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Rachel Lee: Genentech has halted / test of a peanut-allergy treatment after two kids suffered serious reactions. CNN's Susan Lisovicz has details from New York.
Susan Lisovicz: According to the Wall Street Journal, the problem is not with the drug itself but with the test used to gauge the severity of a patient's allergies. 2 children out of 150 people that trialed had severe reactions to the test. Because of the setback, Genentech may go straight to a larger scale trial but that would be a much longer process and it means an improved treatment for peanut-allergy reactions remains years away.
Rachel Lee: A drug Xolair is already on the market but to treat allergic asthma.
The Bush administration has told health insurers that are a part of a new Medicare drug plan that they have to give beneficiaries a thirty-day supply of any drug they were taking before. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt says the progame's still being rolled out.
Michael Leavitt: We know that each time a person goes the first time , there's a chance we'll have to work through some wrinkles but the vast majority of those who go are getting their drugs, and we don't want anyone /not to have their drugs.
Rachel Lee: Several states have declared public health emergencies and many have announced they'll pay for prescriptions that should've been covered.
Microsoft has sold 600,000 Xbox 360 video game/ consoles in the U.S. since their late November debut according to NPD Group. A market research company also says 2005 was a record for total video game sales, 10.5 billion. Andy Serwer with Fortune Magazine.
Andy Serwer: Video games sell more than the domestic movie box office. Movie box office's only supposed to be about 9 billion dollars last year. So, every year , it's starting to get a little bit of distance there.
The overall sales of video game/ consoles, hand-held devices , games and accessories were up 6% last year. According to NPD , console dollar sales fell 3%.
Rachel Lee: U.S. Markets were closed for the King holiday but oil prices move higher overseas on concerns about Nigeria and Iran.
With CNN Radio Marketplace I'm Rachel Lee.
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