MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'average'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:04:56 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125966&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FZ_ype3VE7CE%2F Once again, a big drugmaker has made a payment to a state in order to settle charges of inflating the average wholesale prices of its medicine. This time, AstraZeneca agreed to pay $2.5 million to Idaho, which argued its citizens were harmed because the state Medicaid program unnecessarily paid too much for various drugs. “Where published prices are false or misleading, the taxpayers are significantly harmed by excessive Medicaid reimbursements,” Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden says in a statement. “Investigation by my office has revealed that the reported average wholesale price often is not related to the actual wholesale price paid for the drug.” In one example cited. a unit of the Prilosec heartburn had a published average wholesale price of $4.134 in 2003, but in fact,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125966 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:03:51 +0100 5125966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069820&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAz6PCNoGg6Q%2F The Kentucky attorney general has filed a lawsuit in a state court alleging that McKesson, one of the largest distributors, and First DataBank, which publishes a database for prescription drug prices, conspired to artificially inflate wholesales prices for more than 1,800 brand-name meds and, consequently, cost state taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements. Specifically, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway alleges the companies concocted a scheme in which they “fraudulently inflated” the average wholesale prices published by First DataBank for the drugs, because they knew the Kentucky Medicaid program was required by law to use the inflated prices to calculate reimbursement to pharmacies and other providers. The lawsuit alleges the wholesale acquisi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069820 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:45:30 +0100 5069820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911823&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FDdUeRDT_Nxc%2F The Michigan attorney general has filed a lawsuit in a state court alleging that McKesson, one of the largest distributors, and the Hearst media conglomerate, which owns the First DataBank and its drug database, conspired to artificially inflate wholesales prices and, consequently, cost taxpayers millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements. The companies allegedly violated the Michigan Medicaid False Claims Act and common law by knowingly publishing false average wholesale prices for certain meds - including Lipitor, Zyprexa, Allegra, Celebrex and Advair - between 2001 and 2009, according to the lawsuit. During this time, Michigan Medicaid spent nearly $2 billion on 890 brand-name drugs, as well as approximately $80 million on approximately 1,900 generics. The lawsuit alleges the wholes... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911823 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:35:11 +0100 4911823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762798&cid=t_167833_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F28%2Fmotivation-iq-tests-more-than-intelligence%2F One of the common misconceptions about psychological testing is that even the so-called objective psychological tests (usually done on a computer or paper-and-pencil tests) tap into a single “truth” about the person. And that there is very little subjectivity in such tests. In fact, one’s approach to taking a psychological test has a big impact on the test’s results — and the interpretations of those results by a trained psychologist. The problem is that psychologists — and worse, the legal system — uses these tests as not only an indicator of where a person is in their life right now, but as a predictor of their future potential. If something as simple as one’s motivation can have a significant impact on one of these scores, what does that m... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762798 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:24:30 +0100 4762798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762937&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fhg7QGCQONN0%2F Hello, everyone. Another busy day is about to unfold here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, as we prepare for a round of meetings and deadlines. To cope, we are our brewing our mandatory cup of stimulation - we continue to favor Wild Mountain Blueberry this week. Meanwhile, here are some items to help you get started. Hope your day goes well and stay in touch… Par Pharma Pays $153M To Settle Pricing Lawsuits (Reuters) Sanofi-Aventis Profit Falls Due To Generics (Bloomberg News) More US Women Are Using The Morning After Pill (Reuters) Roche Wins FDA Approval For HPV Diagnostics Test (Bloomberg News) AstraZeneca Profits Get A Lift From Tax Breaks (Pharma Times) Merck Hepatitis C Drug Wins FDA Panel Backing (Boston Globe) Australia Delays Subsidies For Some Medicines (Australian Broadc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762937 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:49:06 +0100 4762937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753666&cid=t_167833_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3hDFR4atXeA%2F By Alan Reynolds“In the last decade, the average income of the bottom 90 percent of all working Americans actually declined,” Obama said on April 13. “The top 1 percent saw their income rise by an average of more than a quarter of a million dollars each.” Politi-Fact, partly on the basis of my own research, generously rates the president’s claim as “Half True.” The truth is that the President’s source, Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez, refer only to pretax, pretransfer income reported on individual tax returns (as opposed to being sheltered inside a corporation or IRA or simply unreported), and they have no data on the bottom 90%. Worst of all, they leave out transfer payments, which amounted to $2.3 trillion last year — 44% as large as a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753666 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:55:08 +0100 4753666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4302190&cid=t_167833_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FY4Cf0l5FmIA%2F Think we all have different tastes where beauty is concerned? Well, cognitive psychology shows us that an average face (made from several other faces) is almost always judged as more attractive than its constituent