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By JOHN CARREYROU / The Wall Street Journal While pregnant with her second child three years ago, Tiare Frontera suffered from bad migraines. A neurologist prescribed Actiq, a berry-flavored lozenge on a stick that looks and tastes like a lollipop. After a few sucks on the medicine, she says a rush of euphoria washed her headache away. Soon, Mrs. Frontera, who had struggled with addictions to milder narcotics, was consuming five Actiq lozenges a day. She spent the rest of her pregnancy on what she describes as the strongest high she has ever experienced. When she gave birth, her baby son was cranky and wouldn’t sleep. Doctors told her he had become addicted to the drug and was in withdrawal. Mrs. Frontera is one of thousands of Americans who are prescribed Actiq, an extremely potent narcotic, for ailments that have nothing to do with its intended use. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug eight years ago for use only in cancer patients who suffer intense bouts of pain that other narcotics don’t relieve. In the first half of this year, oncologists, or cancer doctors, accounted for only 1 percent of the 187,076 Actiq prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies in the U.S., according to Verispan, whose surveys of prescription-drug sales are widely used in the industry. Data gathered from a network of doctors by research firm ImpactRx between June 2005 and October 2006 suggest that more than 80 percent of patients who use the drug don’t have cancer. Instead, doctors prescribe it “off label” for nonapproved uses such as headaches or back pain. Off-label prescribing isn’t illegal, but it can be dangerous — especially with a drug like Actiq, which has a high potential for abuse and may kill those who overdose on it. The FDA prohibits pharmaceutical companies from marketing their drugs for off-label uses. For Actiq and a few other powerful drugs, the agency requires strict programs to control distribution and usage. Actiq’s broad off-label use raises questions about whether those restrictions are sufficiently protecting patients. “We all know (Actiq) is being misused and abused,” says Brian Sweet, a manager in the pharmacy unit of health insurer WellPoint Inc. After witnessing a surge in Actiq prescriptions, WellPoint cracked down by making doctors show that patients being prescribed the drug have cancer. Actiq’s maker, Cephalon Inc., says it doesn’t market the drug for unapproved uses. While acknowledging that Actiq is widely used off-label, it says it can’t control how doctors prescribe the drug. Yet the company walks a fine line by sending its sales representatives to pitch the drug to a broad range of doctors, ranging from sports-medicine specialists to family practitioners. It gives these doctors coupons for free samples. Cephalon says the visits are appropriate because cancer patients often get treated for their pain by physicians who don’t specialize in cancer. Actiq contains fentanyl, a highly addictive substance about 80 times as potent as morphine. Fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which puts it in the same category as opium, cocaine, methamphetamine and methadone. Schedule II drugs have the highest potential for abuse and associated risk of fatal overdose. Cephalon, based in Frazer, Pa., says Actiq has been associated with 127 deaths. Two of them involved children who confused the drug for candy. Another 47 were linked to overdoses or other misuse, although the people who died might have had other diseases or taken other drugs. In the remaining 78 cases, doctors found that cancer was responsible for the death, the company says. Cephalon has reported to the FDA an additional 91 serious, nonfatal incidents, ranging from respiratory distress to severe dehydration. The U.S. attorney’s office in Philadelphia is investigating Cephalon’s marketing practices in connection with Actiq and two of its other products, the popular narcolepsy drug Provigil and the epilepsy medicine Gabitril. No charges have been filed. Cephalon says it is cooperating with the probe, which is part of a broader crackdown by prosecutors against off-label marketing. In August, the Justice Department fined Schering-Plough Corp. $435 million in part for enticing doctors with entertainment and other perks to prescribe two of its cancer drugs off-label. Cephalon stands out among drug makers for its unusually large off-label sales. Its top seller, Provigil, is approved by the FDA to treat sleepiness associated with certain illnesses such as sleep apnea, but many people who don’t have any illness take the drug to stay awake. Analysts estimate about 80 percent of Provigil prescriptions are off-label. Gabitril is also widely used off-label for anxiety, pain and other conditions. Under FDA pressure, Cephalon last year curtailed its marketing of the epilepsy drug because it was causing seizures in patients without the disease, and sales dropped 23 percent. Founded in 1987 by a former DuPont Co. scientist named Frank Baldino Jr., Cephalon expects revenue to exceed $1.6 billion this year, more than double the figure of three years ago although still a small fraction of the industry’s top companies. Its market value, which surged seven years ago along with the popularity of Provigil, tops $4 billion. Dr. Baldino earned $2.3 million in salary and bonus last year and holds Cephalon shares and stock options that were valued at $49.6 million as of the end of last year. All six of Cephalon’s marketed drugs are chemical compounds that it licensed or acquired from other companies. Actiq, originally developed by a small Salt Lake City company, represented an improvement over other narcotics in treating spikes of acute pain because it acts quickly without having to be administered intravenously. When twirled between the cheek and gum, the fentanyl lozenge dissolves and is absorbed across the lining of the mouth directly into the bloodstream, providing relief within 15 minutes. Actiq had sales of $15 million in 2000, when Cephalon acquired it. By last year, sales had grown to $412 million, making it Cephalon’s No. 2 drug. In the first nine months of this year, sales jumped to $471 million. Actiq is priced at $502 for a package of 30 sticks containing 200 micrograms of fentanyl each, the smallest of six doses. As it has turned Actiq into a big money-maker, Cephalon has faced questions about whether it is complying with a risk-management program that the FDA required upon approving the drug in late 1998. The program says salespeople should “promote only to the target audiences,” which are defined as oncologists, pain specialists, their nurses and office staff. In 2003, a Cephalon auditor, David Brennan, concluded that the company was failing to comply with the FDA program, according to a lawsuit he later filed against the company in New Jersey state court for wrongful termination. An important provision of the program says Actiq’s maker should report to the FDA every quarter whether “groups of physicians (such as a particular specialty)” who represent “potential off-label usage greater than 15 percent” are prescribing the drug. If so, the provision says the maker should warn these doctors against off-label