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| Court-ordered mental health treatment may save money Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 12:42 PM PDT By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - State-run programs that compel people with serious mental illness to get treatment may reduce costs, according to a new analysis of New York State's system known as Kendra's Law. Addressing the concerns of some lawmakers, researchers found that treatment costs dropped by about half among those covered under the program in New York City and even more for those in other counties throughout the state, largely as a result of fewer hospital admissions. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kidney transplants not as successful among teens Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 11:58 AM PDT By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teenagers who undergo a kidney transplant are more likely to have their new organ stop working within a few years than both younger and older recipients, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data on 169,000 kidney transplant recipients and found 14- to 16-year-olds had the highest risk of so-called graft loss starting one year after their transplant. "There can be a dramatic change at the transplant event," said Dr. Kenneth Andreoni, who led the study at the University of Florida in Gainesville. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU Commission clears way for Bayer acne pill sales in France Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 11:11 AM PDT BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission confirmed on Tuesday that the Bayer acne pill Diane 35 was safe for use, a seal of approval which will oblige France to allow sales of the product. France is the only European Union country where sales of the treatment were suspended earlier this year after four deaths over the past 25 years were linked to its use. "The product is entitled to be sold on the market in France," Frederic Vincent, the Commission's spokesman for health affairs, said commenting on the EU executive's decision to approve the drug. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pfizer settles U.S. marketing case dating to Wyeth conduct Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 11:00 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc will pay $490.9 million to resolve accusations of illegal marketing of the drug Rapamune dating to Pfizer's 2009 acquisition of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. Wyeth trained its national Rapamune sales force to promote the use of the drug in situations not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the department said in a statement. (Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick) Full Story | Top |
| Bloomberg's ban on big sodas is unconstitutional: appeals court Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 10:58 AM PDT  By Joseph Ax NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's controversial plan to keep large sugary drinks out of restaurants and other eateries was rejected by a state appeals court on Tuesday, which said he had overstepped his authority in trying to impose the ban. The law, which would have prohibited those businesses from selling sodas and other sugary beverages larger than 16 ounces (473 ml), "violated the state principle of separation of powers," the First Department of the state Supreme Court's Appellate Division said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Aetna profit rises as medical costs stay low Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 10:36 AM PDT By Caroline Humer (Reuters) - U.S. health insurer Aetna Inc reported higher quarterly profits on Tuesday as medical costs in its employer-based and commercial business remained low and it closed on its acquisition of Coventry Health Care. Aetna Chief Executive Mark Bertolini said he was "increasingly confident" the company would have higher operating earnings in 2014, but warned that Aetna expects lower growth in private Medicare, where the government has cut spending. ... Full Story | Top |
| Community Health to buy Health Management for $3.9 billion Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 09:55 AM PDT By Susan Kelly and Caroline Humer (Reuters) - U.S. hospital chain Community Health Systems Inc said on Tuesday it would buy smaller Health Management Associates Inc for $3.9 billion to increase its base during the overhaul of the country's healthcare system. Health Management on Tuesday also disclosed it had received additional subpoenas in a widening federal government investigation of its admissions practices. The troubled company also named a new CEO on Tuesday. The Community Health deal, which the market had been anticipating, is the second in the sector in as many months. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. slaughterhouse workers, truckers fuel deadly piglet virus spread Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 09:31 AM PDT By P.J. Huffstutter CHICAGO (Reuters) - Questionable hygiene practices among meat processing plant employees, freight truck drivers and others who work at hog slaughter houses are aiding in the spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus across the United States, according to research conducted by the University of Illinois staff. PEDv is spread most commonly by pigs ingesting contaminated feces. The virus, which is deadly to very young piglets, does not pose a health risk to humans or other animals and the meat from PEDv-infected pigs is safe for people to eat, according to federal officials. ... Full Story | Top |
| Aegerion raises revenue forecast; shares jump 26 percent Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 09:09 AM PDT (Reuters) - Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc raised its full-year revenue forecast following strong sales growth for its cholesterol-lowering drug Juxtapid in the second quarter, sending its shares up as much as 26 percent. The number of patients receiving the therapy rose 185 percent in the quarter from the first quarter, while new patients waiting to receive the drug more than doubled. Juxtapid was approved in December as an alternative treatment for patients who have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. The company launched the drug in late-January. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russian lawmaker proposes days off for menstruating women Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 09:00 AM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian lawmaker has asked parliament to give women two days paid leave a month when they menstruate, a move that has irked rights activists worried over creeping conservatism since Vladimir Putin resumed the presidency. Mikhail Degtyaryov, a member of the nationalist LDPR party led by the outspoken Vladimir Zhirinovsky, wrote on his website that he had proposed a draft law to increase the protection of women at the workplace. "During that period (of menstruation), most women experience psychological and physiological discomfort. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kids' asthma more likely to linger with pet allergies Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 08:06 AM PDT By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Though many children with asthma eventually grow out of the condition, a severe case in childhood or allergies to furry animals may each signal asthma that will persist into young adulthood, according to a new study. Swedish researchers followed seven- and eight-year-olds with asthma through their teens and among those with the combination of severe asthma and animal allergies as kids, 82 percent still had asthma at age 19. "Asthma is a dynamic condition which often remits but also frequently relapses," said lead author Dr. ... Full Story | Top |
| Siblings of disabled kids may have problems functioning Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 08:05 AM PDT By Kerry Grens NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who have a sibling with a disability are more prone than other kids to having troubles with relationships, behavior, schoolwork or recreational activities, according to a new survey of parents. The study could not explain why the siblings of disabled kids were more likely to have problems functioning socially or emotionally than kids without a special needs brother or sister. But Anthony Goudie, the report's lead author, said he's convinced it has to do with the family situation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Merck revenues miss mark as diabetes, arthritis drugs lag Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 06:51 AM PDT  (Reuters) - Merck & Co Inc's quarterly revenue fell short of Wall Street expectations as the stronger dollar cut sales of its consumer and animal health products and hurt results for prescription drugs, including diabetes treatment Januvia. The second-biggest U.S. drugmaker said on Tuesday it earned $906 million, or 30 cents per share, in the second quarter. That compared with $1.79 billion, or 58 cents per share, in the year-earlier period. Excluding special items, Merck earned 84 cents per share. Analysts, on average, expected 83 cents per share. Global company revenue fell 11 percent to ... Full Story | Top |
| Pfizer earnings top estimates, reiterates forecast Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 05:05 AM PDT  (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc reported second-quarter earnings slightly ahead of estimates on Tuesday as the largest U.S. drugmaker lines up a business split that could lead to the spinoff of its generics division. The company, hit by falling sales of its now off-patent cholesterol fighter Lipitor, reaffirmed its financial outlook for the year. For the second quarter, adjusted income fell 10 percent to $4.00 billion, or 56 cents a share, from $4.45 billion, or 59 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue dropped 7 percent to $12.97 billion. ... Full Story | Top |
| Patient taking Novartis MS pill developed rare disease Tuesday, Jul 30, 2013 02:31 AM PDT  ZURICH (Reuters) - A patient taking Novartis' multiple sclerosis pill Gilenya developed a rare and potentially fatal viral disease, the Swiss drugmaker said on Tuesday, an unexpected setback as it faces growing competition from new oral treatments. Gilenya is one of Novartis' big new drug hopes, growing 66 percent in the second quarter to $468 million. But the drug faces competition from new medicines such as Biogen Idec's Tecfidera. Novartis said it had been informed of a case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in a patient who had been taking Gilenya for MS for seven months. ... Full Story | Top |
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