faces… Why? It may be for the simple reason that an average face is closer to the mental idea we have of a prototypical face and thus easier for the brain to process. Want to experience it? Follow this link to the the Face Research Lab and create your own average faces. Enjoy. Happy stimulating New Year to you! (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302190 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:32:55 +0100 4302190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277959&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FlQTCI1cR4OA%2F Yet another drugmaker is forking over a big fine to settle charges of deliberately misreporting pricing info in order to hike reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid. The latest is Dey Pharma, which is currently owned by Mylan Laboratories and agreed to resolve charges that prices were rigged for Albuterol and a few other meds. However, since the alleged wrongdoing occurred before Mylan bought Dey from Merck KGgA in 2007, the German drugmaker is responsible for paying the settlement and related expenses associated with pending and future-related Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement lawsuits. In any event, a Mylan statement maintains the settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing. This is only the latest instance in which drugmakers have been tagged for rigging the average w... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277959 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:29:53 +0100 4277959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275592&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FlQTCI1cR4OA%2F Yet another drugmaker is forking over a big fine to settle charges of deliberately misreporting pricing info in order to hike reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid. The latest is Dey Pharma, which is currently owned by Mylan Laboratories and agreed to resolve charges that prices were rigged for Albuterol and a few other meds. However, since the alleged wrongdoing occurred before Mylan bought Dey from Merck KGgA in 2007, the German drugmaker is responsible for paying the settlement and related expenses associated with pending and future-related Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement lawsuits. In any event, a Mylan statement maintains the settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing. This is only the latest instance in which drugmakers have been tagged for rigging the average w... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275592 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:29:53 +0100 4275592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245354&cid=t_167833_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F09%2Fdoes-the-gre-measure-anything-related-to-graduate-school%2F The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, is required for admission to many graduate schools around the country. The computerized test includes verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections.   The test was designed to predict success in graduate school. The research, however, does not support the idea that a high GRE score will predict graduate school success. Sternberg & Williams (1997) conducted a study to investigate how well GRE scores predicted graduate students’ success. Forty psychology faculty members at Yale were asked to rate graduate students’ abilities on five scales:  analytical, creative, practical, research and teaching.   The researchers also looked at first- and second-year student’s grade point averages, and overall evaluations of disserta... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245354 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:56:11 +0100 4245354 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4238146&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FuW_5HEPTvp0%2F In the latest instance of pharmaceutical fraud, three companies - Abbott Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim’s Roxane Labs unit and B. Braun Medical - have collectively agreed to pay $421 million to settle charges that they deliberately misreported pricing info in order to hike reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid. This is only the latest instance in which drugmakers have been tagged for rigging the average wholesale price charged federal healthcare systems. Numerous lawsuits and charges have been brought against nearly every large drugmaker by the feds and many states in recent years. With these settlements, the US Department of Justice has recovered more than $1.8 billion from drugmakers over pricing fraud. “By offering their customers one price and then falsely reporting... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4238146 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:40:50 +0100 4238146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040788&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHJJo5laMi_I%2F About three dozen drugmakers have agreed to pay $82 million to settle charges they overcharged the state of Hawaii between 1993 and 2006 based on published average wholesale prices, which actually exceeded the prices paid by pharmacies. For instance, the cost of prescription drugs in Hawaii’s Medicaid program soared from $45 million in 1999 to $117 million in 2004. This may get your stomach churning: an ulcer med that was available for $27.70 cost the state $1,480. But he methods used to inflate prices went undetected until a Florida pharmacy filed a whistleblower lawsuit, which has reverberated in numerous states (see here, here and here). “The feds didn’t see it. We didn’t see it,” Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett tells the Associated Press. “Ever... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040788 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:19:13 +0100 4040788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013547&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FjE5Tm3ldd70%2F Drugmakers are going to face some new fines for failing to submit required pricing data on a timely basis to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Servicves. Why? The US Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General has issued a new report that finds more than of all drugmakers failed to submit their Average Manufacturers Prices as required. This is a big issue because the AMP provided to CMS each quarter is used to calculate the rebates owed to the states under the Medicaid drug rebate program. These quarterly AMPs are also used to establish ceiling prices in the 340B program, which is administered by the US Health Resources and Services Administration, as the HHS OIG notes. But of 592 drugmakers required to submit quarterly AMP data in 2008, 53 percent failed to do so on ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013547 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:28:35 +0100 4013547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899666&cid=t_167833_180_f&fid=38610&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.productivity501.com%2Fbe-brilliant%2F8279%2F Are you average or above average? By definition, you are probably average although I like to assume that most readers of Productivity501 are above average. But for the moment, lets assume you are average.  How can you become above average? Time is the great equalizer. Everyone has the same amount of time–whether you are average, below average or above average.  The simple difference between people who are average and those who are above average is that above average people spend more time on the things that really matter. While this is simple to state, identifying the things that are really important and that really matter can be surprisingly. When Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard, it probably didn’t look like he was focusing on the things that were really... Productivity501 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899666 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:31:44 +0100 3899666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750060&cid=t_167833_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-problem-with-the-newly-launched-healthcaregov%2F2010.07.13 If a website touted misleading healthcare information, you’d hope the government would do something about it. But what do you do when the government is the one feeding the public bad information? Last week the Obama administration launched the new Healthcare.gov. It’s mostly an online insurance shopping website. It’s very much a federal government version of sites like eHealthInsurance.com or Massachsetts’ HealthConnector site, which have been around for years. So when HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in announcing the new site, claims it gives consumers “unprecedented transparency” into the healthcare marketplace, you should wonder what she means. But that’s not the big problem with this site. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at See First B... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750060 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:00:33 +0100 3750060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676894&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHD3rWgKGx-I%2F The lawsuits alleged the drugmaker inflated the average wholesale price of its Zoladex cancer drug and the Pulmicort asthma med for children. The $103 million settlement comes after a federal court last September rejected AstraZeneca’s appeal of a 2007 trial in Massachusetts. The payment covers two different, but related groups: $13 million for third-party payers who paid some or all of their insured’s Medicare co-insurance for Zoladex or Pulmicort in Massachusetts, and a second class that includes consumers and third-party payers who paid cash or a co-pay for the drugs outside of Medicare in Massachusetts. The $90 million payment goes to a similar class in other states. AstraZeneca did not acknowledge any wrongdoing or liability. “AstraZeneca has competed responsibly with re... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676894 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:15:10 +0100 3676894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641021&cid=t_167833_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F4-reasons-why-doctors-dont-use-linkedin%2F2010.06.08 Where are the doctors on LinkedIn? If you spend any time there, you’ll find that we are few and far between. Sure, there are the entrepreneurs, the physician executives, and the social wonks, but not many practicing physicians. Why not?   1. Physicians are hyperlocal. Most MDs live and work in relatively small, geographically defined locations. Their success is sustained through word of mouth and the cultivation of a limited number of personal relationships. The average practicing physician has no need to sell himself beyond his local market. The depth of their bio is irrelevant to their local success. 2. Physicians are static. Once established, physicians aren’t likely to pick up and move as other professionals might need to do. Many physicians spend their careers in a coupl... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641021 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:00:46 +0100 3641021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592427&cid=t_167833_160_f&fid=36189&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skinmdblog.com%2F85%2Fadvances-in-dermatology-still-badly-needed%2F Scientists have been working to advance dermatology and make changes.  We need change, because the old “tried and true” approaches are ineffective and probably doing more harm to our skin than good. Sometimes it seems that for every scientific conclusion, there is a contradictory one.  An example is found in treating and identifying the causes of acne. Prior to the 1950s, dermatologists agreed that diet played a role in acne.  In particular, they blamed sugary snacks and junk food. Research conducted in the late 1960s and early 1970s proclaimed that there was no connection between diet and acne.  Within the last couple of years, scientists have again demonstrated that there is a connection between the consumption of carbohydrates and the severity of acne.  They were also able to p... Skin MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592427 Mon, 24 May 2010 00:12:50 +0100 3592427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533840&cid=t_167833_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-much-does-a-heart-attack-cost%2F2010.05.04 How much would a heart attack cost you? Quite a bit, according to CBS MoneyWatch.com: According to an article from the National Business Group on Health, the average total [editor's note: lifetime] cost of a severe heart attack -– including direct and indirect costs -– is about $1 million. Direct [lifetime] costs include charges for hospitals, doctors and prescription drugs, while indirect costs include lost productivity and time away from work. The average [lifetime] cost of a less-severe heart attack is about $760,000. Amortized over 20 years, that’s $50,000 per year for a severe heart attack and $38,000 per year for a less-severe heart attack. I’m all for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but before we get all hot and bothered about performing more testing to “prevent&#... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533840 Tue, 04 May 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3533840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490871&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fv_mXrkL6lAM%2F Four subsidiaries of the German drugmaker agreed to pay $7.75 million to settle allegations they overcharged the Wisconsin state Medicaid program by reporting inflated average wholesale drug prices. However, the settlement states the companies do not admit to any wrongdoing or violation. The settlement was part of a larger lawsuit charging 36 drugmakers with defrauding the Wisconsin Medicaid program. The four units - Ben Venue Laboratories, Boerhinger Ingelheim Roxane, Roxane Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals - allegedly reported inflated prices to the agencies whose data are used to determine Medicaid reimbursements (here is the settlement). “This settlement again demonstrates to anyone who attempts to defraud medical assistance programs that my office will pursue t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490871 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:49:32 +0100 3490871 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487370&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FLftZiYmSksc%2F The Mississippi Supreme Court has revived a lawsuit against Bayer, ruling the state can refile a claim the drugmaker defrauded its Medicaid program, Legal Newsline writes. Bayer Corp. USA was accused of inflating the average wholesale price of meds, causing the state to overpay and the false price reports led the state Medicaid program to spend millions of taxpayers’ dollars unnecessarily. In 2005, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood filed a suit against more than 86 drugmakers, including three Bayer units, accusing them of defrauding the state by inflating average wholesale prices. Bayer argued that under a 2001 settlement with Mississippi over drug pricing, the state had no grounds to sue. The 2001 settlement, in which Bayer agreed to pay the state $48,608, included a provision t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487370 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:08:08 +0100 3487370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254467&cid=t_167833_97_f&fid=35606&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theangriestpharmacist.com%2F2010%2F02%2F07%2Fyou-stupid-paper-card-is-just-that%2F Happy Super Bowl Day! I don’t watch much football. I’m a BASEBALL fan, myself, but I will get drunk and scre eat some wings with my wife. I know you’ve seen these stupid ass little paper cards floating around in magazines and periodicals. They are laid out like your standard insurance card, and they do a great job at tricking stupid people into thinking they are insurance cards. What I don’t understand is how someone could be so dense as to think that, “I bought a magazine / insurance policy last Tuesday. On Wednesday, I went to the pharmacy and got all my ’scripshuns filled up for free….that insurance I bought for $3.99 was awesome! Celebrex for free? DAAAYYYUUUMMM!” [You now hear and see me beating myself about the head with my stack of bat... The Angriest Pharmacist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254467 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:04:34 +0100 3254467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3248544&cid=t_167833_97_f&fid=35606&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theangriestpharmacist.com%2F2010%2F02%2F07%2Fyou-stupid-paper-card-is-just-that%2F Happy Super Bowl Day! I don’t watch much football. I’m a BASEBALL fan, myself, but I will get drunk and scre eat some wings with my wife. I know you’ve seen these stupid ass little paper cards floating around in magazines and periodicals. They are laid out like your standard insurance card, and they do a great job at tricking stupid people into thinking they are insurance cards. What I don’t understand is how someone could be so dense as to think that, “I bought a magazine / insurance policy last Tuesday. On Wednesday, I went to the pharmacy and got all my ’scripshuns filled up for free….that insurance I bought for $3.99 was awesome! Celebrex for free? DAAAYYYUUUMMM!” [You now hear and see me beating myself about the head with my stack of bat... The Angriest Pharmacist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3248544 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:04:34 +0100 3248544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220740&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fi-uFJZLh3Zw%2F And so another week draws to a close. We hope you survived. What will you do this weekend? Errands? Taxes? How about something relaxing? While you contemplate, another day beckons, so here are a few items to help you get by. Whatever you do this weekend, we hope you have time for something refreshing. Enjoy, everyone, and see you next week… Novartis Warns Countries Over Cancelled Vaccine Orders (AFP) Merck Helicopter Pad Site Approved (nj.com) Judge Rules Drugmakers Overcharged New York (Bloomberg News) Alberta, Canada To Save Millions On Generics (Edmonton Journal) Mississippi Senate Panel OKs Rx For Cold Meds (Associated Press) photo thx to tipiro on Flickr creative commons (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220740 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:31:47 +0100 3220740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3142519&cid=t_167833_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnjLh8I2w3HY%2F By Daniel GriswoldFor American workers and families trying to get ahead, the decade just behind us was a stinker. As a front-page Washington Post story over the long weekend summarized: For most of the past 70 years, the U.S. economy has grown at a steady clip, generating perpetually higher incomes and wealth for American households. But since 2000, the story is starkly different. … According to the story, the Aughts (2000-09) were the first decade since World War Two with no net job creation, and the first in which median household income was actually lower at the end than at the beginning. It won’t be long before critics of trade will try to blame the poor economic performance on trade agreements and globalization. This has been a standard line of attack, and I address it at length i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3142519 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:06:28 +0100 3142519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3101066&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FErvcBYlFz9k%2F The deal resolves allegations the drugmaker “deliberately inflated” the price of its Albuterol asthma med and other drugs, causing California’s Medicaid (Medi-Cal) program to overpay millions of dollars in pharmacy reimbursement, according to California attorney general Jerry Brown. “With healthcare costs spiraling out of control, it’s unconscionable that a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company deliberately inflated its drug prices to cheat California’s public healthcare system out of millions of dollars,” Brown says in a statement. “This is a company that made more than $12 billion in profits last year, yet still raided the pockets of California taxpayers.” The case began with a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower against several drugmakers... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3101066 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:37:18 +0100 3101066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2899197&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGQBhCb4jWpU%2F Why? A state court jury decided the drug maker overcharged Kentucky’s Medicaid and compensatory damages are in order. However, only $100 in punitive damages was awarded. The state, by the way, sought $16 million in compensation plus unspecified damages, Bloomberg reports. The ruling is the latest legal setback for AstraZeneca over the way its pricing. The drug maker was ordered by a jury in Alabama last year to pay $215 million for overcharging that state’s Medicaid program (back story). A judge later reduced that to $160 million, and AstraZeneca is appealing. In 2007, a federal judge in Boston ordered the drug maker to pay $12.9 million for overcharges, and an appeals court last month upheld the decision, Bloomberg reminds us. “We are thrilled with the verdict,” Allison Marti... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2899197 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:31:34 +0100 2899197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842590&cid=t_167833_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2F28%2F1-step-to-raise-your-childs-iq-today%2F Want to raise your child’s IQ by 5 points right now? Don’t spank them anymore. So says the results of yet another study looking at the negative effects of spanking on children. This one tracked IQ changes in 1,400 children ages 2 to 9 over 4 years. The results? Children who had been spanked — even infrequently — suffered from an average 5-point deficit on the IQ test. In a 2002 meta-analysis of 88 spanking studies, 90 percent of them found that spanking had negative effects on the child. These effects ranged from later mental health problems (such as ADHD and depression) to anti-social behavior and increased aggression. Yes, you read that right — rather than help curb aggressive or inappropriate behavior, spanking actually seems to increase these unwanted beha... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842590 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:38:28 +0100 2842590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458184&cid=t_167833_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FLT5O-HCiI9A%2F Doctors seem to be notorious for making people wait, and a new survey confirms what we already suspected: we’re being kept waiting a lot longer. Merritt Hawkins, which is a consulting firm that specializes in health care, surveyed over 1,100 doctor’s offices on the length of time people wait to get an appointment. I always thought it was just the specialists that were hard to get into, but now I’ve noticed it with my regular physician as well. The survey “measured average appointment wait times in family practices as well as four specialties: cardiology, dermatology, obstetrics/gynecology and orthopedic surgery.” They found that the average wait time HAS INCREASED by 8.6 days per city. So if it took you a week to see your doctor, chances are now it’s cl... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458184 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:51:44 +0100 2458184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1981286&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F460955408%2F The big pharmaceutical distributor was charged with engaging in a scheme to fraudulently inflate the price of more than 400 prescription drugs, including the most widely used meds. The litigation, which was filed in 2005, claimed McKesson and First DataBank, which publishes pricing data, reached a secret deal on how the so-called average wholesasle price would be set for brand-name drugs, and in doing so, raised the spread between the published AWP and the actual acquisition costs from 20 to 25 percent in an effort to increase profits. Last March, a federal judge in Boston certified the lawsuit as a class action and allowed it to be tried under the US Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO (look here). A trial was set for December 1, but McKesson, which admitted no wr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1981286 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:14:08 +0100 1981286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1924707&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F437395967%2F The drugmaker lost a jury trial in which its former Warrick Pharmaceutical generics subsidiary was accused in 2005 of improperly pricing drugs purchased by the state’s Medicaid program, which spent about $15 million over 11 years. Schering-Plough must pay $7 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages will be decided tomorrow. In a brief statement, Schering-Plough vows to appeal the decision, and made a point of noting that two other reimbursement cases were found in its favor. In November 2007, a federal court in Boston found Warrick Pharmaceuticals was not liable in a class action lawsuit involving average wholesale prices. And in December 2005, a West Virginia jury ruled in its favor in a trial related to reimbursement by West Virginia’s Medicaid program of certain ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1924707 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:59:40 +0100 1924707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1907880&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F431089121%2F Kansas Attorney General Steve Six sued 13 drugmakers today, alleging they unlawfully inflated drug costs paid by taxpayers through the state’s Medicaid program. The suit claims the drugmakers deliberately misreported pricing info in order to hike reimbursement. “We believe Kansas has lost millions of dollars as a result of these drug companies’ fraudulent pricing schemes,” Six says in a statement. “We allege that the drug manufacturers deliberately inflated the reported average wholesale prices and other wholesale prices for their drugs in order to increase market share for their products. This is a disturbing abuse of the Medicaid reimbursement system.” “Because of the drug companies’ inaccurate pricing, the Kansas’s Medicaid program ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1907880 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:10:31 +0100 1907880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1728300&cid=t_167833_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2008%2F08%2F23%2Fits-cancer-now-what%2F Your first and most fervent wish — for the biopsy to be negative — did not come true. Life goes on. Schadenfreude is your new best friend You may think you’ll take advantage of your “down time” during treatment to catch up on classics you’ve always wanted to read.  