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HHS dual-eligible program seeks to lower states' Medicaid costs

The centerpiece of the program, which HHS says could result in savings of billions of dollars a year, would give states access to data detailing how Medicaid populations use Medicare services.

13 May 2011

Two DIFICID Phase 3 trial data in C. difficile infection presented at AGS Annual Meeting

Optimer Pharmaceuticals today announced the presentation of an additional analysis of data from the company's two Phase 3 clinical trials of DIFICID, an investigational antibiotic for the treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection, at the American Geriatric Society (AGS) Annual Meeting held in National Harbor, Maryland.

13 May 2011

HHS announces new initiatives to improve patient care and reduce Medicaid costs

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced a series of initiatives to work with states to save money and better coordinate care for the 9 million Americans enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.

12 May 2011

Pacira Pharmaceuticals reports net loss of $9.8 million for first quarter 2011

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011, provided an update on the execution of its pre-commercial and launch strategies for EXPAREL, and reiterated 2011 financial guidance.

11 May 2011

Two DIFICID Phase 3 trial data in C. difficile presented at DDW conference

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of two abstracts at the 2011 Digestive Disease Week conference highlighting additional analyses of data from Phase 3 trials of DIFICID, an investigational product for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection.

11 May 2011

Two DIFICID Phase 3 study data in C. difficile presented at ECCMID conference

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the presentation of two abstracts at the 21st European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases conference in Milan, Italy highlighting additional analyses of the Phase 3 data of DIFICID for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection.

11 May 2011

Health Net achieves reaccreditation from URAC

Health Net Federal Services, LLC, part of the Government Contracts segment of Health Net, Inc., announced today it has been awarded full Health Network Reaccreditation, effective July 1, 2011 - July 1, 2014, from URAC, a Washington, DC-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry.

10 May 2011

Antares Pharma first quarter total revenues increase to $3.6 million

Antares Pharma, Inc. today reported financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011.

9 May 2011

Ideal psychotropic drug may cause physical dependence

A report in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics by a group of European investigators headed by Fabrizio Schifano has explored the potential for dependence of pregabalin using patients' online reports.

9 May 2011

Longer looks: States creating health compacts; IPAB under fire; is GOP redefining rape?

In late April, Colorado and Oklahoma became the latest states to vote on whether to join an interstate agreement with like-minded legislatures to put health care decisions more firmly into the hands of state governments.

6 May 2011

Pacira to present EXPAREL data in postsurgical pain at two medical meetings

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that clinical and preclinical data highlighting the safety and efficacy of EXPAREL™ will be presented at two medical meetings.

6 May 2011

New drugs need to provide more data on how they compare with existing ones: Study

According to US researchers, data on drugs that could save money and help doctors make smarter treatment decisions are often unavailable at the time new medicines hit the market. They released a study this Tuesday in Journal of the American Medical Association which found nearly a third of new drug approvals from the Food and Drug Administration included no data on how well the medications compare with existing alternatives.

5 May 2011

NCPA explains how PBM tools can reduce costs in Texas, other states

Texas and other states across the country could save billions in Medicaid without limiting access by transitioning to a more efficient and affordable pharmacy benefit model being used in Medicare and the commercial sector, the National Center for Policy Analysis announced in a new white paper, "Increasing the Cost-Effectiveness of Medicaid Drug Programs."

4 May 2011

CTI to re-submit pixantrone NDA to FDA's Office of New Drugs for re-review

Cell Therapeutics, today announced that the Office of New Drugs of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after carefully reviewing the materials CTI submitted in support of its appeal, the reviews of the New Drug Application for pixantrone prepared by the FDA staff, the transcript of the March 22, 2010 Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee meeting and consulting with the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's Deputy Director of Clinical Science and the Office of Biostatistics, concluded that accelerated approval of pixantrone NDA 022481 may not necessarily be out of reach based on a single controlled clinical trial, provided two key matters can be satisfactorily resolved.

3 May 2011

FDA accepts SGEN's brentuximab vedotin BLAs for Hodgkin lymphoma, ALCL treatment

Seattle Genetics, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for filing two Biologics License Applications for brentuximab vedotin, including one for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma and one for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

2 May 2011

Humana reports EPS of $1.86 for quarter ended March 31, 2011

Humana Inc. today reported diluted earnings per common share for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 of $1.86, compared to $1.52 per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.

2 May 2011

State news highlights: Texas Senate approves Medicaid savings bill

The Senate unanimously approved Sen. Jane Nelson's bill to find extensive cost savings in Texas' Medicaid program, the primary health care provider for children, the disabled and the very poor. ... The measure expands Medicaid managed care into South Texas, where it has long been carved out — expected to save the state $290 million over the biennium.

30 Apr 2011