If you could rename ‘Obamacare’ what would you call it? (Morning Read)

Among today's current medical news: Obamacare renamed, new funds and managers in healthcare venture capital, a pair of notable FDA NON-approvals, fresh praise for the CREST study, and Modern Healthcare's looks back at 2010.

Current medical news and unique business news for anyone that cares about the healthcare industry.

REBRANDING ‘OBAMACARE.’ The suggestions aren’t strong. Would you stop calling healthcare reform “Obamacare” in favor of “puh-pack-uh?” That’s not even as catchy as Affordable Care Act.

CREST IS No. 1. The best medical paper of the year was the CREST study that said stenting procedures were as good as surgery at preventing narrowing neck arteries and, thus, strokes.

HEALTHCARE VENTURE CAPITAL. Psilos Group Managers has raised $37 million for its fourth healthcare fund; VenGrowth has announced new managers for its VenGrowth Advanced Life Sciences Fund; and California biotech fund Longwood Founders Management has raised $85 million to invest in or launch seven new companies.

AND THE WINNER IS… HEALTHCARE REFORM. Modern Healthcare is out with its 2010 Year in Review. Healthcare reform was the dominant headline of the year, as was this statistic: “American Hospital Association statistics show hospitals emerged from recession-battered 2009 posting $34 billion in profits for a solid 5% margin.” Other issues include hospital mergers, continually emerging Health IT; and hospital quality improvement.

COPAXONE FDA APPROVAL DENIED (AMONG OTHERS). Teva Pharmaceuticals’ low-volume formula of the multiple sclerosis drug glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) won’t get into the U.S. market (it was meant to cut down on adverse side effects). Meanwhile, the FDA put a clinical hold on a Sanofi Aventis pain drug meant to block nerve growth.

FEW TAKERS ON HIGH-RISK HEALTH PLANS? Advocates of this key part of the U.S. healthcare reform bill say adoption is slow because the cost of high-risk plans remains too high, and the talk of lawsuits against President Obama’s healthcare reform scares them off.  

WHAT ABOUT FARMVILLE? Just in time for the point when no one plays Tetris anymore comes news that Tetris helps cut flashbacks in post-traumatic stress disorder patients.

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