Health

The Institute of Medicine is meeting this week to determine what constitutes 'essential' medical care — which under the health care reform, will be guaranteed to all Americans.

As in Medicare and Medicaid. Conflicts in the two government health care programs can drive up costs for states. But change could be on the way.

But Obama told governors today they can design alternative health care programs as long as they meet the law's goals.

Across the country, states are tackling rising budget deficits. And as economics correspondent Chris Farrell explains, health care is at the heart of federal and state deficits.

An implantable pressure gauge the size of a paperclip may be a big advance in the treatment of heart failure patients.

Not long ago, Arbidol was considered a nearly useless drug. Now, it's a best seller, and a symbol of Russia's efforts to build its pharmaceutical industry, at any cost.

The Food and Drug Administration will allow cosmetic drug and device maker Allergan Inc. to market its stomach-restricting Lap-Band to millions of new patients — patients who are less obese than those currently using the device. Eve Troeh has more.

American pharmaceutical companies want to build their sales in Russia. Russia is eager to let them so long as they build something else, too. Factories.

French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis will pay more than $20.1 billion for U.S. biotech firm Genzyme. Sanofi will pay $74 per Genzyme share once the deal closes in the second quarter of 2011.

Wednesday brought an end to the long-awaited deal between French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis and the U.S. biotech firm Genzyme. Sanofi will buy Genzyme for at least $20.1 billion. But the number could go higher if Genzym's drugs-in-development succeed when they go to market, as Eve Troeh explains.