Healthcare Business Review: WellPoint ACQUIRES Amerigroup, Ampio’s GOOD News

WellPoint (NYSE:WLP) is purchasing Amerigroup (NYSE:AGP) for $92 per share in cash, with the total amounting to nearly $4.9 billion. The price is a 43 percent windfall over Friday’s close for Amerigroup, whose shares popped at the news. The transaction should close in the first quarter of 2013.

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Bayer’s (BAYRY.PK) and J&J’s (NYSE:JNJ) blood-clotting treatment Xarelto wins a priority review status by the FDA. The drug would be for use against deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and the prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients already suffering from it. At the same time, Bayer is withdrawing its request to use Xarelto to reduce the risk of blood clots in heart-stint patients.

Shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals (AMPE) move up on word that its Optima treatment for diabetes-related vision problems produced “encouraging” results in phase II testing. Ampio now expects to discuss the next trial with the FDA at the end of July.

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