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| AstraZeneca suffers fresh drug patent setback in U.S Monday, Apr 01, 2013 11:53 PM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has suffered a fresh patent setback with a U.S. court decision that a patent protecting its Pulmicort Repsules asthma treatment is invalid, clearing the way for a generic copy from Actavis. The ruling comes as AstraZeneca is already facing a big fall in sales due to patent expiries on other medicines, prompting a $2.3 billion restructuring plan and further job losses announced by new CEO Pascal Soriot last month. AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it strongly disagreed with the court's decision and was considering next steps, including lodging an appeal. ... Full Story | Top |
| After "Tan Mom," New Jersey bans children from tanning beds Monday, Apr 01, 2013 06:56 PM PDT  By David Jones NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a bill into law on Monday banning children under 17 from using commercial tanning beds, a move stemming from the case of a local woman accused of taking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth. Christie said that while he does not favor government regulation of small business, the new law was important for protecting the safety of minors. "Governmental regulation of the private sector should always be carefully scrutinized, and sparingly adopted," he said in a statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Statin side effects can often be overcome: study Monday, Apr 01, 2013 04:52 PM PDT By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Most people who stop taking cholesterol-lowering statins - because of side effects or for another reason - are able to restart the same drug or a similar one without lasting problems, a new study suggests. That's important because for people who need statins, quitting them for good increases the chance of serious heart problems, researchers said, so doctors and patients should think carefully before letting milder reactions lead them to give up on the drugs altogether. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colorado prosecutors seek death penalty for accused cinema gunman Monday, Apr 01, 2013 03:17 PM PDT  By Keith Coffman CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Reuters) - Colorado prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the man charged with killing 12 moviegoers during a showing of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" last year. District Attorney George Brauchler's formal call for the death penalty at a hearing on Monday came after his rejection last week of a defense suggestion that James Holmes would be willing to plead guilty in exchange for a life prison term without parole. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. to boost Medicare Advantage payment rate Monday, Apr 01, 2013 03:10 PM PDT (Reuters) - The U.S. government said on Monday it will increase the payment rate for health insurers that offer coverage through the Medicare Advantage program by 3.3 percent in 2014, boosting shares of Humana Inc by 8 percent after hours. Medicare Advantage plans provide care for seniors who select to receive their Medicare benefits through private insurance plans. On February 15, the government proposed a Medicare Advantage payment reduction of 2.3 percent. ... Full Story | Top |
| Texas governor reiterates Medicaid expansion opposition Monday, Apr 01, 2013 03:10 PM PDT  By Corrie MacLaggan AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas Governor Rick Perry on Monday firmly reiterated that the state will not expand its Medicaid program, saying it is a broken system that needs to be reformed by allowing states more flexibility. Perry, who notified the Obama administration last summer that his state would not expand Medicaid, was joined on Monday by other Texas Republican officials, including U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. ... Full Story | Top |
| Group-based incentives may produce more weight loss Monday, Apr 01, 2013 02:40 PM PDT By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Employees offered financial incentives to lose weight may drop more pounds when they're competing as part of a group of colleagues, a new study suggests. Researchers compared two incentive scenarios. Under one, employees got $100 for each month they met the goal of dropping at least one pound per week. Under the second scenario, $500 was set aside each month for a group of five co-workers and the ones who met their goal got to split the prize. ... Full Story | Top |
| End-of-life talks lacking between doctors, patients Monday, Apr 01, 2013 01:21 PM PDT  By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although many older patients in Canada have thought about end-of-life care and discussed it with family members, a new study suggests fewer have spoken with doctors and had their wishes noted accurately in their medical record. Many elderly people prefer to die at home instead of in the hospital - but that's not always the way it works out, researchers said. Dr. ... Full Story | Top |
| Novartis loses landmark India cancer drug patent case Monday, Apr 01, 2013 01:00 PM PDT  By Kaustubh Kulkarni and Suchitra Mohanty MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's top court dismissed Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG's attempt to win patent protection for its cancer drug Glivec, a blow to Western pharmaceutical firms targeting India to drive sales and a victory for local makers of cheap generics. The decision sets a benchmark for intellectual property cases in India, where many patented drugs are unaffordable for most of its 1.2 billion people, and does not bode well for foreign firms engaged in ongoing disputes in India, including Pfizer Inc and Roche Holding AG, analysts said. ... Full Story | Top |
| FDA loosens restrictions on nicotine replacement products Monday, Apr 01, 2013 12:25 PM PDT  (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is relaxing its restrictions on the use of over-the-counter nicotine patches, gum and lozenges. Currently, consumers are instructed to stop smoking when they begin using a nicotine replacement product and to stop using it after 12 weeks. The FDA said on Monday it plans to remove both these restrictions in response to claims by critics that they may cause some smokers to abandon attempts to quit if they have a cigarette while on a replacement therapy. ... Full Story | Top |
| North Dakota abortion clinic vows fight against tough new state laws Monday, Apr 01, 2013 11:19 AM PDT  By Alicia Underlee Nelson FARGO, North Dakota (Reuters) - North Dakota's only clinic that offers abortion services is vowing to challenge the state's adoption of new restrictions that its backers say imperil its ability to operate. The Red River Women's Clinic, which is tucked inside a downtown Fargo building that once housed one of the state's first beauty shops, is the only alternative for women seeking abortion services for hundreds of miles. ... Full Story | Top |
| Federal government slashes New York's Medicaid payments Monday, Apr 01, 2013 11:08 AM PDT  By Edward Krudy NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal authorities have dramatically lowered the amount that New York state can claim from the federal government for certain medical services, costing the state an estimated $1.2 billion. The Center for Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that administers the nation's medical insurance system for people on low incomes, cut the per-patient reimbursement rate for patients in developmental centers to $1,200 from $5,100 from April 1, according to CMS documents seen by Reuters. ... Full Story | Top |
| Looking for a fitness buddy? Get a dog Monday, Apr 01, 2013 10:11 AM PDT By Dorene Internicola NEW YORK (Reuters) - Zeus the pit bull helps his owner slog through interval training and military crawls, Goldie and her master enjoy Tai Chi together and Izzie the three-legged shih tzu can't hike up the mountain but she acts as a hand weight for her owner's bicep curl. Experts say a dog may be man's best fitness friend, and dog-and-master workouts don't have to be limited to a run on the beach or a Frisbee toss. "Unlike humans, their motivation never peters out. Dogs don't drop off one by one, like other fitness buddies," said Dr. ... Full Story | Top |
| S. Africa's Mandela visited by family after weekend improvement Monday, Apr 01, 2013 09:35 AM PDT  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, who is being treated in hospital for pneumonia, was visited by members of his family on Monday after doctors had reported an improvement in his condition over the weekend. A statement from South Africa's presidency said there was "no significant change" in the condition of the 94-year-old former president, who has been in hospital since late Wednesday suffering from a recurrence of a lung infection. "Former President Mandela is still in hospital where he is receiving treatment ... ... Full Story | Top |
| South Africa's Mandela visited by family after weekend improvement Monday, Apr 01, 2013 09:33 AM PDT  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, who is being treated in hospital for pneumonia, was visited by members of his family on Monday after doctors had reported an improvement in his condition over the weekend. A statement from South Africa's presidency said there was "no significant change" in the condition of the 94-year-old former president, who has been in hospital since late Wednesday suffering from a recurrence of a lung infection. "Former President Mandela is still in hospital where he is receiving treatment ... ... Full Story | Top |
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