February 22nd 2024
Research and development funding increased in 2023 but clinical trial starts fell by 15%, partly because of fewer COVID-19-related trials, according to IQVIA's worldwide report on research and development in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Study finds earlier diabetes diagnoses in Medicaid expansion states
April 7th 2015People in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are far more likely to be newly identified with diabetes than in non-expansion states, according to a study published online in Diabetes Care.
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Coalition promotes important acetaminophen dosing reminders
November 18th 2014It may come as a surprise that each year Americans catch approximately 1 billion colds, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 20% get the flu. This cold and flu season, 7 in 10 patients will reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat their coughs, stuffy noses, and sniffles. It’s an important time of the year to remind patients to double check their medicine labels so they don’t double up on medicines containing acetaminophen.
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FDA approval given for new drug to treat obesity
September 15th 2014FDA has approved a combination of the generic drugs naltrexone and bupropion (Contrave) for chronic weight management in obese adults (body mass index [BMI] >30 kg/m2). This combination agent has also been approved for use in those patients who are overweight (BMI >27 kg/m2) and have at least one weight-related comorbid condition such as diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia.
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Study: Hep C drugs could increase Medicare Part D spending in 2015
August 12th 2014The federal government’s cost for Medicare Part D will increase between $2.9 billion and $5.8 billion if we see 15% to 30% of hepatitis C (HCV)-infected beneficiaries receive treatment in 2015 and the cost of treatment averages $84,000, according to a new study by Milliman.
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Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design
June 30th 2014The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).
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FDA has approved a new indication for ofatumumab (Arzerra, GlaxoSmithKline and Genmab), a CD20-directed cytolytic monoclonal antibody, in combination with chlorambucil for the treatment of previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) for whom fludarabine-based therapy is considered inappropriate.
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Timothy Grass Pollen Allergen Extract approved by FDA
April 16th 2014FDA has approved the Timothy Grass Pollen Allergen Extract (Grastek, Merck) sublingual tablet as immunotherapy to treat grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis with or without conjunctivitis in children as young as 5 years of age and adults up to the age of 65. The tablet is a new option for patients who decline allergy shots.
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Management of antipsychotic medication polypharmacy
June 13th 2013Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.
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Medical innovation improves outcomes
June 12th 2013I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the pancreas, a disease that’s long been considered not just incurable, but almost impossible to treat-a recalcitrant disease that some practitioners feel has given oncology a bad name. I was told my life would be measured in weeks.
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Disinfecting all ICU patients significantly reduces MRSA
May 30th 2013Decolonization of all intensive care unit (ICU) patients with antimicrobial soap and ointment significantly reduces all bloodstream infections, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Managed care approach to substance abuse treatment
May 20th 2013An examination of people’s behaviors as they relate to drug use in the 20th century has shown that people will expend a large amount of energy to acquire any agent that has the ability to alter their minds, bodies, or behaviors in order to achieve a euphoric effect.
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Age restriction on emergency contraception lifted
April 10th 2013On April 5, a US District Court judge ruled that the emergency contraception (EC) pill Plan B One-Step must be made available over-the-counter to all girls and women, regardless of their age. This ruling, made by Judge Edward R. Korman, was in response to a 2011 move by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
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Guideline recommendations issued for molecular testing, targeted therapies in lung cancer
April 8th 2013The College of American Pathologists (CAP), International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), and Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) recently issued evidence-based guidelines on molecular testing in lung cancer, and support the recommendation that physicians conduct testing in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients at the time of diagnosis or at the time of recurrence or progression.
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Judge orders FDA to make emergency contraceptive available without prescription for all ages
April 5th 2013A New York federal judge has struck down the restrictions on levonorgestrel-based emergency contraceptives and ordered the FDA to make the drugs available without a prescription and without point-of-sale or age restrictions within 30 days, according to an April 4th memorandum and order
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Sublingual immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis and asthma effective, JAMA reports
April 2nd 2013In an examination of a type of treatment for allergic rhinitis and asthma that is used in Europe but not approved by FDA, researchers found moderate strength in the evidence from previous studies to support the use of sublingual immunotherapy for the treatment of these conditions, according to a review article in the March 27 issue of JAMA.
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New Jersey compounding pharmacy recalls all products, fearing mold contamination
March 18th 2013Med Prep Consulting, Inc., a compounding pharmacy in Tinton Falls, NJ, is voluntarily recalling all lots of compounded products from its facility for fear of mold contamination, according to an FDA press release.
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Survey reveals healthcare provider trust in OTC medications
March 7th 2013Almost 98% of primary care physicians (PCPs), nurse practitioners, and pharmacists trust and recommend over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to their patients, according to a new survey released by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA).
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