News

FDA has approved a new indication for the once-daily use of eltrombopag (Promacta, GlaxoSmithKline) in patients with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA) who have had an insufficient response to immunosuppressive therapy (IST).

Stroke patients are 70% more likely to continue taking their stroke prevention medications 1 year later if they are given a prescription when discharged, and 40% more likely after 2 years, according a study published in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases.

Teens who received the collaborative care intervention in primary care had significantly greater improvements in depressive symptoms than teens who were receiving treatment as usual.

FDA has approved abacavir 600 mg, dolutegravir 50 mg (Tivicay) and lamivudine 300 mg (Triumeq, ViiV Healthcare) as as a first-line therapy to treat HIV.

Zorvolex was the first FDA-approved low dose NSAID developed using proprietary SoluMatrix Fine Particle Technology. Zorvolex contains diclofenac as submicron particles that are approximately 20 times smaller than their original size. The reduction in particle size provides an increased surface area, leading to faster dissolution. By using this technology, the dose can be lowered without delaying absorbtion.

Almost half of disabled workers enrolled in Medicare’s prescription drug program fill a prescription for opioids each year, and more than 1 in 5 were chronic users, filling 6 or more opioid prescriptions each year, according to a study in the September issue of Medical Care.

Precedex, dexmedetomidine hydrochloride, is approved to sedate patients with breathing tubes in an intensive-care setting, as well as patients without breathing tubes before and during surgeries and other procedures. Hospira’s patent that covers the use of Precedex in an intensive-care setting in due to expire in 2019, however other patents have already expired. On Monday, the FDA approved the sale of generic copies of the drug as long as the companies leave out information from the prescribing labels about uses that are covered under Hospira’s patent, including “intensive-care unit sedation.”

FDA has approved apixaban (Eliquis, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer) for the treatment of DVT and PE, and for the reduction in the risk of recurrent DVT and PE following initial therapy. Combined, DVT and PE are known as VTE.

FDA has approved peginterferon beta-1a (Plegridy, Biogen Idec) for the treatment of adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

FDA has approved eliglustat (Cerdelga, Genzyme), the only first-line oral therapy for the long-term treatment of adults with the Type 1 form of Gaucher disease.

FDA has approved a new use for bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with aggressive and late-stage cervical cancer.

Not surprisingly, the treatment costs associated with ACS and its various comorbidities are astoundingly high.

Overweight and obese postmenopausal breast cancer patients taking aromatase inhibitors may gain a significant benefit by adding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to their treatment, according to a study published in the August 14 issue of Cancer Research.

FDA has approved suvorexant (Belsomra, Merck) for adults with insomnia who have difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep.

A high-dose influenza vaccine protects the senior population better than the standard-dose influenza vaccine, according to a study published in the August 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Patients with advanced liver disease or other severe symptoms of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection should be first in line for drug therapy, according to a new guideline from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Herpes zoster vaccine continues to be effective in protecting older adults against shingles, even after they undergo chemotherapy, a study published August 4 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Adaptability and flexibility is and will continue to be the key to both survival and success

The World Health Organization (WHO) has authorized the use of experimental drugs in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The death toll has reached 1,000, including a Spanish priest.

The 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.

Hospitalization costs for rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Janssen) were significantly lower than warfarin in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), according to a study in the August 2014 issue of Current Medical Research & Opinion.

Widespread anticoagulant undertreatment persists among atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients at high risk of stroke, despite current medical treatment guidelines, which recommend thromboprophylaxis for this patient population unless contraindicated, according to a recent study in BMC Health Services Research.

FDA has approved canagliflozin/metformin (Invokamet, Janssen), the first fixed-dose combination in the class of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes.

If 15% to 30% of HCV-infected beneficiaries receive treatment in 2015 with the cost of treatment averaging $84,000, Medicare Part D could increase between $2.9 billion and $5.8 billion

Physicians and patients should avoid new drugs unless they are truly breakthrough drugs, according to a study in Health Affairs.

Community pharmacists can have a significant role in improving an entire patient population’s medication adherence, and its overall health, according to a study published in Health Affairs.