Prescription Drug News and Research

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Viewpoints: When a doctor should keep quiet; 2 views of hospital pricing; Stem cell 'snake oil'

In medical school, we were taught not to withhold information from our patients or to be "paternal" in making decisions for them. We internalized the idea that fully informed patients are better equipped to make treatment decisions.

17 May 2013

Roundup: Democratic opponents arise over Calif. governor's health care budget cuts; Veto of medical charity tax break scrutinized in Ga.

But Brown vowed to continue to resist pressure from fellow Democrats and interest groups to restore some money to adult dental care and to doctors who treat the poor. … Sacramento will oversee the expansion this year of Medi-Cal, California's health care program for the poor, to more than 1 million Californians who do not have health insurance now.

16 May 2013

Prostate cancer drug Xofigo gets FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride) to treat men with symptomatic late-stage (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer that has spread to bones but not to other organs.

16 May 2013

Cantor schedules (yet another) health law repeal vote

The vote, which is likely to take place next week, will be the first one in 2013. There have been more than 30 votes to repeal all or parts of the health overhaul since its passage in 2010.

10 May 2013

Expiring patents drive drug spending's first time fall

Patient spending on prescription drugs fell in 2012 -- for the first time ever, a new study reports -- due in part to expiring patents on brand-name drugs.

10 May 2013

First Edition: May 9, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the politics surrounding the health law, both in terms of the latest GOP push for repeal and the Obama administration's implementation efforts.

9 May 2013

Federal judge criticizes FDA regarding Plan B contraception decision

Judge Edward R. Korman said the Food and Drug Administration's efforts to delay his ruling regarding the so-called morning-after pill was "nonsense" and would hurt poor and minority women.

9 May 2013

Cubist receives Fast Track designation from FDA for late-stage antibiotic candidate

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted the Company's late-stage antibiotic candidate ceftolozane/tazobactam (CXA-201) Fast Track status in the previously granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product indications, Hospital-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia/Ventilator-Associated Bacterial Pneumonia and Complicated Urinary Tract Infections.

8 May 2013

Despite outreach efforts, many eligible seniors are turning down health subsidy program

The Low Income Subsidy for Medicare Part D is a rare beast in economics research. The subsidy provides prescription drug coverage essentially free for low-income adults. That means it is what economists call a dominant option.

7 May 2013

Obama 'comfortable' with morning-after pill sales at 15

President Barack Obama said he is "very comfortable" with the Food and Drug Administration rule announced this week to make the so-called morning after pill available without a prescription to women and girls who are at least 15 -- younger than the current limit of 17.

4 May 2013

Roundup: Calif. regulator says insurer's proposed rate hikes are 'unreasonable'; Iowa lawmakers push to deny abortion funding in Medicaid

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said the nation's largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc., is imposing unreasonable rate hikes on about 5,000 small businesses. Jones said Wednesday that UnitedHealth couldn't justify the average annual increase of nearly 8 percent, which reflects both higher premiums and a reduction in benefits (Terhune, 5/1).

3 May 2013

First Edition: May 2, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about a new study detailing how expanded Medicaid access impacts beneficiaries' utilization of health care services and their overall physical health.

2 May 2013

New report finds sharp increase in emergency department visits involving adverse reactions to zolpidem

A new report shows that the number of emergency department visits involving adverse reactions to the sleep medication zolpidem rose nearly 220 percent from 6,111 visits in 2005 to 19,487 visits in 2010.

2 May 2013

New collaboration provides access, allows users to make decisions based on data

Archimedes, Inc., a healthcare modeling and analytics company, announced today that it has begun collaborating with the United States Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide unprecedented access to synthetic CMS claims data.

2 May 2013

Prescription drug 'track and trace' bill splits House lawmakers

House lawmakers are split on how the federal government should better track prescription drugs with one powerful Republican promising a "track and trace" law by August while Democrats press for stronger safeguards in the proposal.

29 Apr 2013

Actavis resolves patent litigation related to generic version of INTUNIV for treatment of ADHD

Actavis, Inc., a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that is has reached a settlement agreement with Shire plc resolving outstanding patent litigation related to Actavis' generic version of INTUNIV® (guanfacine hydrochloride) for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

26 Apr 2013

New Haven Pharmaceuticals gets venture loan facility from Horizon Technology Finance

Horizon Technology Finance Corporation ("Horizon"), a leading specialty finance company that provides secured loans to venture capital and private equity backed development-stage companies in the technology, life science, healthcare information and services, and clean-tech industries, today announced it has closed a $2 million venture loan facility with New Haven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("NHP"), a developer of prescription pharmaceuticals that utilize currently marketed drugs or active pharmaceutical ingredients generally recognized as safe for use in therapeutic applications.

26 Apr 2013

IGI Laboratories net revenues increase 101% to $3.7M in first quarter 2013

IGI Laboratories, Inc., a New Jersey based topical generic drug development and manufacturing company, announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013.

26 Apr 2013

FDA grants orphan-drug designation to XEN402 for treatment of pain associated with EM

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan-drug designation to the investigational drug XEN402 being developed for the treatment of pain associated with erythromelalgia.

24 Apr 2013

1 in 4 teens misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime

New, nationally projectable survey results released today by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation confirmed that one in four teens has misused or abused a prescription (Rx) drug at least once in their lifetime - a 33 percent increase over the past five years.

23 Apr 2013

Prescription Drug News and Research

Viewpoints: When a doctor should keep quiet; 2 views of hospital pricing; Stem cell 'snake oil'

Roundup: Democratic opponents arise over Calif. governor's health care budget cuts; Veto of medical charity tax break scrutinized in Ga.

Prostate cancer drug Xofigo gets FDA approval

Cantor schedules (yet another) health law repeal vote

Expiring patents drive drug spending's first time fall

First Edition: May 9, 2013

Federal judge criticizes FDA regarding Plan B contraception decision

Cubist receives Fast Track designation from FDA for late-stage antibiotic candidate

Despite outreach efforts, many eligible seniors are turning down health subsidy program

Obama 'comfortable' with morning-after pill sales at 15

Roundup: Calif. regulator says insurer's proposed rate hikes are 'unreasonable'; Iowa lawmakers push to deny abortion funding in Medicaid

First Edition: May 2, 2013

New report finds sharp increase in emergency department visits involving adverse reactions to zolpidem

New collaboration provides access, allows users to make decisions based on data

Prescription drug 'track and trace' bill splits House lawmakers

Actavis resolves patent litigation related to generic version of INTUNIV for treatment of ADHD

New Haven Pharmaceuticals gets venture loan facility from Horizon Technology Finance

IGI Laboratories net revenues increase 101% to $3.7M in first quarter 2013

FDA grants orphan-drug designation to XEN402 for treatment of pain associated with EM

1 in 4 teens misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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