Leftover Turkey Recipes: A Pressing Health Issue

Before the Health Blog signs off for the day, we thought we'd consult with the American health establishment on a pressing question: What to do with leftover turkey.

Indonesia to Drugmakers: Build Factories Here, Or Get Out

In the latest sign of tension between middle-income countries and the drug industry, Companies that want to sell medicines in Indonesia will be required to build factories there.

Study Found Cheap Blood Pressure Meds Are Best. No One Cared

The limited effects of a big study of blood-pressure medicines suggests that comparative effectiveness research may be less useful than proponents hope.

Is CyberKnife Ready for Prime Time in Prostate Cancer?

In some hospitals, a $4 million machine is becoming a popular treatment for prostate cancer. But some experts say there's not enough evidence to show whether that's a good idea.

From Patent Thickets to Payoffs: How Big Pharma Fights Generics

A European report out today suggests that, as a result of drugmakers' efforts to keep generics at bay, "competition in this industry does not work as well as it should," the EU commissioner for competition said.

A Career in Primary Care Still Is Cause for Thanks

There are plenty of challenges, both personal and financial, in being a primary care doctor. But Benjamin Brewer can't imagine a better job.

A Pound of Flesh: How Much Weight You’ll Gain Over the Holidays

The Health Blog digs into the medical literature to find out how much weight people tend to gain in the holiday season.

And the Next Top Turkey Inspector Will Be?

The hunt for a new Secretary of Agriculture hasn't received as much attention as other cabinet positions in the Obama administration, but the choice is important because of the departments critical role in assuring the quality of our food supply.

Health Bloggers Want You to Talk About Death

During the holiday weekend, some high-profile health bloggers are encouraging people to talk about how they'd like to be cared for at the end of life.

Men Quit Smoking and Cancer Rate Falls

For the first time on record, the rate of new cancer cases and the cancer death rate are both falling in the U.S.

See You Next Year, Generic Pulmicort Respules

Teva and AstraZeneca have agreed to a settlement that would allow generic Pulmicort Respules to hit the U.S. market in December 2009.

Maybe AIDS Treatment Is Also AIDS Prevention

In a country such as South Africa, giving AIDS drugs to everyone who is HIV positive could radically change the course of the epidemic, a new analysis suggests.

See You Next Year, Generic Pulmicort Respules

Teva and AstraZeneca have agreed to a settlement that would allow generic Pulmicort Respules to hit the U.S. market in December 2009.

Risperdal Can Have Troubling Side Effects in Boys

One particularly troubling side effect is the growth of breasts in some male patients taking Risperdal.

The Clock Is Ticking on Big Pharma Mergers

With bloated organizations and more generic competition on the way, Deutsche Bank argues that a big deal may be on the way.

The Clock is Ticking on Big Pharma Mergers

With bloated organizations and more generic competition on the way, Deutsche Bank argues that a big deal may be on the way.

After Losing to Waxman, Dingell Urged to Focus on Health

After losing the House Energy and Commerce chairmanship, one possibility for Dingell might be to head the health subcommittee.

Dueling Bills: The Mortgage vs. the Doctor

The housing mess is limiting the options for patients who have resorted to borrowing against their homes to pay for medical care.

After Losing to Waxman, Dingell Urged to Focus on Health

After losing the House Energy and Commerce chairmanship, one possibility for Dingell might be to head the health subcommittee.

Do Mammograms Sometimes Detect Cancer That Would Disappear?

Some breast cancer detected by mammograms might actually regress, a new study suggests. Though researchers not involved in the work questioned that conclusion as "an overreaching leap in logic."

No Easy Answers for Testing Drugs in the Real World

A large trial is trying to answer questions about a heart-failure drug that the original clinical trials didn't tackle.

No Easy Answers for Testing Drugs in the Real World

A large trial is trying to answer questions about a heart-failure drug that the original clinical trials didn't tackle.

Cyberchondria: It’s Not Just in Your Head

Obscure or serious medical problems can bubble up to the first page of Web search results, where anxious searchers can quickly conclude their symptoms result from serious but unlikely causes.

Scientists Pinpoint Research Priorities for 14 Drugs Used ‘Off-Label’

Several psychiatric meds and the widely prescribed blood thinner Coumadin are among the drugs most frequently prescribed outside their FDA-approved instructions and for which there are safety concerns.

