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FDA approves Actavis’ generic Suboxone ANDA to treat opioid dependence

Actavis, Inc. today announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Buprenorphine HCl and Naloxone HCl Dihydrate SL Tablets, 2 mg/0.5 mg and 8 mg/2 mg, the generic equivalent to Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare's Suboxone.

26 Feb 2013

Kindred Healthcare fourth quarter consolidated revenues increase 2% to $1.55 billion

Kindred Healthcare, Inc. today announced its operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2012.

25 Feb 2013

Opioids are main contributor to fatal overdoses

The number of deaths from drug overdoses in the United States in 2010 rose for the 11th consecutive year, show data from the National Center for Health Statistics.

25 Feb 2013

Feds outline what insurers must cover

The final rule on essential health benefits, issued yesterday, defines what must be covered in health plans sold in online marketplaces beginning this fall, including prescription benefits and mental health services, and prohibits discrimination based on age or pre-existing medical conditions.

22 Feb 2013

Policymakers, insurers should consider generic-only coverage to improve health and reduce costs

A new study published online today in the American Journal of Managed Care found that in Medicare Part D, generic drug coverage was cost-saving compared to no coverage in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, while also improving health outcomes.

21 Feb 2013

CMS issues MLR rules for Medicare plans

Elderly and disabled patients enrolled in Medicare will for the first time receive an annual reduction in out-of-pocket costs for drugs, the government announced. The standard deductible for plans in Medicare's drug program, called Part D, will be $310 in 2014, about 4.6 percent less than this year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement today. Copayments also will be reduced for the program that began in 2006.

20 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Obama needs to offer plan on entitlements and spending; Assessing the paycheck crimp from health costs

President Barack Obama owes it to himself and to the country to make one more good shot at a Grand Bargain on spending, investment and tax reform before he opts for a strategy of trying to pummel the Republican Party. ... He has to lead with his chin and put a concrete, comprehensive package on the table, encompassing three areas. First, new investments that would combine immediate jobs in infrastructure with some long-term growth-enablers like a massive build-out in the nation's high-speed broadband capabilities.

19 Feb 2013

Concerns raised about insurance markets under new law

Companies can avoid many standards in the new law by insuring their own employees, rather than signing up with commercial insurers, because Congress did not want to disrupt self-insurance arrangements that were seen as working well for many large employers.

19 Feb 2013

Overall rise in drug costs is less than in previous years

Even though costs for medications will continue to rise in 2013 by as much as 4 percent, the increase is projected to be less than in previous years, according to a report in the advance online publication of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, the journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

16 Feb 2013

Obama's Medicare drug rebate plan could save the government money, but also hit drug industry's bottom line

During his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama renewed a proposal to use drug rebates to save Medicare money -- a step that would trigger strong opposition from pharmaceutical companies.

16 Feb 2013

Treasury pick says he will work to reduce Medicare spending, but offers few specifics

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama's references in his State of the Union address to modest changes to Medicare continue to generate examination.

15 Feb 2013

Mallinckrodt, Actavis enter settlement agreement to resolve Exalgo patent litigation

Actavis, Inc. today announced that it has reached a settlement with Mallinckrodt Inc. on outstanding patent litigation related to Actavis' generic version of the 32 mg dosage strength of Mallinckrodt's Exalgo (Hydromorphone Hydrochloride Extended-Release) tablets.

15 Feb 2013

Tivozanib overall survival results announced by AVEO and Astellas

AVEO Oncology (NASDAQ: AVEO) and Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503) announced overall survival (OS) for tivozanib, an investigational agent, from the Phase 3 TIVO-1 (TIvozanib Versus sOrafenib in 1st line advanced RCC) study in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The final OS analysis, as specified by the protocol, shows a median OS of 28.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 22.5–NA) for tivozanib versus a median OS of 29.3 months (95% CI: 29.3–NA) for the comparator arm, sorafenib.

13 Feb 2013

Health law provisions saved seniors $5.7B on Rx drugs

Seniors have saved about $5.7 billion on prescription drugs since January 2011 because of provisions in the 2010 health care law meant to close the Medicare "doughnut hole," the government plans to announce today.

10 Feb 2013

Roundup: Conn. governor's budget proposal would shed thousands from Medicaid; Insurance rates to rise 2.7% in Mass.; Calif. group wants tighter doc narcotic control

Gov. Dannel Malloy said he would close Connecticut's $1.2 billion budget gap with a mix of spending cuts, including to hospitals and programs for the poor, and new revenues, including the extension of some business taxes that were scheduled to expire.

10 Feb 2013

The Journal of Urology publishes results from BioSpecifics XIAFLEX trials on Peyronie's disease

BioSpecifics Technologies Corp., a biopharmaceutical company developing first in class collagenase-based products marketed as XIAFLEX in the U.S. and XIAPEX in Europe and Eurasia, today announced that The Journal of Urology has electronically published the uncorrected proof of the pivotal IMPRESS (The Investigation for Maximal Peyronie's Reduction Efficacy and Safety Studies) trials on its website.

5 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Obama's 'olive branch' on birth control coverage; Sen. Kirk recounts his stroke therapy; Nurses oppose mandatory flu shots

The Obama administration released the final details Friday of the exemption it will provide religious-affiliated employers from the requirement to include free birth control in employees' insurance policies. Not surprisingly, the announcement didn't seem to mollify any of the critics who'd been arguing that the exemption was inadequate.

4 Feb 2013