Last week, TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz took on apple juice, declaring that the classic drink may be slowly poisoning America's children with arsenic. But the FDA and the juice companies have credibly refuted his claims. So was Dr. Oz's announcement meant to be a legitimate health warning, or just a cynical attempt to boost ratings?
Mother Earth is getting a little bit of relief as more companies yield to pressure from environmentalists and activist shareholders to reduce their carbon footprints. But Gaia isn't the only one who's benefiting: Just ask some of the companies that have saved serious greenbacks by going green.
During the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, much criticism was leveled at World Health Organization officials, accusing their response of being too heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. But according to a panel of independent experts, that wasn't the case.
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first new drug to treat lupus in 56 years. It's not terribly effective: It only worked for 35% of the patients tested. But experts say the approval could prompt the development of more effective drugs.
Most workers would worry about losing their jobs, let alone receiving a bonus, if they slacked off, but CEOs are held to a different standard. For example, despite several stumbles, GSK's CEO got a nice bonus, and J&J's CEO even got a raise for a job badly done.
While painful (for most folks) to watch, the actor's explosion has created a bonanza for the tabloid mill. But on a broader level, Sheen has also offers a potential shot in the arm for companies across the spectrum, from media to pharmaceuticals. Hey Viacom, how about Charlie's Family?
Pharmaceutical companies looking for fresh sources of profit are increasingly investing in a range of health care innovations that aren't drugs at all, from smartphone apps and educational websites to social media platforms and wireless devices, reports Ernst & Young.
From October 2010 to February 2011, biotech Clinical Data's stock doubled, mostly thanks to FDA approval of its novel antidepressant. But also pushing the stock up -- and making it likely to perhaps double again -- is speculation that a Big Pharma will buy Clinical Data.
To get potentially lifesaving drugs to patients faster, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowed to approve some drugs -- those that address unmet medical needs -- based on fewer trials than usual. But it turns out that many of the pharmaceutical companies fail to conduct follow-up trials to prove the drugs work.
Diabetes is a growing global scourge, but for Big Pharma it's more of a lifesaver -- and many drugmakers are cranking up their research efforts. After all, many existing drugs will soon be losing their patents, and diabetes could be a $55 billion market by 2019.
Did GlaxoSmithKline's blockbuster diabetes drug Avandia cause fatal heart attacks? The first federal trial of an Avandia lawsuit began this morning in Philidelphia. As many as 50,000 more lurk in the wings.
After several years of robust expansion, the leading branded pharma companies will see growth slow to just 1.3% from now to 2015, independent market analyst company Datamonitor said in a new report. The primary culprit: expiring patents and an onslaught of generic competition.
Led by the health insurance reform law, a flurry of drug and food recalls, key medical breakthroughs and plenty of layoffs and lawsuits, 2010 proved to be an exciting -- if not always positive -- year. Here's our rundown of the biggest health care stories.
German pharmaceutical and chemical company Merck KGaA will pay $280 million to settle a U.S. Department of Justice claim brought against a former subsidiary, Dey Pharma, regarding Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. This is the fourth such settlement this month alone.
Much like Dendreon, which has a promising prostate cancer drug, ImmunoCellular is developing a cancer drug. In this case, it battles brain cancer, and a Phase I trial turned in remarkable results. But unlike Dendreon, ImmunoCellular is still pretty much an unknown.