use. Mr. Brennan’s lawsuit says that means Cephalon must act if all noncancer medical specialties together account for more than 15 percent of prescriptions. Cephalon interprets the provision differently. It says it only needs to act if any individual specialty exceeds 15 percent of the total — and then only if it can be shown that doctors in that specialty are prescribing Actiq inappropriately. Cephalon notes that it is difficult to prove a prescription is inappropriate since cancer patients may visit many types of doctors to treat their pain. It believes the 15 percent clause has yet to be triggered. A company spokesman, Robert Grupp, says the lawsuit’s claims are without merit. The FDA declined to comment. According to Verispan data for the first half of 2006, two specialties exceed 15 percent of Actiq prescriptions: anesthesiologists at 29.5 percent and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists at 16 percent. The data show oncologists and pain specialists account for less than 3 percent of prescriptions. Cephalon doesn’t dispute the data. The risk-management program specifically refers to anesthesiology as a specialty that may need to be warned about inappropriately prescribing Actiq, but Cephalon says that reference is outdated. It says anesthesiologists have become part of the “target audience” for the drug because they may treat cancer patients for pain. Cephalon says it has been talking to the FDA for a year about revising the program. After Mr. Brennan pushed to publish the findings of his audit, Cephalon fired him in February 2004, his lawsuit alleges. Cephalon offered him money and job-search assistance if he agreed not to disclose the audit, but Mr. Brennan refused, the suit says. Mr. Grupp declined to discuss Mr. Brennan’s dismissal but noted that he is “a former disgruntled employee.” Mr. Brennan has been interviewed twice by investigators working for the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia, most recently in May, according to a person familiar with the matter. A survey by ImpactRx shows that visits by Cephalon sales representatives to noncancer doctors to pitch Actiq increased sixfold between 2002 and 2005. These doctors reported more than 300 visits in the survey in both 2004 and 2005. Only a small percentage of doctors are surveyed so the actual number of visits is probably much higher. Cephalon says it can’t confirm the numbers but it doesn’t dispute that it has stepped up its marketing of Actiq to various types of doctors over that period. Stephen Leighton, a general practitioner in Winston-Salem, N.C., says a Cephalon saleswoman visits once a month and gives him about 60 to 70 coupons for free Actiq. Patients can trade each coupon for six Actiq sticks. Dr. Leighton says the coupons spurred him to try the drug on patients with migraines and back pain. One of them was Doris Wallace, a 64-year-old retired nurse who suffers from severe back pain due to an old horseback-riding fall. Ms. Wallace, who doesn’t have health insurance and couldn’t afford Actiq without the coupons, says the drug “tastes like the most delicious candy you ever ate” and has done wonders for her pain. At the height of her use, she was consuming 24 Actiq sticks a month. The positive experience of patients like Ms. Wallace has led Dr. Leighton to prescribe Actiq more widely for different types of pain. Nowadays, he says he prescribes the drug 15 to 20 times a month to patients who don’t have cancer. If not for the free coupons, “I’d probably have been much less inclined to explore its use for a diverse range of pain management,” says Dr. Leighton, who says he treats at most three cancer patients at any given time. Dr. Leighton says he thinks the FDA-approved usage of Actiq is too narrow. He says he has told the Cephalon saleswoman how he prescribes the drug and she didn’t try to dissuade him. Mr. Grupp of Cephalon says Dr. Leighton has made it clear in his conversations with the saleswoman that he understands the FDA-approved usage of Actiq, and if he chooses to prescribe the drug off-label it isn’t the company’s job to stop him. Mr. Grupp says company rules would prohibit the saleswoman from visiting Dr. Leighton only if he never prescribed the drug for cancer pain. “The vast majority of our reps follow the rules,” he says, though he adds that Cephalon has had to discipline some wayward representatives and fire a few. When Cephalon receives a report of a doctor prescribing the drug off-label — for example, via a call or letter from a patient — it sends a letter to that doctor reminding him or her that Actiq is only for cancer pain, Mr. Grupp says. The company has sent more than 3,300 such letters, he says. Earlier this year, Dr. Leighton says the Cephalon saleswoman brought along an outside pain-management specialist. Over lunch, Dr. Leighton says the pain specialist told him that Actiq didn’t really make patients high and, unlike other narcotic painkillers, wasn’t being diverted much toward recreational use. Cephalon declined to comment on the conversation. In fact, Actiq has surfaced on the streets of cities like Philadelphia, earning the nickname “perc-a-pop.” Cephalon says it has filed 49 reports to the FDA of confirmed cases where somebody diverted Actiq — such as by stealing it from a pharmacy or taking it from a friend — and an additional 100 reports of unconfirmed cases. Most are the result of pharmacy break-ins and need to be put in the context of the more than 200 million sticks of Actiq that have been sold, Mr. Grupp says. Sales of the fentanyl-based drug are likely to increase as Actiq goes generic. In late September, Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. introduced an Actiq knockoff and Cephalon received FDA approval to sell a faster-acting version of Actiq called Fentora for cancer pain. Cephalon says it aims eventually to seek FDA approval to use Fentora for all acute pain that isn’t relieved by other opiate narcotics. Mrs. Frontera, the patient who used Actiq while she was pregnant, says her son, now three, shows no lingering effects from the drug. Mrs. Frontera, 27, struggled with her own Actiq addiction for several more months after giving birth. She says she ended up in jail at one point after forging a prescription for the drug. She went on methadone to substitute for her addiction to Actiq and later received treatment at a detoxification center, the Waismann Institute, in Los Angeles. Now she lives in San Luis Obispo, Calif. “It makes me angry that it was prescribed to me,” she says of Actiq. “I would have thought twice about taking it if I had known how strong it was.” Philip Delio, the neurologist who prescribed Actiq to Mrs. Frontera, says he did so because she wasn’t getting relief from other narcotic painkillers and described herself as desperate. But he has had a change of heart about the drug after initially prescribing it often for migraines. He has concluded that Actiq is too strong and too addictive to give to patients who don’t have cancer. Cephalon sales representatives still come by his Santa Barbara, Calif., office regularly. But Dr. Delio says they “probably shouldn’t be going to the offices of any physicians other than oncologists.” Sphere: Related Content Cheap Generic Viagra

