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Capitol Hill Watch: Obama agenda under scrutiny as lawmakers talk Medicare, budgets

President Obama's agenda, which includes a sweeping overhaul of the health care system, is coming under increased political scrutiny as lawmakers struggle with health budget challenges, and consider issues such as medical bankruptcy and improper Medicare payments.

17 Jul 2010

First Edition: July 16, 2010

Indiana's Medicaid chief told lawmakers Thursday that the federal government has largely left states in the dark on implementing the federal health care overhaul because it hasn't yet provided needed guidelines (The Associated Press).

16 Jul 2010

Treatment admissions for abuse of prescription pain relievers increases by over 400%: Study

The proportion of all substance abuse treatment admissions of those aged 12 and older involving abuse of prescription pain relievers rose by over 400 percent from 2.2 percent in 1998 to 9.8 percent in 2008 according to a new study be the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This dramatic rise in the proportion of admissions associated with the abuse of these drugs occurred among nearly all segments of the population regardless of age, gender, educational level and employment status.

16 Jul 2010

Study analyzes global oncology community's Twitter utilization to enhance discussion at ASCO 2010

JuvoLab, a company focused on value creation in the life sciences industry, today announced the release of a unique study detailing the entire global oncology community's utilization of Twitter to enhance scientific discussion at the ASCO 2010 Annual Meeting. This pioneering study analyzed over 4450 tweets, generated by more than 680 users over the course of the conference, and provides clarity and insight into the use of Twitter from breaking clinical news and engaging in clinical discussion to compliant corporate promotion by industry leaders.

16 Jul 2010

Glaxo announces a $2.3 billion in legal liability charges

British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, announced this Thursday that its second-quarter charges related to legal cases involving the two drugs Avandia (diabetes drug) and Paxil (drug for anxiety and depression) would run up to $2.36 billion. Avandia’s use and its potential risk of causing heart problems were being debated this week by an advisory panel to the US Food & Drugs Administration (FDA).

16 Jul 2010

KRX-0401 receives Orphan Drug designation from FDA for treatment of neuroblastoma

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that KRX-0401 (perifosine) has received Orphan Drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system affecting mostly children and infants for which there are no FDA approved therapies.

15 Jul 2010

Genelex, Helix announce strategic alliance to increase availability of new DNA Drug Sensitivity Tests

Genelex and Helix have announced a personalized prescribing strategic alliance to increase the availability of important new DNA Drug Sensitivity Tests such as Plavitest and Tamoxitest. These tests and the GeneMedRx medication management software can save lives and healthcare dollars by allowing doctors to personalize their prescribing practices in order to prevent adverse medication outcomes, including treatment failures and dangerous side effects.

15 Jul 2010

Aeterna Zentaris' partner Keryx receives FDA orphan-drug designation for perifosine in neuroblastoma

Aeterna Zentaris Inc., a late-stage drug development company specialized in oncology and endocrine therapy, today announced that its partner, Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., has been granted orphan-drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for perifosine, Aeterna Zentaris' novel, potentially first-in-class, oral Akt inhibitor, for the treatment of neuroblastoma.

15 Jul 2010

Neptune first-quarter 2010 revenue up by 45% to $4,162,000

Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. today reports its consolidated financial results for the three-month period ended May 31, 2010, appoints IR firm and updates on options and warrants.

14 Jul 2010

NCPDP pleased with HHS' adoption of SCRIPT Standard to achieve Meaningful Use

The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) today acknowledges and applauds the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) on its Final Rules announcement on "meaningful use" of an Electronic Health Record (EHR), including the adoption of NCPDP SCRIPT Standard for the secure, electronic transmission of prescriptions and prescription-related information.

14 Jul 2010

Medicaid stalemate, pay-for-delay ban among health care items under debate

"Several states are preparing to make deep cuts to Medicaid as a federal stalemate over funding for the poor drags on—even as states face mandates to expand the program under the new health-care law." Efforts to extend provisions of the stimulus programs that provided extra federal money to state Medicaid programs remain in limbo; the enhanced funding is set to expire at the end of the year.

14 Jul 2010

Protalix BioTherapeutics' taliglucerase alfa for Gaucher disease granted French ATU

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. announced today that the French regulatory authority has granted an Autorisation Temporaire d'Utilisation (ATU), or Temporary Authorization for Use, for taliglucerase alfa for the treatment of Gaucher disease. An ATU is the regulatory mechanism used by the French Health Products and Safety Agency to make non-approved drugs available to patients in France when a genuine public health need exists.

