Prescription Drug News and Research

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Companies overseeing prescription benefits poised for growth

Pharmacy benefit management companies, the third-party administrators for prescription drug programs, have seen a boom in business. NPR reports they are "now poised for even more growth, as baby boomers age and Congress prepares to insure more Americans. ..."

20 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 20, 2010

The G.O.P. claims the Massachusetts Senate seat and sends Dems scrambling to salvage their health overhaul effort.

20 Jan 2010

Psoriasis therapy costs outpace inflation

Findings from a cost model suggest that expenses for systemic psoriasis therapy appear to be increasing at a faster rate than inflation, and newer biologically derived treatments are more expensive than traditional systemic therapies, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

19 Jan 2010

FDA extends Tarceva's sNDA review period

OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the review period for the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Tarceva® (erlotinib) as a first-line maintenance therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by an additional 90 days.

18 Jan 2010

Multiple issues still on the table in House-Senate health bill negotiations

Reports explored contentious policies in the House and Senate versions of the health-overhaul legislation that are part of the final negotiations.

18 Jan 2010

PIMs usage among elderly patients may increase adverse events and health care costs

A new study provides important evidence that the use of certain potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) among the elderly may increase adverse events and health care costs.

13 Jan 2010

Pisgah Labs files its eighth patent application for technology to prevent prescription drug abuse

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, prescription drug abuse is more prevalent than abuse of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. In fact, in the past year, prescription drug abuse ranked second only to marijuana use. In the face of this growing problem, Pisgah Labs, Inc. has just filed its eighth patent application on a technology that promises to curb prescription drug abuse.

13 Jan 2010

GAO: Some meds had 'extraordinary' price hikes over past eight years

A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued Monday finds that "[p]rices on a growing number of prescription medications have ballooned in recent years as consolidation in the drug industry leaves fewer companies manufacturing niche medications," The Associated Press reports.

12 Jan 2010

HMP Communications' Managed Care – First Report journal to be rebranded as First Report – Managed Care

HMP Communications, a leader in healthcare communications and education, announced today that its highly-rated Managed Care – First Report journal will be rebranded as First Report – Managed Care, covering clinical, economic, and legislative developments affecting managed markets, beginning with its January 2010 issue.

12 Jan 2010

Atypical antipsychotic use for treating elderly patients with dementia decreases

The use of atypical antipsychotics to treat elderly patients with dementia appears to have decreased following a 2005 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory regarding the risks of these medications in this population, according to a report in the January 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Jan 2010

Neoprobe submits IND amendment to FDA for RIGScan CR radiopharmaceutical

Neoprobe Corporation, a diversified developer of innovative oncology surgical and diagnostic products, announced today that it has submitted an investigational new drug (IND) amendment to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which includes the design of a proposed Phase 3 clinical trial of Neoprobe’s RIGScan® CR radiopharmaceutical.

12 Jan 2010

A.P. Pharma regains compliance for continued listing on Nasdaq Capital Market

A.P. Pharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that, on January 7, 2010, it received notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) confirming that the Company has regained compliance with the $1.00 minimum closing bid price requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market under Listing Rule 5450(a)(1).

11 Jan 2010

A.P. Pharma receives final milestone payment of $2.5M from Paul Capital Healthcare

A.P. Pharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced it has received the final milestone payment of $2.5 million from an affiliate of Paul Capital Healthcare.

11 Jan 2010

Medicare Part D beneficiaries can now avail free review sessions at Walgreens pharmacy

Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain with more than 70,000 health service providers, is now offering free review sessions to Medicare Part D beneficiaries at all of its more than 7,100 pharmacies throughout the country.

9 Jan 2010

TRIA Beauty receives OTC clearance from FDA for hand-held blue light device

TRIA Beauty, the leader in light-based therapeutic beauty devices, today announced it received over-the-counter (OTC) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a hand-held blue light device designed for at-home use.

9 Jan 2010

HumanaOne expands individual Short Term health insurance product

In these difficult economic times, it is not unusual for people to find themselves temporarily without insurance, through no fault of their own. To fill this need, HumanaOne®, the individual health arm of Humana, is expanding its individual Short Term health insurance product to five additional states.

9 Jan 2010

Study finds patients more likely to skip diabetes medicine while in the 'doughnut hole'

Consumers experiencing a gap in their Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage were more likely to forgo diabetes medications than those who had supplemental drug benefits.

9 Jan 2010

One million seniors get more generous prescription drug benefits

As of Jan. 1, more than 1 million low-income seniors "are newly eligible for more generous prescription drug benefits under the 'extra help' program" in Medicare, The Associated Press reports.

9 Jan 2010

Analysis: Medicare Part D has lessons for health reform

The Wall Street Journal: "Four years ago, the U.S. government offered subsidized prescription-drug insurance to 43 million elderly and disabled, the biggest expansion of government-backed health care in decades. Today, the program is working better than many expected."

7 Jan 2010

First Edition: January 7, 2010

Today's health policy news coverage focuses on the continuing efforts to blend together the House- and Senate-passed health reform bills and the key issues in play.

7 Jan 2010