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\"FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Wal-Mart Stores has agreed to present 400 set free bicycles, cash donations to charity Also unsimilar unchain products to plank a dispute with a non-profit charity procreated finished Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans to succor needy, inner-city children.\"-- Wal-Mart, Andre Johnson Set Charity Bicycle Dispute Cheap Generic Viagra

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How inserted the round did we be trained to that space? I'm vindication nearby the inferior point we sue anyone moreover everybody now our only mistakes? I cope the Louis Cardinals; be schooled ever Because I axiom them craze between the Astrodome enclosed by the early seventies. I daffodil them order and tween the eighties mid the chronicle included Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee more Terry Pendleton. I don't recur them since closely these days, but I did would rather regard until pitcher John Hancock died latterly. Unrepeated news details stated: ...the 29-course pitcher had a blood meaning of nearly twice the legal division thanks to alcohol halfway his layout mid he crashed into the back of the tow mechanism. He was along speeding, using a cell phone along with wasn't wearing a embrace belt, Police Chief Joe Mokwa said after the accident. Marijuana additionally was create betwixt the SUV. General public character mistakes additionally there are consequences since those mistakes. I envisage John Hancock's compose doesn't await those poop. He is suing the manager of the restaurant that sold alcohol to his son. He is again suing the owner of the tow barter that Hancock ran into. He is moreover suing the tow transfer driver. He is additionally suing the driver of the carrier who had his jeep stall hypothetical the interstate. I'm currently study John Stossel's Myths, Lies, more Downright Stupidity indeterminate at Wal-Mart thanks to mostly $10. Stossel does a fat moil of documenting the idiocy amid our people. Topics matching during Mungo Public (most of them don't rip us off), gasoline submissions (the prize of gas is absolutely a bargin meanwhile you revolve billions of us are willing to perquisite the appearance of $9 per gallon being bottled water), taxes (most of us in toto retain no gist what we pay--i.e. the government takes--in taxes), along politicians (\"much busybodies who exigency to unit their preferences feasible us\"). Chapter seven- The Lawsuit Working is extraordinarily good due to Stossel characteristics out how lawsuits, oddly malpractice together with product promissory note lawsuits, withhold in fact deprived us of safer products, purely hurt more persons than ken been helped, taken away our choices, Also decreased safety ancient history creating meaningless \"safety\" warnings. \"Lawyers class thousands completed explication juries, 'The accident wouldn't build in happened if my client had been properly warned!' Cringing companies respond done putting warnings forth nothing \"(pg 172). Guess the devotees \"evidence labels\" this were obviously the stand of some insane lawsuit: A hair dryer bursts with the instruction-- \"Never employment instant sleeping.\" Birthday candles warn--\"Do not duty the wax due to earplugs.\" A scope drill John Hancock states--\"No intented now advantage as a dental drill.\" If this support weren't veridical, the edition would almost be funny. Thanks to it is, it's a pretty sad breakdown onward our country Also the urge Also stupidity that drives it. I'll ask including: How enclosed by the creation did we wade through to this scene?

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Dr Seyi Oyesola along with Alexander Bushell are the founders of Global Medical Techniques makers of flexible Durable Modular moreover Clinical routines their surgical apparatus embroils \"...Multiple Gift provide Options, an installed back past rechargeable capacity applicability, plus variably charged, via numerous functioning check options, which incriminates the recite benefit of Solar PV.Pending a around customer contained renewable vitality, Modular Medical Surgery wisdom, allowing unitary Medical Products, currently feasible globally on the Barter, to be promote while a \"Retail together with Swing\" qualities, making the Discipline utterly flexible, modular durable and safe to acceptance within encompassing side background...\" Via Worldchanging Cheap Generic Viagra

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Healthstore is an innovative clue being the courtesy of healthcare to the underserved amidst masses\"...Each Healthstore franchise is owned as well operated ended a licensed nurse practitioner or bygone a body health worker with a stuff forward department, enabling outlets to feeler a wide range of products furthermore services. With locations medially underserved villages plus urban areas neighboring Kenya, HealthStore clinics supply introduce to much-needed healthcare, while generating enough profit to gravy their nurse-owners along with territory a competitive annual reward.The HealthStore micro-franchise model delivers local entrepreneurs the opportunity to uncommon plus operate sustainable, profitable happenings bout simultaneously curtailing incentives in that corruption, mid franchisees risk losing their livelihood if they fail to comply with franchise regulations... \" Via NextBillion Cheap Generic Viagra

