Cornerstone Therapeutics, a Cary drug marketer, announced late Monday that it has acquired speciality pharmaceutical company EKR Therapeutics for $150 million.

Privately-held EKR, which makes products for providing acute-care in hospitals, had revenue of $58 million last year. Most of that revenue was generated from CARDENE IV, EKR's treatment for hypertension.

Cornerstone is paying $125 million in cash and $25 million in milestone payments over the next three years to acquire EKR.

Cornerstone recently completed its shift from selling drugs to doctors to focusing on the more profitable niche hospital market. In March, the company divested itself of two antibiotics, Factive and Spectracef, that were sold to doctors' offices.

Our series on hospitals began today. There's one online element that we couldn't put in the newspaper. Go here to see a hospital bill that shows how charges range all over the place at Triangle hospitals. A day in a cardiac intensive care room can bring a charge of $730,  or $3265, depending on what hospital you're in.  A chest x-ray? Anywhere from $98 to $394.

A joint venture that includes the Duke University Health System plans to invest $15 million to improve Person Memorial Hospital during the next decade, as part of its deal to buy the hospital.

Duke LifePoint Healthcare announced in June that it planned to buy Person Memorial in Roxboro, about 55 northwest of Raleigh. Duke LifePoint announced today that it's reached an agreement with the Person Memorial board and the deal is expected to close within 90 days.

The joint venture will invest $15 million in capital improvements at Person Memorial, including at least $6 million during the first five years. Proceeds from the acquisition will eliminate the hospital's debt, and any remaining funds will go to a new community foundation.

Wake County's largest hospital has won approval from state regulators to expand its rehabilitation facility.

The $2.4 million project will allow WakeMed to renovate existing space and add 14 rehab beds at its flagship campus in Raleigh. That will give WakeMed 98 rehab beds, allowing it to treat more patients and provide more specialized care.

Rehab services include helping patients recover after a stroke, traumatic injury or major surgery. Demand is surging, driven by this region's growing and aging population.

State regulators this week approved WakeMed's proposal and rejected bids from Duke Raleigh Hospital, UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and Johnston Memorial Hospital in Smithfield. At least one of those rival hospitals are likely to appeal, and a legal fight could at least delay when WakeMed starts its project.

The Duke University Health System will officially open a $12.7 million orthopaedic center near Research Triangle Park today, the latest example of a medical building boom across this region.

While a relatively small part of the Duke medical empire, the Duke Orthopaedic Center is also part of a broader trend of hospital systems opening satellite facilities to improve convenience for patients.

The center is at the intersection of I-40 and Page Road. That's the heart of the Triangle, based on population density, and will make it easier for patients who don't want to travel to Duke's busy main campus, said David Attarian, a Duke orthopaedic surgeon who will help run the new clinic.

And it's close to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, to help attract more national and international patients, he added.

A joint venture between the Duke University Health System and a for-profit hospital corporation will invest $45 million in improvements at Maria Parham Medical Center in Henderson over the next decade.

Duke and LifePoint Hospitals announced in January that they planned to buy Maria Parham, a 102-bed hospital about 45 miles north of Raleigh. It was the first acquisition by the joint venture, known as Duke LifePoint Healthcare.

Officials announced today that they have an agreement with Maria Parham's board. The deal still requires approval from the N.C. Attorney General, and is expected to close within 90 days.

The UNC Health Care System, facing an unsolicited and unwanted bid from WakeMed to buy Rex Healthcare, has set up a new web site aimed at providing more information on why UNC Health and Rex are "stronger together."

"This is an opportunity, not to denigrate anyone else, but to provide information about our two systems," said UNC Health spokeswoman Karen McCall. "We've been trying to make sure that people know more about UNC and Rex together."

The site includes a "Myth vs. Fact" section, patients' stories about the care they've received, patients' video testimonials, a message board and more. Most of the "Myths" are related to WakeMed's efforts to build support for its buyout bid.

WakeMed made its $750 million offer to buy rival Raleigh hospital Rex from UNC Health in May. WakeMed has since set up its own web site promoting the offer and why it will improve health care in Wake County.

UNC Health officials, including CEO Bill Roper, have made clear they're not interested in selling Rex. But they did set up a special committee of UNC Health board members to review the proposed acquisition.

The committee is continuing to collect public comments on WakeMed's offer, as part of its review process, through a feedback web site.

On Monday, the committee also outlined some of the factors it's reviewing as it considers WakeMed's proposal:

· An overview of WakeMed's strategic focus and direction;
· The alignment of missions, visions and values between the organizations;
· Whether there is evidence that the proposed acquisition would better serve the community, including lowering the cost of health care in Wake County and across the state;
· Information about the governance, capital planning, and evaluation of cultural fit; and
· Other operational considerations inherent in a complex transaction.

The UNC Health Care System has transferred $20 million to the main UNC system to help ease the universities' pain from state budget cuts.

UNC Health CEO Bill Roper announced the transfer at a joint meeting of the UNC Health and Rex Healthcare boards today in Raleigh.

Auditors are still tallying final results for the fiscal year that ended June 30, but UNC Health had a good year with its operations and investments, said spokeswoman Karen McCall. The health system expects to report an operating margin of 5 percent to 6 percent, better than the year before.

UNC President Tom Ross and UNC Chapel Hill chancellor Holden Thorp had requested the money as they reviewed the cuts the system was facing, McCall said. Last week, Ross announced that the UNC system would allocate $414 million in cuts across its system, with UNC Chapel Hill taking an 18 percent hit and N.C. State taking a 15 percent reduction.

"This is a good example of how our system is trying very hard in these tough times to stay together," McCall said. "This is an opportunity to help in an extraordinary time."

WakeMed's top executive is warning leaders at the UNC Health Care System not to let public opinions sway their decision as they weigh his $750 million buyout offer for Rex Healthcare.

A UNC Health committee this week began a review of WakeMed's takeover bid for Rex by setting up a website to collect public comments on the proposed deal, which would combine Wake County's largest hospitals.

"This is a decision that has to get a hard look whether people like it not," WakeMed CEO Bill Atkinson said in a phone interview.

"It's not difficult to find a lot of people to come down on any side of an issue," he added. "You don't want to dismiss those opinions, but you don't want to forget that this is a serious business transaction and not just an emotional issue."

Meanwhile, WakeMed also is urging doctors, patients and others to let UNC Health know that they support its offer to buy Rex, which was announced in early May. In e-mails and an online memo, WakeMed is asking people to share comments at the feedback website set up by UNC Health.

A committee set up by the UNC Health Care System to review WakeMed's $750 million, unsolicited bid to buy rival hospital Rex Healthcare is seeking public comments on the deal.

The committee, which met for the first time today in Chapel Hill, set up an online feedback form here.

"This is just one piece of a larger puzzle, but we felt it was important to hear from community members and patients that we serve," said UNC Health spokeswoman Jennifer James. The committee also will weigh factors in its review such as financial data, legal issues, quality of care and more.

UNC officials have said they aren't interested in selling Rex, which the system bought in 2000. But they are reviewing WakeMed's offer as part of their "fiduciary responsibility."