NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. distributor of phony vials of the widely-used cancer drug Avastin aroused suspicion at doctor's offices as early as July, well before health regulators issued their own warning and sparked new alarm over counterfeit medicines.

From Associated Press (February 15, 2012) NEW YORK -- Shares of BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc. surged Thursday after regulators approved a testosterone gel that will be marketed by its partner Teva Pharmaceutical Industries...

Teva chief says company prepared in case of Israel-Iran conflict [The Philadelphia Inquirer] From Philadelphia Inquirer (PA) (February 16, 2012) Feb. 16--Without actually saying "Iran," Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's chief executive officer...

French farmer Paul FranA ois, has won a case against biotech giant Monsanto, in which a judge in France ruled that the companybcould be held liable for poisoning the farmer.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Antibiotics don't help fight most sinus infections, although doctors routinely prescribe them for that purpose, researchers said Tuesday.

LONDON/GENEVA (Reuters) - When 22 bird flu experts meet at the World Health Organization this week, they will be tasked with deciding just how far scientists should go in creating lethal mutant viruses in the name of research.

(Reuters) - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc said its experimental hepatitis C drug showed promise in preclinical studies, sending its shares up as much as 16 percent to their highest in more than seven months.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders, many of our more than 16,000 members are on the front lines of dealing with the country's severe shortage of methotrexate, a...

(Reuters) - Catholic bishops, energized by a battle over contraception funding, are planning an aggressive campaign to rally Americans against a long list of government measures which they say intrude on religious liberty.

NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - To reach his office in Galveston National Laboratory, where scientists study deadly pathogens such as the Ebola and Marburg viruses, director James Le Duc swipes his key card at the building's single entrance, which is guarded 24/7 by Texas state police.

In what appears to be a calculated review of a supply chain, the FDA last summer inspected three Merck KGgA manufacturing plants in Europe - one that makes active pharmaceutical ingredients, another that makes finished prescription drugs and a third that is responsible for testing meds for the US market - and all three failed the inspections. The details of the assorted manufacturing failures - and there are many details because there were many failures - can be found in a December 15, 2011, warning letter...

Hello, everyone, and how are you today? Cloudy skies are hovering over the Pharmalot corporate campus, but our spirits are sunny. You know the mantra from the Morning Mayor: Every brand new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift. So go ahead and tug on the ribbon. While you do, we will brew another needed cup of stimulation and prepare for another busy day. We know you can relate - meetings and deadlines await. Here are some interesting items to get you started. Have a great day... Genzyme Recalls Leukemia Drug Made At Ben Venue Plant (Bloomberg News) Hospitals Toss Scarce Drugs Due To Rules (MSNBC) NICE To Allergan: More Evidence Needed For Botox For Migraines (Bloomberg News) Sandoz Buys German Rights To Apricus Sex Drug (Reuters) Reed Elsevier Adds AstraZeneca CEO David Brennan As A Director (MarketWatch) GlaxoSmithKline Faces Opposition In Scotland To Wind Turbines (The Courier) FDA OKs GenProbe Test For Prostate Cancer Risk (Xconomy) Pfizer Claims $960M In Damages From Sun Pharma Over Protonix Patent (Economic Times) Merck Creates Joint Venture In Brazil (Associated Press) Harvard AIDS Coalition Protests Merck HIV Drug Pricing (Harvard Crimson) Novartis Boosts Investment In Taiwan (CENS) EDITOR'S NOTE: Please check this post for updates throughout the morning

This post was written by Francois Nader, MD, a pharmaceutical industry veteran and President and Chief Executive of NPS Pharmaceuticals.

