Supreme Court avoids major ruling in birth control dispute
The Supreme Court failed to resolve a knotty dispute between faith-based groups and the Obama administration over birth control on Monday.
Health Care & Life Sciences
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Storing babies’ blood samples pits privacy versus science
Indiana is one of several states involved in legal battles over the storage of blood samples. The cases pose a dilemma: How can society balance the right to privacy with the needs of science and medical research?
AIT Labs founder to return more than $3M in settlement
The founder of AIT Laboratories, along with his insurance companies and bank, will pay back more than $3 million to employees who bought the company from him six years ago at what the government said was an inflated price.
Indiana Blood Center sees fewer donations amid Zika virus
The Indiana Blood Center said it has been forced to defer up to 30 percent of donors at some post-spring break blood drives because they had traveled to areas where the Zika virus is being transmitted.
Judge awards ex-Lilly manager $500,000 after lawsuit
A federal judge made the award to Lilly’s former executive director of human resources, who quit for health reasons and was later dropped from the company’s extended disability plan.
Cigna says deal with Anthem may not happen this year
An analyst said the delay could be a sign of trouble for the acquisition.
Humana leaving some states over Obamacare losses
Humana Inc. is set to exit Obamacare markets in at least two states to stem financial losses, another sign of the struggles that health insurers face in the controversial program.
IBJ Life Sciences Power Breakfast transcript – 2016
IBJ gathered leaders in the life sciences industry for a Power Breakfast panel discussion April 21. Panel members included Colleen Hittle, managing director of Navigant; Suresh Garimella, Purdue University’s executive vice president of research and partnerships; Brian Barker, general manager of U.S. Seeds for Dow AgroSciences; Kristin Sherman, former chief financial officer of Calibrium LLC; and David Johnson, CEO of BioCrossroads.
Zika virus fear fuels demand for local DEET manufacturer
Indianapolis-based chemical manufacturer Vertellus Specialties Inc. has expanded its production capacity by 80 percent to keep up with customer demand for DEET, a common active ingredient in mosquito and tick repellents.
Longtime CFO DeVeydt announces resignation from Anthem
During his tenure, Wayne DeVeydt helped Anthem navigate through the recession, make the transition into Obamacare and negotiate its planned $54 billion acquisition of rival Cigna Corp.
Cook recalling 4.1 million catheters after reports of splitting or breaking
It’s the largest recall in recent years for Cook, which previously had issued four recalls covering more than 400,000 catheters and pressuring monitoring sets in the past two years.
Sale of local medical-device maker could bring $200 million
PTS Diagnostics, with about 150 employees in Indianapolis, said Monday it has entered a definitive agreement to be acquired by China-based Sinocare Inc.
Indiana to get $9.2M in drug discount case settlement
Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. agreed to pay a total of $785 million to resolve allegations that one of its companies didn't give Medicaid the same discounts it provided to private purchasers of the heartburn treatment Protonix.
Mainstreet Property sues state over nursing-home building ban
Carmel-based Mainstreet Property Group is suing the Indiana State Department of Health in a legal challenge to the state’s new moratorium on nursing homes and transitional care properties.
CNO misses mark with lower quarterly revenue, profit
CNO Financial Group Inc. on Wednesday reported quarterly results that fell short of Wall Street predictions.
Anthem, others expand hepatitis C drug coverage after probe
Seven insurers, including Indianapolis-based Anthem Inc., reached an agreement with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to cover hepatitis C drugs for patients in the early stages of the disease and for drug and alcohol users.
Enrollment gains help Anthem top analysts’ earnings expectations
The company, which is in the process of buying rival insurer Cigna Corp. for $54 billion, said medical enrollment has climbed by about 1 million members since the end of 2015, reaching 39.6 million members.
Lilly sales rise, but higher costs push down profit
Lilly got a boost from a stable of new drugs but saw sales tumble for longtime stalwarts Cymbalta and Humalog. Meanwhile, R&D costs rose as the company ushered products through its late-stage pipeline.
State’s life sciences sector on rise while struggling with talent, capital
Shortages of workers and investment dollars remain the two biggest challenges for Indiana’s life sciences industry, which otherwise is showing robust vital signs and embarking on high-profile collaborations.
Bristol-Myers drug tops Lilly’s Erbitux in cancer study
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s blockbuster cancer drug Opdivo prolonged survival in cases of recurrent head and neck cancer, a first for patients with the harshest form of the disease who often face a bleak prognosis.