Briefs

Less than a month after a U.S. panel rejected the use of Roche’s Avastin in breast cancer, the company is fighting two Democratic senators’ efforts to expand its use as a low-cost option for an eye disease. Herb Kohl of Wisconsin and Sherrod Brown of Ohio are asking Medicare to declare Avastin necessary to fight macular degeneration. This “off label” application eats into sales of Roche’s Lucentis, an approved drug for the condition that’s 40 times more expensive. According to one study, Avastin saved Medicare $800 million in 2008. Roche points to two other studies, one of which it funded, that show this use of the drug increases the risk of stroke and death in seniors.

The U.S. Postal Service says it may close as many as 3,700 of its nearly 32,000 branches as it seeks to cut costs ahead of reaching a $15 billion borrowing limit. The USPS reported a loss of $2.6 billion for the quarter and could run out of money by September. Post offices in every state but Delaware are on the list of potential closures, which would save $200 million a year. The Postal Service is also seeking permission from Congress to delay a required payment for future retiree health-care costs and to end Saturday mail delivery.