J&J Backed Child Psychiatry Institute to Support Risperdal Sales

A goal of the research center at Massachusetts General Hospital was to "move forward the commercial goals of J&J," maker of Risperdal, documents released as part of litigation show.

Alpharma Ties Knot With King After Twice Saying No

Alpharma has accepted a $1.6 billion buyout from King Pharmaceuticals, after rejecting the offer as inadequate last month.

Medicaid Spent $200 Million on Unapproved Drugs

An Associated Press investigation finds that the government health program for the poor spent nearly $198 on unapproved drugs from 2004 to 2007.

Media Skimp on Health Coverage

Health coverage made up just 3.6% of news content analzyed by two nonprofit groups during the 18-month period that ended in June.

Medicaid Spent $200 Million on Unapproved Drugs

An Associated Press investigation finds that the government health program for the poor spent nearly $198 on unapproved drugs from 2004 to 2007.

Biotech Companies Strapped for Cash in Weak Economy

Cash is tight, so a bunch of biotech companies are cutting back on research, slashing jobs or thinking about selling themselves to bigger drug makers.

Five Health Myths Busted

Perhaps the most important reason health reform needs to happen: economic necessity. The U.S. spends 17% of GDP on health, a share that could rise to 25% by 2025, without major changes.

Wyeth Names Kamarck to Run Factories

The new head of manufacturing for the company aims to increase efficiency across the board.

Curtain Falls on ImClone Drama, as Lilly Completes Tender

Lilly will get a blockbuster cancer drug, a state-of-the art biologics factory and a cancer drug pipeline from ImClone. But the integration of the company may not be easy.

Layoffs, Financial Woes Stress Out Workers and Their Counselors

Aetna, for one, said its unit serving employee-assistance programs for corporate clients logged a 60% increase in calls third quarter of 2008 compared with the same period last year.

Curtain Falls on ImClone Drama, as Lilly Completes Tender

Lilly will get a blockbuster cancer drug, a state-of-the art biologics factory and a cancer drug pipeline from ImClone. But the integration of the company may not be easy.

McKesson Paying $350 Million to Settle Drug-Price Litigation

The big drug distributor will pay to settle allegations it manipulated drug prices.

Harvard Med Students Might Want to Look Up Charles Grassley

Students at Harvard Medical School are pushing for more disclosure of their teachers' ties to the drug industry.

UPMC, Once Transplant King, Takes Risks to Regain Crown

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center increased its use of older deceased donors and living donors to pump up transplant volume, the WSJ reports.

Tom Daschle’s Blueprint for Health Reform

Among Daschle's proposals: A health insurance mandate and a Federal Health Board that would oversee federally backed health plans and assess the effectiveness and costs of medical treatments.

Will Waxman, the New Boss, Be the Same as the Old Boss?

John Dingell (D., Mich) has been an ornery activist for change at the FDA and the industries it regulates. Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) who'll replace him as the head of a key House committee hasn't been bashful in bashing the same folks.

Microwave Ovens and Plastics With BPA Don’t Mix

Powerful congressional Democrats said they'd push harder for a ban after a report suggested BPA could leach from food containers in the microwave.

Will Waxman, the New Boss, Be the Same as the Old Boss?

John Dingell (D., Mich) has been an ornery activist for change at the FDA and the industries it regulates. Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) who'll replace him as the head of a key House committee hasn't been bashful in bashing the same folks.

Microwave Ovens and Plastics With BPA Don’t Mix

Powerful congressional Democrats said they'd push harder for a ban after a report suggested BPA could leach from food containers in the microwave.

Henry Waxman, Health-Care Power Broker

Waxman unseats John Dingell as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which holds sway over key health-care issues.

AstraZeneca Cutting Jobs & Selling Some OTC Brands

Lots of action from AstraZeneca today, including more job cuts, the sale of some over-the-counter brands and a legal victory in a generics case.

Insurers Will Sell Plans to All Comers — If They Everyone Must Buy In

Faced with a growing chorus in Washington calling for major health reform, the health insurance industry said yesterday it would stop denying coverage to people with health troubles, provided that everyone has to be insured.

Viagra Without a Prescription? Not Yet, Europe

Pfizer has dropped an application to sell Viagra over-the-counter in Europe, citing regulatory concerns.

