Free From Uncle Sam: VA Software for Hospital EHS Systems

Infection rates at one VA hospital dropped 88% thanks to guidelines in the record system.

Companies Look to Shift More Health Costs to Workers

The recession is prompting some companies to get more aggressive in cutting their health costs, according to a new survey.

Live Blog: CDC Swine-Flu Update

Richard Besser, the CDC's acting director, is giving today's daily media update on swine flu. Here's what he's saying.

Live Blog: CDC Swine Flu Update

Richard Besser, the CDC's acting director, is giving today's daily media update on swine flu. Here's what he's saying.

Medicare May Pay More For Primary-Care Docs, Rural Surgeons

But where would the money come from?

Tracking the Swine Flu Outbreak: Thursday

This live blog will track developments throughout Thursday related to swine flu, from The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswires and other news services.

Provenge Data Give Dendreon a Takeover Glow

The company may now be an appealing acquisition target.

Considering the Range of Pandemics

Pandemics can be relatively mild or more severe.

Live Blog: Swine Flu Update from WHO Director-General

Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, is giving an update on the swine flu. Here's what she's saying.

Live Blog: Swine Flu Update from WHO Director-General,

Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, is giving an update on the swine flu. Here's what she's saying.

Live Blog: Swine Flu Update from WHO Director-General

Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, is giving an update on the swine flu. Here's what she's saying.

Swine Flu? H1N1? What’s In a Name?

Unpacking the language officials are using to describe the bug.

After Yesterday’s Storm, Sun Shines Again on Dendreon’s Shares

The company's shares surged this morning after they plunged yesterday before details of its latest drug study were unveiled.

Search for Swine Flu’s Patient Zero Leads to Mexican Boy

He's the earliest confirmed case in Mexico, but it's not clear that the outbreak started with him.

After Swearing In, Sebelius Talks Swine Flu in Situation Room

If the push for an overhaul of the health-care system wasn't enough to get Sebelius into the top job at HHS quickly, then swine flu created an extra incentive.

Plunging Stock Price Rains on Dendreon’s Provenge Parade

Shares in Dendreon fell 45% just before trading was slated to be halted ahead of news on an important study.

Swine Flu: Live Blogging CDC’s Tuesday Call

Acting Commissioner Richard Besser is giving the CDC's daily media update on swine flu. Here's what he's saying

Headless Health Agencies Face Swine Flu

The nominee to head the FDA has experience with preparation for pandemics, but she's not on the job yet.

IOM Talks Softly, Carries Big Stick on Doctor Conflicts

The report asked doctors to refuse all fees and gifts and it suggested establishing a public Web site for disclosing all industry payments.

Live Blog: WHO Tuesday Call

The WHO's Keiji Fukuda is talking to reporters about the current swine flu situation. Here's what he's saying.

Pfizer Roundup: Lipitor Sales Fall, Biotech Chief Exits

The company's quarterly earnings are out this morning. And, in a move that is likely connected to the Wyeth deal, the head of the company's biotech R&D unit is leaving.

A Century of Flu Pandemics

Last century's pandemics ranged from the "catastrophe" of 1918, to milder pandemics in the '50s and '60s, to a near miss in the 1970s.

Amid Swine Flu Outbreak, N95 Masks Placed on Back Order

3M Co. said it is racing to meet demand for it N95 respiratory masks amid surging demand brought on by the outbreak of swine flu. Spokeswoman Jacqueline Berry said the masks are now on back order -- meaning the Minnesota-based company doesn't have enough of them on hand to ship [...]

Swine Flu at Alert Phase 4: ‘Mitigation,’ Not ‘Containment’

The WHO says the virus is too widespread for travel restrictions or border closing to help much, if at all.

If Primary-Care Docs Are Paid More, Will Specialists Get Less?

Plenty of people say primary-care doctors should get paid more. But where should the money come from?

Understanding the WHO’s Global Pandemic-Alert Levels

There are six different alert phases, used to describe how close the world is to a pandemic.

Swine Flu: Live Blogging CDC’s Monday Conference Call

The WHO said earlier today that there have been 40 cases of swine flu confirmed in the U.S. So far, cases in this country appear to have been mild, but [...]

Glaxo, Roche Start to Map Swine-Flu Game Plans

Roche's Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline's Relenza may help, while Novartis is getting ready to produce a vaccine.

