HEALTH

Cochlear (ASX:COH), maker of the world's best-selling hearing implant, has recorded a 19 per cent increase in annual net profit.

US-based Watson Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:WPI) has not ruled out a $600 million takeover bid for Australian healthcare group Sigma Pharmaceuticals (ASX:SIP).

Cancer Council Australia and the National Heart Foundation of Australia today called on all political parties to back the plan to phase in plain packaging of tobacco products, as a new, big-budget media campaign funded by the tobacco industry seeks to roll back the important health measure.

Family doctors will resent comments made by the Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon that GPs who have medical practices near government-funded Super Clinics need to question the services they offer, said Dr Adrian Sheen, President of Doctors Action.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics released today the results of the first national Patient Experience Survey examining health care for Australians in the last 12 months.

Australian hospital operator Healthscope Ltd. has approved of the for A$2 billion ($1.7 billion) offer of Carlyle Group and TPG Capital.

Australian hospital operator Healthscope Ltd. has approved of the for A$2 billion ($1.7 billion) offer of Carlyle Group and TPG Capital.

CSL boosts the medical research capacities of Victoria with its announcement of the expansion of primary biotech facility worth $235 million.

Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd has downgraded its profit forecast for the full year by around 31 percent as it strives to convince Aspen Pharmacare to up its takeover bid worth $A649.73 million ($US573 million).

A sluggish morning trading affected Australia's stock market S&P/ASX 200 Index as it declined 0.3 percent to 4,397.50 as of 12:48 p.m. in Sydney. New Zealand's NZX 50 Index shed off 0.3 percent to 3,004.56 in Wellington.

Australian pharmaceutical firm, Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd., that has lost more than half its market value this year, said it is willing to work a better deal with Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. to have a better offer.

Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Australia’s major drug manufacturer, says it has not been given any formal offer by Aspen Pharmacare of South Africa as of yet, as the latter intends to continue carry out due diligence.

Cancer specialists in Australia are calling for a national policy on genetic testing of cancer patients in public and private hospitals to identify who can receive particular drugs that work only in the presence or absence of a particular gene.

Shares in Pharmaxis declined by almost 50 per cent today after investors took a gloomy view on trial results of its Bronchitol drug.

Avexa Ltd shares tumbled by almost 78 percent or up to 2.7 cents on Monday as the drug company announced that it is ending Apricitabine (ATC), its lead HIV program, amidst the resignation of its chief executive Julian Chick who is set to leave by end of May.

Reductil has been chosen as Australia's top weight loss supplement for 2010 in a nationwide consumer review on ProductReview.com.au.