Falling Employment Meets Rising Health Costs

The newly jobless need as much help with health insurance as they do coping with the loss of income.

Waxman Wins First Round Against Dingell

Rep. Henry Waxman won the first-round of voting today in his bid for a hostile takeover of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

How Do You Say FDA in Mandarin?

The FDA just opened an outpost in Beijing, part of the regulator's effort to better scrutinize the large and growing volume of food and drugs that China ships to the U.S.

Ouch! $1,000 Deductibles Become the Health Insurance Norm

Employers seem more confident about "just how high a deductible can go without causing employees to revolt," says HR consulting firm Mercer.

Surgeon: ‘I Can Implant This Pen Inside Someone’s Brain’

A surgeon's deposition shows the wide latitude doctors take in using medical devices in ways not approved by the FDA

Teva Launches Generic of AstraZeneca’s Pulmicort Respules

AstraZeneca gets hit by a generic for its big-selling asthma medicine, commonly used to treat children with the condition.

Ted Kennedy Offers Hillary Clinton a Role in Health Reform

After declining to let Hillary Clinton chair a new health-reform subcommittee, Ted Kennedy has asked her to head a working group on insurance.

Feds Probe Unapproved Use of Medtronic Bone Stimulator

Infuse is approved by the FDA for the lumbar spine, but about three-quarters of side-effects reports to the FDA involve use in other areas.

CEOs’ Top Health Priority: Obesity

The looming disease burden associated with the epidemic, and all the costs and suffering it will entail, apparently pushed it ahead of other, frequently discussed health-reform issues.

New Hampshire Prevails on Law Guarding Prescription Privacy

A federal appeals court upheld New Hampshire's law barring the sale of doctor prescribing data, rebuffing the drug industry's argument that the law infringes free speech.

Seniors Still Mystified By Medicare’s Drug ‘Doughnut Hole’

Almost two-thirds of enrollees in Medicare Part D don't fully understand the coverage gap built into the plan, a survey of beneficiaries shows.

Payment Hassles, Not Just Stinginess, Turn Doctors Off Medicaid

In states with relatively high Medicaid rates yet long delays in payment, only half of doctors accepted all new Medicaid patients.

Bush Abortion Proposal Raises Ire of Health Groups

A wide range of health groups and officials at the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission oppose a proposed rule that would protect health workers who refuse to participate in abortion services.

Hard Times for Biotech Could Spur Big Pharma Feast

With credit tightening and the market values of some smaller companies taking a beating, licensing terms for Big Pharma may get a whole lot more attractive.

Doctors Feel Gloomy, Financially Strapped

Things in medicine are evidently so discouraging that some 60% of doctors wouldn't recommend the profession to young people.

Ted Kennedy Readies Universal Health Bill for 2009

Sen. Ted Kennedy said he would move ahead with his own bill for universal health coverage early next year.

Uninsured Give but Rarely Receive Organs for Transplant

People without health insurance are about 20 times more likely to donate a liver or kidney than to receive one.

Eyeing Generics, Cephalon Hikes Price on Provigil

The company is raising the price on the drug to steer people toward a newer drug, Nuvigil, before generic versions of Provigil are available.

Which Antidepressant Is Best?

Commonly prescribed antidepressants are equally effective, according to an analysis of more than 200 studies. Side effects may differ.

J&J Gets Caught in a Sling Over Internet Motrin Ad

Healthcare company pulls the commercial after mothers complain in a blogosphere protest about its portrayal of pain and carrying babies.

Global Warming Plus Jet Travel Fuels ‘Airport Malaria’

Stowaway mosquitoes from equatorial climes are leading to malaria cases near international airports in temperate zones.

Global Warming Plus Jet Travel Fuels ‘Airport Malaria’

Stowaway mosquitoes from equatorial climes are leading to malaria cases near international airports in temperate zones.

Health Insurance Tab Creeps Toward Half of Family Income

By 2016, the average premiums paid by employers and their workers for family coverage could top $24,000, or about 45% of median household income.

Burlington, Vt.: America’s Healthiest Place to Live

An analysis of CDC data found Burlington to be the healthiest metro area, while Huntington, W.Va., was the least healthy.