Mr. Personality, hosted by Monica Lewinsky Au contraire! The brain-fog of chemo will prevent you from understanding anything more complicated than a menu.  My guilty pleasure of reality TV was just the ticket. For the record, only the first seasons of reality shows are worth watching. That’s where the biggest train wrecks are.  If a show becomes a hit, sponsors start meddling with the casting and scripting to make the show palatable to a mainstream audience.  Gone are the religiou... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1728300 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:56:16 +0100 1728300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1618139&cid=t_167833_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F334635765%2F Tell the truth- what has your average bloodsugar been in the last month? 70-90 91-110 111-130 over 130 Add an Answer View Results Tags: average, bloodsugars, BS, democracy poll, Diabetes, diabetic, pollShare This (Source: Diabetes Notes) Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1618139 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:34:00 +0100 1618139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1458860&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F294535195%2F The city and its health program, which covers more than 50,000 low-income residents, is suing the wholesaler illegally conspiring to manipulate prices going back to 2001. The 88-page complaint filed in federal court in Boston alleges a scheme to increase the markup on more than 400 brand-name meds, forcing consumers and health plans “to make hundreds of millions of dollars of excess payments.” The suit is related to a class action lawsuit originally filed in 2005 in Boston. Two months ago, US District Court Judge Patti Saris certified consumers and third-party payors as classes. San Francisco, however, becomes the first government plaintiff to seek to recover damages caused by the alleged price-fixing scheme attributed to McKesson and First DataBank, a publisher of prescription... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1458860 Tue, 20 May 2008 20:43:12 +0100 1458860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1450463&cid=t_167833_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F18%2Fengines-of-inequality-class-race-and-family-structure-abstract%2F This article reviews the data on these trends, explores their significance, and assesses social scientists’ recent attempts to explain them. The article concludes that society-wide changes in economic conditions or social expectations cannot account for these patterns. Rather, for reasons that are poorly understood, cultural disparities have emerged by class and race in attitudes and behaviors surrounding family, sexuality, and reproduction. These disparities will likely fuel social and economic inequality and contribute to disparities in children’s life prospects for decades to come. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1450463 Sun, 18 May 2008 15:00:49 +0100 1450463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1419709&cid=t_167833_158_f&fid=36160&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeinstitute.com%2Fcaregivingminutes%2F%3Fp%3D73 If you ask your average middle class senior about applying for Medicaid they would probably say something to the effect that they have “plenty” of resources. Wrong! Maybe they have plenty for having no monthly car note and living in a house bought and paid for 20 years ago. Without a car or mortgage payment, most of us would be doing really well. But, I can assure you, unless you are wealthy, you are not as well off as you think. When I say wealthy, I’m talking multi-hundred thousand dollarnaire at least (in liquid assets). Most retired seniors are a hip fracture, stroke, or heart attack away from the poor house. It’s not the hospital bill that gets you; though, have you seen the cost of a hospital aspirin? It’s not the subsequent rehabilitation stay either. Medicare, which over... CaregivingMinutes™ by Pope Institute blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1419709 Mon, 05 May 2008 03:39:33 +0100 1419709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1417952&cid=t_167833_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F05%2F02%2Fdiscriminating-mind%2F Amy Wax posted her article, “The Discriminating Mind: Define it, Prove it” (forthcoming 40 Connecticut Law Review (2008)) on SSRN. The abstract is below. * * * Differential group achievements in competitive spheres like business, government, and academia, in conjunction with professed organizational commitments to fairness and equal opportunity, fuel claims that unconscious discrimination operates widely in society today. But attempts to blame disparities by race or sex on inadvertent bias must be approached with caution in the current climate. Many allegations concerning unconscious discrimination do not properly allege category-based treatment at all but rather target the disparate impact, or differential effects, of category-neutral criteria. Such impacts often reflect w... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1417952 Fri, 02 May 2008 22:00:52 +0100 1417952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1391294&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F275642996%2F A series of legal skirmishes by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and trade groups representing pharmacies - big and small alike - will apparently delay still further a proposed federal rule that would have lowered the reimbursement rates for dispensing generic drugs in Medicaid. You may recall that a federal judge last December granted an injunction that prevented CMS from adopting the formula, which pharmacies have been arguing would have forced untold numbers of drug stores to close their doors if reimbursement rates are slashed below their costs, or drop out of Medicaid. The change would slash pharmacy reimbursements by about $8 billion over five years, according to a CMS estimate. The new formula would use AMP, or average manufacturers price, by the way. Since then, C... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1391294 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:17:13 +0100 1391294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1385460&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F273470711%2F The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that Glaxo and Novartis won’t get separate trials in a lawsuit claiming they inflated prices paid by the state Medicaid program. The state’s lawsuit says the drugmakers overstated the average wholesale price used to calculate state Medicaid reimbursement rates to pharmacies. Alabama has sued 70 companies over similar allegations, and in February, won a $215 million jury award against AstraZeneca. The drugmakers argued for separate trials because they face different claims and will employ different defenses. The trial is now slated for June 16 in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Alabama Attorney General Troy King called the Supreme Court ruling “good news for the people who depend on Medicaid to provide important medical services. Now w... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1385460 Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:45:28 +0100 1385460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1323237&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F257210317%2F A US District Court judge has certified a nationwide class-action lawsuit against the big wholesaler, and the law firm representing consumers and third-party payers that filed the suit is predicting damages could reach big numbers - more than $5 billion. The lawsuit, which was filed two years ago, claims McKesson engaged in a scheme to fraudulently inflate the price of more than 400 drugs, including many widely used meds such Lipitor, Zocor and Vioxx. The ruling allows the case to move forward on behalf of two classes: consumer purchasers, which includes anyone who made a co-payment for prescription medication from August 1, 2001 through May 15, 2005, and third-party payers that made a payment or reimbursement based on an allegedly inflated average wholesale price, or AWP, during the class... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1323237 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:38:21 +0100 1323237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1287937&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F247703118%2F Big drugmakers are ponying up over the AWP, or average wholesale price scandal, according to a statement by attorneys who filed the case. For those unfamiliar, the stated AWP is used to set the price paid by consumers making Medicare Part B co-payments, as well as Medicare, insurers and other third-party payors that shell out for a drug. The lawsuit charged that consumers and third-party payors paid more than they should have because the drugmakers used false AWP reporting. The issue has embroiled the entire industry. The latest settlement involves Abbott Labs, Amgen, Sanofi-Aventis, Baxter Healthcare, Bayer, Dey, Fujisawa, Pfizer’s Pharmacia unit, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Gensia Sicor Pharmaceuticals and ZLB Behring. And the drugs covered in the settlement include Aranesp, Epogen, Ne... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1287937 Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:56:34 +0100 1287937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1197979&cid=t_167833_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2F03%2Frisk-factors-for-suicide-consistent-across-seventeen-countries%2F This study was based on surveys designed and distributed by the World Health Organization. Of those surveyed 2.7% admitted having attempted suicide and 9.2% had thought about it at some point in their lives. The study also points out those suicidal tendencies are not just correlated with depression, but with those having impulse control problems, substance abuse and anxiety disorders. However, the study found that the type of disorder, as a risk factor, varied between countries having an on average higher income than those countries with an on average lower income; The strongest risk factor associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors were mood disorders in high income countries and impulse control disorders in low- and middle-income countries. (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1197979 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:59:17 +0100 1197979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1134005&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F212770529%2F The trade groups representings both independents and chains object to a proposed class settlement with First DataBank, which publishes prescription drug prices, according to the Pharmaceutical Law & Industry Report*. The publisher was accused of illegally conspiring to raise markups between what pharmacies pay wholesalers and reimbursement paid to pharmacies by health plans and insurers. The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association and the National Community Pharmacists Association, which aren’t parties to the case, say the proposed deal will drastically alter the marketplace. “It took a very, very wrong-headed proposal for NCPA and PCMA to unite in opposition,” John Rector, the NCPA’s general counsel and senior vice president for government affairs, told the... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1134005 Mon, 07 Jan 2008 20:07:49 +0100 1134005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1098890&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F201642644%2F A federal judge on Friday handed chain drug stores and community pharmacies a temporary victory by delaying a new federal rule that would have lowered the reimbursement rates for dispensing generic drugs in the Medicaid, the government health care program for the poor. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores, which represents CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreen’s and others, and the National Community Pharmacists Association, which reps the mom and pops, filed a lawsuit in a last-ditch effort to block a new formula that would have slashed their payments by billiongs of dollars. The new formula that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services wants to adopt is Average Manufacturers Price, or AMP. But US District Court Judge Royce Lamberth granted an injunction that will prevent CMS fr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1098890 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:35:40 +0100 1098890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1001797&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F179018950%2F A federal judge in Boston entered $12.9 million in damages against AstraZeneca and nearly $700,000 against Bristol-Myers Squibb for class members in a suit about marketing the spread of certain drugs. The decision by US District Court Judge Patti Saris follows a June ruling in which she determined the drugmakers engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices by inflating average wholesale prices, or AWP. At the time, only preliminary damages were set. The case focused on patients who paid for eight different drugs from December 1997 to 2003 and have been reimbursed by Medicare, private insurers as well as patients who made co-insurance payments based on AWP. In reaching her original decision, Saris wrote that the drugmakers “unscrupulously took advantage” of the AWP reimbursement syst... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1001797 Sat, 03 Nov 2007 04:24:28 +0100 1001797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=938928&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F167680644%2F The state’s attorney general, Tom Miller, charges the companies with inflating prices for Medicaid patients, which wound up costing the state millions of dollars over several years, The Sioux City Journal reports. Iowa follows the lead of more than 20 states that have filed similar lawsuits seeking to recover money they say was overpaid to drugmakers. Texas has recovered more than $55 million so far, according to Miller. “It makes me angry that Iowa taxpayers are forced to pay more to finance record drug industry profits because the defendant drug companies do not honor their obligations under law to deal honestly with the government,” Miller tells the paper. Iowa’s Medicaid program spent more than $1.6 billion for drugs from 1992 to 2005, the time covered by the lawsuit. Mille... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=938928 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:17:27 +0100 938928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=937218&cid=t_167833_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F167406778%2F In the ongoing battle over average wholesale pricing, Abbott Labs says its recently retired president and chief operating officer, Richard Gonzalez, shouldn’t be deposed unless he has “unique personal knowledge” of an issue relevant to the allegations that the drugmaker inflated prices to rip off Medicare, Health Law 360 reports. Abbott also claims the other less intrusive means should be attempted to gain the same info. “The government has lately turned is attention to seeking the depositions of Abbott’s top corporate officers. This strategy is designed much to turn the heat up on Abbott than to serve any legitimate need for fact investigation,” according to a protective order filed last Friday, which we have read. The drugmaker maintains that Gonzalez ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=937218 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:40:08 +0100 937218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=738893&cid=t_167833_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F17%2Fnew-findings-on-continuous-blood-glucose-monitoring%2F In this study, CBGM's effect on long-term blood glucose control was insignificant. Researchers evaluated the benefits of two different CBGM devices in a study of over 400 insulin-taking type 1 or type 2 diabetics. 102 were randomly assigned to MiniMed's Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (R) (CGMS) and 100 patients were hooked up to Animas' Biographer. Approximately 200 remaining patients comprised a standard control group or an "attention" control group. The "attention" group was devised to compare against the increased contact with healthcare officials realized by patients on CBGM devices. Makes sense. A little info for you, MiniMed's CGMS is connected via a wire under the skin, takes blood sugar recordings every 5 minutes and can be worn up to 72 hours. The Biographer works different... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=738893 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 738893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=554445&cid=t_167833_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F19%2Fdiamyd-results-on-newly-diagnosed-type-1-diabetes%2F Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Adult Onset, Drugs, ResearchDiamyd showed promising results in slowing the attack on remaining islets in recently diagnosed type 1 diabetics. Diamyd is a therapy specifically designed to preserve residual beta cells in recently diagnosed type 1-diabetes. The results from the Diamyd study demonstrated that the group of 35 recently diagnosed type 1-diabetes patients that received Diamyd produced approximately twice as much meal stimulated insulin, as measured by C-peptide levels. These results were present 15 months after the first treatment. Insulin and C-peptide are produced in equal amounts. As C-peptide is easier to measure, meal stimulated C-peptide levels is the most important parameter to follow in a type 1-diabetes study where the aim is to preserve be... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=554445 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 554445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=516398&cid=t_167833_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F02%2Fpig-islets-10-years-and-counting%2F Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Lifestyle, Research, Events, SupportIn 1996 a 41 year old male (a type 1 diabetic for 18 years) was injected with biocapsules containing pig islets to regulate his blood sugar level. The transplanted cells helped reduce the patient's insulin requirement by 34% for over a year, which provided better control. By 2005 the patient's glycated hemoglobin levels (HbA1c) remained lower than the pre-transplant levels. Ten years later, the patent contacted Living Cell Technologies to inform them that he believed the transplanted pig islets were still alive and well. After tests were conducted, it was concluded that the pig cells were (as he reported) still functioning. This proved that the LCT patented technology for xenotransplantation was effective. It allows the is... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=516398 Mon, 02 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 516398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=506834&cid=t_167833_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F28%2Fmufa-rich-diet-prevents-central-body-fat%2F Filed under: Type 2, Adult Onset, Diet, ResearchCentral obesity is associated with insulin resistance through factors that are not fully understood. Researchers studied the effects of three different diets on body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity and peripheral adiponectin gene expression. Adiponectin is secreted from fat tissue into the blood. The presence of adiponectin can result in improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, and can assist in mobilizing sugar out of the blood The hormone plays a role in the suppression of the metabolic derangements that may result in type 2 diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The study involved 11 volunteers who were the offspring of obese type 2 diabetic patients with noticeable abdominal fat deposi... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=506834 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 506834