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Mylan receives FDA approval for generic version of thyroid deficiency treatment Cytomel

Mylan Inc. has announced that its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Liothyronine Sodium Tablets USP, 5 mcg (base), 25 mcg (base) and 50 mcg (base).

16 Jul 2009

FDA approves Onsolis pain reliever for cancer patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Onsolis, medication intended for certain patients with cancer to help manage breakthrough pain – severe flares of pain that break through regular pain medication.

16 Jul 2009

House Democrats' health bill would tax rich to finance insurance expansion

House Democratic leaders Tuesday unveiled their bill to reform America's health care system - and insure an additional 37 million Americans over the next 10 years - to the tune of more than $1 trillion, funded mostly through an up-to-5.4 percent surtax on income for the wealthiest Americans, The Washington Post reports.

15 Jul 2009

House Democrats to unveil health care bill details

"After a series of false starts, House Democrats are finally expected to unveil the details of a sweeping reform measure on Tuesday that would drastically revamp the country's health care system," Politico reports.

15 Jul 2009

Survey: Illinois seniors delay buying prescription drugs

Some seniors in Illinois are delaying buying prescription drugs because of the cost, according to the AARP. United Press International reports: "Twenty-one percent of AARP members surveyed in Illinois report not filling or delaying filling prescriptions due to cost, a survey indicated.

14 Jul 2009

FDA issues draft guidance on drug anticounterfeiting

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a draft guidance on the use of inks, pigments, flavors, and other physical-chemical identifiers (PCIDs) by manufacturers to make drug products more difficult to duplicate by counterfeiters, and to make it easier to identify the genuine version of the drug.

13 Jul 2009

Too many Australians abusing prescription drugs

The demise of yet another pop icon from the use and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs has again put the spotlight on an increasing addiction to prescription medication among the general public.

13 Jul 2009

Two drug-related legislative plans pose problems for stakeholders

"The Senate dealt a blow to the drug lobby Thursday by voting to permit people in the United States to order lower-cost drugs from Canada over the Internet," the Associated Press/Arizona Republic reports.

12 Jul 2009

White House reassures drug CEOs: reimportation could be 'unnecessary'

The Wall Street Journal reports: "Industry representatives met at the White House Tuesday with officials to consider specifics of a cost-saving agreement the industry reached last month with health-care negotiators and to discuss other concerns that the pharmaceutical industry has with the larger health-care overhaul being considered by Congress.

8 Jul 2009

Review of addiction to prescription painkillers

Chemical dependency and recovery in patients and physicians are closely examined in a series of articles and editorials in the July 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The subject is especially timely. As the immense challenges, including potential tragedies, of prescription chemical addiction and abuse are being discussed, these articles offer crucial overview, direction and optimism.

7 Jul 2009

WSJ examines pharmaceutical companies expansion into developing countries

The Wall Street Journal examines the "strategic shift in the $770 billion pharmaceutical industry to target the working poor in the developing world" through the eyes of a Pfizer pharmaceutical representative working in the slums overlooking Caracas, Venezuela.

7 Jul 2009

Question marks on credibility of some published clinical trials

Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) are considered the 'gold standard' research method for assessing new medical treatments. But research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Trials shows that the design of a remarkable 93 percent of 2235 so-called RCTs published in some Chinese medical journals during 1994 to 2005 was flawed, casting doubt on the reliability of research that is likely to influence medical decision-makers.

2 Jul 2009

Health reform questions continue to loom

Reuters reports that "President Barack Obama's drive to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system may be back on track thanks to Senate efforts to cut the price tag to $1 trillion, but a bipartisan deal on the sweeping proposal still is far from certain ... Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus was upbeat last week after announcing that panel members had found ways to bring the price tag to about $1 trillion over 10 years, down from an earlier estimate of a staggering $1.6 trillion ... Instead, the core group of negotiators -- three Democrats and four Republicans -- issued a tepid statement on Thursday merely affirming their commitment to continue negotiations."

30 Jun 2009

Drug companies increasingly use medical science liaisons

The Wall Street Journal reports that drug companies are increasingly using medical science liaisons: "Pharmaceutical companies are barred by the Food and Drug Administration from promoting unapproved drug uses, called off-label use, but they are using employees called 'medical science liaisons,' who are often physicians and pharmacists, as a legal way to discuss those uses.

29 Jun 2009

Is President Obama fighting the last war?

Bill and Hillary Clinton are off saving the world, he through his global foundation and she via the State Department. But their presence looms over the health care debate as surely as if they were running the White House. Their epic failure to pass reform in 1994 has become the defining object lesson in how to botch health care legislation--a lesson President Obama has obviously taken to heart. Push for reform right away; let Congress hash out the details; and, above all, don't threaten people's current insurance arrangements. You can sum up Obama's strategy for health reform as "WWCD": What Wouldn't the Clintons Do.

29 Jun 2009

Massive Medicare fraud case highlights Miami's increased enforcement

Eight defendants were indicted in a massive Florida Medicare fraud case. The Associated Press reports: "It may be the center for Medicare fraud, but even Miami officials said Tuesday they were surprised by the breadth of a ring they say spanned five states, used 29 fake storefronts and attempted to steal $100 million from Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

25 Jun 2009

Good bet in market pullback: health-care shares

"As sentiment and the stock market increasingly look bearish, look for the recent outperformance in health care to continue," The Wall Street Journal reports.

23 Jun 2009

Details remain unclear on Medicare drug deal

The White House formally announced the drug manufacturers' plan to lower Medicare drug prices Monday. While details still remain unclear, it appears drug companies may benefit from the deal.

23 Jun 2009

Firms tweak benefit plans in District of Columbia and Baltimore area

The Washington Post reports that "More Washington- and Baltimore-area employers are shifting health-insurance costs to workers, offering high-deductible health plans and imposing restrictions on prescription-drug coverage to save money in the recession, according to a new survey by area human resources managers to be released today. But to keep good workers from jumping ship, according to the survey, more employers are offsetting the restrictions by beefing up other perks -- giving staff more flexibility in taking time off and working from home, and extending benefits to domestic partners."

23 Jun 2009

Obama, AARP announce agreement to cut prescription drug costs

On Monday, President Barack Obama joined with AARP chief Barry Rand to announce "an agreement among pharmaceutical companies to cut prescription drug costs for seniors - and inject some energy into his efforts at comprehensive health care reform," Politico reports. Obama said the companies' goal is to "to reduce the punishing inflation in health care while improving patient care."

22 Jun 2009