Briana Contreras

In 2021, readers were interested in the first mRNA vaccine trial for HIV, an increase in funding for an initiative to end HIV, and more.

News about counterfeit versions of Biktarvy (bictegravir, emtricitabine, tenofovir alafenamide) and Descovy (emtricitabine, tenofovir alafemamide) and the pause in the REMS program for clozapine were among the best read articles of 2021.

Our best read stories about formularies include news about 2022 formularies from CVS Caremark and Express Scripts.

Interviews with key opinion leaders on a variety topics, such as work/life balance tips, race and equity, and the connection between pharmacy and telemedicine, topped the list of most-consumed multimedia in 2021.

News about interchangeable Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn) was among the most read in 2021.

The FDA's warning about Xeljanz (tofacitinib) and other JAK inhiitors and the extension of its review of Janssen's CAR T therapy for multiple myeloma were among the best read articles about the agency in 2021.

The attention-getting articles about COVID-19 included news about Pfizer's booster and the FDA's rejection Zyesami (aviptadil) for treatment of COVID-19-related respiratory failure.

The approval of the generic version of smoking-cessation drug Chantix (varenicline) garnered a lot of attention as did the OKs of Besremi (ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft), a treatment for polycythemia vera, and Trudhesa (dihydroergotamine mesylate), a nasal spray for acute treatment of migraines.

Job losses from the COVID-19 pandemic are the highest since the Great Depression. A year and a half later, most Americans who lost their health insurance along with their job remain uninsured.

Early in the pandemic about 1 in 5 people admitted to the hospital with a COVID-19 diagnosis had obesity and in younger adults, obesity was associated with a doubling of the mortality risk.

Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Shara Cohen, CEO of Carallel, an organization built to support caregivers, in this week's podcast. Shara shared not only who caregivers are and the vital role they play in healthcare, but the challenges they face. She also discussed ways health plans can do better to meet the needs of today’s caregivers.

In this week's episode, Senior Editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, Peter Wehrwein, speaks with Chief Medical Officer of Caravan Health, Ashok Roy. The two dug into the approach of delivering quality care at Caravan, discussed ACOs in care and population health.

Non-hospitalized symptomatic COVID-19 patients who were treated with ciclesonide to alleviate early symptoms did not see any difference in results compared to patients who were treated with a placebo of the drug.

Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive spoke with WellRight CEO, Neepa Patel, on the topic of wellness programs in healthcare and the need for employers and health plans to roll out new, effective, holistic and innovative programs for patients. Patel did discuss the challenges that some organization can face when rolling out these programs, but she explained how accessible, affordable and beneficial these programs are for patients mental health and wellbeing.

Young adults with asthma were recently surveyed on their preparation of the transition to adult asthma care. Half of all those surveyed did not remember being introduced to concepts of transitioning care, including asthma self-management, by their pediatric asthma provider.

In this week’s episode Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, met with Greg Miller, vice president of Industry Strategy, Healthcare and Life Sciences at Talkdesk. The two discussed that while virtual care has become a convenient tool in healthcare during the pandemic and has helped treat more patients, this form of care isn’t completely solving patient’s underlying issues. However, Miller shared how AI is helping ease the patient experience and improving care in this conversation.

Managed Healthcare Executive® recently interviewed Jacqueline Glascock, Ph.D., the director of research programs at Cure SMA, an nonprofit organization in Elk Grove, Illinois, that funds research into spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and advocates for families and patients. In this video, Glascock discusses SMA and her organization, the three current therapies for the disease, and a combination therapy approach to the disease.

Psoriasis medicine containing risankizumab, worsened symptoms in patients with severe asthma.

Briana Contreras, associate editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Josh Benner, founder and CEO of RxAnte, in this latest episode of Tuning In to the C-Suite podcast. In the conversation, Benner addressed the issue of medication misuse among patients based on access, demographics and more, as well as its solutions. The two also talked about the role technology has on the future of pharmacy and how solutions provided through RxAnte can assist plans to improve their CMS Start rating measures.

Long-term exposure to particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) is associated with increased admission to the hospital for COVID-19.

"Given the supply chain constraints that companies are struggling with, the ability to better manage forecasting, demand, and create a redundancy network by allowing for increased visibility into inventory is essential,” recalls Naama Stauber Breckler, CEO of Better Health.

In this episode of Tuning In to the C-Suite podcast, Senior Editor of MHE, Peter Wehrwein, and Associate Editor, Briana Contreras, spoke with President and CEO of CareOregon, Eric Hunter, for another episode of the Meet the Board podcast series. Hunter, who has been on MHE’s Editorial Advisory Board for over a year now, shared how his career in healthcare kick-started, what managed care has become over time, how Medicaid is organized in Oregon and more.

Ray Tancredi, divisional vice president of specialty pharmacy development and brand rx/vaccine purchasing at Walgreens, will be speaking at Asembia's 2021 Specialty Pharmacy Summit. In this video Tancredi talks about the drugs that are most significant in the pipeline and what to look for in approvals in the future.

Jim Adams, chief information officer of AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, is a speaker at the 2021 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit. In this clip Adams talks about the relationship between his organization and Walgreens, how telehealth can improve the health of specialty pharmacy patients and more.

Lance Grady, head of Market Access at Avalere Health, gives a preview of his presentation he gives at Asembia and discusses the significant changes made to specialty pharmacy because of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Andrew Toy, M.S., president, chief technology officer and board member at Clover Health, is one of the emerging health leaders featured in the October 2021 issue of Managed Healthcare Executive. In this video he talks about the career achievement that has given him the greatest satisfaction and who has had the greatest influence in his life.

Evie Powell, Ph.D., virtual reality architect at Proprio, is one of the emerging health leaders featured in the October 2021 issue of Managed Healthcare Executive. In this video she talks about the career achievement that has given her the greatest satisfaction and who has had the greatest influence in her life, which is her Ph.D. adviser and a professor at North Carolina State University, Tiffany Barnes.

Michael Palantoni, vice president of platform services at Athenahealth, is one of the emerging health leaders featured in the October 2021 issue of Managed Healthcare Executive. In this video he talks about the career achievement that has given him the greatest satisfaction and who has had the greatest influence in his life, which is his wife.

Melissa Andel, principal of CommonHealth Solutions, discusses Medicare Part D in the future — more particularly in the next year — and why these changes are being made during this year's AMCP Nexus conference.

Shantanu Nundy, M.D., MBA, chief medical officer at Accolade, is one of the emerging health leaders featured in the October 2021 issue of Managed Healthcare Executive. In this video he talks about the career achievement that has given him the greatest satisfaction and who has had the greatest influence in his life, which are his parents, sister and aunt and uncle.