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Medco: Big jump in kids' prescription drug use last year

Children's prescription drug use rose "several times faster" than adult use last year, "due in part to swine flu drugs and Type 2 diabetes medications, according to Medco Health Solutions Inc," The Associated Press reports. The "pharmacy benefits manager said a 5 percent increase in prescription drug use for children contributed to a 10.8 percent spending increase last year. In contrast, overall prescription drug use rose 1.3 percent, and drug spending climbed 3.7 percent. Medco released its annual drug trend report Wednesday" (Murphy, 5/19).

21 May 2010

Ingenix TrendView solution helps companies better understand, manage employee medical costs

Ingenix is launching Ingenix TrendView, an affordable, easy-to-use desktop solution designed to help companies better understand and manage a critical expense category - employee medical costs. Ingenix TrendView provides graphical views of consolidated employee benefits usage, enables scenario modeling, and uncovers opportunities for reducing medical costs and improving employee health.

20 May 2010

Employers must assess current and future retiree prescription benefit options: Medco Health Solutions

As the nation's healthcare system begins to understand and address the impact of the recently enacted healthcare reform legislation, employers must assess their current and future retiree prescription benefit options, according to executives from Medco Health Solutions, Inc. speaking to more than 700 clients at Medco's annual Drug Trend Symposium.

20 May 2010

Drug trend for children increased 10.8% in 2009 across America

In growing numbers, children across America are adding a dose of medicine to their daily routine. In 2009, drug trend for children – a measure of prescription spending growth – increased 10.8 percent, driven by a 5 percent increase in drug utilization and higher medication costs, according to the Medco 2010 Drug Trend Report. The growth in prescription drug use among children was nearly four times higher than the rise seen in the overall population.

20 May 2010

Fraud and abuse cases come to conclusions

Los Angeles Times: "A man who recruited destitute HIV patients to be straw purchasers in a prescription drug scheme was convicted by a federal jury Tuesday in Los Angeles. Nathaniel Newhouse, 53, showed no expression as the verdict was read in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson." Newhouse was caught with 29 bottles of powerful painkillers two years ago. Investigators said they had a street value of up to $80,000. HIV patients arranged for doctors to prescribe the drugs, which were passed on to Newhouse (Glover, 5/19).

20 May 2010

First Edition: May 19, 2010

Today's headlines highlight issues related to the federal debt, developments regarding the Medicare physician payment fix and news from the states.

19 May 2010

FDA grants orphan drug designation to pralatrexate for treatment of advanced TCC of urinary bladder

Allos Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to pralatrexate for the treatment of advanced or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, a form of bladder cancer. The Company is currently investigating pralatrexate in a Phase 2 clinical study in patients with advanced or metastatic relapsed TCC of the urinary bladder.

18 May 2010

152 research and training grants awarded to researchers at 93 institutions nationwide

The American Cancer Society, the largest non-government, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States, has awarded 152 new national research and training grants totaling $50,717,000 in the first of two grants cycles for 2010. The grants, primarily to early career researchers, cover a broad range of investigator-initiated ideas at 93 institutions nationwide, from whether cadmium exposure increases the risk of endometrial cancer, to studies of plant and bacterial-bourne compounds, to a study on a protein called survivin that could lead to novel drugs targeting prostate cancer.

18 May 2010

BUSM researchers identify clinical characteristics associated with PDUD in primary care patients

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have identified clinical characteristics associated with prescription drug use disorder in primary care patients with chronic pain. The study found that by identifying characteristics of prescription drug abuse, primary care clinicians can identify those at risk and provide appropriate treatment.

15 May 2010

Lotus Pharmaceuticals first-quarter net income up 38%

Lotus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a growing developer, manufacturer and seller of medicine and drugs in the People's Republic of China today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

15 May 2010

Amgen submits BLA for denosumab subcutaneous RANK Ligand inhibitor

Amgen Inc. today announced the submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for denosumab, a subcutaneous RANK Ligand inhibitor. The BLA submission summarizes clinical experience from nearly 6,900 patients across 18 clinical studies, including approximately 5,700 patients with advanced cancer in the three, pivotal, Phase 3, head-to-head trials versus Zometa® (zoledronic acid).

