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Ending antitrust exemption for insurers may not affect consumers, analysts say

Kaiser Health News: "Proponents say that the legislation would spur competition among insurers and bring down costs for consumers. Reps. Tom Perriello, D-Va., and Betsy Markey, D-Colo., who are sponsoring the bill, said in a press release it would 'end special treatment for the insurance industry that allows them to fix prices, collude with each other, and set their own markets without fear of being investigated.' But many antitrust experts say that ending the exemption -- by repealing the 1945 McCarran-Ferguson Act -- wouldn't significantly increase competition or reduce premiums."

8 Feb 2010

QIAGEN acquires global licence for PI3K gene to develop real-time-PCR and endpoint PCR assays

QIAGEN today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary DxS has acquired the global and exclusive licence for biomarker PI3K from Johns Hopkins University to develop real-time-PCR and endpoint PCR assays.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 8 Feb 2010

Inovio Biomedical announces additional immunogenicity data from therapeutic cervical cancer vaccine trial

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today additional interim safety and immunogenicity data from its therapeutic cervical cancer vaccine (VGX-3100) trial. VGX-3100 is a DNA vaccine targeting the E6 and E7 proteins of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 and is delivered via in vivo electroporation.

8 Feb 2010

UnitedHealth Group announces results of previously announced debt tender offers

UnitedHealth Group today announced the final results for its previously announced modified “Dutch Auction” cash tender offers for certain of its notes. The tender offers expired at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on February 5, 2010. As of the expiration date, UnitedHealth Group received tenders for $474 million aggregate principal amount of its short-term notes and $586 million aggregate principal amount of its intermediate-term notes.

8 Feb 2010

Anthera Pharmaceuticals reaches agreement with the FDA on SPA for VISTA-16 clinical study

Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing drugs to treat serious diseases associated with inflammation, announced today that it reached an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for the Phase 3 clinical study named VISTA-16 (Vascular Inflammation Suppression to Treat Acute Coronary Syndrome - 16 Weeks) for its lead product candidate, A-002, an oral sPLA2 inhibitor, in combination with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, or statin, therapy for short-term (16-week) treatment of patients experiencing an acute coronary syndrome.

8 Feb 2010

AMRI announces fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 results

AMRI today reported financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year ending December 31, 2009.

8 Feb 2010

CVS Caremark reports fourth-quarter and fiscal 2009 results

CVS Caremark Corporation today announced record revenues, operating profit, and income from continuing operations for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.

8 Feb 2010

First Edition: February 8, 2010

Today's headlines highlight news regarding President Obama's planned summit on health care -- Republicans will be invited.

8 Feb 2010

Hand amputation distorts visuospatial perception of the action space

We know exactly where an object is when we say it is "within the reach of our hand." But if we don't have a hand, can we still see the object just where it is?

8 Feb 2010

WHO Growth Charts recommended for monitoring growth of Canadian children

Four leading national health professional associations have collectively recommended the adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) Growth Charts for monitoring the growth of Canadian children in all primary health care and clinical settings.

8 Feb 2010

Compulsive food seeking despite painful consequences

Ever get a buzz from eating chocolate? A study published in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience has shown that chocolate-craving mice are ready to tolerate electric shocks to get their fix.

8 Feb 2010

Stereotaxis Magnetic Navigation System installed at CHMC, Taiwan

Stereotaxis today announced the installation of its first Stereotaxis Magnetic Navigation System in Taiwan at Cheng-Hsin General Hospital (CHMC) located in Taipei. CHMC hosted a Grand Opening event on January 26 that received wide coverage throughout the area and, to date, ten procedures have been successfully performed using Stereotaxis at the hospital.

8 Feb 2010

Repros Therapeutics submits Androxal revised indication statement to the FDA

Repros Therapeutics Inc. today announced that the Company, as requested by the FDA during the Type C meeting held on January 25, 2010, has sent a revised indication statement to the FDA’s Division of Reproductive and Urologic Products for the use of Androxal® in the treatment of men wishing to preserve fertility while being treated for their hypogonadal state.

8 Feb 2010

Sirona Dental Systems announces first-quarter fiscal 2010 results

Sirona, the dental technology leader, today announced its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2009.

8 Feb 2010

Big Ow awareness campaign

When it comes to symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, weight gain or trouble sleeping, chances are most women wouldn't hesitate to speak to their doctor. But there is another common - and equally distressing - effect of menopause that many women just keep to themselves. The Big Ow, also known as vaginal atrophy, will affect as many as two million Canadian women in the next 10 years - but most are too shy or embarrassed to talk about it, even with their doctor.

8 Feb 2010

Memory complaints: Effectiveness of Non-pharmacological interventions

A meta-analysis published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics by Swiss investigators B. Metternich and associates indicates the effectiveness of non pharmacological interventions on memory complaints.

8 Feb 2010

Third-quarter fiscal 2010 results announced by Chindex International

Chindex International, Inc., a leading independent American provider of Western healthcare products and services in the People's Republic of China, today announced financial results for the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2010.

8 Feb 2010

3SBio announces Nephoxil collaboration and license agreement with Panacor Bioscience

3SBio Inc., a leading China-based biotechnology company focused on researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing biopharmaceutical products, today announced a collaboration and license agreement with Panacor Bioscience Ltd. to develop and commercialize its Nephoxil(R) pharmaceutical product for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in China.

8 Feb 2010

HealthSpring reports net income of $38.8M for fourth-quarter 2009

HealthSpring, Inc. today announced its results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.

8 Feb 2010

Breast cancer: Lower dose of radiotherapy in fewer, larger doses as effective as higher total dose

The chronic side-effects of radiotherapy for early breast cancer, as reported by women themselves, are not any worse when treatment is given in a lower overall dose in fewer but larger treatments according to a trial part funded by Cancer Research UK and published today in the Lancet Oncology.

8 Feb 2010