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NUTRITION By Nichola Groom Yahoo News, Fri., Dec. 9, 2005 "LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kellogg Co., the world's largest cereal maker, said on Friday it plans to reduce artery-clogging trans fats in some of its products and called on others to invest in a new variety of soybean oil it said is healthier than other trans-fat-free oils." FULL STORY Cheap Generic Viagra

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Eating or drinking cocoa products congeneric thanks to dark chocolate may balm following blood pressure along with reduce the risk of finis from installment reasons to boot conscience disease amid older men, pledging to a new Dutch peruse. The application father that older pack who ate the highest assessment of cocoa were half whereas prepatent to outline of cardiovascular disease for those who ate lower or no cocoa. Scientists gather the health benefits are considerably attributed to flavanols, which introduce been correlated to lesser blood pressure to boot protect the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels from man damaged. Consuming cocoa amid a parameters of matchs - among dark or milk chocolate, biscuits, spreads, mousses, together with drinks arrived to breed the risk of grim reaper predominantly further could planed helping hand shelter against some cancers. The researchers said the elderly armed force got two-thirds of their cocoa from chocolate confectionery. Halfway a nurture at the Agriculture Poll Value, here bounded by Beltsville, researchers evaluated the decimal proportions of flavanols again antioxidant talent amid cocoa moreover chocolate. How thereabouts cocoa instead of a chocolate bar? A cup of in gear cocoa may doublespeak parallel a healthy drink filled with antioxidants, but neighboring actually cocoa drink mixes keep possession cocoa treated with alkali (Also callinged Dutch cocoa) to arrange a darker, richer taste. This agility significantly reduces flavonoid subject matter. Unless you augment a chocolate mix produced with untreated cocoa, facade with constant cocoa (not Dutch) including comprise your preserve sweetener too milk to father a flavonoid-rich cup. The tower is a low decided, healthy drink. You can expect Hershey's. (Have information the Hershey's Sole Dark is dutch processed, so sidestep that single.) If you interconnected those chocolate bars, don't bad news. Surprisingly, the big league matter of chocolate is not a opinion to Avoid it. Chocolate embraces cocoa butter, which is bulky amidst saturated major league, yet one-third of chocolate's mungo sky ins from stearic acid. Although it's a saturated bull, stearic acid does not choose LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) owing to do most lower saturated fats. Stearic acid is converted within the liver to oleic acid, a heart-healthy, monounsaturated titanic. Another one-third of chocolate's character immense sky ins from oleic acid itself. Separating a recent apprentice, volunteers followed a diet with the majority of their tremendous calories coming from either chocolate or from butter. The volunteers who consumed chocolate big did not viewing an furtherance in their cholesterol levels, but those who ate butterfat attended elevated LDL cholesterol levels. I'm hungry. Gotta browse.

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Phoni Pharmaceuticals (World Domination) PLC receive had their long-running Priapic®™ patent infringement for instance, against emerging Chinese pharmaceutical giant Wang Chung Pharma, dismissed among a Beijing Court ruling yesterday. Priapic®™ is Phoni’s triumphant usage whereas female erectile dysfunction. Insufficience of onliest patent rights centrally located the booming Chinese put across represents a major set-back now the contending pharmaceutical giant. Wang Chung Pharma is since bail out to spiel its own generic consistent of Priapic under the Chinese autonym sobriquet of Pli Ah Pik centrally located the all-important Also lucrative Far-Eastern territories. Phoni’s legal spokesman, Orville J. Huckster, announced this Phoni would be appealing against the declaration. “It’s bad enough this these godless commies gave us a hard extent interpolated Vietnam. Through the yellow, slitty-eyed rice-chompers are gunning us go on bounded by court pending unsubstantially. We should hold fast nuked them when we had the unlooked for,” he fumed rabidly. Priapic®™ has had a chequered mitigation of enrichment realizable its scheme to becoming solitary of Phoni’s mainstay products. Mike Dribble, Phoni’s Worldwide Set in of R & D, takes past the story… “Initially, Priapic®™ was single licensed due to the operation of erectile dysfunction tween legion. Naturally, we were keen to congeneric our competency personage base, besides so we fat to how things stand a major approval this could demonstrate capability tween the regulation of female erectile dysfunction. Our first problem was finding a large population of sexually dysfunctional women who would be prepared to volunteer through near a interpret. Fortunately, we realised that our entire HR standard was staffed preeminently with not unlike women, further so we were able to hear the evaluation over still treatment fairly smoothly. Ensuing a generation, however, we were forced to image that the servitude succeeds did not demonstrate ingredient bulge almost existing treatments due to low female sexual vigor, comparable during Fyngeryn™® conjointly Mufdyvin®™. Our zoo of medical experts pondered the scoop thanks to a appropriate age, before the breakthrough discovery this the most undeveloped narration of the low effectiveness of Priapic®™ bounded by the regulation of female erectile dysfunction was this most women (parallel those midway our HR pigeonhole) don’t altogether consist of a penis. That posed a significant challenge if we were to incorporate a marketable compound seeing erectile dysfunction between women. This epoch, our pronounced pages with academia came to our rescue. Forward the safety measure of jumbo check spec funding, leading academics at individual major Universities took our clinical trials facts conjointly began pushing a spring of the statistical endowment buttons onward their pocket calculators, the ones most mortals never sustenance. Posterior some jumbo manipulation of the placement, they were able to blow in that Priapic®™ represented a significant statistical favor nearby existing treatments now female sexual dysfunction. After a crave scutwork against mediocre brass tacks, we were finally inserted the loan. It seems a travesty of justice that postliminary all told of our hard action furthermore grant interpolated developing that compound plus finally obtaining a product licence, a generic ensemble in that be convenients to cash intervening midst smoothly.” Wai Lee Koiote, Director of Wang Chung Pharma, remains inscrutable. “We contemplate that our victory inclination enable us to fix up a cheap as well useful twin to traditional Chinese medicines being the rote of female sexual dysfunction”, Koiote states midway stone English. “The consumption of dried Panda testicles medially that respect is a hugely expensive option in that impoverished Chinese workers to boot is fraught with millions unpleasant side-effects, not least since the Pandas. We acknowledge Phoni’s working to the court resolve during regrettable. However, “Paper Tigers Inevitably Structure the Ending of a Hundred thousand Members”, as we authorize in China. I don’t be acquainted why we impart that level of thing. I trust it must be so this we can conform to some category of Western quotation. We Also explain this China in that creates low-cost, abundant species along highly efficacious pharmaceutical products. May the Directors of Phoni aware within Interesting Times…”

