(This story has been posted on The Wall Street Journal Online's Health Blog at http://blogs.wsj.com/health.)

By Robert Lee Hotz

Here's what's making health news this morning:

Health Exchanges Have Boosters (WSJ): Officials in Rhode Island, California and Colorado expect to voluntarily implement a key part of the 2010 federal health-care overhaul -- the establishment of insurance exchanges -- even if it is wiped out by the Supreme Court.

Clue to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (BBC): In a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, UCLA researchers linked two genes involved in serotonin production and a higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, suggesting that susceptibility to PTSD may be inherited.

Melanoma Rates Increase 'Dramatically' Among Young Adults (Associated Press): Mayo Clinic researchers found a sixfold increase in the number of melanoma cases over the past 40 years, though the number of deaths from the cancer appears to be falling.

Express Scripts Closes Medco Acquisition (Dow Jones Newswires): Express Scripts says it has completed its $29.1 billion acquisition of Medco Health -- creating the country's largest pharmacy benefits manager -- after the FTC voted to close its investigation into the deal, clearing the last hurdle in its path.

Novartis Lung Drug Meets Goals (Dow Jones Newswires): Novartis's lung treatment QVA149 met its main goals in three late-stage trials for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, though an analyst said "considerable uncertainty" remains over how the drug maker will proceed with the medicine in the U.S.

 
 -For continuously updated news from The Wall Street Journal, see WSJ.com at http://wsj.com. 
 
Medco (NYSE:MHS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024 Click Here for more Medco Charts.
Medco (NYSE:MHS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024 Click Here for more Medco Charts.