INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

CRANBURY, N.J. — Amicus Therapeutics received good results from its mid-stage trial of a drug for a rare, genetic disorder, the drug maker said Wednesday.

NEW YORK — As employers try to engage employees in health management programs to slow healthcare cost inflation, fewer employees are placing a high priority on managing and improving their health, according to a survey released Wednesday of more than 9,000 employees at large and midsize employers, conducted by Towers Watson.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Baxter International on Tuesday announced results of a study published in this week's issue of The Lancet that demonstrated effectiveness and tolerability of the company’s Preflucel in protecting against seasonal influenza.

CHICAGO — Individuals who have higher blood-glucose levels and poorer control of those levels over time appear more likely to develop eye-related complications 10 years later, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology published Monday.

MIAMI — New research published in the Feb. 14 online edition of Pediatrics found that prolonged use of energy drinks by young people can lead to potentially adverse health outcomes.

Researchers at the University of Miami's Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine noted that in the United States, energy drinks were consumed by 30% to 50% of adolescents and young adults, according to self-report surveys. Additionally, adolescent caffeine intake averaged 60 mg/day to 70 mg/day and ranged up to 800 mg/day, the researchers said.

PHILADELPHIA — An increase in consolidation among generic drug companies could be in the works, according to a new report from Thomson Reuters.

According to the report, “Gaining Market Share in the Generic Drug Industry Through Acquisitions and Partnerships,” generic drug makers face competition, as well as government-mandated price cuts in Europe and such policies as lowest-price tendering. As a result, many could seek deals that would cause them to diversify their portfolios.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche, reported that its eye drug helped improve vision in patients suffering from a complication caused by diabetes.

In its phase-3 RISE study, Genentech said diabetic macular edema patients that received monthly Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) achieved an improvement in vision at 24 months, compared with placebo.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT — It never made much sense to make health care less affordable under the Affordable Care Act — neither did the requirement of a prescription for a nonprescription remedy jive with proponents of flexible spending accounts. So it’s little wonder that the FSA rule changes were the first piece of ObamaCare to face a congressional axe, as was widely speculated just last week.