Daily Dose

• Drug prices continue to increase despite health reform efforts
  Wholesale prices of brand-name prescription drugs increased about 9% in the past 12 months, the fastest rate in years. A spokesman for Merck & Co. said price increases have nothing to do with health reform but are intended to sustain funding for discovering treatments. The New York Times (11/15)

Health & Wellness

• Fat accumulation around some organs could affect heart function
  U.S. researchers studying obese and healthy people found that fat buildup in different body parts, including around the heart and in the liver, could weaken certain heart functions. The study also discovered that a person's body mass index is not a good predictor of the amount of unwanted fat around and in the organs. Thaindian News/Asian News International (11/14)

Industry News

• Study: Brilinta outperforms Plavix in treating heart attack patients
  Researchers found AstraZeneca's Brilinta more effective than Bristol-Myers Squibb's Plavix in curbing serious cardiovascular events without increasing the risk of bleeding in a study of more than 8,000 heart attack patients. The result might not be enough to guarantee regulatory approval for Brilinta, which was also linked to breathlessness in the trial. Reuters (11/15)

• Niacin drug beats Zetia in study of cholesterol treatments
  Merck & Co.'s Zetia failed to outperform Niaspan, a modified form of vitamin B, in reducing plaque buildup in arteries and boosting the level of HDL, or "good" cholesterol, in a study of 200 patients taking statins. Merck officials and critics of the study downplayed the findings, saying the trial examined only the amount of plaque on artery walls, a surrogate marker, and not the rate of heart attack or stroke. The Washington Post (11/16)

• Glenmark gets anti-fungal drug OK, settles dispute with Medicis
  Glenmark Generics obtained FDA approval for topical ciclopirox olamine, a version of Medicis Pharmaceutical's topical anti-fungal drug Loprox. The approval coincides with Glenmark's settlement of a patent dispute regarding Loprox and Vanos, a cream from Medicis. Business Standard (India)/Press Trust of India (11/14) , The Economic Times (India)/Reuters (11/16)

• Xanodyne's drug for menstrual bleeding gains FDA approval
  The FDA approved Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals' Lysteda as a treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding. The agency cautioned patients about using the product in combination with hormonal contraceptives because of a high risk of blood clots, stroke and heart attack. MSNBC/The Associated Press (11/13)

• Mead Johnson to operate independently from Bristol-Myers
  Bristol-Myers Squibb is divesting Mead Johnson Nutrition to concentrate on biopharmaceuticals. The deal allows Bristol-Myers' shareholders to "exchange some, none or all of their shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb common stock for shares of Mead Johnson common stock," the company said. Chicago Tribune (11/15) , The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (11/15)

Featured Content

Retail Update

• Safeway donates $18.2 million to breast cancer centers
  Safeway raised more than $18 million in its annual campaign to raise money for breast cancer prevention and research last month. The company, with 1,730 stores, has raised more than $78 million for the cause since 2001. Progressive Grocer (11/15)

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by FMI Pharmacy dailyLead readers in the past week.

• Pandemic seems to be leveling off, expert says (The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.))

• Study: Dark chocolate appears to help reduce stress (eMaxHealth.com)

• Study: Dieting might be easier with alternate-day fasting (HealthDay News)

• Brand-name, generics firms fight over bulk drug supplies (The Wall Street Journal)

• FDA approves GSK's nonadjuvant H1N1 vaccine (Reuters)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Capital Beat

• Genentech lobbyists reportedly write speeches for lawmakers
  Lobbyists working for Genentech drafted similar speeches for different lawmakers, highlighting the need to include research on generic biotech drugs in health reform, according to e-mails received by The New York Times. A lobbyist close to Genentech said the speeches, which were published in the Congressional Record, had nothing to do with financial contributions to the politicians. The New York Times (11/14)

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FMI News

• Rapid Recall Exchange is your online communication service to enable prompt and accurate information exchange about food and product recalls and withdrawals
  

  Attend an upcoming Web seminar for suppliers hosted by Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), Wegmans Food Markets and GS1 US to learn more about Rapid Recall Exchange and its benefits. Register here to attend a session scheduled for the following dates:
  
  November 19, 2009 at 2pm- 3pm ET
  December 10, 2009 at 2pm- 3pm ET
  

  More than 70 leading retailers and wholesalers are already subscribers. View the current subscriber list.  For more information call 937.610.4233 or visit www.rapidrecallexchange.org.

SmartQuote

Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm." --Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet, critic and philosopher