News and notes from a day in MedCity, Ohio:
Prilosec OTC, the over-the-counter acid reducer by Cincinnati’s Procter & Gamble, today launched the “Official Sponsor of Everything You Do Without Heartburn” program. Consumers will use photos and videos to compete for an average $1,000 “sponsorship” to support their passions in 15 categories, from health and fitness, to arts and crafts, and “take those passions to the next level,” Prilosec OTC brand manager Robert Cleveland said in a press release.
The Ohio Department of Insurance has suspended Texas-based insurer Chesapeake Life Insurance Co. from writing policies in Ohio for violating a new state law that reduces premiums in the individual health insurance market for those with pre-existing conditions, according to Business First of Columbus.
Neoprobe Corp., the Dublin company developing a novel cancer-detection drug, has struck a three-year employment agreement with its long-time CEO, agreeing to pay David C. Bupp an annual base salary of $355,000, an annual bonus of up to $125,000 in 2010 and a golden parachute of at least $887,500, according to HotStocked.com.
Charlottesville, Va., drug development company Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC has added Guy M. Chisolm, vice chairman of the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute  where he is a professor of cell biology to its scientific advisory board, according to a PRNewswire release.
Nearly 15,000 people have signed up for the Cleveland Clinic’s “go! FIT” initiative, overwhelming the YMCA of Greater Cleveland and Curves locations in Cuyahoga County, WKYC-TV reported.
Neurotrauma experts at the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute at University Hospital are seeking public input before launching federally funded research aimed at improving outcomes for patients who suffer traumatic brain injury, according to a university press release.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
American Associated Pharmacies, parent of Associated Pharmacies Inc. and United Drugs, has selected Cardinal Health in Dublin to be the exclusive pharmaceutical distributor for its nearly 2,000 independent pharmacy members nationwide, according to a PRNewswire release.