'Huge' market opportunity for European biosimilars - report

UCB's Cimzia effective for psoriatic arthritis

Ockham gets scale and depth with Nexus Oncology acquisition

via boingboing.net Sudafed at $100 a pack! Now there's an idea! Posted via email from Jack's posterous

via pbs.org While more than 250 drugs were declared in short supply in the U.S. this past year, the latest worries centered on one called Methotrexate, considered essential for children battling leukemia. Ray Suarez discusses the problem and latest developments with Dr. Peter Adamson of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Posted via email from Jack's posterous

he anti-wrinkle drug Botox is unlikely to be recommended for the treatment of chronic migraines on the NHS in England and Wales, the medicines watchdog said. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published draft guidelines saying there is insufficient evidence. It wants the manufacturer, Allergan, to provide better data before making a final decision in June. via bbc.co.uk Posted via email from Jack's posterous

The probe into the sensational charges that the FDA secretly monitored several former and current employees, and then harassed and dismissed some of them, has now widened. The Office of Special Counsel, which is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency, is also investigating. This follows a probe opened by the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform (see here).

via forbes.com If the pharmaceutical industry is really concerned about being better valued by the public, it might do well to drop TV ads completely. However well-intended they are, the negatives have always outweighed the benefits. If the members of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association agreed to halt TV ads, my guess is that the public's response would be overwhelmingly positive. My sense is that they wouldn't miss the commercials either. By John LaMattina Posted via email from Jack's posterous

Last month, a series of studies published in BMJ reported various problems with clinical trial data. More specifically, there is a lot that goes unpublished. Although the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act requires mandatory reporting of summary clinical trial results within one year of completion on ClinicalTrials.gov, one BMJ paper found that only 22 percent adhered to the mandate (back story).

NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - To reach his office in Galveston National Laboratory, where scientists study deadly pathogens such as the Ebola and Marburg viruses, director James Le Duc swipes his key card at the building's single entrance, which is guarded 24/7 by Texas state police.

Before the recent arrival of a generic version of Lipitor, Pfizer undertook various gambits in hopes of wringing as much revenue as possible from its best-selling cholesterol pill. These tactics included offering a low-cost, co-pay card to consumers and providing discounts to health plans and pharmacy benefit managers (read here).

BioSante Pharmaceuticals has won FDA approval for Bio-T-Gel, a testosterone gel for the treatment of male hypogonadism or low testosterone levels.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals has announced the FDA approval of an additional manufacturer of Methoxsalen USP, an integral component of a treatment for the relief of moderate to severe psoriasis.

Gen-Probe has received FDA approval for PROGENSA Prostate Cancer gene 3 (PCA3) assay, a urine-based molecular test to help determine need for repeat prostate biopsies.

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CSL Behring announced today that the company has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its novel recombinant fusion protein linking coagulation factor VIIa with albumin...

From Associated Press (February 15, 2012) NEW YORK -- Shares of BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc. surged Thursday after regulators approved a testosterone gel that will be marketed by its partner Teva Pharmaceutical Industries...

[Business Wire] - Affymetrix, Inc. today announced that its GeneChip® System 3000Dx v.2 has been approved by China's State Food and Drug Administration for in vitro diagnostic use.

DETROIT, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Few hospitals have as much experience with the Berlin Heart as DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan. This is why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was eager to hear testimony from Henry L. Walters III, MD, chief of cardiovascular...

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals has received a US patent which covers composition-of-matter patent protection for ponatinib, a pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor, through 22 December 2026.

Evotec and IR Pharma have signed an exclusive strategic alliance to provide integrated drug discovery solutions to Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies in the field of respiratory diseases.

Arno Therapeutics has entered into a worldwide licensing agreement with Invivis Pharmaceuticals to develop onapristone, an anti-progestin hormone blocker having considerable anti-tumor activity in breast cancer.

Asymchem Laboratories (Tianjin) has launched new large scale manufacturing facility, operating under the name Jilin Asymchem Laboratories, located in Dunhua, PR China.

Merck has established a new joint venture (JV) with Supera Farma Laboratorios to commercialize pharmaceutical and branded generic products in Brazil.

Evotec and IR Pharma have signed an exclusive strategic alliance to provide integrated drug discovery solutions to Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies in the field of respiratory diseases.

GLENDALE, Calif., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Apollo Medical Holdings, Inc. ("ApolloMed") (OTC-AMEH.PK), a leading provider of hospitalist, critical care and multi-disciplinary care management services to the healthcare community, today announced the appointment of Edward "Ted"...

