Los Angeles Business Journal

LA HEALTHCARE

Recent and archived news stories on: Biotechnology, Doctors, Drugs, Health Insurance, HMO's/PPO's, Hospitals, Medical Devices, Nursing...

Herbalife’s Quarter Beats Expectations

Herbalife Ltd late Tuesday reported a better-than-expected fourth-quarter, boosted by stronger sales in Asia Pacific and other younger markets for its weight-loss and nutritional supplement products.

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Farther, Wider

FOOD: Nutrition bar firm ThinkThin adds outlets while mulling new items.

Nutrition bar maker ThinkThin looks to expand by adding retail distributors and branching into new sectors.

Molina Prices Debt Offering

Molina Healthcare Inc. announced Tuesday that it has priced a $450 million debt offering

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Deja Vu Develops in Pursuit of Cancer Treatment

BIOTECH: Soon-Shiong reacquires research from buyer of his Abraxis firm.

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong has rolled out another health care company and announced two new high-tech care programs in the L.A. biotech billionaire’s ongoing effort to revolutionize disease treatment and health care delivery.

Costs Hurt Health Net’s Quarter

Health Net Inc.’s profit plummeted in the fourth-quarter as the managed-care provider was hurt by litigation costs and other expenses.

L.A. City Council Places Medical Marijuana Measure on Ballot

The Los Angeles City Council has voted to place a third initiative regulating medical marijuana dispensaries on the May ballot.

Analysts Give Drug Maker Shot in Arm

BIOTECH: Amgen retains their confidence despite dip in quarterly earnings.

Some analysts give Amgen a healthy prognosis despite industry giant’s drop in fourth quarter earnings.

Higher Costs Hurt Amgen’s Quarter

Amgen Inc. reported a worse-than-expected 16 percent decline in fourth-quarter net income, as higher costs of marketing and production offset sales growth gains for many of its drugs.

Simulations Plus Profit Falls 22 Percent

Simulations Plus Inc. said its fiscal first-quarter net income fell 22 percent as the specialty software developer was hurt by cutbacks at some of its large customers.

Loeb Takes Stake in Herbalife

Herbalife Ltd. got a boost Wednesday on word that a respected trader had taken a stake in the company. But that news was tempered by a report that securities regulators had opened an inquiry into the company.

LTC Makes Land Acquisitions

LTC Properties Inc. said that it had purchased two land parcels and entered into health care facility development commitments valued at more than $29 million.

U.S. HealthWorks Announces Chicago Acquisitions

U.S. HealthWorks said that it has entered the Illinois market with the acquisition of three Chicago-area occupational medicine and urgent care centers.

Gores Group Completes Therakos Acquisition

The Gores Group has completed the acquisition of medical device maker Therakos Inc. from Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics Inc.

Health Net Ends Contracts with Area Tenet Hospitals

Health Net Inc. on Thursday said it ended contracts with Tenet Healthcare Corp.’s six hospitals in Southern California over a dispute on reimbursement rates.

Herbalife Shares Rebound

Shares of Herbalife Ltd., which had fallen nearly 40 percent recently, made a comeback Wednesday as investors digested the company’s response to the latest criticisms of its multilevel marketing business model.