With the October 2013 date for ICD-10 conversion looming on the horizon, a report on a HealthLeadersMedia survey suggested that health organizations are overwhelmed with competing priorities.

The "relatively easy touch" with which the FDA has approached mobile medical apps appears "reasonable and has not surprised many," according to healthcare market research firm Kalorama Information, which studies mobile medical app markets. The firm had previously estimated an $84 million market for mobile medical apps, and expects continued growth.

Merck, known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, and Astellas US, the U.S. subsidiary of Astellas Pharma, have entered into an agreement under which Merck, through a subsidiary, will acquire the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the investigational intravenous formulation of vernakalant in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. from Astellas for an undisclosed fee.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Carmel Pharma, a Swedish company that manufactures the PhaSeal System, a closed-system drug transfer device for the safe handling of hazardous drugs that are packaged in vials.

Fujifilm Medical Systems has released its Synapse RIS and Synapse TeleRIS version 6.0 applications.

McKesson has completed its acquisition of Portico Systems, and will leverage Porticos technology to automate new reimbursement and network management strategies for health reform. Terms were not disclosed.

Interoperability and imaging IT company Merge Healthcare has locked an installation contract for its iConnect software at Childrens Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Porter Hospital in Valparaiso, Ind., has purchased Merges iConnect image interoperability platform.