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardium Therapeutics (NYSE Amex: CXM) today announced that it has completed the previously announced sale of 17,857,143 shares of its common stock in a registered direct offering for gross proceeds of approximately $5.0 million, before...

CARMIEL, Israel, Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE Amex:PLX) (TASE:PLX), announced today the pricing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 4.5 million shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $5.25 per share. The Company has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an aggregate of 675,000 additional shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, if any. The offering is expected to settle and close on February 22, 2012, subject to customary closing conditions. Jefferies & Company, Inc. is acting as the sole book-running manager and each of Canaccord Genuity Inc. and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. are acting as co-managers for the offering. The Company expects to use the net proceeds from the sale of the shares primarily to fund clinical trials for the Company's product candidates, to fund the Company's research and development activities, to enhance the Company's manufacturing capacity, for working capital and general corporate purposes.

BROSSARD, QUEBEC (MARKET WIRE) Biotonix (2010) Inc. (TSX VENTURE: BTX) ("Biotonix"), a company offering innovative postural health solutions, announces that it proposes to issue, by way of a private placement financing without broker to qualified investors, up to 4,000,000 units at $0.075 CAD per unit for a maximum amount of CAD $300,000.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Emdeon Inc., a leading provider of revenue and payment cycle management and clinical information exchange solutions, today announced a clinical services agreement with Informatics Corporation of America (ICA) to help empower physician...

MADISON, Wis., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Novelos Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQX: NVLT), a pharmaceutical company developing novel drugs for treatment and diagnosis of cancer, announced that today its common stock will begin trading on OTCQX, the top tier of the OTC market designated...

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Xenogenics Corporation, a subsidiary of MultiCell Technologies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: MCET) has exclusive license rights to a polyanhydride compounds drug delivery patent recently granted in Canada. The patent was granted to...

ATLANTA, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CryoLife, Inc. (NYSE: CRY), a leading tissue processing and medical device company focused on cardiac and vascular surgery, announced today its results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2011. Revenues for the fourth quarter increased 4...

BEDMINSTER, N.J., and DUBLIN, Ireland, Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amarin Corporation plc (Nasdaq:AMRN), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on cardiovascular disease, today announced that Steven Ketchum, Ph.D., has been appointed President of Research and Development, Senior Vice President, effective February 16, 2012. Dr. Ketchum will be responsible for Amarin's drug discovery, preclinical and clinical development program and regulatory and medical affairs activities, including the ongoing development and regulatory review support for Amarin's lead product candidate, AMR101.

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amedica Corporation, a spinal and reconstructive implant manufacturer focused on its medical grade silicon nitride ceramic material, today announced the completion of its $30 million Senior Secured Subordinated Convertible Notes...

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Feb.16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bionovo, Inc. (OTC Link Platform: BNVI.PK) a pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of safe and effective treatments for women's health and cancer, announced today that it will host a conference call on Tuesday,...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Complete Genomics Inc. (Nasdaq:GNOM), the whole human genome sequencing company, today introduced its Genomic Discovery Software Partners Program. Ingenuity(r) Systems, Golden Helix and DNAnexus have been chosen as initial partners because they have offerings that complement the information supplied with Complete Genomics' sequencing service and can expedite the genetic research of its customers.

[Business Wire] - Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the appointment of Alison Lawton to its Board of Directors. Ms. Lawton is currently Senior Vice President, General Manager Biosurgery, at Genzyme Corporation .

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDIX) announced today that it will report its financial results for the fourth quarter and year end 2011 on Thursday, February 23, 2012 after the U.S. financial markets close. Idenix management...

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nanosphere, Inc. (Nasdaq:NSPH), a leader in the development and commercialization of advanced molecular diagnostics systems, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnicell, Inc. (NASDAQ:OMCL), a leading provider of medication and supply management solutions and analytics software for healthcare facilities, will showcase its interoperable Modular EHR certified G4 platform at the 2012...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pathfinder Cell Therapy, Inc. ("Pathfinder," or "the Company") (OTCQB:PFND), a biotechnology company focused on the treatment of diseases characterized by organ-specific cell damage, today announced that Richard L. Franklin, M.D., Ph.D., Founder, CEO and President of Pathfinder, will present at the 7th Annual New York Stem Cell Summit being held on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGNT) today announced financial results for the quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2011.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. (Nasdaq:CHTP) announced Dr. Simon Pedder, president and CEO, is scheduled to present at the Leerink Swann 2012 Global Healthcare Conference at 2:30 PM ET on Thursday, February 16, 2012 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PDL BioPharma, Inc. (PDL) (NASDAQ: PDLI) today announced that the Company will release its fourth quarter and full year financial results for the period ended December 31, 2011 on Thursday, February 23, 2012 after market...

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trius Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:TSRX) announced today the issuance of Patent # 908206 by the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (PRC) that protects the composition of matter of the Company's Phase 3 investigational drug, tedizolid phosphate, through 2024. In addition to the issuance in China, patents for tedizolid phosphate have also issued in other jurisdictions including Australia, Canada, Europe, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia and the United States.

DUBLIN, Ireland, Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trinity Biotech plc (Nasdaq:TRIB), a leading developer and manufacturer of diagnostic products for the point-of-care and clinical laboratory markets, will report financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2011 on Monday, March 5, 2012. The Company has scheduled a conference call for that same day, Monday, March 5, 2012 at 11:00am EST (4:00pm GMT) to discuss the results of the quarter.

ANAHEIM, Calif., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOR) today announced the appointment of Scott M. Whitcup, M.D., 52, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Whitcup is currently Executive Vice President, Research & Development and...

MIAMI & IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- OPKO Health, Inc. and ChromaDex Corporation (OTCBB: CDXC) announced today they have entered into a strategic alliance pursuant to which ChromaDex has licensed to OPKO all of its new product offerings and health care...

Merck & Co sets up Brazilian joint venture

HAMBURG, Germany, Feb. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evotec AG (Frankfurt:EVT) (TecDAX) and IR Pharma today announced that they have entered into an exclusive strategic alliance to provide integrated drug discovery solutions to Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies in the field of Respiratory Diseases.

The CED Life Science Conference kicked off Wednesday with a keynote address by Sanofi CEO Christopher Viehbacher.

[Business Wire] - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , a leading RNAi therapeutics company, today announced that the underwriters of its previously announced public offering of common stock have exercised their option to purchase an additional 1,125,000 shares at a public offering price of $10.75 per share.

Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has announced the formation of a new joint venture (JV) with Supera Farma Laboratorios S.A., a Brazilian pharmaceutical company co-owned by Cristália and Eurofarma.

CARMIEL, Israel, Feb. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE Amex:PLX) (TASE:PLX) announced today that it intends, subject to market conditions, to offer and sell shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. Jefferies & Company, Inc. is acting as the sole book-running manager for the offering and each of Canaccord Genuity Inc. and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. are acting as co-managers for the offering. The offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering. The Company expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase additional shares of its common stock to cover over-allotment, if any.

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) today announced the completion of an underwritten public offering of 7,820,000 shares of its common stock, including 1,020,000 shares sold pursuant to the full exercise of an over-allotment...

[Business Wire] - Exelixis, Inc. today announced the completion of its underwritten public offering of 12,650,000 shares of its common stock, including 1,650,000 shares sold pursuant to the full exercise of an option previously granted to the underwriters to purchase additional shares.

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) today announced it will present at the 2012 Citi Global Healthcare Conference, to be held February 27-29, 2012, at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. Centene's presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb....

[at Seeking Alpha] - Incyte Corporation's CEO Discusses Q4 2011 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IsZo Capital LP, one of the largest minority shareholders of Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (OTC: TAROF), announced today that it delivered the following letter to the Special Committee of the...

Details of a drug called ponatinib, which treats a form of leukemia, was diplayed on a computer screen at Ariad Pharmaceuticals.