Small Firms Face Health Insurance Price Increases

Health insurers, plagued by investment problems and higher-than-expected medical costs, are hiking premiums on small businesses.

New York AG Probes Colleges’ Ties to Health Insurers

Andrew Cuomo has asked for colleges' contracts with insurers, statistics on premiums and information given to students.

New York AG Probes Colleges’ Ties To Health Insurers

Andrew Cuomo has asked for colleges' contracts with insurers, statistics on premiums and information given to students.

New York AG Probes Colleges’ Ties to Health Insurers

Andrew Cuomo has asked for colleges' contracts with insurers, statistics on premiums and information given to students.

Prices Vary Widely at Hospitals Around Boston

A Boston Globe investigation finds wide disparities in how much hospitals are paid by insurers for the same procedures--without apparent differences in quality.

Stephen Colbert for FDA Commissioner?

This week the comedian of the Jupiter study

FDA Reports Side Effects Linked to Wrinkle Fillers

The reports didn't specify which products were involved. But shares of Allergan and Medicis, which make two leading fillers, fell sharply.

Sales of Vytorin & Zetia Are Bad, but Not Getting Worse

Has Merck and Schering-Plough's joint cholesterol franchise hit bottom?

Pfizer Ready for Stem Cell Deals

A new unit known as Pfizer Regenerative Medicine will work with academic, biotech and pharmaceutical partners.

Pfizer’s About to Make Stem Cell Deals

A new unit known as Pfizer Regenerative Medicine will work with academic, biotech and pharmaceutical partners.

Feds Send Mixed Message to China

Just as the FDA said it would detain food from China containing milk, the Department of Health and Human Services sound upbeat about cooperation with the Chinese on food safety.

How to Get Free Surgery: Fly to India

The mainstreaming of medical tourism is taking another baby step.

Feds Send Mixed Message to China

Just as the FDA said it would detain food from China containing milk, the Department of Health and Human Services sound upbeat about cooperation with the Chinese on food safety.

How to Get Free Surgery: Fly to India

The mainstreaming of medical tourism is taking another baby step.

Four Signs of Early Alzheimer’s Disease

Here are some indicators of trouble that go beyond basic loss of short-term memory.

Rep. Dingell: Economic Stimulus Should Include NIH, Medicaid

As the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Michigan Democrat could have some sway on what the coming stimulus package will look like.

An HIV Vaccine Lab Lands on the Brooklyn Waterfront

The Health Blog hopped a water taxi yesterday to the old Army Terminal in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It was a business trip.

Rep. Dingell: Economic Stimulus Should Include NIH, Medicaid

As the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Michigan Democrat could have some sway on what the coming stimulus package will look like.

An HIV Vaccine Lab Lands on the Brooklyn Waterfront

The Health Blog hopped a water taxi yesterday to the old Army Terminal in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It was a business trip.

Tests of New Drugs for Developing World Need $1 Billion a Year

There has been progress on experimental medicines and vaccines to fight tuberculosis, malaria and Dengue fever. But taking them beyond early tests is going to require a lot of money.

Merck, Schering-Plough Avert Vytorin ‘Disaster’ at Heart Meeting

An absence of bad news about the companies' jointly marketed cholesterol drugs at a big heart meeting was enough to count as good news.

Why Sen. Baucus Didn’t Wait for Obama On Health Reform

It's a sign that the economy may not slow down the Democrats' health reform plans. It also shows the party has some internal differences over what reform should look like.

Massachusetts Makes It Tougher to Build Clinics, Surgery Centers

State officials hope the new rules will rein in health costs by reducing duplication of services.

Merck Study Shows Promise for Gardasil in Boys

Results from a study of 4,000 boys and young men showed the vaccine reduced the occurrence of genital warts by 90%.

GE & Pittsburgh Hospital to Open Cancer Clinics Abroad

Drug companies aren't the only ones looking to expand their cancer franchises.

Credit Clouds Darken Over Health Industry

Moody's has reduced its credit outlook for hospitals, medical device makers and health insurers to "negative" from "stable," due to the tough economy.

FDA Impersonators Scam Online Drug Buyers

Some consumers are getting calls from fake FDA agent, who lean on them send money to the Dominican Republic.

Dow Drops Give Us the Stomach Flip-Flops

When your brain senses market danger, it can make your guts go haywire.