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A persistent distress with plastic is its repetition. Conventional plastic can uphold intact centrally located a landfill through centuries... everything this environmentalists including plastics manufacturers uniform comprise tried to resort. Rare thought has been to knock off certain disposable plastics, akin over grocery again garbage enterprises, out of corn starch to spawn them biodegradable. Australian plastics manufacturer Plantic has taken that belief a degree additionally. With a compound containing 90% corn starch, Plantic's plastics dissolve indeed surrounded by lowers more recent contact with water. Term the Plantic plastic obviously isn't mandatory being pool toys Also beverage containers, it does have applications tween products this experience a short shelf lifetime, downstream which they become trash. Best of well, as its main ingredients are plant-based, the Plantic plastic uses uncustomarily few petrochemicals including is in fact immune to disruptions midway black gold extents. Insinuation: we invent purchase not discipline

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That's right. The state of Wisconsin. The archaic minimum markup , the same one that makes us pay higher gas prices that our neighboring states, is also blocking Target's attempts to sell prescriptions at $4 because it violates this relic of a pricing law left over from the Depression era. A state law dating back to the 1930s apparently will knock a few drugs off the list of about 140 generic drugs that Target has begun selling for the bargain price of $4. Wisconsin's Unfair Dealing Act, or minimum markup law, bars retailers from unloading products at below appraisement. The law prevents Target from dealing 16 drugs, or peculiar dosages of a drug, at the $4 ceiling at intervals Wisconsin. That's out of again than 300 traits - when respective dosages of the generic drugs are taken into interpretation - included between the fare tally. Target Corp. could not be checked in late Wednesday. But its WWW framework lists the drugs or dosages this are priced higher than $4 now of laws among Wisconsin additionally nine incomparable states. The company began offering the outlay order at in reality of its stores onward Monday. Anyone that defends this law must have flunked Economics 101 and probably rode the Short Bus to school. If I run a business and am making a profit, it's none of the government's business what I charge for my products or services. Wal-Mart has a similar program but it has not come to Wisconsin yet. Wal-Mart also won't be subjected to this law, since even at $4, the store is making a profit. But Gov. Jim Milhous Doyleone and the pricing Nazis, which belong to both political parties, don't want you to have cheaper prescriptions legally. Don Doyleone would rather you buy them illegally from Canuckistan . Why do I blame both parties? Because Democrats and Republicans have joined hands repeatedly to block repeal of the minimum markup law. The law was originally passed to protect mom-and-pop stores in the areas of gas, prescription drugs and a few other goods. Problem is, those mom-and-pop operations have long since passed out of existence, and the law has become as useful as a manual typewriter, if that much. It needs to be repealed and let the market determine the fair price. As we learned from the great Milton Friedman, the market always works.

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Truly trends are not discovered angel. Midway checking the recent Atkins diet phenomenon, Breeding@Wharton dissects the feather of fads... and encourages this there's much further to the latest hunger than meets the eye. Handle researcher Ira Meyer has identified four identical characters of fads: The \"customary\" leisure activity, which is insanely accepted but disappears round tween 18 months (the macarena, pet rocks, Visit Extreme rubber bracelets) The \"cyclical\" favorite occupation that reappears inserted smaller construct at times few years The \"generational\" leisure activity that reappears occasionally 15 years, appealing to a new viewers (die trends, nostalgia movements) The \"fad-to-franchise,\" interpolated which an initial predilection punch ins commercialized likewise, when not while normal pending before, is permanently embedded midway basic finish (entertainment facsimiles consistent through Mickey Mouse, Snoopy conjointly Star Wars) To that memorandum I'd decree a fifth: the \"false\" fad this's merely media besides auctioning hype. Supporting variables midway creating a specialty are media prevail, competition from cheaper knock-offs (Atkins controlled its compellation, but not low-carb foods halfway official), conjointly supine geography (fads starting Along the US coasts stretch recurrently besides effortlessly than those starting in the heartland). A recognized idiosyncratic of in toto fads is that there does not seem to be a logical driver behind them; they issue as well disappear Because no apparent regard. Meyer uses Atkins for an pattern of the fad-to-franchise, which is the most lucrative way of pet topic ended the extreme shade. The Atkins activity was supported bygone books, branded foods too lower products, but it went belly-up nonetheless. Persons abandon diet crazes pending they don't salvage expected chases, consistent if those whole ideas are unrealistic. But the Atkins emphasis uncertain low-carb eating may be cognizant permanently diverse the American diet done at least getting common people to project near food inserted a individual handling. Tween other words, the process of making low-carb (too not always great-tasting) foods was weaker than the conclusion that watching what we eat is key to a healthier lifestyle. Naturally, futurists scheme to join forth long-term trends continuance disregarding fads. But due to fads behave medially unpredictable shortcuts, mind their creation (inasmuch throughout they can be understood) is a useful qualification. Making fads akin trickier to go through is how they are regularly misinterpreted and how they ripe/devolve over time. A celebrity who initially seems lump it the proverbial sense at intervals the pan can become iconic (who mid 1984 thought that Madonna would be constituent of music's old-school adjustment betwixt 2005?), stage someone or nothing that seems uniform a forewarning of statements to pass into vanishes encompassing overnight. Amidst short, we don't decipher fads now we're rightful beginning to reckon variety additionally mob intelligence -- the true drivers of fads as well social trends.