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IsZo Capital LP, one of the largest minority shareholders of Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (OTC: TAROF), announced today that it delivered the following letter to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Taro demanding that...

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apricus Biosciences, Inc. ("Apricus Bio" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:APRI) (http://www.apricusbio.com) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary NexMed(USA), Inc. has signed with Sandoz, a division of Novartis, an exclusive collaboration for Germany to market Apricus Bio's Vitaros(r) drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

GHENT, BELGIUM (MARKET WIRE)

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted Pfizer's new drug application (NDA) for tafamidis meglumine, an oral therapy for the treatment of transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP).

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE) BioSyent Inc. ("BioSyent") (TSX VENTURE: RX) announced today that it has been named as one of the 2012 TSX Venture Top 50 companies.

CompuGroup Medical US has introduced LabNexus, a new software solution to assist hospital and reference labs with their outreach programs.

The Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the University of Montreal in Quebec, Canada, has used the Roche xCELLigence SP Instrument to measure changes in cell response following ligand stimulation.

STOCKHOLM, February 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AddBIO AB, a subsidiary of Accelerator Nordic AB, has developed Zolidd®, a proprietary bioactive nanolayer for orthopedic and dental implants that releases bisphosphonate, a bone strengthening drug. A randomized clinical trial, conducted...

LA JOLLA, Calif., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative medicines targeting microRNAs, today announced that new preclinical data investigating the role of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in the...

EXTON, Pa., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ViroPharma Incorporated (NASDAQ: VPHM) today announced that data from the pivotal study for their orphan drug Plenadren® (hydrocortisone, modified release tablet) were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism...

LAUSANNE, Switzerland and LEXINGTON, Massachusetts, February 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a drug development company seeking to develop proprietary targeted medicines for cancer treatment, and Debiopharm Group (Debiopharm), a group of companies with a focus on the...

NES ZIONA, Israel, February 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TASE: BNDX) today announced positive results from its second Phase II clinical trial (BVX-005) of the Universal Influenza Vaccine (Multimeric-001) developed by Biondvax for improving existing flu...

CROMSOURCE accesses Phase I capabilities in Verona

Moffitt Center system matches trial drugs to tumour profiles

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Uroplasty, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPI), a medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets innovative proprietary products to treat voiding dysfunctions, today announced the first enrollment of patients in the CONFIDeNT clinical study in the...

LOS ANGELES, CA (MARKET WIRE) Ritter Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced today that the abstract summarizing results from its Phase 2 study of RP-G28, a first-in-class treatment for lactose intolerance, was chosen for oral presentation at the annual international Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2012(R), considered the largest meeting in the world for physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy, and gastrointestinal surgery.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mutations in genes that fix mismatched DNA may put people at extra risk for breast cancer and pancreatic cancer, in addition to their well-known ties to colon and endometrial cancers, a new report suggests.

Health Management Associates has signed an exclusive three-year technology agreement with McKesson to implement McKesson's complete suite of pharmacy automation solutions to standardize systems and procedures across hospital sites.

AMPAC Fine Chemicals (AFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of American Pacific, has joined Rx-360 as an active member.

Evotec and IR Pharma have signed an exclusive strategic alliance to provide integrated drug discovery solutions to Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies in the field of respiratory diseases.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A leading group of U.S. doctors is trying to tackle the costly problem of excessive medical testing, hoping to avoid more government intervention in how they practice.

MIAMI, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck (NYSE: MRK) (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) today announced that three-time GRAMMY® award-winning Cuban-American recording artist and songwriter Jon Secada is adding his voice to the Tune In to Hep C public health...

MONTREAL, QUEBEC (MARKET WIRE) ZoomMed Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ZMD), is proud to announce the signature of a 1M$ software development agreement and the creation of a partnership with Sharpe Medical Consulting, based in Washington DC, to bring together their resources to build and commercialize, throughout North America, an EMR (Electronic Medical Record) for all behavioral health providers.

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) today announced it has booked an order to equip a new two-room proton therapy center at the PTC St. Petersburg Center of Nuclear Medicine of the International Institute of Biological Systems in...