Blackmailers Turn Up Heat on Express Scripts

Some of the pharmacy benefits manager's customers have received letters that threaten to expose patients' personal data.

Medicare Drug Plans: Do Your Homework, or Pay the Price

The Health Blog doesn't mean to be a nag, but if you get prescription drug coverage through Medicare you really should take a few minutes to review your options.

Using Google Searches to Map Flu Outbreaks

Google launched Flu Trends, a Web site that aims to predict flu outbreaks by monitoring searches for terms like "flu," "muscle aches" and "fever."

Sen. Baucus Brings Back the Health Insurance Mandate

Sen. Max Baucus (D., Mont.) is rolling out a health-reform proposal today. His plan would require everyone to buy health insurance.

Google Explains Why Drug Companies Fear the Web

Drug companies spend only about 4% of their ad budgets online, far less than their counterparts in other industries.

Preempt This: Plaintiffs Attorney David Frederick for Solicitor General

A prominent lawyer who argued recently against the proposition that FDA regulation preempts plaintiffs' ability to sue drugmakers under state laws is said to be a leading contender for a top job in the Obama Justice Department.

Making Gardasil Vaccination Mandatory Would Be Unwise, Academics Say

A trio of academics argues that mandates for Gardasil vaccination might not hold up in court and don't meet the same public health threshold as vaccines for measles and polio.

The HPV vaccine–should we really require it?

Back in the 20th century, a gene was such a simple thing: The lone carrier of inherited biological information, a single stretch of DNA that contained the code to create a single protein. But the more we've learned about genes, the more we've realized how much we don't know.

What We Don’t Know About Genes: A Lot

Back in the 20th century, a gene was such a simple thing: The lone carrier of inherited biological information, a single stretch of DNA that contained the code to create a single protein. But the more we've learned about genes, the more we've realized how much we don't know.

Nexium and Similar Heartburn Drugs May Interfere With Plavix

Data out this morning raise a warning flag for combination of a blood thinner and a class of heartburn medicine prescribed together to many patients at high risk for heart-attacks and strokes.

Amylin to Cut 25% of Workers at HQ

The move, which affects about 340 employees, is part of a plan to cut spending by $80 million at the troubled company.

AstraZeneca CEO Downplays Jupiter’s Effect on Crestor Sales

Amid bullish estimates, David Brennan urged caution in predicting future sales of the potent cholesterol drug.

Look Out, Docs: Here Comes ICD-10

A massive new set of insurance billing codes could cause headaches for doctors and patients.

Forget MRSA for a Moment, Clostridium Difficile is a Growing Problem

More than 1% of hospital patients are infected with the intestinal bug C. diff, a nationwide survey found.

U.K. Regulator Warns About Chantix and Suicide

Patients taking the drug who develop suicidal thoughts or other mood problems should stop treatment and contact their doctor, the U.K.'s drug regulator said.

Pfizer Hangs ‘For Sale’ Sign on Indiana Factory That Made Exubera

Pfizer is looking for buyer for the manufacturing plant for the now-defunct inhaled insulin called Exubera.

Rehab Programs Extend Stays To 3 Months

Alcohol and drug rehab centers are finding that the usual 30-day programs often aren't enough.

How Aggressive Should Doctors Be in Prescribing Statins After Jupiter?

An editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine sounds notes of caution about a study of AstraZeneca's statin Crestor.

General Motors Retirees Struggle With Loss of Health Coverage

Many of the company's retirees are navigating Medicare coverage options for the first time.

Reps. Dingell, Waxman Wrestle Over Key Health Committee

The two House Democrats have been frequent critics of the pharmaceutical industry are in a battle whose outcome could shape the agenda for health reform.

Jupiter Results Exert Strong Pull on Cardiologists

Results of a large study of AstraZeneca's Crestor may lead to broader use of cholesterol drugs in apparently healthy people. But it isn't clear if that would be cost-effective.

Merck’s Heart Remains Steadfast in Hunt for Cardiovascular Drugs

The drugmaker affirmed its commitment to research on drugs for heart disease, in marked contrast to Pfizer's recent decision to leave the field.

Wages Are ‘Too Small a Donkey’ to Carry the Load of Health Costs

You think the cost of health care is hard on lower-middle-income families right now? In a few years, if current trends continue, it will be much worse.

