Health Care & Life Sciences

Exemption for not-for-profit health plans could saddle WellPoint with nearly $2 billion a year in new taxes.

Conseco raises nearly $223 million in stock offering

December 22, 2009

The Carmel-based life and health insurer immediately applied $161 million of the funds to its bank loans.

Lilly pays $90 million for autoimmune drug

December 21, 2009

By acquiring an experimental medicine for rheumatoid arthritis, the Indianapolis-based drugmaker is increasing its focus on autoimmune diseases.

First Indiana Future Fund off to a slow start

December 19, 2009

Peter Schnitzler

More than half of the venture capital fund's original investors took a pass on its $58 million successor, the newly launched INext.

Setbacks in diabetes market batter Roche

December 19, 2009

Roche Diagnostics Corp., once the darling of the U.S. diabetes-device market, is now licking its wounds. And it’s mulling whether to keep fighting on all fronts or to pull back.

Judge fines woman waging Web war against plastic surgeon

December 19, 2009

Judge Sarah Evans Barker declared a Massachusetts woman in contempt of court for failing to remove her negative Internet postings about an Indianapolis cosmetic surgeon.

Building trades leaders flock to Wishard meetings

December 18, 2009

Hundreds of potential contractors turned out for informational meetings this week about construction work on a new Wishard Memorial Hospital.

Hoosier biz groups oppose Senate health bill

December 18, 2009

Group presidents tell Indiana senators that the reform bill would expand dysfunctions of current health care systems.

IBJ Staff and Associated Press

Senate rejects drug-importation proposal

December 16, 2009

The U.S. Senate voted down a plan Tuesday to allow Americans to import prescriptions from abroad, handing drug makers such as Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. a victory.

$60M Lilly Endowment grant to fund IU physician research

December 15, 2009

Peter Schnitzler

Indiana University, which has received nearly $600 million from the endowment over the last three decades, will leverage the new gift to increase its scientific discoveries and commercialize life science innovations.

Lilly wins approval for long-acting Zyprexa

December 14, 2009

Once-a-month injection of best-selling drug will have patents that could extend until 2018.

Plainfield's MD Logistics sued by Bristol-Myers over lost insulin

December 12, 2009

Chris O'Malley

Two semi-trailers of the medication were stolen in 2007 from a back lot at Daum Trucking, which isn't named in the lawsuit. Bristol-Myers charges MD Logistics with negligence in the $10.7 million suit.

Health care reform would push state to hike Medicaid pay to docs

December 12, 2009

An actuarial report prepared by the local office of Milliman Inc., a Seattle-based consulting firm, projects that the state of Indiana would have to hike its Medicaid payments by one-third in order to entice more doctors into the program.

Noble of Indiana to provide in-home services to disabled

December 12, 2009

The service will launch in February. Its goal is to serve 15 clients by June 30, 2010.

Dormir acquires two sleep companies

December 11, 2009

Carmel firm using $12 million in venture capital for buying spree is now nation's second-largest operator of sleep centers.

IBJ Staff and Associated Press

Eli Lilly's shares slip after it forecasts mixed profits in coming years

December 10, 2009

The Indianapolis-based drugmaker predicts strong profits through 2011, but its forecast for 2012 suggests bottom-line results could fall precipitously.

Lilly launching new venture capital fund

December 10, 2009

The fund would acquire experimental drugs and use Lilly R&D staff to try to prove their effectiveness, perhaps boosting Lilly's drug pipeline.

IBJ Staff and Associated Press

HealthNet lands $10.5 million in stimulus funds

December 10, 2009

HealthNet said it will use the funds to expand and renovate two community health centers that have outgrown their space.

Company's medical device earns expedited review

December 9, 2009

FAST Diagnostics LLC said initial human trials on its method to measure kidney function faster and more accurately than existing techniques could begin as early as next year, with commercialization following by 2012.

Ariad asks court to restore patent-suit win against Lilly

December 8, 2009

A federal appeals court will decide whether Eli Lilly and Co. must pay $65.2 million in damages, plus royalties, over a drug-patent claim.

Health reform provision called 'death sentence' for doctor-owned hospitals

December 5, 2009

House and Senate versions of health care reform could halt the trend toward physician-owned hospitals.

Builder looks to cold storage for steady work in a weak economy

December 5, 2009

Brock Benefiel

Cold storage might become a hot business for a building contractor.

Health care reform could drive more people to buy their own insurance

December 5, 2009

If Congress passes health care reform, more people will become like Juli Erhart-Graves, whose family spends nearly 18 percent of its income on health insurance and out-of-pocket medical costs.

Hoosiers 'waste' $2.5B a year on health care, group says

December 3, 2009

Analysis of Medicare data finds that Indiana hospitals and doctors rack up higher costs to treat the same conditions as the nation's model markets.

Part of Mississippi's Zyprexa case against Lilly dismissed

December 2, 2009

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. has won a bid to dismiss part of a negligence lawsuit brought by Mississippi that alleges improper marketing of antipsychotic drug Zyprexa for unapproved uses.