| Integrated Health Ecosystem Key to Creating Better Health Outcomes and Managing Costs for Employers and Health Plans (PR Newswire) Finding the strategies that will help employers and health plans successfully adapt to the changing healthcare environment will be a focal point of a presentation given by Gordon Norman, MD, MBA, chief innovation officer for Alere, at AHIP's Institute 2010 June 9–11 in Las Vegas.  Alere is a patient-centered health management company serving large employers and health plans nationwide. us.rd.yahoo.com |
Big Pharma Won't Wait in Rush for Biotech's Drugs Rising pressure to find new products is prompting big pharmaceutical companies to license or acquire biotechnology companies' experimental medicines when they've barely been tested in human trials. online.wsj.com |
Stem Cell Competition Heating Up Michael Becker submits:According to the National Institutes of Health’s [NIH] stem cell primer, stem cells have the ability to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In many tissues they serve as an internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell. For an industry segment known for both hope and hype, it is no surprise that stem cell therapies are once again making headlines. On July 30, 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] lifted the clinical hold on Geron Corporation’s (GERN) Phase I trial using its embryonic stem cell-based therapy for the treatment of patients with acute spinal cord injury. Within days of the news, shares of Geron increased more than 30%, going from $4.80 to $6.39.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Fish Oil Helps Little in Pregnancy Fish-oil supplements don't appear to help pregnant women prevent post-partum depression or boost the baby's brain development as previously believed. online.wsj.com |
Are Analysts Underestimating Sales for Avanir’s Nuedexta? Jason Chew submits: After first receiving a “complete response” letter from the FDA for its Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) treatment, Nuedexta, Avanir (AVNR) has finally won approval with a modified drug formulation and new clinical trial. Nuedexta, also known as AVP-923, is a combination of two approved medicines, dextromethorphan, and quinidine. Dextromethorphan is unclear, but may act through antagonism of the NMDA receptor, modulating the excitatory effect of glutamate, a neurotransmitter. Quinidine inhibits a liver enzyme that would otherwise quickly degrade dextromethorphan.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |