Study: using Avastin to treat AMD, DME could save Medicare billions
June 9th 2014A study from the University of Michigan, which was recently published in Health Affairs, found that if all eyecare practitioners (ECPs) prescribed Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) instead of the more-expensive Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME), Medicare plans could save $18 billion over a 10-year period.
Study ranks cities with happiest patients
June 5th 2014A study of more than 46,000 online physician reviews finds patients in the San Francisco and Oakland, CA, area are happiest with their health care, while patients in Bakersfield, CA, are the least satisfied with their health care, according to Vanguard Communications.
Valeant bid for Allergan heats up, Pershing plans to replace Allergan board members
June 3rd 2014Allergan says it will “carefully review and consider” a revised proposal from Valeant of $53.8 billion bid-while Pershing Square, the hedge fund that owns 9.7 percent of Allergan is calling to replace the company’s board.
J&J, B+L, Essilor, others fined by Chinese authorities for price fixing
June 3rd 2014Chinese authorities fined Johnson & Johnson, Baush + Lomb, Essilor International, Nikon, and Carl Zeiss Vision Guangzhou a combined total of 19.6 million yuan, or $3 million, for price fixing in the country’s contact lens and eyeglasses market.
Omidria receives FDA approval for use in cataract surgery, IOL replacement
June 3rd 2014The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Omeros’ phenylephrine and ketorolac injection, Omidria, for use during cataract surgery and intraocular lens (IOL) replacement to maintain pupil size by preventing intraoperative miosis and to reduce postoperative pain.