Health and Human Services Sector
Abbott beats forecasts as drug sales shine
Jan 26, 2011 08:57 EST
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories <ABT.N> reported fourth-quarter sales and earnings that slightly topped forecasts, fueled by strong demand for its prescription medicines and heart stents.
Elan cuts 10 pct of workforce, keeps private jet
Jan 25, 2011 18:54 EST
BOSTON (Reuters) - Irish drugmaker Elan Corp <ELN.I><ELN.N> has quietly laid off 130 people, or about 10 percent of its workforce.
Going digital may not improve U.S. patient care
Jan 25, 2011 15:08 EST
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Electronic health records -- touted by the White House as a key way to improve healthcare in the United States -- may actually do little to improve quality, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
Americans oppose yanking healthcare law funds: poll
Jan 25, 2011 14:34 EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most Americans do not want Congress to block funding for various new healthcare measures even as the nation remains split on the sweeping overhaul passed last year, a poll published on Tuesday found.
Europe's flu rate rises, disease spreads eastwards
Jan 25, 2011 14:22 EST
LONDON (Reuters) - Rates of seasonal flu are rising in The Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and France, and the disease is spreading eastwards with hundreds of people needing treatment in intensive care units and death tolls also starting to rise.
Europe's flu rate rises, disease spreads eastwards
Jan 25, 2011 12:42 EST
LONDON (Reuters) - Rates of seasonal flu are rising in The Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and France, and the disease is spreading eastwards with hundreds of people needing treatment in intensive care units and death tolls also starting to rise.
J&J sales lag after recalls; 2011 view disappoints
Jan 25, 2011 09:50 EST
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson reported disappointing quarterly revenue due to plunging U.S. sales of consumer products that continue to be recalled for quality-control lapses, and the diversified healthcare company forecast 2011 earnings below Wall Street expectations.
Group helps Justice Dept in heart device probe
Jan 24, 2011 13:58 EST
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A U.S. medical association said it is cooperating with a federal agency's probe into proper use of implantable heart defibrillators, sending shares of makers of those devices down on Monday.
Merck JV looking at new rotavirus vaccine for poor
Jan 24, 2011 09:24 EST
LONDON (Reuters) - A joint venture between U.S. drugmaker Merck and Britain's Wellcome Trust charity said on Monday it is working on an oral rotavirus vaccine designed to be cheaper and easier to use than current shots.
EU price cuts and U.S. reform weigh on Big Pharma
Jan 24, 2011 06:34 EST
ZURICH (Reuters) - Europe's drive to cut drug prices coupled with U.S. healthcare reforms will weigh on global pharmaceutical companies' growth outlooks for 2011.
U.S. company to stop making drug used in executions
Jan 21, 2011 19:42 EST
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An anesthetic used in lethal injections will no longer be made by its only U.S. manufacturer because the company does not want it to be used in executions, forcing states that allow the death penalty to look for other suppliers.
Sole firm to halt drug for US lethal injection
Jan 21, 2011 17:31 EST
The sole US manufacturer of a drug used for lethal injection executions in the United States announced Friday it would exit the market, raising new questions about states' ability to carry out capital punishment.
U.S. company to stop making drug used in executions
Jan 21, 2011 15:33 EST
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The only U.S. company to make a drug used in lethal injections said on Friday it had decided to halt production permanently because it was unable to guarantee it would not be used in executions in the United States.
Biogen reports 6 new cases of PML with Tysabri
Jan 21, 2011 14:27 EST
BOSTON (Reuters) - Biogen Idec Inc said six patients taking its multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri developed a potentially fatal brain infection in December, bringing the total number of such cases associated with the drug to 85.
US expert panel gives nod to Alzheimer's scan
Jan 21, 2011 12:16 EST
An advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration has recommended a new brain scan procedure for detecting Alzheimer's disease, as long as doctors receive additional training to use it.
House Republicans launch healthcare law push
Jan 21, 2011 06:16 EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the House of Representatives on Thursday launched a plan to replace President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul "branch by branch" with measures they say would bring down soaring costs.
AstraZeneca responds to FDA on heart drug Brilinta
Jan 21, 2011 04:59 EST
LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has replied to the Food and Drug Administration queries about its key new heart drug Brilinta and remains confident about a marketing application for the product.
U.S. panel rejects Lilly dye for brain plaque
Jan 20, 2011 21:16 EST
SILVER SPRING, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. advisers have rejected an Eli Lilly & Co imaging agent, saying more data is needed before the drug can be approved for helping doctors rule out the presence of plaque linked to Alzheimer's disease.
JPMorgan shuffles M&A team, hires Cravath lawyer
Jan 20, 2011 19:19 EST
NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co <JPM.N> shuffled the management of its deals advisory business on Thursday, moving two long-time managers to senior relationship roles and hiring a prominent corporate lawyer.
Studies show swift impact of rotavirus vaccines
Jan 20, 2011 13:01 EST
LONDON (Reuters) - Countries that vaccinate babies against rotavirus, which can cause severe diarrhea and kill in days, have significantly reduced the number of children admitted to hospitals with the disease, a report showed on Thursday.
