Business News in Brief

FDA OK's new version of Primatene Mist

TRENTON, N.J. -- A new version of the once-popular asthma inhaler Primatene Mist will soon return to U.S. stores.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the over-the-counter aerosol inhaler late Wednesday. It's for temporary relief of mild, intermittent asthma symptoms in people ages 12 and up.

The original Primatene Mist was discontinued seven years ago because the inhaler's ozone-depleting propellant had been banned. That version had been marketed for half a century, including in memorable TV ads.

The new product developed by Amphastar Pharmaceuticals uses a safer propellant. The inhaler will cost about $25 and contain 160 doses. It should be available by the end of the year.

"Rescue inhalers" are meant to quickly relieve asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness, which can be triggered by pollen, mold, dust mites, pet dander, stress or exercising in the cold.

Primatene Mist's active ingredient, the hormone epinephrine, relaxes muscles in the lungs to increase airflow. The product is the only FDA-approved over-the-counter inhaler. Numerous prescription rescue inhalers, containing the medicine albuterol or levalbuterol, are available.

-- The Associated Press

Firm to pay $1M in hiring settlement

GUYMON, Okla. -- The operator of a pork processing plant in the Oklahoma Panhandle will pay $1 million to settle allegations that it hired workers who were in the U.S. illegally.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says Seaboard Corp. reached the settlement Nov. 1. Funds will be divided between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Oklahoma attorney general's office.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement says Seaboard employed unauthorized workers between 2007 and 2012 and didn't complete employment eligibility forms. In addition, Immigration and Customs Enforcement says health care claims by some Seaboard employees enrolled in a private health insurance plan provided by Seaboard were submitted to Oklahoma's Medicaid Program during the same period.

Seaboard, based in Shawnee Mission, Kan., did not reply to telephone and email requests for comment Thursday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says Seaboard cooperated during the investigation and implemented compliance measures.

-- The Associated Press

CenterPoint reports $158M 3Q profit

HOUSTON -- CenterPoint Energy Inc. on Thursday reported a third-quarter profit of $158 million.

The Houston-based company said it had net income of 35 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 39 cents per share.

The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 41 cents per share.

The energy delivery company posted revenue of $2.21 billion in the period.

CenterPoint expects full-year earnings in the range of $1.50 to $1.60 per share.

CenterPoint shares have declined slightly since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has risen 5 percent. The stock has dropped slightly more than 5 percent in the past 12 months.

-- The Associated Press

Magic 8 Ball, Uno make toy Hall of Fame

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Magic 8 Ball and Uno fans can count on infinitely more fun, along with pinball players whose quarters have powered the arcade classic through the rise of gaming apps. The three make up the National Toy Hall of Fame's class of 2018, recognized Thursday for their staying power and influence.

The honorees were chosen from a field of 12 finalists that included American Girl Dolls, chalk, Chutes and Ladders, the Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Masters of the Universe, sled, tic-tac-toe, Tickle Me Elmo and Tudor Electric Football.

The latest inductees will be on permanent display at the Hall of Fame inside The Strong museum in Rochester, alongside 65 previous honorees that include playthings ranging from the stick and cardboard box to Barbie and Lionel Trains.

The Magic 8 Ball was a finalist seven times before the judges finally decided "signs point to yes" for the honor. The liquid-filled orb that tells such fortunes by way of a floating 20-sided die was introduced in 1946 and ranks in surveys among the most popular toys of the 20th century, the Hall of Fame said. It is shown on the writer's room desk in Dick Van Dyke Show reruns or demonstrated on TV's Friends.

-- The Associated Press

Aetna told to pay patient's kin $25M

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A jury has instructed health insurer Aetna to pay an Oklahoma City family $25.5 million for denying a relative's claim for coverage for a type of radiation therapy the year before she died.

The jury Monday found that Aetna doctors didn't spend enough time reviewing Orrana Cunningham's case, The Oklahoman reported. The jury ruled that Aetna recklessly disregarded its duty to deal fairly and in good faith with Cunningham, who had nasopharyngeal cancer.

Aetna is considering whether to appeal. Company attorney John Shely said the insurer tries to do the right thing.

An Aetna doctor denied Cunningham coverage for proton beam therapy in 2014, deeming it experimental, and two other in-house doctors reviewed and upheld the decision.

Doug Terry, the family's attorney, noted that the Food and Drug Administration had approved proton beam therapy, which is also a treatment covered by Medicare. He alleged that Aetna denied coverage for financial reasons and that its doctors were unqualified, overworked and biased when making decisions.

-- The Associated Press

Strong movies buoy Disney earnings

NEW YORK -- Walt Disney Co.'s earnings for the latest quarter sailed past expectations, boosted by a strong list of movies such as Incredibles 2 as the company moves toward closing its $71.3 billion deal to buy 21st Century Fox's entertainment assets.

Disney's diversified entertainment portfolio, which runs from films and cable channels to theme parks, helped buoy its results.

Net income for the quarter ending Sept. 29 rose 33 percent to $2.32 billion, or $1.55 per share, from $1.75 billion, or $1.14 per share last year. Excluding one-time items, net income totaled $1.48 per share. The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.31 per share.

The Burbank, Calif.-based company's revenue rose 12 percent to $14.31 billion from $12.78 billion last year. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $13.81 billion.

-- The Associated Press

Business on 11/09/2018

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