Q85 Medical and Other Health Care Services

Antidepressants may harm a healthy brain

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Original article by Jill Margo
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 42 : 9-Sep-15

A survey by the OECD in 2013 found that Australia boasts the second-highest use of antidepressant drugs per capital among 33 nations. New medical research suggests that antidepressant drugs might significant affect the areas of the human brain that regulate a person’s mood and memory. Previous research has found that people who suffer from depression generally have smaller volumes of these areas of the brain, but the new research may have implications for the use of antidepressants to treat other conditions such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

CORPORATES
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, BLACK DOG INSTITUTE

Deal lifts Starpharma shares 21pc

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 8-Sep-15

Shares in Australian biotechnology group Starpharma closed 21.3 per cent higher at $A0.74 on 7 September, after securing a licensing agreement with AstraZeneca for the use of its dendrimer drug delivery technology. Starpharma CEO Jackie Fairley say the deal could potentially be worth at least $US450m to the company. Starpharma recently posted a 2014-15 loss of $A18.95m.

CORPORATES
STARPHARMA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SPL, ASTRAZENECA PLC, McGRATH REAL ESTATE PTY LTD, ALLAN GRAY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FIDELITY INVESTMENTS AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Symptoms mask flu trend

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Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 27-Jul-15

Australian pathology laboratories reported some 9,594 cases of flu during the June 2015 quarter, compared with just 4,591 in the previous corresponding period. Influenza Specialist Group chairman Alan Hampson says anecdotal evidence suggests that Australians have contracted flu earlier than usual in 2015. In contrast, Primary Health Care recently attributed lower patient numbers during the quarter to factors such as a less severe cold and flu season.

CORPORATES
INFLUENZA SPECIALIST GROUP, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION LIMITED, SONIC HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX SHL

Primary Health scare on profit slump

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Original article by Jessica Gardner
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 17-Jul-15

Shares in Primary Health Care fell by $A0.42 to $A4.77 on 16 July 2015, after the group advised that its 2014-15 EBITDA will around $A400m, which is similar to the previous year. Primary had previously forecast that its EBITDA would be within the range of $A410m to $A425m. Primary has also indicated that it now expects a tax refund of about $A50m, compared with earlier expectations of $A130m.

CORPORATES
PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, GOLDMAN SACHS AND PARTNERS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Primary’s new centre could be first of many

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 9-Jul-15

Australian-listed Primary Health Care hopes to establish more medical imaging centres, following the upcoming launch of its new facility in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond. CEO Peter Gregg says the group expects to recoup its $A35m investment in the facility within two years. He adds that Primary could potentially finance the new imaging centres via asset sales or sale-and-leaseback arrangements.

CORPORATES
PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, VISION EYE INSTITUTE LIMITED – ASX VEI, HCN, EPWORTH HOSPITAL, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, PULSE HEALTH LIMITED – ASX PHG

Pulse sees value in $162m Vision Eye Institute bid

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Original article by Yolanda Redrup
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 7-Jul-15

Australian-listed private hospital group Pulse Health is offering 1.6 of its shares for every share in Vision Eye Institute, valuing the bid at $A0.88 per share. The deal has the support of Viburnum Funds, which holds major stakes in both groups and would be the largest stakeholder in the combined entity.

CORPORATES
PULSE HEALTH LIMITED – ASX PHG, VISION EYE INSTITUTE LIMITED – ASX VEI, VIBURNUM FUNDS PTY LTD, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY

Feeling ill? Take photos and call Dr Snapchat

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Original article by David Ramli
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 3-Jul-15

Telstra has launched a telemedicine service called ReadyCare in partnership with Switzerland-based Medgate. Consumers with health issues will be able to consult a GP via video link or mobile phone for a $A76 fee. ReadyCare is aimed at treating people with infectious diseases in their own home rather than having them visit a GP.

CORPORATES
TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, MEDGATE AG, TELSTRA READYCARE

Ron Walker’s cancer drug crusade pays national dividends

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Original article by Anne Hyland
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 : 29-Jun-15

The Australian Government will subside a cancer treatment that has been credited with saving the life of businessman Ron Walker. Keytruda will be added to the list of cancer drugs that are subsidised via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which means cancer patients will pay at most just $A37.70 to access the drug. It would previously have cost some $A150,000 per year to be treated with Keytruda. Walker had lobbied the Government to subsidise the drug.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH, MERCK AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Healthscope offloads pathology business

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Original article by Tim Binsted
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 24-Jun-15

Crescent Capital has paid $A105m for the pathology assets of Australian-listed Healthscope, with the deal comprising a cash component of $A92.5m and a $A12.5m promissory note. Healthscope CEO Robert Cooke says the deal will allow the group to focus on its core business of private hospitals. In addition to Healthscope’s pathology laboratories and collection centres, the private equity firm will also buy a portfolio of six skin clinic.

CORPORATES
HEALTHSCOPE LIMITED – ASX HSO, CRESCENT CAPITAL PARTNERS LIMITED, SONIC HEALTHCARE LIMITED – ASX SHL, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE LIMITED – ASX PRY, TPG CAPITAL LP, THE CARLYLE GROUP, CLSA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NATIONAL DENTAL CARE PTY LTD, LIFEHEALTHCARE GROUP LIMITED – ASX LHC, NATIONAL HEARING CARE LIMITED, SOUTHERN SUN SKIN CANCER CLINICS

Make states fund health: PM’s office

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 23-Jun-15

A leaked green paper from the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet outlines a number of potential options for reforms to the public hospital system. They include transferring all responsibility for funding and operating the public health system to the states and territories, establishing a system similar to the Medicare Benefits Schedule for public and private hospitals, and making health care entirely funded at federal level.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET