Hospitals and healthcare facilities should require all employees to get an annual flu shot, a group representing many of the nation?s largest employers emphasized again at a press conference Wednesday in Washington, DC.
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FDA has approved vismodegib (Erivedge, Curtis and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group) for the treatment of adult patients with basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer.
State chapters of the American College of Physicians will soon begin a diabetes pilot project using a cloud-based health system.
Upper-normal blood pressures in otherwise healthy middle-aged men are long-term predictors of incident atrial fibrillation in older age, according to a study that appeared online January 17 in Hypertension.
Sub-clinical atrial tachyarrhythmias without clinical atrial fibrillation occurred frequently in patients with pacemakers and were associated with a significantly increased risk of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism, according to a recent study.
Furosemide-induced high urine output with matched hydration significantly reduced the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing a coronary procedure, according to a new study.
FDA has approved exenatide extended-release for injectable suspension (Bydureon, Amylin and Alkermes) ? the first once-weekly treatment for type 2 diabetes.
Cardiovascular agents
Clinicians are urged to be cautious when selecting an antiepileptic drug (aeD) for patients with HIV/AIDS, according to new evidence-based guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILae).
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In patients with severe, refractory, persistent systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), long-term treatment with tocilizumab induces significant, durable responses with acceptable toxicity, according to results from a multicenter phase 3 trial presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, Chicago.
Recent FDA Approvals (through January 2012) related to (BTG International, Biogen Idec, Elan, Pfizer, Gilead, INSYS Therapeutics, Takeda, CSL Behring)
Prompted by the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak, FDA has announced plans to create a mobile app that will help it gather information and send out alerts about adverse reactions to experimental medications prescribed during public health crises.
In December, FDA announced changes to Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for platelet-booster drugs romiplostim (Nplate) and eltrombopag (Promacta).
Last month, economists in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported a big slow-down in healthcare spending for 2010. Outlays rose only 3.9% to $2.6 trillion, largely because the recession and unemployment reduced healthcare coverage and prompted people to skip doctor visits. Spending on prescription drugs increased at a record low 1.2% to $259.1 billion, as utilization stagnated, more generics replaced old blockbusters, and fewer new drugs came on the market.
An FDA advisory panel has recommended that some oral contraceptives may need stronger warning labels, according to recent reports.
An estimated 1.2 million Americans are discharged from a hospital with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) each year. Now, a new randomized controlled trial dubbed "ATLAS ACS 2" (Anti-Xa Therapy to Lower Cardiovascular Events in Addition to aspirin with/without thienopyridine therapy in Subjects with Acute Coronary Syndrome), is suggesting rivaroxaban may reduce the risk of the composite end point of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, or stroke in patients with a recent ACS, but at a cost of increased major bleeding.
Aflibercept (Eylea): A monthly intravitreal injection for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
New molecular entity: Aflibercept once-monthly intravitreal injection is FDA approved to treat patients with wet (neovascular) age-related macular degeneration.
Treatment response to antidepressants similar in MDD patients with and without medical comorbidities
In patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and general medical conditions, the use of antidepressants was safe and effective compared to patients without such conditions. Combination therapy was no different than monotherapy, regardless of the number of comorbidities present, according to the recent findings of a new randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in The Annals of Family Medicine.
Vaccines are one of the greatest achievements of biomedical science and public health. Proper vaccination plays a critical role in the reduction of vaccine-preventable disease and related morbidity and mortality.
Respondents to a Formulary readers' poll would reserve the use of newly approved rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Janssen) for the management of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) to those patients who have contraindications to warfarin, had unmanageable side effects to warfarin, or in whom warfarin was ineffective.
New indication: FDA approved Zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablets or the treatment of insomnia characterized by middle-of-the-night (MOTN) wakening followed by difficulty returning to sleep.
Orally inhaled dihydroergotamine (DHE) is a newly developed formulation of DHE for the treatment of acute migraine attack and is undergoing FDA review.
Hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile significantly prolongs the duration of a patient's stay in the hospital by at least 6 days, according to the findings of a study published online December 5, for the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Methotrexate alone, with step up to other therapies only if a response is not achieved, is a reasonable starting strategy for treating "poor prognosis" rheumatoid arthritis (RA), said James O'Dell, MD, at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, Chicago.
Romiplostim (Nplate, Amgen), a synthetic protein that binds to and stimulates the thrombopoietin receptor, induced a rapid platelet response in most adult patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) who had low platelet counts or bleeding symptoms, regardless of splenectomy status.
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