Amgen Eyes Internet and Modest Sales Force to Launch Denosumab

The biotech company is betting it can reach the right doctors with the nowhere near as many reps as primary care powerhouses like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck have tapped to do that job in the past.

Amgen’s Sharer Says Financial Crisis Isn’t Hurting Company

Amgen is weathering the financial crisis just fine, but the company could be hurt if the government looks to cut drug spending, CEO Kevin Sharer said.

Amgen’s Sharer Says Crisis Isn’t Hurting Company

Amgen is weathering the financial crisis just fine, but the company could be hurt if the government looks to cut drug spending, CEO Kevin Sharer said.

Amgen’s Sharer Says Financial Crisis Isn’t Hurting Company

Amgen is weathering the financial crisis just fine, but the company could be hurt if the government looks to cut drug spending, CEO Kevin Sharer said.

How Do You Give a Gorilla a Colonoscopy?

A 36-year-old gorilla named Gigi got a colonoscopy this week.

Amgen’s Sharer Says Crisis Isn’t Hurting Company

Amgen is weathering the financial crisis just fine, but the company could be hurt if the government looks to cut drug spending, CEO Kevin Sharer said.

How Do You Give a Gorilla a Colonoscopy?

A 36-year-old gorilla named Gigi got a colonoscopy this week.

Senate Power Brokers Moving on Health Reform

Obama's big plans for health-care reform will rise or fall in the U.S. Senate. Key Democratic senators are considering some aggressive procedural moves to avoid a Republican filibuster.

Did a Bone Marrow Transplant Cure a Cancer Patient of AIDS?

A patient is HIV-free two years after receiving a transplant from a donor with a genetic mutation that protects against AIDS.

Senate Power Brokers Moving on Health Reform

Obama's big plans for health-care reform will rise or fall in the U.S. Senate. Key Democratic senators are considering some aggressive procedural moves to avoid a Republican filibuster.

Did a Bone Marrow Transplant Cure a Cancer Patient of AIDS?

A patient is HIV-free two years after receiving a transplant from a donor with a genetic mutation that protects against AIDS.

Express Scripts Data Breach Leads to Extortion Attempt

Express Scripts received an extortion letter threatening to reveal "millions" of patients' personal data.

Joshua Sharfstein: Another Contender for FDA Commissioner

Sharfstein, who runs Baltimore's health department, used to work for a Henry Waxman, a powerful Democratic congressman.

Five Things Not to Bring to the Emergency Room

Please leave the snake that bit you at home.

How Many Doctors Are in the House?

Physicians fared pretty well in Tuesday's Congressional elections.

Radiology Police Move Into Cardiology

Doctors' requests for scans, tests and treatments for heart problems are being vetted more often by companies that insurers hire to manage costs.

Health Reform in Massachusetts Holds Lessons for Washington

Massachusetts' experiment in universal coverage suggests Barack Obama's plans for health reform may be tough to implement.

First Glimpse Of the Secrets of the Cancer Genome

For the first time, the complete genome of a patient's cancer cells has been sequenced and compared to the complete genome of the patient's healthy cells.

Pfizer & Sanofi-Aventis Abandon Obesity Drugs

In the past month, a once-promising class of prescription medicines has quietly blown up.

First Glimpse Of the Secrets of the Cancer Genome

For the first time, the complete genome of a patient's cancer cells has been sequenced and compared to the complete genome of the patient's healthy cells.

Pfizer & Sanofi-Aventis Abandon Obesity Drugs

In the past month, a once-promising class of prescription medicines has quietly blown up.

Arizona’s Prop 101, Barring Universal Health Insurance, Too Close to Call

The measure is especially relevant in Arizona because a leader in the state Legislature backs universal health-care bill.

Medco CEO: Generic Biotech Bill Likely to Pass Congress in 2009

David Snow expects quick progress on a pathway for generic biotech drugs, but universal health care could take a while.

Arizona’s Prop 101, Barring Universal Health Insurance, Too Close to Call

The measure is especially relevant in Arizona because a leader in the state Legislature backs universal health-care bill.

Medco CEO: Generic Biotech Bill Likely to Pass Congress in 2009

David Snow expects quick progress on a pathway for generic biotech drugs, but universal health care could take a while.

