When the Republicans blinked last week in voting to adopt a measure that averts the 27.4% sustainable growth rate reduction in Medicare payments to physicians, which came as part legislation to provide a 2% payroll tax credit to 160 million Americans, President Barack Obama and the Democrats scored a major victory. But the Democratic head of the Senate health panel called it a "devil's deal" – insisting that the plan to take $5 billion away from health reform's prevention fund to pay for the so-called doc fix and the tax credit is a "grave mistake". Plus: Leukaemia drug shortage nears end; Tetraphase wins BARDA contract; and contraception fight continues. - Read more





