As the federal government announced today a multibillion-dollar deal with the provinces and territories to top up payments for low-wage essential workers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada needs to reflect on how it treats frontline and marginalized workers.

It took more than a dozen years to bring the Cyclone helicopter into service with the RCAF — and some of its troubled history now casts a long shadow over the recent crash that killed six members of the military.

The federal government's emergency wage subsidy program, which is meant to help employers keep workers on the payroll, will be extended beyond its initial early June endpoint.

THE parents of an Adelaide man who may face the death penalty after being arrested for allegedly selling drugs in the Philippines have issued a plea for help to save their son.

Roy Horn of the famous Siegrfried & Roy duo has died at the age of 75 from complications caused by the coronavirus. According to a press release, the legendary performer succumbed to...

The world of music has lost a legend. Andre Harrell has passed away. The music executive was best known as the founder of Uptown Records--where Sean "Diddy" Combs got his...

Music has lost one of its brightest stars. On Saturday morning, news broke that Little Richard had passed away. The music icon and founding father of Rock 'n' Roll was 87 years...

(MedPage Today) -- "We're safer from death if we're not born. The bottom line is, there's some element of risk." -- Rep. Andy Harris, MD (R-Md.) at a House hearing on Wednesday questioning whether contact tracing for COVID-19 really needs to...

The president sidestepped his State Department to reach out to the North Korean leader. Now, there’s little diplomatic infrastructure to prepare for what comes next.

U.S. and world leaders have a chance to craft an international system that works for this era. But they have to avoid the mistakes of the past.

The ugly stand-off between the AFL and its players is finally over, with the two parties agreeing to a pay deal while the men's 2020 premiership season is suspended because of coronavirus.

The NRL and Rugby League Players' Association finally reach a pay agreement while the season is on hold because of coronavirus, with the players taking a cut of about 71 per cent for the rest of 2020.

Rugby league faces a dangerous financial crunch due to the coronavirus shutdown, but players, clubs and the NRL are working together to ensure the game's future.

Star netballer Natalie Medhurst was hoping to put her feet up this season as she prepares for the birth of her baby — but now she is helping lead her sport's response to the coronavirus.

The NRL ticks another box ahead of its planned restart later this month, as the players officially sign off on a new pay agreement ahead of a return to training this week.

A Victoria Police senior constable from the southern metropolitan area is suspended over the unauthorised leak of photos of former AFL coach Dean Laidley in custody on the weekend. The officer is the second to be suspended over the incident.

In "Becoming Kim Jong Un," former CIA officer expands our understanding of North Korea's dangerous, precarious regime by taking its leader seriously

James Marsden and "Dead to Me" creator Liz Feldman explain how they kept him around in Season 2 — after offing his character in the Season 1 finale.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak as the U.S. death toll passes 50,000, some governors push ahead with reopening their states' economies.

Israeli scientists say they can mimic the effects of a vaccination campaign if certain people willingly get infected with the coronavirus and recover.

There is no clear favorite in the in the race among those who might take over in North Korea if Kim Jong Un dies.

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has surpassed that of 9/11, even the Vietnam War. Here's a look at COVID-19's place in history.

Coronavirus could kill 100,000, Trump says, weeks after predicting lower toll

A look at the different ways nations are trying to cushion the blow from the virus shutdowns.

David Downes is one of a number of artists in the East of England using the pandemic as inspiration.

R. Kelly is offering an odd bit of reassurance ... informing the judge there's no danger of him harassing his accusers if he gets out of jail, because it's impossible for him to communicate with them. Kelly's legal team fired off a letter that's…

Roy Horn, one half of the famous Siegfried & Roy magic and entertainment act in Las Vegas, is dead after being infected with the coronavirus ... TMZ has learned. We just got a statement from Siegfried, who told us, "Today, the world has lost…

Joe Exotic is getting some sweet revenge as the face of a new fashion line ... because the "REVENGE" collection is already selling like hotcakes!!! The 'Tiger King' star officially signed a deal with streetwear brand Odaingerous April 30, and his…

Andre Harrell, a legendary music exec who gave Diddy his big break and, among many other accomplishments, ran Motown Records, is dead. DJ D-Nice broke the news Friday night on Instagram Live. The cause of death is not yet known, but the day before…

Little Richard, a giant in the early stages of Rock 'n' Roll and beyond, has died. Richard had enormous influence over the genre, with insanely popular hits like the fantastically frenetic, "Tutti-Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally." The Beatles have…

By Suzan Onel and Vanessa Fulton On March 19, 2020, FDA issued a guidance document communicating its policy regarding postmarket adverse event reporting during a pandemic (“Guidance”).  The Guidance provides recommendations that affect adverse event reporting obligations for drugs, biologics, medical devices, combination products, and dietary supplements. To summarize, FDA states in the Guidance that

The post FDA Waives Certain Adverse Event Reporting Deadlines Across Product Industries During Pandemics appeared first on Kleinfeld Kaplan & Becker LLP.