What’s Confusing About Swine Flu

One major question is whether there have been relatively mild cases in Mexico that haven't been included in the count of people with the illness.

Health Blog Q&A: Swine Flu in the U.S. and Mexico

Here are a few basics on the swine flu outbreak.

Abbott Shareholders Don’t Want Say On Exec Pay

The vote comes a day after Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson released the results of similar votes.

Number of Malpractice Suits Falls 41% in Pennsylvania

The decline looks like the result of a few changes in the rules for filing the suits.

As Insurance Coverage Increases, ERs Get Busier

New data from Massachusetts suggest that covering more people won't reduce emergency-room crowding.

War Against Cancer: A Long, Hard Slog

Despite decades of intensive research, the death rate from cancer has declined only a bit.

Swine Flu: Look Hard Enough, and You’ll See Strange Things

Intensive surveillance has turned up a strain of swine flu that can pass from person to person.

Embryonic Stem Cells Without Embryos, Cont’d

The march toward reprogramming adult cells to act like embryonic stem cells continues.

Pfizer Holders Want Say on Exec Pay; J&J Holders, Not So Much

Both companies held annual meetings today.

Patients: There’s Waste in Medicine, but My Doctor Is Perfect

A poll shows doctors have a sharp arrow in their quiver when it comes to health reform.

Specialty Matters When Implanting Defibrillators

A study looked at complication rates among patients who got the devices implanted by different types of doctors.

Boston Medical School in Awkward Spot After Craigslist Arrest

Boston University's medical school has been inundated with media since the arrest of its second-year student.

Does Avastin Trial Mean Roche Paid Too Much for Genentech?

A major Genentech drug, Avastin, failed to meet its main goal in a closely watched trial in colon cancer.

Sebelius Wins Committee Vote Despite Abortion Controversy

Republicans expressed concern about contributions she'd received from a Kansas doctor who performs late-term abortions.

Where Medical Boards Do and Don’t Crack Down on Doctors

Disciplinary rates were high in Alaska and low in Minnesota.

Merck Suffers Blow Developing New Migraine Drug

Analysts had considered telcagepant one of Merck's key new products.

Debate Over Public Plan Pulls Health Reform Past ‘Kumbaya’

Some folks on the left are worried President Obama will abandon the idea of a new government-sponsored health plan.

10 Reasons Doctors Get Burned Out

Factors contributing to burnout include long work hours and a lack of balance between work and family.

As Nest Eggs Shrink, Some Doctors Try to Return From Retirement

Doctors face hurdles as they try to return to the workforce to make up for shrinking retirement savings.

WellPoint Makes Three Million Calls In Health-Reform Survey

The survey looks like a step into the debate over health-reform policy.

Amid Talk of Reform, Health-Clinic Lines Grow

In North Carolina, one in four adults under 64 is uninsured.

Friendlier Skies in Canada for Overweight Passengers

Canadian regulators require that obese passengers get a free extra seat, because it views obesity as a disability.

Universal Care Could Be Thwarted by Disappearing Docs

Another survey of docs in Texas found only 38% said they took new Medicare patients.

Silicone Can Carry High Cost in Bid to Look Good

There are 3,000 agencies that work to prevent food-contamination illnesses, with little communication between them.

Trying to Fill In the Blanks in FDA’s Rules on Web Ads

Drug companies say they don't know what the FDA's rules are when it comes to Web advertising.

Feds: Watch Out for Exploding Fitness Balls

The maker of the fitness balls received 47 reports of balls "unexpectedly bursting, including reports of a fracture, and multiple bruises."

Roche and Genentech Break Down Some R&D Walls

Roche is getting its hands on some data it wasn't seeing before it took full control of Genentech.

Eli Lilly Tops List of Drug-Company Pay to Vermont Docs

The state tallied compensation including consulting and speaker fees, travel expenses, gifts and food.

Pharma Sales Reps Often Find the Doc Won’t See Them Now

The 18 million wasted sales calls each year suggest the extent of a physician backlash against pharma's marketing push.

Fresh Off Wyeth Deal, Pfizer Inks HIV Pact with Glaxo

By combining their HIV businesses, Glaxo and Pfizer are both trying to mitigate problems related to generic competition and parched pipelines.

Nancy-Ann DeParle’s Definition of ‘Public’ Health Insurance

The head of the new White House Health Reform Office talks about government-sponsored insurance.