DALLAS and FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- OnSiteRx®, Inc. (http://www.onsiterx.com), parent organization for OnSiteRx® of Phoenix, LLC, in partnership with Covenant Health Network, announces today that they have successfully implemented the first automated...

FDA approves BioSante/Teva testosterone gel

Counterfeit Avastin seized in the US

ALBANY, New York, February 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- New Report Added in ResearchMoz Reports DatabaseVaccine Production (Trends, Techniques, Key Players, Spending Estimates and Forecasts) The considerable revenue growth in the vaccine market over the past ten years suggests the amount of...

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- GoodRx today announced that it has created an innovative prescription drug price comparison technology that provides consumers with accurate drug prices from virtually every U.S. pharmacy. GoodRx, available as both a website and free...

In a research lab at Wake Forest University, biophysicist and computer scientist Samuel Cho uses graphics processing units (GPUs), the technology that makes videogame images so realistic, to simulate the inner workings of human cells.

via healthland.time.com Posted via email from Jack's posterous

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. distributor of phony vials of the widely-used cancer drug Avastin aroused suspicion at doctor's offices as early as July, well before health regulators issued their own warning and sparked new alarm over counterfeit medicines.

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Seventy-five percent of integrative medicine centers included in a new study about integrative practice reported success treating chronic pain. More than half of centers reported successfully using integrative medicine to treat...

In a survey of medical centers using integrative medicine, most reported success in treating chronic pain, gastrointestinal conditions, depression, anxiety, cancer symptoms, and chronic stress. Medscape Medical News

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Simple tests such as walking speed and hand grip strength may help doctors determine how likely it is a middle-aged person will develop dementia or stroke. That's according to new research that was released today and will...

BEDFORD, MA (MARKET WIRE) Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ: PODD), the leader in tubeless insulin pump technology with its OmniPod(R) Insulin Management System, today announced it has signed a worldwide agreement with LifeScan, Inc. to integrate LifeScan's OneTouch(R) blood glucose monitoring technology into the OmniPod Personal Diabetes Manager ("PDM").

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IsZo Capital LP, one of the largest minority shareholders of Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (OTC: TAROF), announced today that it delivered the following letter to the Special Committee of the...

NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Delcath Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: DCTH) and the European Institute of Oncology (Instituto Europeo di Oncologia - IEO) introduced the Delcath Hepatic CHEMOSAT® Delivery System to media at a Feb. 15 press conference and discussed the...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mothers who had low vitamin D levels while they were pregnant are more likely to have a child with a language impairment than moms who had higher levels of the vitamin, according to a new study from Australia.

TIANJIN, China, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Informex 2012 -- Asymchem Laboratories (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., a leading custom contract manufacturer serving the pharmaceutical industry, today announced the introduction of a brand new large scale manufacturing facility located...

NEWBURYPORT, MA (MARKET WIRE) PCI (www.pcisynthesis.com), a 12-year-old custom chemical manufacturer of new chemical entities (NCEs), generic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and other specialty chemical products, today announced its major sponsorship of the inaugural one-day Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) CRO/CMO Symposium. The event will be held March 6 from 7:30am-5:30pm at Bentley University's Conference Center, LaCava 300, 75 Forest Street in Waltham.

If the measure is passed, physicians could face another doc-fix drama in the lame-duck Congress following the November 6 general election. Medscape Medical News

BROOMALL, Pa., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Transdermal Specialties, Inc (TSI) is a pioneer in Ultrasonic active patch delivery systems for the Drug and Skincare industries. The Company has completed clinical trials of its U-Wand™ Anti-Acne System. The U-Wand™ is an...

RALEIGH, NC (MARKET WIRE) An innovative cancer treatment process improving survival rates for dogs could soon take the phrase "man's best friend" to a whole new level, according to a research project funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF).

(Reuters) - Catholic bishops, energized by a battle over contraception funding, are planning an aggressive campaign to rally Americans against a long list of government measures which they say intrude on religious liberty.