Experts react to role of distributors, legislation in opioid crisis

Stemline Therapeutics, whose drug for a rare, aggressive type of acute leukemia was approved by the FDA about 18 months ago, has signed an acquisition deal with Italian biopharma Menarini Group. Stemline (NASDAQ: STML), a New York-based company, developed the first FDA-approved drug for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, or BPDCN. The drug, tagraxofusp (Elzonris) […]

Virtually unknown just a few months ago, the COVID-19 pandemic has already resulted in over 239,000 deaths worldwide—including over 67,000 in the United States alone. Now, emerging reports suggest that as many as one third of patients with severe COVID-19 infection requiring intensive care may also be battling another life-threatening infection: invasive aspergillosis, a deadly […]

Alexion Pharmaceuticals has agreed to buy Portola Pharmaceuticals in a $1.4 billion deal that brings it a first-in-class therapy for treating life-threatening bleeding. According to financial terms announced Tuesday, Boston-based Alexion (NASDAQ: ALXN) will pay $18 for each outstanding share of Portola (NASDAQ: PTLA). That price is a a nearly 132 percent premium to Monday’s […]

Mass shooters appear to injure and kill more people when the use semiautomatic rifles instead of handguns, other types of rifles, or shotguns, according to a new analysis in the Journal of The American Medical Association. But the research has significant limitations.

“John, I’m very aware of your family’s journey, Twelve years ago I was one of the producers considering bidding on your life rights.”

This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts while I prepare for this Friday’s video webinar: Industry Update and COVID-19 Impact: PBMs & Payers.

I suspect this deal will remain profitable for the participating companies even as COVID-19 alters the US. prescription payer mix. Click here to see the original post and comments from January 2020. National market shares for the largest PBMs in 2019 appears as Exhibit 88 of our 2020 Economic Report on U.S. Pharmacies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers.

P.S. Sorry that today's meme is one day too late for Star Wars day.

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Just before the holidays, Cigna’s Express Scripts business announced a market-changing deal with Prime Therapeutics. Click here to read the press release.

There's been very little written about this transaction, though it has potentially major implications. Below, I share my thoughts on the following topics arising from the deal:

• Implications for manufacturers and pharmacies

• The role of the secretive Ascent Health Services

• What this all means for Walgreens

• Why the Federal Trade Commission won’t challenge the deal

A few weeks ago, I explained why integrated insurer / PBM / specialty pharmacy / provider organizations are poised to restructure U.S. drug channels. The Express Scripts / Prime deal signals that the channel will continue its amazing pace of reinvention.

The scale, scope, and interconnectedness of today’s market participants make the system increasingly resistant to massive disruption from either external players like Amazon or a government takeover. Like it or not, the channel will continue to gain power and extract profit. Read on and see if you agree.
Read more »

With substandard medicines already in wide circulation, fears are growing that coronavirus could create a lethal ‘parallel crisis’

When Joana Opoku-Darko’s daughter Anna was 18 months old, she came down with malaria, a disease common in Ghana and especially deadly for children.

She bought medication from a pharmacy in Ghana’s capital, Accra; when Anna’s fever didn’t subside she took her to a hospital, where they ran some tests.

The current focus on curbing Covid-19 spread means there is less focus on routine market surveillance

Related: Fight the fakes: how to beat the $200bn medicine counterfeiters | Helen Lock

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English excess deaths from the coronavirus are comparable to the worst hit countries in Europe, according to a Sky News analysis.

The NHS has set out plans to step up its non-COVID-19 services over the next six weeks.

Alexion has announced it is to acquire Boston-based blood disorder specialist Portola Pharmaceuticals in a transaction to the value of $1.41 billion in cash.

Britain has become the first European nation to pass 30,000 deaths from the coronavirus, putting it only behind the US as the worst hit country in the world in terms of fatalities.

Click to view a price quote on AGN.

Canada-based BetterLife Pharma, previously known as Pivot Pharmaceuticals, has entered into an agreement…

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 1,248,040 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 28,974 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 2,180 to 75,477.

Thailand reported four new coronavirus cases and one more death on Saturday, bringing the total to 3,004 cases and 56 deaths since the outbreak started in January.

The Philippines' health ministry reported on Saturday that coronavirus deaths have reached more than 700.

Malaysia health authorities on Saturday reported 54 new coronavirus cases for a total of 6,589.