News
The Lead
FDA Has Safety Concerns with Merck Insomnia Drug
May 20, 2013 | by MATTHEW PERRONE - AP Health Writer - Associated Press | Comments
Federal health regulators say an experimental insomnia drug from Merck can help patients fall asleep, but it also carries worrisome side effects, including daytime drowsiness and suicidal thinking. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday released its review of the company's sleep aid,...
Measles Surges in UK Years after Vaccine Scare
May 20, 2013 8:30 am | by MARIA CHENG,AP Medical Writer | Comments
More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million...
Health Canada: Three Companies Recall Antipsychotic Drug Quetiapine
May 20, 2013 8:14 am | by The Canadian Press | Comments
Health Canada says three companies are voluntarily recalling all lots of the...
US Adviser on Board of Firm that Sold Anthrax Drug
May 20, 2013 8:10 am | Comments
Former Navy Secretary Richard J. Danzig, who has served as a bio-warfare adviser to the...
FREE Daily Email Newsletter
Actavis Buying Warner Chilcott in $8.5B Deal
May 20, 2013 8:02 am | by MICHELLE CHAPMAN,AP Business Writer | CommentsActavis is buying Warner Chilcott in an all-stock transaction valued at about $8.5 billion which would create the third-biggest specialty pharmaceutical company in the U.S. The announcement on comes after the two companies said earlier this month that they were in talks about a possible combination.
Work Stops on Central Indiana Pharmaceutical Facility
May 20, 2013 7:59 am | CommentsConstruction has stopped on a pharmaceutical facility being built with a $6 million loan from a suburban Indianapolis city. Greenwood city attorney Krista Taggart says the city could foreclose on the Elona Biotechnologies facility within the next few weeks unless new investors take over the company.
Consumer Group Flags High SPF Ratings on Sunscreen
May 19, 2013 8:03 pm | by MATTHEW PERRONE - AP Health Writer - Associated Press | CommentsSunbathers headed to the beach this summer will find new sunscreen labels on store shelves that are designed to make the products more effective and easier to use. But despite those long-awaited changes, many sunscreens continue to carry SPF ratings that some experts consider misleading and...
J&J's DePuy to End Two Hip Replacement Systems
May 17, 2013 12:05 pm | by The Associated Press | CommentsJohnson & Johnson's DePuy orthopedics business plans to stop selling a couple of hip replacement systems not widely used by doctors. DePuy will discontinue both its Ultamet Metal-on-Metal Articulation and Complete Ceramic-on-Metal Acetabular systems worldwide at the end of August. It made the...
Impax Labs launches Generic Version of Zomig
May 17, 2013 10:20 am | by The Associated Press | CommentsImpax Laboratories Inc. said Friday it is now selling a generic version of the migraine drug Zomig. Impax is now selling a low-cost generic version of Zomig tablets and orally disintegrating Zomig tablets in two strengths. Zomig, or zolmitriptan, is available in tablet and nasal spray form and as...
Amgen and Novartis Join Atlas Venture Fund IX As Corporate Strategic Partners
May 17, 2013 8:16 am | CommentsAtlas Venture has entered into Corporate Strategic Partnership (CSP) agreements with both Amgen, through its venture capital fund, Amgen Ventures, and Novartis. The CSP agreements are in conjunction with the closing of Atlas IX in which Amgen Ventures and Novartis are new limited partners.
WHO Says Single Yellow Fever Shot is Enough
May 17, 2013 8:14 am | CommentsThe World Health Organization says a yellow fever booster vaccination given 10 years after the initial shot isn't necessary. The U.N.'s global health agency said Friday that its expert group on immunization believes a single dose of vaccination is sufficient to confer lifelong immunity against the disease.
FDA Tobacco Chief Speaks at Industry Meeting
May 17, 2013 8:10 am | by MICHAEL FELBERBAUM,AP Tobacco Writer | CommentsChanges in the marketplace have forced the public health community to wrestle with the idea that some tobacco products may pose less of a health risk than others, the new head of the Food and Drug Administration's tobacco control efforts told an industry group on Thursday.
Halozyme Rises on Pancreatic Cancer Drug Study
May 17, 2013 8:05 am | CommentsHalozyme posted results from an early-stage trial that included its drug PEGPH20 as a treatment for pancreatic cancer. The regimen included PEGPH20 and the cancer drug Gemzar. Halozyme said PEGPH20 may make tumors more vulnerable to treatment by depleting their defenses and changing their metabolism.
AbbVie and Galapagos Extend GLPG0634 Collaboration to Include Crohn's disease
May 17, 2013 8:01 am | CommentsGalapagos NV and AbbVie announced today an extension of their GLPG0634 clinical development collaboration to include Crohn's disease. Galapagos will fund and complete a Phase 2 program in Crohn's disease, which is designed to facilitate rapid progression into Phase 3.
Oramed Receives FDA Clearance to Initiate Oral Insulin Trials in the U.S.
May 17, 2013 7:57 am | CommentsOramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. a developer of oral drug delivery systems, announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company's Investigational New Drug application(IND) for ORMD-0801, its oral insulin capsule.
Stem Cells Recovered from Cloned Human Embryos
May 16, 2013 8:35 am | by MALCOLM RITTER,AP Science Writer | CommentsScientists have finally recovered stem cells from cloned human embryos, a longstanding goal that could lead to new treatments for such illnesses as Parkinson's disease and diabetes. A prominent expert called the work a landmark, but noted that a different, simpler technique now under development may prove more useful.
Prestige Brands Returns to Profit in Fourth Quarter
May 16, 2013 8:32 am | CommentsPrestige Brands Holdings Inc. returned to a profit in its fiscal fourth quarter, benefiting from lower operating expenses and better sales of over-the-counter health care products. The company, which distributes over-the-counter and household cleaning products like Clear Eyes and PediaCare, reported net income of $19.3 million, or 37 cents per share, for the three months ended March 31.
US Approves Radiation-Based Prostate Cancer Drug
May 16, 2013 8:28 am | CommentsThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new injectable drug that uses radiation to treat advanced prostate cancer that has spread to the bones. The FDA said Wednesday it approved the drug, Xofigo from Bayer Pharmaceuticals, for men whose cancer has grown into bone tumors even after receiving medication or surgery to lower testosterone.
Shrinks, Critics Face Off Over Psychiatric Manual
May 16, 2013 8:24 am | by LINDSEY TANNER,AP Medical Writer | CommentsIn the new psychiatric manual of mental disorders, grief soon after a loved one's death can be considered major depression. Extreme childhood temper tantrums get a fancy name. And certain "senior moments" are called "mild neurocognitive disorder."