Study Author in JAMA Disclosure Flap Has His Say

The author of that 2008 study is firing back at his critics in a letter today in the British Medical Journal.

Abbott CEO: ‘We’re Not Necessarily Looking for any Large M&A’

He added that he has a "clear bias towards smaller to midsize deals."

Merck Exec on R&D: ‘Nothing Is Safe From Cuts’

The whole drug industry seems to be reorganizing research.

Roche Exec Takes Over As Genentech CEO

The other shoe just dropped at Genentech.

After Falling for Fake Study, Review Board Steps Aside

Coast IRB, until further notice, won't be reviewing new FDA-regulated studies and will direct researchers involved with ongoing FDA-regulated studies it previously approved to halt enrollment of new subjects.

Dendreon’s Shares Come Back to Life on Prostate Cancer Data

The company says Provenge improved survival among men with advanced prostate cancer, but is holding off on providing details until late April.

Diabetics Visiting the ER Have Greater Chance of Dementia

Bouts of severely low blood sugar raise diabetics’ risk of developing dementia in later age.

Generics, Recession Take Bites Out of J&J’s Profit

Sales fell in the company's consumer, pharmaceutical and medical-device businesses.

Finding Referrals for Mental-Health Patients Often Elusive

He's emerging in the health-reform debate after being passed over for the top job at Health and Human Services.

Drug Makers Talk Up Comparative Effectiveness, Sort Of

They're getting behind the concept, as long as the research doesn't lead to coverage denials.

Heart Health: Mediterranean Diet Good, Trans Fats Bad

Researchers parsed the data from hundreds of studies to try to connect the dots between diet and heart health.

How Much Will Higher Taxes, Price Hikes Damp Cigarette Sales?

The one-two punch of higher taxes and price increases could see 2009 volume drop by percentages in the high single digits to low double digits, Fitch says.

What the Recession Means for Hospitals, Nurses

Health care is weathering the economic hard times better than many other sectors. Still, it has its share of trouble.

Fraud Hits Home Health-Care Program

One man who claimed he couldn't get out of bed was driving an ice cream truck for hours every day.

What the Recession Means for Hospitals, Nurses

Health care is weathering the economic hard times better than many other sectors. Still, it has its share of trouble.

Fraud Hits Home Health-Care Program

California is set to spend more than $5 billion this year to provide home health care that helps low-income people who are old and incapacitated stay out of nursing homes. Allowing people to stay at home is often a good thing -- but with [...]

What’s the Best Way to Manage Prescription-Drug Benefits?

Express Scripts' deal to purchase of WellPoint's pharmacy-benefits management business points to a debate in the insurance world.

Icahn Tries to Shake Up Boards at Amylin and Biogen

Biogen and Amylin are on the hot seat.

Researcher Faked Data in Sleep Apnea Study

The researcher fudged data so it would "better conform to his hypothesis."

Harvard-Affiliated Hospitals to Limit Docs’ Industry Ties

The announcement comes just a few days after Johns Hopkins said it was adopting a new conflict-of-interest policy.

Bristol, Biogen CEOs: We’re Not Rushing to Be Acquired

But they aren't ruling it out, either.

Reality Check on Foodborne Illness Rate

The rate hasn't changed much nationwide in the past few years, a new estimate found.

Girl With Genetic Disease Sues Sperm Bank

A federal judge said the case can proceed.

Hospital Settles Over ‘Dumping’ Homeless Patients

Several hospitals in Los Angeles have run into legal troubles over a practice of dropping off homeless patients on skid row.

Big Pharma’s Global Generics Push Continues With Sanofi Deal

As growth has slowed for Big Pharma's traditional cash cows -- blockbuster drugs sold in rich countries -- the industry has increasingly looked to middle-income countries and off-patent drugs.

Wait, What Is Brown Fat?

Everybody's talking about brown fat this morning. Here's what they're talking about.

Time for Soda Tax? Backers Want to Cut Obesity, Aid Budgets

A tax on sodas of a penny an ounce could lead to a drastic reduction in consumption of sugary drinks.

FDA Takes New Look at Female Condoms, External Defibrillators

The affected products date back to before 1976.

Johns Hopkins Bans Free Drug Samples, Gifts from Industry

Hopkins is trying to cut down on "the marketing component of academic-industry relations," it says.