Michael Crichton, Physician and Author, Loses Cancer Fight

Crichton, a doctor who used science and medicine as a jumping off point for popular novels, movies and TV shows, has died of cancer.

Horse Race Begins for New Leaders at FDA and HHS

Speculation on who will land influential health positions in the Obama administration has already begun.

Foes Lead on California’s Prop 4, Parental Notification for Teen Abortions

Although votes are still being counted in California, it looks like doctors there won't be required to alert a girl's parents before performing an abortion.

Horse Race Begins for New Leaders at FDA and HHS

Speculation on who will land influential health positions in the Obama administration has already begun.

Foes Lead on California’s Prop 4, Parental Notification for Teen Abortions

Although votes are still being counted in California, it looks like doctors there won't be required to alert a girl's parents before performing an abortion.

Glaxo Trims Sales Force & Makes North Carolina Its U.S. Homebase

The drugmaker is cutting about 12% of its sales reps in a move prompted by generic competition and feedback from unhappy doctors.

Foes Lead on California’s Prop 4, Parental Notification for Teen Abortions

Although votes are still being counted in California, it looks like doctors there won't be required to alert a girl's parents before performing an abortion.

Glaxo Trims Sales Force & Makes North Carolina Its U.S. Homebase

The drugmaker is cutting about 12% of its sales reps in a move prompted by generic competition and feedback from unhappy doctors.

European Pharma Stocks Slip After Obama Victory

Shares of drugmakers in Europe fell, reflecting worries about the future of Big Pharma under a new American president.

Glaxo Trims Sales Force & Makes North Carolina Its U.S. Homebase

The drugmaker is cutting about 12% of its sales reps in a move prompted by generic competition and feedback from unhappy doctors.

European Pharma Stocks Slip After Obama Victory

Shares of drugmakers in Europe fell, reflecting worries about the future of Big Pharma under a new American president.

Washington Passes Initiative 1000, Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide

Voters in Washington State answered yes to the thorny ethical question: Should a doctor be allowed to prescribe a lethal dose of drugs to a dying patient?

Michigan Legalizes Medical Marijuana, Expands Stem Cell Research

Proposal 1, which legalizes medical marijuana, passed overwhelmingly. Proposal 2, which expands stem cell research, squeaked by.

Drug Industry Trade Secrets: Speaking Fees, Education Subsidies

The sorts of payments to doctors that the drug industry claims as trade secrets might surprise you.

Utah Tries Cheaper COBRA Alternative for Health Insurance

A new plan from Utah insurers aims to make between-jobs coverage cheaper by offering coverage that's less comprehensive.

Glaxo Poised to Rejigger American Unit, Cut Sales Reps

Glaxo joins the drugmakers cutting salespeople calling on doctors.

Feds, States Probe Vytorin Marketing

The Department of Justice and 35 state attorneys general are investigating whether Merck and Schering-Plough improperly promoted the drug.

Lawmakers Ask Pfizer CEO to Spare U.S. Contractors

The drugmaker has been training foreign workers as part of a plan to transfer IT work from local contractors to outside consulting firms, a Connecticut newspaper reports.

Supremes Hear Arguments in Wyeth v. Levine

The Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could establish a legal shield against claims in state courts for industries regulated by federal laws.

If Not Universal Care, How About Universal Primary Care?

A commentary in the Lancet argues that the dwindling ranks of primary care physicians needs more attention.

Genentech Seeks FDA Nod for Avastin for Brain Cancer

Avastin has already been used off-label for glioblastoma, a very deadly form of brain cancer.

Would an Obama Victory Preempt Wyeth v. Levine?

An Obama victory and a Democratic Congress could offset a Wyeth win in the Supreme Court.

Cholesterol Drugs Could Get a Boost From Jupiter

A study of AstraZeneca's Crestor was stopped early because of good results. The findings will be revealed in a few days and may lead to broader use of cholesterol drugs in apparently healthy people.

Washington State Could Let Terminally Ill Patients Take Lethal Drug Doses

Voters in Washington State will decide on Tuesday whether to allow dying patients to get a prescription from their doctors for a lethal dose of medication.

Cholesterol Drugs Could Get a Boost From Jupiter

A study of AstraZeneca's Crestor was stopped early because of good results. The findings will be revealed in a few days and may lead to broader use of cholesterol drugs in apparently healthy people.