Month: October 2013

BOSTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the country is on the cusp of what he called "remarkable changes" in the treatment of mental illness.

Doctors now have convincing evidence that they put HIV into remission, hopefully for good, in a Mississippi baby born with the AIDS virus — a medical first that is prompting a new look at how hard and fast such cases should be treated.

By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) – As the White House struggles to fix the problem-plagued rollout of its healthcare reform law, President Barack Obama on Thursday will try to focus attention on another policy priority – immigration reform – with a call for congressional action. The president, who listed immigration as one of three priorities for this year after the 16-day government shutdown concluded, will make a statement at 10:35 a.m. (1435 GMT) at the White House urging lawmakers to finish work on measures to strengthen U.S. …

LONDON (AP) — Strokes are increasingly hitting younger people and the incidence of the crippling condition worldwide could double by 2030, warns the first global analysis of the problem.

By David Morgan and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two leading high-tech contractors for Healthcare.gov website sought on Wednesday to shift the blame for the Obamacare portal’s problems in testimony to a congressional panel investigating the program’s troubled rollout. CGI Federal, the main contractor for Healthcare.gov, blamed early problems on another contractor’s software and also said the federal government was ultimately responsible for the website’s performance. …

By Terry Baynes (Reuters) – Omnicare Inc, a leading U.S. provider of pharmacy services to the elderly, has agreed to pay the U.S. government $120 million to settle allegations the company gave nursing homes steep discounts on prescription drugs in exchange for patient referrals. Cincinnati-based Omnicare announced the settlement on Wednesday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, but denied any wrongdoing. The lawsuit, filed in 2010 by former Omnicare employee Donald Gale, had been scheduled to go to trial on October 28. …

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Iran’s human rights record should not be overlooked amid overtures to the West by new President Hassan Rouhani, a U.N. envoy said on Wednesday as he criticized Tehran for executing 724 people in 18 months, including dozens just after Rouhani was elected in June. Ahmed Shaheed, U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said at least 44 people were executed shortly after the Iranian polls and that the majority of all executions were related to drug-trafficking cases. …

ATLANTA (AP) — A new high-dose flu vaccine for seniors works better than the standard shot in that age group, according to a long-awaited study by the vaccine’s manufacturer.

(Reuters) – Medical device maker Boston Scientific Corp plans to cut up to 1,500 jobs in its latest restructuring effort that aims to save $150 million to $200 million in operating expenses by the end of 2015, the company announced in a regulatory filing. The company said it will reduce its workforce, currently around 24,000 worldwide, by 1,100 to 1,500 positions through attrition and targeted job cuts. Boston Scientific said the restructuring program will result in pre-tax charges of about $175 million to $225 million. …

By Gene Emery NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A new study of an intensive and expensive form of prostate cancer therapy finds that doctors who stand to profit from the treatment are twice as likely to recommend it, even though there is no definitive evidence that it is better. The treatment, known as intensity-modulated radiation therapy or IMRT, typically costs more than $31,000 while options costing about half that – or less – are available. For instance, there is little evidence that it helps patients live longer, said the study’s author, Jean Mitchell of Georgetown University in Washington, D. …

By Alastair Sharp TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada's main stock index slipped on Wednesday, ending a six-session rally, as strong results from the country's two big railways failed to offset heavy losses in banking, energy and mining stocks. "It's a bipolar market today. It's difficult for the index to get any traction when the three biggest groups are down," said Elvis Picardo, portfolio manager at Global Securities in Vancouver. The financial, energy and materials groups combined account for more than 70 percent of the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index , which ended down 4. …