene

A team of UK scientists has made the unexpected discovery that drugs which target a well known fault in a protein called BRAF could actually fuel the progression of cancer in some cases. The findings of this study, which was jointly funded by Cancer Research UK, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and the Wellcome Trust are published in Cell.

3 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 3, 2010

Today's headlines highlight what might be the Democrats' next health reform move in the House, where Speaker Pelosi plans to advance legislation next week to repeal insurance companies' antitrust exemption.

3 Feb 2010

Public policy implications in abstinence-only programs

Study focused on young African American preteens in an urban area: This is a legitimate public health study and it did show that a certain type of abstinence only program can help some very young adolescents (average age 12) delay sexual initiation for up to 24 months.

3 Feb 2010

DLA stocks USNS Comfort with medical supplies for Haiti in a day's notice

Getting the USNS Comfort stocked with needed supplies before it steamed out of the Baltimore harbor and headed for earthquake-stricken Haiti was a high priority for logisticians and acquisition specialists at the Defense Logistics Agency's supply center in Philadelphia.

3 Feb 2010

First medical center to alleviate snoring issues

Sereno™, The Center for Snoring Solutions, opened its doors to patients this month at its flagship practice in San Francisco. Sereno is the first medical center of its kind dedicated solely to resolving snoring issues by providing patients with a comprehensive, solutions-based approach.

3 Feb 2010

World Cocoa Foundation launches CLP to improve livelihoods of cocoa farmers in Cote d'Ivoire

At a ceremony held in Abidjan, the World Cocoa Foundation today announced the launch of the Cocoa Livelihoods Program (CLP) in Cote d'Ivoire. The program, first announced in February 2009, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 14 chocolate industry companies, is expected to significantly improve the livelihoods of 75,000 cocoa farmers in Cote d'Ivoire by 2014.

3 Feb 2010

Ambassadors of Purple selected to help promote Purple Day for Epilepsy

As the third annual, worldwide Purple Day for Epilepsy approaches on March 26, 2010, organizers in Canada and in 15 other participating countries around the globe are looking for volunteers to promote epilepsy awareness in local communities.

3 Feb 2010

Picis and ISOFT announce strategic alliance

Picis, the leading provider of information systems for the high-acuity areas of hospitals, and iSOFT, one of the world’s biggest healthcare information technology (HIT) companies, have entered into a strategic alliance whereby iSOFT will distribute, implement and provide international support for selected solutions from the Picis CareSuite® family of high-acuity solutions, focusing initially on ICU and anesthesia in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand.

3 Feb 2010

AMPYRA for MS: Acorda Therapeutics announces wholesale pricing and patient assistance program

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) for AMPYRA™ (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets will be $1,056 per 30-day supply (60-count pill bottle), an annual cost of $12,850. AMPYRA was approved on January 22, 2010 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed. AMPYRA is expected to be available in March 2010.

3 Feb 2010