News

New studies confirm the lower levels of vitamin D are associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes and diabetic retinopathy.

New indication: Menactra Quadrivalent meningococcal polysacchardie diptheria toxoid conjugate vaccine was approved by FDA as treatment to prevent meningococcal disease in infants and toddlers as young as 9 months of age.

According to a new safety communication recently released by FDA, the agency is continuing to receive reports of a rare but aggressive white blood cell cancer often referred to as hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor blockers, azathioprine, and mercaptopurine.

New molecular entity: Vandetanib is a oral kinase inhibitor approved by FDA to treat progressive medullary thyroid cancer in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease.

Some of the most prescribed blockbuster medications will lose market exclusivity in the next couple of years, according to a recent presentation.

Rivaroxaban is an oral, direct factor Xa inhibitor under review by FDA for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation conveys a 5-fold increased risk for stroke.

Recent FDA action (through June 2011) related to oxycodone, aflibercept opthalmic solution, icatibant, eculizumab, asimadoline, anthrax vaccine, SBC-102 enzyme replacement therapy, ciprofloxacin, mitosol, MORAb-004 and MORAb-066, levofloxacin.

In a recently published observational registry study, researchers have demonstrated that the utilizatio of evidence-based therapies in patients experiencing ST-elevation myocardial infarction is on the rise.

Low-cost generic drug programs pioneered by Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers are a mixed blessing for patients with diabetes.

The Vermont legislature and governor recently approved initial steps for establishing a single-payer system for the state

False Claims Act changes included expanding the scope by eliminating the intent requirement, and expanding liability for retaining government overpayments.

Managed care organizations are developing programs to reduce a small niche of waste associated with early discontinuation of medication therapy.

Provider consolidation, lower Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and post-recession stress will combine to increase healthcare costs by 8.5% in 2012, according to a new study.

The design of the healthcare system left us with a loose confederation of silos, in which insurers try to lower medical loss ratios, physicians try to improve patient throughput.

The Center for Studying Health System Change's visits to 12 metropolitan communities found that hospitals are using their clout to command high payment rate increases from private insurers.

Individualized clinical treatment guidelines can achieve greater care efficiencies compared to existing guidelines, according to experts.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a common childhood illness, marked by hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention.

Although they were introduced just seven years ago, health savings accounts have become pretty familiar to consumers.

As if operating a Medicare Advantage plan weren't complex enough, MA plan sales efforts can only take place within a very short window of time - October 1 through December 7, according to federal regulations.

Last month, Blue Shield of California chief executive Bruce Bodaken pledged to address the healthcare affordability crisis by limiting the plan's net income to 2% of revenue.

Pfizer?s second attempt at an abuse-resistant formulation of oxycodone (Remoxy) recently received a complete response letter (CRL) from FDA. Just a week earlier, FDA approved another of the drug maker?s abuse-resistant products ? immediate-release Oxecta (oxycodone HCl) ? for the management of acute and chronic moderate-to-severe pain.

FDA has announced more conservative dosing recommendations for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) when they are used to treat anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) because of increased risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke, thrombosis, and death.

Crizotinib demonstrated an association with a sharp increase in survival rates for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with an anaplastic lymphoma kinase positive genetic alteration, according to the results of a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Safety information regarding varenicline will be added to the Warnings and Precautions section of the label and to the patient Medication Guide because smoking cessation aid varenicline may be associated with an increased risk of certain cardiovascular adverse events in patients who have cardiovascular disease.

FDA announced reports of medication errors involving risperidone and ropinirole in which some patients who took the wrong medication needed to be hospitalized.

Study shows that several common antiepileptic drugs pose the risk of major congenital malformations and that risk increases dose-dependently.

FDA announced changes to safety labels for simvastatin, Vytorin, and Simcor, including dosing recommendations and is advising physicians to limit the use of 80-mg simvastatin due to an increased risk of myopathy.

The Healthy Steps kiosk provides health tips for travelers, nutrition information for meals on the go, videos and a feature that shows the distance traveled and calories burned by walking to different points in the airport.