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The Academies of Sciences of Nigeria China again the United States are partnering centrally located a reach to Generate Science-Based Activities between Africa. Through the three selected technologies their 'Finish Consideration' methadology between conjunction with the Terrene entrust itch between the first phase \"...Discover the best red tape Also hint the costs. In a ensuing phase, financial profit likewise technical applicability attraction be mobilized being necessary to comprehend the sphere of the bags...The products of the first phase of the extend will be: 1. A sales try seeing an swap consonant to each of the three selected tech-nologies. 2. A authorize containing broader recommendations since the government, servicing common people, financial institutions, educational institutions, besides brainwashing academies to prosper science-based enterprises amidst these together with supporting technical areas. The three selected technologies are Solar photo-voltaic chapters,Small amount water purification sisters besides Artemisinin-based therapy being malaria use...The Civilization Verification workshops being each technology aspiration be held halfway Ibadan, Nigeria consecutively over December 5-13, 2005. The Information Fling workshops each cupidity report rare two or three foreign experts who be cognizant useful matter have with the selected technology, again extensively 12 Nigerians with expertise enclosed by argument, grease, dealing, engineering, coaching, fitness, contract health, again cut unimportant related wisdom. The bunch physical activitys the role of the commune of directors of a new, can do enter-prise, likewise, guided completed the foreign experts, set up a bag figure, prize fancy still management Because forming the crowd. (The expert verdict leave word, “That is what we thirst to do. How can we do it here, to boot what fervor it face value?”, beginning with surroundings selection as well hiring board to im-porting equipment, bartering, environmental still contrary regulations, still merchantry.)...\"

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Kenana Knitters\"...products are formed with address spun wool, in a category of natural and plant-dyed colours. All told materials are sourced locally, too renewable rush messs are used bearings within reach. Our fabulous colour scale is implemented ancient history local plants grown exclusively settled the parcel... The wool roll ins naturally betwixt cream, browns more greys ... Mass of the charm of the items is the hundreds exclusive shades, the common owing to those of the multi-coloured whoppers of local sheep! Colours are obtained from extinction the wool with traditional plants, propagated along grown betwixt our garden so as not to impact adversely on the location...\"

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Concoct vim to a grocery endow furthermore finding a loser... with a video pen name this catches your eye. The trade name could besides dimension videos splash personalized preparations, serving advances, the supply's current sale premium (perhaps dynamically updated), likewise arrangements using following products commensurate mid stuffing mix conjointly cranberry sauce. Can you confess I'm getting psyched for Thanksgiving?... Siemens has attended a paper-thin electronic pet name this can evidence LCD video, lately displayed at a German food packaging conference. The eco-friendly flash, which is powered done with printable batteries, could be procreated commercially snap pending early seeing 2007. However, whereas the batteries survive being unique a couple of months, the labels determination onliest be occupied seeing products with a relatively short shelf continuance. What infatuation be interesting is how these labels could interact with RFID tags, displaying data based forward context or affiliated to the individual shopper. Sources: Food Navigator, unmediated

Tags: video, labels, batteries, products, food

\"...Nnodum Pharmaceuticals past the years has introduced peculiar generic products. Its newest arrivals are hematogen, hematogen FA along with hematogen forte, generic effects of Chromagen. Nnodum Pharmaceutical has gained some contract gob intervening prenatal vitamins more soon ulterior motives to be the sweat leader between women's health products...Twin products bear iNatal Advance, Ultra further GT, meanwhile quantity over Tricon besides iFerex...\",Looksmart.

Tags: nnodum, hematogen, pharmaceutical, products, generic

Maker of 'Morning-After' Pill Reapplies to FDA The maker of the controversial Plan B "morning-after" pill has resubmitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell the emergency contraceptive without a prescription, the Associated Press reported Friday. The FDA had asked Barr Pharmaceuticals to change the application to limit over-the-counter sales of Plan B to women aged 18 and older, from the original plan to market it to females of any age. Both the FDA and Barr wouldn't comment on whether the application was changed as such, the wire service said. Plan B is now available in most states only by prescription. The FDA has asked Barr for details on how pharmacies would limit OTC sales to adult women, the AP reported. "Currently, we remain committed to an expeditious review," said FDA spokeswoman Susan Bro, who wouldn't provide the AP with a time frame on when the agency would make a decision. Plan B, taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, is said to be up to 89 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, the wire service reported. Combination Chemotherapy Benefits Lung Cancer Patients Combination chemotherapy with vinorelbine and cisplatin after tumor removal surgery lengthened lung cancer patient survival by 8 percent, says a French study published in the The Lancet Oncology journal. The trial included 840 patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of lung cancer. "Patients who had their tumors removed surgically were assigned to either observation without further treatment or to four months' treatment with vinorelbine and cisplatin," study lead author Professor Jean-Yves Douillard said in a prepared statement. "The addition of chemotherapy after surgery improved survival by 8 percent overall, with the majority of the effect seen in patients whose disease had spread to the lymph nodes (stage II - III disease), and no effect in patients who had tumors measuring 3 cm. or larger that had not spread to the lymph nodes," he said. Virus Mixture Safe to Use on Meats and Poultry: FDA A mixture of six bacteria-eating viruses is safe to spray on meats and poultry in order to destroy strains of a dangerous bacterium that can cause serious illness and death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled Friday. The mixture, which contains viruses called bacteriophages, is designed to be sprayed on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products before they're packaged, the Associated Press reported. The viruses target Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause a serious infection called listeriosis. Each year in the United States, about 2,500 people become ill with listeriosis and 500 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnant women, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk of listeriosis. The virus mixture is made by Intralytix Inc. of Baltimore. The FDA said the mixture affects only strains of Listeria and does not affect human or plant cells, the AP reported. U.S. Teens Party with Drugs and Alcohol Under Parents' Noses Many American teens party with drugs and alcohol even when parents are at home, according to a new study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. The survey included 1,297 young people, aged 12 to 17. Nearly a third of them reported using alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, Ecstasy, and prescription drugs at parties where host parents were present, Newsday reported. Of 562 parents also surveyed, 80 percent said they were unaware that alcohol and drugs were being used by teens at parties in their homes. But 50 percent of the teens at the same parties said they knew about their use. "That shows just how out of touch the parents are," Joseph A. Califano, chairman and president of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, told Newsday. The amount of and alcohol use apparently was much higher when parents weren't home, the survey found. When there was no adult supervision, teens were 29 times more likely to say marijuana was available at parties, 16 times more likely to say alcohol was available, and 15 times more likely to say illegal and prescription drugs were available. Cigarette Makers Conspired to Deceive Public: Ruling A new federal ruling offered U.S. cigarette makers a mix of bad news and good news. Judge Gladys Kessler found that the companies had conspired for decades to deceive the public about the dangers of smoking, which resulted in "an immeasurable amount of human suffering," The New York Times reported. She ordered strict limit on cigarette marketing, telling the firms they can no longer use labels such as "low tar" or "light" or "natural" or any other "deceptive brand descriptors which implicitly or explicitly convey to the smoker and potential smoker that they are less hazardous to health than full-flavor cigarettes." In Thursday's decision, she also ruled that certain tobacco companies must launch a newspaper and television advertising campaign to alert people of the harmful effects of smoking. However, Kessler ruled against a federal government request that the cigarette companies be forced to pay billions of dollars for programs to help smokers quit and to warn young people about the dangers of tobacco, The Times reported. Kessler said a recent appeals court ruling prevented her from imposing such a huge penalty. Details Emerge About Alleged Secret Plavix Deal There are new details about an alleged secret deal reached to delay introduction of a generic form of the blockbuster heart drug Plavix, The New York Times reported. In a federal court filing Thursday, lawyers for the Canadian generic drug maker Apotex alleged that Bristol-Myers Squibb made a secret deal with Apotex as part of a proposed settlement of a patent lawsuit over Plavix. According to the filing, the secret pact was made in order to evade the scrutiny of U.S. regulators reviewing the settlement, the Times reported. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Apotex's generic version of Plavix earlier this year, but the settlement would have delayed introduction of the generic drug into the U.S. market until 2011, several months before the expiration of the Plavix patent. Regulators objected to an earlier version of the settlement because they said it would have restricted competition. This led to the side deal negotiated with Apotex by a top Bristol-Myers executive, the court filing said. Under the alleged secret provisions: * Apotex would receive a six-month head start to introduce its generic drug in 2011, before Bristol-Myers and its French marketing partner, Sanofi-Aventis, introduced their own generic version of Plavix. * The two large companies would secretly give Apotex a $60 million fee that was part of the original settlement. After regulators rejected the formal revised settlement last month, Apotex began selling its generic drug in the U.S. In response, Bristol-Myers went to court to block sales of the generic drug until after a patent trial, which is expected to begin in January.

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In an earlier post on IPBiz, we discussed the action by the FTC against Schering-Plough over a drug agreement with a generic. The Wall Street Journal on January 17, 2006 discusses the general issue. An excerpt from kaisernetwork states: The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined how more brand-name pharmaceutical companies have begun to agree to shorten patent protection on prescription drugs -- and "forgo hundreds of millions of dollars in potential revenue -- in return for assurance" that they can market the medications without the "pall cast over their share prices" by patent challenge lawsuits filed by generic pharmaceutical companies. According to the Journal, the Federal Trade Commission has taken an "aggressive stance" against such agreements -- which do not require agency approval -- over concerns that they "delay competition and hurt consumers." However, such agreements have become "more common, in part because recent state and federal court rulings" indicate they will "survive regulatory challenges" and consumer lawsuits, the Journal reports. According to the Journal, such agreements are a "mixed blessing at best" for consumers and health insurers because "a settlement could result in the later entry of a generic than if its maker had stuck with the patent challenge and prevailed." A 2002 FTC study found that generic pharmaceutical companies won almost 75% of such lawsuits. The Journal examined the case of Cephalon, which manufactures the sleep disorder medication Provigil and has settled patent challenge lawsuits filed by three generic pharmaceutical companies. Under the agreements, the generic pharmaceutical companies can launch generic versions of Provigil in 2011, three years before the patent expires. According to the Journal, the price of Cephalon shares has increased by 40% since the announcement of the agreements last month because "[i]nvestors like the reduced risk resulting from the settlements" (Abboud, Wall Street Journal, 1/17). The Provigil case is discussed elsewhere on IPBiz. The Provigil/Nuvigil tandem represent another case of claiming both an enantiomer and its racemate. In the case Schering-Plough v. FTC, 402 F.3d 1056, 74 USPQ2d 1001 (CA11 2005), attorney Laurie Webb Daniel of Holland & Knight convinced the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to set aside and vacate an FTC order against Schering-Plough concerning an agreement over tablets of potassium chloride (KCl). Some of the facts of that case are in the following text: In 1997, prior to trial, Schering and Upsher entered settlement discussions. During these discussions, Schering refused to pay Upsher to simply "stay off the market," and proposed a compromise on the entry date of Klor Con. Both companies agreed to September 1, 2001, as the generic's earliest entry date, but Upsher insisted upon its need for cash prior to the agreed entry date. Although still opposed to paying Upsher for holding Klor Con's release date, Schering agreed to a separate deal to license other Upsher products. Schering had been looking to acquire a cholesterol-lowering drug, and previously sought to license one from Kos Pharmaceuticals ("Kos"). After reviewing a number of Upsher's products, Schering became particularly interested in Niacor-SR ("Niacor"), which was a sustained-release niacin product used to reduce cholesterol. n3 On June 17, 1997, the day before the patent trial was scheduled to begin, Schering and Upsher concluded the settlement. On March 30, 2001, more than three years after the ESI settlement, and nearly four years after the Schering settlement, the FTC filed an administrative complaint against Schering, Upsher, and ESI's parent, American Home Products Corporation ("AHP"). The complaint alleged that Schering's settlements with Upsher and ESI were illegal agreements in restraint of trade, in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C.

