Where Healthcare Goes After Massachusetts
Podcast: January 25, 2010

Not long ago it seemed healthcare reform legislation was sure to be signed, sealed and delivered in time for President Obama’s State of the Union address. But the dramatic upset in Massachusetts that has resulted in Republican Scott Brown winning the seat held by long-time healthcare reform advocate Ted Kennedy has thrown the Democrats plan on its head as Brown represents the 41st vote for the Republicans, which gives them the ability to shut down the legislation. We spoke to Peter Pitts, president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest about where the Democrats went wrong, what Brown’s election means for healthcare reform and where we go from here. Read More Here

Not Seeing Eye to Eye
Alcon's independent directors still blocking Novartis bid.
Alcon's independent directors continued their battle to fend off Novartis' avid interest in acquiring the eye-care company, once again rejecting its current bid as too low. The directors said that after consultations with their financial and legal advisors they found the Novartis proposal to be “fundamentally flawed” and “not in the best interests of Alcon and its minority shareholders.” Read More Here

Seeing Value
Struggling DeCode Genetics picked up by its investors.
A group of venture investors are paying $14 million for the assets of deCode Genetics, a bankrupt Icelandic genomics firm offering personalized risk assessments for common diseases. The buyer, Saga Investments, consists of Arch Venture Partners and Polaris Venture Partners. Both backed DeCode in the past. Neither has openly discussed plans for the newly privatized company in detail. But Robert Nelsen, managing director of Arch Venture Partners, expressed excitement about its potential. Read More Here

Say What?
Novartis to invest as much as $213.6 in GenVec program for hearing loss.
GenVec's pre-clinical treatment for hearing loss and balance disorders has new support from Novartis' deep pockets, following the consummation of a deal worth up to $213.6 million for the Gaithersburg, Maryland biopharmaceutical company. The agreement, part of a steady licensing-driven pipeline expansion for Novartis, gives the Swiss pharmaceutical global rights to GenVec's hearing loss and balance disorders program, which has shown potential in the restoration of hearing and balance loss in certain cases where no treatment currently exists. Read More Here

Abbott to Stop Selling Diet Drug in Europe
The weekly round-up of failed trials, missed targets and other business mishaps.
Abbott Laboratories said it will stop selling its weight loss drug following a recommendation from European regulators that cardiac risks from the prescription pill are too great, Reuters reported. The European Medicines Agency called for companies to halt the sales of drugs containing sibutramine, which are sold under the names Reductil, Reduxade and Zelium in Europe and Meridia in the United States. The agency said the risks of these drugs are greater than their benefit. It noted that weight loss from their use is modest and may not last after use of the drugs are stopped. Abbott said it disagreed with the agency but would comply with its recommendation. It will continue to sell the drug under the Meridia brand outside of Europe. Read More Here

Doubly Dangerous
Counterfeit internet drugs pose significant risks and discourage vital health checks, report says.
Men who seek to treat their erectile dysfunction by buying fake drugs over the Internet face significant risks from potentially hazardous contents and bypassing healthcare systems could leave associated problems like diabetes and high blood pressure undiagnosed, according to a study published online by the International Journal of Clinical Practice. Medical and pharmaceutical experts from the United Kingdom, Sweden and United States carried out a detailed review of the growing problem of counterfeit drugs. Estimates suggest that up to 90 per cent of these illegal preparations are now sold on the internet. Read More Here

Ulcer Causer Not All Bad
Common stomach pathogen may protect against tuberculosis.
A bacterium that’s known to cause ulcers and stomach cancers, may also provide protection against the worldwide killer tuberculosis, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis; Stanford University, and the University of Pittsburgh. In an article appearing online in PloS ONE, the researchers report that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori or H. pylori infection may enhance immunity against tuberculosis, a disease endemic in many parts of the world, and for which there is no effective vaccine. Read More Here

Can you catch appendicitis?
Appendicitis may be related to viral infections.
Researchers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center are challenging traditional thought about appendicitis saying the condition does not necessarily lead to a burst appendix if the organ isn’t removed. They say while patients still need to be seen quickly by a physician, the need for emergency surgery is now in question. In the study, published in the Archives of Surgery, the researchers conclude that appendicitis may be caused by undetermined viral infection or infections. Read More Here

By Any Measure
Degree of obesity raises risk of stroke, regardless of gender, race.
The higher a person's degree of obesity, the higher their risk of stroke — regardless of race, gender and how obesity is measured, according to a new study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Read More Here

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