15 May 2010

FDA assigns Cadence Pharmaceuticals' OFIRMEV NDA new PDUFA action date

Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified the OFIRMEV™ (acetaminophen) injection New Drug Application (NDA) resubmission as a complete Class 2 response to the FDA's February 10, 2010 action letter and assigned a new Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of November 4, 2010.

15 May 2010

Convergent procedure promising for longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation

nContact Surgical, Inc. announced today the presentation of data collected from 43 patients as a result of a closed chest convergent atrial fibrillation (AF) procedure at the Heart Rhythm Society 2010 Conference in Denver, Colorado.

14 May 2010

Off-label use of AAs among elderly associated with increased risk of diabetes: Study

A new study yields important new evidence that the use of atypical antipsychotics among the elderly for off-label purposes is associated with increased risk of developing diabetes.

14 May 2010

Fibrocell Science commences histology study of azficel-T for treatment of nasolabial fold wrinkles

Fibrocell Science, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of autologous cell therapies for aesthetic, medical and scientific applications, announced the initiation of a small histology study (IT-H-001) of azficel-T, an autologous cell therapy currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial fold wrinkles.

14 May 2010

FDA Advisory Committee planned to review Lux Biosciences' NDA for voclosporin

Isotechnika Pharma Inc. today announced that the Dermatology and Ophthalmology Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to review partner, Lux Biosciences', New Drug Application for voclosporin on June 28, 2010.

13 May 2010

Prescription costs more likely to keep Hispanics away from pharmacy counter: Study

Drug costs could prevent some people from filling their prescriptions, which can interfere with optimal health care. A new study of Medicare beneficiaries finds that cost concerns are more likely keep Hispanics away from the pharmacy counter than non-Hispanics.

13 May 2010

Prescription drug instructions often lost in translation

Chicago Tribune: "Pharmacies that print prescription labels translated into Spanish often issue inaccurate or confusing instructions that could be potentially hazardous to a patient's health, according to a report in the May issue of Pediatrics journal."

13 May 2010

Sebelius heralds early successes of health law

"In a letter to leaders of Congress, the secretary of health and human services, Kathleen Sebelius, reported on Monday that the Obama administration is moving quickly to carry out the expansive new health care law, particularly provisions that she referred to as 'early insurance market reforms,'" The New York Times reports.

12 May 2010

USP panel recommends to establish universal standards for prescription medication labels

To promote the establishment of universal standards for prescription medication labels-and to address the widespread problem of patient misinterpretation of medication instructions-an advisory panel formed by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) recently issued a set of recommendations to bring consistency to labeling on dispensed prescription packaging.

11 May 2010

Prescription Drug News and Research

Medco: Big jump in kids' prescription drug use last year

Ingenix TrendView solution helps companies better understand, manage employee medical costs

Employers must assess current and future retiree prescription benefit options: Medco Health Solutions

Drug trend for children increased 10.8% in 2009 across America

Fraud and abuse cases come to conclusions

First Edition: May 19, 2010

FDA grants orphan drug designation to pralatrexate for treatment of advanced TCC of urinary bladder

152 research and training grants awarded to researchers at 93 institutions nationwide

BUSM researchers identify clinical characteristics associated with PDUD in primary care patients

Lotus Pharmaceuticals first-quarter net income up 38%

Amgen submits BLA for denosumab subcutaneous RANK Ligand inhibitor

FDA assigns Cadence Pharmaceuticals' OFIRMEV NDA new PDUFA action date

Convergent procedure promising for longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation

Off-label use of AAs among elderly associated with increased risk of diabetes: Study

Fibrocell Science commences histology study of azficel-T for treatment of nasolabial fold wrinkles

FDA Advisory Committee planned to review Lux Biosciences' NDA for voclosporin

Prescription costs more likely to keep Hispanics away from pharmacy counter: Study

Prescription drug instructions often lost in translation

Sebelius heralds early successes of health law

USP panel recommends to establish universal standards for prescription medication labels

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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