Illegal Immigrant Used Stolen Identity to Get Hospital Care

She illustrated the risks of medical identity theft as well as the struggles of illegal immigrants.

How Quality-of-Care Rules Can Lead Doctors Astray

An op-ed piece in the WSJ argues that medicine evolves beyond what the rules say.

If China Builds Hospitals, Patients Will Come

The country's health reform plan involves a health-care construction boom and subsidies to get more of the uninsured covered.

More Prescriptions for Generics, Fewer for Branded Drugs

A few years back, most U.S. prescriptions were for branded drugs. By the end of this year, two-thirds of all prescriptions will be generic, according to a new analysis.

Shares of Medicare Advantage Companies Rise On News of Cuts

There is likely to be some more tinkering before all is said and done.

Reorganizing Drug R&D: $62 Billion Merger Not Required

As their pipelines have grown thin, big drug companies have busied themselves reorganizing R&D.

Reorganizing Big Pharma R&D: $62 Billion Merger Not Required

As their pipelines have grown thin, big drug companies have busied themselves reorganizing R&D.

Citing Economy, AMA Announces 100 Layoffs

The cuts will affect staffers in the group's Chicago and DC offices.

Torti’s Farewell Memo to FDA Staff: ‘Take the FDA Back’

As he departed from his post as acting FDA commissioner, Frank Torti said the agency "is now defined by others."

Does the World Need a Prescription Drug for Jet Lag?

Cephalon says it had positive results in a trial of Nuvigil in participants who hopped over the pond from the eastern U.S. to France.

Abortion Foes Call Republican Response to Sebelius ‘Baffling’

They're disappointed Republicans aren't taking a tougher stand against the HHS nominee.

Pfizer Closes In on Settlement Over Drug Trial of Trovan in Nigeria

The charges involve a trial of the antibiotic Trovan in children during the mid-1990s.

Abilify Deal Gives Bristol-Myers Some Breathing Room

The company will hang on to sales of the antipsychotic longer, helping it around the same time the huge seller Plavix will go generic.

Oops! Seroquel Documents Bounce On and Off FDA Web Site

The FDA inadvertently posted documents for an upcoming advisory committee meeting too early -- then took them down and later put them back up online.

What FDA Diabetes Panel’s Novo Nordisk Vote Means for Amylin

Amylin makes the diabetes drug Byetta, and is working on a long-acting version.

Nurse Charged With Killing Dialysis Patients With Bleach

She is being held without bond.

Sebelius Nomination May Shift to Slow Track

The nominee for HHS secretary sailed through confirmation hearings this week. But she may not be confirmed before Congress's two-week spring break.

Tobacco’s Regulator May Soon Be Same As Pharma’s

The Senate didn't take up FDA regulation of tobacco last year, but a new president this year supports passage of the bill.

GE, Intel, Google, IBM, Microsoft & Home-Health Monitoring

Lots of big technology companies are angling to get into the business of helping patients monitor their health at home.

Testing of Alzheimer’s Treatment Is Curbed by Wyeth and Elan

Bapineuzumab has been closely watched because it is thought to potentially to be able to slow the course of the disease.

Conservative Critic of Obama on Health Reform Has Messy Past

Conservative Richard Scott, ousted from Columbia/HCA in the late 1990s, is getting a mixed reception in the current health-care debate.

Hospital Doors Revolve for Many Medicare Patients

The government is searching for ways to get hospitals and community doctors to work together to cut hospital readmissions.

Is Earlier Better for AIDS Treatment?

A new analysis weighs in on a long-running question: When to start drug treatment for HIV?

Potential Buyers Kick the Tires of Solvay’s Drug Business

Potential bidders include Bayer, Sanofi-Aventis, AstraZeneca, Abbott Labs and Merck KGaA of Germany.

Television Viewers Offer Kidneys to Natalie Cole

The ethics of such donations are muddy.

FDA Advisers Support Avastin for Brain Cancer

The biotech drug has already been used off-label for the disease.

Sebelius Runs Into Tax Problems, But Daschle’s Were Bigger

Her issues amount to nearly $8,000, compared with $140,000 or so for Daschle.

As Angioplasty Declines, Are Patients Helped or Harmed?

There are tradeoffs when it comes to public reporting of hospitals' mortality data.