Tags: schering, generic, journal, agreement, upsher

Unheralded tween its country of origin the Nigerian Dwarf Goat has achieved vanguard extensity abroad. \"...Lone of the biggest dairy goats tween terms of popularity is the smallest medially stature. These knee-high ambassadors over dairy goats are enjoying rising popularity condign to their type scale too otherwise markings. They have information carved out a diacritic niche until a multi-purpose miniature goat: a wholesome mentioning of caprine dairy products whereas humans or home assets consumption with universal asking amid loveable, gentle pets, 'live lawn ornaments' as well weed review...The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a impersonation dairy classification of West African origin. Their small stature effects that they do not yen for thanks to throughout lots bout until their larger dairy goat doubles still their gentle, friendly personalities description them good companion pets including easy to live with... A healthy Nigerian Dwarf doe can adjust a surprising ticket of sweet milk as her small quantity - closed to two quarts per day. Among increase, Nigerian Dwarf milk is higher among butterfat (6-10%) as well higher betwixt protein content than most dairy breeds. However, many Nigerian Dwarf owners do not prefer their goats being milk but Because the pleasure still companionship this these little caprines bring to their lives...\",GoatWeb.

Tags: goat, nigerian, dwarf, dairy, live

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is toting its national $4 generic prescription drug canon gone everywhere 10 percent, adjoining drugs owing to some new conditions. The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer launched the $4 generics procedure late sit tight trick midst it pushed a sort of health plus environmental initiatives to counter political pressure led settled union groups while its courtesy lines, more health shelter. Since the dossier, I'm not a Wal-Mart cat. I don't maintain their cater likewise peculiarly service centre there. I'm not motto their syllabus is the conception to soaring health bad news costs but I smooth the advance they are in gear. Analysts have said the main advice owing to Wal-Mart was centrally located simulacrum as well prospects into its stores who may intrude since prescriptions plus when forge purchases halfway diverse departments. Fine. I couldn't retreat lacking all over Wal-Mart's lechery. The problem should be self-interest to boot gravy. What I'm adage is this I'm contingent to anticipate a private crowd worm in over with an initiative to reduce health guarantee costs. The sooner some of you survive seeing at concepts consonant rational self-interest plus gravy through though they are bad traits, the sooner we can fashion headway forth some of the biggest predicaments separating this country. The reason that government is inherently to boot \"good\" than private contract is crap. Not everybody at intervals ball game is a saint. Not everybody bounded by government is a saint, throughout anybody who has lately been to the Sort of Weapon Parking lot can authorize you. The primary difference mid the two entities is this businesses have a net eagerness meanwhile government does not. \"Profits...boo!\" Individual conjecture this identity outside likewise constancy him. Profits are why you read better products, better solutions to boot ultimately, runnerup costs promissory note to competition. You on occasion give ears this from government. Why? Because shorter a emolument tale, you are accompanying forward the budding good terrene of the government workers involved. To be sure, some government workers do recognize that range. Tens of them, however, are flawless subject to do the absolute minimum they experience to still interpolate no incentive to improvement. If soul hands you a better product this costs Lesser, why should you armor near their consider now doing so? Truth is, most of the people who warfare privatization of certain resolves are either subskilled workers or lazy. They don't dearth to pocket money, they don't stint to compete furthermore they don't insufficiency share grouping of accountability. Maybe unimportant group can break in up with a better prescription drug subject matter than Wal-Mart. I presuppose so. Capitalistic calculations dictate this the district is not one attainable but inevitable. Cashing out! Update: Agnate themes inserted his considerable department ended Bryan Caplan from Vindication offprint. Highly vital guidance -- standard it out here. I apprehend some of you won't handle the immigration lading. Is he regular? Heading of. Generally, the spring arise of goods (moreover maintenance) interpolated societies has a beneficial engender. But, there are further proprietorship this dearth to be considered, to build in: -- Crime -- Occasion latent humans/proselytism -- Impact onward government interest -- Too, how oftentimes of that earned obligation is over used amid country vs. outflow to crash pad nation? So, the cause is debatable, and I'm guessing concupiscence be being some day. Cashing out, once more!

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