News

Japan and the UK outrank the United States in infant mortality measures

Deaths per 1,000 live births

Monitor main risks to prepare for regulation.

The first of 2 pivotal phase 3 trials with a new allergy immunotherapy tablet for the treatment of house dust mite-induced respiratory diseases, has met its primary end points, according to ALK and partner Merck.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to injection drug users who are at high risk of HIV infection, following the positive results of the Bangkok Tenovir Study, published online June 12 in the Lancet.

Adding more than a one-half serving of red meat daily for 4 years can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus over the subsequent 4-year period, according to a report published online June 17 for JAMA Internal Medicine.

FDA approved a test that identifies the genotype of hepatitis C virus (HCV) that a patient is carrying. The Abbott RealTime HCV Genotype II (Abbott Molecular) can differentiate genotypes 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4, and 5 using a sample of an infected patient’s blood plasma or serum, which will aid healthcare professionals in determining the appropriate approach to treatment, resulting in better patient outcomes. Various HCV genotypes respond differently to available drug therapies.

FDA announced it has approved the use of Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) as a nonprescription product for all women of child-bearing potential. This action complies with the April 5, 2013 , order of the United States District Court in New York to make levonorgestrel-containing emergency contraceptives available as an over-the-counter (OTC) product without age or point-of-sale restrictions.

FDA approved the expanded use of denosumab (Xgeva, Amgen) to treat adults and some adolescents with giant cell tumor of the bone (GCTB), a rare and usually non-cancerous tumor.

The US Supreme Court today stated that pay-for-delay agreements between brand name drug companies and generic manufacturers are subject to antitrust scrutiny.

Within 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.

FDA has issued a complete response letter (CRL) to for Aveo’s investigational agent tivozanib for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Unsafe injections remain a problem in the United States and throughout the world, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

I 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.

Despite being considered a protected class of drugs, anticonvulsant medications for the treatment of epileptic seizures had lower levels of coverage for Medicare prescription drug plans (PDPs) than commercial health plans.

The Obama administration on Monday abandoned its attempt to restrict access to the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step (Teva Women’s Health Inc.) as an over-the-counter (OTC) medication-a decision that’s being celebrated by some groups.

Older adults with diabetes mellitus may be at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia following a hypoglycemic event, according to a study published online by JAMA Internal Medicine on June 10th.

Enroll America and private web entities could be avenues for new exchange customers

Few employers say they will drop benefits or reduce workers

Could wellness programs supplant the loss as Cadillac plans fade away?

KFF analysis shows group segments remain steady while individual segment moves into compliance

As it celebrates the 20th anniversary of its MedWatch program, FDA has launched two new tools designed to make it easier for consumers and healthcare professionals to report product information to the agency

Endometrial cancer patients who took statins and aspirin reduced their chance of death by 84% with the use of statins and aspirin, according to a new study by researchers at Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care (MECCC), presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. Additionally, women who used only statins saw their risk of dying decline by 45%.

In a phase 3 study of previously treated patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), crizotinib (Xalkori, Pfizer) more than doubled median progression free survival (PFS) than when treated with standard chemotherapy, according to a study published June 1, 2013 online in New England Journal of Medicine.

FDA advised healthcare professionals not to use magnesium sulfate injection for more than 5-7 days to stop preterm labor in pregnant women, according to a May 30 drug safety communication.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), the antidepressant bupropion, and the drug varenicline can help smokers quit, according to a new systematic review published in The Cochrane Library.

Forty-three members of Congress are urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) not to implement a new policy that prohibits independent community pharmacies from providing same-day, home delivery of diabetes testing supplies (DTS) to homebound seniors.