Grifols USA Expands Manufacturing in Los Angeles

The company -- formerly known as Alpha Therapeutic Corporation -- celebrated initial construction of a new 92,000 square foot, intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) production facility at its US headquarters in East Los Angeles. This new facility -- which  will provide new 300 jobs -- is the initial realization of Grifols' $600 million long-range investment plan announced in October 2007 to increase production of lifesaving therapies in Los Angeles.... Read more

IRIS International of Chatsworth, Calif. Receives Institutional Review Board Approval to Begin the First Stage of Its Clinical Study Using NADiA ProsVue for Identifying Post-Prostatectomy Patients with Low Risk of Prostate Cancer Recurrence

The study will use retained serum samples of 30 patients whose prostate cancer relapse, or remission, has been clinically confirmed with imaging data or the patient's death. The NADiA ProsVue assay will be independently used in this study to assist the Company in furthering the hypothesis that NADiA ProsVue can prognosticate patients as low risk of prostate cancer recurrence .. Read more

Advanced Medical Optics Gets FDA Approval for Multifocal Intraocular Lens

 

Lens called TECNIS is designed to provide cataract patients high-quality near and distance vision in a range of light conditions ... Read more.

 

Clarient Launches Gene Expression Test for Prostate Cancer

 

The Aliso Viejo-based company has a new test based on a unique and patent protected combination of four genes that have been shown to accurately identify the presence of Grade 3 or higher (clinically significant cancer) prostate cancer cells in prostate tissue ... Read more

Alpine Biomed Acquires Canadian Firm Stellate

 

Fountain Valley-based Alpine Biomed Corporation, a specialty diagnostic device developer, announced on Jan 15 that it had acquired the Montreal, Quebec-based Stellate. The latter specializes in the development and production of advanced neurodiagnostic systems. The acquisition was the second that Alpine Biomed had completed since Water Street Healthcare Partners, a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on health care, invested in the company in 2007 ... Read more

 

Johnson & Johnson Completes Initial Tender Offer for Mentor Corporation

 

With 92.9% of shares tendered, Johnson & Johnson announced on Jan 17 that the initial tender offer, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Maple Merger Sub, Inc., for all outstanding shares of common stock of Mentor Corporation (Santa Barbara) was completed... Read more

 

Abbott Laboratories Agreed to Acquire the Eye-Care Company Advanced Medical Optics for $1.36 Billion. How Will the Deal Turn Out for Abbott?

 

Though the price is only about 2.5 times last year's sales and in line with the multiple on similar deals, it's almost a 150% premium over where Advanced Medical's shares closed prior to the acquisition announcement. And given the current economic conditions, that's a pretty nice premium. The question now is how will the deal turn out for Abbott? Click here to see analysis

FDA Issues New Rules Governing the Sale of Products Developed from Genetically Engineered Animals

The agency says that before any such product is approved for sale it will be subjected to an independent committee review. An exception is being made for research animals ... Click here to learn more

Is the Healthcare Industry a Good Bet in '09?

The stock market and overall economy, to put it mildly, are very sick. However, one sector is holding up a lot better than the others: healthcare. And there are signs that drug companies, biotechs and medical equipment firms may continue to be, if not recession-proof, recession-resistant ... Read more