Humana Completes Metropolitan Purchase, NPS Sees Gattex Approved: Healthcare Business Report

On Friday, Humana (NYSE:HUM) completed its previously announced purchase of Metropolitan Health Networks (AMEX:MDF) in a transaction priced at roughly $850 million plus transaction costs. Through the acquisition terms, Metropolitan shareholders will receive $11.25 per share from Humana for each Metropolitan share held. The buyer will also repay all of Metropolitan’s outstanding debt, and expects the transaction to be modestly accretive to its earnings for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2013.

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBWI), which engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of pharmaceuticals and biologics,  will be added to the S&P 500 GICS, and will replace Dell in the S&P 100.

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NPS Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:NPSP) reports that the FDA has approved Gattex (Teduglutide) for subcutaneous use for the treatment of adult patients suffering from short bowel syndrome, who are dependent on parenteral support. The medicine will be available in the first quarter. NPS is a biopharmaceutical firm that  pioneers in and provides therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare diseases on a global basis.

Alexza Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALXA) said Friday that the FDA okayed Adasuve (loxapine) Inhalation Powder 10 mg, for the acute treatment of agitation linked to schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder in adult patients. Adasuve combines the firm’s proprietary Staccato delivery system with the antipsychotic drug, loxapine.

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