Wal-Mart Launches $4 Generics Program in Florida
Bentonville, Ark.--Wal-Mart is selling nearly 300 generic drugs for only $4 per prescription for up to a 30-day supply. The program, which was launched last month at 65 Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market, and Sam's Club pharmacies in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area, is available to insured and uninsured patients. It is expected to be expanded to the entire state in January 2007 and eventually nationwide. At least one of Wal-Mart's competitors, Target Corporation, announced it will match the price.

E. coli Outbreak Continues to Climb
Washington, D.C.--The number of Escherichia coli cases from tainted spinach continues to climb. At press time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that 183 cases of illness due to E. coli infections have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including 29 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (which can result in kidney failure and is most likely to affect young children and the elderly), 95 hospitalizations, and one death. These numbers were expected to climb. The outbreak was confirmed in 26 states, representing virtually all regions of the country. According to a statement released by the FDA, it was determined that "the spinach implicated in the outbreak was grown in three California counties: Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara. Spinach grown in the rest of the United States has not been implicated in the current E. colioutbreak. The public can be confident that spinach grown in the nonimplicated areas can be consumed."

Republicans Look to Ease Ban on Rx Drug Imports
Washington, D.C.--A deal may have been struck in the U.S. House of Representatives that would lift the ban on prescription drugs brought back to the U.S. by Americans who purchased the medications in Canada. The tentative agreement would allow Americans to bring back up to a 90-day supply of medication without being stopped by customs agents. It does not apply to Internet purchases.

Diabetes in Europe Could Cripple Health Budgets
London--While diabetes in the U.S. continues to be a major health problem, Prof. Martin Silink, President-Elect of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), said a diabetes epidemic in Europe could cripple all health care budgets. According to the IDF, more than 53 million Europeans, or 8.4% of the adult population, suffer from diabetes, and that number could reach 9.8% by 2025. "Health care budgets will just not be able to cope," said Silink. Most developed countries today spend around 10% of their health care budgets on diabetes, which is increasing at a rate of about seven million new cases per year.

Lipitor Patent Upheld in Netherlands
New York City--The District Court of The Hague in the Netherlands has ruled that the basic patent covering atorvastatin, manufactured by Pfizer under the brand name Lipitor, would be infringed on by a competitor product from generics manufacturer Ranbaxy. The decision, which is subject to appeal, prevents Ranbaxy from launching its drug before Lipitor's basic patent expires in November 2011. The court also ruled invalid a challenge by Ranbaxy of a second patent covering the calcium salt of atorvastatin, which the court also ruled invalid. The decisions of the Dutch court do not affect challenges to Lipitor patents pending in other countries, including the U.S.

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