Month: August 2013

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba has reported a cholera outbreak to international health monitors, with 163 new cases this year associated with three provinces.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Bayer's cancer drug Nexavar was given priority review status by U.S. healthcare regulators for the oral drug's use against a difficult-to-treat type of thyroid cancer, the company said on Tuesday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration aims to complete the priority review within six months, rather than the standard review of about 10 months, Bayer said. …

Zachary was removed from life support Monday night.        

Muscular Dystrophy weakens the muscles that move the body. More than a quarter million people live with the disease, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and it’s just one of many muscle-wasting diseases that can strike at any point in a person’s lifetime. ABC Health…        

Linda Ronstadt’s celebrity status, as well as that of Michael J. Fox, who in 1991 was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s at the age of 35, shines a spotlight on a disease that is still poorly understood and for which there is no cure.        

(Reuters) – Generic drugmaker Akorn Inc will buy rival Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co Inc for $640 million to expand its eye drug portfolio to oral liquids and ointments. Akorn will pay $43.50 per Hi-Tech share, representing a premium of 23.5 percent to Hi-Tech’s last close. The all-cash deal will make Akorn the third-largest U.S. generic ophthalmic player and will significantly increase its retail presence in both prescription and over-the-counter products, the companies said in a statement. …

Even Severed Octopus Arms Have Smart Moves

In most industries it is normal to post prices online, but in the medical field it can be almost impossible to pin down the price for a procedure until the bill arrives. As healthcare costs continue to rise at a rate higher than inflation, some experts are hoping that more medical centers will offer transparent pricing so patients can pick lower priced care resulting in reduced overall medical costs.        

Just Thinking about Science Triggers Moral Behavior

GENEVA (AP) — Responding to Syria's deepening crisis, the U.N.'s health agency rushed out new guidelines Tuesday for treating victims of chemical weapons attacks.

HSINCHU, Taiwan (Reuters) – Caught between traditional expectations and career pressures, working women in Taiwan are increasingly opting to freeze their eggs at fertility clinics as they postpone marriage and motherhood. Women play a big part in Taiwan's workforce, trailing only New Zealand and Australia for female employment among 14 countries in Asia, a recent report by MasterCard showed. A slowdown in the economy has made job security an even more pressing priority. …

(Reuters) – The Michigan state Senate is expected to vote as early as Tuesday on a bill to expand Medicaid, the health program for the poor, under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder broke with other Republican governors this year to support Medicaid expansion through Obamacare, and the Senate is expected to approve a version of a bill passed by the state House in June. …