In today’s headlines, reports about the ever-growing US health health care tab and aboutthe petition filed by a conservative legal centerto bring their health law challenge to the Supreme Court.
Cipher net revenue decreases to $0.7 million for Q2 2011
On July - 24 - 2011
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Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced its financial and operational results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 .
Q2 2011 Summary
- Licensed the U.S. distribution rights for CIP-TRAMADOL ER to Vertical Pharmaceuticals, Inc., with plans to launch the product in Q3 2011.
- Completed a pivotal large-scale Phase III safety study of CIP-ISOTRETINOIN and disclosed positive top-line results.
- Strong balance sheet at quarter end with cash of $8.6 million and no debt.
“We had two major events in the quarter, with positive top-line safety results from our pivotal Phase III safety study on CIP-ISOTRETINOIN and the completion of a U.S.
Kentucky Medicaid Firms Chosen
On July - 24 - 2011
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The governor of Kentucky, Steven Beshear, has announced the new Medicaid contracts that hope to save residents a lot of money in general funds. It’s estimated to save taxpayers about $375 million in general funds and $1.3 billion in all funds in the next three years. Kentucky health insurance needs these savings to stay competitive and offer the right benefits to Medicaid eligible residents.
The article “Three Firms to Run Most of Kentucky Medicaid Plan” by Deborah Yetter on Citizens-Times.com discusses some of the details behind the decision. Beginning October 1, the three companies will handle health care for approximately 560,000 Medicaid beneficiaries under 3 year state contracts. Other r
Tags: Medicaid, Medicaid Firms
New ComfortLuxe Sleepwear can help children with sensitive skin
On July - 23 - 2011
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Nearly every parent has experienced this distressing situation: the baby who wakes, irritable and uncomfortable, drenched in perspiration. Unfortunately, the resulting moisture then causes babies’ sensitive skin to become irritated and itchy. For those parents whose children have eczema or severely sensitive skin, an overheated baby can lead to a cycle of itching and scratching which only exacerbates the sensitivity of their child’s skin.
To offer parents an alternative to cotton sleepers , HALO Innovations has introduced ComfortLuxe™ , a line of sleepwear that’s lightweight, breathable and transfers moisture away from the baby. A
CDR recommends reimbursement for schizophrenia drug, ABILIFY
On July - 22 - 2011
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Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada is pleased to announce that the Common Drug Review has recognized the value of ABILIFY® for the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders by recommending it be reimbursed by provincial drug plans for patients who have a contraindication to less-expensive antipsychotic agents or who have failed a trial of less expensive antipsychotic agents due to intolerance or lack of response.
This new decision recognizes the need for additional therapeutic options for Canadian physicians to treat these serious, complex and life-altering mental illnesses that cause great hardship to patients and their families, at great cost to society.
Tags: Abilify, Schizophrenia Drug
Ethnically diverse populations crucial for aging research
On July - 20 - 2011
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A new supplemental issue of The Gerontologist urges aging researchers to include representative samples of ethnically diverse populations in their work. The publication also identifies research priorities for moving the science of recruitment and retention forward, in addition to providing several strategies that scholars can employ in their work. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that non-white minorities will make up 42 percent of the country’s 65-and-over population by 2050.
“The cultural-historical background and sociopolitical conditions of each diverse group poses unique challenges in developing successful recruitment and retention methods and strategies,” stated Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, PhD, a former president of The Gerontological Society of America, in the issue’s introduction.
Access to kidney transplantation for minorities improves on elimination of allocation policy
On July - 20 - 2011
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A new study published in the American Journal of Transplantation reveals that since the elimination of the kidney allocation priority for matching for HLA-B on May 7, 2003, access to kidney transplantation for minorities has been improved. Improvement is a result of a policy that reduced the requirements for tissue matching.
Prior national kidney allocation rules provided priority to candidates who shared HLA-B antigens with potential deceased donors. On May 7, 2003, allocation priority for HLA-B matching was eliminated. Improvements in medications used to prevent transplant rejection reduced the benefit that previously had been associated with HLA-B matching.
Tags: Allocation, Improves Elimination
Health Insurance: Should Birth Control Be Free?
On July - 19 - 2011
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Many health insurance companies cover the cost of birth control pills, but not all of them. This has been a big debate in health care for many years and the argument continues with health care reform. A recent report for the US government from the Institute of Medicine recommends that women receive free prescription birth control. This is part of an official report for the US Department of Health and Human Services which also includes eight other services to help support women’s well being. Of the recommendations, free birth control is spurring the most controversy, which is to be expected.
The article “Women Should Get Free Prescription Birth Control, Report Says” by Catherine Paddock, PhD on Medical News Today goes into the details of the report. This rep