13 Jul 2010

SPET-085 is effective in blocking critical enzyme that leads to BPH: Study

A new study, published in the July issue of Advances in Therapy, revealed that a novel saw palmetto extract, SPET-085, is as effective as finasteride, the standard prescription drug therapy, in blocking the critical enzyme that leads to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

13 Jul 2010

Biodel reports preclinical test results of BIOD620 glucose-regulated or "smart" basal insulin product candidate

Biodel Inc. today reported results of preclinical tests which demonstrated the potential of the company's glucose-regulated or "smart" basal insulin product candidate, BIOD620, to release insulin proportionally in response to changing glucose conditions. In an oral presentation today at the 37th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Controlled Release Society in Portland, Oregon, Nandini Kashyap, director of novel drug delivery at Biodel, described results of in vitro and in vivo studies with diabetic pigs which compared the use of BIOD620 to Lantus® (insulin glargine).

13 Jul 2010

Obesity crisis in the spotlight as FDA reviews weight loss drugs

The Washington Post explores the obesity epidemic by reporting from Manchester, Ky., which has an obesity rate as high as 52 percent in a nation where the obesity rate is 24 percent. "The residents of this town of 2,100 — 95 miles southeast of Lexington and deep in the Appalachian foothills — indeed appear to celebrate the joys of community closeness.

13 Jul 2010

Stanford University, OHSU receive grants to study VIAject for treating patients with diabetes

Biodel Inc. announced today the award of two research grants by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to Stanford University and Oregon Health & Science University to evaluate the use of VIAject (ultra-rapid-acting injectable human insulin) in the treatment of diabetes.

12 Jul 2010

FDA accepts Protalix's taliglucerase alfa NDA, assigns PDUFA action date

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., announced today that the Company's New Drug Application (NDA) for taliglucerase alfa has been accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA granted taliglucerase alfa a standard review time of ten months, assigning a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of February 25, 2011.

12 Jul 2010

Glaxo’s diabetes pill Avandia under FDA scrutiny again

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrutiny again. This is for its diabetes pill Avandia which is under review for the second time in three years.

11 Jul 2010

CVS Caremark awarded gold medal for Best Customer Service, silver medal for Best Community Spirit

CVS Caremark's Pharmacy Benefit Management Customer Care team was awarded a gold medal for Best Customer Service (America's region) and a silver medal for Best Community Spirit by ContactCenterWorld.com at the organization's Top Ranking Performers Awards Conference in Orlando. The awards recognize the best in the contact center industry.

9 Jul 2010

Second round of checks to close Medicare doughnut hole sent out

"The Obama administration is sending $250 checks to more than 300,000 older Americans who paid higher drug costs in the Medicare coverage gap known as the 'doughnut hole,' officials announced Thursday. The one-time, tax-free checks are the first tangible benefit of the health care package that became law this year."

9 Jul 2010

Prescription Drug News and Research

Capitol Hill Watch: Obama agenda under scrutiny as lawmakers talk Medicare, budgets

First Edition: July 16, 2010

Treatment admissions for abuse of prescription pain relievers increases by over 400%: Study

Study analyzes global oncology community's Twitter utilization to enhance discussion at ASCO 2010

Glaxo announces a $2.3 billion in legal liability charges

KRX-0401 receives Orphan Drug designation from FDA for treatment of neuroblastoma

Genelex, Helix announce strategic alliance to increase availability of new DNA Drug Sensitivity Tests

Aeterna Zentaris' partner Keryx receives FDA orphan-drug designation for perifosine in neuroblastoma

Neptune first-quarter 2010 revenue up by 45% to $4,162,000

NCPDP pleased with HHS' adoption of SCRIPT Standard to achieve Meaningful Use

Medicaid stalemate, pay-for-delay ban among health care items under debate

Protalix BioTherapeutics' taliglucerase alfa for Gaucher disease granted French ATU

SPET-085 is effective in blocking critical enzyme that leads to BPH: Study

Biodel reports preclinical test results of BIOD620 glucose-regulated or "smart" basal insulin product candidate

Obesity crisis in the spotlight as FDA reviews weight loss drugs

Stanford University, OHSU receive grants to study VIAject for treating patients with diabetes

FDA accepts Protalix's taliglucerase alfa NDA, assigns PDUFA action date

Glaxo’s diabetes pill Avandia under FDA scrutiny again

CVS Caremark awarded gold medal for Best Customer Service, silver medal for Best Community Spirit

Second round of checks to close Medicare doughnut hole sent out

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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