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Dey Pharma settles U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit

Dey Pharma L.P. today announced that it has settled a lawsuit brought against it by the U.S. Department of Justice in September 2006 pertaining to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements paid by the federal government to pharmacists and other healthcare providers. In exchange for a release of claims, Dey has agreed to pay $280 million.

21 Dec 2010

Fibrocell Science submits response to FDA CR letter for azficel-T BLA

Fibrocell Science, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of autologous cell therapies for aesthetic, medical and scientific applications, announced today that it has submitted its complete response to the Complete Response (CR) letter issued by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the Company's Biologics License Application (BLA) for azficel-T, proposed brand name laViv®, for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds and wrinkles.

20 Dec 2010

Rite Aid third quarter net loss decreases to $79.1 million

Rite Aid Corporation today reported financial results for its third fiscal quarter ended November 27, 2010.

16 Dec 2010

State roundup: Minn. to add more adults to Medicaid; Mass. Gov. seeks savings in pensions and health care costs; Ariz. bishop and hospital spar over control

Minnesota can add 95,000 low-income adults to its Medicaid rolls, vastly improving their medical care, at no additional cost to the state, two officials at the state Department of Human Services told legislators Tuesday (Wolfe, 12/15).

16 Dec 2010

Illegal online drug sellers prey upon 36 million Americans

Illegal online drug sellers have provided tens of millions of Americans prescription medication via the Internet without a valid prescription, recent research has found. These rogue sellers have preyed upon thirty-six million people, or 1 in 6 Americans, exposing them to the potential of taking counterfeit and unapproved medications.

15 Dec 2010

Texas' problem with prescription drug abuse; Vermont's plans for single payer

University of California regents approved controversial rollbacks in pension and retiree health benefits Monday, including raising the earliest retirement age for future employees to 55, to help plug huge financial gaps in the university's plans (Gordon, 12/14).

15 Dec 2010

FDA accepts for filing Pacira's EXPAREL NDA for postsurgical pain management

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that the New Drug Application (NDA) for EXPAREL™, a long-acting bupivacaine for postsurgical pain management, has been accepted for filing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

14 Dec 2010

UnitedHealthcare's care management solution will improve diabetes prescription drug adherence: Study

HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that UnitedHealthcare's innovative care management solution in the Phoenix market will improve diabetes prescription drug adherence. According to the recent West Health Plan Analysis, the use of non-physician, credentialed providers is intended to create virtual medical homes that allow non-traditional providers, such as pharmacists, wellness coordinators and lifestyle coaches, to recommend and coordinate necessary prescription adjustments.

14 Dec 2010

Consumers, employers and insurers work to incorporate reform's new rules

Big employers and insurers continue to brace for health reform's changes and new rules. In other news, CalPERS gives the new health law positive early reviews while other reports focus on how reform could impact Medicare coverage.

13 Dec 2010

1099 repeal foiled again, Politico reports

News outlets report on a number of Capitol Hill developments, including the latest failed attempt to repeal the 1099 reporting provision of the health overhaul.

13 Dec 2010

Strategies for securing life insurance policy for pre-existing medical conditions

If you've ever been told that you can't buy life insurance due to a pre-existing medical condition or that your application was rated up due to one or more medical conditions, Life Quotes, Inc. offers these tips for securing a life insurance policy at a rate you can live with.

13 Dec 2010

Contrave, new weight loss pill gets FDA panel nod

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel yesterday recommended the approval of Orexigen Therapeutics’ weight loss drug Contrave. This is the first time a weight loss drug has received the nod. The vote went 13 to 7 for Contrave’s approval and 11 to 8, with an abstention that additional studies be conducted on heart risks. Although experts agree to risks they believe the benefits outweigh the risks. Although the FDA is not compelled to go with the panel’s recommendation, it more often than not does. The FDA will deliver its verdict by Jan. 31 2011.

7 Dec 2010

FDA extends PDUFA review target date for BENLYSTA BLA to treat systemic lupus erythematosus

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target date for its priority review of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for BENLYSTA® (belimumab) as a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from December 9, 2010 to March 10, 2011.

4 Dec 2010

Obama praised for enhanced health care reform for Alzheimer's community

According to the Society of Actuaries, the leading cause of U.S. long-term care claims is Alzheimer's, the brain disease that renders over 5 million Americans unable to handle all the acts of daily living unaided. Who cares? Evidently President Obama does, having written a pro-active column in the Fall, 2010, issue of care ADvantage, published by the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.

3 Dec 2010

Health costs: Employer-sponsored insurance premiums rise 41%

Premiums for employer-sponsored family health insurance increased an average of 41 percent across states from 2003 to 2009, more than three times faster than median incomes, and Maryland's rise was among the highest, at 50%, according to a report to be released Thursday by the Commonwealth Fund.

3 Dec 2010

AstraZeneca announces FDA Advisory Committee meeting outcome for vandetanib NDA

AstraZeneca today announced the outcome of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the New Drug Application (NDA) for AstraZeneca's investigational drug, vandetanib, for the treatment of patients with unresectable (non-operable) locally advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

2 Dec 2010

First Edition: December 2, 2010

Today's health policy headlines include news about how the debt panel's plan would boost costs for seniors on Medicare; how parts of the GOP are making clear their positions regarding health reform "repeal and replace" strategy; and how limited health plans faced critics at a Senate hearing.

2 Dec 2010

Key factors in evaluating Medicare Part D plans

More than 1,100 Medicare prescription drug (Part D) plans are available for 2011. Most consumers have about 33 plans to choose from in their area during annual enrollment, which is Nov. 15 to Dec. 31. However, Part D plans with the lowest premiums may not be the best match for Medicare beneficiaries' individualized needs, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare plan selection services.

1 Dec 2010

The complexity involved in efforts to dismantle the health law

The last time lawmakers repealed a major piece of health care legislation was more than 20 years ago, when vehement opposition to a 1988 measure providing new Medicare prescription drug coverage in exchange for higher income taxes led to repeal 16 months later, CQ HealthBeat reports. Polls are more evenly divided on the newest health care overhaul, and due to the law's unprecedented complexity, "efforts to unwind the measure are as fragmented as the health care system itself."

1 Dec 2010

Medicare advantage enrollees will see more changes to plans

Medicare Advantage enrollees should make a habit of evaluating their options each year. Though experts say that beneficiaries won't be seeing a lot of changes this time and what changes there are will mostly be for the better it is a good idea for people to go through this annual drill before enrollment ends Dec. 31, just to make sure their plan choice remains a good one.

30 Nov 2010